January 4 - 17, 2014
www.SanTanSun.com
Positive momentum continues for city’s economic future BY TRACY HOUSE
As we put 2013 behind us and look forward to the prosperity that 2014 promises, Chandler is one city that is headed in the right direction. Chandler’s economic outlook for this year continues to shine for a city that has weathered some difficult years in a struggling national economy that has taken a toll on other cities.
To start, Tibshraeny says, “We will continue the momentum that has been building the last two years and should see a lot of positive activity on the economic development front.” Technology-based companies have had a positive impact on Chandler’s economy and, Tibshraeny mentions, “We’ll continue to see that. We are the innovation and technology hub of the Southwest. So we will continue to attract those kinds of companies because of the community we have and the infrastructure we’ve put into it to accommodate those types of companies.” Development in Chandler is attracting large and small businesses. “The council wants to see a good diversification of our business base,” Tibshraeny says. “That would include attracting all kinds of different companies.” He mentions Continuum, the former Motorola site in the Price Road Corridor, where OnTrac, Nationstar Mortgage and CyrusOne have located. “We’ll continue to see a diversification of business. All of the businesses that locate in our community ultimately help small
Mayor Jay Tibshraeny. Submitted photo
SEE MAYOR PAGE 4
Girls run strong with nonprofit
RUNNING STRONG: Runner Amy Yost coaches a group of girls in third through fifth grade, including her daughter, Ellie, through confidence-building and running exercises in preparation for a 5K run. Submitted photo BY KIMBERLY HOSEY
Girls on the Run serving Maricopa and Pinal counties this year celebrates 10 years of helping encourage fitness and empower third through eighth grade girls across the Valley—and it’s still growing, says Meagan Kukowski, executive director. “We serve an average of 500 girls
each season and we continue to grow,” Kukowski says. “We often get asked if it’s for at-risk girls, and usually our answer is ‘Unfortunately, really all girls are at-risk.’ And we address issues that all girls face. Preadolescent years can be tough on any kid, but girls especially face a number of issues during their preteen SEE RUNNERS PAGE 6
Intel plugs into the electric vehicle community
Chandler athlete makes Olympic female hockey team
BY KIMBERLY HOSEY
Chandler native Lyndsey Fry became the first Arizonan to make the U.S. Olympic women’s hockey team. The team’s roster was announced after deadline on Jan. 1 during
Intel and its workers have been on the leading edge of creating and adopting new and sustainable technologies. The two campuses decided to support their employees’ environmental efforts and stay ahead of the trend by offering onsite charging as well as fostering a loose community of Intel electric vehicle owners. With eight electric chargers at each campus, drivers of allelectric vehicles now have an easier time commuting to work at Intel each day. A couple years ago, Intel noticed a trend of employees moving over to electric vehicles, and after a pilot program in Santa Clara, OR, they decided to give it a try at several sites across the country, says Marty Sedler, director of global utilities and infrastructure at Intel. “We just really try to enable the employees, make it available, see if they’re going to be using it and how,” he says. It’s all about balancing common-sense financial responsibility and efficiency with supporting sustainable and green efforts, he adds. Intel’s practical look has helped form a vision of what many electric vehicle drivers do and need each day, from commuting
the Winter Classic hockey game between the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs in Ann Arbor, MI. She was profiled in the SanTan Sun News’ Sept. 21, 2013, edition.
NEW YEAR’S BABY
EMPLOYEES GET A CHARGE OUT OF INTEL: The charging stations at Intel’s campuses—eight each at Chandler and Ocotillo—sport tech and Arizona décor, and are available to employees SEE INTEL PAGE 8 for just the cost of electricity. Submitted photo
F E AT U R E STO R I E S ‘Bench the Bag’ recycling challenge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . COMMUNITY . . . . . . . . . . . Page 5 New Orangetheory Fitness to open in South Chandler . . . . . BUSINESS . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 16 Local author publishes first children’s book. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . YOUTH . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Page 27 Chandler broker receives prestigious award . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NEIGHBORS . . . . . . . . . . .Page 47 ‘Flora’ show continues at Vision. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ARTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 55
SanTan Family Fun . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Center Section
BABY NEW YEAR: Samantha Salkey gave birth to the first baby of the new year at Chandler Regional Medical Center. The baby boy, whose name was not released at press time, was delivered at 3:27 a.m. Wed., Jan. 1. Submitted photo
More Community . . . . . . .1-15 Business . . . . . . . .16-26 Youth. . . . . . . . . . 27-36 Opinion. . . . . . . . 45-46 Neighbors. . . . . . 47-54 Arts . . . . . . . . . . . .55-62 Spirituality . . . . . 63-66 Directory . . . . . . 67-68 Classifieds. . . . . . 69-70 Where to eat . . . .71-74