Ahwatukee Foothills News 02/06/2023

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Phoenix Council to discuss another water rate increase

BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor

Phoenix City Council this spring likely will be considering an increase in water and sewer rates for the seventh time in eight years.

And that hike could include a monthly payment for a pipeline repair insurance program for single-family homeowners that has been voluntary since it was implemented a

decade ago and would become an opt-out portion of .their water bill. The program currently is billed separately to insured customers.

Council’s Community and Cultural Investment Committee last week voted to include the conversion of the Service Line Warranties of America by HomeServe “as part of our discussion about potential changes to the city’s current water and sewer rates.”

Water rates rose 3% in October 2021 and

another 3.5% last March. Since 2016, water rates have increased 18%.

Around the last increase, Water Services officials said the increase was needed to ensure reliable delivery to north Phoenix and other areas that normally rely on Colorado River water by investing in infrastructure to improve access to banked water and groundwater.

BY COTY DOLORES MIRANDA AFN Contributor

It was 21 years ago when staff at God’s Garden Preschool in Ahwatukee decided to host a unique and free community event to entertain children.

Transportation Day began modestly with a dozen motor vehicles that children could inspect, sitting inside and climbing garbage trucks, buses and police cars and fire

gines, “steering” and blowing

horns.

With each year, the event added more and varied vehicles, a helicopter fly-in, a raffle of elaborate baskets, live entertainment, food trucks and an ever-expanding Fun Zone. And each year the crowd grew too, topping

Desert Vista senior and hockey team forward Marcello Lane celebrated the Thunder’s stunning victory Feb. 4 over Notre Dame Prep for the Arizona High School Hockey Division 1 state championship. Lane scored the game-winning goal after the team roared back from a 3-point deficit. For the full story, see page 36. (JJ Digos/AFN contributor)

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Off-campus shooting, online threats rattle Mountain Pointe

BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor

Security wands have been greeting Mountain Pointe High School students since Jan. 30 amid an ongoing investigation into online threats of a mass shooting at the school. And they were implemented the same day an unidentified teenaged boy was shot and wounded a block away from campus.

In addition to wanding bags and subjecting them to possible search, authorities also are now requiring students to show their ID as they enter the school.

While Phoenix Police declined to answer questions about threats that have been made multiple times on the Instagram social media platform since midJanuary, two sources said detectives do not believe they are connected to a possible gang-related shooting of an unidentified boy around 3:30 p.m. Jan. 30 at the Circle K at 44th Street and Ray Road. One source said the victim had been in the wrong place at the wrong time.

It was unclear if the victim, who was treated for non-life-threatening injuries, is a Mountain Pointe student. Police said no suspects have been arrested.

The shooting occurred during what police called “a gunfight” in the convenience store parking lot.

City Councilman Sal DiCiccio said the victim’s mother was not cooperating in the investigation but that he is pressing police to move forward and find the suspects and prosecute them.

DiCiccio also said he has urged police to step up their investigation into the online threats as well as the shooting, saying, “If we allow one of these to ever happen in this district then the whole dam is going to break. There is no way I will never allow this kind of stuff to happen in the district. I am beyond upset.

“The school district needs to be more active and go after these individuals. I cannot allow anybody to post a threat of that magnitude.”

Megan Sterling, executive director of community relations for Tempe Union High School District, said Mountain

SHOOTING from page 3

Pointe “has been dealing with an onslaught of social media threats” since Jan. 19 and that because the shooting occurred off-campus, “that is not something we are directly affiliated with (and) therefore we are not receiving – or expecting – updates.”

As for the investigation into the Instagram threats, “We are working with Phoenix PD on investigating the source of these threats, and the investigation remains ongoing,” she said. “Increased security measures are in place on and around campus, and counseling support is available for the school community.

“We understand that this is enormously challenging for our Mountain Pointe students, teachers, staff, families, and wider community. We appreciate all of the leads and information that have been sent to us, and we encourage our community to reach out to both Mountain Pointe administration and Phoenix PD with any additional information.

“We extend gratitude to the Mountain Pointe administrative team, led by Principal Tomika Banks, as well as our community of educators, for their leadership during this difficult time.”

No one from the public spoke at the Feb. 1 Tempe Union Governing Board meeting about the shooting or the threats but member Sarah James got the panel to meet in an executive session to discuss them.

Referring to an administration report, James said, “There are things in here we have to be very careful about talking about to keep our students, our staff, our community safe. So I’d like to move into a quick executive session so we all have the updates, we all have the same information and that our community knows

that as a board and a district, we’re all on the same page with that same information.”

The board made no comments from the brief closed-door session. Members are forbidden by law from discussing matters raised in such meetings.

Prior to that secret session, Assistant Superintendent Sean McDonald gave a brief overview of security measures that are in place at the district’s six high schools, including when security wands are used.

He said that beside the uniformed officer assigned to each campus, the district relies on athletic directors and other administrators to deploy the wands to reduce long wait times.

He added that the district is considering pass-through metal detectors like those used in airports because they are “less invasive” than wands.

The board in November 2021 walked back a resolution aimed at eliminating armed uniformed officers on campuses by this August and instead opted for more study of such a move and discussions with students, faculty, parents and other members of the Tempe Union community.

The effort against SROs, introduced by former member Brian Garcia and endorsed by current board President Armando Montero, not only divided the board but the entire district community as well.

A police patrol vehicle has also been stationed outside Mountain Pointe and Sterling said that as far as the elevated security is concerned, “We are evaluating this daily and will continue to have heightened security measures to enter campus for the time being. No definitive timeframe that I can give you at this time.”

50th Street apartment complex moves closer to council OK

BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor

Phoenix City Council could sign off March 1 on a six-building, 417-unit apartment complex on 50th Street between Ray Road and Chandler Boulevard after the project sailed through the city Planning Commission last week with virtually no discussion.

The commission unanimously recommended that Council follow the Ahwatukee Foothills Village Planning Commission’s recommendation for approval of a “highly amenitized” project by Everest Holdings and P.B. Bell at 15210 S. 50th St.

The developers plan to build four three-story and two four-story buildings with mostly one- and two-bedroom units near Thistle Landing Drive on 14 acres where a two-story under-used office complex now stands.

Because there was no speaker during the Planning Commission’s Feb. 2 meeting either on behalf or against the com-

plex, City Planning and Development spokeswoman Angie Holdsworth said, “It will go to council on March 1 unless there is an appeal.”

The VPC voted 6-2 on Jan. 23 to recommend council approval of the developers’ rezoning request to allow for a multifamily complex, which they predict will stimulate the surrounding retail area and address a critical housing shortage in the Valley.

However, some neighboring homeowners have opposed the project, claiming it would worsen traffic in an already heavily congested area.

The developers say their traffic study determined the complex would add only about 215 vehicle trips to the morning and evening rush hours even though the complex will have more than 700 parking spaces.

The developers plan to have the two taller buildings surrounded by the four

COMPLEX from page 6

three-story structures. The two buildings would be built around a pool and 12,000-square-foot clubhouse. Other amenities they plan include a dog park, outdoor barbecue area, fire pit and a “gathering ramada.”

“Given the property’s prime location near major employers along Interstate 10 and its proximity to numerous dining, entertainment and retail options along Ray Road, we feel this is well-suited to accommodates additional housing opportunities to support these uses and continued growth in the area.,” they told city planners.

Neighbors’ traffic concerns have been heightened by developer ViaWest’s ongoing construction of a massive threebuilding light industrial complex on 50th Street not far from the apartment complex that could generate as many as 1,800 additional vehicle trips, mostly from semi-trailers.

ViaWest is building that complex on 28 acres it leased from Kyrene School District for 75 years in a deal that could generate close to $100 million for the district.

ViaWest submitted a zoning request last September with the city that would

allow it to expand the categories of companies that could rent space in what ViaWest calls the Converge Logistics Center. Via West held a neighborhood meeting on that project in October, and in mid-December it filed a General Plan Amendment related to the project.

“The cases have not been scheduled for public hearings,” Holdsworth said.

Meanwhile, the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors has not yet scheduled its consideration of a request by Scottsdale-based Caliber Development to convert the 8-acre site of the Four Points by Sheraton Phoenix Mountain site into an apartment complex with a total 184 to 188 apartments.

The land just south of Elliot Road on 51st Street is a county island and subject to county and not city approval.

Caliber wants to convert the six-story, 160-room hotel into a refurbished highrise with 100 units and add 84 singlefamily two-floor apartment buildings with garages and driveways around it, demolishing the convention center-ballroom attached to the hotel.

The county Planning Commission already has recommended approval of the project, which has drawn no opposition, and it is unclear when the supervisors might bring it up for a final vote. 

The city Planning Commission last week recommended City Council approval of the sixbuilding, 417-unit complex proposed for 50th Street between Ray Road and Chandler Boulevard. (AFN file photo)

BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

State lawmakers are moving to strip cities and towns of their ability to tax residential rentals and grocery store food – a move that would cost the City of Phoenix about $70.5 million.

In addition to a vote Feb. 1 by the Senate Commerce Committee on that measure, Senate Republicans also are considering a cut in the corporate tax that would cost the city another $33.55 million.

The Commerce Committee’s approval of the food and rent tax cuts came despite objections from mayors and lobbyists for the majority of communities that have the levies. They told senators that their budgets are dependent on these revenues.

A legislative analysis says the $70.5 million in revenue from Phoenix’s rent tax – it does not impose a food levy –represented 5.5% of the total sales tax revenue that Phoenix received last year.

The corporate tax cut, under a different bill, would cost Phoenix another $33.5 million in revenue, according to legislative estimates.

Republican lawmakers last month began moving to cut income tax rates for Arizona corporations by nearly half, a move that legislative budget analysts say eventually could cut state revenues by nearly $670 million a year.

The party-line vote in January by the House Ways and Means Committee came over objections from all the Democrats on the panel who questioned both the wisdom and the need to take the tax rate from its current 4.9% to 2.5% by 2026. And that follows a series of cuts a decade ago that dropped the rate from nearly 7%.

During last week’s hearing on the elimination of the rent and food taxes. the municipalities’ claims of hardship drew derision from Sen. Anthony Kern, R-Glendale, who said most cities and towns have a surplus.

And he rejected the claims that the surpluses are appropriate, even if the state itself has a “rainy day’’ fund, money set aside to protect against future economic downturns.

In its weekly report to City Council on bills affecting Phoenix, the city administration lists the rent tax and corporate levy cut as “bills that staff has identified as negatively impacting the city.”

Sen. Steve Kaiser, R-Phoenix, the sponsor of the measure to phase out the tax on rentals, said it is crafted in a way to ensure that tenants get the benefit of the mandated reduction.

But that drew a skeptical response from Sen. Mitzi Epstein, D-Tempe.

“Whatever the market price is, that’s what the rent will be,’’ she said. All SB 1184 will do, she said, is allow landlords to pocket what they no longer have to forward to cities in taxes.

Nick Ponder, lobbyist for the League of Arizona Cities and Towns, told lawmakers that SB 1063, the companion measure to eliminate local taxes on food purchased for home preparation and consumption, won’t reduce overall taxes.

He pointed out that state lawmakers, facing an initiative, voted in 1980 to exempt the state sales tax on food.

But three years later, facing a deficit, Ponder noted the Legislature raised the overall state sales tax on all remaining items from 4 percent to 5 percent, an increase that never was repealed. He suggested that cities, facing a similar loss of one source of revenues, may have to follow suit.

And he said that cities where the decision was made to eliminate these taxes have a higher overall sales tax rate than others where the levies remain. He cited in particular Tucson where shoppers pay 3.5% on everything else they buy.

Ponder said the decision on what to tax is best left to local elected officials and their voters.

Not all communities levy rent or food taxes.

But they can be a big part of what communities collect. And the impact is particularly great on the smallest towns.

In Nogales, for example, the tax on food is nearly 14% of total sales tax collections. It’s close to 16% in Cottonwood, 17.6% in Douglas, 18.5% in Safford, 19.9% in San Luis and 35.2% in Taylor.

Overall, the levy amounts to more see TAXES page 12

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TAXES from page 9

than $161 million a year statewide.

Rental taxes are a smaller percentage of sales taxes in most communities, though they total nearly $180 million statewide for affected communities.

One argument by proponents of both measures is that the cities are getting more money now from the state.

Ponder said it is true that lawmakers are now giving local communities 18% of the revenues they collect, up from 15%.

