Gilbert Sun News - September 2017 by Times Media Group

September 2017

Relentlessly local coverage of Gilbert and our neighboring communities

Rally Around

The Fiesta Bowl’s Mike Nealy gets help from Gilbert students to announce a whopping $2.5 million donation to local charities.

GPS seeks education star to tackle deep challenges BY SRIANTHI PERERA

Town trying to overturn Big League Dreams contract BY JIM WALSH

Twenty-seven applicants from coast to coast have applied to become the next superintendent at Gilbert Public Schools. The GPS Governing Board met Aug. 30, mostly behind closed doors, to screen the applications for promising candidates who will be called for first interviews on Sept. 12. The selected candidate, who will oversee 40 schools with a total enrolment of about 33,000 students, will earn an annual salary ranging from $180,000 to $210,000. A negotiable benefits pack-

age and a start date will be finalized along with the contract. Meanwhile, a July e-survey inviting community input regarding GPS’s superintendent choice received a stunning 5,599 responses. More than 60 percent of those who took the survey had a family member as a student, while over 40 percent worked for the district. “One of the major takeaways is the enthusiasm the stakeholders have,” said see

SUPERINTENDENTpage 6

An attempt by Big League Dreams to prove its Gilbert facility is safe has appeared to backfire, with Gilbert’s attorney saying an engineering report from the company meant nothing. Paul Scott, a Phoenix engineer hired by the California firm, performed “fullscale load tests” on the columns that support the grandstands and “confirmed there are no actual safety concerns that could be identified.” Chuck Jelloian, a Big League Dreams spokesman, said Gilbert should reopen

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Community Neighbors Business Youth

the facility, which features eight baseball fields and a soccer field. The facility is popular with youth club teams for tournaments. “These findings validate what Big League Dreams has been saying all along,” Jelloian said. “These fields are safe. It’s time to get these fields open so our employees can return to work and people can play ball.” But Robert Grasso, Gilbert’s attorsee

BIG LEAGUE DREAMS page 6

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September 2017

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September 2017

Community

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Redeemed 2 Repeat, together with a local church, offers a firm helping hand to those recovering from addiction. (Special to GSN)

Redeemed 2 Repeat provides missing piece to drug rehab BY SRIANTHI PERERA

Dawn (last name withheld) had a severe neck injury in 2003 that necessitated the use of prescription drugs. As years passed and the pain didn’t subside, her intake of opioid medications spiraled out of control and became an addiction. Seven years ago, Lee (last name withheld) had a dental procedure that went awry. Unable to bear the nonstop throbbing of a nerve in her mouth, she underwent several surgeries and was given progressively stronger medications until she almost lapsed into a coma. She, too, was addicted to painkillers that kept her in a constant fog. Because the drugs were prescribed by a doctor, they felt “justified” in taking them. The two Gilbert women are classic examples of how prescription pill popping leads to chaos. Not surprisingly, both their marriages and family lives crumbled along with their extended social fabric. Fortunately, the two women had turning points that led them to seek professional help. And when they

emerged from the detoxification programs – still nowhere near normal – they were lucky to have the support of a local nonprofit organization to rebuild their lives. Redeemed 2 Repeat was founded by Liz Beck about four years ago to connect with local churches to provide the extensive support necessary for addicted individuals. “We help train members of the local church on how to mentor someone who’s had a struggle with addiction and help them walk with someone in everyday, real-life situations and give them tools so they can be successful in their life instead of going back to using drugs,” Beck said. The Christ-centered program began at Sovereign Grace Church in Gilbert and has extended to a few other churches in the Valley. Eight more churches from across Arizona are also in training for the program and the group is looking for more churches to enroll. “We teach the church that they are just like people who struggle with addiction. At the core, we all have the same

issues. We all need hope and we all need help to walk this life,” Beck said. “When they’re needing escape, they’ll run to a substance, where I would run to Netflix or food. When we look at what the real issue is, then we can deal with it and we can fix it. That’s what we do.” Opioid addictions take a toll that can’t be easily remedied. Families are fearful and mistrustful after living with erratic loved ones. Dawn’s younger daughter was affected from her mother’s unpredictable behavior. “She would come home from school and not know what she was walking into. If Mom was gong to be passed out, if Mom was going to be coherent, if Mom was going to get sick that night, if Mom was going to walk up the stairs and fall over,” she said. It was no less disturbing for Lee’s household. “After all the surgeries, I lost ability to just function,” she said. “I couldn’t take care of my two kids. I was sleeping all the time and my mom was taking care of them.” Even though the daily pill popping

Liz Beck, founder of Redeemed 2 Repeat.

see

REDEEMED page 5

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REDEEMED from page 4

has stopped, those on the path to recovery have fresh challenges: They are fragile, uncertain and fearful. “I thought, ‘I’m going to get out of these meds and come back home and I guess it would be normal, whatever that means.’” Dawn said. “And it was far from it.” She found that she needed counseling and direction on a daily basis. “You need to be connected to somebody and you need to be talking to them every day,” she said. “Here I am, three years later, and I’m just now ready to deal with some things that happened in the past. It’s a journey.” One of the bleakest sides of the experience is the loss of hope. Lee, who could barely sit in class because she was sweating and shaking, told a woman at the recovery center that she was devoid of hope. “I said I don’t ever see myself coming out of this addiction, ever. I said I see a black hole.” Subsequently, she left the program and relapsed two weeks later. That’s when she got connected to Redeemed 2 Repeat. Lee needed help “20 times a day,” she said, even with the most basic chores. “I would be on the phone with her while she’s in the store,” Beck recalled. “That’s why we need to be able to walk with people in those situations. A lot of times, she would come and sit at my house because she did not know how to do ‘today.’ We would sit and talk through budgets and things like that.” Lee also got help from Dawn, who had by then recovered enough herself to be able to volunteer for the organization. After all, its name is Redeemed 2 Repeat: Redeem yourself and repeat by helping others. Now, about 20 former addicts are turning their lives around with the help of Redeemed 2 Repeat. Beck runs Redeemed 2 Repeat from her Gilbert home. The volunteers have meetings around her kitchen table and she devotes a room to an office and counseling. For funding, she manages with grants and private contributions; the town of Gilbert gave $5,000 to the group this year. While this is Beck’s full-time job, she has two part-time staffers, including Dawn. The group organizes an annual fundraiser and other smaller events; upcoming is a comedy night on Nov. 3. The organization also works with the Chandler/Gilbert Substance Use and Treatment Task Force to provide rehabilitation. Although Beck has never been ad-

Community

dicted herself, she watched addiction firsthand when her husband struggled with drugs for 17 years. “His addiction cost us our family. He chose to be in his addiction; he chose that over his family,” she said. They divorced six years ago and she lost everything she had, including her house. Her former husband died last year. “As I was trying to rebuild my life, the way that my church walked with me through that, they were a part of that process with me for years and years. They saw the ugliness of addiction. They were at the hospital with me, they were at my home, they were helping me as I was trying to rebuild my life,” she said. That closeness with the church became the basis of the organization she founded. “During all that time when it was very dark for me and I didn’t have hope and I didn’t think that my life will ever change, God gave me hope and he changed me and he gave me a love for people who struggle with addiction,” she said. Nowadays, Lee talks to Beck once a month or so. “She sent me pictures of her cooking with her kids. Things that we take for granted, what we just do, was an amazing thing for her,” Beck said. It’s a long, hard road to resume relationships after an addiction. “A unique piece of what we do is not excusing them with the ways they hurt their families, but helping them face that and take that responsibility,” Beck said. Volunteers show that life is wrought with struggles that have nothing to do with addiction. “By connecting them with people in the church who would be considered ‘normal,’ they’re able to see that they really are all the same,” she said. There’s help for drug addiction, such as crisis intervention, prevention and treatment, but there’s little help for transition. “This is the missing piece,” she said. Redeemed 2 Repeat is holding a family comedy night fundraiser, “Unchained and Unhinged,” 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 3 at Sovereign Grace Church, 1280 N. Cooper Road, Gilbert. Tickets are $12 for adults and $8 for children ages 17 and under. For tickets, visit redeemed2repeat.org/tickets.

For more information on the nonproﬁt, call 480-213-0873 or visit redeemed2repeat.org.

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SUPERINTENDENT from page 1 Steve Highlen of Arizona School Board Association, which is assisting the school district in the process to replace former Superintendent Christina Kishimoto, who took the position of Hawaii’s superintendent of schools. “That is represented not only by what they said in their comments, but also the number of responses were very significant,” Highlen added. Board President Sheila Rogers declined to be interviewed for this story. Respondents cited a broad range of issues when asked to identify the most significant challenges faced by the district. They included retaining quality teachers, declining student enrollment, lowering class size, the budget and insufficient marketing of the district’s high points. One respondent bemoaned the lack of “soul.” Another had just one word: “idiots.” “Our calendar should match Chandler Unified. Our pay and support should match Chandler Unified,” wrote one obviously disgruntled teacher. “We are losing enrollments due to charter schools when our public schools have so much to offer. Parents aren’t easily informed of the programs, benefits and opportunities our students have in our public schools. It weakens the communities to have so many schools pulling our children in so many different directions,” wrote another. Yet another respondent complained of a “lack of care for students.” “The district only attempts to look good on the surface so that they can address declining enrollment with little thought to the well-being of the students. Run by people whose community ties prevent them from making unbiased decisions. AzMERIT scores across the district are very terrible,” it said. Gilbert resident Sarah Watts, who has two young children attending the district’s schools, said she was “very satisfied” with the education being provided.

BIG LEAGUE DREAMS from page 1 ney, was unimpressed, saying Big League Dreams had not turned over the entire test results and it did not address the outfield walls that Gilbert considers unsafe. The outfield walls help give Big League Dreams its signature look by simulating the appearance of iconic Major League Baseball ballparks, such as Fenway Park in Boston and Yankee Stadium in New York. The outfield walls also support graphics that simulate a capacity crowd of fans attending the game. “Experts retained by the town found that the outfield grandstands did not meet the standards of the building code

Community Watts, who works for the Gilbert Chamber of Commerce, has an unusually informed perspective on the subject. In addition to being a parent and volunteer, working with staff at the district level as well as administrators and educators at the school level, she’s aware of the needs and concerns of the local business community. She’s also the child of a public school teacher. “I think GPS has made significant strides in the past few years to overcome challenges, Watts said, adding: “We need to make the teaching profession a desirable profession, and teacher pay is a big part of it, but not the only factor. When we ask for funding, we must keep in mind the infrastructure needs of our schools, the curriculum needs of our students and the training and continued education of our educators.” She has noted highly qualified and naturally talented teachers leave the profession because of burnout brought on too often by large class sizes and heavy mandates. “GPS is doing what it can to make itself a competitive employer and to provide the training and benefits within its means. But, when regulation and funding tie the hands of our local school districts, we can only expect so much,” she said. Highlen cited “some concern about the past growth and possibly that the district hadn’t grown along with the community quite as well as it could have over the last four or five years.” However, he said, “I saw also a feeling that those things could be corrected and that a good path lies ahead of us as far as the district and the community are concerned.” Whether the governing board will take into consideration the input from the survey is “up to the board,” Highlen said. “The board has established some parameters and they did it early on in the search,” he added. Overall, the input of about 25 community members who participated in a recent

leadership meeting and feedback from GPS staff will be noted and “all of that will come into play,” Highlen said. Adelaida Severson, a parent of three sons who attend the district’s schools, was a former president of Gilbert Educational Foundation and is also a member of the community panel helping select the new superintendent. She, too, believes that in an environment where increasingly more choices are available for education, the district should more aggressively toot its own horn. Teachers are leaving for better opportunities and students are joining charter schools. “I believe that there are so many great things happening at GPS that the outside world doesn’t know about,” Severson said. “GPS should make it known that their choice is the best. When I am sitting at home seeing a Chandler District commercial on a television network, I wonder why GPS can’t do the same? “Our enrollment is declining at a fast pace, and those needed dollars to run the district are being lost,” she added. “We need to make sure we retain those families and students.” Severson, who co-owns a satellite communications company, said she would like to see more global reach in the district, which could include offering more language classes. “I believe the teachers do care, but there are so many different types of learning styles that it is hard for them to really create one way to teach,” she said. With so much at stake, the superintendent has to be multifaceted. The district’s advertisement said the candidate should ideally have, among other qualifications, administration experience in a suburban public school district, earned a doctorate, classroom teaching experience, knowledge of the law of GPS, a background in budget and finance, experience working with state and federal government agencies, strong communication skills and excellent interpersonal skills

and consequently, the structures were deemed dangerous and unsafe,” Grasso said in a statement. “BLD-Gilbert has not produced any reliable evidence to rebut these conclusions. Safety is the main priority of the town and, although the town regrets any inconvenience the park closure may have on park users, the park will remain closed until these safety issues have been resolved.” Grasso said an attempt to mediate the dueling lawsuits between Big League Dreams and the town failed. Big League Dreams unsuccessfully sought an injunction that would have forced the town to reopen the facility, which was closed in early July. The town’s suit seeks to overturn a

long-term operating agreement with Big League Dreams, alleging that Big League Dreams failed in its obligation to maintain the facility, resulting in millions of dollars in damage beyond structural flaws found after the facility opened. The town is planning to spend a $10 million court settlement obtained from the original builder, Mortenson Co., to correct the structural flaws, a project that could take a year or more. The town’s suit could result in the permanent removal of Big League Dreams as the park operator. Gilbert has lost confidence in Big League Dreams and is reluctant to spend millions to repair the park and then turn it over to the company,

www.GilbertSunNews.com and model high standards of integrity. For Watts, the ideal candidate is a visionary who “should be able to assess our history and acclimate to our current conditions, but also have a clear idea of what our community can achieve.” Communication and the ability for the new superintendent to build trust are also important to her. “I hope there is a level of trust between the board and the superintendent as well as between the superintendent and staff,” she said. Severson would look for an approachable person with an open-door policy with staff, parents and students and who is open to the business community with constant interface when necessary and has good lobbying skills. She also thinks the next schools chief should believe in transparency and is articulate, intelligent and able to represent Gilbert in a positive way. Residents may assess the finalists for themselves during a forum at 6 p.m. Sept. 19 at a site still to be determined. The community will “have an opportunity to submit questions that the finalists would respond to and it gives the board an opportunity to see how they respond and how they interact with the community,” Highlen said. “That’s part of the total interview and search process.” The new superintendent’s start date also would depend on the negotiations. Suzanne Zentner fills the interim superintendent role at GPS. Kishimoto served three years in Gilbert and left although her tenure was extended for two more years. The private nonprofit association Highlen represents has a membership of 240 school boards and helps hire about 15 superintendents in school districts across the state each year. It did not, however, have a role in hiring Kishimoto. The results of the community survey are available at surveymonkey.com/results/ SM-XJW87PM6.

Grasso said. He added that Gilbert is probably better off eventually running the facility itself or entering into a contract with another outside company to operate it. “Big League Dreams has turned into a nightmare of dreams,” Grasso said. “I think they have broken the public trust.” The town’s major concerns are assuring the public safety of visitors to the facility and protecting taxpayers against an additional bloodbath, Grasso said. “The town decided it wasn’t going to take it anymore,” Grasso said about the lack of maintenance. “We are trying to protect what the taxpayers have built and they have destroyed.”

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Community

September 2017

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Hospital medical director helps fight prescription drug abuse, addiction BY COLLEEN SPARKS

A local emergency room physician is leading efforts to fight prescription drug abuse and addiction – one patient at a time. Dr. Sandra Indermuhle, medical director of the emergency departments at Dignity Health Chandler Regional and Mercy Gilbert Medical Centers, serves on the Chandler/Gilbert Substance Misuse and Treatment Task Force. The group is “dedicated to battling this epidemic,” she said. She also teaches her medical team to help steer patients with chronic pain to different types of pain management resources in order to avoid addiction and overdosing on prescription drugs. Prescription drug abuse is when people use medication without a prescription, take it in a way other than how a doctor prescribed it or consume it for the feelings or experience they gain rather than for its intended use. It’s a common problem around the United States. From 1999 to 2015, more

than 180,000 people died from overdoses tied to prescription opioids, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Opioid analgesics, often called prescription opioids, are used to treat moderate to severe pain for some patients. “The chronic pain policy at Chandler Regional and Mercy Gilbert limits emergency department medications and prescriptions for patients with repeated visits for chronic painful conditions that should be (Photo Special to GSN) managed by their primary care physician or a pain management Dr. Sandra Indermuhle, medical director of the emergency departments at Dignity Health Chandler Regional and specialist,” said Indermhule, of Mercy Gilbert Medical Centers, serves on the Chandler/ Gilbert. “We utilize the elecGilbert Substance Misuse and Treatment Task Force. tronic health records and the Arizona State Board of PharShe said staff members in the macy Prescription Monitoring emergency departments at Chandler Program to help identify patients for Regional and Mercy Gilbert are also subsequent visits.” trained on how to safely prescribe medicine. Indermhule and her team are not alone in their battle against prescription drug abuse. In June, Governor Doug Ducey signed an emergency declaration to tackle the increasing number of opioid deaths in Arizona. Last year, almost 800 Arizona residents died from opioid overdoses, an average of more than two people per day, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services. The department said from June 15 to July 6 of this year, with real-time data reported, there were about 660 possible opioid overdoses You are invited to attend a Copaxone program in the state, with 8 percent of those ending in death. Date: Thursday, September 21st Chandler Regional and Mercy Gilbert try to discourage patients from Time: Noon-1:00pm abusing prescription medicine. “We use non-opiates and multimodSpeaker: Ajo Joy, MD al analgesia when possible (ibuprofen, Neurologist and MS Specialist acetaminophen, lidocaine patch, etc.), and limit prescription pain medication Gilbert Neurology supply to five days for acute pain, as any longer increases the risk for addicLocation: Oregano’s Pizza Bistro tion,” Indermhule said. “We also educate patients about 328 N. Gilbert Road choosing wisely for migraines, explainGilbert, AZ 85234 Lunch will ing why we don’t treat with opiates,” she said. “Social workers in the emergency be Provided RSVP department and on the floors at both hospitals evaluate, refer and arrange www.SharedSolutionsPatientPrograms.com placement for patients at treatment facilities and outpatient settings for those needing assistance with addiction.”

