Ahwatukee Foothills News 03/08/2024

BEST OF AHWATUKEE/ INSIDE

SPORTS ............. 37

Champions!

Wednesday,

March 8, 2023

BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor

Kyrene and Tempe Union school districts spent more money in the classroom last school year than in 2020-21 and students out-tested the passing averages for both the state and similarly sized districts in state assessment tests.

Data showing the two districts’ spending and student achievement are contained in the annual report on Arizona school districts re-

leased last week by the state Auditor General.

Although the percentage of their total budgets for instruction spending last school year fell slightly below that expenditure for 202021, Tempe Union and Kyrene easily made up for that in total classroom spending, the report shows.

Overall, Kyrene’s total classroom spending comprised 71.9% of all expenditures in 2021-22 while Tempe Union’s overall classroom spending equaled 68.4%, according to the report.

The Auditor General breaks down class-

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room spending into three categories.

The largest involves instruction, which it defines as the cost of “teachers, teachers’ aides, substitute teachers, graders, guest lecturers, instructional supplies and aids, field trips, athletics, co-curricular activities, and tuition.”

In this area, the report says Kyrene’s instruction spending of 58.8% of its total budget was below the 2020-21 percentage of 61.9% –reflecting a statewide trend that appeared in

BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor

One down and one to go. While one of two apartment complexes planned near Ahwatukee’s eastern border, has cleared its last big government hurdle, another will have to wait until May.

With nary a word, the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors approved a plan to convert the Four Points by Sheraton Phoenix South Mountain hotel into a hi-rise apartment building and add adjacent buildings for a 184 to 188-unit complex on 7.8 acres at 51st Street and Elliot Road.

But Phoenix City Council has delayed until May 3 consideration of rezoning request that would allow for a 417-unit complex that would replace a two-building office complex on 50th Street near Thistle Landing Drive between Ray Road and Chandler Boulevard.

No reason was given for council’s delay on the project, which already has the unanimous approval of the city Planning Commission and majority approval of the Ahwatukee Foothills Village Planning Committee.

How soon Scottsdale-

see CALIBER page 21

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Council District 6 race heads to a grand finale

BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor

The long campaign to succeed termed-out city Councilman Sal DiCiccio as Ahwatukee’s representative to the Phoenix City Council ends next Tuesday as the final votes are cast for his former chief of staff and a former assistant Phoenix Police chief.

Kevin Robinson, whose law enforcement career includes 38 years as a Phoenix police officer and continues today in several capacities, and Sam Stone, who describes his job as a policy specialist and worked for DiCiccio for nearly six years, are the contestants in the run-off election after none of the seven candidates who ran last fall pulled 50% of the vote plus one to win outright.

Although early voters can still mail their ballot, the Phoenix City Clerk advises that because those ballots must be received by 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 14, they should be mailed seven days in advance of that deadline to ensure their arrival.

Voters can cast an early ballot at City Hall through Friday, March 10.

And registered Ahwatukee voters can also cast their ballot at Pecos Community Center Saturday, March 11, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Monday, March 13, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Tuesday, March 14, from 6 a.m. until 7 p.m.

Voters in City of Phoenix elections are not required to vote at a specified polling place in the voter’s precinct. Voters can use any of the voting centers to cast a ballot. For faster service, voters are encouraged to bring their driver license, state non-operating identification card, or voter identification card.

Both the deadline for registering to vote in the nonpartisan election and for requesting an early ballot have passed.

The campaign has offered a sharp contrast between the two candidates.

To a large degree, their contrasting positions and personalities have emerged in the columns they wrote at the invitation of the Ahwatukee Foothills News over the past six weeks. All those columns and the answers to their questionnaires can be

City cuts ribbon for Desert Foothills Park courts

BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor

The new dual-use pickleball-tennis courts at Desert Foothills Park have been open for more than a month but last week, the city celebrated with a formal ribbon a facility that came to fruition because of the efforts of two local residents.

City Counciman DiCiccio and city Parks and Recreation Department officials attended the ribbon cutting for the courts, which Jill Ostendorp and Carrie McNeish fought for since May 2021.

While their efforts launched the conversion of the tennis courts to dual use, McNeish and Ostendorp thanked DiCiccio, Parks Department officials and the community for their help in making it a reality.

But the two women also stressed the ribbon cutting marked an official end of sorts to just the first phase of a campaign that morphed into a far broader effort to push the city into finishing the nevercompleted park.

“This remodeling allows the pickleball players to use these courts but the courts are still mainly set up for the benefit of

tennis players,” McNeish said, stressing “we are interested to find out how we can get Phase Two started – which is adding at least eight dedicated pickleball courts and a parking lot.”

DiCiccio said the city will be replacing old lighting on the courts with the latest in LED lights by August.

He thanked Ostendorp and McNeish for their work in securing the dual-use courts, and credited his former chief of staff and District 6 candidate Sam Stone with helping to push City Hall into coop-

erating with the two women.

Stone, who attended the ribbon cutting, “was part of our initial project kick off before he left Sal’s office to run for the councilman position,” McNeish noted, adding “Sam committed to getting the Phase Two project done for our community if he is elected.”

