San Tan Sun News - Dec. 4, 2022

Chandler schools excel in first grading in 2 years

BY KEN SAIN Managing Editor

Chandler-area schools scored very well in the letter grades handed out by the State Department of Education for the fi rst time in two years, easily exceeding state averages.

If the state hadn’t changed the way they hand out the grades, some might have done even better.

Of the more than 1,700 public district and charter schools across Arizona that received preliminary grades, about 27%

were given “A;” 42% got “B;” 23% C; 5% D and 2% failed.

Most parents in Chandler are sending their kids to either A or B schools. No schools in the area received a D or F and only five were given a “C.”

More than half (52%) of Chandler Unifi ed School District schools were awarded an A, and 39% were given a “B.” The district had saw 9% of its schools a “C.”

The state did not award any letter grades the past two school years be-

cause of the campus disruptions created by pandemic-related closures.

This year, the state made some changes to its models, giving schools more credit if their students show a lot of growth in kindergarten-through-eighth grade schools.

“If our students are already here, it’s harder to move them,” said Dr. Jessica Fletcher, CUSD executive director of assessment, accountability, and research, motioning with her hand. “But if they’re lower, right, you know how it is move-

ment-wise.”

Fletcher said there are too many variables to know if the change in the model meant some schools scored lower than they might have under the old model.

Still, Chandler schools did well. Of the 72 schools in the Chandler area –including charter schools and schools that are part of other districts, such as Mesa – 40 were recognized as “A:

Developer defends Landings on Ocotillo project

BY KEN SAIN Managing Editor

The folks who want to build a controversial affordable housing project in Chandler say there is a lot of misinformation circulating and they are eager to correct it.

The Landings on Ocotillo is proposed for about 25 acres east of Arizona Avenue on Ocotillo Road, just east of

the railroad tracks behind a Target retail center.

The project has drawn the opposition of the City of Chandler and a large group of neighbors, primarily because of the amount of traffi c they fear it will bring to what they consider already crowded streets.

The property would be built on a Maricopa County island, an unincorpo-

Purple for Parents becoming school board force in EV

BY KEN SAIN Managing Editor

Parental rights advocates in Arizona are celebrating huge gains, both in the Legislature and at the ballot box.

Purple for Parents, a parental rights organization, endorsed 38 candidates in November’s school board elections across Arizona and unoffi cial results show that 20 of them won seats –including two in Scottsdale, one each in Gilbert’s two main districts, one in Chandler and one in Mesa.

“We’re very happy,” said Michelle Dillard, the president of Purple for Parents. “It’s great to have school board members elected that support parents’ rights and will promote academics in the classroom.”

The electoral victories follow success last spring, when the state Legislature passed and Gov. Doug Ducey signed the Parental Rights Bill. It further enhanc-

es the Parental Bill of Rights passed in 2010.

The newer legislation gives parents the rights to all written and electronic records from a school about their child. That includes any counseling records, even notes taken during a conversation. Parents can sue school districts if a teacher does not comply.

“I think that enforcement is going to be something that all parents are going to have to be keeping an eye out, we’re going to have to be very diligent and making sure that they actually follow the laws,” Dillard said.

She pointed to a school board meeting she watched where the board members changed the policy to comply with state law, but said repeatedly they were not happy to do so.

That was the case in Kyrene School

rated area surrounded by city land.

Therefore, it’s the County Board of Supervisors who will make the decision if the project happens or not. The County Planning & Zoning Commission is scheduled to discuss the case on Jan. 12. It is then the public can make comments.

Owen Metz, the senior vice president and project partner for the Mountain

Eye on the sky

West Region for Dominium, said he meets with people often to talk about what they do. Dominium is the company hoping to build and manage the property.

“At the end of the day you get them to say, ‘Yeah, I know we have a problem’” Metz said. “But then they

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Chandler man kills self, wounds his 2 kids

BY KEN SAIN Managing Editor

A Chandler man is dead from a self-inflicted wound after he violated a court order and entered his estranged wife’s home and shot his two children.

The children, a 15-year-old boy and a 5-year-old girl, are expected to survive.

Derek Aaron Tighe, 52, killed himself on Nov. 20 after shooting the children in the house near Alma School and Queen Creek roads in South Chandler. The wife, 38-year-old Sophie Tighe, was uninjured.

Police say he entered the home unannounced with a handgun, shot the children, then took his own life.

A Go Fund Me page has been established by family friend Derrelyn Phelps to help pay for the children’s medical expenses. They were both in critical condition when they were fi rst transported to the hospital.

Derek Tighe agreed to a court order not to be near his wife without notifying the Adult Probation Department in advance. It was part of his three-year supervised probation sentence for a domestic violence case that happened on Feb. 20 of this year.

Here is a summary of that case according to court records:

The parents were planning on a divorce and living in separate locations, though they still had regular contact because of the children. Derek was unemployed and unable to help with child support. Sophie asked him to help buy some groceries.

They went to Walmart together

to shop, but had an argument. Derek ended up leaving his wife and two kids at the store and drove around for an hour. Sophie called a friend, who picked them up and took them to Derek’s apartment.

The daughter knew the code to open the door and entered it. Sophie put her groceries in the refrigerator so they wouldn’t spoil. Then her friend drove her to her house so she could retrieve her keys and she then went back to Derek’s apartment to get the groceries.

As she was doing that, Derek returned. He pulled her down by the hair, then retrieved his AR-15 rifle. He pointed it at his wife while he called police.

Sophie said in the police report he has pointed weapons at her before, and she knew the best thing she could do was to sit there quietly.

Both children witnessed the incident.

Derek told police he caught a burglar in his home and he had the legal right to detain her. The son collaborated his mother’s version of events.

Derek said that his wife had attacked him in the past with a knife, and was arrested for it. He said he grabbed the gun because she was near some knives and he was afraid for his life. Sophie told police that Derek had cut himself in that case, but she got arrested for it.

Derek told police he did not give Sophie permission to enter his place, and the fact that she was inside when he returned home made her a burglar. He said she only gained entry because their daughter knew the code.

The Adult Probation Department did a risk/needs assessment to determine if they thought Derek was likely to be a risk to his wife or children. They scored him a 10, which is considered medium-to-low risk. The highest score they give is 42.

The court agreed to a three-year supervised probation sentence that started on Oct. 6. He also had to pay fees at $65 a month starting Dec. 1.

Derek agreed to not contacting the victim or his children unless he had written permission from the Adult Probation Department also agreed to participate and complete domestic violence training,

He also had to notify probation authorities if he became involved in a romantic relationship, and make sure his new partner knew why he was under supervised probation.

University researchers team up to find Valley fever cure

BY KADEN KLEINSCHMIDT Cronkite News

A new research program combining the efforts of Northern Arizona University and the University of Washington aims to create a vaccine for Valley fever, an infectious fungal disease that poses an increasing threat as the climate continues to warm and dry.

“There’s no such thing as a vaccine for any fungal disease out there, and so we’re really going into entirely new territory,” said Deborah Fuller, a microbiology professor and vaccine specialist at UW. “If we’re successful, this would be a huge breakthrough … not just for Valley fever but for fungal diseases in general.”

Valley fever, scientifi cally known as coccidioidomycosis, mainly affects people living in Southwestern states. Its spores thrive in the soils of hot, dry climates and are small enough to be inhaled by humans and animals alike, causing an infection of the lungs.

Symptoms include fatigue, headache, muscle aches and cough. But because those symptoms are undiscerning, Valley fever can be misdiagnosed and incorrectly treated.

On average, some 200 coccidioidomycosis-associated deaths were reported each year from 1999 to 2019, according to the National Institute of Allergy and

Researchers at Northern Arizona University and the University of Washington have teamed up to create a vaccine for Valley fever, a fungal disease that mainly affects people living in Southwestern states. Its spores thrive in the soils of hot, dry climates and are small enough to be inhaled by humans and animals alike, causing an infection of the lungs. (Courtesy of the CDC)

Infectious Diseases. Among those most at risk for severe problems are African Americans, Filipinos, people with a weakened immune system, and women during the third trimester of pregnancy.

Chelsea Henry, 28, who lived in the Phoenix area in high school, learned she had Valley fever after suffering five weeks of debilitating fatigue. Eventually,

she recovered.

“I was sleeping like 22 hours a day for over a month,” Henry said. “I ended up failing a lot of my classes because of it.”

It wasn’t until she got a chest scan for something unrelated that doctors found a calcifi cation on her lungs and

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Derek Tighe

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PURPLE

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District, where Governing Board members in September lashed out at laws preventing any mandate requiring kids to get COVID or HPV shots, requiring greater parental access and longer review policies for new library books, giving parents the right to get a list of all library books checked out by their children.

But the Kyrene board members’ harshest criticism involved a ban on boys joining girls-only sports teams.

They initially planned to just amend the district’s policy on sports to say Kyrene conformed with Arizona law, until a board member prevailed on her colleagues to include the specifi c citation for the statute so that parents could fi nd it more readily.

Critics of the parental rights law say it will have a chilling impact on students.

For example, critics contend, a gay teen who knows his family will not accept his or her sexual orientation will not be able to reach out to a trusted adult at school to talk about what they are going through because they risk their parents fi nding out and possibly kicked out of their home or forced to go to conversion therapy.

There were similar concerns about students who are struggling with their gender identity.

Dillard said that is part of the problem: There’s too much sex in schools.

“We don’t want the sexualization of our children to be continuing on this, I mean, it’s accelerated this upward trend,” she said. “The left, who has had control of our schools, wants comprehensive sex education. And I think they call it like age appropriate or whatever. Well, we have a disagreement with that.”

Purple for Parents started in 2018 as a reaction to the Red for Ed movement, in which teachers were demanding higher salaries and more funding for

school districts.

Forest Moriarty, a Mesa husband to a teacher and father to two special needs students, is credited as the founder. He did not return a message seeking an interview.

Dillard said Purple for Parents has no ties to Patriot Movement AZ, which has been identifi ed as a far-right hate group and was ordered by a federal judge in 2019 to stop harassing churches across the Valley, including Chandler, that were offering clothing and food to newly bussed migrants awaiting transportation to other parts of the country.

Dillard said it is true that some of the founding members were also members of PMAZ, but rejected they were tied together.

“There were members of Purple for Parents that were in PMAZ,” Dillard said.

“I mean, they’re parents too. They have children in schools. And so you know, they were in the group, but they had no

influence, nor did they found it. That’s been a blatant lie that local media has pushed from the beginning.”

Purple for Parents really picked up momentum in 2019 after Fox News’ Tucker Carlson highlighted the Chandler Unifi ed School District’s attempt to improve its diversity training. Carlson criticized the Deep Equity program from the Corwin Company as indoctrination.

Angry parents began showing up at school board meetings in the Chandler and Kyrene school districts.

Stephanie Ingersoll, the executive director of marketing and communications for CUSD, said the district no longer uses the Deep Equity program. Instead, the district developed an Equity Advisory Board which is made up of staff, students, parents and community members.

Purple for Parents advocates for school choice and parental rights, and

wants to keep Critical Race Theory (CRT) out of schools. That theory is a law school class that is not taught at K-12 schools in Arizona.

However, Dillard said it is used as a catchphrase for programs like Corwin’s Deep Equity because it’s a phrase people know, having heard it from former President Trump.

She said issues like that made it easy to fi nd candidates willing to run in the 2022 election.

“I witnessed parents trying to stand up for their parental rights in education to be later ridiculed for doing so,” Heather Rooks wrote in an email about why she ran. She was elected to the Peoria Unifi ed School District Governing Board.

“I heard from so many parents that their child was struggling and falling behind. I had heard from teachers who were afraid to speak up against the CRT ideology in the district,” Rooks said.

Parental rights issues were not the only reason for running.

“[I decided to run after] having witnessed the steady decline in merit-based academics, with test scores tanking and teachers leaving the district in droves,” wrote newly elected Scottsdale Unifi ed Governing Board member Carine Werner.

“Even the 8-year age gap between my oldest and youngest has revealed stark differences in how our children are educated,” Werner said. “I couldn’t sit on the sidelines any longer.”

Chad Thompson, newly-elected member of the Gilbert Unifi ed School District Governing Board, wrote:

“As a father of multiple children that attend GPS schools, I was very concerned about the decisions made by our board over the last few years. As our race developed, I became even more concerned about where our schools are headed.”

He campaigned against social emotional learning and any sex education in schools and said at a candidates’ town hall:

“I think we’ve let way too much stuff

Equity and equality discussions in school districts across the country have spurred controversies. (File photo)

Fox News host Tucker Carlson put his national focus on Chandler Unified School District’s Deep Equity program, which led to a number of protest at Governing Board meetings by parental rights supporters. (Fox News)

come into our school that are distractions from education. Parents are awake; they are seeing this stuff especially after the pandemic. It seems like our schools today want to teach just about everything except for education, actual math, science and language.”

Thompson also said that students need to be taught accountability and responsibility.

Parental rights candidates won two seats in three different districts, Cave Creek, Dysart, and Scottsdale. Still, even with this success they will likely be in the minority when they are seated.

“It’s going to be frustrating for them to have to endure being in the minority,” Dillard said. “But I do think that in all of these districts, there’s a great group of parents … that will also be supportive.

“I think that they will have a voice on the board and so while they may not get certain items passed, or the votes aren’t going to land their way, at least they’ll have a voice and they can let the public and the community and the parents know that … it’s being voted on.”

Some candidates welcome the challenge of being in the minority on the board.

“School board members are non-partisan positions and parental rights are enshrined in state statute,” Anna Van Hock wrote. She won election in the Higley Unifi ed School District. “Politics should be set aside, and the law followed by all elected offi cials, administration and staff.”

“If I am in the minority, I will work to bring transparency on what is discussed and voted upon and perhaps why I am not in support or support of a motion,” wrote new Queen Creek Unifi ed board member James Knox. “Too often, items in QCUSD are put into the consent vote when they are not consenting items.”

Said Amy Carney, the other new Scottsdale Unifi ed board member: “I plan to work alongside the other board members to strengthen our school communities by supporting our students and educators and ensuring that parents feel heard and welcomed on our campuses.”

Purple for Parents was strategic in how its endorsed candidates ran for school board seats. Dillard said the group did not endorse any more can-

didates than there were seats available, so they wouldn’t split the vote.

In Chandler, she said they had their own caucus since there were multiple parental-rights candidates who wanted to run. She said each agreed to not run if they didn’t get enough support at the caucus.

Kurt Rohrs and Charlotte Golla ended up with the most support, so others stood down. Rohrs ended up with the most votes in his election. Golla fi nished third and did not win.

Dillard said she would like to see school board races become partisan, so voters can determine their candidates in a primary election and give them a better shot at winning in the general.

She said parental-rights board members will want to put the focus back on academics when they take their seats.

“Especially coming off of the end of the pandemic,” she said. “There are kids suffering a lot of learning loss, and there are achievement gaps. And I do think that there could be different programs that the schools can have and focus on to help get our kids up to speed.”

Turning Purple

The parental rights group Purple for Parents endorsed 38 candidates for school boards in the 2022 general election

across Arizona. Unofficial results show 20 won seats. They are:

• Scott Brown and Jackie Ulmer, Cave Creek

• Kurt Rohrs, Chandler

• Paul Carver, Deer Valley

• Dawn Densmore and Jennifer Drake, Dysart

• Madicyn Reid and Libby Settle, Fountain Hills

• Chad Thompson, Gilbert

• Anna Van Hock, Higley

• Tom Carlson, Marana

• Rachel Walden, Mesa

• Sandra Christensen, Paradise Valley

• Heather Rooks, Peoria

• James Knox, Queen Creek

• Raul Rodriguez, Sahuarita

• Amy Carney and Carine Werner, Scottsdale

• Thomas Trask, Tanque Verde

• Val Romero, Tucson

FEVER

from page 4

determined Valley fever was to blame for her exhaustion.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says Valley fever symptoms may become noticeable one to three weeks after a person inhales the spores, and they can last from a few weeks to several months.

Antifungal medications can control the fungus but sometimes don’t destroy it entirely. However, many people who have been infected develop a lifelong immunity to the fungus.

Bridget Barker, a biology professor at NAU, says public education about the disease in regions where Valley fever is endemic is crucial to proper treatment.

“Even in Arizona, where we have a high burden of disease, the likelihood of getting your diagnosis in a timely fashion is actually pretty low,” Barker said.

At this point, no completely effective treatment exists for Valley fever, but Barker’s team is on the hunt for a vaccine.

In September, NAU and a team at the University of Washington received a $1.5 million grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, with the potential to receive $7.5 million over the next five years.

The project includes launching the Virulence, Immunological Response, and Vaccine-Coccidioidomycosis Cooperative Research Center. The effort was spurred by a congressional mandate that the National Institutes of Health develop a vaccine for Valley fever in 10 years.

Because climate change is expanding the viable range for coccidioides spores to spread and grow, the NIH has recognized Valley fever as an increasingly urgent public health concern.