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“We are even working to develop a peer support program, which would provide real-time guidance in the emergency room by a peer who has been trained after successfully recovering from addictions in their past.” Patients are also educated and given instructions when released from medical centers with prescription pain medicine, Indermhule said. They are given a pain management resource list, information about alternative treatments for chronic pain, a copy of the hospital’s pain policy, a substance misuse-treatment resource list, as well as details about safe storage and disposal of medications, she added. “We are even working to develop a peer support program, which would provide real-time guidance in the emergency room by a peer who has been trained after successfully recovering from addictions in their past,” Indermhule said. Ducey’s declaration in June has given Arizona the ability to coordinate public health endeavors between state, local and private-sector partners and lets the state use all of its public health resources to attempt to prevent deaths from drug overdoses. That includes distributing Naloxone in the community to try to prevent such deaths. Naloxone is a medication used to reverse or block the impacts of opioid medicine. The governor’s statement and boosted surveillance advisory also provides more heightened reporting of overdose deaths from hospitals and doctors.

September 2017

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Community

September 2017

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Fiesta Bowl Charities announces $2.5m donation at Gilbert rally BY SRIANTHI PERERA • PHOTOS BY KIMBERLY CARRILLO

Fiesta Bowl Charities, whose main benefactors are youth, sports and education, announced a whopping $2.5 million in charitable giving for 2017-18. Fittingly, the announcement came during a wellness assembly of about 5,000 students at the football stadium of the Campo Verde High School in Gilbert. The wellness assembly, part of the Be Kind People Project, was sponsored by the charity. Mike Nealy, executive director of the Fiesta Bowl, said this year’s donation was the largest amount the nonprofit has donated to date. Last year’s giving was $2 million. In total during the last seven years, the organization has donated more than $10 million to Arizona. “Fiesta Bowl Charities, our board of directors and entire organization are honored that we can enhance the lives of Arizonans through this increased level of funding that sets a new standard,” Nealy said. “Our three pillars of youth, sports and education drive everything we do, including determining where this money was distributed.” The Scottsdale-based organization’s giving depends on the success of its PlayStation Fiesta Bowl, the Cactus Bowl and other community events, Nealy said.

We would like people to “go to the games, buy tickets to our games, go to our events, support us – all that gets consolidated,” he said. “If we have it, we’re going to give it.” This year’s grants will benefit 67 nonprofit organizations and impact nearly 1 million people around the state. It will help serve about 400,000 meals, provide educational programming to about 250,000 under- This year’s Fiesta Bowl grants will help 67 nonprofits and impact 1 million Arizonans. served youth and purchase about 100,000 backpacks. Teachers are also not forgotten. those students that didn’t have the ability recipient that enhances schools as well. The Fiesta Bowl Wishes for Teachers, to buy them. Another school bought the The movement inspires students to be established last year, will distribute up to school a field trip that otherwise they encouraging, supportive, positive, respect$500,000 of the grant money. This means wouldn’t have been able to do,” he said. ful and thankful, among other positive chosen teachers receive $5,000 to benefit Teachers also bought Kindles and other traits. students. Applications for the program electronics, sports equipment and school At Campo Verde, the Be Kind Crew open in mid-September. supplies with the grant money. put on a lively and entertaining display Teachers dig into their own pockets “Things that aren’t in the budget these focused on fitness, nutrition and kindness. when they need supplies, Nealy said. days – you name it. That’s why we made it “We fund Be Kind because of the From all accounts, the teacher’s grants $5,000 because $5,000 can make a differwonderful things they do and they can have gone a long way, he noted. ence in classrooms,” he said. make a difference in school systems,” “One classroom bought eyeglasses to The Be Kind People Project is a grant Nealy said.

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Community

September 2017

Queen Creek breaks ground on park

www.GilbertSunNews.com

Queen Creek dignitaries and community members break ground on a new park recently. Surveys conducted by the town indicate the community requested more parks and recreation opportunities.

BY GSN STAFF

To help meet the need for more park space and recreation amenities, Queen Creek broke ground recently on a new 48-acre park, tentatively known as West Park. Located at 19535 E. Appleby Road (nearest crossroads: Sossaman and Ocotillo roads), the park is slated for completion in fall 2018. “Our parks, trails, and recreation opportunities are part of what make Queen Creek such a fantastic place to live,” said Mayor Gail Barney. “This project has been many years in the making, and the plan for this park is rather exciting. We will have a beautiful park that our residents and their friends and families can enjoy for many generations.” It will feature an adventure-themed, inclusive play area, fishing lake, lighted ball fields, picnic areas, splash pad, wheel park and walking trail. The location, along the Queen Creek Wash, will allow for connectivity to the town’s multi-use trail system.

Dru Alberti, vice chair of the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee, said: “Quality parks and recreation programs are essential to a successful and healthy community. They promote physical health, they provide a place for families to enjoy time together, they

provide positive activities for our youth and they keep our community connected.” The community’s suggested names for the park will be provided to the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee at its Sept. 12 meeting. The

committee’s recommended name will be provided to the Town Council for consideration at its Oct. 4 meeting. Details: queencreek.org/recreation.

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Community

September 2017

www.GilbertSunNews.com

Gilbert officials shut out Brewers’ pitch for stadium BY SRIANTHI PERERA

Confronted by conflicting assessments of its benefits, Gilbert Town Council appears to have shelved the Milwaukee Brewers’ pitch for a new home. The Brewers are interested in relocating their spring training venue from Maryvale to a new $75 million stadium in Gilbert. The town initially didn’t seem all that interested in the proposal after two economic impact studies – one commissioned by the town, and another by the Gilbert Chamber of Commerce – produced conflicting assessments of the stadium’s economic impact on the town. And recently, Mayor Jenn Daniels all but shut the door on the Brewers. “Gilbert officials are not negotiating and are not currently in discussions with the Brewers organization about a facility in Gilbert nor are we involved in the second impact study conducted by the Gilbert Chamber of Commerce,” she said, adding: “We are a financially conservative council who takes our fiduciary responsibility to the community very seriously. With this in mind, I cannot support the use of public funds to build this stadium.” Team representatives had met with Gilbert officials from January to June this year, hoping to spur town interest in building a 7,500-seat stadium with multiple practice fields, batting cages and pitching mounds, a clubhouse and an adjacent mixed-use village that would include two hotels with a total 220 rooms. The project would have been on a 90acre site on the northeast corner of Lindsay and Germann roads, adjacent to the Loop 202 and the future interchange on a site that currently belongs to a developer. “There were some proposals brought up, but since the numbers didn’t work for us, we just stopped considering it,” Daniels said. The 14-page study by Phoenix-based Applied Economics concluded in April that a spring training stadium wouldn’t do much for the town because the spring baseball season is so short and because the Brewers want the stadium exempt from

property taxes. “Both the economic and fiscal impacts from the spring training facility are minimal,” the study concluded. But the 31-page Chamber study by Scottsdale-based Elliot D. Pollack & Company projects $1.5 million in direct benefits and another $278 million in indirect benefits annually to Gilbert. According to that report, the Brewers would pay for the $75 million ballpark – a claim that a team spokesman would not confirm. The Pollack analysis also said a development partner, LGE Design Build, would pay $70 million for the mixed-use village. The town’s cost would be $3.5 million annually. Chamber President/CEO Kathy Tilque said she is “excited” about the possibility of having a Cactus League venue in Gilbert. “The bottom line is, it has to pencil out to make sense for the citizens of Gilbert long-term. What we’re trying to do is provide additional information,” she said. Tilque said the chamber does not have a formal position on the project. “Unfortunately, our study showed that the town may only receive an additional $1.5 million in revenue directly and indirectly from the project under the model outlined in the report. The model proposed would have the town paying $3.5 million per year for operations. That gap needs to be closed before the town would consider further talks,” she added. The Brewers’ current spring training home is Maryvale Baseball Park in west Phoenix, where the team has trained since 1998. The team’s contract is currently extended on a yearly basis. “We believe there may be a great deal of community support for the Brewers to relocate in the town of Gilbert,” said Bob Quinn, Milwaukee Brewers executive vice president for finance and administration. “However, we continue to work with our partners at the city of Phoenix on a longterm deal to stay in Maryvale.” The Pollack report cautions that its

The Milwaukee Brewers want to move from their spring training stadium in the Maryvale section of Phoenix.

estimates and assumptions “are subject to uncertainty and variation.” “Some assumptions inevitably will not materialize and unanticipated events and circumstances may occur; therefore, the actual results achieved may vary materially with the forecast results,” it said. Daniels said she and other officials are “pleased to continue to receive strong interest from companies and organizations like the Milwaukee Brewers who wish to become a part of this community and the tremendous quality of life we enjoy. “Gilbert enjoys a great partnership with our business community, and we value each and every business that makes an investment in our community,” she added. The Brewers have been Cactus League stalwarts, but they also have been vagabonds. They played at the former Sun City Stadium and the former Chandler Compadre Stadium before moving to the Maryvale facility. The Brewers lacks the cache of some

teams with a national following in the Cactus League, which usually lead the league in attendance. Those include the Chicago Cubs in Mesa, the San Francisco Giants in Scottsdale and the Los Angeles Dodgers in Glendale. The Maryvale facility was eclipsed long ago by newer stadiums with more elaborate clubhouse facilities typically used to help rehabilitate injured players. Those newer facilities include Sloan Park in Mesa and Salt River Fields at Talking Stick near Scottsdale. It is typical for professional sports teams to seek better facilities when their longterm lease expires. The Brewers have been attendance also-rans in Maryvale, drawing anywhere from 75,000 to 85,000 fans per season between 2013 and 2016. –Reporter Jim Walsh contributed to this story.

Study at Banner MD Anderson explores new approach for leukemia BY GSN STAFF

A new immunotherapy drug is under study at Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center as a possible path to remission for some leukemia patients and, ultimately, a better chance at a successful bone marrow transplant. The trial is open to eligible patients with acute myeloid leukemia, or AML, a cancer of the bone marrow and blood. “This may be an option for patients who otherwise may not be able to reach remission through traditional treatments,” said Dr. Rajneesh Nath, director of stem cell transplant at Banner MD Anderson and leader of the study. Traditionally, senior patients cannot receive a stem cell transplant until they are in remission from the disease. Re-

searchers are studying the drug as a way to help bring more patients into remission so they can have the best chance at a successful bone marrow transplant. The trial studies an intravenous drug, known as Iomab-B. It examines the effectiveness of the drug in maximizing radiation to the bone marrow impacted by cancer, while decreasing the damaging effects of the radiation to the rest of the body. This approach targets both the cancer cells and the normal blood-producing stem cells in the bone marrow, creating space for the new bone marrow to grow and generate a new immune system, see page 18

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Community

www.GilbertSunNews.com

Mercy Gilbert tower to serve women, children BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY

Dignity Health and Phoenix Children’s Hospital have announced plans to open a joint women and children services medical tower on the Dignity Health Mercy Gilbert Medical Center campus in 2020. The five-story tower will meet community demand for expanded pediatric services in the region. Construction is expected to begin in fall of 2018. “It was clear that the community was asking us for complete pediatric services,” said Craig McKnight, Phoenix Children’s Hospital chief strategy officer. The new facility will provide Mercy Gilbert with expanded obstetrics services and a sought-after Level 3 neo-natal intensive care unit, McKnight said. Phoenix Children’s Hospital will operate the 60-bed NICU along with 50 pediatric beds, a pediatric emergency department and operating rooms. Mercy Gilbert will operate 24 labor and delivery rooms in the tower and 48 post-partum beds. There will also be an obstetrics emergency department. Population growth in the region along with Phoenix Children’s clinically integrated network of pediatricians in the

Phoenix Children’s Hospital has operated a 22-bed pediatric unit at Mercy Gilbert since 2014.

East Valley also played into the decision to develop the tower, McKnight said. The new Mercy Gilbert facility will join Banner Cardon’s Children’s Medical

Center in Mesa as the major only pediatric hospital facilities in the East Valley. The presence of the new tower in Gilbert should not affect the viability

of Cardon’s as the population in the East Valley is large enough to sustain both see

GILBERT TOWER page 18

Community

www.GilbertSunNews.com

Food truck feast

September 2017

Photos by Tim Sealy Gilbert Feastival, the town’s Friday night food truck roundup, has a new home: the Sam’s Club parking lot on the northeast corner of Gilbert Road and Houston Avenue, one block south of Baseline Road. The truckloads of delicious grub are available from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Fridays. Here’s a look at the recent roundup. Details: azfeastivals.com/gilbertfeastival. 1. Dimon Edge Catering has a very popular truck, bringing burgers and loaded tots (among other comfort foods). Chef/owner Dustin Dimon brings years of experience as a resort catering chef to his truck. With the help of longtime friend and colleague Zane Bacame, they stay busy all year round. 2. The New Flame Cafe brings burros and “mod nostalgic comfort food” to the crowd. Owners Norm and Tori Sandoval present good food and great personality. 3. Later Tater makes a variety of stuffed baked potatoes that range from the classic (butter, cheese and chives) to a Mac and Cheese Baker. Owners Melissa and Larry Felix make it a family affair, welcoming everyone as though they were kin. 4. Bites Mini Donuts satisfies the sweet tooth with freshly made confections. Owner Daniel Hardwick puts love into every donut. 5. Tyler Rauch and AZ Feastivals coordinator Casey Stechnij welcome folks to the new permanent home of Gilbert Food Truck Friday. 6. Bang Bang Dumpling! got its start when owner Gail White lived in San Diego and frequented the always-packed neighborhood dumpling house. Now she takes that passion to the streets with her own mobile dumpling house. 7. Lisa Bastien and Abby Belcourt give the Go Bananas truck a friendly face as they hang with Gilbert resident Chris Sarvis.

4 3

6 5

Community

September 2017

Community Event

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GILBERT TOWER from page 16

institutions, Arizona State University professor Joseph Van Orden said. Van Orden is a faculty member in the Department of Supply Chain Management at the W.P. Carey School of Business. He points out that the population of municipalities to the east of Mercy Gilbert Medical Center – including Gilbert, Chandler, Queen Creek, Apache Junction and San Tan Valley – totals nearly 1 million people. Chandler and Gilbert alone account for nearly 500,000 people, according 2016 estimates from the United States Census Bureau. According to the 2010 Census, 27.6 percent of Chandler’s population is under the age of 18. The same data show that 32.1 percent of Gilbert’s population is under 18. Mesa, meanwhile, has a population of just under 500,000 people with 26.3 percent of the population under the age of 18. In addition to Mesa’s population, Cardon’s position within the Banner Health network should ensure its viability. “Banner is growing so large in the Valley that it is becoming a health system unto itself, allowing it to make large negotiating stakes with insurance companies,” Van Orden said. “(Because of that) it is important for them to have a full children’s services package.” The Dignity/Phoenix Children’s partnership is indicative of a larger nationwide trend that has seen local children’s hospitals partner with other hospital systems and physician groups in order to strengthen and protect their referral base, healthcare policy analyst Allan Baumgarten said via email. Both systems participate in the Arizona Care Network and Arizona

www.GilbertSunNews.com Mother-Baby Care. The latter gives parents care coordination from preconception into early childhood and will have specialists located in the new tower. The new facility will also support Phoenix Children’s Care Network physicians in the East Valley. Cynically, the move by Dignity Health and Phoenix Children’s Hospital could be seen as an attempt to move into a lucrative market currently dominated by a competitor. However, Van Orden does not view it that way. “Phoenix Children’s Hospital takes seriously its mandate to serve the children of Arizona,” he said. The move, Van Orden believes, is motivated by fulfilling that mandate and points out that the hospital has several offshoots across the state and already operates 22 beds at Mercy Gilbert. Phoenix Children’s Hospital has operated a 22-bed pediatric unit at Mercy Gilbert since 2014. In 2011, Dignity Health and Phoenix Children’s Hospital entered a strategic partnership that transferred most of Dignity Health’s pediatric services to the children’s hospital. McKnight backed up the sentiment, stating that the hospital already services many East Valley residents at the downtown Phoenix location and that the new Gilbert location will allow those patients to receive care closer to home. While Phoenix Children’s operation in Gilbert will feature some specialists on location, many advanced procedures such as heart surgery will still take place at the main hospital in Phoenix, McKnight said. The Dignity Health and Phoenix Children’s tower in Gilbert will be reserved for less advanced, non-quaternary care.