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The food tax repeal is being proposed by Sen. Sonny Borrelli, R-Lake Havasu City.

“To be taxing food, essential items that are consumed at home, not only is it unreasonable, it’s outrageous,’’ he said.

But Globe Mayor Al Ganeros told lawmakers that the levy, which is paid not only by residents but folks from outside the city who drive into town, helps his community cover its costs. And he said there are costs, citing, for example, the $1.5 million to $2 million it will take to replace a 35-year-old ladder truck at the fire department.

Casa Grande Mayor Craig McFarland said revenues from the food tax amount to 7% of the total city budget.

“I struggle to understand why the Legislature feels the cities are the one who are robbing from our citizens,’’ he testified.

“We are where the rubber meets the road,’’ McFarland continued. “We are where citizens rely on the services that we provide.’’

But he pointed out that occurred only when lawmakers voted two years ago to cut income taxes by more than $1 billion a year by enacting a flat income tax. All the higher share did, Ponder said, is keep the actual revenue sharing dollars from declining.

Lawmakers also approved a measure several years ago allowing the state and local sales tax to be levied on online and phone purchases. Ponder said, though, much of this simply makes up for the taxable sales no longer being made at brick-and-mortar stores.

Not every local official who testified was opposed.

“We have a regressive tax on a fundamental human need,’’ said Allen Skillcorn, a member of the Fountain Hills City Council, said speaking specifically about the rental tax. “That’s just mean.’’

The party-line 4-3 votes by the Republican-controlled committee send both measures to the full Senate. 

In moving along the discussion of an opt-out pipeline insurance program to the full council for deliberations later this spring, subcommittee Chair Betty Guardado on Feb. 1 said that “with an increase in the water rate discussions that we’re about to have,” she wanted to “bring it all together as a package and see how is it that people feel about this.”

“I think it’s worth exploring,” Councilwoman Debra Stark said of the pipeline program. “I just want to make sure that we’re sensitive to our ratepayers and that a we go into our discussion on increasing water rates that we’re looking at all avenues.”

The pipeline insurance program covers repairs of the pipes between the city’s service line and an individual house. Without that insurance, homeowners are on the hook for the entire cost of pipeline repairs – an expense that can run into thousands of dollars.

HomeServe National Director Brian Davis told the subcommittee that since 2012, when Phoenix joined with the National League of Cities in a partnership

HomeServe displayed this chart at last week’s hearing before the Phoenix City Council Community and Cultural Investment Committee to illustrate what its pipe repair insurance program has accomplished since the voluntary program was introduced for single-family homeowners in the city 10 years ago. (City of Phoenix)

for the program, some 27,324 homeowners have saved $7.4 million for 13,461 pipeline repairs while the city garnered $3 million in revenue.

Davis said about 20% of Phoenix single-family homeowners currently sub -

scribe to the program, which costs $7.95 a month to cover the water line and an additional monthly fee of $9.45 to cover septic and sewer line breaks.

But if the program were to be opt-out, he said, homeowners likely would pay only $2.50 or $3 a month.

“You’d be the first big city to roll that out” if it became mandatory, he told the committee. He noted that Phoenix was one of the early pioneers of the voluntary program, which has since drawn the active participation of more than 1,300 municipalities and other water providers.

There is no limit on the number of claims that can be filed in any given year – though only one break can be covered per claim and a homeowner is covered for up to $8,500 per claim.

Davis also asked the subcommittee to consider a separate insurance program that would cost homeowners 50 cents to $1 month.

Called ServeLine, that “leak adjustment program” indemnifies the city in instances where a homeowner on any given month has a water bill that significantly spiked from their average month-

ly rate because of a leak.

“Right now Phoenix is very kind to water customers,” he said, explaining that in instances of such spikes, the city only requires the customer pay half the total cost of that spike.

But ServeLine would cover the full overage so that the customer would only pay their normal monthly average and the city would not lose any money.

In discussing the benefits of making the policies mandatory, Davis also touted the benefits the program offered for conserving water.

“This would save you on the average water leak,” he said. “We’re saving about two days of lost water because we’re fixing that leak faster.”

Davis said the average leak wastes 1,000 to 1,500 gallons and that a mandatory program could save the city 700 million gallons of water a year.

HomeServe’s programs are unique in the country and there are no similar insurance policies for waterline breaks, Davis said.

Stressing the savings in both water and money, Davis also told the subcommittee that making the insurance programs mandatory might also make a basic water rate increase more palatable to homeowners.

“We can’t be partners with the National League of Cities for 15 years and not be doing things the right way,” Davis told the panel. “As elected officials you can say (to customers) ‘Look, we had to raise water rates but now you don’t have to worry about a water line break, an expensive leak. We’re covering it.’

“And that’s why I think the impact of this program is going to be so great and Phoenix – I think you’re going to be a trailblazer for a lot of cities to do that.”

Meanwhile, homeowners interested in signing up for the voluntary program can go to slwofa.com or call 1-844-257-8795.

Additionally, residents can enroll by sending in the enrollment form that comes in the information letters that SLWA sends to Phoenix homeowners periodically. 

exclaimed Sarah Briscoe, mother of a current and former God’s Garden student.

Briscoe, event co-chair with Rachel Evans listed several special raffle baskets.

3,000 for last year’s four-hour event and becoming one of Ahwatukee’s longestrunning community traditions, behind only the Festival of Lights Kick-Off Party and the Ahwatukee Kiwanis Easter Parade.

And for the 22nd year, thousands of kids and their parents or guardians are expected between 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 11, when Transportation Day is held at God’s Garden Preschool, on the campus of Horizon Presbyterian Church, 1401 E. Liberty Lane.

One highly-anticipated event, the landing of an Air Evac Services helicopter, is scheduled for landing at 11 a.m. and will be open to inquisitive children and their parents until lift-off at 1 p.m.

Other vehicles on display include the Phoenix Fire Department trucks, Waste Management garbage trucks, construction vehicles like “Smiley Crane,” a Kyrene School District school bus, among others.

Smaller yet equally intriguing vehicles include Big O Tires 4-wheel quads, Jungle Roots Children’s Dentistry & Orthodontics lime green VW short van aptly named ‘Shorty’, artist Sandra Marshall’s Tiny House Art Studio, motorcycles and more.

Helping raise funds for God’s Garden Preschool is the annual raffle of baskets with tickets still priced at $1 each.

“Our raffle baskets are great this year,”

“This year the baskets will be displayed indoors and we have Phoenix Zoo tickets, OdySea Aquarium tickets, Diamondbacks Spring Training tickets, Phoenix Children’s Museum tickets, a month of free lessons at Gold Medal Swim School, a free sleepover with TinyTeepeeZzz, a $500 gift card to Great Wolf Lodge, a weekend getaway to a Flagstaff house with two different week options to choose from, and more,” Briscoe said.

A larger congregation of food trucks will be onsite and there is an expanded vendor section with displays inside and outdoors.

The popular Fun Zone returns and, according to co-chair Rachel Evans, includes more options.

“We’re doing the Fun Zone a bit differently this year and think it will work much better for the families coming,” said Evans, who has a daughter in God’s Garden while her son, a former student, attends Sierra Middle School.

“You can buy an unlimited Fun Zone wristband for $20 which includes inflatables, the train, petting zoo and pony rides,” she added.

“If you don’t want the wristband, you can buy tickets that are $1 each and de-

Last year, Raymond Fox was among the thousands of kids who got up-close-personal looks at vehicles during Transportation Day at God’s Garden Preschool in Ahwatukee. (AFN file photo)

pending on what you’d like to do, it will be one to four tickets. For instance, small inflatables are one ticket, and two tickets for the large inflatables.

“The petting zoo is two tickets, pony rides and the train ride are 5 tickets,” she said. “With the extra inflatables the fun zone will be extra fun for the kids this year.”

Evans and Briscoe and their various committees have worked for months to see that community children have a wonderful day.

Their own boys, God’s Garden Preschool alum, are among those eagerly awaiting Transportation Day.

“I love seeing all the trucks. especially the school bus, the crane and the cement

GOT NEWS?

Contact Paul Maryniak at 480-898-5631or pmaryniak@ TimesLocalMedia.com

mixer,” said Camden Briscoe, 6, a kindergarten student at Kyrene de la Sierra Elementary. “I love seeing all my friends and playing in the bounce houses, too.”

Evans’ 8-year-old son, Alexander, was equally enthusiastic.

“I love Transportation Day,” the Kyrene de la Sierra second grader beamed. “This is my fourth time going and I’m looking forward to seeing people that were in my class at God’s Garden. And, I’m excited to see the policemen and the bounce houses.”

As in year’s past, a free shuttle is available to help alleviate the crowded curb parking along Liberty Lane. Attendees may park at Kyrene de la Sierra Elementary School, 1122 E. Liberty Lane.

Information: TransportationDay. com 

Super Bowl gambling poised for history this year

BY JAMES DALPINO Cronkite News

For bettors, the Super Bowl is the holy grail of sports betting, as it is the biggest sporting event in the United States.

In 2022, a record 31.4 million Americans wagered a record $7.61 billion on Super Bowl 56 in Los Angeles, according to the American Gaming Association.

The 2023 Super Bowl differentiates itself from any other when it comes to the betting world. This year marks the first time where the big game is hosted in a state where sports gambling is legal. Arizona is expected to bring in a historic amount of money on Super Bowl Sunday.

What makes the Super Bowl special in the eyes of sports bettors are the various prop bets that are only available during the game. This includes an over/under on the length of the national anthem, bets on heads or tails on the coin toss, and even what celebrities will be shown

during specific advertisements.

The variety of bets during the Super Bowl keeps a gambling audience engaged throughout the entire game.

“The Super Bowl is the major wagering event of the year for sportsbooks in the U.S.,” said Geoff Zochodne, a sports betting reporter for Covers, a company that provides information analysis and statistics about sports betting. “Bettors just want to wager on everything that has to do with the game for entertainment purposes, and so you have those Super Bowl-specific markets that get a lot of attention.”

One of the biggest beneficiaries of legalized gambling in the Super Bowl is BetMGM, which opened its on-site location at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, where Super Bowl 57 will be played.

Fans who attend the game will be able to bet on-site, something that can only happen in a state where sports betting is

legal. According to the Arizona Department of Gaming, the venue produced $2 million in revenue during October.

“The fact that it’s in Arizona means you’re probably going to see more interest in betting at some of these in-person facilities,” Zochodne said. “It’s those inperson venues that are going to have tourists coming through that might see an uptick in the amount of handle for the game.”

Since Arizona’s legalization of sports betting in 2021, the number of sports bettors in the state per month has consistently increased. According to Arizona’s Department of Gaming, bettors in November of 2022 wagered nearly $617 million. Compared to the numbers in November 2021, this represents a 32.2% increase.

However, big numbers in the gambling industry came from last February, which included money generated from Super Bowl 56.

“We, in February, actually had $491 million wagered in the state during the month of February, which would encompass the Super Bowl last year,” said Max Hartgraves, a spokesman for the Ari-

BetMGM opened a sportsbook at State Farm Stadium in September, the first one to open in an NFL stadium. The venue, which brought in $2 million in revenue in October, expects record numbers for the upcoming Super Bowl. (Austin Ford/Cronkite News)

zona Department of Gaming, “And I will say, generally speaking, we’ve seen continued growth going into this year.”

With a combination of a growing sports betting community in Arizona along with the state hosting the big game, Arizona could be set to shatter betting revenue records for the weekend.

On top of that, the state hosts its annual Waste Management Open at TPC Scottsdale, another major sporting event that takes place in the Valley during Super

Bowl weekend. Sportsbooks across Maricopa County are hoping that these two big events will generate huge revenue throughout the entire weekend.

Since the legalization of sports betting, Arizona has already seen a large impact in its economy, receiving millions of dollars in revenue for the state. However, the opportunities for revenue in the state are even bigger throughout Super Bowl weekend.

From the events leading up to the Su-

per Bowl along with the flock of tourists coming to the game, this year’s Super Bowl could be record-breaking. With that increase in betting, the state is expected to also benefit from unprecedented revenue.

“It’s brought in millions of dollars to the state, and patrons are now able to enjoy it legally and have consumer protections,” Hartgraves said.“So I’m excited to see how the Super Bowl does impact our February figures here in the state.”

Generally, the NFL normally picks warm weather cities to host the Super Bowl. The last three Super Bowl cities –Miami, Tampa Bay, and Los Angeles – all fall into this category.