“This is really an emerging infectious disease of climate change,” said Fuller at UW. “Increased wildfires, increased dryness, heat and things like that are enabling greater spread of things in our soils.”

Fuller is one of the researchers responsible for spearheading the Valley fever project, bringing to the table her expertise in vaccine development. She has previously worked on HIV, influenza and even COVID-19, using nucleic acid vaccine technology.

This project is a vast departure from her previous work, Fuller said, given it’s the fi rst time she’s tried developing a vaccine for a fungal disease.

Because coccidioides spores have a multistage lifecycle, Fuller’s team must create a vaccine effective against all. To do that, researchers will use Barker’s pathogenetic research to look for ways to inhibit the spores from developing or replicating.

Barker has been studying Valley fever for 20 years. Her research is based primarily in genome sequencing and learning about the ecology of the fungus. Between her understanding of the organism itself and Fuller’s expertise on vaccines, Barker said, the team has a good shot at success.

“There’s still a lot to do,” Barker said. “But I really think that at the end of this five years, we will have a candidate vaccine.”

Chandler general sounds alarm about home visits act

SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

A retired air force major general who lives in Chandler is asking citizens to write their congressional representa tives urging passage of the bipartisan Jackie Walorski Maternal and Child Home Visiting Reauthorization Act of 2022.

Unless the measure is passed by Dec. 16, said General (Ret.) Terrence “Terry” Feehan, funding would end for vol untary home visiting, which connects professionals, such as a nurse, with families in the nation’s most vulnerable communities.

“These visits help parents avoid harmful practices for their infants and toddlers, such as poor nutrition, inade quate medical care, and even maltreat ment, all tied to long-term develop mental issues.,” Feehan said. “Research shows that home visiting can boost long-term academic success and reduce child abuse and health problems.”

Feehan said continued funding is critical to the nation’s defense at a time when the country’s military readiness is being hobbled by the fact that “military ineligibility among young Americans has skyrocketed to an unthinkable 77 percent.”

He pointed out that many of the factors that lead to ineligibility begin in childhood, and one way to combat those factors is through high-quality home visiting programs.

Feehan is a member of Mission: Readiness, an organization of retired admirals and generals that work for “strengthening national security by ensuring kids stay in school, stay fit, and stay out of trouble.”

But Feehan also speaks from personal experience about the visitation pro gram’s effectiveness because he comes from one of those families it helps.

“There are a handful of moments in every person’s life that shape them into the adult they’ll become,” he said.

“In my case, I had a single mother who struggled with drugs and was briefly incarcerated. She did her best, but things weren’t always easy. These are difficult obstacles to overcome, and, sadly, these challenges are too familiar to many of our nation’s children.

“Thankfully, I had other positive influences in my young life – people who helped me pivot from difficult moments to a path of lifelong success. One of those people was my ninthgrade algebra teacher, who instilled the idea of unlimited opportunity and potential.”

He noted, “not every child who faces difficult challenges has these kinds of positive influences. Lacking this foun dation, by the time many kids reach middle or high school it becomes increasingly difficult to get them back on a productive path.

“This concerns me as an Arizonan,

and as a retired general and member of the military-leader organization Mis sion: Readiness,” said Feehan.

“Unfortunately, funding for these programs is set to expire in less than a month. That makes their reauthori zation all the more important,” . The good news is that there’s a bill currently in play that would not only reauthorize, but expand funding for these pro grams.”

Feehan said that working with Mis sion: Readiness “introduced me to the impact of programs that reach children and their parents from even before birth.

“Providing crucial early support that dramatically impacts the life of the child. This impact helps unlock the child’s own unlimited potential, includ ing serving in the military, if they so choose,” he said.

He noted that the state Legislature this year added $10 million in 2022 for these programs, “but Arizona needs much more to expand access through out the state.”

“An immediate threat to these pro grams is the December 16th deadline to renew the primary funding source for home visiting: the federal Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visit ing funding stream,” Feehan said, noting it “serves families in a dozen counties through five different program models.

“Without reauthorization, over 2,000

Arizona families will lose access,” he added.

A recent report from the Council for a Strong America, the parent organiza tion of Mission: Readiness, found that only 2,001 families – 2.3 percent of Ari zona’s over 85,000 highest-priority fam ilies – receive home visiting services.

Hope is not lost,” Feehan said. “This bill is currently moving through Con gress, but more work is needed to drive its passage.

“The Walorski Act would greatly increase MIECHV funding over five years, with an increase for every state, including Arizona,” he said, adding the programs would allow programs to continue virtual home visits, guaran tee at least one in-person visit a year. strengthen and retain the home visiting workforce and double the tribal setaside so Arizona’s tribes would have better access to home visiting pro grams.

“The Jackie Walorski Act is an inspi rational example of Republicans and Democrats coming together on key issues to support America’s families,” Feehan said, adding that Americans’ support “will empower more children to achieve greatness, and help ensure America’s competitiveness, leadership, and national security into the future.”

Political consultant angered by ejections by LD13 GOP

BY KEN SAIN Managing Editor

The political in-fighting inside the Ar izona Republican Party is now showing itself locally.

Brian Fox, a political consultant and lobbyist, changed his party registration from Independent to Republican in Au gust. Since then, he has tried to attend three monthly meetings of the Legisla tive District 13 Republicans.

Each time, they threw him out.

Police reports confirm that Fox was asked to leave each of the meetings despite showing them proof he was registered as a Republican.

“I walked in,” Fox said of the first meeting he tried to attend in Septem ber. “There was a little bit of hubbub when they saw my face. Nobody approached me to ask me what I was doing or anything. I went in and sat down, and after sitting down for about two minutes .”

“I was on my phone looking at the news. And I was approached … and told I had to leave. And I said, why? And they said, ‘because you’re not a Republican.’ I said, ‘Yes, I am. Here’s my registration.’”

Fox works as a consultant for AZ Valley Consulting. As part of his job he has worked for both Democratic and Republican candidates.

Multiple messages sent over multi ple days to LD13 Republican leadership seeking comment were not returned. In the police reports, officers were told by those who evicted him that they believed Fox to be a Democrat who only recently changed his party and the group didn’t feel comfortable around him. They said they feel that way because Fox was the campaign manager for a Democrat running in the city council election.

Fox said he may have registered as a Democrat when he turned 18, but he wasn’t politically active then. He said he’s been an Independent ever since. He believes in low taxes – “Who

doesn’t?” he said – and limited govern ment.

However, he does not think the 2020 election was stolen. And he is increas ingly concerned that the activists who run the party on the district level are too extreme, pushing out more mod erate voices. So, he said, that’s why he decided to start attending district meetings.

“If you’re an election denier, you’re an election denier,” Fox said. “You know, LD13 has been the tip of the spear when it comes to going after our county officials and anyone who certified the elections. They’ve been the tip of the spear with this nonsense.”

LD13 is changing, an Arizona political expert says.

Paul Bentz, senior vice president for Highground, Inc., a statewide political consulting group, said the east Chandler district is evolving in a similar pattern to what happened in west Chandler.

“It certainly appears like that will hap pen to LD13 as well,” Bentz said.

The current LD12 district includes northern and western Chandler, Ah watukee and parts of Tempe and Mesa. It once was reliably Republican, but has changed over time.

Now, all three of the representatives from that district are Democrats, who have kept the legislative delegation allblue since at least 2016.

In LD13 – which includes south

Chandler, Sun Lakes and part of Gilbert – voters for the third consecutive elec tion cycle elected Democrat Jennifer Pawlik to the state House, along with Republican Rep-elect Liz Harris and incumbent Sen. J.D. Mesnard.

Bentz said it’s likely the district will trend more Democratic and moderate Republicans in the coming years.

But is there room for moderate or even Republicans at LD13 meetings? Or, as the Republican candidate for gover nor said during the campaign, should they “get the hell out?”

“Certainly, Kari Lake made that abundantly clear,” Bentz said. “It’s likely one of the main reasons she underper formed when you look at statewide results.”

Bentz said that Lake had 118,000 few er votes than the Republican candidate for State Treasurer, Kimberly Yee. He said some Republicans look at that dif ference and suspect it must be fraud.

“They’re not interested in appealing to McCain Republicans, and that’s a notion that is shared by a significant portion of the electorate. However, that portion is not large enough to win elections,” Bentz said.

The political expert said the extreme elements are hurting the Republican Party at the ballot box.

“Maricopa County is still a Republican county,” Bentz said, pointing to the race for County Attorney, which was won by

a Republican. “What’s the difference? The Republicans who have been more mainstream win, but the MAGA-loving crowd, and election deniers, keep nar rowing their votes.

“They appear to be blinded by their beliefs, and they don’t have room for anyone who doesn’t believe that. Every one must believe the same as they do.” Fox said there’s a few reasons why he wants to attend the meetings.

First, he says LD13 Republicans aren’t following their own bylaws. He said, for example, they decided to have lead ership elections before considering changes to the bylaws. It’s supposed to be the other way around.

Also, the chair of the district is not supposed to be a paid lobbyist. LouAnn Sedgwick was elected in November despite being the development direc tor for the Arizona Free Enterprise Club. Fox said she declined the position.

But that’s not what’s driving him.

“This is an issue of extremism on both sides,” Fox said. “And while I do think one party is a little farther than the other one when it comes to extremists in power right now, I don’t want either party in the hands of extremists.

“And this, I think, is important for both parties to recognize before they go over the edge and come to a place in America where we’ve seen we’ve already come dangerously close to.”

‘Big trains’ rolling into region for holidays

BY JOSH ORTEGA Staff Writer

Model trains remind many people of Christmas as a child and for one local organization, that nostalgia lasts yearround.

The Arizona Big Trains Operators will hold its annual Christmas Open House tour 4-8 p.m. Dec. 10 and 11 and Dec. 17 and 18 with 14 homes across the Valley fi ring up their festive layouts that help keep the history of locomotives alive and keeps these grown adults kids at heart.

While their pastime can be expensive, the one thing these operators enjoy more than tinkering with the trains is the joy their displays bring to visitors.

“A lot of people still enjoy the history of railroads,” said Don Sorenson.

Sorenson joined the organization in 2006 but had an interest in trains long before that because his dad worked as a brakeman for Union-Pacifi c Railroad for five years.

He said some of the members have mechanical and engineering backgrounds and this keeps their minds occupied with something familiar.

Amtrak said it has seen a 5% decrease in its Arizona station usage between fi scal year 2018 and 2019.

“People don’t ride the trains anymore,” ABTO President Darrell Woolfolk said. “There’s not many of the youth that have been on a train.”

That’s why sharing their hobby –especially with children – represents an integral part of the organization’s purpose “to promote and advance the interest in and educate the general public about Railroads and large-scale model railroading,” according to their bylaws.

Much to his surprise, Woolfolk said the nonprofit’s membership has seen an uptick in the last two years with 19 new members, bringing their Valley-wide total to 77.

Woolfolk joined the organization in 2013 and has served as its president for the last five years.

He said that while only half of their members have layouts, they all meet to help each other collaborate and build “extremely elaborate” holiday villages.

“It’s not like setting up on a card table when you were a kid,” Woolfolk said.

The individual cars measure approximately 4 1/2 inches tall by 24 inches long with a handful of cars connected that run on tracks up to 500 linear feet winding through a festive holiday

Statehandsoutlettergradestoschools

Thestatehandedoutpreliminarylettergradestomorethan1,700Arizonaschools onNov.2.ChandlerUnifiedSchoolDistrictoutperformedstateaverages: CUSD Arizona

village.

The villages can take up a person’s entire backyard and some include railyards, tunnels, ponds, and functioning lights on the buildings with the appearance of snow throughout the setup for the holidays.

The layouts can have multiple zones and take anywhere from two to four weeks to get up and running, but prep work and layout begins as early as June.

The nonprofit holds seven public events throughout the year including one in the spring, but the Christmas Open House is the group’s biggest.

Besides the two open houses, ABTO maintains train layouts at Banner Children’s at Desert and Hospice of the Valley at Ryan House.

Woolfolk said those layouts remain restricted to patients at the medical facilities due to COVID-19 protocols, but members will still maintains the tracks weekly for the patient’s enjoyment.

“With COVID, everything’s been pretty much locked down,” he said.

Woolfolk said Christmas event draws hundreds of people per weekend to member’s backyards to watch the layouts light up at night.

Woolfolk said trains have “gone by the wayside” with younger genera-

Chandlerareaschoolsgettheirgrades

TheArizonaStateBoardofEducationreleased the2021-2022lettergradesforallschoolson Nov.2.Schoolshavetherighttoappealbeforea finalgradeisissued.Herearetheinitialgrades forChandlerareaschools:

Legend ChandlerUnifiedschool KyreneUnifiedschool TempeUnionschool MesaUnifiedschool Charter school

AACPHigh;ACPMiddle; AZCompassPrep; BashaElementary;BashaHigh; BASISChandlerPrimaryNorth; BrightBeginnings; CarlsonElementary;Casteel High;CTAFreedom;CTAGoodman;CTAIndependence;CTALiberty; Cielo Elementary; CoronadelSolHigh; FultonElementary; GHAArchwayChandler; GHAArchwayLincoln;GHAChandlerPrep;GHALincolnPrep; HamiltonHigh; HaleyElementary;HancockElementary;JacobsonElementary;KnoxGifted Academy; KyreneTraditionalAcademy; LegacyTraditionalChandler; Miranda Elementary;PalomaElementary;NinosElementary;NorteElementary; Paragon ScienceAcademy; PerryHigh;PattersonElementary; PuebloMiddle; Rice Elementary;RiggsElementary;RyanElementary;SantanElementary;Weinberg GiftedAcademy

BAndersenElementary;AndersenMiddle; AprendeMiddle; AuxierElementary; BASISChandlerPrimarySouth; BrisasElementary; BogleJuniorHigh;Chandler High;ChandlerOnlineAcademy;ConleyElementary;CTAHumphrey; Dobson Academy;ElDoradoHigh; EncinasElementary;FryeElementary;Hull Elementary; IntelliSchoolChandler; KyreneMiddle; NavarreteElementary; PomeroyElementary; SanbornElementary;SantanJuniorHigh;Shumway LeadershipAcademy; SirrineElementary; TarwaterElementary; Waggoner Elementary; WillisJuniorHigh

GRADES

from page 1

schools, 27 received a “B” and five received a “C.”

“For us as a district, we don’t really focus … on letter grades, but we do use the data to drive how we’re going to support our students,” Fletcher said. “I know there are districts who focus strictly on letter grades.”

“For us, it’s not about the letter grade,” she added. “If we’re doing what we should be, the letter grade is a natural byproduct of us doing what we should be doing.”

The last time the state handed out letter grades to schools, CUSD had 19

schools with an “A” and 18 with a “B” for the 2018-19 school year with five getting a “C” and none getting a “D” or “F.”

The last time CUSD had a “D” school was in the 2016-17 school year, when two got that grade.

Statewide, public school districts outperformed charter schools in many of the main categories. Districts had only 1% getting an F while 3% of charters flunked.

Statewide, 28% of district schools earned an “A: and 27% of charters got that grade. However, charters did better scoring at least a “B” with 47% compared to 42% of district schools.

In the Chandler area, only one charter school got a “C” snd the rest of char-

CBolognaElementary; ChampionChandler; GalvestonElementary;PayneJunior High;SanMarcosElementary

Source:ArizonaStateBoardofEducation KenSain/SanTanSunNews

ters got a higher grade.

The C schools in the Chandler area are Bologna Elementary, Champion Chandler, Galveston Elementary, Payne Junior High and San Marcos Elementary.

“We’re already having conversations with our schools who are ‘C’ letter grades, what do we need to focus on moving forward this year, so that we can improve our letter grades,” Fletcher said.

“And we’ve done that with our ‘C’

schools, but we’ve also done that with the ‘B’s.’ We have the schools’ principals who are excited to be a ‘B’ and still want to see more progress.”

The state has been handing out letter grades since 2011 after the Legislature passed a law mandating it.

Schools had until Nov. 15 to appeal their grade and the fi nal grades will be issued either this month or in early 2023.

Source:ChandlerUnifiedSchoolDistrict

KenSain/SanTanSunNews

Children will be fascinated and adults will be reminded of their own childhood when they visit Arizona Big Trains Operators member’s holiday displays the next two weekends. (Special to the Tribune)

DOMINIUM

from page 1

say, ‘Well, can you just move it? Over there?’”

Dominium is one of the largest providers of affordable housing units in the nation. Its headquarters are in Minnesota, prompting critics to say they are an out-of-state builder.

However, the company employs 50 people, including Metz, in Arizona and has built or is building a number of properties around the Valley, including Mesa, South Phoenix, Goodyear and Surprise.

The company currently manages 38,000 apartment units in 19 states.

Metz said the Landings on Ocotillo project is intended to provide affordable housing to people who don’t make $80,000 a year. He said it has been 21 years since the last affordable housing project was built in Chandler.

Its 518 units would be split to accommodate two different types of tenants: 182 units would be reserved for seniors and the other 336 for families.