LEUKEMIA from page 14

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according to Dr. Susan Passalaqua, director of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging at Banner MD Anderson. “We are pleased to be a part of a national trial investigating the potential of this drug,” said Dr. Tomislav Dragovich, division chief of hematology and oncology and director of clinical research at Banner MD Anderson. “We’ve traditionally used total-body radiation or high doses of chemotherapy for these patients to bring them into remission. We want to understand if this new drug could be more effective in allowing us to kill more cancer cells while being less toxic to patients – especially older patients who generally have difficulty tolerating high doses of radiation and chemotherapy.”

The Phase 3 trial is designed for patients over the age of 55 with an advanced form of AML who have refractory disease, and who are not eligible for an allogeneic stem-cell transplant (in which stem cells are collected from a matching donor and transplanted into the patient). An immunotherapeutic agent, lomabB is one of many in clinical trials at Banner MD Anderson. Other immunotherapy trials are under way in lymphoma, colon cancer, melanoma, lung cancer and other malignancies. To learn more about current clinical trials at Banner MD Anderson, call 480-440-7458 or contact BMDACCResearch@bannerhealth.com.

Community

www.GilbertSunNews.com

September 2017

Gilbert green-lights leading left-turn arrows lagging

BY MELODY BIRKETT

The next time you make a left turn at a Gilbert intersection with an arrow, you might notice something different — leading arrows. That’s because the town is putting the brakes on “lagging” left-turn arrows. “We’re going to be modifying that and transitioning the town over to where the majority of our left-turn controlled intersections will have a ‘leading’ configuration,” said David Fabiano, town engineer. That means an arrow will appear before or with the green light traffic going through the intersection. About 30 percent of Gilbert intersections already have leading left-turn operations. The remaining 70 percent will be converted during the next six weeks. In order of importance, Fabiano said the town council’s priorities are safety, consistency, efficiency and economics. The goal is to reduce driver confusion and be more consistent with neighboring cities such as Mesa and Chandler. “We’ll be watching and if there’s a specific traffic pattern or conditions that exist in specific intersections that require a different operational pattern… we’ll be making those modifications as needed and as directed by the town traffic engineer,” Fabiano said. Around 2004, Fabiano said the town converted all intersections with controlled left-turn signals to lagging. Since then, a combination of citizen complaints and safety concerns has emerged. Then, about a decade ago, Fabiano said, Chandler and Gilbert entered into a study on lagging and leading arrows. Gilbert abandoned the study but Chandler concluded it. “Chandler found that along

McQueen, they had an increase in accidents happening when they had lagging left-turn configurations,” Fabiano said. As a result, Chandler kept the leading left-turn arrows. A few years after the study, Fabiano said Gilbert was having challenges with the directional flow of traffic, predominately north and west in the morning hours and south and east in the afternoon. “The difference between the directional flow causes challenges to be able to get vehicles through, especially on very heavily utilized intersections,” Fabiano explained. One intersection in particular, Cooper and Guadalupe roads, was struggling to handle traffic flow before the upgrade to leading lights. “In that intersection, it would take you longer than 80 seconds to get through it,” he said. By going to a leading arrow configuration, the time improved to less than 80 seconds. A couple of years ago, Fabiano said traffic engineers modified Cooper and McQueen roads to leading arrows to match up with Mesa and Chandler. Safety is also a driving force behind the move. The town was fielding complaints about the frequency of accidents at the intersection of Chandler Heights and Higley roads. Town Council members met with the Gilbert police department on how to improve the situation. Police stepped up enforcement, but there wasn’t much change in the number of accidents. So, the decision was made to convert the intersection from a lagging to leading left-turn arrow configuration. When see

Country Club

Book2

McQueen

Cooper

Gilbert

Lindsay

Val Vista

Greenfield

Higley

Recker

Power

Baseline

Guadalupe

Western Canal

Elliot APS Power Area Warner Lagging Lefts Updated on 6/29/2017 Ray

Williamsfield

Pecos Loop 202

Germann

Queen Creek

Protected/Permitted Protected Only N/S & E/W Ocotillo

Protected Only N/S & Protected/Permitted E/W

Chandler Heights

Riggs

Hunt Hwy

GREEN LIGHTS page 20

(Courtesy of the Town of Gilbert)

Phase 1 of the transition has begun, and the following intersections in Gilbert will be changed: Higley and Ocotillo Higley Road files\Town-wide and SevilleSynchro Boulevard.; Higley and Riggs roads; Riggs Road and Adora BouleW:\Trafficroads; Operations Center\Synchro Models\2017 Models\July_lag to lead conversion\Book2 1 : 1 7/3/2017 vard; Val Vista Drive and Riggs Road and Val Vista Drive and Basha Bear Drive/Merlot Street.

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Community

September 2017

www.GilbertSunNews.com

Gilbert Briefs

BY BECKY BRACKEN

Terminal Gilbert resident puts out public plea for kidney donor

Gilbert resident Marc Hollar, who has end stage renal failure and receives daily four-hour long dialysis treatments, is looking for a kidney donor. The average wait time is five years or more for a kidney from a deceased donor and another option is receiving a kidney from a living donor. Hollar’s family has a history of kidney disease and his mother passed from the same disease, making asking a family member to donate difficult, he said.

Read more about live kidney donation at kidney.org/livingdonation or write to Hollar at ML3364@msn.com.

Mayor chairs Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport board

The Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport Authority – the body responsible for maintaining and operating the airport – recently named Gilbert Mayor Jenn Daniels chair of its Board of Directors. Daniels succeeds Mesa Mayor John

Giles in the position. Giles will now serve as a director, along with Phoenix Councilwoman Thelda Williams. The board elects its officers from the six board members annually. Other board officers include: Apache Junction Mayor Jeff Serdy, vice chair; Gila River Indian Community Lieutenant Governor Monica Antone, secretary; and Queen Creek Mayor Gail Barney, treasurer.

New president and CEO named for area medical centers

Mark Slyter has been named president and CEO for Dignity Health Chandler Regional and Mercy Gilbert medical centers. Slyter joins Dignity Health with more than 20 years of healthcare experience, leading teams and engaging stakeholders to deliver top performing results in quality, patient experience, employee engagement and physician satisfaction.

Silver anniversary for CGCC

Chandler-Gilbert Community College

is celebrating 25 years of providing higher education to the East Valley. Since 1992, CGCC has awarded more than 22,000 degrees and certificates and has served 168,500 students. Beginning with a campus of two buildings at the intersection of Gilbert and Pecos Roads, the college has grown to become two fully comprehensive accredited campuses and an educational center. It once occupied 63,244 square feet of instructional space, and now CGCC has more than 660,000-square feet of modern educational spaces. The college is congratulating its staff, students, alumni, supporters and partners for helping continue a mission of creating learning experiences and growth opportunities designed for the community. The college is planning a special anniversary dinner 5:30 p.m. Thursday, October 12. Tickets are $40/person.

Midwest Food Bank needs help aiding Texas hurricane victims

With life-threatening flooding across the Texas coast, Midwest Food Bank has sent the first two semi loads of disaster

GREEN LIGHTS from page 19

INOVATION THAT EXCITES! Auto Nation Nissan Commercial Sales Manager

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that happened, there were no left-hand turn crashes in three months. Traffic won’t come to a screeching halt while the conversion to leading left-turn arrows takes place, but it’s a process that will take some time. “The process is more involved than it may look on the surface because we don’t just get to turn or flip a switch and it just happens,” Fabiano said. “Operation folks will take out a card in each controller cabinet and replace it with another card that controls how the signal operates. Then a traffic engineer will send new timing out to the computer control signal… tweak the timing of it. A lot of science goes into it.” The conversion process should take about six weeks, he added. Crews started recently at the intersections south of Queen Creek Road. Work will next move to Gilbert Road with teams working toward the east. “There likely will be some minor inconveniences to drivers,” added Fabiano. “We’ll be losing a curb lane where the traffic control cabinets are at. We’ll have police there to help us keep a safe work space and watch the intersection while things are being done.” Also. the work will not be done at peak hours so the town can minimize the impact to drivers.

relief boxes to those affected. Two additional loads have now been requested. Disaster Relief boxes are assembled and stored at Midwest Food Bank. They contain enough shelf-stable food and supplies for a family of four for about five days. Midwest Food Bank volunteers pack, load and drive the boxes to disaster sites where they are distributed to those in need by the Salvation Army. Those who want to help with the cost of food for the boxes and fuel to deliver them can send donations to Midwest Food Bank, 725 E. Baseline Rd., Gilbert, AZ 85233, or visit arizona. midwestfoodbank.org and click “Donate.”

Business walks

The Gilbert Chamber of Commerce Foundation and the Office of Economic Development are teaming up to host the Third Annual Business Walks on Wednesday, November 15. Business Walks is a non-traditional business retention strategy led by volunteers who walk from business to business asking a few conversationally structured questions that capture the pulse of the business community. To receive more information, indicate interest on the form at gilbertaz.com/PIPengagement.

The only intersection where a complete conversion to leading arrows is not happening is at Greenfield and Pecos roads. “It gets a leading arrow for the south to eastbound traffic and a lagging arrow for the north to westbound traffic,” Fabiano said. “And that’s because there’s so much traffic coming off the freeway there that if you don’t operate that way, we can’t keep that road flowing freely. It would be backed up all the way through the interchange. It’ll always stay in that kind of configuration as long as the traffic pattern stays similar to what they are now.” Gilbert residents have mixed feelings about the change. “Although I do like the lagging arrows, it makes sense for all cities to be consistent and use leading arrows,” said Kathy Kalinke. Donna Hart said: “I would like to see the cities all the same. I believe that’s what Gilbert wants to do.” Bradley Gaskill is not happy with the change. “Not sure why or how lagging turning lights makes a difference, but it does. Lagging lights make traffic flow better. Gilbert should stay lagging and all other cities should follow suit.” To keep up-to-date on the project, visit gilbertaz.gov/leadingarrows.

www.GilbertSunNews.com

September 2017

Neighbors

September 2017

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Following the Old Masters Photos courtesy of Marsha Gilliam Gilbert residents Marsha Gilliam and Karen Schmeiser learned how to paint in the tradition of the Old Masters from art maestro Frank Covino. The artist, now deceased, used to visit Gilbert twice a year for 12 years from Waterbury, Vermont, to teach da Vinci, Michelangelo, Caravaggio and Vermeer among other great European artists of yesteryear. The art is recreated in a three-step process: the charcoal drawing, the underpainting or verdaccio and the application of color. Gilliam and Schmeiser are now carrying on Covino’s legacy by conducting classes for small groups at Schmeiser’s home. The photos below are from a recent workshop. The next workshop is scheduled for November 6-10. For details, email Gilliam at marshagilliam@hotmail.com. 1. Joyce Bickel painting her reproduction of “Portrait of a Woman” after Robert Campin. 2. “Portrait of a Woman” by Joyce Bickel after Robert Campin (The flesh and the white garments are in progress.) 3. Joyce Bickel’s nearly completed painting of “Portrait of a Man,” after Robert Campin. She plans to hang the two as a pair. 4. Shelley Broderick is in the color stage of her painting, “The Laundress,” after Jean-Baptiste Greuze. 5. “The Laundress” by Shelley Broderick, after Jean-BaptisteGreuze. 6. Julie Thacker is nearly finished with her painting of “Young Girl Removing Her Socks,” after William-Adolphe Bouguereau. 7. “Young Girl Removing Her Socks” by Julie Thacker, after William-Adolphe Bouguereau. 8. Cindy Bluth has nearly finished the glazing process in “The Snack,” after Bouguereau. 9. “The Prayer” in completed charcoal, ready to be painted with a verdaccio underpainting, by Barbara Wanlass, after Bouguereau. 10. Shelly Haggarton’s verdaccio underpainting of “At the Fountain,” after Bouguereau.

September 2017

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September 2017

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Far from the bustling crowd, JC’s Steakhouse delivers BY KENNETH LAFAVE

Two miles south of the busy strip of crowded restaurants on Gilbert Road is a quiet, spacious place. Many of the crowded restaurants give people what they think they want. The quiet place gives people what many of them really want: high-class, old-school cooking with a focus on meat entrees. JC’s Steakhouse is a bit hard to find, slightly east of Gilbert Road at 25 E. Ray Road. The building outside is large but modest-looking. Inside, though, it opens into an inviting ambiance of high ceilings and hardwood, with room enough between tables to ensure comfort and privacy. There is a large dining room, a bar with high-top tables and a smaller dining area called the banquet hall, rentable for special occasions. Owners Dennis Petty (who also is the chef) and Diana Blewer are there seven days a week, ensuring a handson approach to their business. Family is essential to the restaurant: The name combines the first initials of each owner’s father. Petty’s family history is the reason behind JC’s. “My father, my grandfather and my great-grandfather were all chefs,” Petty said. After working in restaurants throughout high school, young Dennis left his native Oregon and the restaurant business behind, vowing never to return to either. He was back after only six months. The business was in his blood and could not be denied. Eventually, after decades as a restaurateur in Alaska, he tired of the winters and moved to Gilbert. With his long history as a chef, the classics are Petty’s passion. If you’re looking for a place that still serves Steak Oscar (top sirloin topped with crab and béarnaise sauce; $29.99), JC’s Steakhouse is that place. But Petty also adds his personal touches. The menu specialty called Steak Diana ($30.99) is essentially the classic French recipe of Steak Diane, a New York cut with mushrooms in a wine sauce, but with the inspired addition of cracked peppercorns, redolent of another classic, steak au poivre. The result contrasts the snap of the peppercorns with the richness of the sauce. Beef is far from the only animal protein at JC’s. The pork chops ($19.99), French-cut portions cooked to order, aren’t your grandma’s pork chops. The Alaskan salmon ($25.99) can be had as an entrée or, for lighter fare, atop greens in a salad ($15.99). And speaking of Alaska, Petty discovered reindeer sausage when he lived there, so JC’s menu is probably the only place in

Arizona where you can find it ($17.99 as an entrée). Desserts include a traditional favorite that’s not around much anymore: bananas Foster ($6.99). Petty’s partner in business and in life, Diana Blewer, came to the restaurant business from the corporate world. She met Petty at a restaurant he previously owned and after she learned the skill of bartending, they opened JC’s together in 2015. Ask Blewer for drink suggestions, and she’ll

guide you in the right direction, from craft beers to traditional cocktails like the Old Fashioned and the Moscow Mule (or its variation, the Tennessee Mule, with whiskey instead of vodka). JC’s Steakhouse is open for dinner from 4 to 10 p.m. Tuesday to Thursday and 4 to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. They recently added lunch hours, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Friday and Saturday nights feature live classic rock.

Details: jcsteakhouse.com or call 480-306-4545.

Dennis Petty and Diana Blewer run JC’s Steakhouse on Gilbert and Ray roads. Among their offerings are (clockwise, from top left) French-cut pork chops, Steak Diana, wedge salad and bananas Foster.