In 2024, the Super Bowl will move to Las Vegas, the gambling capital of the world. As the NFL decides host cities for future Super Bowls, could the legalization of sports gambling become a major factor in choosing which city hosts the Super Bowl?

“It really is just another indication that the NFL has gotten very comfortable with the legal gambling industry that it sees it not as part of the game, but it’s part of the culture around the game,”

Clean

Zochodne said.

“Depending on how things go in Las Vegas the following year, it could just be consideration of legal sports, it just isn’t considered at all anymore, that it’s just become something that is sort of secondary to the venue itself.”

The Super Bowl could possibly return to Arizona sooner than later. The last time State Farm Stadium hosted the Super Bowl was in 2015, only eight years ago, showing the NFL has strong connections and preferences to Arizona and the Valley.

If the Super Bowls in Arizona and Las Vegas bring in greater revenue for the NFL, sports betting could become a major deciding factor in determining future host cities.

“I think the fact that Arizona has legal sports betting gives the NFL more comfort and having the games in a legal wagering jurisdiction,” Zochodne said. “I think if anything, it probably will depend on how it goes and maybe deliver more support, perhaps for (a) return to Arizona and in future years if everything goes smoothly.” 

BY SCOTT SHUMAKER Tribune Staff Writer

Ayear after Bell Bank Park opened to great expectations, the park has hosted hundreds of thousands visitors and reported 4.3 million individual visits in Mesa, but it remains under a dark financial cloud since defaulting on the terms of its loan in October.

The profits the park was expected to generate never materialized, putting its owner’s ability to make loan payments on the $280 million in tax-free municipal bonds that financed it in jeopardy.

Queen Creek officials consider the park a major selling point in its plans to lure tourists to the town.

Most recently, Legacy Cares missed a $10 million payment due Jan. 1, and it still owes contractors $30 million in back payments for the park’s construction,

The project’s cash is down to $22 million left in a reserve fund for loan payments, leaving questions for some about how Legacy Cares has spent $260 million on its development.

After Legacy Cares missed a January

deadline to submit an audited financial report for fiscal year 2022, the public remains in the dark.

What all this financial doom and gloom will ultimately mean for users at the 320-acre park is unclear but a recent court filing, hints that a management change could be coming.

What that means is the possible removal of Randy Miller and his sons – who conceived of the park, drove its construction and run Legacy Sports, the for-profit entity that manages the park for nonprofit Legacy Cares.

In online reviews, users have criticized the park’s management for poor execution. A league owner said he is taking his business to another venue after a disappointing experience last year.

After Bell Bank Park started to flounder financially, Chad Miller, the CEO of Legacy Sports, and other managers insisted in calls with bondholders and interviews that COVID had caused the park to underperform.

But those assertions are at odds with statements Legacy made in a May podcast with Visit Mesa, when they said

that COVID had lifted demand for youth sports travel and helped the facility book events through 2022.

People would “do anything to make sure their kids were taken care of or in sports,” Chad Miller said at the time.

“You also saw a lot of people coming in from California to Arizona to still compete in tournaments” amid continued uncertainty in some states on reopening guidelines, he said.

The revelation that Bell Bank Park’s creditors are eyeing a management change came in a monthly status update for Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Dewain Fox filed by an attorney for Okland Construction, the construction manager for the park’s vertical buildings.

Okland filed a lien against the Bell Bank Park property in May for $25 million in unpaid bills.

After Legacy Cares defaulted on its bonds in October, Okland and other lien holders began talks with Legacy Cares and senior bondholders to delay foreclosure proceed-

ings while the park’s owner figured tried to come up with the money it owes.

State law grants contractors the power to force foreclosure to collect unpaid bills, a process that could complicate Bell Bank Park’s efforts to secure new financing.

In November, a judge ordered the lien holders to suspend new filings until Jan. 31, buying Bell Bank Park time to arrange a prospective $400 million in new bonds.

In Okland’s January update to the court, the company said it has been told that Bell Bank Park’s refinancing plan with Chicago-based investment bank Loop Capital “remains likely to close and should generate funds sufficient to pay contractor and subcontractor claims.”

But Okland attorney James Csontos also explained at length that his clients understood the plan to be contingent on a management change at the facility.

“The senior bondholders, who are likely purchasers of new bonds, are expected to require management changes to improve the performance of the complex,” Csontos wrote.

Before Bell Bank Park opened, Legacy Sports entered into a partnership with global venue development and investment company Oak View Group to negotiate naming rights and manage the park once it opened.

Oak View Group manages many highprofile arenas, stadiums, amphitheaters and other venues. Locally, OVG manages Hohokam Stadium and Sloan Park in Mesa, and Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.

OVG’s website does not currently list Bell Bank Park as a venue it operates.

Csontos wrote in the January filing, “It is presumed that the Oak View Group will reassume a greater amount of responsibility (for Bell Bank Park). This shift is believed to increase the marketability of the bonds needed to fund the refinance.”

If OVG is managing the park, and the nonprofit Legacy Cares needed to access the municipal bond market, that leaves the Miller’s for-profit Legacy Sports cut out of the park.

Chad Miller did not respond to a request for comment.

Long-time Bell Bank Park watcher and Securities and Exchange Commission whistleblower Stephen Griffin told the

Tribune that in municipal bond defaults, a “hornet’s nest of litigation” can ensue when the existing managers of a project do not want to leave.

Legacy Sports’ 40-year management agreement with Legacy Cares contains a long section on the termination of the agreement, and it appears to give Legacy Sports a generous payout for termination under certain conditions.

Csontos said in his report that Okland is “skeptical” a refinancing deal will come to fruition.

He noted that Legacy Cares originally aimed to go before the Arizona Industrial

Development Authority Board of Directors to request the new round of bonds in November, but that has been delayed several months, most recently in January.

Legacy Cares is now gunning for AZIDA’s Feb. 16 meeting, he said.

But the stay of foreclosure proceedings for Legacy’s lien holders expired Jan. 31, and Okland is hedging its bets.

“While we understand that the (refinancing) transaction continues to move forward,” Csontos told the Tribune, “we intend to move forward aggressively with the foreclosure litigation in the meantime. 

DiCiccio hails Liberty Lane signal activation

AFN NEWS STAFF

City Councilman Sal DiCiccio hailed the activation Jan. 31 of a new traffic signal at the intersection of 32nd Street and Liberty Lane in Ahwatukee.

And it’s no ordinary traffic light.

It’s a High Intensity Activated CrossWalk (HAWK), which DiCiccio said “will improve safety for everyone who travels through this intersection.”

“I’ve heard from the community about the need for a traffic light in this intersection,” he said. “I made sure Streets prioritized this intersection due to the proximity of nearby schools. ...Hundreds of students cross the street at this location daily on their way to and from school, and the added safety improvements will decrease accidents.”

The new signal features time-of-day dynamic display signage to restrict right turns at the intersection during school arrival and dismissal times.

That time-of-day restriction coincides with the time period when large numbers of students cross at the intersection; it improves the safety for pedestrians and drivers.

The right-turn restriction will be in effect for one hour in the morning and one hour in the afternoon.

The new signal also includes a Leading Pedestrian Interval (LPI) feature, which gives those crossing the opportunity to enter the crosswalk several seconds before vehicles are given a green light to travel in that same direction.

“People walking can better establish their presence in the crosswalk before vehicles turn right or left,” DiCiccio said. “Unlike the time-of-day dynamic signage, the LPI feature will remain active all day.

“Both features are anticipated to improve safety for everyone who travels through this intersection.”

A Federal Highway Administration study found that HAWK signals, developed by the City of Tucson in the 1990s, reduced serious vehicle crashes by 35% and pedestrian-injury accidents by a whopping 88%.

The City of Phoenix has been steadily adding HAWK signals to intersections since 2009 after the FHWA approved them and there are more than 100 throughout the city. 

The High Intensity Activated CrossWalk (HAWK) signal at 32nd Street and Liberty Lane in Ahwatukee was activated Jan.31, improving safety for hundreds of children who attend nearby schools, city Councilman Sal DiCiccio said. (Special to AFN)

Local class trains people to aid motorcycle crash victims

AFN NEWS STAFF

What would you do if you came upon an accident involving a motorcycle? More to the point, would you know what to do?

Ahwatukee resident Lisa Malachowsky is trained to know and teach others and now she’s slated classes this year in Ahwatukee to help spread the word.

On Saturday, Feb. 11, Malachowsky, who is certified in accident scene management, will conduct a seven-hour class at Pritchette Physical Therapy, 4730 E. Warner Road. Cost is $100 and a $50 scholarship is available at the Arizona Motorcycle Safety & Awareness Foundation by applying at amsaf.org/asm.

After registering for the scholarship, participants must register for the class at accidentscene.org. Other classes are planned in Ahwatukee once a month through October, though the locations have not been set yet.

According to accident statistics compiled by the Arizona Department of

Transportation for 2021 – the most recent available – motorcycle accidents accounted for 2,672 of the 234,783 crashes that occurred that year. They claimed 185 lives and injured 2,115 people.

Because rendering first aid in the first five to 30 minutes can be critical – especially while waiting for a trained first responder – to saving a biker’s life or sparing him or her life-changing injuries,

Malachowsky said this class is something every person should consider.

Special training is required to prevent a well-intentioned person from doing the wrong thing that would worsen an injury.

For example, when asked if her class would help people come to the aid of a stricken bicyclist, Malachowsky sternly replied, “No.” Removing the helmet on a motorcyclist requires a different technique from taking one off a bicyclist, she explained, because the headgear is heavier and fits differently.

Saving lives and sparing injuries are only part of Malachowsky’s mission in life.

There’s another part that’s a lot more fun for her: she also has revved up a business called Dive N Ride Adventures, using her experience as a motorcyclist since age 12 and a scuba diver since 1986 and a certified diving teacher with the Professional Association of Diving Instructors since 1994.

Ahwatukee author tries Hail Mary pass for Super Bowl seat

To call Stephanie Milon-Barton a Philadelphia Eagles fan is pretty much like calling the Liberty Bell a knell.

So, it’s probably not surprising that the Ahwatukee author and exercise physiologist last week was so jazzed about Sunday’s showdown in Glendale between the Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs that she took to social media with a plea for help in securing a ticket.

Posting on the Ahwatukee 411 Facebook Page, Milon-Barton touted not only growing up in a New Jersey town that is about 20 minutes from the City of Brotherly Love, but that she went to high school

with the daughters of former Eagles quarterback Ron Jaworski, who also “used to coach my summer basketball team.”

“In honor of the Eagles (and to help pay for my ticket!),” she wrote, she offered a 10% discount on her international-award-winning children’s book, “Above the Clouds: What Really Happens in Heaven During a Thunderstorm.”

With tickets ranging in price last week from $4,200 to more than S18,000, Milon-Barton sweetened the offer by promising to “personalize and deliver” her book to the benefactor’s home and a classroom visit for any teacher who might have a spare ducat.

And to cover both bases in case

a generous Chiefs fan might read her post, Milon-Barton added that she also had a place in her heart for Chiefs Coach Andy Reid, who coached the Eagles for 14 seasons, earned a 130-93-1 record, and even took the team to a Super Bowl, albeit one that did not end in a victory.

The children’s book is a collaboration between Milon-Barton and her daughter Carley when the teen was a Desert Vista High School student and is based on a thunderstorm Carley experienced in Texas when she was 5. It recounts how the young girl turns for comfort to her mom, who explains “what is going on in heaven during a thunderstorm.”

AFN NEWS STAFF

Lisa Malachowsky of Ahwatukee has been a motorcyclist since she was a kid and now she’s conducting classes for two-wheeled and four-wheeled motorists on how to handle a motorcycle accident victim in the initial minutes of a crash. (Everton Ifill)

Ahwatukee resident Stephanie Milon-Barton and her daughter Carley co-authored a children’s book several years ago that mom hoped could somehow get her a ticket to the Super Bowl. (Special to AFN)

Volunteers sought for foster care review board

AFN NEWS STAFF

The Foster Care Review Board, a program within the Dependent Children’s Services Division of the Arizona Supreme Court, is seeking volunteers.

Statewide, the FCRB has about 108 boards and a little over 500 volunteer positions that advocate on behalf of children in Arizona’s foster care system.

In Maricopa County – including Ahwatukee, Gilbert, Chandler, Queen Creek, Mesa and Scottsdale – the FCRB facilitates 56 boards that each have five people appointed by presiding judge of Juvenile Court.