“Our typical resident is a single parent with a kid or two. They’re working and can’t afford the higher rents,” Metz said.

The rent prices for all the units would be set by the federal government. The Department of Housing and Urban Development publishes what it calls the fair market value rate. Metz said that means a single mom could rent a one-bedroom apartment for about

$1,000 a month.

“We have a very thorough process that we have to do to qualify anyone who shows up to rent from us,” Metz said. “It’s arguably more diffi cult than qualifying for a mortgage.”

Anyone interested in renting must provide proof of income and American citizenship and go through an extensive background check. Prospective tenants

also have to agree that if they commit any crime or use drugs that they will be kicked out immediately.

Metz said the company has found most of their residents are thrilled to have a high-quality place to live with lower-than-market rents and will not do anything to avoid losing that. So, he said, they tend not to have too many problems.

City offi cials say they gave Dominium other options than building at this location. The city opposes it because it does not fit with its airport area plan that calls for industrial use and something that brings jobs to the city.

Metz said the options the city offered didn’t work.

First, there are not many 25-acre sites. One of the 14 options the city gave Dominium had only an acre, Metz said, adding that owners of the land in some of the other options were unwilling to sell.

Metz also said most of the sites proposed by the city were zoned for industrial use and not multi-family so the company would have the same issue moving to a different location.

“About half of those sites were 5 acres or less,” Metz said. “They went through a thorough review process of each of these sites, took it all very seriously, and we sat down with the city and they presented their fi ndings. And I think everybody walked away thinking that these aren’t going to work.”

Dominium has started trying to turn around public opinion, recognizing they won’t change everyone’s mind.

Company representatives met with the Chandler Chamber of Commerce’s Board of Directors on Nov. 16, hoping to earn their support. They are meeting with media and pretty much anyone else who wants to discuss their project.

“Part of the reason we didn’t show up at some of these ... neighborhood meetings is, in the email communication, they said, ‘Don’t show up if you have an opposing view, I don’t want to

hear it. We’re only here to oppose it. I don’t want to discuss the merits,’” Metz said.

He said he intends to reach out to neighboring HOAs and would be willing to meet with residents to talk about the project.

“I’ll go and get yelled at in the gymnasium all day long,” he said. “I’m happy to do it. Also happy to meet with people individually, or as a small group. I’ve done this long enough. I can take blows and I can speak facts.”

Here are his facts:

• There is a lack of affordable housing options in Chandler as elsewhere. Arizona is worse than other places, because it has far more single-family homes than multi-family units. Metz said normally it’s a 70-30 split in other states. In Arizona, single family homes make up more than 90 percent of all residential housing.

• There is a huge demand for rental units. Currently 97% of all Maricopa County apartments are being rented. That’s one of the reasons for the huge increase in prices.

• Chandler’s population is aging because young families can’t afford to live here. It’s leading to a declining enrollment in schools because families just starting out can’t afford to live here.

The biggest concern neighbors have expressed is they think it will make a bad traffi c situation even worse. Metz said they have done more traffi c studies than is required and they concluded the impact would be minimal.

“Is it more traffi c than vacant or agricultural land? Of course,” he said. “But it’s not any different, it’s less than commercial.”

The whole development would likely have around 800 residents, not the 2,000 opponents claim. he said. Because the occupants have affordable rents, Metz argues, they would not need to have roommates.

The Landings in Ocotillo would occupy about 25 acres east of Arizona Avenue. (City of Chandler)

Developer Dominium is proposing 518 total units for the Landings that would include 182 reserved for senior housing, and the other 336 units for families. (City of Chandler)

DOMINIUM

from page 12

The seniors are most likely not going to be on the roads during rush hours. He also contends, adding that many of the young families are part of the gig economy and travel at

irregular hours.

The company also would make some improvements to help traffic flow, including adding a light at Pinelake Way and completing a road so residents could avoid Ocotillo and head north to Queen Creek Road.

“On average, we have less cars than

a typical market rate development,” Metz said. “And a lot of cities have ac knowledged that and allowed reduced traffic or reduced parking counts, etc. They don’t make us build a sea of parking.”

Chandler does not make that allow ance.

If you go

County Planning and Zoning Commission meeting

When: 9:30 a.m., Jan. 12

Where: Board of Supervisor’s Auditori um, 205 W Jefferson Street, Phoenix

The proposed Landings apartment complex design would be similar to the company’s other projects in the Valley. (Dominium)

Owen Metz a senior vice president and project partner at Dominium’s Mountain West Region office. (Special to SanTan Sun News)

Giving Machines a magnet for love in EV

BY CECILIA CHAN SanTan Sun Staff Writer

Tis the season of giving – especially in Gilbert, where the popular Giving Machines that let people donate items of need to nonprofits have returned to Water Tower Plaza in the Heritage District downtown.

“The Giving Machines are a memorable, simple yet touching way to participate in giving during the holiday season,” said Steve Lowder, who along with his wife, Fran, oversees the Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ Light the World Campaign in Gilbert.

“They allow us to drop not only fi nance to those organizations that need it, they allow us to drop cards in a machine whether it’s a sewing machine or 100 meals or whether it’s a soccer ball or a scholarship for an African girl.

“It’s so touching, so personable because it’s as if you’re taking that card, you’re taking that scholarship, you’re taking that ball and handing it directly to those individuals in those wonderful parts of the world that need it.

“This initiative focuses on light, on kindness, on joy, on service, on worship and on giving. It helps us to love as God loves us.”

Church leaders, elected Valley offi cials and nonprofit representatives attended a ribbon cutting Nov. 18 for the vending machines, where donations

this year will go to:

• AZCEND – Provides help such as food boxes, rent and utility assistance and shelter.

• Midwest Food Bank – Collects food and distribute it to nonprofit community or government agencies, including food pantries, soup kitchens, homeless shelters, and schools.

• Gathering Humanity –Provides essential goods to Arizona immigrants and refugees.

• House of Refuge: – Provides transitional housing and support services for families experiencing homelessness.

• Special Olympics Arizona – Provides year-round sports training and athletic competition for children and adults with intellectual disabilities.

• African Girls Hope Foundation – empowers, equip and educate underprivileged girls in Sub-Sahara Africa.

Donors use their credit cards to pick items in the Gilbert machines such as fresh produce, toys, books, school supplies and sports equipment for the charities they want to donate to.

As part of the Church’s annual campaign, people are asked to take the 25 days leading up to Christmas and turn it into a season of helping others in need.

Two machines placed next to the Town’s iconic water tower will take

Oh What FUN It Is To Ride!!!!!

www.A1GolfCarts.com

Celebrating the return of the Giving Machines in Gilbert were, from right: Dr. Grace Nkundabantu, founder and CEO of African Girls Hope Foundation; Ruthy Hodges of Special Olympics Arizona; and Chandler City Councilwoman Christine Ellis. (Cecilia Chan) See GIVING on page21

City offering Golden Neighbors holiday event

The City of Chandler is planning a free holiday gathering for seniors at 9 to 11 a.m. Dec. 15 at the Chandler Senior Center, 202 E. Boston St.

There will be entertainment, breakfast and raffle prizes.

To RSVP either call 480-782-4362 or email neighborhood.programs@chandleraz.gov.

ICAN honors Cardinals, board member

ICAN, the Chandler-based nonprofit, honored the Arizona Cardinals football team and a board member at its annual gala.

Shannon Clark, an attorney at Gallagher & Kennedy, was honored with the individual award for his efforts to fi nd creative ways to support the nonprofit beyond his service as a board member and ambassador.

The Cardinals were given the business award for personally engaging with atrisk youth in programs designed to help them learn the life lessons needed to succeed.

There were more than 500 people in attendance at the annual gala and ICAN raised about a quarter of its annual budget at the event.

Suspect dies in Chandler officer-involved shooting

Chandler Police say 30-year-old Cody

Around Chandler

Allan Smestad died in a confrontation with offi cers on Nov. 23. Details were not immediately available.

Police say Smestad was armed with a rifle and disobeyed police orders to disarm.

He was shot in the 2900 block of East Folley Place.

City starts annual citizens budget survey

Chandler is starting its budget process and encourages residents to provide their thoughts about the community and its future. Chandler residents may complete the survey at chandleraz. gov/budget through Jan. 13.

City staff asks that residents answer at least the fi rst seven general questions of the survey which should take about two minutes. The remaining questions allow specifi c feedback on any, or all, of the targeted topics, which are based on the six City Council strategic goals and five focus areas.

The budget survey results assist in the formulation of the City’s fi nancial plan.

Paper copies are also available in either English, Spanish or Mandarin, and may be picked up at various city facilities, including libraries, community centers and the lobby of City Hall.

Paper copies also may be downloaded from the website. Completed paper surveys should be scanned and emailed to savana.martinez@chandleraz.gov

or returned to City facilities in person or by mail sent to: City of Chandler, Budget Division – Citizen Surveys, Mail Stop 609, P.O. Box 4008, Chandler AZ 85244-4008.

Information: 480-782-2254.

Chandler man sentenced to 20 years for exploiting a minor

A Chandler man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for sexually-exploiting a minor, sex traffi cking, and other crimes.

Devon Ray Sharma, 28, was convicted of convincing his victims to send him sexually-exploitative images online. Once he received them, he would blackmail his victims to either pay or have sex with him.

The crimes took place between 2016 and 2020. Chandler Police investigated the case. The 20-year sentence is the maximum allowed under a plea bargain. He will be under lifetime probation when he is released.

“Sharma is considered a prolifi c offender who would convince his victims to send him sexually exploitative images under false premises of being movie producer or a female,” County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said.

“Sharma would then extort the women to pay him or have coercive sex with him in exchange for not destroying their lives by sending the images to family and friends or posting on the

internet for massive distribution.”

Chandler ranks sixth nationally for digital cities

Chandler is among the top 10 nationally for digital cities. The Center for Digital Government ranked the city sixth among those with a population between 250,000 and less than 500,000.

The survey looked at cities that tackle social challenges, enhance services, strengthen cybersecurity with their use of technology.

Kroger

awards

$20,000 grant to Rice Elementary

Kroger is awarding a $20,000 grant to Rice Elementary to help with the school’s outdoor learning space.

The money is coming from the company’s Zero Hunger/Zero Waste Foundation. Kroger operates locally as Frys Food Stores.

“Students will learn about growing food, alternate food production methods, composting, reducing waste, and how the environment impacts plant and animal life,” Principal Shirley Mathew said.

“The partnership allows us to support our vision of being sustainable, serve the community, organize fun, educational programs and be able to bring the community to our school for a

State combats drug dealing on social media with education

BY RITHWIK KALALE Cronkite News

As a projection screen displays a collection of rainbow-colored pills, Na tional Guard Sgt. Tommy Morga asks the dozens of parents, teenagers and educators gathered in a sprawling room: “Who here has heard about fentanyl?”

A few hands go up.

Morga, who’s part of the Arizona Counter Drug Task Force, tells the group that more kids today are getting fentanyl-laced opioids from anonymous dealers online, and it’s crucial for parents to un derstand what’s happen ing to prevent the prob lem from escalating.

“Only 17% of parents talk to their kids about (fentanyl overdoses),” Morga said. “There are ways to monitor the social media applications. The biggest thing is to have an open conver sation with your kids.”

Opioid use – particularly the use of powerful synthetic opioids like fentanyl – remains a pressing problem. Overdose deaths rose during the COVID-19 pan demic, and in 2021, more than 100,000 people in the U.S. died of drug overdos es; about 71,000 of those deaths were related to synthetic opioids, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Already this year, Arizona health officials have recorded 1,267 overdose deaths involving synthetic opioids. In 2021, the state saw 2,779 total over dose deaths, the CDC reports, with 1,791 related to synthetic opioids like fentanyl – a drug 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine and typ ically used to treat advanced cancer pain.

Combating the rise in fentanyl use has been a top priority of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, especially as drug traffickers turn to new tac tics – such as manufacturing “rainbow fentanyl” pills in bright colors that may appeal to children.

“Those pills are pretty and they look like other things, like candy,” said Cheri Oz, special agent in charge of the DEA’s Phoenix Field Division. “They’re being marketed to a younger audience of potential customers.”

Cartels also are making pills that look like OxyContin, Percocet, Vico din, Xanax and Adderall that are laced with fentanyl, and DEA lab testing has found that 4 out of every 10 pills containing fentanyl have at least 2 mil ligrams, which is considered a deadly dose.

“Fentanyl is a powder. It can be put into anything, it can look like anything,”

Oz said. “If you think you’re taking an Adderall and you didn’t get it from your pharmacy, chances are it’s laced with fentanyl.”

Morga is part of an Arizona effort to help inform parents of the dangers of fentanyl and cartels’ use of social media to reach vulnerable youth. He collabo rates with drug prevention groups, such as Rise Up! Glendale and the Peoria Pri mary Prevention Coalition, to conduct workshops to educate the public about the intersection of illicit drugs and social platforms.

Although drug dealers operate on many social media platforms, experts are most worried about Snapchat due to the app’s anonymity, disappearing messages and lack of third-party mon itoring.

Morga’s training session included statistics about opioid overdoses along with what certain Snapchat symbols, emojis and hashtags might mean in connection with drug sales. He estimat ed that about 35% of Arizona youth are active on the platform.

“(Dealers) obviously know it’s the one that’s being used the most, so why not use the one they know can get the most contact with our kids?” Morga said, adding that the first step is for par ents to better understand the situation so that they’re able to talk with their children.

“TalkNowAZ.com has a lot of really good resources on ways to talk to your kids and resources on some of these illicit drugs. Parents can actually get educated themselves, in order to trust themselves to talk to their kids about it.”

Denise Carlson, who attended Mor ga’s workshop with her husband, said

National Guard Sgt. Tommy Morga educates parents about how drugs like fentanyl are sold through social media apps such as Snapchat. Although drug dealers operate through many social media platforms, experts are most worried about Snapchat due to the app’s anonymity, disappearing messages and lack of third-party monitoring.

(Laura Bargfeld/Cronkite News)

Dog day afternoon

It was all dogs all the time during Chandler’s annual Woofstock Nov. 19 as residents and their four-legged family members joined in the fun at Tumbleweed park. Among them, 1) Rusty the 12-year old Lab hung out with Gilbert DaDawg at Woofstock; 2) Frank the Beagle took the paws that refreshes from a kiddie pool; 3) Rocky, a border collie mix rescued off the streets in Denver Colorado, mastered the flyball course; 4) Ahleah Coulson captured Buddha the Pit Bull on camera; 5) Chandler Police Department Master Trainer Offi cer Ron Emory walked Bako through a simulated search; 6) Mindy the Husky wore goggles because she suffers from a condition where blood vessels and scar tissue invade the cornea; and 7) Jade the Shih Tzu showed everyone her chompers. (Photos

Photographer)

by David Minton/Staff

donations until Jan. 1. This year the Light the World Giving Machines are in 24 cities worldwide.

In 2018, Gilbert received two Giving Machines and one Water Machine that sold bottles of water with the proceeds going to a water charity.

In 2019 two machines were in Gilbert and in 2020 there were no machines in Town or anywhere in the world due to the pandemic. And in 2021 the Church put four machines in Gilbert.

When the Church kicked off its campaign in 2017 it started with one Giving Machine in Salt Lake City, Utah, which raised over $550,000. The following year, the program expanded to other communities around the world, including Gilbert.

Since then, the Church has raised over $15 million for charities, according to Church spokeswoman Jennifer Wheeler.

“The charities featured in the Giving Machines are chosen by a statewide committee that works with nonprofits and that committee chose the charities from submitted applications,” Wheeler

said in an email.

Over the years, the Gilbert machines have benefited A New Leaf, Helen’s Hope Chest, St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance, Child Crisis Arizona, Catholic Charities Community Services Arizona and Catholic Charities Community Services of Arizona, according to Wheeler.

Asked if inflation will affect giving this year, Wheeler said it’s uncertain.

“We really have no way to determine what the impact of inflation will be on the giving in our community,” she said.

“We do know that there is a tremendous amount of need out there and these local organizations will put the donations to good use in our communities.”

For the fi rst time since the machines were introduced in Gilbert in 2018, there will be four additional locations in Arizona – Glendale, Flagstaff, Gila Valley and Tuscson.

According to Lowder, for the fi rst time the church is launching mobile Giving Machines, piloting them in Arizona.

Gilbert and Glendale will each have two stationary machines while two additional machines are being installed for two weeks each at Flagstaff, The Gila Valley and Tucson, Wheeler said.

“The two (mobile) machines that will move from location to location will be transported via a trailer,” she said. “Flagstaff, The Gila Valley and Tucson each have Giving Machines committees that set up the machines when they arrive and take them down to be transported to the next location.”

Also making its annual appearance is the Town’s Water Tower holiday lighting and concert, 6-8:30 p.m., Monday, Nov. 28, at Water Tower Plaza, 45 W. Page Ave.

The mayor and council members will light the Gilbert Water Tower to kick off the holiday season.