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The Great Gadsby Bakery puts freshness ﬁrst

Neighbors

September 2017

BY SRIANTHI PERERA

Fruit éclairs, meringues, millionaire shortbread and sticky toffee pudding – if you crave some British-ness in your desserts, make a beeline to this spot in Gilbert. Julie and Dave Gadsby opened The Great Gadsby Bakery, which has the unmistakable aroma of warm cake wafting out the door, late last year at Gilbert Town Square. Nearly a year later, the little bakery delivers the same freshness. Every item in the glass cases was baked and decorated in the wee hours of that morning. “It’s very time-consuming; I’ve been here since 1 a.m.,” said Julie Gadsby, in her mid-50s, showing none the worse for wear at the end of a long work day other than a soiled apron. Why do those crumpets need to be so fresh? “That’s the ethos of the business. Julie is a perfectionist. And she won’t even eat anything, if it’s baked, the next day. It’s her ethos and we follow that,” Dave said. “It tastes better, the day they’re made,” Julie added. The Gadsbys moved to Gilbert from England because one of their nine children, Devon, was working here. They planned to come to the U.S. for a

Everything is made fresh daily.

long time and Dave studied nursing to brighten future employment prospects. That plan backfired, however, because there are many hurdles before Arizona will allow him to work in the field. So The Great Gadsby is Plan B. “Her dream was to have a bakery,” he recalled. And they named it after the classic American novel “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Julie used to run a baking business from her home in “green and rainy” Bath,

“fairly nearby to Jane Austen’s cottage,” selling a few hundred cupcakes each Friday and taking them to nearby offices. She also created laborious celebration cakes. Dave didn’t help back then. But nowadays, he manages the front office and arrives around 10:30 a.m. to Julie and Dave Gadsby outside their shop in Gilbert Town Square. man the shop that closes late evening. grandmother and The couple hopes that their business He relishes in meetwill prosper, but Julie is anxious. The These fruit éclairs have become popular buys at her mom (who ing people. The Great Gatsby Bakery. still bakes at 80) bakery occupies a space that used to “They don’t working with mar- house another cake shop that went out let me bake back zipan and chocolate cream on a regular of business. there. The only thing they’ll let me do basis. Her only education is the Slattery’s “It’s a huge step,” she said. “I really is the dishes,” he added, sounding more chocolate course she underwent, but it’s don’t know what the future holds, but relieved than disappointed. we’ve been pretty busy and people seem It’s quite the change from formulating almost impossible to use those skills in Arizona because it’s too warm. to like us.” medical nutrition plans in the hospital, but he gets to show off the tempting goodies and operate the cash register. With just word of mouth and help from social media, news of the European bakery has spread and the pastries are selling, well, like hot cakes. Julie is not planning to stick to English delectables, so in addition to treacle tarts, scones and custards, she also makes the more European éclairs, macaroons and croissants. American favorites cinnamon buns and blueberry pies are available while doughnuts will be a feature in the future. But the baker stopped short of introducing fruit cake and mince pies in December. She knows they’re regarded as dense and unappealing when comwith every dental pared to other Christmas fare. She made hot cross buns for Easter, and with an exam which sold well, and on Valentine’s Offer isn’t valid with any other discounts. Limit one per household/visit. Expires September 30, 2017 Day, whatever she had on hand sold within the hour. It’s been trial and error. Come Anasazi Animal Clinic East Valley Animal Hospital Thanksgiving, she will have a mountain 425 W. Guadalupe Rd., Ste. 112 81 W. Guadalupe Rd., Ste. 105 of pumpkin pies at the ready. Gilbert - (480) 497-0505 Gilbert - (480) 892-1577 Julie is self-taught in skills honed info@anasazivet.com info@eastvalleyanimal.com during a lifetime of watching her

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David Muñoz receives Alberto Ríos Literacy/Arts award

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BY GSN STAFF

Chandler-Gilbert Community College has named David Muñoz, Residential Philosophy and Religious Studies faculty member, the recipient of the Alberto Ríos Outstanding Literacy/Arts award by The Victoria Foundation. This award is named after the renowned Arizona poet and longtime Arizona State University professor Alberto Ríos and recognizes the contributions of local educators who have made a significant impact on literacy and art in education. “I am honored to receive the Alberto Ríos Outstanding Literary Award,” Muñoz said. “The work of Alberto Ríos is truly a representation of not only the Chicano community, but also the immigrant Hispanic community living in the state of Arizona at the beginning of the 21st century.” Muñoz’s literary and academic career spans more than 40 years. A native of Mexico City, he began his college career at David Muñoz the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico in the department of Philosophy and Letters. Following graduation, he migrated to the United States in 1975, where his academic journey continued. He obtained several degrees in numerous fields including an associate degree in theater arts from Southwestern College; a bachelor’s degree in religious studies from Grand Canyon University; two master’s degrees, one in theology from Fuller Theological Seminary, and the other in Hispanic literature from Arizona State University, and a Ph.D. in philosophy of religion from Trinity Theological Seminary. Muñoz also has a passion for Hispanic/Chicano writing and sharing his culture

with readers. He is a bilingual writer and has written in several genres, short stories, chronicles, essays and a number of textbooks. His works include: “Insanities, Soundness, and Reality: A collection of short stories told perhaps by the same person,” “Editorial Garabatos,” “El Santo Don Patricio” and “México de mis recuerdos.” He also founded “Peregrinos y sus letras,” an internet bilingual magazine platform for authors from around the world to share their works. Muñoz came to Chandler-Gilbert Community College in 1994 as an adjunct professor in religious studies and philosophy. He gained residential faculty status in 1997. Since becoming a member of the college community, he has inspired thousands of students through his teachings and love of writing. Each year, he introduces students in his class to the literary works of renowned Hispanic/Chicano writers such as those from Stella Pope Duarte, Sandra Cisneros and Lucha Corpi. He also works to bring these authors to the campus to engage with students in dialogue about their literary contributions. “This award gives me the opportunity to see that my work has not been in vain,” Muñoz said. “Because all us, as a community, continue to improve ourselves and will maintain our effort to always present an accurate image of what it means to be Chicano, Mexican-American and/or Hispanic, in the United States of America.” Muñoz will be honored at The Victoria Foundation’s eighth annual Arizona Higher Education Awards on Sept. 6 at the Arizona Biltmore Hotel.

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What’s Cooking with Jan D’Atri GRILLED EGGPLANT CAPRESE It’s one of the most beautiful places on Earth. The island of Capri stands out as a breathtaking Italian jewel near the Amalfi Coast in southern Italy. Known for the famous Blue Grotto, Capri is also responsible for one of America’s favorite dishes, the insalata Caprese, or Caprese salad. Three ingredients plus a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar exemplify quintessential Italian cuisine: simple, fresh and memorable. But this recipe adds a delightful twist to the traditional tomato, mozzarella and basil. Sliced, grilled eggplant is added, and the entire stack sits on a square of soft lavash bread that has been grilled and seasoned for the perfect base. I used a panini press to toast the sheets of lavash bread and to give the eggplant beautiful grill marks, but you can also use a grill plate or skillet. This dish is perfect for a light lunch or dinner and of course as a beautiful appetizer. Molto Delicioso!

In a medium large pot, add enough water to cover eggplant slices. Add salt and bring water to boil. Place eggplant into boiling water and cook for about 3-4 minutes until softened but still firm. Transfer to plate or baking sheet lined with paper towels to drain.

INGREDIENTS: (Makes about 6 stacks) 2 large eggplants, unpeeled, cut into 1/2‑inch rounds 2 teaspoons salt 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil 2-3 cloves garlic, minced Salt and pepper to taste 2-3 sheets soft lavash from Trader Joe’s 1 log (1 lb.) mozzarella, cut into 1/2-inch slices 4 ripe tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch slices Approx. 15-20 fresh basil leaves Olive oil and balsamic vinegar or balsamic reduction for drizzling

Step #5 In the same panini press, grill pan or skillet, heat lavash squares until crisp and golden brown. Set aside.

DIRECTIONS: Cut eggplants into 1/2-inch slices. Do not peel. Step #1

Step #2 In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil and garlic. Lightly brush oil mixture over both sides of eggplant slices. Sprinkle salt and pepper over slices. Step #3 Brush oil mixture over lavash sheets. Sprinkle with a small amount of salt. Slice desired sheets into six squares. Step #4 Heat panini press, grill pan or skillet. Arrange the eggplant slices and cook until golden brown on both sides. Gently lift out of pan and transfer the slices to a plate to let cool.

Step #6 Assemble the stack. On a plate, place one piece of lavash on the bottom, then top with slices of grilled eggplant, mozzarella and tomato. Place several basil leaves in between mozzarella and tomato slices. Sprinkle a small amount of salt and pepper over stack. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and balsamic vinegar or balsamic reduction. Repeat steps for the rest of the stacks. Add a few more leaves of basil for garnish. Serve immediately and eat with knife and fork. Jan’s note: When buying tomatoes, do not refrigerate as they will become watery and lose flavor.

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September 2017

A modern-day witch hunt on ancestor’s footsteps STORY AND PHOTO BY RICHARD YOUNG

A surprising discovery made while researching my wife’s genealogy led us to book a flight to Massachusetts and drive to the home of one of the most famous of the Salem witches, the home of Rebecca Towne Nurse. Rebecca was hanged for witchcraft on July 19, 1692 in Salem, Massachusetts. Our special interest in Rebecca arose when we discovered that she is Kathy’s ninth great-grandmother. My wife is directly descended from an accused and executed Salem witch. That makes Halloween more interesting than it used to be. The Nurse family home is a large structure with two floors and an attached lean-to structure in the rear making it a typical Colonial “saltbox” design. The house still looks very much like the sketch of it in Charles Upham’s 1867 account of Salem witchcraft. Landing in Boston, we rented a car and drove north to Salem for our first encounter with the modern version of Salem witchery. It seems that many of the businesses thrive on witch tourism, and one of the best exhibitions we found was in the Salem Witch Museum (salemwitchmuseum.com). Another essential stop is the Salem Witch House, which is not actually the home of a witch but the home of magistrate Corwin who examined many of the accused (salemweb.com/witchhouse). Salem Town often swarms with tourists and would-be witches and who knows what else, all of them anxious to

Gilbert resident Kathryn Mason at Salem witch Rebecca Towne Nurse’s home.

hoped to surprise by asking whether she ever got descendants of Rebecca Nurse taking the tour. “Every day,” she said. She pointed to a young girl in our group and said, “Rebecca is her 11th great-grandmother.” “Oh,” I said. No surprise then. Rebecca Nurse was in her seventies when she was hanged and she had eight adult children at the time. Three hundred years is long enough for eight adults to produce tens of thousands of descendants, including

Gilbert resident Richard Young’s “witch hunt” in Salem, Massachusetts becomes the first reader travel story for Gilbert Sun News. For a chance to feature your journey in the next column, write a description of your wanderlust in about 500 words and email it with a photo to srianthi@ timespublications.com by September 18.

get just a little closer to the witches of 1692. The funny thing is that they are in the wrong town. Salem is the place of trials and hangings, but the scary events that led to the crisis began a bit to the west, over in the town of Danvers, then known as Salem Village or Salem Farms. We drove away from the mobs in Salem Town and turned to Danvers because it is in Danvers where Rebecca Nurse’s home has kept its sad vigil for more than 300 years. Our tour of Rebecca’s home was conducted by a pleasant and very well-informed young woman whom I

presidential candidate Mitt Romney and Zach Braff, star of “Scrubs.” Before it was over, scores of people had been accused of witchcraft and jailed, but only those with the moral courage to refuse to confess and refuse to accuse others were hanged. Contrary to popular belief, it was not the ignorant farmers who led the charge into judicial murder; it was the most educated people in Massachusetts, the Harvard men. When it was over, the ordinary folk on the jury signed a written admission of sorrow and regret for what they had done. The Harvard men never acknowledged error or regret, so not much

has changed with that group in 200 years. Teenaged Ann Putnam, Rebecca’s principal accuser, later confessed in church and said she especially regretted

having accused Rebecca Nurse. The Rebecca Nurse home is fascinating and well worth the visit.

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September programs at Gilbert Historical Museum CONTRIBUTED BY THOM HULEN

Oil Pastel Drawing Class, 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Sept. 9: Learn to draw a cute little owl in oil pastels. It’s a great activity for parents or grandparents to do with children or for an adult or teen who just wants to learn to draw in oil pastels. The class is taught by Charlene A. Higley of the Covino Art Colony. All ages welcome; however, children must be accompanied by an adult. Cost: $5 per person, which includes supplies. History Café: Archaeology of the East Valley, 7 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 12: Arizona State University archaeologist and Ph.D. candidate Christopher Caseldine will lead participants on a prehistoric adventure exploring the ancient Hohokam civilization in central and southern Arizona focusing on their villages and canal system in the eastern part of the Valley. Free. History Café: Latinos: What Does Latino Mean in the United States? 7 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 14. Join Eduardo Pagán, Ph.D. Professor of History at Arizona

State University, for an evening exploring the ideas of Latino versus Hispanic with an overview of Latino popular culture such as cuisine, music, holidays and Latino politics. Free. Celebrate Mexican Independence with Mariachis from Desert Sounds: 1 to 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 16. Free with museum admission. Garden Workshop: 9:30 a.m. to noon Saturday, Sept. 23. Growing Herbs for the Kitchen and Wildlife with Kirti Mathura. Horticulturist Kirti Mathura will lead this handson workshop that will provide participants with the knowledge and skills to create a useful herb garden that will benefit people and local wildlife. Cost: $30 per person. History Café: Arizona’s Greatest Battle: 7 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 19. Join historian and archivist for Salt River Huhukam Ki Museum, Steve Hoza, for an evening learning about the epic battle that took place at Pima Butte that the O’odham and Pee Posh fought to protect their communities. Free.

UPGRADE

History Café: History of the Arizona First Volunteer Infantry: 7 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday Sept. 26. Historian Lonnie Underhill will discuss the creation and history of Arizona’s first voluntary military unit. Members of the Arizona First Volunteer Infantry were recruited from the O’odham and Pee Posh warriors who successfully fought at Pima Butte. Free. At Gallery Four: Bears Ears Country: Seeking Common Ground on Sacred Land is an exhibition by Stephan Strom that opens Sept. 12. It draws together both a visual evocation of a newly declared national monument – Bears Ears, at the heart of the Colorado Plateau – and the voices of those who today aspire to be heard and to shape the future of the Plateau. Artist reception is 6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 26. Lecture on Bears Ears is 6-8 p.m. Oct. 10 and closing reception is 4-6 p.m. October 28.

TO A

The museum is located at 10 S. Gilbert Road. For more information, and to register for a program, call 480926-1577 or email Thom Hulen, program coordinator at thom@gilbertmuseum.org.

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September 2017

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Gilbert woman makes an ‘impact’ Epicenter project gets on breast cancer patients underway at Agritopia BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI

BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY

Elizabeth Ayers-Cluff was adamant on getting back into shape after giving birth to her third child. However, when she slid into her sports bra, something didn’t feel right. She was concerned. There wasn’t a breast lump, but she did have tightness and pain. A mammogram revealed she had stage 3B breast cancer. This was in 2009 – when the 37-year-old mother had three children younger than 6. “They moved very quickly,” she said about the doctors. Soon, she was swept up in talks about mastectomies, the removal of lymph nodes and prosthetics. “Once you’re told that, you just go through the motions,” she said. “They talked to me about postsurgical clothing. My mind couldn’t think about it. It’s like telling someone to go shopping. It was too Elizabeth Ayers-Cluff overwhelming.” Ayers-Cluff doesn’t want anyone else to feel the way she did, so she founded Gilbertbased I’mpact One Breast Cancer Foundation. The nonprofit collects and ships prostheses, mastectomy bras and wigs to women throughout the country at no charge. This project has been a long time coming. Ayers-Cluff earned a bachelor’s degree in social work from ASU, and subsequently worked with at-risk students in the Mesa Unified School District for 14 years. For the past five years, she has been working with breast cancer survivors. Her nonprofit organization has come a long way. I’mpact One fills the void left by Susan G. Komen for the Cure, by teaming with UnitedHealthcare to help breast

cancer patients as the insurance company’s partner of choice, she said. The corporation informs Ayers-Cluff of patients in need and she helps them get resources and information to handle their diagnosis or post-surgical recovery. Ayers-Cluff continues her mission, thanks to donations. She is hosting the “Living Fearlessly” fundraiser from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 14 at Val Vista Lakes, 1600 E. Lakeside Drive, Gilbert. The fundraiser is hosted by TV announcer Jineane Ford. The $25 ticket includes dinner, a talk by Jennifer “Sparkle” Johnson, silent and live auctions, tequila tasting and chair massages. For tickets, visit impactone.pink/ livingfearlessly. “Two hundred and one women have received services or resources from our program since we launched,” she said. “Gosh, all I wanted to do was help one lady with prosthetics Special to GSN or a wig.” The fundraiser is open to 75 attendees, and will raise money for 2018. “Our whole theme is send hope in a box,” she said. “There are vital items in there and also fluff – the donation of bracelets and necklaces. There are going to be hundreds of small hope boxes at this event. I want people to sponsor these boxes and put notes like, ‘You’re receiving this because someone in Gilbert or Tucson cares about you and want to send you hope.’ They’ll take them home and it will remind them that someone is helping make their world a little clearer.” For information about I’mpact One, call 623-738-6794, email info@impactone. pink or visit impactone.pink.

Nearly two decades after they first broke ground at Agritopia — the agrarian master-planned community in the heart of Gilbert — the family behind the ambitious project announced plans to build Epicenter, Agritopia’s commercial hub that will be the final major development built in the district. The project will feature a 287-unit apartment community with more than 55,000 square feet of space for retail and restaurants on the first floor. “Once Epicenter is completed, that is the last big piece to the Agritopia puzzle,” Agritopia Business Manager William Johnston said. Johnston’s father Joe Johnston first came up with the idea to turn the family farm into a farm-centric village in the late 1990s. Since then, the community has thrived and Johnston has participated in the revitalization of Gilbert’s downtown Heritage District through his restaurant concepts Joe’s Real BBQ and Liberty Market. “Joe has quite a vision for what he does and is a tremendous partner (for the city),” Gilbert Economic Development Director Dan Henderson said. In the original Agritopia plans, the plot of land at Higley and Ray Roads that will become Epicenter was conceived as a grocery-anchored center. It was even in escrow twice for that purpose, but those plans fell through, William Johnston said. As demographic and consumer trends shifted in recent years, the Johnston family decided against that original model and developed the current plan for Epicenter. “It’s been pretty solid in this idea since 2011 or 2012 (as) this cool apart-

ment idea with retail and residential above it,” William Johnston said. “The idea hasn’t changed much since then.” The increasing demand for multifamily in the East Valley also played a role in the shift from a grocery center towards an apartment-centric development. Agritopia has partnered with IPA Partners to develop the multifamily aspect of the project, which will feature a first floor entirely occupied by commercial tenants with gardenstyle apartments on the upper floors. The Gilbert Town Council adopted a development reimbursement agreement that will provide Agritopia Epicenter with over $1.3 million. The agreement provides for up to $500,000 for the cost of construction of off-site improvements and up to $817,772 for permit and plan review fees. Off-site improvements typically include infrastructure items such as road, curb and gutter improvements and in some cases water lines and wet and dry utilities, said Henderson. Prior to approving the agreement, the town commissioned an economic impact study from Applied Economics. The conclusions derived from that study justified the town’s concessions for the project. In part, the study found that Epicenter will have a yearly economic impact of $18.5 million. It also found that, when completed, the project would directly support 215 jobs. The study also found that the construction of the development will have a one-time impact of $99.2 million and contribute over $600,000 in construction taxes, said Henderson.