“We have an urgent need to fill vacancies in this county,” a spokeswoman said. Volunteers commit to meeting one weekday a month to review the cases of children who are in out-of-home care. The meetings are completed via video conference. The board makes recommendations to the Juvenile Court and interested parties involved in the case.

Currently, boards in Maricopa County are reviewing the cases of about 5,200

children. Volunteers receive training.

In preparation for a board meeting, volunteers receive court documents and other case materials via a secured website about 10 days before the meeting. Board members prepare questions to clarify and gather information.

Interested parties for each case can appear before the board and speak about their concerns, successes, wants and needs and the board members are allowed to ask questions. A program specialist prepares a written report with the board’s recommendations and statements by the interested parties.

Volunteers must be at least 21 and pass a fingerprint background check. Apply at AZFCRB.org or 602-452-3400. You can also email RPTFCRB@courts. az.gov to request an application.

Another way to get involved is a program with similar requirements called Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), in which volunteers are appointed by the Court to advocate for a specific child with whom they are paired. To learn more about becoming a CASA volunteer: AZCASAVolunteer.org. 

AROUND AHWATUKEE

Phoenix taking registrations for Kids

Triathlon at Pecos Park on March 26

Phoenix is taking registrations for the Pecos Park Triathlon 8 a.m.-noon March 26 and parents have just one week left for a discount on the fee – from $38 to $26.

The second annual event is broken into three categories – swimming, biking and running – and three age groups. In swimming, ages 6-7-year-olds go 25 meters, 8-10 for 50 and 11-13 for 100. In biking, the youngest group will go a half-mile, 8-10 for one mile and the 11-13 group pedals 1.3 miles. Running is broken down by 6-7, .35 miles; 8-10, .75 miles and 11-13 for a mile.

Participants must be able to swim the designated pool lengths unassisted. One parent/guardian can accompany their child in the bike and run portion in the 6-7 age group only. Parent must bring their own bike and helmets are required.

All participants will receive a finisher medal and event t-shirt. Must register prior to Feb. 15 to guarantee an event shirt and the $26 registration fee. Register: email denise.romero@phoenix.gov or call 602-534-5234.

AFFAN slates monthly luncheon with program on YOPAS

Ahwatukee Foothills Friends and Neighbors offers

Thunder cheer champs

local women an opportunity to meet new friends and share experiences and one way of learning more is attending its 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. luncheon Feb. 27 at Shalimar Country Club, when Brenda Nichols, YOPAS associate director, discuss the Ahwatukee YMCA and its Outreach Program for Ahwatukee Seniors.

Nichols began her career in 1986, hired right out of college by Presley Development, and joined the Y in 2000.

Contact affanwomensgroup@gmail.com for more luncheon details and to register. Cost is $23 prepaid by Feb. 14.

AFFAN organizes various activities, including Find new friends while enjoying activities as team trivia, dining on the town, wine tasting, Explore Arizona trips, book club and more.

Information: affanwomensgroup.org/public.

Dems & Donuts features speaker who will discusss Neighbors Forward AZ

The LD 12 Democrats & Donuts monthly session will be held at 8-9 a.m. Feb. 15 at Denny’s, 7400 W. Chandler Blvd., Chandler. Guest speaker is LD12 Dems Chair Emerita Alison Porter, who will talk about Neighbors Forward AZ.

Although the official start time is 8 a.m., people are see AROUND page 26

Michael Dougherty’s first year as Desert Vista’s varsity cheer head coach helped the cheer and show teams bring home some glory. The cheer team competed in December for the first time in school history in the AIA Spiritline Game Day State Championships against 22 Division 1 schools and placed sixth, getting a special award for their band chant. Last month, the varsity show cheer “Golden Girls” competed against 20 schools and placed fourth in the Division 1 state championships, earning a special award for “Dynamic Dance.” The last time DV Cheer qualified for the AIA finals was in 2003. At the end of this month, both teams will compete for national titles in the National Spirit Competition in Anaheim, California. Above: cheer team members include, Back row, from left: Coach Michael Doughtery, Chloe Vacassy, Melanie Maya, Riley De Vries, Angelina Sklodowski, Lilli Schoonover, Nadia Smith, Sofiya Voldkova, Kaitlyn Alvarez, Sterling Savell, Lizzie Gannon, Caroline Sauer, Aly Micheau, Lani Kujawski; Middle row: Christina Lyons, Karrine Parnell, Alyssa Richardson, Malaya Weil, Madison Worthington, Madison Caballero, Lexi Lannon, McKenna Lowe. Missing: Kaci Danks. Front:: Seniors Sheila Vernier, Kate Tetreault, Ava Franquero, Erin Salo, Maddie Wason, Leyna Nguyen and Esmerelda Tovar. Below: Show team members Back row: Coach Doughtery, McKenna Lowe, Lilli Schoonover, Sterling Savell, Lizzie Gannon, Aly Micheau, Christina Lyons and Kaitlyn Alvarez. Front Nadia Smith, Erin Salo, Maddie Watson, Melanie Maya, Chloe Vacassy, Malaya Weil, and Sofiya Voldkova. Missing: Kaci Danks. (Special to AFN)

Lymphatic massage helps promote healthy skin

BY DARLA HOFFMAN AFN Guest Writer

The body’s immune system comprises cells, organs, and tissue that work together to protect our bodies. As an immune organ, the skin is the first line of defense against toxins, pathogens, and physical stresses.

The primary function of the skin is that of a physical barrier. Furthermore, our body’s lymphatic system is a part of our immune system that keeps our fluids in balance and defends the body against infections. It is essential to understand that, unlike our circulatory system, it is a oneway system with no pump, relying on manual movements like breath, massage, and exercise to keep it flowing.

At optimal function, our lymphatic system creates a pathway for nutrients, oxygen, and hydration to reach our cells, keeping them healthy. If the lymphatic system is not working correctly, it can become clogged. Consequently, this may cause acne, loss of elasticity, premature aging, and other skin conditions.

In addition to the skin, an inactive lymphatic system can cause many other problems within the body, causing dysfunction and disease.

Dehydration, poor diet, lack of sleep, stress, and lack of movement are some of the culprits that stagnate our lymphatic system. Luckily there are things we can do to nurture our lymphatic system to boost and maintain its function.

First, we must physically move our bodies. Avoid sitting or standing for long periods and incorporate time for exercise every day. Eating foods that increase lymphatic drainage is essential. For instance, leafy greens, chia seeds, low-sugar fruits, and almonds are excellent aids in promoting flow through the tissues. Drinking enough water is also imperative. The easiest way to keep the lymph in motion is

merely by breathing and laughing.

However, a viable option to be considered is lymphatic drainage massage, also called manual lymphatic drainage, which moves lymph to an area with working lymph vessels. It is a gentle massage to reduce swelling by moving the lymph (the fluid containing white blood cells) from your tissues to your lymph nodes (structures that filter substances that travel through lymph to protect against infection and disease) -- ultimately returning it to your bloodstream.

Lymphatic massage is a way of directing the fluid toward the most lymph nodes. There are hundreds of lymph nodes throughout our body, but the armpits, neck, and groin contain the most clusters. Therefore, the therapist will use light pressure to manipulate the flow toward those areas.

Lymphatic massage should not be painful, and a trained therapist will use soft, slow strokes to avoid bypassing the superficial lymphatic vessels in the skin. Lymphatic facial drainage also reduces puffiness and breakouts while helping the skin look brighter. Facial drainage is often combined with enzyme treatments for an effective detoxifying session.

With a lymphatic drainage massage, one should expect a different experience than a deep tissue massage for muscle tension. Deep breathing, in through your nose and out through your mouth, is encouraged. Undesirable effects from lymphatic drainage are rare, but it is possible to feel fatigued and get headaches or shortterm flu-like symptoms, coined the ‘detox flu.’ However, most people feel energized and rejuvenated.

You should consult your doctor before receiving treatment if you have concerns about heart disease, kidney failure, blood clots, or infection.

Darla S. Hoffmann owns A-peeling Faces Skincare & Massage Therapy inside Signature Salon Studios, 3936 E. Chandler Blvd., Ahwatukee. Information: apeelingfaces.com, 480-540-7555 

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asked to arrive early to get in their breakfast order. Hosts will be there a half hour earlier. Information: email Julia Fleeman at juliafleeman@cox.net.

Time to think about the Kiwanis Ahwatukee Easter Parade

It’s time for schools, groups, businesses and even families to start thinking about their entries in the 47th annual Kiwanis Ahwatukee Easter Parade and Spring Fling April 8.

The club is already planning the parade, which starts at Warner Road and 48th Street and heads north to Elliot Road.

Though entries are being accepted until March 30, it’s never too early for organizations “to put their heads together and organize their entries,” said Mike Schmitt, Parade Boss for the 31st consecutive year.

Spectators are welcome to bring lawn chairs or spread blankets and enjoy the parade. Public address stations will be located at Ahwatukee Country Club and at the corners of Ahwatukee Drive, Kiowa Street and Pawnee Street.

Kiwanis Club President Carrie Chipman also reminds people that the club will need volunteers for the Spring Fling fundraiser that immediately follows the parade, which starts at 10 a.m.

After the parade, all are invited to the Spring Fling at Ahwatukee Community Center Park, 48th Street and Warner Road. Enjoy entertainment by local groups, vendor and craft booths, Easter Egg Hunt, carnival rides, games, food, beverages, and games until 4 p.m.

Parade entry forms have been mailed to over 300 local businesses, groups and previous parade entries. But those who haven’t received one can call 480-759-0007 or e-mail msch0007@aol.com.

For more Spring Fling information call 602-402-6267 or email andi@wttaz.com . Forms are available at ahwatukeekiwanis.org.

Valentines Day bash today at Cactus Jack’s

Cactus Jacks Bar & Grill, 48th Street and Elliot Road, in Ahwatukee is hosting its annual Valentines Dance Party starting at 6:30 p.m. today, Feb. 8, with line dancing lessons and open dancing.

Treats and raffles are in store and the admission is $5.

Information: Carrie at cmcneish@cox.net or dancemeetsfitness.net.

Bar slates free advice session on SS, disability benefits

The State Bar of Arizona is holding a free virtual legal clinic for people seeking advice on their Social Security and disability benefits. Attorneys have volunteered to give members of the public free 30-minute legal consultations 4-7 p.m. Feb. 22.

Attorneys can answer questions or even help fill out forms but participants must sign up ahead of time at FindALawyer@staff.azbar.org.

Ironwood Library offers free activities for all ages

Ironwood Library, 4333 E. Chandler Blvd., Ahwatu-

kee, presents a variety of programs for children, teens and adults. Unless otherwise noted, free tickets are required and available 30 minutes before programs’ start times at the library’s information desk.

For more information: phoenixpubliclibrary.org.

Babytimes

Babies ages birth to 23 months, accompanied by a favorite adult, will enjoy songs, rhymes, books, and interactive fun Tuesdays, 10:30-11:10 a.m. Space is limited to 12 families.

Toddlertimes

Toddlers ages 24-36 months, accompanied by a favorite adult, will enjoy songs, rhymes, books, and interactive fun Thursdays, 10:30-11:10 a.m. Space is limited to 12 families.

Sit, Stay, Read!

Young readers & listeners can sign up for reading time with a registered therapy dog/handler team. Read with Elsa 4-5 p.m. every Tuesday.

Family storytime at Pecos Park

Children birth to age five and their favorite grownups play, read, sing, and dance in a fun, active program that builds reading skills. Every Friday, 9:30-10 a.m., outdoors at Pecos Park, 17010 S. 48th St. No tickets required. Supported by a grant from First Things First.

Sit, Stay, Read!

Young readers & listeners can sign up for reading time with a registered therapy dog/handler team. Read with Elsa every Tuesday, 4-5 p.m. Read with Raven every Thursday, 4-5 p.m.

Full STEAM Ahead

Children ages 6-12 explore hands-on creative ways to design, experiment, and invent Saturdays, 2-3 p.m., in this Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math (STEAM) program. No Full STEAM Ahead on Feb. 25. No tickets required.

Bicycle Safety Rodeo

Families, hop on your bikes and pedal to the library to learn safe cycling tips from John Boyd, Injury Prevention Specialist at Phoenix Children’s. Then practice your safety skills on our bicycle course. No bike? No problem! We will have bicycles for kids ages 11 & younger to borrow. We’ll also have a bike helmet give-away, while supplies last. Feb. 25, 9-11 a.m. No tickets required.

Join Ironwood’s Library Teen Council!