This year’s event also includes free family activities, food trucks and live music by Ryan Ralston, who will perform family friendly holiday music.

Besides horse-drawn carriage rides, children can go down a gingerbread slide, run through a candy-land obstacle course and bounce inside a wrapped gift box.

Some tasty treats from vendors include holiday-themed hot coco, waffles, hamburgers and more for credit card payments or cash as no ATMs are on site.

After the lighting, visitors can enjoy the festive colors on the tower each

evening through Jan. 2 synchronized to holiday music played every half hour from 5:30-10 p.m.

For a cost, people can view Gilbert’s Riparian Preserve come alive with holiday lights, 5:30-9 p.m. Dec. 9-20, 2757 E. Guadalupe Road.

Thousands of holiday lights and displays will greet visitors as they stroll through the preserve.

Local food and drinks vendors will be on-site.

Advanced ticket costs are $2 per person through Dec. 8. From Dec. 9-20, the cost is $5 per person. Children 3 and younger are free.

For more information, go to gilbertaz. gov/departments/parks-and-recreation/special-events-and-permits/riparian-after-dark

If you go

What: Light the World Giving Machines

Where: 45 W. Page Avenue, Gilbert

When: Through Jan. 1

Also: People unable to visit the machines in person can go to LightTheWorld.org/give.

-Katharine Hepburn

they planned to follow up with their teenage daughters to add additional parameters around social media use.

“We have two girls, so the next steps are talking to them about a little more structure with how they’re using their phones and social media and more talks about drugs,” she said. “We let our kids use Snapchat at an early age, and we really didn’t know enough about it. But now we’re going to be backtracking on what we’re going to let them do.”

Carlson said educational events like

this are the best way for parents to learn about drug use among kids – and fentanyl, specifi cally.

“There are parents, like me, who probably don’t know enough about fentanyl,” she said. “Get involved with these types of groups and chats so you can learn about what’s going on in society and in our schools.”

State governments have taken steps to mitigate the fentanyl problem in schools.

According to a 2020 report by the Legislative Analysis and Public Policy Association, 27 states allow schools to stock naloxone, a medicine that can rapidly reverse an opioid overdose.

greater purpose,”

Chandler nonprofi t Si Si Puede gets $5,000 grant

Intel is giving Chandler nonprofit Si Si Puede a $5,000 grant to help improve STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education.

Si Si Puede was founded in 1993 and has worked with thousands of Chandler-area youth. Intel employees have volunteered more than 4,000 hours for the nonprofit.

FuelFest coming to Wild Horse Pass next weekend

FuelFest is returning to the Valley on

Dec. 10 at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park on Dec. 10. Money raised from the event benefits Reach Out WorldWide, the nonprofit started by Fast & Furious star Paul Walker, who died in a car collision in 2013. His brother, Cody, runs the nonprofit now.

The event brings together racing fans, celebrities, music, food and art. There will be hundreds of custom, exotic, rare and exclusive cars and trucks to view, as well as live racing and interactive exhibits.

Tickets are $35. Visit fuelfest.com for more information.

Armer Foundation launches toy, blood drives

The Armer Foundation for Kids – an Ahwatukee-based non-profit that helps families with children who have

In Arizona and six other states, school districts are required to have policies that detail how it should be administered. Pharmacists in Arizona can provide naloxone to anybody without a written prescription.

School districts have worked to address the issue, as well. For example, the Los Angeles Unifi ed School District announced in September that it will make Narcan, one of the brand names for naloxone, available in all of its schools.

Oz said she hopes that as people become more educated, communities will take action to spread awareness about the dangers of fentanyl.

extreme medical needs – is hosting its fourth annual holiday toy drive to benefit the Banner Cardon pediatric intensive care and oncology units.

It also has scheduled a blood drive 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Dec. 10 at 9830 S. 51st St., Ahwatukee.

The foundation is looking for Valley business that would host a donation bin and serve as a drop-off location for the unopened toys to bring smiles and hope to children battling for their lives.

“A brand-new toy can mean the world to a sick child and as parents who have been through this we know what a difference just one toy can make in a child’s life when they spend several weeks in hospital,” said Jennifer Armer, the foundation’s founder.

“As a parent and as a special agent, I hear these stories from my friends and co-workers whose lives are touched in very tragic ways by opioids,” she said. “When we’re talking about fentanyl, there’s no second chance. It’s one pill, one time.

“When you talk to (a) parent … that walked in the morning to wake up their child for school, and their child was unresponsive, that will break your heart. Talk to your kids, talk to your neighbors, talk to people at the grocery store –make this something that we are talking about, so that we are armed with the knowledge to make good choices and stay alive.”

The foundation also is hoping for toy donations.

“It can be as big of a toy or as small as you can afford, but every little bit helps us give back to these children and their families. We just thank everyone for helping us spread some holiday cheer once again this year,” said Armer.

To sign up for a donation box, go toarmerfoundation.org or call 480.257.3254.

Other items the Armer Foundation will be collecting include: baby dolls, blankets, comfy socks, crayons, pajama pants, hair brush/comb, hair ties, coloring books, kids’ games and books, puzzles and stuffed animals.

Information: armerfoundation.org/ toydrive.

Suicide tracking at ASU a concern among some students

BY BRIANNA LEE Contributor

The issue of whether colleges and universities are hiding data on their students’ mental health struggles has become a topic of conversation among Arizona University students.

Dr. Vicki Carter, a licensed therapist who specializes in mental health disorders, said she is treating many patients in college and that the pandemic aggravated pre-existing mental health they already had prior to the onslaught of COVID-19.

“The main contributor to the college mental health pandemic is not addressing a pre-existing or recent onset of a mental health concern,” she said.

“Either view can be considered as a ‘walking time bomb’ scenario where environmental factors create an exacerbation of symptoms.”

Every year, a college student mental

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Sorenson said it’s an important part of our nation that young people should remember.

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health assessment is taken by college students across America.

That National College Health Assessment for last spring showed 2.9 % of college students indicated they had attempted suicide within the previous 12 months – higher than the 2.7% of respondents who answered the assessment in fall 2019.

“There is an increase of gun violence, intimate partner violence, sexual assaults, substance use disorders, overdosing, and suicides or attempted suicides within college campuses,” said Carter, “No campus is immune to these concerns.”

At Arizona State University, there have been at least three reported suicides since 2016, but the school itself no longer tracks suicides, so there is little to no evidence that they ever occurred.

A user on the ASU Reddit account named “u/torcherred” posted that every entry related to suicide or suicide

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attempts had seemingly disappeared from the ASU Police Department’s crime logs.

“I looked at the police log tonight to get details on another situation, and any indication of ‘suicide’ has been completely removed,” the post stated. “From what I can tell, they didn’t rename the incidents; they just removed all of them.

“ASU has a serious mental health problem, and instead of dealing with it, they seem to be just sweeping the information away before anyone does anything about it,” the post claimed.

However, about 20 welfare checks were listed on the ASU crime with most occurring in on-campus housing.

ASU sophomore Alissa Firestone, who has bipolar disorder, said that number suggests a mental health problem among students and wondered if the university administration is trying to

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hold that fact back from the students.

“The welfare checks are very interesting, actually,” Firestone said. “Clearly, something is going on in student housing that they are not telling us.”

The question still is, she added, why isn’t ASU tracking its suicide rates?

Nicole Huffman, a junior at ASU who suffers from ADHD and depression, said the reason is simple.

“I think that all universities feel that they have an image of perfection to uphold, and having various suicides among the student body at ASU can lead to a bad image of the school,” she said.

Carter said, “Colleges should not hide or omit rates of student suicidality in efforts to protect the status of the university or college.”

“If colleges spoke more openly about student suicidality,” she said, “more efforts would be gained in creating a solution.”

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ASU building delivers ‘wow’ factor to Mesa

BY SCOTT SHUMAKER SanTan Sun Staff Writer

The City of Mesa and Arizona State University’s $100 million Media and Immersive eXperience Center building in downtown Mesa is nearing the end of its first semester of hosting students in film, media arts and emerging technolo gy after opening in August.

ASU said 700 students currently use the facilities at the MIX Center, and beginning this fall, college students could be seen stepping off light rail or crossing 1st Street between the new building and the Mesa Convention Cen ter parking lot to reach the building.

Nancy Hormann, president of the Downtown Mesa Association, said local property owners are noticing students going to and from the building, but so far there hasn’t been a huge influx of customers to local businesses.

Hormann is expecting more direct impacts as the volume of students us ing the MIX Center increases in coming semesters – one of the big homes and promises by city officials when they ap proved spending more than $60 million to get it built.

“We have seen a small increase in a younger clientele base that’s been coming into our facility here at 12 West Brewing,” Chuck Fowler, manager of Main Street’s 12 West Brewing told the SanTan Sun News.

“We believe that foot traffic busi ness will continue to increase as the students get more settled into the neighborhood and as all the residential projects begin to fill up with tenants,” he added.

The ASU at Mesa City Center project does not include student housing, but there are currently about 900 residen tial units under construction downtown and 400 units have been completed in recent years.

“Our later night life has always seen

slower growth; however with more food and beverage businesses staying open later and as the students begin to take notice, I’m confident we will become a bustling destination spot for them,” Fowler said.

One of the biggest gains for down town so far, Hormann said, has been in changing perceptions of the neighbor hood.

She said the MIX Center has added to the area’s “cool factor” and that her association has received an increasing

number of inquiries from people and businesses interested in moving to downtown.

The city of Mesa spent $64 million on the building’s design and construction, and ASU put another $33 million into the interior and technology.

The university has a 99-year lease with the city for $100,000 per year, and ASU is responsible for all operating costs as well as other conditions.

The full payoff of the MIX Center has yet to be seen, but one thing is clear: the building shows well to visitors, and the millions put into its design and technology have delivered a building with several show-stopping features.

When MIX Director Jake Pinholster was showing the building this month to members of the PHX East Valley Part nership, a coalition of regional leaders who advocate for the East Valley, some one let out an audible “wow” as they entered the MIX Center’s 261-seat Large Screening Theater.

As tour-goers walked through the theater doors, down an aisle and then out into the open theater space, outside noise evaporated and speech became crisp as the walls absorbed sound, thanks to world-class insulation throughout the building, Pinholster said.

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The new ASU MIX Center in Mesa has a huge outdoor movie screen for showing stu dents’ work to the public. (David Minton/Staff Photographer)

The theater’s height takes up two floors, and vertical light bars glowing on the walls emphasize the volume of the 5,000-square-foot theater.

The scale and polish of the theater was unexpected.

The entire building is packed with features that are difficult for the un trained eye to see.

Pinholster pointed out small air vents in the floor of the theater for heating and cooling. HVAC is a critical part of the building, as filmmaking spaces need AC that is effective but silent.

Consequently, the architect’s paid a lot of attention to how air moves through the building, Pinholster said.

The large theater is not fully oper ational yet because the MIX Center is still waiting for digital projection equip ment to arrive, slowed due to supply chain issues, he said.

When the theater is ready to screen films, Pinholster said ASU plans to host movie-showings on the weekends open to the public. Films will include classics, niche documentaries and student work.

But already the MIX Center is hosting public events. Next weekend, on Dec. 2 and 3, the MIX Center will host the Mesa International Film Center in two smaller theaters and classrooms in the building.

The MIX Center is well-suited to events as many elements of the build ing are customizable. Pinholster paused

on the tour to show off a “pocket door” –basically an entire wall – in a class room that can be opened to create a breezeway through the first floor of the buildings.

Pinholster envisions the building as a community asset, which is consistent with ASU’s philosophy of expanding “access” to education, as well as the partnership between the city and ASU.

Anybody can take a class at the MIX Center, Pinholster said, and he said the facility was designed to not be its own school, but serve as a resource for people in a variety of disciplines and programs.

Community members not affiliated with ASU will be able to reserve the professional-quality production spaces when not in use by students.

The facilities include four soundstag es with all the equipment of a profes sional studio, including make up rooms, lighting, cameras and “elephant doors” for moving large sets from on site work shops to the studio.

Pinholster said Mayor John Giles was scheduled to film his state of the city address last week.

Walking onto one of the sound stages felt like being transported to a Holly wood set, as the black walls, robust in

sulation and lighting signaled tour goers were entering a special space focused on making movie magic.

Pinholster boasts that the MIX Center has more resources in one building for creating films, virtual worlds and mixed reality arts than any other school.

“This is quite a place. It blows your mind,” EVP Vice President Mike Hutchinson said after the tour.

Before taking the tour, EVP heard an update from Mesa’s Downtown Devel opment Manager Jeff McVay on rede velopment in the historic city center and how the MIX Center fits into the city’s vision to reinvigorate it.

The theory for bringing ASU to Mesa, McVay explained is that attractive entrepreneurial hubs, or Innovation Districts, need an “anchor institution,” usually either a university or a teaching hospital.

McVay said that ASU’s satellite cam pus in Phoenix helped ignite a revitaliza tion in that city’s downton district, and they are looking for a similar transfor mation in downtown Mesa.

The ASU presence, which includes a col laboration on a business incubator in the old library next to the City Council Cham bers, came together after Mesa voters rejected a plan to tax themselves to put a larger ASU campus downtown in 2016.

Change did not come to downtown overnight when ASU’s scaled down presence launched this fall, but down town business leaders think the MIX Center has helped awaken a sleeping giant.

PRESENTED BY:

PHX East Valley Partnership members were wowed this month by the state-of-the-art theater in the new Arizona State University Media and Immersive eXperience (MIX) Cen ter in downtown Mesa that is the home of the Sidney Poitier New American Film School and part of the Herberger Institute of Design and the Arts. (David Minton/Staff Photographer)

Area high school students dive into artificial intelligence

BY JUSTIN SPANGENTHAL Cr3nkite News

The fear people have of losing their jobs to robots has long been a polariz ing topic in U.S. pop and tech culture, politics and even in some academic cir cles, and it’s growing as AI technology is becoming more prevalent.

AI technology has advanced signifi cantly since its inception in the 1950s. One Arizona company is doing its part to debunk common AI misconceptions by teaching the future generation of AI engineers.

“I think there’s a lot of demystifying we can do about it, like some people call AI a black box, and that’s such a coined term because it’s complex, it’s confusing, and it’s deep in its analytical nature,” said Alec Evans, assistant direc tor of data science for DriveTime, an online used-car dealership and finance company in Tempe.

In October and November, Drive Time partnered with the Mark Cuban Foundation to host Arizona’s first Mark Cuban Foundation AI Boot Camp for high schoolers.

“And I think what we’re doing with the students here is demystifying that and saying, ‘You use it every day, you see it every day, you just don’t know that that’s what it is,’ can really open students’ minds to this new career op portunity,” Evans said.

AI is a blanket term to encompass many innovations like machine learning and natural language processing. How ever, AI still has boundaries, which make it incapable of many tasks that humans routinely perform.

“The biggest problem comes when there is a mismatch between the ca pabilities of the actual technology and the perceptions of society. It’s hard to match them, and that creates all the problems,” said Aviral Shrivastava, pro fessor at the Arizona State University

School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence.

Society already relies on AI tech. From such virtual assistants as Siri, Goo gle and Alexa to applications like Netflix and YouTube that use machine learning algorithms to recommend content specifically tailored to your interests, AI is part of our everyday lives.

However, much of the AI that is em ployed by companies goes unnoticed: in banking apps, email and spam filters, autocorrect tools, personalized ads and even thumbnails for videos watched on YouTube.

Chatbots utilize natural language processing to determine and interpret what the user has asked and then tabu lates the correct response according to the language it already has processed. Autonomous driving has also made strides.

DriveTime has been using AI tools

and analytics to help ease the customer process of buying a used vehicle, and Evans said they’re at the core of what makes the company different from competitors.

“You’ve got people that are looking for a car first, and you’ve got some people looking for a price first,” he said. “What we want to make sure is that our experience can tailor to both of those shopping experiences.”

Students from across the Phoenix metro were selected for the boot camp, a four-week development pro gram that taught them the basics of AI, machine learning, natural language processing and more. Mark Cuban is a billionaire entrepreneur and the owner of the Dallas Mavericks, and his founda tion focuses on providing high school students the opportunity to learn AI and network in the tech space.

The boot camps started in 2019, and this year will reach more than 550 students in 26 U.S. regions – 20 in the Valley – and are hosted by companies that use AI technology. According to the foundation website, the camps allow students to meet employers in the corporate world and connect with adults who have jobs in STEM, AI and machine learning. Students are not required to have coding experience.

Katica Calderon’s father signed the 14-year-old up for the boot camp because of her interest in AI and how it can help others.

“All the knowledge I’ve ever gotten about AI is from my dad,” said Cal deron, who hopes to one day work in the field. “He got me an Alexa, so I started researching how it works and I got really interested in that kind of stuff.”

Building networking skills and helping students understand that professions that employ AI technology offer a via ble career path is what makes the boot camp so important, said DriveTime’s Robyn Jordan, whose title is head of people.