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September 2017

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Melanoma scare prompts local woman to warn others BY COTY DOLORES MIRANDA

Kelsey Furey, a fourth grade teacher at Tempe’s Curry Elementary and a Gilbert resident, underwent a cancer scare that has her offering warnings to others: Get a second opinion and avoid tanning beds. She advises young women especially against tanning beds because she believes they caused her melanoma. Furey started tanning at local salons as a teenager, often going three times weekly – a practice she now bitterly regrets. “I think you just get in the mindset of being tan. But melanoma risk rises 75 percent when someone uses a tanning bed before age 30,” she said. “If I had known these statistics when I was young, I never would have put myself at such risk.” She said since a cancer scare last June, she’s become a vocal advocate for sunscreens, sun-repellent clothing, and regular skin check-ups. She offers her backstory as a cautionary tale. “I want people of the Valley to read my story of ignorance and realize how important it is to use high levels of water-resistant SPF, get skin checks often with your dermatologist, and never use tanning beds,” she said. “The World Health Organization now

classifies tanning beds as the same cancer risk as tobacco, asbestos and nuclear waste.” According to the American Cancer Society, one in nine high school girls has used a tanning device. “Despite the industry’s claims of ‘healthy and attractive skin,’ the science is very clear. The ultraviolet radiation caused by indoor tanning beds is proven to cause skin cancer,” said the ACS Cancer Action Network, which is lobbying state legislatures to make them off-limits to anyone under 18. Conversely, groups like tanningtruth. com agree that exposure to UV rays “from the sun or sunbeds” is considered a carcinogen by WHO and the National Institutes of Health, and they have their response: “So is bacon.” Furey said she learned she had melanoma after receiving a phone call from her doctor’s office following removal of a mole on her back that had become bothersome. “My family physician didn’t see anything abnormal but said she’d remove it if my insurance approved. I had it shaved off, and the biopsy came back three days later as melanoma,” she said.

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“My physician told me this over the phone, so I had little to no information. All I knew was that melanoma is cancer of the cells in the skin that produce pigment.” Furey had the report faxed to her dermatologist, and made an appointment for the next day so she could have the doctor read the results to her. “I was told I had stage four melanoma, which meant that the cancer has spread to other organs in my body. I sobbed uncontrollably, as the survival rate is very low for this stage of melanoma, the deadliest form of the three skin cancers,” she said. “My world collapsed around me and everything felt frozen.” Sharing the news with As a teenager, Kelsey Furey used to visit tanning salons three family and friends brought times a week. further anguish to the contained cancer cells. A week after my 29-year-old. surgery, I heard back from my surgeon “I had to sob on the phone and tell that the surgery was successful and all my closest family members that I was cancer cells had been removed. I’m now just told I had a few years left to live. I in partial remission,” she said. didn’t know what to do with myself.” Though Furey is relieved beyond meaUpon learning of her diagnosis, sure, she has taken up the cause of using friends and family sprang into action. precautions to avoid melanoma. A former high school classmate, Kend“If I’d known more information about all Lang, started a GoFundMe page to sun safety, especially living here in help cover medical costs, and sisterArizona, I would have been much more in-law Alexis Furey accompanied her careful. For the rest of my life, I will have to countless doctor visits. scars across my body that will remind Furey gathered her strength and beme of my ignorance,” she said. gan researching melanoma, and opted “If my story can inspire one person for a second opinion. to stop using tanning beds, then my job “I got in the next week with a great is done.” skin cancer surgeon and cytologist Furey must now undergo thorough – both were well-versed in working skin checks every two months for the with cancer patients and explaining next five years. results. Thankfully, the second opinion “There is the possibility that my melaproduced better results.” noma cells can come back at any time, Furey said she was told she didn’t anywhere on my body,” she explained. have stage four melanoma, but stage “Patients who have had melanoma three. are also more likely to develop other “There’s no way to determine melacancers throughout their lives, such as noma staging without the completion breast and liver.” of three tests – the pathology from When Furey discovered her melanoma the skin biopsy, a CT/PET scan, and a was in remission, she had Lang close lymph node biopsy,” she explained. down the GoFundMe page. She instead “Over the course of three weeks I encourages donations to the Melanoma accomplished each of these tasks.” Research Foundation in her honor. She said her family and friends In August, she began her fifth year of were supportive throughout this teaching at Curry Elementary. journey. “That was my first question to my “The best course of action was cancer doctor, ‘Can I go back to school surgery so I went under the knife to in August?’ I love teaching. My passion is remove eight inches of skin off my education and inspiring children to love back, as well as lymph nodes that learning.”

September 2017

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September 2017

Friends for Life Animal Rescue building new home

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CONTRIBUTED BY BARB SAVOY

A dream 20 years in the making came to fruition for Friends for Life Animal Rescue in Gilbert recently when it broke ground on a new home. To be built on nearly 1.5 acres on the southwest corner of Stapley and Baseline roads, at 952 W. Melody Ave, the facility will supply the needs of the rescue with spaces for reception, clinic, animal adoption, education and grooming. Tempebased Caliente Construction is building the nearly $1.6 million project. The rescue plans to be in its new digs by early February. Friends for Life is a registered 501c3 nonprofit focusing on rescuing, rehabilitating and finding adoptive homes for local stray animals. The group began in 1993 when volunteers rescued animals from the streets of the East Valley, fostered them in their own homes and frequented pet stores and animal adoptions to find them permanent homes. In 1996, they were offered the opportunity to “rent-to-own” three small, vintage homes on Vaughn Avenue two

Friends for Life Animal Rescue board members (from left) Debbie Whitson, secretary; Rachel Wullner, director of canine welfare; Kathy Dunham, president; Katie Bartholomew, director of volunteers; Barb Baxter, founder; Erica Wellman, administrator and on-site caregiver; and Barb Savoy, director public relations and marketing. Izabella and Samantha are available for adoption.

blocks west of downtown Gilbert. The group finalized the purchase in 2013, and although grateful to have had a location to call “home,” they realized the old buildings, which were not intended to be used as an animal shelter, could not be modified to withstand the volume of volunteers, rescue animals and adoptive families moving through the buildings daily.

The ancient plumbing has failed to the extent there are only two working restrooms in the three buildings. Additionally, the town of Gilbert has revitalized the downtown and beyond, so what was once a sleepy little residential area has now become extremely busy, adding new hazards for animals. The rescue wanted a facility designed to be an animal shelter with not only state-of-the-art housing for the animals,

but a training room to attend and teach classes, a grooming room so grooming didn’t have to be done in the adoptive family meet and greet area, a proper medical exam room and so on. In 2013, the rescue launched a capital campaign, which has raised more than $1 million to date. Visit azfriends.org or razoo.com/story/F4lcapitalcampaign to help. You may write to the rescue at info@azfriends.org.

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Patient advocacy a good way to battle cancer

September 2017

Pioneer Title Agency opens branch in Gilbert

BY JENNIFER ZUNIGA

BY GSN STAFF

My life took an unexpected detour 20 years ago when I was diagnosed with a rare cancer I had never heard of called a neuroendocrine tumor. I had two young children and needed to find the strength, courage and tenacity to persevere. During my journey, I found my inner voice and have become my own advocate, seeking second and third opinions, when necessary. When I need support, I lean on my friends, loved ones and care team.

Pioneer Title Agency opened a branch in Gilbert at 225 E. Germann Road, near Gilbert Road. The Reserve branch is the 66th Arizona location of the familyowned business. “We are focused on providing title insurance, escrow, account servicing, trustee sales, as well as builder-related trust services across Gilbert and the surrounding Southeast Valley,” said branch manager Cindy Turas. “We also have an on-site training room where we can host group trainings, classes, meetings and other events.” Turas brings more than 35 years of experience to Pioneer and will manage escrow associates, completing real estate escrow transactions, clearing titles, disbursing funds and preparing, reviewing and closing documents. Most recently, she worked as a senior escrow officer at Stewart Title of Arizona. In her spare time, Turas is involved in the Women’s Council of Realtors, Habitat for Humanity and The Salvation Army’s annual Angel Tree program.

engage with doctors and each other on five key topics: Initial diagnosis: Seek out a second opinion and a specialist, know the right questions to ask, and walk away with the right information to make the best treatment decisions for you. Build an infrastructure: Eighty percent of information provided by a doctor is missed entirely by the patient, which is why it’s important to document everything and bring an advocate to listen and ask questions on your behalf and be a second set of ears. Seek out support groups or conferences to interact with others going through similar circumstances. Learn from each other and support each other. Quality of life improvements: Make necessary adjustments to accommodate your needs of living with a rare disease, which is different for everyone. Enhance your knowledge: New research, scans and therapies are constantly being developed. With my type of cancer, there have been several major recent developments including a new drug called Xermelo, a new type of scan called (Photo by Melissa Holland photography) Jennifer Zuniga of Gilbert has found her inner voice after a Gallium-68 and a pocancer diagnosis. tential new molecular targeted therapy, PRRT. But not everyone approaches their You should keep abreast of the latest cancer in the same way, or are aware developments and share them with of the newest information available to your physician – just because you know them – whether it’s access to a specialdoesn’t mean your doctor knows, too. ist, new treatment options or clinical Stay the course: Don’t get discourtrial or even a new diagnostic test. I’ve aged. Speak up and be your own advomade it my mission to use my voice to cate when you aren’t getting the care not only speak up for myself, but to help you deserve. other people living with rare, misunderI will live the rest of my life with stood conditions find theirs. cancer, but this approach helps ensure I This led me to join the board of the have the best quality care possible. My Arizona Carcinoid and Neuroendocrine journey doesn’t end here. I will continue Cancer Foundation and spearhead to help educate others about how to several educational events. The most effectively speak up and ask the right recent, “Voices: A Symposium on Patient questions, and to seek out the best posSelf Advocacy,” included a partnersible care despite barriers. ship with Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center in Gilbert for nearly 100 atFor more information on the Arizona tendees impacted by a rare cancer. We Carcinoid and Neuroendocrine Cancer Foundation, visit azcnf.org. approached it with an interactive panel discussion where attendees were able to

Cari Sparks, a 20-year veteran of the real estate industry, has also joined the Reserve branch as senior account manager. She will help oversee multiple branches in business development and customer relations and provide industry education and classes in Gilbert and throughout the state. Previously, Sparks has worked as a director of social media and a sales manager for several title companies. She is a passionate advocate for the Starbright Foundation, an organization dedicated to rescuing children and young adults from human sex trafficking and modern-day slavery. Sparks is one of two public speakers for the organization. In addition, she has been involved with the Women’s Council of Realtors, Spare Key and the Hearth Foundation in Tucson. The Gilbert branch also welcomes Tina Bradley, who will join the team as an escrow officer. Bradley, who will transfer from Pioneer’s Tucson River branch, has more than 30 years of experience in the industry.

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Business

September 2017

Big box store closures? Nah, not in the East Valley

BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY

Big box stores – the oft-referenced poster child for the struggling retail market – are experiencing an uptick in the East Valley as grocers and non-traditional users aggressively expand in the market. Half of the 14 big box completions in the Phoenix-metro in the last 12 months are located in the East Valley, including two of the largest facilities on the list, according to CBRE’s Phoenix Retail Big Box Report for Q2 2017. “It just goes to show us that retail isn’t dying, it is adapting,” said CBRE First Vice President Jami Savage. The Fry’s Marketplaces at Mulberry Market in Mesa and Artesian Marketplace in Chandler each total 123,000 square feet. Fry’s has been especially active across the Valley, accounting for six of 14 completions on the list. The Southeast Valley leads all East Valley submarkets with 40 big box spaces that total 1,338,833 square feet. “When we look at it as a whole, retail follows rooftops, and there is a ton of activity and growth with residential expansion in the Southeast Valley,” Savage said. Despite accounting for a relatively small area, the Ahwatukee/Tempe

submarket also supports a strong big box market with 10 spaces totaling 373,100 square feet. The enclave’s proximity to the high-traffic Interstate 10 is a contributing factor to that. “Because (Ahwatukee) is a smaller area, you have everything in two intersections and along an interstate,” Savage said. “Having a big box presence along that interstate (allows retailers) to reach their consumers.” Savage also pointed to the strong housing market and above-average incomes in Ahwatukee as factors driving big box absorption in the area. Ahwatukee boasted two of the largest big box completions in the second quarter of 2017 in the forthcoming Mountainside Fitness and Burlington Coat Factory. Both sites are approximately 42,000 square feet and are located at the intersection of Ray Road and 48th Street. Growth in the East Valley marketplace has largely been driven by grocers and non-traditional users – such as entertainment venues and fitness centers – that face less online competition than traditional retailers.

Main Event Entertainment has been especially active in the East Valley and opened its third location near SanTan Village shopping center in Gilbert. The new building is just more than 50,000 square feet. The Main Event, a build-to-suit location, is a rarity in the market. Leasing and sales of existing space accounted for roughly 90 percent of the nearly 500,000 square feet of big box space absorbed in the second quarter while new build-to-suit projects only accounted for 10 percent, according to the CBRE report. Alamo Drafthouse, the Austin, Texasbased movie theater chain, is another entertainment brand active in the market. It opened its first Arizona location at the end of 2016 in a 35,467-square-foot space at the revived Chandler Crossings center at Arizona Avenue and Chandler Heights Boulevard. Alamo Drafthouse’s second Arizona location will anchor The Collective, a mixed-use project at the northwest corner of Baseline Road and Lakeshore Drive in Tempe set to open in early 2018. Chandler Crossings is the site of

Orbital ATK’s new Landsat satellite delivers quality work BY GSN STAFF

Aerospace company Orbital ATK, which has a major presence in Gilbert, is making progress on the NASA/U.S. Geological Survey Landsat 9 spacecraft less than a year after winning the contract award, the company said. Landsat 9, an advanced land surface mapping satellite, will collect space-based images and data that serve as valuable resources for researchers in areas that include agriculture, land use mapping, emergency response and disaster relief. Orbital ATK is designing and manufacturing the satellite, integrating two government-furnished instruments, and supporting launch, early orbit operations and on-orbit check-out of the observatory. Representatives from NASA and Orbital ATK recently completed a successful Preliminary Design Review, which demonstrated that the spacecraft meets all system and schedule requirements. The Landsat 9 spacecraft will be manufactured and tested at the Gilbert facility and is currently planned for launch in late 2020. In orbit, the spacecraft will be

another non-traditional user, BASIS Chandler. The charter school, which is the No. 7-ranked high school on U.S. News & World Report’s national rankings, occupies a 69,533-square-foot space at the center. Discount stores are another user that has been active in the market during the past 12 months. Goodwill opened three new 25,000-square-foot locations in the Valley during that period, including stores at Artesian Marketplace in Gilbert and Heritage Square in Queen Creek. Savage expects the high level of big box activity to continue in the near future. “Downtown Chandler, Downtown Gilbert, and the San Tan area in particular will bring new retail out in that area,” she said. “That is going to be the exciting area in the Southeast Valley to watch in the next quarter.” There is also the possibility of increased big box development in east Mesa as the Eastmark community continues to grow. Safeway recently announced it will open a 62,000-squarefoot store to anchor the first retail development in the community.

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An artist rendering of Orbital ATK’s Landsat 9 spacecraft.

operated by the U.S. Geological Survey. Landsat 9 will extend the length of the overall Landsat program to half a century, providing the longest continuous record of the Earth’s surface as seen from space. Orbital ATK has built three other Landsat satellites, including Landsat 8, which was launched in 2013, and is providing high-quality images in quantities that surpass mission requirements. The company was also responsible for the successful Landsat 4 and Landsat 5 satellites launched in 1982 and 1984. “As the fourth Landsat satellite built by Orbital ATK, Landsat 9 aptly demon-

strates the company’s expertise in delivering high-quality land imaging satellites that exceed the expectations of our customers,” said Steve Krein, vice president of Science and Environmental Programs at Orbital ATK. “Based on NASA’s positive assessment of our progress, we are well positioned to build on our legacy of Landsat success and execute on the next phase of development.” The Preliminary Design Review took place July 18-20 at Orbital ATK in Gilbert, where Landsat 9 is being designed, manufactured and tested by the company’s Space Systems Group.

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Business

September 2017

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Tough Ties just might be the next big, booming business BY BECKY BRACKEN

Skylar Bennett, 28, and Kevin Shoemaker, 27, are a “Shark Tank” dream come true. These two local guys are running their new venture out of a one-room office near Falcon Field, but odds are they won’t be there long. Their six-month-old business, The Tough Tie, is going places. Both Bennett and Shoemaker started wearing ties regularly when they went on their LDS missions. They still get animated recounting the sweat soaking through their collars after hours on their bikes. Then the two went on to pursue careers in commercial real estate. “The daily uniform was a shirt and tie,” Bennett said. Their primary complaint: They were poorly constructed, too expensive and not machine washable. So they came up with a few ideas on how to improve the design of the basic tie. They improved the flimsy stitching. Both fathers of toddlers, Bennett and Shoemaker said they lost several ties to sticky fingers pulling the single thread holding their ties together. So their Tough Tie design includes a sturdy, small, “iron lock” stitch all up the seam on the back of the tie that’s built to last.

