News Briefs

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI AND MARLA LEVINE

Erynn Duran Plaza del Rio Foundation awards record dollars, scholars

The Plaza del Rio Foundation awarded $44,000 in scholarships for the fall 2020 semester to 18 employees of Freedom Plaza Retirement Community, Freedom Plaza Care Center and Peoria Post-Acute and Rehabilitation, all located on the Plaza del Rio Campus in Peoria.

Due to ongoing concerns posed by the coronavirus pandemic, for the health and well-being of all involved, Freedom Plaza did not hold its semiannual scholarship awards ceremony this season.

“We are sad that we cannot honor our student recipients at a formal presentation,” says Gail Poolner, president of the Plaza del Rio Foundation. “It has been a di cult year given the closings of so many schools and not being able to interface with our employees.

“Yet, it is our biggest year, both in dollars and number of awardees. We have 18 scholarship recipients and will be providing more than $44,000 to their colleges and universities.”

The fall 2020 scholarship recipients from Freedom Plaza Retirement Community include: business o ce Kristi Silva; concierge Stephanie Guzman; dining services Lauren Bettino, Hailey Bretall, Jaycee Burgess, Marlee Burgess, Monty Gregory, Cristian Jacobo, Lauren Lucas, Vy Nguyen, Ashleigh Perkins, Jessica Valls and Tara Wilson; and marketing Erynn Duran; as well as sta from Freedom Plaza Care Center caregivers Miyako Herrera and Monica Ruehle; nurse Anivi Dragbovie-Johnson; and Peoria Post-Acute and Rehabilitation dining services Adelyne Gomez.

“I am very proud of the hard work of the scholarship committee,” Poolner 8 | SEPTEMBER 2020

From left: Nine-time Plaza del Rio Foundation scholarship recipient Erynn Duran, of Marlee Burgess Kristi Silva Freedom Plaza’s marketing team, receives a fall 2020 scholarship as she pursues a Master of Business Administration at Grand Canyon University; Marlee Burgess, of Freedom says. “We are very grateful to our execuPhoenix water. Plaza’s dining services, receives a Plaza del Rio Foundation fall 2020 scholarship toward her business administration studies at ASU; Six-time scholarship recipient Kristi Silva, tive director, Jai Larman, and Director of These funds with the business o ce at Freedom Plaza, receives a fall 2020 scholarship toward her Resident Programs Claudette Morrison were allocated studies in the social work program at NAU. (Photos by Marla Levine) and the members of her department.” to city of Phoenix under the Coronavirus Restaurants and a $2,000 contribution

In addition to Poolner, the Freedom Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) from the club, 225 prepackaged sandPlaza residents serving on the Plaza del Act. The Phoenix COVID-19 Program is ofwich meals were delivered to Banner BoRio Foundation include Vice President fered through December 30, to mitigate swell and Banner Del Webb hospitals. Barbara Donald; scholarship committee the economic impacts of the COVID-19 “The doctors, nurses and support sta Chairman Robert Duncan; Treasurer Doris pandemic. at these hospitals sacri ce so much to Young;  nance committee Glenn Bennett “We’re so appreciative of this opportusave lives during these trying times. This and Dorothy Weinland; fundraising Pat nity to help those in need throughout our is a much-needed way that we can say Giunta and David Mosley; publicity Barcommunity,” says Tom Egan, president ‘thanks,’” says Joel Piaskowski, KSCW’s dibara Eylands and Paul Meeden; Secretary and CEO, FSL. rector of underwriting. Ruth Ann Ditto; GED committee Chair“We know Phoenix residents are in “Our club’s board of directors, memwoman Kathy Keay; scholarship adviser need of assistance. If you have been  - bers and area businesses who are an inteMary Koleski; as well as Bill Zimmerman, nancially impacted by COVID-19 and are gral part of the Sun City West community liaison to Peoria Post-Acute and Rehabilstruggling to keep up with your monthcreated the perfect synergy to show Banitation. ly payments, please call us to see if you ner Hospital what they mean to the com

Founded 23 years ago, the William T. qualify for assistance through this promunity,” adds Mark Johnson, president of and Laura Lou Riggs Memorial Scholgram.” the Broadcast Club. arship Fund awarded 454 scholarships, FSL also has other funds available for funding $664,082 for tuition and books Maricopa County residents who need New Frontiers for Life-Long since 1997. utility assistance and/or appliance repair/ Learning fall semester

The Freedom Plaza Retirement Camreplacement. is underway pus is at 13373 Plaza del Rio Boulevard in Call FSL’s Care Design Program at New Frontiers for Life-Long Learning is Peoria. It features 345 entry-fee indepen602-285-0505 ext. 180 or email careholding most of its classes online this sedent living apartments, 65 assisted living bydesign@fsl.org to discuss quali cations mester due to coronavirus. apartments at The Inn with 20 additional and eligibility requirements for these  - Social opportunities exist with outdoor apartments providing specialized Alzheinancial assistance programs. hiking and discussion groups. An MCC mer’s or dementia care, plus skilled nursTo learn more about FSL’s programs or student ID card gives NFLL members ing and rehabilitation services at Freemake a donation, visit us at fsl.org. FSL discounts on MCC campuses and in the dom Plaza Care Center. has a dedicated page for updates and community.