We’re looking for teens ages 12-17 who would like to help us organize programs, create displays, and improve the library experience for all library users! Participating in our library teen council is a great opportunity for those wanting experience in a work environment for school, scholarship, or job applications.

Online volunteer applications are available at volunteer.phoenix.gov. Under “Browse by Interest” choose “Library,” in the “Keyword” box type “Ironwood,” and complete the appropriate application. A volunteer coordinator will notify applicants when the first meeting will take place. Monthly meeting are on Fridays, 3:30-4:30 p.m Feb. 3 & March 3.

Paper Crafts

Adults and teens can learn a new papercraft the first Wednesday of each month. The group will be starting with flowers and all materials will be provided. Feb. 1 and March 1, 4:30-5:30 p.m. No tickets required.

Sit and Stitch

After plumbing the depths of bodies of water around the world – her favorite spot is off the Indonesia coast – and tooling around globally on motorcycles, she is offering two adventures this year, one by sea and one by land.

“When you’ve got the wanderlust to travel, and you’re a scuba diver, the world can be your oyster,” she writes in her blog. “I’ve been diving internationally since the early ‘90s and I still have a list of places that I want to visit – or revisit. My preference is to go on scuba trips using dedicated live-aboard scuba diving boats as it allows you to immerse yourself completely in diving and get to some less visited dive sites.”

For the first trips offered by her fledgling business, Malachowsky is going big.

On Dec. 1-10, she is leading a LGBTQfriendly dive trip aboard a 90-foot boat

Targeting readers ages 3 to 8, the book also had some guidance from her grandmother Sue Milon. Carley, now a Northern Arizona University senior majoring in mechanical engineer, desribed her as someone who “knew how to make it appeal to kids” because she worked as a school librarian for 23 years.

The book garnered an international bronze award as well as one for fiction in the American Book Fest, which honors fiction by independent, digital and self-published authors.

“The book is doing well,” Milon-Barton said. “I’m still trying to get the word out about it. The hard part is that it’s best in other areas of the country where severe thunderstorms are more prevalent – not that we don’t get our fair share of some crazy monsoons.”

Not surprisingly, Milon-Barton didn’t quite score a touchdown.

“Unfortunately, no one has answered

AROUND from page 26

Join fellow stitchers on the first Saturday of each month, Feb. 4, 3-4:45 p.m. Knitting, crocheting, crossstitch, needlepoint…all are welcome! No tickets required.

Next Chapter Book Club

This inclusive community-based book club is designed for people ages 12+ with intellectual and developmental disabilities who have a desire to make friends, explore their community, and read (regardless of current reading ability). This weekly gathering is free and occurs every

to Baja California Sur, where participants can explore the Sea of Cortez, inspecting sunken ships, swimming with sea lions and “see more spectacular tropical fish than we can count.”

On Sept. 8-23, Malachowsky is leading a motorcycle escapade through Portugal and Spain that will traverse the Douro Valley and the Pyrenees Mountains, with 14 of the 16 days on the road while spending the night in what she called luxury hotels and guest quarters. The trip will begin in Portugal and end on the sandy beaches of the Mediterranean Sea.

Participants will have a choice of motorcycle size to rent – and a choice between three- and two-wheeled bikes –and a van will take care of their luggage as they cruise the roads.

For more details, contact Malachowsky at 925-759-4360 or lisa@divenrideadventures.com and check out her website, divenrideadventures.com. 

my plea,” she said. “But I did just score a free pair of Eagles sneakers from a woman who saw my post. They got delivered to her by accident and she couldn’t send them back. She reached out to me after seeing my post.”

“I was very nervous to make a post like that,” she added. “You never know how it will be received and people can be so mean.”

Other than a few jibes about Philly fans, reaction was snark-free. Indeed, Milon-Barton said, “For the most part it’s been fun seeing how many Eagles fan there are here and where everyone lived before.”

And, she’s going to the game after all – her first NFL contest ever– because a high school friend sold her a ticket at far less than the going rate.

The ticket still was “expensive,” she said, “but something I couldn’t pass up.”

And she said, she even sold a few books through her post. Her book is available at bartonbooks.com. 

Wednesday, 3:30-4:30 p.m. Registration is required and available in the library or online in the Calendar section of the library’s website.

Book Club

Adult readers 18+ can meet up with fellow adventuresome bibliophiles to share their thoughts about each month’s selection the first Wednesday of each month, 5:00-5:45 p.m. No tickets required. On Feb. 1 the group will discuss A Woman of No Importance by Sonia Purnell, and on March 1, The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles. 

SUPER from page 24

We invite you to Corpus Christi Catholic Church

Monday, March 6 through Thursday, March 9 for our Lenten Parish Mission and Healing Service entitled:

Why Be Catholic?

Fr. Ken Geraci, lived the life of the prodigal son for most of his young adult life. Raised in a nominal Catholic family, who only lived the externals of the faith, Fr. Ken left the Catholic Church for many years. During that time, he worked as a business profession in Advanced R&D and software testing; a few years into his career he joined a few of his co-workers in establishing a $4.5M Internet software company.

Focused on money, fitness and success, he made little room for God; but God did not give up on him. During this journey, God presented him with challenges that forced him to question his personal beliefs and the question, “What is Truth?”

Through a series of conversions, years of struggle, study and questioning, Fr. Ken found his way from agnosticism to nondenominational Christianity and ultimately, back to the Catholic Church.

The FATHERS

Fr. Ken joined the Fathers of Mercy in 2006 and was ordained in 2012. Having lived a secular existence, Fr. Ken has a great understanding of the personal and societal pressures that individuals face and knows what it is like to “hate coming to church.”

This mission is for people of all ages and levels of faith, from those who are madly in love with Jesus, to those who pretty much cannot stand church or religion. Regardless of your level of faith come and experience God’s Divine Mercy!

We invite you to one or all of the talks:

Monday through Thursday at 9am or 7pm in the church.

Fr. Ken will be available to hear confessions each day. Mass at 8:15am each day and 6pm on Tuesday & Thursday.

Attend Kyrene Showcase Nights in January and February

Explore What it Means to be a Kyrene Kid

Kyrene kids are at the top of the class, consistently outperforming students in peer districts and charter schools.

Kyrene kids aspire to become leaders, performers, scientists and more, through a variety of programs across 26 campuses.

Kyrene kids get a global education with International Baccalaureate and world languages.

Kyrene kids are ready for the future

Kyrene School District invites families to learn more about our excelling schools at a series of Showcase Nights, beginning in January.

Kindergarten and preschool families are encouraged to attend Showcase Nights at our elementary and K-8 schools, and incoming 6th grade families are encouraged to join us for middle school and K-8 Showcase Nights.

For a complete list of event dates and times, visit www.kyrene.org/showcase.

Maricopa County eviction cases ‘surpassing normal’ now

AFN NEWS STAFF

Eviction cases in Maricopa County have increased to a pace not seen in nearly 15 years.

Data released last week by the county Justice Courts office shows that actions against tenants hit 7,031 in January –“the busiest month since September 2008,” said courts spokesman Scott Davis.

“January’s number was also 13% higher than January 2019 – the year we’ve been calling ‘normal,’ for pandemic comparisons, Davis said. “This work load continues the upward trend that started in June. I think it is safe to say that landlords are not only back to normal, but surpassing normal.”

In January, the Kyrene Justice Court – which covers Ahwatukee and parts of Tempe and Chandler – saw the most eviction cases filed among the 26 justice courts, data shows. Its 442 cases were among four courts with more than 400

each. The other three cover other parts of Phoenix.

Kyrene Justice Court also accounted for the second highest number of eviction cases in 2022 with 3,206 of the total 55,286 cases filed all year across all 26 courts. The only court that saw more than Kyrene was Manistee, which overlaps part of North Phoenix, according to

Justice Courts data.

How the county’s overall eviction caseload compares statewide or nationally currently is virtually impossible to determine. While eviction data nationally was reported with regularity as pandemic prohibitions went away, online searches show that most reports now are at least a few years old.

In the face of rising rents nationwide, the U. S. Treasury Department announced that the multi-billion-dollar Emergency Rental Assistance program is “almost fully exhausted” and encouraged state and local government grantees “to continue to use ERA funds to

REEIS offers holistic approach to conditioning

BY ALISON STANTON AFN Staff Writer

Since 2009, REEIS Air Conditioning & Home Performance has helped homeowners stay cool, no matter how high the mercury is climbing outside.

The family-owned and operated company, which serves homes throughout Ahwatukee and the East Valley, Arcadia, Scottsdale and Paradise Valley, provides a number of traditional services including A/C and heating system maintenance, service, diagnostics and repair.

As owner Todd Russo noted, while other companies might focus only on the HVAC system, REEIS Air Conditioning & Home Performance takes a “whole house approach” to home performance and air conditioning that is very effective.

“Your home operates as a system. The air conditioner is just one component,”

Russo said, adding that to deliver true performance results, his technicians take the time to carefully evaluate a number of other factors including the air conditioner’s performance, the thermal envelope, the system’s air flow, house leakage and pressure balancing.

“We call it thinking outside the box. We identify what your home needs and cater a solution to deliver proper performance.”

This holistic approach to air conditioning is definitely working, Russo said.

“According to the National Comfort

Institute, the average air conditioning system in the United States only delivers 59 percent of its cooling capacity. REEIS takes pride in delivering as close to 100 percent cooling deliverance and home performance as possible.”

In addition, rather than use performance-based commissions to pay his employees, Russo is proud to offer technicians an hourly wage.

As he noted, this approach helps ensure that his employees will focus on fixing the issue at hand, not upselling parts and services that may not be needed.

“We offer value-added maintenance service packages like our Comfort Club option that will keep your AC unit working at peak performance, without the need to charge a la carte pricing for each item,” he said.

Customers who book an appointment

REEIS takes pride in delivering as close to 100 percent cooling deliverance and home performance as possible. (Special to AFN)

High-income earners can explore ‘backdoor Roth’

BY JOSEPH ORTIZ AFN Guest Writer

There aren’t many drawbacks to having a high income — but being unable to invest in a Roth IRA might be one of them. Are there strategies that allow high-income earners to contribute to this valuable retirement account?

Before we delve into that question, let’s consider the rules. In 2023, you can contribute the full amount to a Roth IRA — $6,500, or $7,500 if you’re 50 or older — if your modified adjusted gross income is less than $138,000 (if you’re single) or $218,000 (if you’re married and filing jointly).

If you earn more than these amounts, the amount you can contribute decreases until it’s phased out completely if your income exceeds $153,000 (single) or $228,000 (married, filing jointly).

EVICTIONS from page 30

make long-term investments in affordable housing and eviction-prevention infrastructure.”

The City of Phoenix since 2021 has

REEIS from page 30

with REEIS Air Conditioning & Home Performance can also rest assured that the technician will arrive on time instead of having to cancel at the last minute.

“We book appointments, and then show up for them, and we allocate the correct amount of time to complete the work,” Russo said.

The combination of REEIS Air Conditioning & Home Performance’s innova-

A Roth IRA is attractive because its earnings and withdrawals are tax free, provided you’ve had the account at least five years and you don’t start taking money out until you’re 59½.

Furthermore, when you own a Roth IRA, you’re not required to take withdrawals from it when you turn 72, as you would with a traditional IRA, so you’ll have more flexibility in your retirement income planning and your money will have the chance to potentially keep growing. But given your income, how can you contribute to a Roth?

You may want to consider what’s known as a “backdoor Roth” strategy. Essentially, this involves contributing money to a new traditional IRA, or taking money from an existing one, and then converting the funds to a Roth IRA. But while this backdoor strategy sounds simple, it involves some serious considerations.

Specifically, you need to evaluate

received a total $148.5 million in ERA funds, spending $16.5 million on administrative costs and $124.2 million on direct services, leaving $7.8 million yet to spend, according to the City Manager’s report released last week. 

tive approach to home cooling, along with its devotion to offering outstanding customer service means most home owners stay with the company for many years.

“Most customers who use REEIS over a competitor stay with REEIS. The vast majority of our work comes from our Comfort Club members who use REEIS exclusively, and we also get a high number of customer referrals,” Russo said.

Information: reeis.com. 

how much of your traditional IRA is in pretax or after-tax dollars. When you contribute pretax dollars to a traditional IRA, your contributions lower your annual taxable income.