The other problem with standard ties? The felt insert placed inside to give the tie its shape. So the two figured out how to design and manufacture a tie with fabric that is fused to the rest of the tie and stays in place, even through a cycle in the washing machine. Tough Tie also recently started manufacturing ties with liquid-resistant performance fabric, able to stand up to the sloppiest soups and sauces. They also tweaked the placement of the loops on the back of the tie, called “tie keepers,” so that even the tallest wearers will be able to get the back strap looped to the front and skip the Scotch Tape to hold the whole thing The Tough Tie team at the Tough Mudder run. together. Besides the basic design So what do these mirthat makes Tough Ties machine washacle ties cost? They range able, they added one incredible feature: in price from $29-$36. a microfiber tip on the tie specifically “Because that’s what intended to wipe device screens clean. we can afford,” Bennett Bennett confesses that was his wife’s said, pointing across the stroke of genius. office’s adjoining desks

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toward Shoemaker. “We wanted to make ties for guys like us.” Now hundreds of neatly hung ties line the wall of their office with samples and swatches of more designs to come. So far, the duo has sold more than 300 of their patent-pending ties both online and through two retailers: Preach Supply in Gilbert and Pomeroy’s Kevin Shoemaker (left) and Skylar Bennett, founders of The Mission Store in Mesa. Tough Tie. To prove their ties were indeed the toughest, Tough Tie 9-month-old lab found the package today sponsored a team for a recent Tough and destroyed the package. The ties and Mudder run. The whole 15-person remains of the package were scattered team wore tough ties though the all over the lawn. Crazy dog! But true to entire race. Afterward, they threw the their name, our Tough Ties didn’t even ties in the wash and they came out have a thread out of place. Thanks for just like new. making a lasting product that will serve “We want to become self-sufficient our family’s needs.” so we can give back to the community,” Two hometown entrepreneurs with Bennett said. Both partners explained one, simple, smart idea: Reimagine the they have plans to create a trade-in way men wear, wash and buy their ties. program to donate and recycle old ties Sometimes the very best ideas are right replaced by their Tough Ties. under your nose – or even wrapped “We got our Tough Ties in the mail,” around your neck. one happy customer, Katie Bodell, said about her purchase. “They were not For more information on Tough Ties, taken out of the package and were visit thetoughtie.com. carefully hidden under my bed. Our

Business

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September 2017

Rocky Mountain Restoration helps maintain homes BY COLLEEN SPARKS

The old saying “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” is especially true when it comes to protecting Valley homes from scorching temperatures and powerful monsoons. That’s according to Adam Webster, CEO and president of Rocky Mountain Restoration, which serves customers mainly in the East Valley. The Gilbert business restores commercial and residential buildings, including single-family homes and hospitals. Webster said extreme heat and monsoons can damage roofs, cause paint to crack on the outside of buildings and harm HVAC systems. “Make sure to keep up on maintenance on the home, and when there are issues… make sure to take care of them right away,” he said. “Failure to maintain and properly repair properties only increases costs and creates more problems. Prepare your home before the heat and monsoon hits to weather the storm.” Webster said the “summer heat can really take a toll” on roofs, adding the average life span of a shingle roof is about 20 years, but in the Valley it might be just 15 years. “The excessive heat causes the shingles (to) break down faster than in cooler climates,” he said. He said shingle roofs in the Valley do not necessarily need to be replaced when they are 15 years old, but “it should be on the radar.” Webster said if people do not fix damaged roofs before monsoons soak them, often, their roofs will leak, “causing water damage to ceilings, walls and flooring.” Another common problem involves damaged or broken awnings, especially in manufactured home parks, he said. “If the awning is damaged by a storm, it is important to make the repairs before the next storm comes rolling through and further damages, or in some cases, completely rips off, the awning, causing more

(Photos by Luke Stallings)

A damaged roof like this one can cost thousands of dollars to replace. The extreme heat and strong monsoons can harm homes and businesses in the Valley.

property damage and posing a health and safety risk to neighbors,” Webster said. If a home or commercial building gets a leak in its roof, Rocky Mountain Restoration can remove moisture inside the structures. The goal is to “remove the moisture in order to “prevent any mold or bacteria growth in the affected areas,” Webster said. Besides protecting buildings from roof leaks, it’s important to keep air conditioning systems in good condition, Webster said. “The HVAC system is working overtime, especially during the high temperature months,” he said. “Due to the demand placed on the unit during these months, there is an increased risk for mechanical failure on the unit. Most units have 10-year warranties; however, if maintained (they) can last much longer. “Another problem is condensation leaks from AC units,” Webster added. “This is when condensation builds up and then drips, typically from the attic, and damages the walls and ceilings below. This type of damage can be prevented by having a

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licensed HVAC company service the unit at least annually.” The good news is many homes in Gilbert are newer than houses elsewhere in the Valley, so they might not have as many structural prob- Adam Webster, CEO and president of Rocky Mountain Restoration, recommends people in the Valley maintain their roofs, HVAC syslems from the heat and tems and paint on their homes and businesses to prevent damage monsoons, he said. from the extreme heat and monsoons. But homes that are 15 to 25 years old central air-conditioning unit inside a house may need their roofs and HVAC systems that size could range from $3,500 to $8,000, replaced or serviced “very soon,” Webster depending on the unit, Webster said. added. “Maintenance is the key to protecting “My suggestion would be that these your home and your wallet,” he said. “Have property owners start preparing financially the HVAC serviced regularly, make sure the to make those upcoming repairs to their roof is in good condition, repairs are made homes,” he said. Webster said replacing a shingle roof on and paint your home if the paint is fading and wearing thin in certain areas. Doing a standard 1,500-square-foot house typithese things can protect the property from cally costs between $4,000 and $7,000. more severe issues in the future.” Painting the whole outside of a 1,500-square-foot house with standard, Details: rmraz.com. two-tone exterior paint typically costs from $1,500 to $1,800, he added. Replacing a

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September 2017

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Watch Me Grow, a child care and preschool accepting students from six-weeks to 6 years, broke ground on a second location in Gilbert recently. The 8,000-square-foot school is at 4677 E. Queen Creek Road on the southwest corner of Power and Queen Creek roads. It is being constructed by Phoenix-based LGE Design Build at a cost of $1.7 million with plans to open by February next year. The brand’s first school, established in 2005, is at Lindsay and Germann roads. “It was the first school in Arizona to offer online viewing, so there are live streaming cameras in all the classrooms so parents can access from any computer or the phone,” said Julie Costello, founder. “It’s very popular with parents and grandparents, as well.” The new school will be able to accommodate 175 students, Costello said. LGE Design Build’s design features a child-friendly color scheme, a bright and inviting lobby, and large windows to allow for ample natural sunlight. Costello liked the company’s work

after frequenting many of the restaurants it designed, including those in downtown Gilbert. So it was a natural choice for her. As a new mother, Costello had trouble finding a preschool that was up to her expectations for her daughter. As a former employee of a nonprofit agency that worked to improve child care facilities, she had done inspections of scores of them and was familiar with the rules and regulations governing them. “I decided that, rather than putting her somewhere else, I decided to open my own school,” said Costello, who has a master’s degree in early childhood development and previously worked in a preschool for 15 years. Despite building the second school, Costello insists it’s not going to be a chain. “It’s a small, family-owned business and I’d like to keep it at that,” she said. Costello will be director of both locations. Details: wmgchildcare.com/power.

Business

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September 2017

Jabz Boxing caters to women of any ﬁtness ability

BY LEAH GILCHRIST

A new fitness center in Gilbert seeks to help women achieve their fitness goals while creating a supportive community environment to empower women to be their best. Jabz Boxing Fitness for Women opened its 10th fitness center in Gilbert recently. Like many of the other locations in the Phoenix area, the center uses boxing and other high-intensity training circuits to formulate a 45-minute workout. Smilena Schwadron, the owner and one of the circuit instructors at Jabz in Gilbert, decided to open the center after attending a class at another location in the East Valley. She has a decade-long background in boxing and martial arts, and found, after one class with a Jabz instructor, it was the kind of workout she had been looking for. “It’s interesting, it’s quick and it goes fast,” Schwadron said. A typical class at the center is 45 minutes long, and combines boxing, cardio and strength training. The center has a standard-size boxing ring, which members use throughout their 16-station workout. The members move through the stations, using each in 45-second intervals. The stations and workouts are changed daily to keep the workouts interesting and

Jabz Boxing caters to women of any fitness ability.

entertaining. Members don’t know what their workout will consist of until they come in. Jabz is a fitness center for women 16 years of age and older, and of any fitness ability. Schwadron said there is no previous fitness experience required to become a member. “The reality is, women come in and see results,” Schwadron said. After only being open for a few months, Schwadron said she already sees Jabz

(Photo by Valerie Bolitho Photography)

Smilena Schwadron, owner of Jabz Boxing Fitness for Women, with husband Daniel and daughters Arielle, 5, and Talia, 6.

members getting results from completing the circuits. The Gilbert location has seen a large increase in membership since April. Many members had previously driven as much as 30 or 40 minutes to attend class at another location.

Schwadron has lived in Gilbert for the last 12 years with her husband and their two daughters. She is originally from Bulgaria and earned her bachelor’s degree in finance and economics from D. A. Tsenov Academy SEE

JABZ PAGE 42

Business

September 2017

JABZ FROM PAGE 41

of Economics. After graduation, she moved to Washington, D.C. to work in finance. Schwadron moved to Gilbert in 2005 with her husband and continued her career in finance. Now, as the owner of Jabz, Schwadron can share her passion for fitness and helping people through her own fitness center. “I feel that this is going to be so successful,” she said. Schwadron said the community of Jabz members extends beyond completing workouts together. She sees the women building relationships with their instructors and with each other. Jabz Boxing Fitness has 10 locations across Phoenix, but Schwadron believes Jabz has the potential to extend past the Phoenix area. The Jabz community seeks to achieve their personal goals as well as support each other in reaching fitness goals. The circuits at Jabz focus on helping women achieve a fit and toned body, and help each individual woman see results. “I’m overwhelmed with pride and joy,” Schwadron said. “We are extremely happy to see progress every day.” Jabz Boxing Fitness for Women is at 2335 S. Lindsay Road, Suite 103, Gilbert. To register for a class, visit jabzboxing.com/ gilbert or call 480-707-1981.

www.GilbertSunNews.com

Pure Comfort Mattress offers comfortable sleep to ﬁt any wallet BY MELODY BIRKETT

Mood lighting, calm music, California ocean photos plus dozens of beds. No, it’s not a place to go to for a massage but rather a place to buy a mattress. “Relax and lie down on them for five, 10, 15 minutes,” said Todd Brundrett, manager of Pure Comfort Mattress. “Don’t be in a hurry.”

History

Pure Comfort Mattress in Gilbert is transforming the experience of buying the most important item in your bedroom. Their inviting showroom near Gilbert and Germann roads features 37 topof-the-line mattresses on display such as Talalay Bliss, Aireloom and Diamond – fine mattresses that Brundrett said you can’t usually find at other stores. The store is an extension of Norwood Furniture in downtown Gilbert that opened in 1972. The company was founded in the late 1930s by Tom and Marj Brundrett in Norwood, Ohio. Norwood Furniture carries a large collection of mattresses and needed more space. The owners opened Pure Comfort Mattress a year ago to give customers

A row of beds with top-of-the-line features await customers at Pure Comfort Mattress.

twice as many choices. “Our mission is to provide the most innovative and uniquely comfortable mattresses to help our customers get a better night sleep,” Brundrett said.

Mattress types

“Aireloom, in my opinion, is the finest manufacturer in the United States,” Brundrett said. “They build the highest quality mattress and with some very unique feels and some interesting manufacturing techniques. So, customers love them. They’re

high-end but they have some middle-tohigh-end. So, we’re showing 12 of those.” What makes them unique is the open chamber design. “It’s called the Aireloom lift,” Brundrett explained. “They don’t use glues so they do a lot of outer tufting, hand tufting. It’s a handmade mattress. And they use the finest materials, premium materials.” The Diamond brand is the store’s best selling mattress. Brundrett said it’s SEE

PURE COMFORT PAGE 45

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PURE COMFORT FROM PAGE 42 “because it’s more of a starting to middle price point, but we sell a lot of the highend Talalay Blisses and a lot of the other ones.” Diamond mattresses are made in California by a family-owned business since the 1940’s. “They just do a fantastic job of innovative designs and offerings that provide unique feels,” Brundrett added. “The most popular mattress size is king.” In case you’re wondering about spring versus foam mattresses, Brundrett said, “Springs are still in, big time. The solid foam mattresses are generally at the beginning price point. For instance, Talalay Bliss, pure Talalay Bliss is kind of a niche. It’s a solid Talalay latex mattress. They’re the only folks that do solid Talalay latex. And it’s another fantastic feeling.” If you’re a fan of pillow tops, Brundrett said they’re still in. “We have extra-firm pillow tops and we have plush pillow tops. It just depends on what the customer likes. We can fit them.” A good mattress can also help with sleep disorders. “When you get into your late 30s and 40s, people start to develop some sleep issues,” Brundrett said. “We fit a person properly. It’s all about finding the most comfortable mattress within their budget.” “We have firm, medium, and plush at

the beginning price point, the middle price point, and the high-end price point. So, whatever their budget is, they can find a mattress that fits their comfort needs.

Prices

Speaking of prices, mattresses at a specialty store like Pure Comfort Mattress aren’t as expensive as you might think. “Our starting price is $597 and we sell a bunch of those,” Brundrett said. “We sell a lot in the $2,000-$6,000 range.” One mattress even goes for $10,000. So far, one of those has sold. So, what does $10,000 get you in a mattress? “It gets you cashmere, you’re sleeping on cashmere, you’re sleeping on jomol wool, which is the finest type of wool there is,” Brundrett said. “I can buy mattresses from anybody I want,” Brundrett added. ”I lay on all of the mattresses and select them myself based on how they feel. I see if it’s a different type of a feel that customers might enjoy and if it’s a good value. You can pay a lot for a mattress and not get anything special. You can pay a value price and get something that feels good.”

Adjustable mattresses

Another reason Pure Comfort Mattress opened is due to more people wanting sleep systems. “People are investing into their sleep like no other time before. They

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want the nice pillows, they want the nice mattress protectors,” Brundrett added. And they like adjustable beds which are growing in popularity. “They love these adjustable bases,” Brundrett said. “We don’t call them hospital beds anymore. They’re adjustable bases. It’s all about comfort and the health benefits of getting a good night’s sleep. That’s the time when your body restores itself and people are starting to realize that.”

The Aireloom line has an open chamber design.

Box springs

Buying a mattress also means buying box springs. “The only time you don’t need a box spring is if you have a platform base, which is a solid foundation, or you’re going to put it on an adjustable base,” Brundrett said. “It acts as a shock absorber. It does support the mattress.” Frames are sold at the Norwood Furniture Store along with headboards and other accessories.

Advice

Purchasing a mattress is a big decision. So, how do you know if you’re buying the right one? “Buy the most comfortable mattress within your budget,” Brundrett said. “And the only way to determine comfort is to lie down on them” at a mattress store. “I can buy the most inexpensive mattress that I want but I don’t buy any mat-

tress that I wouldn’t sleep on or have my children sleep on.” Pure Comfort Mattress is at 143 E Germann Road, Suite 107, Gilbert. Details: 480-5888994 or purecomfortmattress.com.

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Chiropractor believes in effectiveness of therapy BY PAUL MARYNIAK

As an athlete, Aaron Shakarian welcomed the benefits of chiropractic therapy. Now, the Gilbert resident is returning the favor to other people in need of those benefits at his new practice on the Chandler-Ahwatukee border. His practice, The Joint, recently opened in the Shoppes at Casa Paloma on Chandler Road and 54th Street. Shakarian played Division II football as a running back for Grand Valley State University in Michigan and said he would never have made it through as an athlete if it had not been for chiropractic treatment. “I started when I was around 12 years old after having a neck injury playing football,” said Shakarian, adding: “Chiropractic care enabled me to remain a competitive athlete. It helped by preventing injuries and helping me recover quickly. While I was in chiropractic school, I received a chiropractic adjustment and it cured me of my seasonal allergies. This made me even more excited to begin my career in chiropractic.” He also found that chiropractic came in handy when he was dating his wife of 15 years, Stacie. “Stacie had never been to a chiropractor prior to dating me,” he recalled. “At that time, she was on Toprol for having a rapid heartbeat and was able to stop taking it a few months after my chiropractic care.” Shakarian ended up playing on a team that holds the record for the most winning program in college football history. His coach was Brian Kelly, now the head football coach for the University of Notre Dame.

(Photo special to GSN)

Gilbert residents Aaron and Stacie Shakarian with their two daughters; the couple run a chiropractic business in west Chandler.