“We welcome input for any improvements to the vacant land at the NW corner of our park which has been

see

suggested design for the courts, which would be located on a now barren area of the park. (Courtesy Carrie McNeish)

Pickleball’s popularity growth shows no slowdown

BY AARON SCHMIDT Cronkite News

Pickleball has taken the country by storm and its surging popularity has attracted the attention of some of the biggest stars in sports.

Major League Pickleball officially kicked off its 2023 season in January at the Legacy Sports Complex in Mesa with 24 teams from across the country participating in the tournament-style event.

The popular recreational game, which has been described as a combination of

tennis, ping-pong and badminton, now has become a fast-growing professional sport.

Athletes and celebrities such as Tampa Bay quarterback Tom Brady (Las Vegas Night Owls), retired Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald (Arizona Drive), and Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant (Brooklyn Aces) have invested in the sport as members of ownership groups.

According to a report issued to the financial network CNBC by the Association of Pickleball Professionals, 36.5 million Americans picked up a paddle in 2022. By comparison, the Sports & Fitness Industry

Association reported that 4.8 million people had played the sport in 2021.

Well-known professional athletes are investing in pro pickleball teams.

“I jumped at the chance because I was loving pickleball already,” said James Blake, the former World No. 4-ranked tennis player. “I was seeing how many people loved playing, and being involved in a lifetime sport is a thrill to me … it made a ton of sense.”

Blake co-owns the Milwaukee Mashers pickleball club with Milwaukee Bucks owner Marc Lasry. Blake got involved

because MLP wanted to involve a tennis player in ownership when it expanded.

In addition to Blake, the league reached out to athletes and corporations with experience in entertainment media, sponsorship and branding with the hopes of increasing revenue and promoting the sport.

The connection with tennis was evident in the MLP Mesa event, which was broadcast on the Tennis Channel, welcoming a national audience.

“If you look at some of our celebrity in-

see BALL page 6

City Councilman Sal DiCiccio talks with Jill Ostendorp and Carrie McNeish at the ribbon cutting Feb. 28 of the new dual-use pickleball-tennis courts at Desert Foothills Park in Ahwatukee. (David Minton/AFN Staff Photographer)

Residents Jill Ostendorp and Carrie McNeish want the city to complete Desert Foothills Park and include an eight-court pickleball area. This is a rendering of their

ELECTION from page 3

found at Ahwatukee.com.

Robinson, who has the endorsement of the city Democratic establishment – including Mayor Kate Gallego and three of her predecessors – has stressed not only his long years of service on the Phoenix Police force but also the time he spent with the department in Ahwatukee.

In one column, he recalled how in 1987 as a newly promoted sergeant assigned to the South Mountain Patrol Precinct, his responsibilities included Ahwatukee. Back then, our police presence was minimal, there were very few calls for service and not much vehicular traffic,” he wrote. “However, as Ahwatukee grew, so did the calls for police service.”

In both a candidate forum last fall and his AFN columns, Robinson also explained how he not only led several major investigations in the community but also how he helped plan the expansion of the department’s footprint in Ahwatukee by developing a police substation and working with city officials on other issues.

Stone – who is endorsed by his former City Hall boss – also has stressed his knowledge of Ahwatukee and service to the community as DiCiccio’s right-hand man as well as his knowledge of City Hall’s inner workings.

“I’ve been a part of the Ahwatukee community for the last six years. I fought to help local businesses like Urban Air open their doors on time. To get improvements made to the parking and amenities at our

trailheads.”

In the last column published March 1, the two candidates took off the gloves and assailed each other’s character and credibility.

Stone accused his opponent of taking different positions on the same issue to meet the favor of whatever group he was addressing while Robinson pointedly told readers “to take a few minutes and explore the character of me and my opponent.”

Stone has pointed to the controversy involving Robinson’s residency, which was raised in a lawsuit filed by another candidate, Moses Sanchez of Ahwatukee, last August.

Although Robinson and his wife own a home in Scottsdale where she lives, Robinson testified in a court hearing that his

legal address is in Ahwatukee and produced documents such as his voter registration card and driver’s license to prove that. A judge dismissed Sanchez’ bid to disqualify him from the race.

Stone also has cast himself as a “disrupter,” promising he will be “willing to pitch a fit who won’t take ‘no’ for an answer” on problems he is trying to address in the community. “And I’m unreserved,”

he wrote. “I say things most politicians won’t.”

Robinson has stated that as a nearly 50year resident of Phoenix – half of which has been in District 6 – former police leader and nonprofit board member “I have understanding and resolve to effectively deal with the challenges the City of Phoenix, our neighborhoods, and residents currently face and will face in the future.”

Robinson, who has a master’s degree in public administration, has touted a long list of community activities to support his candidacy.

Those activities include being a board member for both the Arizona Judicial Council and the Arizona Officer Standards and Training Board, the latter of which rules on whether officers accused of misconduct can wear a badge ever again in the state.

Stone said on his questionnaire that he has been “involved in supporting various citizens groups throughout Ahwatukee.”

While next week’s Ahwatukee Foothills News goes to press before election results are available, check Ahwatukee.com next Tuesday night for coverage. 