However, if your income is high enough to disqualify you from contributing directly to a Roth IRA, you may also earn too much to make deductible (pretax) contributions to a traditional IRA. Consequently, you might have contributed after-tax dollars to your traditional IRA, on top of the pretax ones you may have put in when your income was lower. (Earnings on after-tax contributions will be treated as pretax amounts.)

In any case, if you convert pretax assets from your traditional IRA to a Roth IRA, the amount converted will be fully taxable in the year of the conversion.

So, if you were to convert a large amount of these assets, you could face a hefty tax bill. And since you probably don’t want to take funds from the con-

verted IRA itself to pay for the taxes, you’d need another source of funding, possibly from your savings and other investments.

Ultimately, then, a backdoor Roth IRA strategy may make the most sense if you have few or no pretax assets in any traditional IRA, including a SEPIRA and a SIMPLE IRA.

If you do have a sizable amount of pretax dollars in your IRA, and you’d still like to convert it to a Roth IRA, you could consider spreading the conversion over a period of years, potentially diluting your tax burden.

Consult with your tax advisor when considering a backdoor Roth strategy. But if it’s appropriate for your situation, it could play a role in your financial strategy, so give it some thought.

Joseph Ortiz is a financial planner for Edward Jones. Reach him at 480753-7664 or joseph.ortiz@edwardjones.com. 

They

Council District 6 hopefuls write on the issues

To our readers

The Ahwatukee Foothills News has invited Phoenix City Council District 6 candidates Kevin Robinson and Sam Stone to write a column every week now through March 1. Aside from two in which AFN asked them to address specific subjects, the candidates were invited to write on topics on their choice.

People don’t have much time left to register to vote. The last day is Monday, Feb. 13, and early voting starts a week from today, Feb. 15.

To register: elections.maricopa.gov/voter-registration/register-to-vote.

Robinson: Memphis tragedy raises red flags about police hiring

BY KEVIN ROBINSON AFN Guest Writer

By now most of us have heard about the tragedy in Memphis, Tennessee, involving Tyre Nichols and several former members of the Memphis Police Department.

Painstakingly, I have watched the videos and was horrified at what I saw. As a parent, as a human being, it’s heartbreaking, shocking, and frightening that individuals who took an oath to serve and protect would be capable of such an atrocity.

Let me provide some context.

I served the citizens of Phoenix for over 36 years with the Phoenix Police Department, spending thousands of hours patrolling the streets as a patrol officer, a patrol sergeant, and a patrol lieutenant.

During that time I had the opportunity to work with dozens of police departments locally, around the country, as well as with the F.B.I. and a host of other federal law enforcement agencies.

Currently, I lecture at Arizona State University in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice. In my ASU capacity I am often called upon, as a topic expert, to provide my opinion on a variety of law enforcement and criminal justice related issues and topics. I have conducted well over 200 such interviews in the past several years.

Taking into account the background I just provided, allow me to offer a limited observation and commentary on the tragedy in Memphis.

As I watched the videos the one thing that stood out to me most was the absence of any supervisory personnel during or after the incident.

Specifically, a sergeant, the first level of supervision in every police agency, the person who interacts with officers with great regularity. Sergeants are easily recognizable by their rank insignia, three stripes, displayed on their uniform shirt or jacket sleeves.

Why do I think this is important? The sergeant is supposed to be the one that provides leadership and sets the tone for professionalism for his/her subordinates to emulate. Ask any police officer of any rank who had the biggest impact on their careers, 9 out of 10 will tell you it was a sergeant.

As I watched the videos, I didn’t see a sergeant, or any other supervisory personnel, respond to the scene or appear in any of the videos. To me, this was a red flag.

The question begs to be asked, were officers in the Memphis Police Department accustomed to a lack of supervision? If so, how much did that contribute to the blatant criminal behavior displayed on the videos?

When I was a patrol sergeant in the

Stone: City’s aid to unshelteredpeople needs an overhaul

BY SAM STONE AFN Guest Writer

Not long ago there were only a handful of homeless folks living in Ahwatukee. Much of the community knew them by name.

Now Ahwatukee has large homeless encampments hiding along our freeways. Driven by powerful new drugs, homelessness is exploding, and it will take a change in our approach to stem the tide.

Phoenix, like every city across the country, has been engaged in an approach to homelessness referred to as “Housing First” wherein governments simply provide housing and offer – not mandate – treatment or services.

The idea behind Housing First is compassionate. The results are not.

Instead of treating the root causes of homelessness and getting people off the streets and into treatment, Housing First is enabling drug addicts and people with uncompensated mental illness to choose chronic street homelessness as a lifestyle. Housing units quickly become drug dens, leading to eviction and a return to the streets.

Advocates say the dismal results are due to a lack of funding, but there’s ample evidence that pouring more money into the current system isn’t going to achieve intended results.

Phoenix increased annual spending per homeless individual from $3,000 in 2019, to over $20,000 in the latest budget. Our homeless population is growing. Los Angeles this year will spend over $250,000 per homeless person. Their homeless population is growing.

Quality service providers like the Salvation Army and Phoenix Rescue Mission are reversing this trend.

Instead of Housing First, they’re Leading with Services – and succeeding in getting people off the streets. Leading with Services means ensuring the right treatment is available immediately when people need it, but it also means ending policies designed to make living on the street easier.

This is what true compassion looks like. It involves a bit of tough love. Intervening when someone wants to simply keep living on the street doing drugs is hard, and can seem cruel – after all it does mean pushing someone who is already experiencing a very bad time to do something they don’t feel ready for.

But pushing interventions by Leading with Services is far more compassionate than simply continuing to allow people to live and die on overheated streets; zombified, mentally deranged, and addicted to powerful drugs.

This is why I am part of a working

Dems did their share to overthrow presidents

Stanley D’Souza states in a Feb. 1 AFN Opinion letter that “trying to overthrow a duly elected President” is “a great peril to our democracy.”

By that line of reasoning, Hillary Clinton should be hung up by the same petard since she was still questioning the legitimacy of President Trump’s 2016 victory for years afterward, accusing Republicans of voter suppression tactics in swing states and Russians of influencing votes through a “disinformation campaign.”

In fact, she got U.S. taxpayers to pay for her sour grapes to the tune of 32 million dollars+ spent on the Mueller investigation which finally “did not establish that members of the Trump campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities.” That’s a quote from the actual report.

Another famous sore loser was Al Gore after the 2000 Presidential election. He initially pursued a recount and many legal proceedings, before accepting defeat only after the Supreme Court ruled.

Of course, Democrats always fight on

ROBINSON from page 33

South Mountain and Ahwatukee areas, I spent almost my entire shifts on the streets following in on calls with my officers. It was my responsibility to observe my officers while they did their jobs, while they interacted with citizens, and while they arrested suspects.

It is my opinion that effective supervision would have been one of the ways that could’ve prevented the Memphis tragedy from occurring.

Effective supervision would have set the tone for expected professional behavior, and we all know the Memphis tragedy was anything but professional.

The bottom line, nobody was in charge, nobody exercised the necessary responsibility incumbent upon professional police officers and police supervisors.

As a veteran police officer, these acts infuriated me.

Other than mandated training on a variety of areas and on a variety of topics,

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

the side of angels, while that Trump guy (in spite of lowering taxes, making the U.S. energy independent, etc., etc.) twittered out many nasty, hurtful tweets. What an arrogant brute.

-Rudy Stricklan

Robinson will be more willing to listen to constituents

In response to Joan Greene’s letter “Former candidate endorses Sam Stone for City Council”:

One thing Ms. Greene got right in her letter is that ALL voices must be heard. As an Ahwatukee resident and constituent of Mr. DiCiccio throughout his tenure as District 6’s City Council Member, I have communicated numerous times with his office regarding various issues and concerns.

I am aware that as Mr. DiCiccio’s chief of staff, Sam Stone responded to my inquiries. His responses were dismissive and condescending. As a councilman, Sam Stone will be more of the same.

His responses clearly demonstrate he has no interest in hearing from the community or responding to their issues or concerns particularly when they differ from his position. Because

another way I believe such tragedies can be avoided is for police departments, locally and across the nation, to evaluate their hiring processes.

The five officers involved in the Memphis tragedy were all fairly new into their policing careers. Was their hiring process stringent enough? Police agencies need to place a greater emphasis on not just who, but how, they hire.

Background checks need to be thorough. Extensive in-person interviews should be conducted by experienced detectives with references, employers, former employers, and neighbors.

Short cuts in the hiring process can very easily saddle a police department with a police officer who has no business being in law enforcement.

These suggestions are by no means all-inclusive of what police departments should be doing to avoid tragedies such as what occurred in Memphis.

I do believe they are two important first steps that could (hopefully) avoid such fatal events in the future. 

of these interactions, I’m supporting Kevin Robinson.

I have met with Kevin, asked many questions, and expressed my concerns. He has shown a willingness to listen and was accepting of my feedback and even criticism. I believe he will continue to do so as a councilman. I can’t say the same for Sam Stone.

-Sherri Johnson

Why don’t Americans learn from history?

Why is it that when a title company is made aware that your home title is being fraudulently taken over they say they are not allowed to stop the process? Do we need a law? Is our government, once again, failing us?

Why are both sides of the political body stating that the finding of classified papers in government officials homes is a matter of over classification or purely accidental.

There is a process in place to safely review documents and leave them were you found them. If the process isn’t followed and you have these documents in your possession; it is not accidental!

Why is it that Americans transport-

STONE from page 33

group with diverse others – including Jeff Taylor from the Salvation Army, community advocate Steve Twist, and homeless advocate Craig Tribken –pushing for a system shift to Leading with Services.

Additionally, I am asking for your vote to pursue the following policies as your Councilmember:

Create an Intergovernmental Agreement with the State, Maricopa County, and other Valley cities to purchase and operate the abandoned St. Luke’s Hospital at Van Buren and 18th Street as a drug and mental health treatment center for homeless and low-income individuals. This is a modern $300 million hospital building we can purchase for $30 million in land value – an opportunity that will never come again.

Sell our current Human Services Campus (in the middle of “The Zone” downtown. Phoenix is about to run a light rail line directly in front of this

ing illegals from the border to the interior of this country are arrested on a felony but the administration of our government can break the law by opening the border for illegal entry and not be held responsible similarly??!!

And lastly, for now, why did we let the Russians invade Ukraine, destroy their country and now their people causing the rest of the world to come to Ukrainians aid with funding and munitions, but too late when if we had joined forces and stood fast against Putin when he had 40 tanks on the road to Ukraine we could have avoided the invasion then – not after the destruction and loss of life and the the rebuilding that may be required depending on the outcome.

Something is wrong with our thinking. have we forgotten the invasions of WWII and Auschwitz?

-Jane Emery

facility, which – if the HSC is left in place – will become a rolling homeless shelter, rendering useless a multibillion-dollar investment. But because Light Rail is coming, if the HSC were relocated, the existing land would be enormously valuable in a sale: enough to pay for a new, better Human Services Campus located (like Austin, Texas has done) further away from vulnerable single-family neighborhoods allowing us to improve services and living conditions for people who continue to refuse treatment while reducing the impacts on our neighborhoods.

Mirror laws in Glendale and Scottsdale that restrict panhandling, while running an expanded campaign to encourage people to contribute to quality service organizations.

Increase clean-ups of homeless encampments, and apply constant pressure to individuals to either relocate to the new homeless campus, or get started on the treatment they desperately need. .

Help for Chronic Foot Pain

Chronic foot or ankle pain interferes with active lifestyles, limiting mobility and independence. It makes even the most basic activities, like going to the market or walking the dog difficult. “I hate to hear that foot pain is keeping someone from their everyday activities,” says Dr. Kerry Zang of CiC Foot & Ankle. “It doesn’t matter if you are suffering from arthritis, an old injury, plantar fasciitis, really any type of foot pain, there are new therapies to help repair and restore tissue, ligaments and joints.”

Until recently, anti-inflammatory medication and steroid injections, like cortisone offered the best chance for relief. But, these options just reduced the symptoms. They did nothing to treat the problem actually causing the pain. “While cortisone stops the swelling and pain, it can also interfere with the healing process and further degeneration can occur,” explains Zang.

“Now, instead of just making the symptoms go away, we can deal with the underlying problem that is causing the pain. With regenerative medicine, we can help the body initiate its own healing response,” says Zang.

This form of treatment stimulates the body’s own natural healing process to repair chronically damaged tissue. “If a degenerative process has started, sometimes the body needs a little boost to encourage the regenerative process.” says Zang. “Regenerative medicine does that.”