“It’s sort of this new career journey,

and it’s where the future is going,” Jor dan said, noting that companies should embrace the technology, and education about it should start early. “I think as people start to understand what it can do, and not be afraid of it and adopt it, I think you’ll see more folks trying to figure out how to use it better.”

Human employees can handle mul tiple tasks at once and critically think about what they’re doing and why. Although machines can’t think, they can complete mundane, single-minded tasks faster and more efficiently than humans.

“Even when humans do (low-stakes tasks), they are not very perfect at it,” Shrivastava said. “So they also make mistakes, and AI can do a decent enough job, and, in fact, it can do a much better job because it can look at all the parameters systematically and can look at a much larger amount of data than humans would ever have the patience to look at.”

Aside from human error and fatigue, another crucial distinction between machine learning algorithms and humans is that humans are biased and machines are not. Algorithms do not form trends or deduce wrongdoings in data, they simply compute.

“The way the (machine learning) algorithms are designed, they are only reflecting what the data is telling them. So if your data is biased, then your pre dictions are biased,” Shrivastava said.

“Because the algorithms are so effec tive, we have started using them in plac es where fairness is an issue. Before this, the standards of algorithms was never an issue – why? Because they were nev er used in these situations.”

If a company uses an algorithm to de termine how much employees should be compensated, the algorithm will rely on previous compensation data, Shri vastava explained. But if the employer has not paid fair wages to a certain employee or group, the AI will continue the negative trend of compensation, appearing to reaffirm the human bias.

Earlier this year, the Forbes Tech nology Council, an organization of tech executives, compiled a list of 15 jobs and tasks that they expect will be automated within a decade – including data coordination, accounting, driving, simple customer service, sales and marketing – jobs that all have elements at risk.

Although an algorithm may relieve one person’s job of performing a routine task, that algorithm required at least one person to create and shape it. The assimilation and expansion of AI tech does not mean that jobs will be eliminated, but they could be repur posed into better-paying tech jobs.

Evans shared a story of his grand mother telling him she would never want a robot to drive her vehicle.

“But, Grandma, what if you knew that the robot was getting taught to drive by people like me? I’m the one who’s work ing on those algorithms and teaching it what to do and what not to do.”

Alec Evans, assistant director of data science for DriveTime, guides Miguel Fernandez, 16, left and Zyron Hilsee, 16, as they work to create a chatbot through Microsoft Azure during the Mark Cuban Foundation AI Boot Camp at the DriveTime corporate office in Tempe in this Oct. 22 photo. (Justin Spangenthal/Cronkite News)

Katica Calderon, 14, left, and program mentor Matt Abrigo, a senior data analyst for Driv eTime, troubleshoot an issue on Microsoft Azure in the Mark Cuban Foundation AI Boot Camp. (Justin Spangenthal/Cronkite News)

Deadly EV shootout brings 36 years to human trafficker

BY PAUL MARYNIAK Executive Editor

By all accounts, neighbors in the area of 48th and Kiowa streets in Ahwatukee thought they were suddenly thrown into a war zone April 11, 2019, amid the cacophony of automatic gunfire, squealing tires and a car slamming into a brick wall shattered the mid-morning relative mid-morning quiet.

“I was thinking that maybe the whole neighborhood could blow up,” one neighbor told a local radio station. A court case followed that con frontation between human traffick ers and four agents of the Homeland Security Investigations, a division of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Recently, that case came to an end when a career criminal from the To hono O’odham Reservation near Sells was sentenced to a federal prison term that won’t end until he is in his mid-70s. The defendant, Warren Evan Jose, is 38.

Complicated by the number of bul lets fired by the agents’ guns and Jose’s AK-47 assault pistol, the investigation evolved into a complex court case in volving experts in digital recording and vehicle collision analysis.

But Jose abruptly brought that to an end by pleading guilty to six criminal counts of firearms violations, firing at federal officers and “conspiracy to transport illegal aliens for profit with

endangerment during which death resulted.”

His plea then triggered another battle between his lawyers and federal prosecutors that essentially involved close to two extra decades behind bars that could be added to the minimum 25 years Jose expected to serve.

His lawyers won a pyrrhic victory.

The judge split the difference be tween the two parties by sentencing Jose to 36 years behind bars. His code fendant, Valentina Valenzuela, got four years, Their driver, 29-year-old Theresa Me

dina-Thomas, never made it to court.

She was shot through the eye and sustained other wounds in the hail of bullets federal agents fired as they exchanged gunfire with Jose, who had leaped out of the front passen ger seat after she collided with one agent’s vehicle.

Prior to his guilty plea, Jose’s lawyers sought to show that the agents had triggered the deadly confrontation by sideswiping the Trailblazer and firing first.

Accident analysts for the defense and prosecution disagreed on the origin of

the five-vehicle crash that forced an agent’s truck into a wall on 48th Street.

Digital recording analysts hired by the defense said it appeared agents shot at least four times before Jose opened fire on them, although the prosecution dis missed the analysis of a Ring recording and noted Jose was too stoned to even remember who fired first.

Those disputes didn’t matter much anyway.

Jose admitted that he, Valenzuela and Medina-Thomas were transporting two

Police put yellow signs near each bullet casing at the April 11, 2019, shootout scene in Ahwatukee as they examined what went wrong. (Cronkite News)

Warren Evan Jose is serving 36 ½ years in prison after pleading guilty to a host of charges. (File photo)

undocumented migrants to Phoenix for payment by someone never identifi ed in court records.

As the trio drove along I-10 toward their destination, they were drinking and smoking methamphetamine.

HSI agents already were tailing them because they had planned to arrest Jose on human traffi cking charges related to an incident in Sells where he had held an undocumented migrant captive at knifepoint in a house and demanded money for his release.

They activated their lights and sirens and the chase was on, ending in Ahwatukee.

“Jose admitted that he knew they were law enforcement agents when he fi red at them,” the Justice Department said in a release, noting his bullets struck one agent in the shoulder and “the shots fi red by Jose grazed one HSI agent on the head and hit him on the shoulder. Jose barely missed hitting a second HSI agent in the head.”

After his sentencing, Scott Brown, special agent in charge for HSI Phoenix, said, “This lengthy sentence serves as a testament to HSI’s commitment, alongside our law enforcement partners, to bring justice to a man for his vile attempt to kill the federal agents who were attempting to thwart his illegal activity – illegal activity that caused the death of another person.”

“The men and women of HSI will not be deterred in their pursuit of those that use violence to further their human smuggling schemes,” he said. “This sentence means the defendant will spend nearly the rest of his life in prison for his actions. We can rest assured that he will not present a threat to law enforcement, or the public, ever again.”

U.S. States Attorney Gary Restaino added, “Alien smuggling is a dangerous business under any circumstances. It’s much more so here, where the defendant possessed an assault weapon during the smuggling crime, and used it against law enforcement agents.”

Their statements were buttressed by

what prosecutors told the judge in a pre-sentence memo.

“The defendant is a dangerous, violent individual who preys upon undocumented individuals just to make money,” they told the judge, adding his actions led to Medina-Thomas’ death “and resulted in a quiet residential neighborhood feeling scared as multiple residents called 911 to report shots being fi red.”

They noted that since he turned 21 in 2012, Jose had been convicted in 11 different state and tribal criminal cases

for crimes that included domestic violence, extreme DUI, drug possession and resisting arrest.

In the resisting arrest case, the complaint indicates the defendant fled from law enforcement in a high-speed chase.

At the time of the shoot-out, agents had been searching for Jose on charges that he had held an undocumented migrant at knifepoint in Sells and demanded an unstated amount of money for his release.

Jose also was wanted by the Mar-

icopa County Attorney’s Offi ce in a similar case from 2018, when he held an undocumented migrant at gunpoint in a Tempe hotel and demanded $15,000.

Prosecutors noted that Jose on the day on the shootout had texted an acquaintance that said, “murder on my mind.”

Jose’s lawyers painted a radically different portrait of their client, who they said had written a letter to the judge that showed “his profound remorse for his actions and his profound sorrow for the pain and suffering the victims experienced.”

They said he had been born in a tiny reservation village called Nolic, where “poverty, addiction, violence, lack of access to health care, and lack of education and employment opportunities, and other adversities, have overwhelmed this community for generations and continue to this day.

“These and many other hardships dominated Mr. Jose’s formative years and continued into adulthood,” they wrote, citing a family history of substance abuse, incest and drug and human smuggling.

They said he was guarding stash houses with a gun at age 9, frequently fought physically with his father and had his face nearly torn off by bulls.

“He was fi rst exposed to drug and human smuggling when he was in fourth grade, before his brain would have been able to adequately reason about the pros and cons of participating in such activity,” his lawyers said, adding he was a high school dropout who was 15 when he fathered the fi rst of seven children..

Writing that Jose “suffers flashbacks and nightmares of the trauma he has endured,” the defense lawyers told the judge:

“Since this incident, Mr. Jose has demonstrated repentance; reflecting on his past and the choices he made which led to this horrible incident, and is committed to change. He is a man of hope and faith. He, like the rest of us, is a work in progress; he is working to understand and change the way he thinks, he is working to fi nd peace and he is working to make a positive difference in the lives of others.”

Theresa Medina Thomas, 27, was driving this bullet-riddled vehicle when Homeland Security agents opened fi re during a chase in Ahwatukee on April 11, 2019. She was killed in the gun battle after sustaining multiple gunshot wounds from the agents’ fi re, federal prosecutors said. (Cronkite News)

Phoenix Rising relocating stadium from Wild Horse

Phoenix City Council last week unanimously approved a lease of about 10 acres at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport land to Phoenix Rising FC for construction of a temporary stadium.

The team gave no reason why it is leaving the stadium it built just within the last 18 months on Gila River Indian Community land near Wild Horse Pass Resort and Casino.

The facility will be located at 3801 E. Washington St., Phoenix, next to Phoenix Park ‘n Swap and across from a Valley Metro light rail stop at 38th Street/GateWay Community College.

“This move will allow us to immediately upgrade our gameday fan experience, which has always been our top priority,” said Phoenix Rising FC Governor Bill Kraus. “Accessibility to the site is excellent and there will be opportunities to create partnerships with the small businesses at Phoenix Park ‘n Swap.”

The lease calls for the team to pay $300,000 in rent the fi rst year and total rent over the five-year agreement will be $1.5 million, according to city documents.

The team will “construct a temporary soccer stadium and associated facilities that may include concession

stands, a portable sports book, and a practice facility,” those documents state.

“The capacity, look and feel of the club’s current stadium at Wild Horse Pass will be transferred to the new, more centrally located site in Phoenix during the offseason,” the team said in an announcement. “Rising intends to host its 2023 home opener and season at the new site beginning in March 2023.”

Kraus said the team hopes “to continue working with them to allow thousands of children and visiting professional soccer teams to use the beautiful soccer fi elds we developed together at Wild Horse Pass.”

The team moved to the Gila River Inidan Community to improve the fan experience over that of its facility at Casino Arizona site at McClintock Drive and Red Mountain Loop 202 Freeway.

When it announced the move two years ago, it said the new location would increase seating capacity, enable construction on luxury suites and add additional training facilities.

City Councilman Sal DiCiccio praised Councilman Carlos Garcia and Mayor Kate Gallego for their work on the arrangement.

Garcia said Phoenix Rising’s presence in Phoenix will “bring economic value to the city” as well as his district.

Rosemary Geary, MD • Julie Silver, PA-C

Ryan Falsey, MD, PhD • Yuliya Schoenling, PA-C

Michelle Jeffries, DO • Sara Pickett, PA-C

Tamara Casillas, FNP-C

Cassandra Shore, PA-C

Ruth Irealnd, FNP-C

Wendy Ridenour, PA-C

SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

Phoenix Rising FC opened their soccer complex at Wild Horse Pass in 2021 but have now decided to move to Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport land. (Special to SanTan Sun News)

Data company buys Chandler building for $115M

SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

A Texas data center company has shelled out $115 million for a nearly half-million-square-foot office build ing in the Continuum business park in Chandler

Aligned Adaptive Data Centers bought the 456,122-square-foot building at 2501 S. Price Road near Dobson Road as part of an effort to expand its Phoe nix Metro footprint with two “mega campuses.”

Valley real estate tracker vizzda. com reported that 27-year-old building sites on 26 acres and that the sale also includes an 11,085-square-foot storage warehouse built in 1975 and another 17acre parking lot.

The sale price represented a per-squarefoot price of $252 and that no debt was recorded with the purchase from South

west Value Partners, vizzda said.

Southwest Value Partners is a real es tate development firm co-founded by Robert Sarver, the controversial owner of the Phoenix Suns basketball team.

Sarver’s firm owns the 152-acre Con tinuum, which was a Motorola research site that was sold in 2009 to an Austin, Texas real estate investment firm that began transforming the property into a technology park with the backing of Chandler development officials, who felt it was not being used to its full potential.

The city also in the early years of this century offered incentives to compa nies that wanted to build on the site and spent $10 million on infrastructure improvements that included new roads, water and sewer systems, landscaping and water features.

Sarver’s firm bought Continuum in February 2014 for $51.8 million.

Marketing materials supplied by vizz da show that Continuum is broken into nine other parcels besides the one pur chased by Aligned. Those ranged in size from 3.8 to 34 acres with office build ings ranging between 20,000 square feet to 300,000 square feet, according to marketing materials.

The park is served by four cable com panies and can tap into more than 100 million gallons of water provided annu ally by the city and Salt River Project, according to the marketing materials.

Aligned in a news release on its website did not name the Chandler or the other Valley site in announcing its expansion, which it said “will provide customers with essential capacity and scalability in one of the nation’s fast est-growing data center markets.”

Asked why the sites were not named, an Aligned spokeswoman said, “If the information is not disclosed it is confi dential.”

“Aligned is focused on meeting the

Tutor Doctor here helps students of all ages

BY COTY DOLORES MIRANDA SanTan Sun Contributor

Need or want help with a difficult subject, whether in elementary school, middle school, high school, universi ty and college courses, or even as an adult?

Tutor Doctor is ready to help.

Former Ahwatukee resident Kimberly Selchan is the owner/education consul tant of two Tutor Doctor franchises in Chandler-Gilbert and Phoenix-Scottsdale.

Ahwatukee resident Charmé Smith, who retired after more than three decades teaching elementary through college level, is the other Tutor Doctor education consultant locally.

Selchan, who moved to Gilbert in 2019 when she opened the Chan dler-Gilbert franchise, is passionate about the possibilities Tutor Doctor offers local families and adults utilizing uniquely-vetted tutors for each individ ual student.

She explained that Tutor Doctor of fers a unique focus on each prospective student, not merely on the subject in which they need tutoring.

“Where some tutoring providers tend to focus on a single subject, at Tutor

Doctor we believe in a multi-tiered ap proach toward a student’s educational journey,” explained Selchan, who comes from a corporate leadership and staff

development background.

“We believe executive functioning skills such as time management and organization are just as important as

core academics.”

Remarks from parents, posted on social media, agree.

Commenters praise how Tutor Doc tor helped improve their child’s study habits, test-taking skills and confidence as well as making strides in the subject at hand.

“It is our mission to help kids transi tion to become successful adults,” em phasized Selchan, the mother of a son and daughter, 13 and 12, respectively.

“Over the past five years I’ve heard the guilt and concern in many parents’ voices when we speak about their kids’ reduced confidence and academic chal lenges,” she said.

“I think it’s really valuable to under stand that even the brightest and most caring parent isn’t always available or equipped to help their children with ac ademics, and many kids simply respond better to a neutral party.”

“Our tutor only has the student’s best interest at heart - no grades, no grounding; and we see even high-anx iety and unmotivated kids drop their insecurities because they know they’re

Tutor Doctor Kianna Vasavilbaso gives Ahwatukee fifth grader Axel Lodge a little help with his studies and the youngster’s mother is ecstatic about her skills. Tutors with Tutor Doctor meet students in their home, at a public space like Ironwood Library or even online. (Amy Sexton/AFN Contributor)

The Continuum business park totals 152 acres and was the old Motorola campus in Chan dler. (SanTan Sun News)

A Texas data center company bought this 456,122-square-foot office building in Chandler for $115 million. (Special to SanTan Sun News)

East Valley now has state’s only e-commerce warehouse

SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

The East Valley is home to the only warehouse in Arizona that current serves e-commerce sellers by providing flex warehouse space on a month-tomonth basis.

Portal Warehousing’s 36,000-squarefoot facility at 2636 S. Wilson St., Tempe, has 36 units ranging in from 50 square feet to 1,500 square feet to accommodate a variety of business owners.

“Portal Warehousing is the perfect solution for e-commerce merchants and businesses with physical goods that are growing out of their starter space,” said company co-founder and CEO Alex Morrison. “We are excited to build a community that brings together like-minded entrepreneurs in a space that fosters problem-solving and busi

CONTINUUM

from page 30

capacity demands of our customers to day, while constantly innovating across every aspect of our business to ensure their future data center requirements will be met long term,” said Aligned CEO Andrew Schaap.