KEVIN ROBINSON

SAM STONE

BALL from page 4

vestors, we’ve got investors like LeBron James, who has almost 150 million Instagram followers,” said Brian Levine, the interim CEO of MLP. “We can reach a lot of people that I think typical linear broadcasting or live events won’t reach, so the upside is pretty dramatic.”

For 2023, MLP introduced two levels of play, Challenger and Premier.

The Premier Level consists of 12 teams made up from the top 48 players taken in the MLP draft. The Challenger Level is much like a developmental level in other sports, with the next 48 draftees making up 12 more teams that give the players an opportunity to eventually prove they belong at the Premier Level.

Each team consists of four players, two men and two women. Age isn’t a factor and league players range from 16 years old to 48.

The inclusiveness is one reason pickleball is growing in popularity and gaining attention across America.

“I remember when I first started I was playing at a public park in Florida, and there was a doubles team with a man who was wearing a ‘Make America

Great Again’ hat and his partner had a (Joe) Biden shirt on … they were clearly not talking about politics,” Levine said. “There’s no one cursing out their own players or a lot of the things you’ll find in professional sports.”

In 2023, MLP will be split into two seasons of three events. The first season ends in June, while the second season begins in September and ends in December. The total prize pool for the six events is more than $5 million.

Because of the financial opportunities MLP now offers, many players are beginning to devote their lives to this sport.

“I think there’s a lot of players at this (Mesa) event that play pickleball full time,” said Milwaukee Mashers player Andrei Daescu. “In the last three to five years, more and more players are able to make a living out of this, and MLP obviously helps with that.”

Although pickleball is growing throughout the country, it has a long history of popularity in Arizona, where there are more than 300 courts. The Legacy Sports Complex has 41 pickleball courts on

see BALL page 10

Bill would require homeless encampments to be demolished

BY KYLIE WERNER Cronkite News

David King sat on the couch where he sleeps across the street from the Human Services Campus and watched as people walk in and out of the campus shelters.

The tents that line the streets surrounding the shelters house a community of people all struggling from the same problem: homelessness.

King said he has been living on the streets and working as a pastor at shelters for 17 years. Drug addiction led him to living on the streets, but finding God led him to helping others.

“Some people want to be out here because maybe something happened in their lifetime and something they’ve been through and it takes time for them to unwind,” King said.

Under Arizona SB 1413, King and the other people living outside the shelters would have their homes dismantled. The bill requires cities and towns to tear down homeless encampments and charge the person or people living there with trespassing if they’re on private property.

“I sponsored SB 1413 because Tucson and Pima County as a whole are suffering from just an overabundance of homelessness,” Sen. Justine Wadsack, R-Tucson, said.

Wadsack said in an interview that business owners and homeowners in her district are fed up with the lack of action when it comes to encampments.

“Nobody should walk outside their fourstar restaurant and find human feces in their front doorstep,” Wadsack said, noting business owners have raised issues of having to come in before their employees in

order to clean up human waste, trash and encampments.

Private homeowners have complained about homeless people living in their arroyos and back alleys, she said.

Wadsack said that even if the bill doesn’t become law, she will continue to work toward solutions in Tucson and Pima County. The bill passed the Republican-controlled Senate Wednesday on a straight party-line vote with all 16 Republicans, and no Democrats supporting the bill.

It now heads to the House, but even if it passes there it could be a tough sell to get it past Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs.

Sen. Anna Hernandez, D-Maryvale, opposes the bill.

“I think that Senate Bill 1413 is policing our unhoused neighbors, and I don’t believe we should be policing issues that we have caused,” Hernandez said. “It doesn’t offer any solutions, it doesn’t offer any services.”

Hernandez said time would be better

at ideas around that,” Hernandez said.

According to the Arizona Department of Economic Security’s 2022 Homelessness in Arizona Annual Report, there were 13,553 people experiencing homelessness in Arizona in January 2022, when the annual Point-In-Time homelessness count was conducted – an increase of nearly 25% since 2020.

King said the Senate bill is unfair to him and others who are unhoused and that there are other solutions.

“If they would purchase and have more room for homeless people – like areas where they can have places like this, that are taken care of and looked after by the people that are homeless – that would be a really big solution to help out the people that are helping us out,” King said.

spent writing policies that help people and looking at why people are experiencing homelessness.

“Let’s address rent costs, let’s address not enough housing, let’s address not enough shelter space, not enough wraparound services,” Hernandez said. “Let’s look at why these things are happening and put resources into that, and then we wouldn’t see these problems.”

Hernandez said the bill is written without compassion.

“We should be helping people and that is a cost, that’s a reality that if we invested those resources into finding solutions, then it is less expensive than criminalizing people and policing and putting them in jail,” Hernandez said, noting that a combination of issues has contributed to the issue of rising homelessness.

“We need to address rent control, we need to address why folks can’t even access housing in the first place and let’s look

A woman who lives in a tent outside of the Human Services Campus and asked not to be identified said removing tents and arresting people will not help anyone.

“Some people lost their jobs, their homes, their families, so just putting them in jails and taking away their home that they have now wouldn’t be a good solution,” she said.

She urged legislators to come down and see for themselves the problem and hear people’s stories. She urged them to assist the people experiencing homelessness and get them the help they need instead of arresting them.