“Don’t wait to get help. Delaying care can put you at risk for further damage,” says Zang. “However, if you have put off treatment, it’s not too late. Medicine is constantly changing, and you should never lose hope.”

Dr. Kerry Zang, DPM can be reached at CiC Foot & Ankle, 602-954-0777.

Pain, Burning, Numbness, Cramping

Your feet are crying out for help! It’s time to listen.

YES / NO

Does foot pain keep you from your favorite activities?

Do you have pain in the ball of your foot, heel or ankle?

Do you have uncomfortable aching, fatigue, cramping in your feet or calves when walking?

Is your neuropathy treatment not working?

Do your feet hurt when at rest?

If you have answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions it’s time to call for HELP!

Check us out and like the Ahwatukee Foothills News on Facebook

DV hockey in electrifying championship win

BY ALEX GALLAGHER AFN Staff Writer

The Desert Vista High School Division 1 hockey team on Feb. 4 won the state title with an electrifying 5-4 overtime victory over top-seeded Notre Dame Prep.

“If you’ve seen what (we) have gone through with our teams and how far we’ve come, it’s unbelievable,” said senior forward Kelton Chadwick. “We’ve gone from last in the league to one of those higher teams.”

After starting the season off hot, a mid-season skid saw Desert Vista falter in the standings but then come back but was riding a six-game win streak heading into the play-in round of the playoffs.

The Thunder kept its momentum rolling by bucking Brophy out of the playoff picture with a 6-1 rout, then before

Marcel Shipp fueling Pride’s talented stable of running backs

BY ZACH ALVIRA AFN Sports Editor

Marcel Shipp was content coaching his son’s youth flag football team.

Having been in the game as both a player and coach at the highest level, it brought a sense of freshness to the former Arizona Cardinals running back. Then he met Aaron Frana.

The Mountain Pointe athletic director, whose son also played on the team, approached Shipp with an opportunity to coach running backs for the Pride varsity football program. The two met with head coach Eric Lauer ahead of the 2021 season and he joined the staff.

Mountain Pointe’s backfield then became one of the best in the state.

“It’s been a personal challenge going from dealing with grown men providing for their families to kids who really

don’t know what’s going on in the real world,” Shipp said. “But I’ve been blessed to have these hardworking guys and a great coaching staff. It’s made the transition easier.”

Senior Jay’len Rushing and juniors Christian Clark and Randle Parker were shy to admit they had to look up Shipp’s resume.

Some players on the team knew who he was immediately, but others didn’t. Upon researching him and all he had accomplished at the highest level, the three backs were eager to absorb any knowledge he provided.

“I think they all knew what they were great at,” Shipp said. “There was no, ‘I’m the guy.’ It worked well because – I give credit to all three of those guys – they made it a lot easier.”

Each player brought their own style

From left: Mountain Pointe assistant coach Marcel Shipp, a former NFL running back and coach, has transformed the Pride backfield with the help of senior Jay’len Rushing and juniors Randle Parker and Christian Clark. (Dave Minton/AFN Staff)

They were down 4-1 at one point in the game, but a late rally helped fourthseeded Desert Vista upset top-seeded Notre Dame Prep. in the Arizona High School Hockey state championship on the night of Saturday, February 4. (JJ Digos/ AFN contributor)

knocking off fifth-seeded Chaparral 4-1 and then the defending state champion Pinnacle 6-3 to punch its ticket to the school’s first state championship game since 2016.

The team was led by junior forward Ryan Jim, who led the league in scoring during the postseason with six goals and an assist, senior forward and team captain Daniel O’Reilly, who led the team in scoring during the regular season tallying 33 points, and senior goaltender Aiden Biswanger, who entered the game with a .950 save percentage and led the league in the regular season with a .960 save percentage and 1.07 goals against average.

“We picked it up the last few games and we’ve all been there for the practices and the games, so really just got the ball rolling at the end of the season,” said senior defenseman Kelton Chadwick.

Last year Notre Dame ended the tThunder’s playoff run in a 1-0 thriller.

“Notre Dame is the team that eliminated us last year in the semis and we’re

of play. Parker was the speedster of the group, one who could break away from defenders. Rushing was the bruiser, planting would-be tacklers into the ground.

Clark has proven to be a combination of the two. He has speed to break away when needed but also the strength to lower his shoulder and run through opposing players.

Perhaps one of the best characteristics of the three, however, was their unselfishness. When deciding which of the three would start a series or take on a certain play, they played rock, paper, scissors. Even on the sideline during games.

“The rock, paper, scissors thing, that just came out of nowhere,” Rushing said. “Nobody told us to do that. Nobody told us to choose who goes out there. It’s just different. It’s like a good feeling that I’m going to take with my next team.”

Rushing’s journey as a Mountain Pointe back began with a heartfelt message to Lauer ahead of the 2020 season. He acknowledged that he wasn’t working as hard as he should to prepare for the varsity level but vowed to make a change. He told Lauer in a text that he was set on proving he could play running

all trying to get back and get some revenge on them and it’d mean a lot to bring (the championship) back home against them,” said senior defenseman Ben Woolaver.

Desert Vista last won a state title in 2004.

Prior to the puck drop last Saturday, the team opted to start senior goaltender and assistant captain Tagger Tamburo. Senior goaltender Aiden Biswanger who had backstopped the Thunder in its two prior playoff games and had gone undefeated on the season.

Tamburo put up equally impressive numbers with a .915 save percentage and a 2.60 goals against average during the regular season.

“We have two A-1 goalies and we had the luxury that we could put either one of them in the net,” said Desert Vista Head Coach Mark Moynahan during a post-game press conference. “It was a tough decision, but it all worked out.”

Aside from the late change in net, the teams put their aces up front as Desert Vista’s top line included the leading scorer in the playoffs junior forward Ryan

Jim and senior captain Danny O’Reilly.

Desert Vista junior forward Ryan Kim opened the scoring near the nine-minute mark of the first period, burying a quick wrist shot past the low blocker side of Gahan to give the Thunder a 1-0 lead.

In the second period, Notre Dame came out with the same intensity it generated in the latter frames of the first.

Now trailing by two, the Thunder became a tad over-aggressive, starting a parade of roughing penalties throughout the period for both teams.

However, on one particular call, Notre Dame buried its fourth goal of the game when freshman forward Tate Mickey netted his first goal of the postseason to extend the Saints’ lead to 3.

But Tamburo stood tall recording 14 saves to keep the Thunder within striking distance of the leading team.

The Thunder attributed its new structurally sound game to what it called a “D-Day speech” where the team’s leadership core rallied behind the mantra of “there is no tomorrow.”

“There is only now there is no tomorrow, there is nothing in the future and

there’s only right now,” Chadwick recalled of what was said in the intermission. “It really clicked with our team.”

Eventually, Kim recorded his second goal of the night with a powerplay marker to draw Desert Vista within two. Moments later, the Thunder struck again when O’Reilly scored.

In overtime, Notre Dame came out with the early momentum but Tamburo managed to stonewall the Saints’ chances in the early moments of the overtime frame.

This paved the way for the Thunder to take the puck to the other end of the ice where senior forward Marcello Lane buried his second goal of the playoffs to capture Desert Vista’s first state championship in nearly 20 years by a final score of 5-4.

The team described its victory as “legendary.”

“Legendary. That’s the word here,” Moynahan said. “We had 13 seniors on our team, which made us deep with leadership, and it showed all the way through the season. Tonight was certainly legendary for these guys.” 

or somebody else get a ranking and I would just think, ‘Dang.’ But he reminded me that I haven’t really touched the field for real yet.

“He put that confidence in me. That’s more than any of the drills could really do.”

Rushing’s work ethic quickly rubbed off on Clark and Parker. The two finished last season with 1,000 all-purpose yards. Between the three they accounted for more than 3,000 yards of offense.

Schools have started to take notice.

Since January, Clark has been offered by more than 20 Division I programs. Most from the Power Five conferences, including Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee from the SEC, as well as Penn State, Michigan State, USC, Oregon and Texas from the Big 10, Big 12 and PAC-12.

Parker was offered by New Mexico State, but that is just the beginning of his recruitment. Those are conversations he’s had with Parker. And Parker trusts him.

back at Mountain Pointe, which boasts a long list of players who excelled at the position and went on to the next level. Rushing upheld his promise and led the team with over 1,100 yards on the ground last season.

He had Division I offers but signed with Washburn, a Division II school he

felt at home at while on his visit. He’s no longer worried about not taking a D1 path. Shipp helped him realize that no matter where he goes, he can make a name for himself.

“He gave me confidence,” Rushing said of Shipp. “I was in my head too much. I would see somebody else get the offers

“I struggled with confidence coming up from freshman football to varsity,” Parker said. “Hearing it from somebody that has actually been in the league … like, ‘Oh, yeah, you can be a Division I back.’ It just shows you, like, OK. He

SHIPP from page 36

From left: Jay’len Rushing, Christian Clark and Randle Parker combined for over 3,000 allpurpose yards last season for the Mountain Pointe offense. They became the most lethal backfield in the state with all three possessing Division I offers. Rushing recently signed with Washburn, a Division II school. (Dave Minton/AFN Staff)

SHIPP

knows what he’s talking about.”

The chemistry and bond formed between the three players and Shipp has only grown since the end of his second season with the Pride.

The three backs hangout in the weight room and on the field. All three will run track in the spring, just like Shipp did when he was in high school. He constantly tells them they have to keep working, and expectations have only grown with the amount of attention they have received.

But they’re up for the challenge. Each back has big dreams. Rushing hopes to use Washburn as a jumping off point to the NFL. Clark and Parker have the same

aspirations. They thought they knew what it would take to get there before Shipp, but with him they realize how truly difficult it is. Though not impossible.

Shipp has helped change the culture of the Mountain Pointe football program. He’s helped change the careers of all three running backs as they will all go on to play college ball.

And for that, they’re thankful.

“It means the world because he’s coached NFL backs. He knows what an NFL back looks like,” Clark said. “He treats us like NFL running backs because he knows what we’re capable of. He knows the destination we can get to.

“It makes you work even harder. It makes you know, ‘I can really do this.’” 

WM Phoenix Open brings the noise to Scottsdale

BY JOE MCHUGH Tribune Staff Writer

After record-breaking attendance in 2022 with over 719,000 fans, the WM Phoenix Open has returned to TPC Scottsdale.

“We’re going to have probably 90,000 people per day at a minimum,” said tournament Chairman Pat Williams.

“Certainly, on the weekend, we’re going to have more, so with the sheer size and scale of our tournament, we’ll have almost five or six days of people at our tournament that will match the Super Bowl crowd every day, which is really fun and exciting.”

Organized by the Thunderbirds, the 2023 WM Phoenix Open runs through Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 12. It will host free practice rounds, and

other peripheral events like Annexus Pro Am, the Special Olympics Putting contest starting tomorrow, Feb.9.

The 132-player field is loaded this year, with a commitment from the world’s top golfer, Rory McIlroy, as

well as defending champion and No. 2-ranked Scottie Scheffler.

Other top-ranked players in the field are Xander Schauffele (6), Will Zalatoris (7), Justin Thomas (8), Collin Morikawa (9), Tony Finau (12), Sam Burns (13), Max Homa (16), Cameron Young (17), Sungjae Im (19), Shane Lowry (20) and Tommy Fleetwood (24). Golfers had to commit by last Friday.

“It’s just going to have a tremendous effect on our tournament overall,” Williams said. “Our fans who are there to see golf, are going to see the best players in the world. It’s really exciting for us to have a field that really will rival any major tournament, or one of the majors in golf, so we couldn’t be more excited.”

Another player joining the field is

Game brings plethora of big events to Scottsdale

With the Super Bowl set for Sunday at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Scottsdale will be alive with live music, games, celebrity appearances, drinks and loads of activities counting down the days to the big game. The real action starts today, Feb. 8, but picks up steam tomorrow through Sunday.

Here is a sampling.

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 8

 Main Street Tailgate

As part of ESPNs on-site coverage throughout the week of the Super Bowl, live music will fill the airwaves in between segments with live performances, starting today.

Where: Old Town Scottsdale on E. Main Street and N. Brown Avenue, Scottsdale

Cost: Free

Info: experiencescottsdale.com

Suits and Sneakers Feat. Rick Ross.

W Scottsdale will present ‘Suits & Sneakers’ in collaboration with Elevee Lifestyle and produced by Phoenix Fashion Week. Guests can join the dapper evening for a celebration of tailored suits and the latest in sneaker culture with celebrity athletes from the NFL, MLB, and NHL modeling on the runway.