Inspired by the care he received, he became a chiropractor, working with professional and Olympic athletes in Michigan and then celebrity clients in Beverly Hills. Among his patients were performers on the TV show “Dancing With the Stars,” for which he was the on-call chiropractor. “We stayed for 10 years because my practice grew quickly,” Shakarian said. “Patients in Beverly Hills have high standards but are loyal if you can get them out of pain. When you’re able to do that, they tell others and soon you have a waiting

room full of people.” Eventually, the Shakarians had two daughters and decided in 2015 that the East Valley was the right place for them to grow up. Now, the Shakarians work together; he providing treatment and Stacie, a former Cadillac dealerships district manager and a live theater producer, managing the office. The couple say their practice is “reinventing chiropractic care by making quality healthcare affordable for patients

seeking pain relief and ongoing wellness.” They also like their office setting. “The shopping center feels like paradise,” Stacie raved. “The palm trees, elegant shops and friendly people create a lovely place to practice. Patients are always complimenting how pleasant it is at our office.” Details: thejoint.com/arizona/chandler/ chandler-ahwatukee-48040

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September 2017

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Watching the heavens

September 2017

Photos by Kimberly Carrillo A solar eclipse, when the sun is obscured by the moon’s shadow, takes place only once in a blue moon. K-12 students of the Gateway Polytechnic Academy in Queen Creek took the chance to set aside their books and watch the rare celestial wonder on August 21. After all, the next solar eclipse visible over the United States is in 2024. 1. Fifth-grader Daniel Mote had his own design on the white paper to see if there was any difference between the view from it and his pinhole eclipse viewer. 2. Ava Bencomo, at left, with her friend Mia Flores. 3. The scene at the basketball court, where the students were armed with paper devices and ready to view the eclipse. 4. School secretary Shirley Penrod uses special glasses to see the eclipse without damaging her eyes.

8 7

5. Sawyer Davis, a kindergartner at Gateway Polytechnic Academy, watches the Aug 21 eclipse through special glasses. 6. Fourth-grader Bradley Dunham takes time to smile for the

camera. 7. Marisa Chavez has time to smile during the exercise. 8. Olivia Pastor is engrossed in her eclipse exercise. 9. Madisyn Crnjac at the viewing.

Having Fun, Helping Others! Get plugged into Gilbert Gilbert Rotary Invites you to join us for Breakfast Our Treat! No Reservation Required Every Thursday 7 a.m. at the Egg I am 3321 E. Queen Creek Road, Gilbert, AZ For more information call 480-207-6473 Learn how to make friends, build relationships and give back in Gilbert.

Youth

September 2017

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HIGLEY HAPPENINGS

Tech security appeals to teen

Summer engineering at Cornell

Eyeing a future career path in technology, Higley High freshman Dane Shillingburg sought a summer opportunity in computer coding that led him to The University of California, Los Angeles. Shillingburg spent part of his vacation learning “different coding and programming languages. It was the fundamentals of it, but we were learning the programming for defending against hackers,” he said of his time at the iD Coding & Engineering Academy at UCLA. Besides the computer skills, Shillingburg said there was an additional bonus. “You got to stay at the university (Special to GSN) and use all the facilities,” he said. Shillingburg is eyeing a tech career Higley High freshman Dane Shillingburg spent part of the summer studying cyber security at UCLA. in the future. “I want to use the information in The University of California – Los my later life and build on it. I want to Angeles’ iD Tech program, “Cyber sedo something more advanced with it in curity: encryptions & cryptography,” fit the future like security and ID technolthe bill perfectly. ogy,” he said.

Higley High senior Lauren Gill was one of 48 students nationwide selected to study engineering at Cornell University this past summer. Through the program, Gill had the opportunity to work with Cornell faculty and students on a research project in civil and environmental engineering. At Cornell, Gill worked with teams to solve problems that mirror real-life situations. In addition, she attended social events, panel discussions and other out-ofclassroom activities that provided participants with opportunities to network informally with each other as well as with Cornell faculty, staff, (Special to GSN) alumni and industry leaders. Lauren Gill, a senior at Higley High, spent the Gill gained an interest in engisummer studying engineering at Cornell Univerneering from her participation in sity in New York. Higley High’s engineering program. Both her parents are also engineers. statistics, AP macroeconomics, AP While she has not picked a government and politics, AP physics, university yet, she’s setting herself and AP English. for options. This year, she’s taking AP

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September 2017

Eagle Scout helps restore vitality to House of Refuge BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY

After a year filled with hardship, the future is bright for Mesa nonprofit House of Refuge, thanks to the generosity of the East Valley community and an enterprising Eagle Scout from Queen Creek named Landon Pickering. The organization first ran into trouble last year when it — and 200 other transitional housing programs across the country — lost funding from the Department of Housing and Urban Development. “May 2, 2016 at 7:30 a.m.,” Executive Director Nancy Marion said, noting the exact time she received the email notifying her that funding was cut off. HUD had provided funding for House of Refuge since it began operations nearly two decades ago, Marion said. The organization offers transitional housing, financial literacy training and employment services to homeless families in the Valley. The email came months after the nonprofit began its fiscal year, meaning it had already nearly exhausted its contingency fund that Marion planned to refill using those HUD dollars. Due to loss of funding, House of Refuge had to move 59 families out of homes it administered. The nonprofit was able to coordinate with Mesa and Gilbert municipalities and other agencies to find replacement housing. “This community wrapped around us and started donating and we were able to move every family, 144 people in 109 days, off property into other agencies or housing,” Marion said. She credits Mesa Mayor John Giles and Councilmember Kevin Thompson for spearheading a quick response by the city that helped the nonprofit relocate families and keep its doors open.

with over 40 holes in the interior walls, dented doors, broken windows and piles of trash littering the ﬂoor. Enter Pickering, a Boy Scout with Troop 125 in Gilbert in search of an Eagle Scout Project. The Queen Creek High School sophomore was introduced to House of Refuge by his father, Rowan Pickering. The elder Pickering runs Event Team, a corporate events company that often donates to the organization. Upon meeting with the 15-yearold, Marion showed him a range of typical Eagle Scout projects – such as food drives and small projects on House of Refuge homes – but none of those interested the scout. That prompted Marion to introduce him to House 19, which she referred to as “the big one.” “I took Landon in there and it’s not cleaned up, it’s not pretty,” Marion said. “He did not hesitate (and said) this is it, this is what he wants to do.” This is nothing new for Pickering. A few years ago, he collected more than 600 hats and bandanas that were donated to the American Cancer Society. (Special to GSN) Landon Pickering admits there Landon Pickering, a Boy Scout with Troop 125 in Gilbert, renovated a broken-down house for House of Refuge in were times during the eight-month Mesa. Pickering is with the nonprofit’s Executive Direcrenovation process that he questor, Nancy Marion. tioned what he had gotten himself into, but he ultimately finished the project in early July and the fullyDuring relocation, one house was renovated home now houses a mother and severely damaged by residents frustrated 10-year-old daughter. by the situation. The home – also called That end goal was enough to keep the House 19 – was left in complete disrepair,

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high schooler motivated. “I just knew it would be going to a good cause – giving a home to a family that needs it,” he said. Pickering did not have much previous home improvement experience to draw from, so he learned a range of skills on the job. In addition to the physical work, the high school student raised $2,840 through a GoFundMe page. He also went door to door to businesses like Home Depot and Lowe’s and received sizable discounts on supplies. Cabinets 4 Less provided him with $4,500 worth of cabinets for $800, Rowan Pickering said. A grant from the Arizona Attorney General also provided for a new sewage system and ﬂooring in House 19. In total, the grant covered new sewage systems in 40 House of Refuge homes. Pickering was not the only one to step up when House of Refuge ran into trouble. The communities surrounding the charity in Mesa, Gilbert and Chandler also responded by adopting homes and the organization now operates 66 homes without federal government funding. “This has been an all-out community effort; that said, this is a valuable resource in our community and we are not going to let it go away,” Marion said. “You can’t have an agency with a 90 percent success rate fall off the map.” This home adoption model allows private individuals and organizations to sponsor one House of Refuge home for $11,000. That covers utilities, house maintenance and a case manager for the residents for one year.

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Highland High students’ medical mission an eye-opening experience BY KATHRYN RIZZO • PHOTOS/SPECIAL TO GSN

This summer, 20 students and six chaperones from Highland High School’s student-run medical club, Banner Hawks, went to Lima, Peru with MedLife on a medical mission. MedLife is an organization that partners with low-income communities in Latin America and Africa to improve their access to medicine, education and community development initiatives. It achieves its mission through Service Learning Trips, the MedLife Project Fund, and student empowerment. Our program ran for five days. The first day was an eye-opener for us. We got a tour of Lima, the slums or “favelas,” the wall of shame (which divides the rich and the poor) and a view

of the 40-bed hospital that serves the city of 11 million inhabitants. The other four days were rotations: three days of medical clinics and one day of building a staircase. The days of medical rotations involved driving to a community in need and setting up a clinic, either in local homes, a church, school or on the dirt road. The clinics consisted of two dentists, two general practice doctors, an obstetrician/gynecologist, a pharmacy and tooth brushing with a ﬂuoride treatment station. Students rotated between these stations for their clinic days. Patients would go to more than one doctor a day and

many got follow-up services with nurses afterwards. In Lima, people do not buy property in the American sense. To own land, the land must have access to it, and needs a staircase. With a staircase, the person that builds a home near the stairs can start the process for home ownership. Thus, a staircase enables people to own land. MedLife directed the volunteers to take a day in the rotation to make the stairs. Volunteers set up the foundation, poured the concrete and made 125 stairs. They also painted them. With the community’s help, volunteers also helped a homeless family with building and painting a home.

Kathryn Rizzo, Science Department chair at Highland High and Chandler-Gilbert Community College Adjunct Faculty, is faculty co-sponsor of Banner Hawks. The club, sponsored by Banner Gateway Hospital, is for students who are interested in the medical or health ﬁelds. To donate to MedLife, visit medlifeweb.org/donate/donate.html.

Lorel Hayward, Madeleine Schwenckert, Emma Ortega and Mackenzie Cashen at the makeshift clinic. JC Smith, Gillian Smith, Adam Hodder, Max Rizzo, Elisse Smith, and Tristan Vulcano Adam Hodder, Mackenzie Kane and Tristan Vulcano at are among those who took the tour of the most desperate regions of Lima. the pharmacy.

Celeste Randall, Lorel Haywood and Madeline Schwencker brushing teeth and doing ﬂuoride treatments.

McKay Erickson and Celeste Randal set up a dentist office for the day in a neighborhood home.

The students pose for a snapshot outside on their first day.

On the last day, the community gave the group a meal and danced for them.

The students sit on the staircase that would enable a family to build a home.

Max Rizzo and McKay Ericson at the wall of shame, which divides Adam Hodder and Mackenzie Cashen draw the the rich and poor in Lima. MedLife Logo on the stairs they built.

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September 2017

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Youth

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Rally Around

September 2017

Photos by Kimberly Carrillo

More than 5,000 students gathered at Campo Verde High school in Gilbert to celebrate Fiesta Bowl Charities’ gift of $2.5 million to the community.

1. Campo Verde’s mascot gives out high-fives. Hannah Kang, 15, follows. 2. The Be Kind group performing for the crowd. 3. Kids in the front row danced with the Be Kind crew. 4. Grace Miller, 10, plays flute in the CV band. 5. Joan Henry, principal of Quartz Hill Elementary, with Suzanne Zetner (in red).

6. Mike Nealy, executive director of the Fiesta Bowl, and teacher Leslie Mull.

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Spirituality

September 2017

Spiritual Connections The Bridge Church 645 N. Gilbert Road, Suite 180, Gilbert 480-294-7888 bridgechurchaz.org Service: 10 a.m. Sundays We exist to help people know God and become everything God created them to be. We do this by helping people begin a relationship with God, grow in that relationship to find freedom from the struggles they experience, discover the purpose for which God made them and live out their purpose to make a difference in the church and in the world. Central Christian Church-Gilbert 965 E. Germann Road, Gilbert centralaz.com Services: 4 and 5:30 p.m. Saturdays and 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and noon Sundays While the Bible itself is the church’s official document of faith, the website lists a variety of statements that fundamentally define the church. Please visit the website for more information. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 3301 S. Greenfield Road, Gilbert 480-822-5000 lds.org

First United Methodist Church of Gilbert 331 S. Cooper Road, Gilbert 480-892-9166 gilbertumc.org Services: 8 and 9:30 a.m. (traditional services) and 11 a.m. (contemporary service) Sundays The two traditional services feature the Chancel choir and traditional worship. The 11 a.m. service has a contemporary feel, with music from the Praise Band. The 9:30 a.m. service generally has the largest attendance. Gilbert Presbyterian Church 235 E. Guadalupe Road, Gilbert 480-892-6753 azgpc.org Services: 8:30 and 11 a.m. Sundays Gilbert Presbyterian Church is called to be a Christ-centered covenant family nurtured by the Holy Spirit to worship God and to share God’s love. The Lawrence Memorial AME Zion Church 1141 E. Guadalupe Road, Gilbert 480-772-3603 Services: 10:15 a.m. Sunday; Bible study is 6:30 p.m. Tuesday The Lawrence Memorial Church is a contemporary church. We are a multicultural church that is simply looking to reach the unreachable with love. Living Water United Methodist Fellowship Highland Park Elementary School 230 N Cole Dr., Gilbert livingwaterum.org Services: 10 a.m. Sundays Living Water exists to bring people in to meet Christ, build people up to follow Christ and send people out to share Christ. Mission Community Church 4450 E. Elliot Road, Gilbert 480-545-4024 mission68.org Services: 4 and 6 p.m. Saturdays and

Join us for our current series in the Book of Proverbs.

9, 10:30 and 11:59 a.m. Sundays The Bible is God’s word to all people. It was written by human authors under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. Because it is inspired by God, it is truth and without error in the original manuscripts. Redemption Gilbert 1820 W. Elliot Road, Gilbert 480-632-2220 gilbert.redemptionaz.com/about/ a-brief-overview/ Services: 8, 9:30 and 11 a.m. Sundays Gospel means good news, but it is truly the most profound and glorious truth ever revealed. It is not advice, nor is it a system or philosophy to add to the congregants’ lives. It is an exclusive truth claim, a holistic worldview, the true story of the whole world, which by its very nature must redefine and recolor everything else. Resurrection Episcopal Church Meets at Gilbert Community Center, 130 N. Oak St., Gilbert 480-719-5343 resurrectiongilbert.org Services: 10 a.m. Sundays Resurrection officials say the congregation is a church you can believe in because you belong. This means it welcomes and embraces all people because God already has. Come for worship, fellowship and Bible study on Sundays and join the group on a spiritual journey to better understand God’s plan for our lives. San Tan Bible Church 1424 S. Promenade Lane, Gilbert Phone number not available. santanbible.org Services: 8:30 a.m. (Bible hour); 9:30 a.m. (Café 2:42) and 10 a.m. worship service Sundays The church believes the glory of God is the chief end of all we do. Sun Valley Community Church 456 E. Ray Road, Gilbert 480-632-8920

Sundays at 10:00 am New Location 645 N Gilbert Rd, Suite 180 Gilbert, AZ 85234 (Southeast corner of Gilbert & Guadalupe, south of Big Lots) Pastor Kent Bertrand 480.294.7888 www.bridgechurchaz.org E. Guadalupe Rd.

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Starting January 8th, 2017, please join us as we work through the Community Bible Experience together, as a church family!

sunvalleycc.com Services: 4 and 5:30 p.m. Saturdays and 9, 10:30 and 11:59 a.m. Sundays The atmosphere is casual and friendly at Sun Valley Community Church. It places high value on authentic Christian living and placing Christ at the center of all our teachings. The church also offers worship music that is current and uplifting, along with focused weekend sermons that break down the Bible in a way that makes it easy to connect the word of God with today’s busy life. Two Rivers Church 326 E. Guadalupe Rd., Gilbert 85234 480-892-2435, 2riverschurch.org Services: 6 p.m. Saturdays; and 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. (Spanish) Sundays Two Rivers Church exists to help lead congregants into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ by encouraging and equipping them to love God intimately and serve others. It has a casual environment with a serious faith. Vineyard Community Church 601 S. Cooper Road, Gilbert 85233 480-892-5828 vineyardaz.com Services: 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. Sundays Vineyard Community is a casual, friendly and inviting church. Its desire is to be a safe place where people’s lives are being transformed by Christ in community for the world. The diverse community of Christfollowers seeks the radical in-breaking of the kingdom of God here and now. Followers worship God with the intention of touching heaven and changing earth.

Arts

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September 2017

Lifehouse having a blast connecting people with music BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI

Gilbert High School graduate Ricky Woolstenhulme Jr. could be his hometown’s biggest fan. The drummer for the multiplatinum band Lifehouse spent years away from the East Valley, living in Los Angeles, until last year when he returned to Gilbert. “It’s super awesome,” Woolstenhulme said via telephone from a tour stop in Chicago. “I’m a fan. I literally live a mile from my high school.” Woolstenhulme and his bandmates – singer/guitarist Jason Wade and bassist/vocalist Bryce Soderberg – are coming to the Valley on Thursday, Sept. 7, to play The Van Buren with Switchfoot. The tour supports “Lifehouse: Greatest Hits,” which hit stores July 14. The 18-track album includes a variety of hits, “You and Me,” “First Time,” “Halfway Gone,” “Hurricane” and “Hanging by a Moment,” which was the mostplayed radio track of 2001. Since 2000, Lifehouse has released seven albums that have cumulatively sold 15 million units around the world. After the U.S. tour wraps up on Sept. 10, Lifehouse will head to Australia to play a handful of shows with the recently reunited Live. Woolstenhulme has thought about life beyond Lifehouse, however. “My plan in the next little while is to open my own cocktail bar with a small menu in Gilbert,” Woolstenhulme said. “I’m working on that now, but I have to wrap the tour up before I move into food and drink.