“Our expansion in greater Phoenix is an example of Aligned’s power-first ap

TUTOR

from page 30

safe to try without judgment.

“When new tutors join our team, I tell them directly that they are mentors and advocates for their students, not just a subject tutor,” said Selchan, who graduated from Ohio State University with a BS degree in microbiology before entering the corporate world.

Tudor Doctor, with more than 700 franchises in 16 countries, emphasizes the personalized approach to learning. Selchan’s two franchises focus on ensur ing the student and tutor match not only in the subject they’ve selected, but taking into consideration a plethora of other interests and attributes they may share.

As an educational consultant, Smith believes the time invested to get to know the student in advance of select ing a tutor presages greater success for them both.

“In addition to the academic needs, we really try to match the students with tutors that will be a good fit in other areas, too. Just as there are different types of students, there are different types of tutors,” Smith said.

“From those students that would benefit from a very nurturing tutor due to their personality or life circumstanc es, to those needing a more hands-on approach to learning, to students needing lots of structure and help with organization or other executive func tioning skills, our tutors provide what they need,” explained Smith, who holds a masters in education from Ohio’s Xavier University.

ness growth.”

The company also promises a “high-quality warehousing experience for small companies with integrated

proach to asset procurement as well as strategic investments across our design and construction, supply chain and ven dor managed inventory program, and team to deliver capacity at maximum speed and scale.”

The company also has operations in Chicago, Dallas, Maryland, northern Virginia and Salt Lake City.

In announcing its Arizona expansion, Aligned said, “In addition to extensive

“We make sure our tutors have the skill set, of course, but also the ability to relate well to the student population they’d be working with,” she said.

“Connecting with the student is key for a positive experience and sets the stage for maximizing learning, and fortu nately, we have over 70 tutors in the val ley for all grades and most every subject, including SAT/ACT/GED Test prep.”

Ahwatukee resident Kaleigh Lodge has found Tutor Doctor helpful for her 10-year-old son Axel Lodge, a fifthgrade student at St. John Bosco Catho lic School who has an autism diagnosis.

“His teachers have done a great job adapting his education, but suggested we get him a tutor to give him a little extra help outside of school,” she said.

I’m a big researcher and Tutor Doctor seemed like a good fit for him. I reached out to them and Kimber ly made the whole process so easy. Within a week or so, she went through our son’s needs and matched us with Kianna,” she said speaking of Kianna Vasavilbaso.

“Kianna has been an amazing tutor. When she helps him with homework, she comes up with multiple strategies in order to help him process what is being asked and expected of him. Our main goal is reading comprehension, and she doesn’t just have him read the words, she breaks down each word he’s reading and their meaning.”

Lodge said Axel was more confident asking for help since he started the tutoring; a twice-a-week, one hour to 90 minute session.

“We like the flexibility of having longer

logistics services like daily pickups, ship ping and receiving and discounted rates.

“Each business owner will have their own warehouse space (small, medium,

fiber access and a diverse energy mix, the Phoenix market is also a viable alternative to California as a Western data center location due to its rela tively inexpensive power cost and low disaster risk.

“Aligned Phoenix customers can also take advantage of its 20-year sales tax exemption on data center equipment.”

Aligned bills itself as “a leading tech nology infrastructure company offering

sessions if he’s feeling more engaged, or ending at one hour if he is feeling burnt out from all the other activities he has going on that day,” she said.

“Axel also plays hockey at the Ice Den Chandler(cq) and takes piano lessons at Music Makers. Tutor Doctor has been great in working with our busy sched ule,” Lodge continued, adding:

“I can’t recommend Tutor Doctor enough, especially to those parents who have children with special needs because I know how hard it is to find someone with the skills set to help your child. They do a great job at helping children learn with their unique needs.”

DanYelle Sedlak of Ahwatukee said her high school-aged daughter has im proved in math with her Tutor Doctor.

“We first contacted Tutor Doctor approximately a year ago when we no ticed she was struggling in high school math,” she said.

“To be honest, I was a little skeptical to hire an in-home tutor at first,” Sedlak continued. “However, I was pleasantly surprised to realize that Tutor Doctor goes to great lengths to align you with the best help possible for your child.

“Kimberly Selchan spent so much time on the phone with me in order to understand my child’s personality and her weaknesses. It seemed important to her to match my daughter with the perfect tutor.

“When one tutor didn’t work out, they tried very hard to look for the right one. That’s when we found Alexis Alonso. She has been so helpful, pa tient, and encouraging with my daugh ter. My daughter no longer complains

large or extra-large) where they can house and ship out products with ease. The warehouse is 100% air-conditioned to create a comfortable environment year-round,” it said.

The company has four locations out side Arizona and only started operating in July with its first facility in Salt Lake City.

Users must secure a membership that entitles them to high-speed internet, reception services, community events, shared common spaces for socializing and networking, direct-to-consumer essentials such as dock high and grade level doors, enterprise-level equipment, shipping and receiving and conference spaces.

A community manager is on-site from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily but members can request 24/7 access.

Information: portal.com

innovative, sustainable, and adaptive scale data centers and build-to-scale solutions for global hyperscale and enterprise customers.”

“By reducing the energy, water and space needed to operate, our data center solutions, combined with our patented cooling technology, offer businesses a competitive advantage by improving sustainability, reliability, and their bottom line,” Aligned says.

when it’s time to do her homework. This has been a great investment for many reasons.”

Selchan said time spent helping parents and their children is a calling she feels deeply, and is empathetic to their needs.

“When our children struggle in school, it can be heartbreaking to watch,” she said. “Academic struggles can cause a downward spiral to a lack of confidence, then loss of motivation and apathy.”

She said over a quarter of Tutor Doc tor’s students have a 504 plan (formal plans schools develop to give kids with disabilities the support they need) or Individual Education Plan (iep).

Those students “struggle to learn at the pace and in the methodologies of the classroom,” Selchan said.

Whenever possible, Tutor Doctor works with the child’s school.

“We always attempt to collaborate with the teacher or leverage online school technology to align our instruc tion with the standards and curriculum of the school,” said Selchan. “Rather than guessing how a child learns, they offer a cognitive assessment to create custom ized learning plans for our students.”

Selchan has partnered with Arizona Friends of Foster and other foster agen cies to fulfill the mission of transition ing youth to adulthood. Approximately one third of Tutor Doctor regions’ students are in foster care.

Homeschool tutoring, ASVAB and GED preparation are also available, as is Summer Learning.

For more information see TutorDoc tor.comChandler/Gilbert .

Portal Warehousing opened Arizona’s first warehouse in Arizona for e-commerce retail ers. (Courtesy Portal Warehousing)

BY PAUL MARYNIAK Executive Editor

A major player in the Valley’s network of independent-assisted living communities has pulled out of that industry to focus solely on traditional multifamily complexes.

Liv Communities sold four Liv Generations senior complexes in Ahwatukee, Gilbert, Phoenix and Scottsdale to Clearwater Living of Newport Beach, California, in a $255 million transaction earlier this month, according to Valley real estate tracker vizzda.com.

There was no announcement of the sale or Clearwater’s entry into the Valley’s senior care/living community scene. Calls to Clearwater were not returned.

Scott Brooks, CEO of Liv Communities, said his company “continues to advance its mission of helping people live fuller lives by providing hospitality-focused residential communities for people of varying ages and stages of life.

“As we exit the traditional senior living space, in addition to continuing to grow our conventional Liv multifamily portfolio of communities, we are enthusiastic about exploring a new offering, Liv+, focused on active 55+ adults,” he said in a prepared statement after this newspaper inquired about the deal.

“As for our LivGenerations portfolio, we are excited about Clearwater

Living taking over as stewards for those outstanding communities and residents,” Brooks continued. “We believe Clearwater holds the same commitment to creating a vibrant and high-quality place to live and work and will help those communities flourish for years to come.”

The four properties have been rebranded as Clearwater facilities.

The properties involved in the transaction included, according to vizzda data:

• A 141-unit complex comprising two buildings built in 2016 on 7 acres on S. 50th Street near Chandler Boulevard, Ahwatukee.

• A 122-unit, two-building complex built in 2013 on 5 acres in Gilbert’s Agritopia community.

• A four-building, 181-unit complex on 14 acres that opened last year at Scottsdale Road and the Loop 101.

• A single building with 110 units built four years ago on four acres at Scottsdale and Pinnacle Peak roads.

A source said Liv Communities felt that its senior communities – which offer a range of living options from independent to assisted living to memory care – would be better served if they were under the umbrella of a larger provider that had more negotiating power for supplies and services.

Liv does have a traditional apartment complex adjacent to its former senior living complex in Ahwatukee and at one time boasted that it was designed so that younger tenants and residents of

its other facility could mingle.

Clearwater Senior Living offers the same senior living options, including short-term stays, and has six complexes in California and one in Nevada in addition to its newly acquired Valley sites, according to the company’s website. It also is in the process of building a seventh facility in California.

The company has said it is expanding its footprint in the west and partnered in 2017 with The Wolff Company to run its 18 senior living complexes across seven western states.

Clearwater CEO Tony Ferro on his website states the company is committed to “providing high-quality retirement living and exceptional services for seniors and their families.”

Clearwater Agritopia had been branded as Liv Agritopia until it and three other Liv senior facilities were sold to Clearwater Senior Living earlier this month. (Facebook)

Chandler woman creates multipurpose gift bags

Just because ‘tis the season doesn’t mean people should ignore the accumulation of wasted paper that usually comes with gift-giving.

With this in mind, Roopa Srinivas of Chandler has started a business making reusable gift bags out of old fabric that also can be folded into colorful decorations.

“We want to save paper and not use plastic decorations which will go to waste, so we have designed these bags,” Srivinas explained.

Made in India, the multipurpose bags also can be used as backpacks, handbags and/or for gift-giving. “They also can fold into a small size for easy carrying in a purse,” she added.

The bags come in only one size –17”x10”x5”– in red, gold and multicolors. They also are reversible, increasing its use with garments of different colors.

Srivinas said she created their design after “seeing all the gift bags that were trashed after my twins’ birthday party.”

Costing $9, the bags can be purchased on Etsy and eBay by shopping under “GurlzBiz” or “multipurpose reusable fabric gift bags.”

Shipping in the U.S. is free and orders are processed in one or two days, Srivinas said.

Information: roopasri9@gmail.com.

SANTAN

Roopa Srinivas of Chandler, right, and Sonal Joshi show how gift bags Srinivas designed can be repurposed as handbags. (Special to SanTan Sun News)

Hamilton names tennis complex after Phil Gonzales

BY ZACH ALVIRA Sports Editor

Phil Gonzales’ motto he lived by as a teach er was simple: Respect everyone, try to help others and no matter what, have fun doing what you do.

Those were the three characteristics he planned to have when he first decided he wanted to become an educator while in high school. His own teachers and coaches made an impact on him, and he wanted to do the same.

Now 35 years later, his teaching and coaching career has come to an end. He retired from Hamilton last year, just a few months after he was inducted into the Chandler Sports Hall of Fame. But his impact will always re main in Chandler and at Hamilton, and his legacy will forever be embedded on the school in the form of the Phil Gonzales Tennis Complex.

“I felt grateful, I felt very thankful and just humbled by the whole experience,”

Gonzales said. “I’m grateful for Ham ilton high school and the family I have here in CUSD. It’s a fantastic district to work for.”

The official resolution to rename Hamilton’s tennis complex after the school’s first-ever coach was brought to the district governing board in June by Superintendent Frank Narducci.

It was passed with a unanimous vote.

On Wednesday, Nov. 23, the renamed complex was officially unveiled in front

of a near standing room only crowd outside Hamilton High School.

Former players, colleagues, family and friends gathered at the tennis courts to honor Gonzales, who said he felt hon ored to have so many in attendance. Hamilton Athletic Director Brett Palmer spoke highly of Gonzales. Principal Mike De La Torre, first-ever Principal Fred DePrez — who hired Gonzales 22 years ago, Narducci and District Athletic Di rector Shawn Rustad all echoed similar sentiments about Gonzales.

He was more than just a longtime Hamilton coach. He made tennis one of the most elite programs on cam pus and treated his players the same way the powerhouse football team is. To him, they were stars. And they took on that same identity with the rest of the student body because of Gonzales.

“What a great person for kids coming to Hamilton High School,” De La Torre said. “In the classroom he is a dynam ic teacher that is focused on positive relationships with students. On the court he’s committed to the process of supporting students as they take their journey into athletic competition.

“No doubt I know those students’ success are part of what he does to support them.”

Under Gonzales, the Hamilton boys won nine region titles, including in their first season in 1999, a monumental feat. They made the semifinals six times and the finals twice, falling to Brophy in 2017 and 2019 5-3.

Gonzales also coached several high-level tennis players during his time, sending many off to play at the next level. But even with all of the accolades on the court, some of his best memo ries came off it.

Gonzales would frequently treat his players to dinner after matches. Win or lose, players could always count on him

to treat them to meals that he believes they deserved.

“The biggest thing I always remem ber was taking these kids to dinner after the match,” Gonzales said.

“Listening to them talk and rehash the match. It was those times I got to have a meal with them and to talk to them and relate to them. That was one of my goals, to make them feel welcome and a part of a big family. I enjoy those memories.”

Just like other sports around campus, he expected the most out of them. He pushed them five, sometimes six, days a week to be the best.

He didn’t put them through countless hitting drills that stressed mechanics. He played games with them. He came up with fun drills that made them enjoy tennis. He said the mechanics came naturally with those fun drills.

Gonzales shared that he has been battling health issues the last year, which was one of the reasons he de cided to step away from coaching and teaching.

While he declined to go into specifics, he said his health has improved.

He said he aims to return to coach ing in some fashion. He knows he has a chance to do that at Hamilton with Justin Artis — a former player and cur rent head junior varsity football coach — taking over. Having that opportunity is special for Gonzales. It’s one of the many ways Hamilton has treated him with immense respect over the course of his career.

He wanted to build the tennis pro gram into something special. He takes pride in knowing he did that.

“I wanted this program to stand out like football and basketball and re spected around the state,” Gonzales said. “Here in south Chandler, you have something you can rely on that is going to be a good program.”

Retired tennis head coach Phil Gonzales at a ceremony as Hamilton High School names their tennis facilities after him, Wednesday, November 23, 2022, at Phil Gonzales Tennis Complex in Chandler, Arizona. (David Minton/Staff Photographer)

Retired tennis head coach Phil Gonzales at a ceremony as Hamilton High School names their tennis facilities after him, Wednesday, November 23, 2022, at Phil Gonzales Tennis Complex in Chandler, Arizona. (David Minton/Staff Photographer)

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Jacobson Elementary rocketeers back in action

BY KEN SAIN Managing Editor

Jacobson Elementary School was able to shoot off hundreds of rock ets just before the world was mostly shut down by the pandemic in March 2020.

The skies above the school have been mostly rocket-free since then as the school’s Space Explorers program was suspended.

That won’t be the case this spring. About 400 rockets will be blasting off to mark the return of Explorers.

“I started talking to Kira (Nunemak er) … and Nathan (Perry), who run this program,” said Liz Wolf, the principal at Jacobson. “I said, ‘I don’t want to let this go. This has a huge impact for our community.’”

For one school day each month, about 400 Jacobson students give up their play time during lunch to attend a Space Explorers meeting. The school has classes for each grade, with two volunteer parents teaching them about space.

The older classes get to learn from experts – volunteer engineers from Northop Grumman.

Eventually, after they learn the basics, each student in the program will get a

rocket. They assemble it (with supervi sion) and get to name it. The older the student is, the bigger the rocket they get.

Then, with expert supervision, they get to launch their rockets to celebrate

the end of the year for the program.

“We worked with volunteers at the end of last year, and now this club has 400 kids again, and is stronger than ever, which is such a testimony to a good community school with a sup

portive community and wonderful volunteers,” Wolf said.

Nunemaker coordinates the parent volunteers. She’s a former teacher and also teaches some of the classes. Perry coordinates the Northrop Grumman volunteers, usually getting more than a dozen engineers to agree to come and teach a class.

The first meeting was in October and focused on gravity. In November, first graders got to experience what it’s like to work in space. They had to put on some garden gloves and then some latex gloves over that. They were then instructed to try and pick up some tiny beads.

They also were able to put on a space helmet, then made their own helmets out of paper plates.

“It’s an amazing program,” Nunemak er said. “It’s a lot of work we’re working through. It has been dormant for years. So we’re trying to figure out what works with time during the kids’ lunch, how do you adjust the lesson to them eating and being able to watch and then also being able to take something home and do.”

Wolf said the program is popular,

Chandler novelist busy on a number of fronts

SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

Chandler artist, singer and novelist Laurie Fagen has been busy on several fronts these days.

She’s just completed an audiobook, is prepping for a singing engagement to help a nonprofit and is busy making plans for a new weekly podcast that will debut next month.

Fagen, who lives in Fox Crossing, has just completed a third audiobook of the latest of her three crime fiction mystery novels in her “Behind the Mic” series.