Info: 623-815-4013, freedomplazaarizosupport on COVID-19 at fsl.org/covid19. NFLL is a peer-led, self-directed organa.com nization of more than 400 members opSun City West Broadcast Club erating under the sponsorship of Mesa FSL receives $2 to help gives to Banner hospitals Community College. with utilities, rent The Broadcast Club of Sun City West NFLL classes are one to two hours and

FSL (Foundation for Senior Living) and and 103.1 KSCW made a contribution to in some cases over a period of weeks. Wild re (formerly Arizona Community the COVID heroes at Banner Hospital. There are no tests, grades or credits. The Action Association) have agreed to help This was possible through the generous fee is $60. Phoenix residents who need assistance underwriters and friends in the area who For more information call MCC Comwith their rent or mortgage and utilisupport the club and radio station. munity Partnership O ce at 480-461- ty bills, including electric, gas or city of With the partnership of Babbo’s Italian 7497 or visit newfrontiers.mesacc.edu. www.LovinLife.com

Features Sports LIFE of A

The D-backs’ radio engineer Leo Gilmartin dedicates career to his dad

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI

Leo Gilmartin sits high above the players at Chase Field, in a small room with souvenir newspapers peppering the walls. The decor is typical for a journalist, but he’s no ordinary media type.

Reporting and sharing information are in the blood of Gilmartin, who is celebrating his 24th year with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Currently the team’s radio engineer and producer, Gilmartin comes from Arizona royalty. His father is the late, great Joe Gilmartin, the first president of the Professional Basketball Writers Association and a 2014 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee.

Gilmartin couldn’t help but enter the sports journalism field.

“Beats working for a living,” Gilmartin says with a laugh.

In short, he produces and engineers the D-backs’ radio broadcasts, taking the audio from the ballpark to the radio station and to the team’s affiliates.

“Everything’s different,” the Chandler resident says. “The game itself is different every day. It keeps things fresh. Every day’s a different storyline, a different conversation, a different outcome. Baseball, more than any other sport, is so unique in how each game is so different, for so many different reasons. I’ve been around sports my entire life.”

Suns fan

Following in his dad’s footsteps, Gilmartin was obsessed with basketball. He started his sports career as a ball boy for the Suns in the mid-1970s.

“I grew up around sports and around the Suns,” he says. “I wanted to be a professional athlete. Basketball was my goal 10 | SEPTEMBER 2020 when I was a young kid. In junior high, I figured out that probably wasn’t going to happen. I had to figure out other ways I could stay in sports.”

His family spent time in Tempe, a mile from ASU. ASU football head coach Frank Kush lived around the corner. Baseball coach Bobby Winkles lived down the street.

“It was such a different time back then, in terms of the relationship media had with sports,” he says. “We were all close to each other.”

Gilmartin became acquainted with Phoenix Suns player and subsequent coach Paul Westphal, who was recently diagnosed with brain cancer; the Colangelo family; Connie Hawkins and Dick Van Arsdale. Around the late 1970s, early 1980s, Gilmartin started working for the visiting team on the bench and became acquainted with Dr. J, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson.

“Sports was everywhere I turned,” he says. “My dad was unassuming about it. I get a little embarrassed the more I drop the names.”

After graduating from Tempe High School, Gilmartin went to Minneapolis for a year to a broadcasting school recommended by Suns broadcaster Al McCoy. He returned to the Valley and went to ASU, from which he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in broadcast journalism in 1991.

Afterward, he coached basketball for nearly a decade at Tempe High, Phoenix College, NAU and Arizona Western Community College. From 1994 to 1996, he worked as the assistant to the director of the Arizona Department of Commerce in Sports Development.

Currently the team’s radio engineer and producer, Leo Gilmartin is celebrating his 24th year with the Arizona Diamondbacks. (Photo by Taylor Jackson/Arizona Diamondbacks)

“The D-backs were born, and the rest is history,” he says. “It’s an evolution. It’s a wild evolution.”

Joining the D-backs

Gilmartin joined the D-backs in September 1996 as manager of broadcast services, overseeing the club’s radio and TV network relationships.

Since 2001, Gilmartin has been an integral part of the radio broadcast production team and a full-time member of the travel party.

“I got to be around that entire team,” he says. “Anyone who’s come through the Valley, who has some sort of high profile, I’ve had some sort of relationship with them, absent of the current Suns. I’m on the outside looking in. Al McCoy and their broadcasting group does a fantastic job. I still consider myself connected, and I feel privileged.”

This season, things are different—vastly different. Gilmartin isn’t traveling with the D-backs.

“We’re doing every game from the ballpark—home or road,” Gilmartin says. “It’s the times we live in, and baseball’s doing everything it can to keep the player and the staff safe. We want to keep ourselves safe as well. We’re fine doing it from the ballpark.”

He has his eye on switch-hitter Ketel Marte as an “unbelievable talent and a fun-to-watch player.” He’s rooting for Buckeye native/right fielder Kole Calhoun.

“He’s fun to watch and a real genuine guy,” he says. “Starling Marte is a new addition who plays the game right and is a very good player. He’s very understated. He’s really good at what he does.

“It’s always great watching Nick Ahmed. Fortunately for our franchise, we’ve had some really good players—not only really good players, but really good people who are fun to follow, get to know and be around.”

As a child, he grew up watching athletes win championships and celebrate on the field or court or in the locker room. He always dreamed of joining them.

“Fast forward to 2001, and while I wasn’t on the dogpile, I was able to get in the clubhouse and celebrate with the people I became very close with,” he says.

“I just want to keep doing what I’m doing and being valuable to the D-backs and root for their success. Their success will mean more unbelievable opportunities for me.”

But Gilmartin’s career comes down to his dad.

“I can’t even put into words what he means to me, aside from him being an amazing father,” he says. “The opportunities his career afforded me are just unbelievable. He did inspire me. He had tremendous respect. He was an extremely talented writer. I was just re-reading his Suns book. I was too intimidated to be a sportswriter, too, because of how good he was. But I knew sports was my future.”