“Gilbert is my favorite. I was so surprised when I moved back. When I left, it was all farmland. When I moved back, I was like, ‘Wow.’ Downtown Gilbert has transformed, and so many cool things are going on.” When he talks about the Valley, he sounds like a food and drink aficionado. “I’m super, super into food, beer and cocktails,” he said. “I love downtown Gilbert. Liberty Market is a great spot to have wine and food. Crudo in Phoenix and Beckett’s Table are my other favorites. If we’re talking cocktails, Undertow is great. It’s an underground hidden cocktail bar where you feel like you’re in a 10-seater pirate ship.” When he’s not on tour, Lifehouse members, from left, Ricky Woolstenhulme Jr., Bryce Soderberg, Jason Wade and Steve Stout. he’s honing his F&B chops thanks his parents for letting him play Woolstenhulme admitted he’s amazed with James Johnston as the drums “all day in my house” while at his band’s success. He loves to hear a prep chef for Fire and Brimstone at growing up in Gilbert. stories from fans about how Lifehouse’s Barnone. He took private lessons throughout songs have moved them, or that “You “I figured if I was going to open a his time at Gilbert High, and decided to and Me” was their wedding song. spot, I should learn from the best,” he pursue entertainment at the Los Ange“The goal is to be able to make music said. “Just being a cook at home is one les Music Academy after graduating in that somehow connects with people,” he thing, but doing it on a grand scale is 1998. He met Wade while in Los Angeles said. “Luckily, we have a handful of songs definitely different. It’s an amazing exnearly 18 years ago. that make that thing happen. We’re very, perience. James is great for letting this “We’ve been making records and very fortunate and happy that we do rock drummer come in and cut stuff.” touring the world since,” he said. “And this for a living. It’s definitely a blast and Owning a restaurant/cocktail bar we’re having a great time doing it.” wasn’t Woolstenhulme’s only dream. He we’re still able to do it currently.”

Hale theater opens new season with ‘Joseph’ BY DON ANDREWS

“Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” was the first major Broadway musical hit for composer Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyricist Sir Tim Rice. The Old Testament epic remains both timely as well as timeless. It is one of the most popular shows produced by Hale Centre Theatre and it runs through October 7 on the Gilbert stage. The production was nominated for six Tony Awards on Broadway and won an Olivier Award for its London performances. The endearing Bible story tells the epic saga of Joseph, the favorite son of Jacob in the Book of Genesis. Joseph is a boy blessed with prophetic dreams and given a coat of many colors. Unfortunately, he is the object of severe envy to his brothers who plot to kill him, but end up selling him into slavery instead. After many travails, including an unjustified stint in prison, Joseph becomes the favorite of the Egyptian Pharaoh due to his ability to inter-

pret dreams. He warns the Pharaoh of seven years of feast and famine, and is appointed the second most powerful man in Egypt. Joseph is put in charge of stocking up food and supplies for the coming deprivation. Back home, Jacob and Joseph’s brothers also suffer famine and travel to Egypt in search of sustenance and beg for mercy from Joseph. Father and son are joyfully reunited and Joseph again dons his stunning coat of many colors. Hale’s production of “Joseph” is directed and choreographed by multi-ariZoni Award winner Cambrian James and ariZoni winner Lincoln Wright is music director. “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” plays through October 7th. Tickets are $20 for youth ages 5 through 17 and $32 for adults. Hale theater is at 50 W. Page Ave. in Gilbert’s Heritage District. Call the box office at 480-497-1181 or visit haletheatrearizona.com.

Matt Krantz as Joseph.

Stephen Serna as “Pharaoh,” Matt Krantz as “Joseph” and Alanna Kalbfleisch as “Narrator.”

September 2017

Arts

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‘Shape Shifters’ at Vision Gallery challenges aesthetics BY GSN STAFF

A new exhibition at the Vision Gallery in Downtown Chandler features a group of artists whose works question perceptions of contemporary painting practices and commercial art. “Shape Shifters” includes collaborative efforts of Rachel Goodwin, Lisa Von Hoffner and Mike Jacobs, who create environments that challenge the norm of society’s current understanding of aesthetics. From mass advertising to trending cultural fads, their works explore how memorable icons are made out of bold color choices combined with repeat patterns to attract consumers. “These three artists have works that complement one another well with bold

colors and shapes that speak out loud,” said Peter Bugg, visual arts coordinator for Vision Gallery. “I am excited to see how they showcase their art in this exhibit. Each of them speaks strongly on their own, but together they will create a unique experience for visitors.” Rachel Goodwin’s bright pop-style pieces are created to inspire conversation about our commercial culture, the phenomenon of shopping and buying to create the image the others see of us. Her works include abstract installations of soft sculpture and mixed media. Lisa Von Hoffner creates art objects that pay homage to womanhood and a woman’s sexuality with paintings and

installation pieces wrapped in neon light or iridescent surfaces. Mike Jacobs creates pieces that depict a collection of memories or ideas. His art layers traditional collage with screen printing and painting to create art that breaks away from grids and creates something three-dimensional for the viewer. The exhibit opens Sept. 8 and continues through Nov. 3. A free, public reception with the artists will be held from 5-7 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 7. Vision Gallery is at 10 E. Chicago St., Chandler.

Lisa Von Hoffner, "Radical"

Vision Gallery is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday. Exhibits are free for the public to view. Visit visiongallery.org for more information.

“A lie is often hidden between two truths” is the title of this painting by Cam DeCaussin.

Oils show themed on ‘when you weren’t looking’ BY GSN STAFF

The Chandler Center for the Arts Gallery presents “Laura Best & Cam DeCaussin: When You Weren’t Looking,” Sept. 1 through Oct. 1. The exhibition captures moments and explores the world of two Arizona artists who use oil paints to express their perception of the world they see “when you weren’t looking.” Her website notes that Best takes her inspiration from the desert Southwest and contrasts it with the modern world where “the raw beauty of the desert is abruptly met with concrete.” The artist paints on found objects to “emphasize and celebrate the strained overlap of the romantic Southwestern desert and its modern support system.” DeCaussin’s photorealistic works are inspired by “quiet living spaces and their ability to express themes of

solace, sadness, separation and contemplation,” according to his website. Low light and seemingly private moments that weren’t meant to be captured make his work unique. “Both of the artists in this exhibit are incredible at creating bold images with subtle touches of light so that the viewer feels like they are looking at an intimate moment that has happened while we were busy living our own lives,” said Peter Bugg, visual arts coordinator for gallery. The public is invited to an opening reception with the artists at the Chandler Center for the Arts from 5-7 p.m., Friday, Sept. 8. Chandler Center for the Arts Gallery is open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday, noon to 5 p.m. Details: chandlercenter.org.

Arts

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She’s Crafty Fall garland craft STORY AND PHOTOS BY ERICA ODELLO

In preparation for the end of summer, I’ve been cruising Pinterest looking for new fall decorating ideas. This year leaves are in and they are everywhere. It’s easy to get some fake leaves and stick them in a glass hurricane and call it a day, but I want more. I want fall color and I want sparkle. And that’s where this garland idea came from. You will need: orange decorative mesh tube (Dollar Tree); one each packages of artificial oak and maple leaves (Dollar Tree); one roll of twine (craft store); red, orange and green glitter; three paper plates; Mod Podge; paint brush; scissors; and hole punch

Step 1

Pour out about 1/4cup of glitter, one color in each paper plate. Select an artificial leaf and generously apply Mod Podge to both sides with the paint brush. After the leaf is entirely coated, transfer it to one of the plates of glitter. Sprinkle more glitter on top of the leaf and use your hand to press the glitter into the adhesive. Gently pick up the leaf, shake off the excess glitter and transfer to a drying paper. Repeat the process with as many leaves and colors of glitter as you think you’ll need and let them dry for at least a few hours, preferably overnight. I used approximately half of the leaves with glitter and left half without decoration.

Step 2

While the leaves are drying, measure out the mesh tube in the length you

need. Repeat the process with the twine until you’ve got a nice ratio of mesh tube to twine. I ended up with six strands of twine which I wrapped loosely around the mesh tube in opposite directions. Braiding would also work. Secure each end with a simple knot.

Step 3

When the leaves are dry, use the hole punch on each stem (tip: the hole punch works better after the glitter has been applied). Cut a length of twine about 24 inches long and tie one of the glitter leaves to one end. Add one or two more leaves to the length of twine, interspersing the glitter leaves with the undecorated leaves. (I found that it was easier to put a knot in the twine as a stop for where I wanted the undecorated leaves to hang than to try to tie a bow around them). Add two to four leaves to each length of twine, leaving approximately 8 inches of twine free at the top. Working from the outside in (for weight), tie each length of leaves at intervals along the main garland. When you’re finished, the strands should hang unevenly, creating an interesting line of fall leaves to enjoy.

September 2017

Opinion

September 2017

www.GilbertSunNews.com

Current Chase Field deal is good for taxpayers BY DENNY BARNEY

As the legal process plays out in the lawsuit the Arizona Diamondbacks ﬁled against the Maricopa County Stadium District, I’d like to take a minute to address some of the facts of the case, which can get muddied by well-intending people on both sides. Let’s start with the oftcited “$180 million” number from the 2013 facility assessment study. In many respects, this is a wish list of possible improvements at Chase Field over the life of the contract. As a wish list, it includes both necessary capital repairs as well as discretionary upgrades. Under the contracts, the team is not just entitled to anything it wants. Many things on that list are just Denny Barney suggestions to be done at the end of the current term, on the assumption the stadium remains a ball field. For example, one of the items on the wish list is a new jumbotron in 2027. I’ve heard some talk that because the study is more than four years old,

the list of needed repairs has probably grown. Actually, the opposite is true, because capital repairs are made every year. The Stadium District has spent nearly $50 million on capital repairs and additional amenities requested specifically by the team. The reserve fund will have enough money to cover all capital repair projects, so long as the Diamondbacks keep paying the same rent. Another issue involves money from non-baseball events. The team has argued that the Stadium District does not make enough money from those events and, therefore, does not have enough money (Special to GSN) to pay for needed repairs. This is not true. Revenue from outside events was never intended to be the primary source of funding for capital repairs. The Diamondbacks were originally the booking agent of non-baseball events at Chase Field but had limited success and turned over booking management

rights to the county. The county has done far better. Recently, it has been suggested that supervisors allow the team to explore other stadium options as long as those options are within Maricopa County. Here is the reality: There are no public funds going into the stadium today, nor is there authority to collect additional taxes. The current deal protects taxpayers. The Diamondbacks signed a 30-year agreement which runs until 2028. In 2024, the team could begin looking for another place to play. If the team left early, we would have an empty stadium. Leaving a hole in the ground in the middle of downtown Phoenix is not good for anyone. The bottom line is this: Taxpayers do not spend anything to maintain Chase Field right now, and it is and will continue to be well maintained. New

(Special to GSN)

stadiums are extremely expensive – the new one in Arlington, Texas is expected to cost more than $1 billion – and public appetite for the bonds that fund them may be lower than Congress’ approval rating. The current arrangement was designed to protect taxpayers, and your board members will continue to be good stewards of Chase Field. Denny Barney is a Gilbert resident and chairman of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors.

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Biz Box

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Classifieds

September 2017

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Tim KLINE Roofing, LLC The Most Detailed Roofer in the State. Roofs Done Right..The FIRST Time. 15-Year Workmanship Warranty on All Complete Roof Systems. FREE Estimate and Written Proposal. 480-357-2463 www.timklineroofing.com R.O.C #156979 K-42 Licensed, Bonded and Insured

DIRTY WINDOWS FILTHY SCREENS? Call Fish Window Cleaning @ 480-962-4688 and you will have the cleanest windows and screens on the block. Below is the list of services we offer: Windows-Interior & Exterior Screens-Sunscreens/Regular Tracks, Ceiling Fans, Light Fixtures Power Washing Your driveways, sidewalks & patios

travel ENOS KING-LEWIS II, AGENT Guide, Producer Fun Trips! Prosperity - Wellness www.Enos4Prosperity.com 800-824-1450 (Call 24/7) enos4homes@hotmail.com

HAVE A SERVICE BUSINESS?

1 X 3” Ad $70, Per Issue

480.898.5611

TRACEY@TIMESPUBLICATIONS.COM

volunteer opportunity

landSCape ALL PRO TREE SERVICE, LLC Tree Trimming, Tree Removals, Stump Grinding, Monthly Landscape Maintenance, Full Yard Clean Ups, Palm Trees, Deep Root Fertilization, Irrigation, Etc. Free Estimate, Very Professional, Insured, and Bonded! Visa & MasterCard Accepted Mention this Ad and Receive 15% off Discount! 480-354-5802 or dennis@allprotrees.com See Our Ad in the Biz Box Section

painting Interior/Exterior Painting Free Estimates $999 whole house, up to 1100 Sq ft Light Repairs, Drywall Senior Discounts References Available Call Jason 480-442-8271

GOT SOME LOVE TO SPARE....WE ARE IN NEED OF FOSTER FAMILIES AND VOLUNTEERS "Our Mission is to save and re-home unwanted sick or injured animals using our hearts, hands and Veterinary skills." Animal Doctors to the RESCUE is a local certified 501 (c)(3) non-profit rescue dedicated to pets in need of immediate lifesaving medical care. We are in need of Volunteers for all types of work. Whatever your talents are, if you have a love for animals, we would love for you to join the group! If you are interested in donating, volunteering in any capacity, or fostering, please visit us at our website, www.adrescue.org/volunteer for more information or you can email AnimalDoctorstotheRescue@gmail.com Thank you for your interest in helping Animal Doctors to the RESCUE save more pets' lives! We look forward to having you join us in our Mission!

www.GilbertSunNews.com

There’s nothing as fresh as the 2017 Elantra.

San Tan Hyundai

up to

3,750

September 2017

ARIZONA’S BIGGEST SELLER OF HYUNDAI’S SINCE 1987** SEE FOR YOURSELF WHY SO MANY PEOPLE CHOOSE SAN TAN HYUNDAI.

total savings

The 2017 Sonata makes the best out of every moment. up to

6,750

total savings

Start something better with the 2017 Santa Fe Sport.

up to

4,500 total savings

The 2017 Tucson’s athletic design attracts plenty of admirers. up to

2,500

total savings

480-384-8000 Sale price is MSRP less factory rebates and applicable Hyundai discounts. Prices plus tax, title, license & $428.75 doc fee. On approved credit. We reserve the right to make corrections on omissions or typographical errors. Vehicle information is based on standard equipment; added equipment may increase the price. All prices, specifications and availability subject to change without notice. *Vehicles may not be as shown and are subject to prior sale. **YTD in retail sales. Contact dealer for current information. Expires 09.30.17 close of business.

NEED FINANCING

1.888.846.9744

NTC

September 2017

www.GilbertSunNews.com

Arizona’s Resort-Style Home Builder MASTER PLANNED CELEBRATED COMMUNITIES BY BLANDFORD HOMES

Award-winning Arizona builder for 39 years. Blandford Homes specializes in building master planned environments with a variety of amenities and charm. Many offer resort-style amenities such as pools, spa, fitness, tennis, event lawns, and lifestyle activities, you’ll find the perfect community to fit your lifestyle. A Mountain Bridge in Northeast Mesa – Resort-Style Master Planned Community 6 BRAND NEW REVOLUTIONARY MODELS FOR 2017 Vintage Collection • From the high $300’s • 480-988-2400 Craftsman Collection • From the low $400’s • 480-641-1800 Artisan Collection • From the low $500’s • 480-641-1800 Master Collection • From the low $700’s • 480-641-1800

B Mulberry – “New Old-Home Neighborhood” GRAND OPENING NEW PHASES! Resort-Style in Southeast Mesa Arbor Collection • From the low $240’s • 480-895-6300 Americana Collection • From the $260’s • 480-895-2800 Centennial Collection • From the $320’s • 480-733-9000 Heritage Collection • From the $350’s • 480-733-9000

C The Estates at Thirty-Second Street NOW SELLING Estate single-level homes with 4 to 6 car garages and optional RV garages and carriage houses • From the low $700’s • 480-750-3000

D The Estates at Las Sendas NOW SELLING Northeast Mesa Resort-Style Master Planned Community

Estate single-level homes on 30,000 sq. ft. lots with 4 to 6 car garages and optional RV garages and carriage houses From the high $700’s • 480-641-1800

E Sienna Hills – 124th St & Shea in Scottsdale COMING SOON! Luxury single level estate homes from the low $900’s

BlandfordHomes.com Not all photos shown are representative of all communities. Terms and conditions subject to change without notice.