Though some people are just down on their luck, “some people chose to come here and get help,” she said. “They moved out of a situation that wasn’t good for them so they came here to get help, but there are a lot of homeless, so it takes time for just the shelter in general to help all of us out here.”

Tents used as temporary living spaces are set up on West Madison Street in “The Zone,” the area surrounding the Human Services Campus in Phoenix on March 1, 2023. (Logan Camden/ Cronkite News)

Culture wars heat up as drag show bill advances

BY BOB CHRISTIE Capitol Media Services

The culture war battles that have become a fixture of conservative Republican politics as they push back against progressive Democratic ideas were on full display last week in the Arizona Senate.

Majority Republicans passed a pair of measures targeting drag performances they say amount to sexual grooming, arguing that the proposals are needed to shield children from “confusing’’ sexual content.

They also passed a measure that bars teachers or other school employees from referring to a student by a pronoun that doesn’t conform with their birth sex unless their parents give their consent. And even then, it allows the teacher to ignore what the parent wants for his or her child if it is “contrary to the employee’s ... religious or moral convictions.’’

Together, the three bills are the latest in a string of actions by lawmakers in Republican Legislatures across the nation as they rebel against societal changes that they object to.

And it’s not new: Last year, former Republican Gov. Doug Ducey signed several similar bills, including one barring transgenders girls and women from competing on female sports teams in Arizona.

This year, Republican lawmakers are likely to have a different result, as new Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs signaled in her January state of the state address that she will veto legislation that “attacks the rights of your fellow Arizonans.’’

Last week’s action in the Senate fits that description, banning drag show performances in schools or public buildings and adding drag shows to a list of sexually explicit businesses that must bar children, providing for harsh criminal penalties for anyone who performs before children – including having to register as a sex offender.

The bans are prompted in part by the emerging “Drag Story Hour’’ movement that is designed to destigmatize drag performances and promote diversity and inclusion by reading to children while dressed in drag. Republican lawmakers, however, say such actions are tantamount

to grooming.

“There’s something wrong if there’s a drag queen who wants to go and perform in front of 5-year-olds and have 5-yearolds put $5 bills in their clothes,’’ Tucson Republican Sen. Justine Wadsack said during a Senate floor debate.

The story hour presentations don’t generally include sexualized content.

Wadsack is the sponsor of SB 1698, which expands the definition of sexually explicit businesses in a way to add drag shows to a list of “adult oriented businesses’’ that now includes establishments that offer nude or semi-nude performances.

It would make it a mid-level felony to allow a child to view a performance. It passed on a party-line vote.

Her comments came during a discussion of a separate measure sponsored by Fountain Hills Republican Sen. John Kavanagh that bars drag performances in schools or other public buildings.

Democrats said the measures targeting drag performances are an attack on diversity, contending the bills confuse the relatively tame performances with illicit content.

“And that’s how we get bills with no regard for the demonization of a community simply because the community appears to be different,’’ Tempe Sen. Juan Mendez said.

“But really, there’s nothing to be afraid of when it comes to a drag performer reading stories to children,’’ he said. “I mean, if that scares you, that threatens you, if that confuses you, then we have way bigger problems.’’

Kavanagh said the measure he sponsored banning drag performances in schools, SB1026, is needed to shield children from inappropriate content.

“This bill is not so much about drag shows as it is about protecting young children from things that would confuse and disturb them, images, and protecting young children from indoctrination,’’ he said, noting that the bill targets exaggerated performances that are sexual in nature.

“Now, that can be highly confusing to young children, and maybe even disturbing,’’ he added. “So I don’t think govern-

see DRAG page 10

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DRAG from page 9

ment money should be spent to confuse and disturb children.’’

The measure banning school employees from using pronouns of a student’s choice without parental approval drew similar pushback from Senate Democrats. Most of the chamber’s 14 Democrats read letters from transgender children or their parents lamenting the measure and saying it could be harmful.

Sen. Christine Marsh, a high school teacher in Scottsdale, noted than a 2022 survey found that 85% of transgender and non-binary youth and that two-thirds of all LGBTQ youth said debates about state laws restricting transgender rights have negatively impacted their mental health.

PICKLEBALL from page 4

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“This means that just by proposing this bill, Arizona has harmed its LGBTQ-plus student community and that makes me really sad,’’ Marsh said.

Kavanagh said his measure is about student safety and parental rights, noting Democrats’ repeated mention of high depression and suicide among transgender youth and saying that parents are the best equipped to address their child’s needs.

“The fallacious arguments that were made against this bill are almost as numerous as the number of pronouns that the woke crowd has been able to invent for people,’’ Kavanagh said.

“The parents need to know if their child is in emotional and psychological turmoil to the point where they could be suicidal,’’ so they can get them help, he said. 

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When they started their campaign the two women noted that the pickleball complex at Pecos Park, which DiCiccio guided through City Hall, not only is inconvenient for players who live in western Ahwatukee but also is frequently filled up – often by people who don’t live in Phoenix. They noted that Desert Foothills is the closest public recreation venue for some 1,500 nearby households.

Ostendorp and McNeish also got involved in the town halls that the city holds prior to council’s adoption of a new budget.