“Bleeder,” which she wrote and narrates, is available on Amazon and Audible as well as a variety of other sites where audiobooks are sold.

It’s the continuing story of young radio reporter Lisa Powers, who covers the crime beat for her Chandler radio station; helps police solve cold cases; and who writes campy murder mystery podcasts in her spare time.

“The ‘podcast’ story in this book is called ‘Art of the Steal,’ about a dead gallery owner, a missing painting and plenty of suspects,” explained Fagen. “I brought five actors, including the co medic genius Dave Specht of Chandler, into my home studio this summer to record their voices for the audiobook.

“We had such a great time, and I think

Dave voiced eight different characters,” Other actors included Ann Videan of Mesa, Andrea Beaulieu of Phoenix and Leroy Timblin and Tess Jenkins from Glendale.

The print books are also available at d’Vine Gourmet in Chandler as well as Changing Hands in Tempe.

Fagen, a long-time jazz singer, will also perform holiday songs at the “Living Legends of Broadcasting Holiday Concert,” a fundraiser for the nonprofit House of Broadcasting, Inc.

It will be held at 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 9 at Central Methodist United Church, 1875 North Central Ave. in Phoenix. Fa gen will take the stage with Mike Cham berlin, Alice Tatum, Rita Davenport, Jan D’Atri, Pat McMahon, Buddy Owens, David Miller and Dave Munsey.

Tickets are $15 for adults, and chil dren under 12 are free. For tickets and further information contact Mary Mor rison at 602-944-1997or email pschu@q. com. For more details, visit www. houseofbroadcasting.com.

“Murder in the Air Mystery Theatre” is the name of the weekly podcast Fagen is launching in January 2023. It will feature readings of short stories by mystery, suspense and thriller authors as well as episodes from the “podcast” portion of Fagen’s first two audiobooks,

“Fade Out” and “Dead Air.”

The podcast will be available wherever podcasts are heard, in cluding Spotify, Amazon Music and others.

“Since I published my first book in 2016 with a ‘podcast’ story in it, most people thought I had a real podcast,” Fagen said. “But it only lived in my protagonist’s story, until now. I’m excited to be launching an actual podcast.”

She is working with her audio video content creator son, Devon Hancock, son of the late Geoff Han cock, former publisher of SanTan Sun News.

Devon is editing, mixing and mas tering both her audiobooks and the upcoming podcast.

“It’s such a joy to work with my very talented son, who also com posed original music for the podcast and the audiobooks,” Fagen said.

Fagen also is available to speak in person or via Zoom to book clubs, service organizations, critique groups or whomever wants to hear about her writing journey.

Topics include about writing mysteries, making the transition from journalist to novelist, writing strong female characters among other topics.

Email her at Laurie@ReadLaurieFagen. com for her availability.

Information: ReadLaurieFagen.com.

First-grade students Michael Hakim, left, and Henry Amparano try to pick up beads with their hands in gloves, similar to how astronauts must work on board the International Space Station. They are part of the Space Explorers program at Jacobson Elementary School. (Ken Sain/Arizonan Managing Editor)

Laurie Fagen of Chandler has made an audio book of her latest mystery novel and planning a weekly podcast series starting in January. (Special to SanTan Sun News)

St. John Bosco gets high marks from evaluators

BY PAUL MARYNIAK Executive Editor

When the state Legislature earlier this year expanded Empowerment Scholar ship Accounts, parents and staff at St. John Bosco Catholic School had reason to celebrate.

Almost half the households that send a total 350 children to the Ahwatukee Pre-K-8 school applied for the so-called private school vouchers, easing their cost of tuition that can run as high as $6,523 for one Catholic student and $9,086 for a non-Catholic child.

“I would definitely invite any family who has wanted to send their child to a Catholic school but wasn’t sure how they were going to afford it, that now is definitely the time because ESA is help ing so many of our current families,” Principal Jamie Bescak said. “Almost half or more now have enrolled to the ESA program.”

But while ESAs have been a help, two things suggest they are not the rea son parents send their kids to St. John Bosco.

For one thing, Bescak said, there are other ways families can find help.

“The ESA has helped us but we also have always helped parents afford a Catholic education because we utilize school tuition organizations (STOs),” she said. “Even if parents are worried that ESA doesn’t stay around …we never know what’s going to happen... STOs aren’t going anywhere.”

Echoing her boss – St. Benedict’s Church Parochial Administrator Father James Aboyi, V.C – Bescak said, “Father James and I never want any family to hesitate enrolling their child into St. John Bosco because we will help them make Catholic education affordable, no matter what.”

The other reason parents are sending their kids to St. John Bosco has nothing

to do with money, although it does contradict the argument by some ESA opponents that the schools helped by vouchers aren’t subjected to the same scrutiny given public schools.

That reason lies with a Califor nia-based organization called the West ern Catholic Educational Association, whose mission is “to advance quality Catholic education for all students in member schools and archdioces es through an accrediting process that promotes the primacy of faith formation, the rigor of educational excellence, and the vitality that comes through continuous school improve ment.”

Founded and run by California Cath olic bishops and covering 10 states and Guam, the WCEA recently renewed its accreditation of Bosco – giving it essentially the equivalent of the “A+”

rating the state gives public schools that excel.

Meeting the WSEA’s standards may be a challenge but proving they do was almost as arduous for Bescak and her staff, requiring months of work and reams of reports that totaled close to 10,000 pages. The review culminated in a three-day visit by a team of eval uators who seemed to leave no stone unturned as they tried to determine St. John Bosco’s merit as both a school and as a Catholic school.

“They look at surveys that we’ve given to parents, students and staff,” Bescak said. “They immerse themselves for three days and observe classrooms. They meet with parents, they meet with students. And when they’re doing that, they’re asking questions about everything.”

“Everything” is part of what Bescak called a “self-study process” that she and her staff undertook for months.

“As we’re going through that selfstudy process, we’re looking at several factors,” she explained. We’re looking at our school philosophy and mission, we’re looking at our school leadership, we’re looking at our staff, we’re looking at curriculum instruction, we’re looking at our Catholic identity.”

That’s not all.

“They’re asking questions about … instruction, about how we do our Cath olic identity, our community relations, marketing, finance – all of that, they ask all those questions.”

“And then they’re looking at what they call ‘the evidence’ when they’re talking to the parents, and when they’re looking at the data, pictures of events that we’ve had, the news clippings,

every article that you’ve done on us. They’ve looked at all of that, and they look at that as evidence that are we meeting the needs of all of our stu dents and giving a quality Catholic education.”

That “quality Catholic education” also includes subject matter that comprises a quality secular education, judging by the WCEA’s determination that St. John Bosco is “a highly-effective” school.

“The team was very impressed with our Catholic identity and the one take away that I took that I’m most proud of is that we were deemed ‘highly effective’ in our instruction with our students and the teachers in the class room,” she said.

Bescak ticked off a variety of ad ditions to the school’s curriculum in recent years that earn the accreditation team’s kudos – things like more STEM as well as an enhanced English Language Arts curriculum. New goals set for the next accreditation include continued enhancements in these and other subjects.

Bescak is entering her second full year as principal at the school, which she joined eight years ago as an 8th grade science teacher after 20 years teaching in the Mesa Public Schools district.

She’s seen a steady increase in enroll ment at St. John Bosco.

“We have exceeded my goal,” she said. “I wanted 350. And we’re at 380. So now my next goal is 400.”

The school also has a full-time reg istered nurse, a master’s degree-level counselor and resource specialist.

“We do have a waiting list now in our third grade and we also have a waiting list in our preschool 3s class,” she said, the latter referring to kids 3 years old. “And then we’re getting close in a few of the other grade levels.”

Buoyed by the enthusiasm and com mitment that got the school its high marks, Bescak and her team – includ ing a group of 19 student ambassadors – are spreading the word about St. John Bosco at various nearby parishes between masses and in other public forums.

Bescak also gives parents personal tours and said she is finding more days on her calendar are including such visits.

And she’s emphatic in stressing that the school’s high marks – and the effort that went into earning them – are not the product of her work alone or even that of only her top aides.

“It was truly a group effort,” she said. “Because when you’re going through the accreditation process, it shouldn’t be just the leader doing it. It should be your entire faculty and staff because it takes a village.”

which is why more than half the 727 students enrolled at the school are in the program.

The principal said there is more in terest among students in lower grades, and there is a drop-off as students get older. They develop other interests and the thrill of setting off a rocket loses some appeal when they’ve already

done that a few times.

After the program started back up, some of those who hadn’t registered had a change of heart.

“After the first session, I had kids just wanting to come in who had just

registered,” Nunemaker said. “I had par ents reaching out. Like they’re missing outside time to do this and I’m loving it. I mean, it’s one day a month and they’d rather be in here doing activities and stuff.”

Gathering with St. John Bosco Principal Jamie Bescak are, from left, second graders Vic toria Burke and Benjamin Majors and first graders Maria Campuzano and Rowan Stallings. (David Minton/Staff Photographer)

St. John Bosco students enjoy the fall weather on a spacious campus on the same grounds occupied by St. Benedict Catholic Church on 48th Street south of Chandler Boulevard in Ahwatukee. (David Minton/Staff Photographer)

ASU senior earns prestigious Rhodes Scholarship

It sure seems Nathaniel Ross ended up with the better deal when he lost a Primary Election bid for Mesa City Council.

The Arizona State University senior recently was awarded a prestigious Rhodes Scholar with a full-ride schol arship to one of the world’s oldest universities that covers virtually all his living as well as academic expenses for two to three years.

Ross, 21, who will pursue postgradu ate studies at the University of Oxford in London, not only is one of only 32 American Rhodes recipients for 2023 and one of only three students from a public university, he also is the first ASU Rhodes Scholar in nearly 20 years.

The most recent ASU student to earn the scholarship was music education major Philip Mann in 2001. He is now on the faculty of the University of Mary land-Baltimore County.

“I am incredibly grateful to have been selected,” Ross said. “The finalists in my district were all so incredibly kind and impressive in their own right. Being selected among them was an absolute honor. I am beyond excited to be part of the Rhodes community and study at Oxford next year.”

Rhodes Scholarships provide all expenses for two or three years of postgraduate study and were created in

1902 by the will of mining magnate Cecil Rhodes and now supported by various philanthropies and benefactors.

At Oxford, Ross will study compar ative social policy, after which he will attend law school and specialize in disability law.

His long-term objective is to shape disability policy as an attorney-advi sor for a national disability advocacy organization, federal agency, or global non-governmental organization.

“Arizona State University empowers elite scholars who want to have a mean ingful social impact,” said ASU President Michael M. Crow.

“Nathaniel Ross is a uniquely gifted thinker capable of simultaneously syn thesizing ideas across diverse subjects and applying his knowledge to improve the lives of others. As such, Nathaniel embodies our highest aspirations as a national service university.”

He’s no slouch at ASU either.

A winner of a prestigious Flinn Scholarship, Ross, 21, is graduating next month from Barrett, The Honors Col lege with bachelor’s degrees in biology, history, political science, and applied quantitative science next month. In May, he will be awarded a master’s of science degree in biology and society.

A fourth generation Mesa resident, Ross acknowledges the role his time at ASU has played in his success.

“I don’t believe there is a single Rhodes scholar that accomplished the feat without a community of support,” he said, “and I am no exception.”

He also is excited about the opportunity the Rhodes Scholarship presents.

“As part of the Rhodes community, I know I can have an even greater impact on the issues I care about. The frac tion of Rhodes scholars who are disabled, attend a state school, or are first-generation university students is rather small.

“After my selection, I hope to encourage other people from similar backgrounds to apply for nationally competitive scholarships.”

The application process for the Rhodes Scholarship is arduous, and competition is intense, university offi cials noted.

In his will, Cecil Rhodes stipulated several criteria for the selection of Scholars, most of which are still applied today.

“The first and most obvious criterion is ‘scholarly attainment,’” said Kyle Mox, Associate Dean for National Scholar ships and ASU representative for the Rhodes Scholarship. “To be compet itive, an applicant must have posted

near-perfect grades while completing an exceptionally challenging curricu lum.”

Ross clearly fits the bill, given his multiple degrees and the fact he never had a grade lower than “A,” according to ASU.

“But, per Rhodes’s stipulations, Rhodes Scholars are not “mere book worms” – they must also demonstrate devotion to enacting lasting social impact and be committed to making a strong difference for good in the world, Mox said, explaining:

Nathaniel Ross

Mesa Temple again aglow in Christmas lights

SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

After a five-year absence, the brilliant holiday light display has returned to the Mesa Arizona Temple grounds.

The lights are on 5-10 p.m. nightly through Dec. 31 at the temple, Main Street and S. Lesueur in downtown Mesa.

The event – previously called one of the “must-see holiday lighting extravaganzas in the United States” – has drawn over a million visitors annually from across Arizona and beyond.

The lights have been turned off the last five years for the extensive renovation of the temple and its grounds that was completed last year.

“A team of nearly 100 dedicated committee members and hundreds of other volunteers from Mesa, Phoenix and Gilbert have made this event not only one

RHODES

from page 40

“We often refer to this quality as ‘fighting the world’s fight.’ Rhodes Scholars must show extraordinary leadership potential.”

In 2021, Ross was selected as a Udall Scholar for his commitment to environmental and disability activism, and in the spring of 2022, he was selected as national fi nalist for the Truman Scholarship in recognition of his devotion to

of the largest known volunteer-driven Christmas lighting displays in the country, but helped to bring back a beloved community tradition since 1979,” said Jennifer Wheeler, a spokeswoman for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

“Our mission is to humbly and worthily create sacred Christmas displays, in music, and lights, which reflect the beauty and integrity of the temple, inviting all people to feel Christ’s Spirit,” the committee’s mission statement says.

Included in this free event are hundreds of thousands of lights, favorite Biblical displays, larger-than-life lighted wise men and their camels and a near life-size Italian Fontanini nativity figurines and stable at the northwest corner of the temple with a newly designed star, twinkling with thousands of white lights.

public service.

A committed disability rights activist, Ross founded EosFighter Connection, a nationwide support network for youth who suffer from eosinophilic and other disorders. He also is politically active, having interned with progressive lobbying fi rm Creosote Partners.

Ross said the announcement of his selection came as a shock.

“I honestly was not sure if I heard my name correctly,” he said. “Even days later, I don’t think I have even begun to

Nightly concerts were not included in this year’s version of the display.

Across the street of the west side of the temple, at 455 E. Main St., the Mesa Temple Visitors’ Center hosts a display

process what this means for my future. All I could think about was the years of work that went into this moment.

“Although applications only opened up this summer, the process of becoming a Rhodes Scholar often begins during freshman year or even earlier.”

The Rhodes Trust pays all college and university fees, provides a stipend to cover expenses while in residence in Oxford as well as during vacations, and transportation to and from England. The total value of the scholarship aver-

of more than 150 international nativities from across the world.

Admission to the nativity display at the Mesa Temple Visitors Center is free and open daily 5-10 p.m.

ages approximately $75,000 per year.

Now that the process is fi nished, Ross will begin planning for his journey to England and his studies at Oxford.

“I have never been to the UK, and now I will spend the next two to three years of my life studying at the top university in the world. For the fi rst time in my life, moving to another country is a reality for me. I have realized that this homegrown East Valley boy is going to have to buy his fi rst real winter coat to survive the UK winters.”

Five years after they were shut off for an extensive renovation project, the Mesa Arizona Temple’s brilliant Christmas light display is back. (Courtesy of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)

Far too many people are hearing without listening

BY RABBI IRWIN WIENER Coumnist

In 1964 Simon and Garfunkel wrote and published a song ti tled “Hello Darkness My Old Friend.” It was originally written for a friend who had gone blind and was struggling to find light where there was none, and hope that seemed to have disappeared in that darkness.

It was a story of compassion, under standing, and extending a helping hand to someone in need of tenderness and faith.

“……And in the naked light I saw Ten thousand people, maybe more People talking without speaking People hearing without listening….. “Fools said I, “You do not know Silence like a cancer grows……….

These words resonate today more than ever.

We have endured a disease that has destroyed millions of souls and

countless others who could only watch from the sidelines as their loved ones vanished from the journey of joy and happiness, and even sadness.

Their journey lasted a shorter time than one could imagine. Their mem ories are now enshrined on our minds and in our hearts. The stories of their lives ended abruptly and leaves us the responsibility to complete the saga of their existence.

Yet to this day many ignore the signs and refuse to observe the slightest of suggestions to reduce the tragedy? How many disregard the science that has been placed before us indicating the severity of this once in a century pandemic?

How many foolishly claim that per sonal liberties are sacrificed without concern for the majority looking for salvation through careful consideration of others?

We turn our attention the wanton destruction of life and limb in a land few of us knew. The heinous acts of barbarism confront us daily as we watch cities destroyed, lives in turmoil, and bodies buried in mass graves.

And if that is not enough, we are faced with our country now in the throes of convulsion and destruction through ignominious pronouncements of things that are not true, and could never be proven because of the magni tude of the distortions and lies.