When: 8 p.m.

Where: The W Scottsdale 7277

E Camelback Road, Scottsdale,

Cost: Tickets start at $100

Info: cottontaillounge.com

THURSDAY, FEB. 9

 Fred Minnick’s Bourbon Invitational Football legends will serve as bartenders at this two-day spirits tasting event from author and bourbon connoisseur Fred Minnick. A portion of proceeds will be donated to Phoenix Theatre Company.

In addition to several parties that are set to

are

After record-breaking attendance in 2022 with over 719,000 fans, the WM Phoenix Open returns to TPC Scottsdale, tomorrow, Feb. 6. (Courtesy of the WM Phoenix Open)

GETOUT STAFF

take to the town, big-name acts like G-Eazy, Shaq, Snoop Dogg and Cardi B

also set to roll into town to jazz up the parties. (AFN Photo)

WMPO from page 40

2022 WM Phoenix Open T14 finisher Chris Kirk, who will be looking to capture the title. Kirk has participated in the WM Phoenix Open 10 times in the last 11 years. Only being cut twice in that span, Kirk knows how to navigate the course.

“I think that the course just sets up really great for me,” Kirk said. “It gets a little bit of a reputation of bombers playing well there, but I feel like you’ve got to drive really good out there, especially the par fives, it’s really important to hit fairways.”

Kirk was on a roll in the 2021-2022 season, coming off one of the better years. He’s placed well in big tournaments like the PGA Championship, Arnold Palmer Invitational, the Honda Classic and RBC Canadian Open, finishing top 10 in each event.

EVENTS from page 40

When: 2 p.m.

Where: Grimaldi’s Pizzeria, 15147 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite H-135, Scottsdale

Cost: Tickets start at $1,125

Info: fredminnick.com

 Superzona Kick-off - Steve Aoki

Twice GRAMMY-nominated music producer and entrepreneur Steve Aoki will perform with his bassy, energetic blend of electronic music. Joining the fun will also be DJ duo The Lost Kings

When: 7 p.m.

Where: The Pool at Talking Stick Resort 9800 E. Talking Stick Way, Scottsdale

Cost: Tickets start at $49

Info: talkingstickresort.com/superzona

 The W Super Week - G Eazy performance presented by Pepsi Zero Sugar

Rapper G-Eazy will perform live at W Scottsdale’s Cottontail Lounge. Doors open at 9 p.m. where guests can enjoy the Pepsi Zero Sugar cocktail mixology experience and a lively atmosphere.

 The W Super Week - G Eazy performance presented by Pepsi Zero Sugar

When: 9 p.m. Thursday

Where: The W Scottsdale

His momentum has carried into the new season, as he has played in seven events, only missing two cuts. His success continues this season, missing the same number of cuts.

The WM Phoenix Open is one of 17 tournaments this season designated for a bigger purse. The players will compete for a $3.6 million first-place prize, more than double the 2022 purse. This prize is pulled from a $20 million purse in 2023, $11.8 million above the $8.2 million purse last year, as well as 500 FedEx Cup points.

“I’m expecting a great field, maybe the best field we’ve ever had,” Williams said. “At the core, what makes this work is the players and we need and want a good field every year. It’s very important to the success of the tournament.”

One of the oldest events on the PGA Tour, the WM Phoenix Open will be entering its 88th iteration. The structure of

7277 E Camelback Road, Scottsdale,

Cost: Tickets start at $100

Info: cottontaillounge.com

 GameOn SuperBash Hosted by Babes and Ballers Super Bowl Party

Max Events, LLC. Presents Game On SuperBash in collaboration with Babes and Ballers will be hosted by Hall of Famer Terrell Davis with a special performance by l DJ Paul Oakenfold. Expected celebrities include Stephen A. Smith, Christian Yelich, Larry Fitzgerald, Cam Jordan and others.

When: 9 p.m.

Where: The Wasted Grain, 7295 E Stetson Drive, Scottsdale,

Cost: Tickets start at $75

Info: gameonaz.eventbrite.com

FRIDAY, FEB. 10

 Shaq’s Fun House

NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal is bringing Diplo, Snoop Dogg and Myles O’Neal to the Valley for this part music festival, part carnival, described as “Big Game weekend’s most over-the-top event.” Shaq himself will even don his DJ Diesel hat for a performance. Expect oversized rides and attractions, circus performers, a Ferris wheel, food and drink, celebrity guests and more.

When: 8 p.m.

Where: Talking Stick Resort, 9800 E. Talking Stick Way, Scottsdale

Cost: Tickets start at $349

the golf tournament has evolved, turning from an ordinary golf event to a spectacle.

The 2023 WM Phoenix Open experience will feature many of the things that were at last year’s event, like the return of the 36,000-square-foot Fairway House, a general admission structure on the highest point of the golf course that offers the best views.

Come today, Feb. 8, the stars are out to shine in the Annexus Pro-Am. Participants include former Arizona Cardinals running back and Super Bowl champion, Emmitt Smith, ASU alumni and the most decorated Olympic athlete, Michael Phelps and three-time MVP Albert Pujols.

“Wednesday is maybe my favorite day of the week,” Williams said. “Wednesday is our pro-am day, but it’s also our shot at glory which, if fans haven’t been to that, shot of glory is a fantastic honor

Info: 480-850-7777, shaqsfunhouse.com

 Rolling Stone Live

This immersive experience brings together celebrities, athletes, VIPs and influencers together with live musical entertainment, in the name of raising funds for the American Cancer Society and its Crucial Catch: Intercept Cancer campaign.

When: 9 p.m.

Where: The Clayton House, 3719 N. 75th St., Scottsdale

Cost: Tickets start at $1,000

Info: rollingstonelive.ticketsocket.com

 W Scottsdale super week: Hosted by Friday Beers with a performance by Cardi B

Friday Beers, a comedy platform and lifestyle brand, will host the ultimate pregame party with a live musical performance by rapper Cardi B capped off with brews and more.

When: 9 p.m.

Where: The W Scottsdale

7277 E Camelback Road, Scottsdale,

Cost: Tickets start at $400

Info: cottontaillounge.com

 Tailgate Time Machine Feat. T-Pain Rapper T-Pain is set to pull up to neighboring Old Town establishments Boondocks and The Hot Chick.

When: 7 p.m.

and tribute to our military. And we have a really neat event where, where we’ll have some people hit shots at the 16th hole for charity.”

“As much as I am excited, I’m just proud that myself and the support of 54 other active Thunderbirds, and 200 plus more-like Thunderbirds have all worked very hard this year to make this tournament what it will be,” Williams said. 

If You Go...

What: The WM Phoenix Open-

Where: TPC Scottsdale-Stadium

Course, 17020 N. Hayden Road, Scottsdale

When: Various times through Feb. 12.

Cost: Tickets start at $50

Info: wmphoenixopen.com

Where: The Boondocks and The Hot Chick, 4363 N 75th St., Scottsdale

Cost: Tickets start at $129

Info: thehotchickaz.com/tailgatetime machine

SATURDAY, FEB. 11

 GQ Sports Style Hall Of Fame

The first class of inductees in the GQ Sports Style Hall of Fame, which honors athletes whose influence extends beyond the field of play. GQ is throwing an exclusive live event featuring on-stage conversations with these sports icons about their legendary careers and style.

When: 2:30 p.m.

Where: The Clayton House, 3719 N. 75th St., Scottsdale

Cost: Tickets start at $300

Info: gq.com/style-hall-of-fame-23 #Tickets

 Gronk Beach

Former NFL tight end and University of Arizona alumni Rob Gronkowski will be blaring a personally curated music festival featuring artists 21 Savage, Diplo, Bijou, DJ Irie and Somer Ray.

When: Noon

Where: Talking Stick Resort, 9800 E. Talking Stick Way, Scottsdale,

Cost: Tickets start at $249.99

Info: 480-850-7777, talkingstickresort.com see EVENTS page 44

ACROSS

1 Niger neighbor

5 Existed

8 Close

12 Timber wolf

13 Rocker Rose

14 -- Christian Andersen

15 Modern taxi rival

16 Museum-funding org.

17 Verdi opera

18 Anne who married Henry VIII

20 Funhouse feature

22 Extinct bird

23 Documentarian Burns

24 Island near Java

27 Gymnast’s move

32 Brit. record label

33 Continent north of Afr.

34 Bar cubes

35 Olympic skating gold medalist Tara

38 Grand tale

39 “Today” rival, briefly

40 “Fresh Air” airer

42 Honeydews

45 Jerry of the Grateful Dead

49 Golf bag item

50 Frazier foe

52 “Heavens!”

53 Spanish ayes

54 Charged bit

55 Mature

56 Try out

57 Schlep

58 Get lippy

DOWN

1 Golf bag item

2 Vagrant

3 Genesis shepherd

4 Moolah

5 Hopefuls

6 Chopping tool

7 Bridge coup

8 “Doctor Zhivago” star

9 Tress holder

10 Nullify

11 Despot

19 “Hey!”

21 Annoy

24 -- canto

25 Parisian pal

26 Makeup kit item

28 Arctic seabird

29 Shrinking in fear

30 Here, in Dijon

31 Chest muscle

King Crossword

36 “Leave that to me!”

37 Indian bread

38 Goofs

41 Ma’s mate

42 Fine spray

43 Canal of song

44 Go yachting

46 -- Pet

47 Rapscallions

48 Pro votes

51 Singer Rawls

With JAN D’ATRI

Give a perfect Valentine: flourless chocolate cake

Sudoku

It has always been a favorite dessert in fine dining establishments. Flourless Chocolate Cake is that elegant finishing touch that makes a gourmet meal satisfying, sweet and complete. And with Valentine’s Day approaching, how fabulous would it be to create a delicious chocolate cake with just three ingredients! Can it really be done? Absolutely!

That’s what makes this cake so delightful. You really don’t believe it until comes out of the oven, cooled and ready to be cut. Before making this dense and delicious chocolate wonder, I spent hours viewing flourless chocolate cake recipes and techniques on line. I

Ingredients:

• 8 eggs

• 16 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

• 1 cup butter

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8 or 9 inch cake pan, or spring form pan. Select a baking sheet or roasting pan in which the cake pan will set. (You will be adding water to the bottom of the sheet or roasting pan.)

In a microwave safe bowl, combine chocolate chips with the butter. Melt at 45 second intervals, and stir until the chocolate and butter are fully melted and combined. With an electric mixer, beat the eggs for 6-8 minutes or until double in size. The eggs should be foamy and light colored. Pour the melted chocolate into a large bowl.

found some techniques to be overly complicated, and some recipes called for pretty random ingredients like garbanzo beans.

But really, all you need to create chocolate decadence are three simple ingredients: chocolate, eggs and butter. (I did take liberties however, and added a pinch of salt to sharpen up the flavors, but it’s still basically three ingredients.) Most of the videos had decent results, but I was set on keeping it simple so this cake could possibly be declared one of your new go-to treats. I think it will be because it’s decadently delicious and as easy as one, two, three!

• pinch salt, optional

• powdered sugar, whipped cream or fresh berries (for garnish)

Spoon one third of the whipped eggs into the chocolate and gently fold until combined. Add the remainder of the eggs into the chocolate and fold until completely combined.

Pour mixture into prepared cake pan. If using spring form pan, seal the outside and bottom with aluminum foil and place in sheet or roasting pan. Place in oven. Pour 1-2 inches of hot water into the roasting pan. Bake for about 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes up clean.

Do not over bake. When done, let cool. (The cake will deflate.) Serve in wedges and garnish with powdered sugar, whipping cream or berries.

 Sports Illustrated The Party

The Chainsmokers and Machine Gun Kelly are handling the music, with Wynn Nightlife hosting VIP table service. Big spenders can purchase combo tickets that allow access to Shaq’s Fun House and Gronk Beach.

When: 9 p.m.

Where: Talking Stick Resort, 9800 E. Talking Stick Way, Scottsdale,

Cost: Tickets start at $799.99

Info: 480-850-7777, talkingstickresort.com

 W Scottsdale Super Party Week: Playboy Party with musical guest Ludacris

Playboy will present famed hip hop artist Ludacris playing a catalog stacked with hits.

When: 9 p.m.

Where: The W Scottsdale

7277 E Camelback Road, Scottsdale,

Cost: Tickets start at $200

Info: cottontaillounge.com 