That involvement, plus calls to city officials and their petition drive, resulted in the inclusion of $21,000 in the current city

BALL from page 6

site, and most of them were in use as the matches were taking place.

Fitzgerald and former New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (Los Angeles Mad Drops) were among the owners in attendance on Thursday, playing pickleball and getting the crowd involved in the spectacle.

They contend the vacant expanse in the park “would not only be perfect for more pickleball courts, additional parking, a dog park or a number of other uses that provide recreational opportunities for our community.”

Ostendorp and McNeish have vowed to continue their campaign, which likely will be stepped up when the city begins hearings on the 2023-24 budget next month. The hearings have not yet been scheduled.

In the meantime, anyone who wants to join their effort should email dfparkpb@ gmail.com. 

“Pickleball is huge in Arizona, it’s actually one of the reasons we’re playing here in Mesa is the popularity,” Levine said. “(Fitzgerald) was playing with Drew Brees and actually it was pretty fun, there’s not many sports where the owners get out and start competing with each other.”

The MLP season continues March 23-26 in Daytona Beach, Florida. 

BY ARIANA ARAIZA Cronkite News

The number of children who mistake edible marijuana for candy is on the rise, with panicked parents calling Arizona poison control centers for help.

Nearly 60% of 394 pediatric cannabis incidents last year required a hospital visit, experts said.

Children who eat cannabis can suffer mild symptoms such as becoming drowsy, having trouble walking or acting “inappropriately,” according to Bryan Kuhn, a pharmacist and toxicologist at Banner Health Poison Center in Phoenix. But, it can be worse.

At times, “they’re so drowsy that they can’t be awakened or … their breathing pattern is slower than normal, or in the most rare and serious circumstance, they can develop seizures,” Kuhn said.

Nearly 400 cannabis-related pediatric cases were reported to poison control centers in Phoenix and Tucson, said Maureen Roland, R.N. managing director at Banner Health.

“A high percentage do end up in the emergency room, and a minor amount end up” in intensive care, Roland said. “There are times where we’ve actually had to intubate children and put the breathing tube down their throat and keep them in the ICU overnight.”

Accidental poisonings have been on the rise in Arizona since recreational marijuana was legalized in 2020, similar to other states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Manufacturers and dispensaries also must place edible marijuana into childresistant packaging under Arizona law.

Arizona and 17 other states where recreational marijuana is legal have passed laws that require child-resistant packaging, according to The Network for Public Health Law.

However, no federal standards exist and state standards vary. Only three states require plain packaging while three different states require packages that can show whether they’ve been tampered with.

Thirteen states ban visuals or text on packages so as to minimize the appeal to children.

But Arizona does not require clear or opaque packaging, tamper-evident packaging or package designs to prohibit words or images that might appeal to children, according to the network.

The Arizona Department of Health Services conducts random dispensary inspections to check whether the laws are being followed.

“Since marijuana use has been legalized in some states, accidental marijuana poisonings in children have increased, sometimes requiring visits to the emergency room or hospitalization,” a CDC report says.

It’s illegal in Arizona to sell edibles that might entice children, and packaging is designed to make it difficult for children to open.

Still, as with other common, potentially dangerous household products, parental education is an important part of prevention – including placing cannabis out of reach and being aware of troublesome marketing that ends up targeting children.

“If you do have these products in your home, they are a drug, they are medication, so you need to treat them as such,” Roland said.

Ann Torrez, executive director of the Arizona Dispensaries Association, pointed out that state law makes it illegal for edibles to mimic products like children’s candies or snacks. Cannabis contains THC, the substance that delivers the “high” in marijuana.

“There’s no gummy bears, gummy worms at all in the adult-use market in Arizona,” Torrez said. “If you see that type of product, you know it’s coming from an illegal or an unregulated product.”

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration last June issued a statement that it is working with federal and state officials to address concerns about poisonous products that appeal to children.

Roland said the edibles poisonings are preventable, with toddlers most likely to be tempted.

“Usually it’s 2-year-olds; 2-year-olds are very curious. They put everything in their mouths pretty much,” Roland said. “And so we want to make sure that you’re keeping them out of sight, in a lock box, not anywhere where the child can see them, because if they are left around, inevitably they will get into them.”

Arizona’s two poison control centers, in Phoenix and Tucson, are working with the Arizona Dispensaries Association on a campaign to teach parents about safe cannabis use and what to do if their child swallows cannabis.

The campaign requires dispensary customers to scan a QR code, posted on windows, that provides a list of accredited dispensaries and other information on the association’s website. The group represents three out of four licensed dispensaries in Arizona, Torrez said.

Parents are advised to treat edibles like see EDIBLES page 17

BY BOB CHRISTIE Capitol Media Services

Arizona lawmakers are giving a big thumbs up to the party drug known as Ecstasy - and turning on to hallucinogenic mushrooms too.

But they’re not pushing the drugs for the usual recreational uses.

Instead, bills that would fund a $30 million research program to study psilocybin mushrooms in treating post-traumatic stress syndrome and depression, and another to legalize the drug formally called MDMA for the same uses are advancing amid strong emerging evidence that they may be highly effective new therapies.