Conspiracy theories are plentiful and somehow believed.

I sat back and the song I quoted rang though my mind. How many of us listen without hearing? How many of us talk and really say nothing of any worth?

More than that however, are the mil lions of us who do nothing about the destruction of our common heritage and the over 246 years of sacrifice to engage in a country that enhances the value of life; accepts all who partici pate in the dream through hard work and perseverance; who join in as we attempt to “create a more perfect union?”

I could only conclude that “the si lence like a cancer grows.”

None of us are perfect and that is why the declaration included the words to create a more perfect…. knowing

full well that our responsibilities lie in taking the foundation and building and continue building that more perfect union.

... “And in the naked light I saw Ten thousand people, maybe more…” who came and stood at the founda tion of our democracy and shouted in unison “This is my country land that I love…”

Sitting back and watching the parade go by is not what our forebears had in mind when they pledged all they had to the concept of a free people; where men and women put on the uniform and shed tears and blood for this very same understanding.

Perhaps people will begin hearing. We can only hope so. Perhaps people will wake up and learn from the past. We can only pray this will be so.

Perhaps the original intent of the song, to bring light where there is darkness, joy where there is sadness, and sanity to a collection of misguided thoughts and actions, will be forever so.

Rabbi Irwin Wiener, D.D., is spiritual leader of the Sun Lakes Jewish Congre gation.

Chandler teens prominent in ‘Les Mis’ production

BY KATY SPRINGER GetOut Contributor

It’s been seen by more than 70 million people, performed in more than 40 countries and in 22 languages, and its music is some of the most celebrated in theatrical history.

And soon, Places! Productions will bring the epic musical to the East Valley with its staging of “Les Misérables School Edition.”

Producing a show of such magnitude and fame is no small undertaking – but Places! has assembled exactly the right team to pull it off.

The cast of 70 youth actors, which in cludes Chandler teens Olivia Haller and Coat McGraw, will perform Dec. 17-20 at East Valley High School, 7420 E. Main St. in Mesa, with a second run Jan. 20-22, 2023, at the Mesa Arts Center.

“Les Mis” focuses on the tumultuous world of Jean Valjean, a former convict who spends a lifetime seeking redemp tion.

Set against the backdrop of 19th-cen tury France and the aftermath of the French Revolution, this timeless story of intertwined destinies reveals the power of compassion and the quiet evil of indifference to human suffering.

“Everyone in this production has such powerful voices that make you see fireworks light up around them, espe cially when they hold such beautiful notes,” said Coat, a freshman at Perry High School.

Indeed, all of the passion and drama of the original Broadway production is replicated in the student version – especially with a cast like this one. Despite its deep storyline and weighty themes, the performers, most of whom

are in high school, pull it off with a ma turity and talent that bely their youth.

Tim Mills of Chandler, the show’s as sistant director, has been part of Places! – both as a director and as an actor –since the community theater company launched in 2016.

“ This is probably the most talented cast we’ve ever assembled, and we’ve had some very talented casts in the past,” he said. “Even our most experi enced actors are so willing to learn and

interested in any direction we provide.

“There is an uncommon amount of heart and dedication in this group. They all want to create the best possible product and will do whatever it takes.”

Added Allison Houston, director and music director for “Les Mis” and founding artistic director of Places!, “I think audiences will be amazed by the emotion and voices of these young per formers. I hope they will be moved by the message of this powerful piece.”

Olivia Haller, 14, a member of the en semble, also sings two solo parts in the scene that takes place after the deadly battle at the barricade.

A happy and upbeat girl in real life, she has worked hard to develop her character and evoke the sadness and emotion this scene requires.

“One of my solos is after every body just died and we’re all mourning the losses,” said Olivia, a freshman at Learning Foundation for the Performing Arts. “It’s very hard for me to act sad. But that’s the thing, you kind of have to experiment with new ways of doing things. In this scene, I am acting sad and singing sad.”

David Archuleta to perform at Chandler center

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI GetOut Editor

David Archuleta has become known for his holiday tours. But when “David Archuleta: The More the Merrier Christ mas Tour” comes to Arizona for two shows, the “American Idol” runner-up promises it will be more intimate.

“That’ll be interesting to see how that goes,” Archuleta says.

“I’m playing with the idea of just being me on stage. Usually, it’s a more of a grandiose kind of Christmas show experience.”

He’s playing Tucson for the first time on Dec. 22 at the Rialto Theatre, and the Chandler Center for the Arts on Dec.23.

“Being in a different place of life, instead of making it all big and epic and massive Christmas songs, I wanted it to feel more nostalgic,” he says.

“I want it to be like we’re reminiscing around the family room, just talking to each other. I want to reflect on the good times. I’m looking back on the wonder of Christmas from an adult perspective this time.”

Christmas is special for Archuleta. From spending time singing carols with his family as a youngster to performing for them, he enjoys the holiday season.

“I feel like the Christmas tours that I’ve done have been a highlight,” he says about his holiday memories.

“My family comes to the shows and it’s fun to create a magical world for people to step into. For me, the shows get me into gear for Christmas Day. I’ve had time to really savor the Christmas spirit and magic. It’s like I’m celebrating it almost every night.”

Archuleta became a star when he was 16. In 2008, more than 30 million TV viewers watched him place second in season seven of “American Idol.”

Soon after, Archuleta’s sin gle “Crush” debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. According to Nielsen SoundScan, the track sold 166,000 downloads in its first week in the United States and subsequently more than 1.92 million digital copies to reach double platinum.

Three months later, his self-titled album went gold, selling more than 750,000 copies in the United States and more than 900,000 copies worldwide.

The Nashville resident is spending 2023 reflecting on his life. Recently, he publicly said he’s gay and he’s taking a break from the Church of

Latter-day Saints.

“I think I’m going to do a little more self-discovery,” he says.

“I need to get some inspiration to create more music. I need to explore cultures, tour, make new friends and visit other parts of the world. I need to pull from some sort of inspiration. I’ve been in a drought with creativity for the last year.”

Still, Archuleta is excited about com ing to Arizona.

“It’s a great place,” he says. “It’s the neighbor of where I grew up in Utah. I’ve been able to go there a lot and make friends there. They’ve got some great restaurants in Arizona. It’ll be fun to go back.”

David Archuleta: The More the Merrier Christmas Tour

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 22

WHERE: The Rialto Theater, 318 E. Congress St., Tucson COST: Tickets start at $59.90 INFO: rialtotheatre.com

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 23

WHERE: Chandler Center for the Arts, 250 N. Arizona Ave., Chandler COST: Tickets start at $39.90 INFO: chandlercenter.org, davidarchuleta.com

A talented cast in authentic period clothing makes the Places! Productions’ presentation of “Les Misérables School Edition” an engaging work. (Courtesy of Samantha Held)

David Archuleta will be eprforming at the Chandler Cen ter for the ASrts on Dec. 23. (File photo)

Chandler Museum offers programs, exhibits

GETOUT STAFF

Chandler Museum, 300 S. Chandler Village Drive, Chandler is offering a variety of free programs next month as well as a new exhibit.

The museum is open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 1-5 p.m. Sunday. It is closed Mondays. Informa tion: 480-782-2717 or chandlermuseum. org.Exhibits.

Most of the programming events offer a chance to reserve a seat and unless otherwise noted, are free. Go to eventbrite.com/d/az and search by “Chandler Museum.”

EXHIBITS

Dust Bowl Migrants in Chandler

(Through Aug. 13, 2023)

In the late 1930s Chandler had an influx of Dust Bowl migrants who fled their homes in search of a better life.

Government photographers Dorothea Lange and Russell Lee documented unique stories showing these migrants and their dwellings, which were often temporary.

This exhibition is a history of Dust Bowl Chandler through unique black and white photographs. It examines what home looked like and makes connections between 1930s Chandler and Chandler today. It includes themes of housing, migration, agriculture, technology, self-sufficiency, and empathy.

Arrival Stories

Chandler Museum wants to know: What brought you to Chandler?

Visit the Price Gallery to explore first-hand accounts about people past and present coming to our community. Then, share your story. This interactive exhibit will evolve with visitors’ participation, so make sure to add your arrival story to Chandler’s rich history. Sign of the Times: The Great American Political Poster, 1844-2012.

LE MIS

from page 43

Coat, 15, also is part of the show’s en semble, which is particularly demanding in “Les Mis,” as nearly every word in the two-hour show is sung, every scene is carefully staged and every performer plays an important role in bringing the story together.

“The ensemble is fantastic, especially in this show, because you get to be so many other characters,” said Coat. “The chorus in any play brings the story alive right in front of your eyes. It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

Amid the hard work of learning their parts, the cast is having plenty of fun, too.

“The hardest part for me is not talking backstage,” laughed Olivia. “With all the friends I made, it’s hard not to want to talk to them.”

Added Mills, “These kids are so encouraging and supportive of one

This exhibition highlights the artistic acumen behind these posters by taking a closer look at the array of styles, design trends, and print technology. The 50 posters, created in the last 170 years, will delight, engage imagination and cause reflection on the impact of these visual campaign components.

A Program of ExhibitsUSA, a national division of Mid-America Arts Alliance and The National Endowment for the Arts.

Programming

History Bites, Dec. 6, noon-12:30 p.m.

Learn about the history and thrills of the BMX in Chandler from Chief Strategy Officer John David of USA

another. As a junior high teacher and a director of youth and teen performers, I’m very aware that the relationships they’ve built are incredibly special. It really comes through on stage.”

With music by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg, “Les Mis” is famous the world over for its score. For Coat, it’s hard to pick a favorite song.

“My favorite solos are ‘Stars,’ ‘On My Own,’ ‘I Dreamed a Dream,’ ‘Bring Him Home” and ‘Empty Chairs at Empty Tables.’ They make me cry every time,” Coat said.

But “Les Mis” offers more than just a beloved score; the directing team’s keen attention to detail is evident in ev ery aspect of the production, from the character development and costuming to the choreography and set design.

Said Houston, “We have spent a lot of time going back to the source material, the masterpiece that is Victor Hugo’s novel.

“We’ve discussed the characters in

BMX. Chandler BMX has a hub for this cycle sport, spending 45 years at the intersection of McQueen and Frye roads.

It was the first BMX track that was opened by the American Bicycle Association (ABA) to hold sanctioned BMX events. Come enjoy the experiences and community that have been growing here since 1977 and hear about the future of BMX in Chandler. Tinkers, 10:30-11:15 a.m. Dec. 7.

Discover what kids did for fun before battery operated toys and games. Tinker with a variety of toys including Lincoln Logs, wooden tops, and more. Create a holiday themed craft to kick

depth, including their stories not in the musical, and have a wonderful drama turg, Kasey Ray. Many of the details you see in the costumes, props, set and staging are from the book.”

“The barricade is something that audiences always look forward to seeing in ‘Les Mis,’” added Mills. “I think people will be blown away by our barricade.”

As opening day draws near, the cast and directing team are putting the final touches on the production.

“The thing I’m enjoying most about this process is just seeing how everything comes together,” said Olivia. “It’s always so cool because sometimes we rehearse things separately and then you get to see everybody’s amazing solos later.”

Added Mills, “I’m hoping audiences will leave the show believing this was the best ‘Les Mis’ production they’ve ever seen.”

“Les Misérables School Edition” is specially adapted and licensed through

off the season.

Register both adults and children attending as space is limited.

Art Tots, 11:30-11:15 a.m. Dec. 14.

This 45-minute program led by educators is an age-appropriate introduction to different art styles and concepts.

With new themes each month, program participants will begin together with a central topic and then break off into family groups to engage in several art-centered activity stations. Geared toward ages 3-5.

Register both adults and children attending as space is limited.

Music Theatre International and Cam eron Mackintosh (Overseas) LTD. It is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International. All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI, mtishows.com.

Tickets for “Les Mis” are $15 and can be purchased at placesproductionsaz. com . The run includes both matinee and evening performances at East Valley High School and at the Mesa Arts Center. Discounts are available for teachers, seniors, veterans, first responders and students. Group dis counts are also available.

If you go

Les Misérables School Edition

Presented by Places! Productions

Dec. 17-20: East Valley High School, 7420 E. Main St.

Jan. 20-22: Mesa Arts Center, 1 E. Main St. Tickets: placesproductionsaz.com

The Chandler Museum Store has a number of unique holiday gift items. (Chandler Museum)

Hale Theatre presenting ‘Christmas Carol’

GETOUT STAFF

The Hale Centre Theatre in down town Gilbert will start its annual presentation of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” on Friday, Dec. 1.

“Since receiving the award for Best Christmas Production in Arizona, audi ences have been lining up in Gilbert to see Scrooge and his ghostly visitors,” a theater release said.

“It is their 20th season and it has become a family tradition for audiences and a must-see every holiday season, with each year bringing a little some thing different.”

Director David Hale Dietlein is pre senting two casts designated “Red” and “Green.”

The Red cast features seasoned actor Tim Dietlein as Ebenezer Scrooge and the Green cast is headed by local actor Rob Stuart. Both actors are reprising their roles from previous years.

The Hale family tradition of present ing “A Christmas Carol” began with Ruth and Nathan Hale, who opened their first theater in Glendale, California.

In 1965 the Hales and the Dietleins staged their first production of “A

Christmas Carol,” and Hale operators say they established “a legacy that flourishes to this day.

Director and theater owner David Dietlein has received numerous awards for his artistic achievements and has directed every production of “A Christ

mas Carol” since he opened the Gilbert theater in 2003.

The annual holiday classic is a musical version of Dickens’ tale of the Christ mas ghosts, who visit the thoroughly unpleasant Ebenezer Scrooge to show him the error of his ways. The spirits

transform Ebenezer’s life, serving to remind us that it is never too late to change for the better.

“It’s a message of hope and renewal that holds a special place in our hearts every holiday season,” the release stat ed, promising a “stunning production (that) is a visual and sensory delight, featuring local talent of singers, dancers and actors: with “soaring music, special effects, stunning costumes and sets.”

The production runs at 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. Dec.1-26 with matinees on Satur days at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.

The Hale is located at 50 W. Page Ave. in Gilbert’s Heritage District, across the street from the Gilbert Water Tower Park. Several restaurants and free park ing are located nearby.

Tickets range from $42 to $60 for adults, $28 to $45 for youth. Group discounts for 10 or more tickets are available at $35 on showings through Dec. 14.

The shows sell out quickly, so pur chase your tickets by calling the box office at 480-497-1181 or by visiting the theater’s website at HaleTheatreArizo na.com.

Robert Bartko a treat for George Michael fans

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI GetOut Editor

Robert Bartko has George Michael’s look and sound down pat, complete with the tight jeans, black leather jacket and sunglasses.

But there’s no gimmick here. He didn’t choose the tribute. In fact, it was the opposite; it chose him.

“From the time I was in high school, I looked like George Michael when he began to emerge on the scene,” said Bartko, who leads George Michael Reborn.

“I could grow a full beard at 17. I was a football jock and sang in the drama club. Usually, those are very polarized worlds in high school.”

But friends and family saw something special — his uncanny vocal resem blance to Michael.

“In 1988, I went to his big show at the Orange Bowl in Miami. I thought I was going to lose my life that night,” Bartko said about the reaction to his look.

He spent the 1990s producing songs for rock acts like Korn (“A.D.I.D.A.S. Level X Mix,” “Wicked” and “All in the Family,” which featured Fred Durst) and dance artist Stevie B.

In 2018, he saw a resurgence of his dance career. When a booking agent called him to perform, he said, “‘Man, you look and sound just like George Michael. If you could put together a George Michael act, we could book it a lot more than we could book you on your own.’ Again, it chose me.”

Thus, George Michael Reborn was off and running. Bartko, who recently played a gig for Dita Von Teese’s birth day, stages a retrospective of Wham! and Michael’s careers. He said he “nails” the whole “Faith” era.

“He’s a hard act to pull off,” he said. “It’s a hard vocal, especially in Amer

ica where most think of 1988 George Michael, where he was just fighting fit trim. His vocal range was absolutely amazing. That’s what people remem ber.”

And fans lose their minds at his shows, which includes a New Year’s Eve show at Talking Stick Resort.

“I did a show in North Carolina and these women went absolutely crazy and were just tackling me,” he said. “I thought I was really going to get hurt there. But at times, it is quite flat tering because whatever I’m doing is working.”

Glitter & Glow New Year’s Eve

When: 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 31; George Michael Reborn from 9:30 to 11 p.m.; Who’s Bad: The Ultimate Michael Jackson Experience from 11:20 p.m. to 1 a.m.

Where: Talking Stick Resort, 9800 E. Talking Stick Way, Scottsdale Cost: Tickets start at $150 Info: 480-850-7777, talkingstick resort.com

The Hale Centre Theatre in Gilbert is rolling out its 20th annual presentation of “A Christ mas Carol” starting Dec. 1. (Nick Woodward-Shaw/Special for GetOut)

Robert Bartko’s friends and family saw something special in him— his uncanny vocal resemblance to the late singer George Michael. (Special to GetOut)