That’s why former Pinal County Sheriff’s deputy and Marine Corps combat veteran Robert Steele marched down to the Capitol earlier this month. The 39-year-old married father of two told a House committee that PTSD and the effects of traumatic brain injuries had nearly crippled him, leaving him suicidal, unable to work and nearly destroying his family life.

Despite being so driven to serve in the

military and law enforcement that he had never even tried marijuana, Steele described how he turned to magic mushrooms “out of sheer desperation’’ as a lastditch effort to get relief after hearing it may help. He called the effects “profound.’’

“It was like seeing a color 4k TV after watching black and white an entire life,’’ he explained. “My wife, my kids, they all noticed that I was happy again.’’

And Steele said that because of psilocybin he is a happier person, has an improved memory – and no longer has suicidal thoughts.’

“This medicine has restored my relationships, brought me closer with my wife and children and allowed me to have a life worth living again,’’ he said.

Dr. Suzanne Sisley told the House Military Affairs and Public Safety Committee that the grants included in House Bill 2486 would put Arizona on a different path than states like Oregon and Colorado, which simply legalized magic mushrooms under voter initiatives.

“We’re hoping that our state could actually lead with science first before we estab-

lish a regulated system for selling mushrooms,’’ Sisley said.

She is a psychiatrist and primary care physician who has spent years researching alternative medicines for treating PTSD and other disorders.

This isn’t Sisley’s first dealing with state lawmakers and drug politics.

She was let go by the University of Arizona a decade ago while planning to launch a medical marijuana research program that had received federal approval to proceed. The action happened as she tried to overcome opposition from Republicans in the Legislature who were blocking her hopes of getting state funding.

Backed by veterans who looked to her research into PTSD to show results, Sisley called the university’s decision to release her political, although she had no definitive proof. She ended up starting the Scottsdale Research Institute, which aims to develop treatments for PTSD and pain management using marijuana and other natural compounds.

At the hearing earlier this month, Sisley told lawmakers that clinical trials con-

ducted by Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research show promising results. But she also said they are using synthetic psilocybin, while the proposal that received unanimous backing from the committee would look at the natural whole mushroom.

Although anecdotal evidence has led veterans and law enforcement officers like Steele to band together to push for treatment using psilocybin mushrooms, they remain a Schedule 1 drug under federal law with no legal use, medical or otherwise.

That means no federal funding for research into potential treatment using mushrooms has been available until recently, when Sisley said pressure from veterans groups led to money to test it in a nicotine addiction study, with other addiction treatment studies possible.

Republicans and Democrats on the House panel embraced the proposal and its $30 million state funding after some asked about whether mushrooms were addictive. Sisley told them it appeared

see DRUGS page 17

Parents, kids march for more school vouchers

BY ARIANA ARAIZA Cronkite News

Parents, children and educators on March 1 marched to the state Capitol to support an education voucher program that Gov. Katie Hobbs has said she wants to dismantle.

Janelle Wood, founder and chief executive of the Black Mothers Forum, said she organized the rally to show support for Empowerment Scholarship Accounts, or ESAs.

The state-funded program helps to lift children living in lower-income households, she said.

“If we want education to be their true pathway out of poverty, we must provide it in the different modes that is needed so that children can get the education they need,” Wood said.

“It gives parents the opportunity and the funding to pay for the services that they’re not able to receive in the traditional public-school setting.”

She spoke as dozens of marchers trudged around the Capitol complex, holding aloft

signs such as “My Child, My Choice,” and chanting, “ESA is here to stay.”

ESAs allow parents to receive up to

Matt Tobias

$7,000 annually in state money for a child in grades K-12, whether for homeschooling, disability help or other programs.

Supporters at the rally said it puts parents at the forefront of their children’s education.

Critics, such as Hobbs, said it siphons money from public schools to private ones.

Her proposed state budget does not allocate funds for the ESAs, although it is unclear if the governor has the power to financially hobble the program.

Wood said children of all races, ethnicities and incomes need the program.

“Not only white parents want this, but Black, brown, Indigenous parents need this type of program,” she said.

Parents also can use the money for a child who needs therapy or help with a disability.

Charlotte Lawrence receives ESA funds for two of her children.

Her daughter, Emma Gibford, 9, carried a sign that started with the words “I am a stroke survivor with learning disabilities.”

The ESA money pays for a tutor to help with learning disabilities after her daughter suffered a “massive stroke” at birth, Lawrence said.

“One-on-one tutoring is especially better for her instead of a big classroom setting,” Lawrence said.

Another mother, Stacey Brown, spoke at the rally for equal access to education so she can homeschool her children. She said they are thriving, exceeding their grade levels.

“In just a few short months, the ESA program has given her the ability to be able to succeed in math that is probably going to potentially set her up for life in the future with some sort of math degree,” Brown said of her kindergartner, who is doing second-grade math.

Brown said every parent knows their child’s strengths and weaknesses, which allows parents to pick the education that best fits their child’s learning style.

Tajiri Freedom, principal of New Gains Academy in Glendale, showed support for the ESA program for the 10 children at her “microschool” to receive the education parents want to see.

New Gains Academy offers curriculum opportunities, such as a performing arts program, for children in fifth through eighth grades to learn in a small setting, and at the pace each child needs.

“This is what we’re all here for – to give everybody the right to choose,” Freedom said.

“Children should be able to go to schools where they have programs that make them happy, that they enjoy being a part of, and they wouldn’t be able to do that without ESA programs.”

The Black Mothers Forum led parents and children in a protest at the State Capitol last week to demand the expansion of the school voucher program, saying Gov. Hobbs’ threat to try and dismantle it discriminates against poor families stuck with attending underperforming public schools. (Cronkite News)

over half of all Arizona’s school districts last school year.

Tempe Union’s 52.5% instruction spending dipped from 53.4% in 2020-21.

The other two categories comprising classroom spending are student support and instruction support.

Student support – which cost 8.8% of Tempe Union’s total budget and 8.9% of Kyrene’s – covers the cost of “counselors, audiologists, speech pathologists, nurses, social workers, and attendance services,” according to the report.

Additionally, Kyrene spent 4.2% and Tempe Union 7.1% of their budgets on instruction support, defined as including the cost of “librarians, teacher training, curriculum development, special education directors, media specialists, and instruction-related technology services.”

Despite that slippage in instruction spending percentages, other data in the report shows per-pupil spending by the two districts was generally up in 2021-22 over the previous year.

Kyrene’s $5,835 per-pupil instruction spending was $139 higher than the previous year and student support spending rose $121 to $884 while instruction support nudged up by $16 to $421 per pupil.

Kyrene spending

While spending for instruction dipped last school year, Kyene’s over all classroom spending was higher than the previous year and comprised 71.9% of all spending. (Arizona Auditor General)

Kyrene test results

Tempe Union’s per-pupil instruction support costs dropped by $26 to $688 while its instruction spending rose $38 to $5,041 and student support expenditures per pupil went up $45 to $847.

DRUGS from page 14

they have much lower potential for that than even caffeine and that the Johns Hopkins study suggests mushrooms may have a major impact in treating addiction.

A separate bill that would allow MDMA to be prescribed if the federal government removes it from Schedule 1 restrictions would open another avenue for treatment of PTSD and similar disorders.

Clinical studies showing that MDMA, illegally used for decades as a party drug, can be highly effective in the right setting.

Mike Williams, a lobbyist for a company that conducts clinical trials, said the drug is generally administered by a physician after several visits with a counselor. The patient stays in the doctor’s office while under the effects of the drug.

Although Williams’ comments were based on limited trials, Democratic Rep. Amish Shah said he is persuaded there is

big promise in treating people with PTSD and depression using MDMA.

Shah, an emergency room physician at the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix who represents a north Phoenix district, said he’s read of the research on MDMA and is impressed.

“This is actually causing some ripples in the medical community and it was found to be very efficacious at helping people with PTSD when done in a controlled setting with the appropriate therapist who is trained to do this the right way,’’ Shah said last month as he joined the other 14 members of the House Appropriations Committee in approving House Bill 2489.

Republican Rep. Kevin Payne of Peoria, who champions legislation addressing issues affecting veterans and law enforcement officers, is sponsoring both bills. He called the unanimous approval by both committees “kumbaya moments.’’

If the measures pass the full House, they will head to the Senate for action. 

Kyrene Chief Financial Officer Chris Herrmann was asked by AFN for his reaction to the report.

He noted that both Chandler Unified and Kyrene have similar spending patterns and that both “are really at the top of the state as far as how much money goes into the classroom. That’s a point of pride for both of our districts.”

He said Kyrene’s food service spending in 2021-22 rose 106% last school year over 2020-21 – about $4 million – because the federal government was providing free meals, though personnel costs were picked up by the district.

“We typically don’t have a lot of participation in the federal programs,” Herrmann said, “because we have very few students in poverty that qualify for free or reduced priced lunches. But when all the meals are free, we saw a huge increase in the number of students that were taking advantage of that for the year.”

“Now, we outsourced that – that’s a variable cost – that doesn’t take money out of the classrooms. It’s specifically paid for outside of the classroom dollars. But because it raises the total amount of spending, it has the effect of lowering percentages from every other category.”

The Auditor General said Kyrene’s $3.28 per meal was comparable to the state average of $3.25 and the $3.29 spent

During an event last Friday sponsored by the Chandler Chamber of Commerce,

EDIBLESfrom page 12

household cleansers or weapons – locked away from their children.

“They are either going to mimic behavior that they see a parent or family member do, but they’re also going to put things in the mouth that they have access to,” Kuhn said.

Kuhn said the poison control center is not there to judge or shame parents, but to help during a scary time.

“Every phone call that we take is an opportunity to educate and inform the callers – whether it be the parent or someone calling for themselves or whomever – but ultimately, the prevention methods that we recommend,” Kuhn said.

The journal Pediatrics studied edible marijuana exposures in children under the age of 6 from 2017 to 2021, using the National Poison Data System.

More than 7,000 children were exposed over the five years, with more than 3,000

of those cases in 2021, according to the study, led by Dr. Marit Tweet, a medical toxicologist with the Southern Illinois School of Medicine.

In rare cases, parents have been charged. 

Kyrene students outperformed on assessment tests for math, science and English Language Arts with higher passing percentages than the state average and that of similarly sized school districts in the state. (Arizona Auditor General)

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The only way to effectively treat chronic pain and/or peripheral neuropathy is by targeting the source, which is the result of nerve damage owing to inadequate blood flow to the nerves in the hands and feet. This often causes weakness, numbness, balance problems. A lack of nutrients causes the nerves degenerate – an insidious

As displayed in figure 1 above, the nerves are surrounded by diseased, withered blood vessels. A lack of sufficient nutrients means the nerves

cannot survive, and thus, slowly die. This leads to those painful and frustrating consequences we were talking about earlier, like weakness, numbness, tingling, balance issues, and perhaps even a burning sensation.

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Tempe Union spending

Ending in the 2021-22 school year, Tempe Union devoted 68.4% of its spending to the classroom. (Arizona Auditor General)

Tempe Union test results

As their Kyrene counterparts did, Tempe Union students in 2021-22 outperformed on state assessment tests with higher passing percentages than the state average and that of similarly sized districts. (Arizona Auditor General)

SCHOOLS from page 17

by districts its size and called Tempe Union’s per-meal food service spending of $2.15 “very low” because districts its size spent $3.12.

In whole dollars per pupil, food service spending by Kyrene rose $266 to $541 while Tempe Union spent $261 per student for food service, an increase of $95.

Kyrene District spokeswoman Erin Helm echoed Herrmann, stating: “If food service had not been impacted, Kyrene instructional spending would have been 60.9%, and overall classroom spending would have been 74%. Instructional spending is a subset of classroom spending, which also includes student support and classroom support.

“We are in an era of declining enrollment largely due to the demographics of our boundaries. The 0.9% decrease in spending from 20/21 to 21/22 corresponds to the decline in enrollment between those years,” Sterling said.

The report says Kyrene’s student population has fallen 12% in the last five years while Tempe Union’s has fallen by 9%. The demographer for the two districts has blamed high housing prices that keep young families with children from moving into the districts.

The report also said 12% of Kyrene’s student population are in special education while only 9% of Tempe Union’s students are in such programs.

The report’s examination of student performance on assessment tests for Math, English Language Arts contained good news for school officials and parents in both districts.

“Kyrene continues to outperform peer districts and state averages when it comes to both instructional spending and overall classroom spending.”

Asked about the dip in instruction spending by Tempe Union, district spokeswoman Megan Sterling said, “This makes sense to us.”

Statewide, the average of students passing math last year fell to a mere 33% from 42% in 2018-19, the last time those

Ahwatukee apartment complex sells for $70M

BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor

AChicago-based global real estate investment company has purchased the Mountain Park apartment complex in Ahwatukee for just over $70 million.

LaSalle Investment Management’s purchase of the 240-unit complex at 44th Street and Ray Road was announced last week by the deal’s facilitator, Institutional Property Advisors a division of Marcus & Millichap, which gave no mention of the sale price. Valley real estate tracker vizzda.com shows that the sale occurred Feb. 15 by SRGMF III Ray Road Phoenix LLC, which paid $54.25 million for the complex in 2020.

The sale reflects a continuing trend across the Valley. Over two dozen multifamily properties have flipped ownership at significantly higher prices within a few years of their previous sale, indicating high investor interest in apartment complexes at a time when average rental prices have soared.

Though that increase in rent has slowed significantly in recent months, various analysts say the rental market shows no sign of a major downturn, given the rising price of single-family homes.

Apartmentlist.com said last week, “Phoenix rent growth in 2023 is pacing below last year. Two months into the

year, rents in Phoenix have fallen 0.6%.

This is a slower rate of growth compared to what the city was experiencing at this point last year: from January to February 2022 rents had increased 0.5%.”

However, zumper.com, which also studies rent trends across the country, said last week: “Over the past month, the average rent for a studio apartment in Phoenix increased by 9% to $1,249. The average rent for a 1-bedroom apartment increased by 8% to $1,400, and the average rent for a 2-bedroom apartment increased by 4% to $1,675.”

Further indicating a steady demand for rental units, the Cromford Report, a leading analyst of the Valley’s housing market, reported late last year that more building permits for multifamily developments were issued by municipalities in the Phoenix metro region than for single-family homes.

In announcing the sale, Cliff David, IPA executive managing director also underscored the profitability of apartment complexes in the Valley.

“Ahwatukee Foothills Village demonstrates attractive demographics and consistently high single-family home prices that taken together, sustain the location’s reputation as one of the premier suburbs in Greater Phoenix,” he said.

“High barriers to entry have led to supply constraints in Ahwatukee for decades, marked by only two multifamily

properties completed in the submarket over the last 20 years, solidifying the area as an exclusive location within Arizona.”

Steve Gebing, another IPA managing partner, said last year when IPA negotiated the sale of another Mountain Park Ranch complex – the 288-unit Mountainside – that “severe supply constraints and average single-family home values in Mountain Park Ranch that exceed $600,000, are driving incredibly strong multifamily economics.”

Vizzda reported that the Mountain Park Ranch complex, built in 1994, comprises 18 buildings totaling 224,732 square feet on 12.5 acres.

The unit mix is 72 one-bedroom apartments, 118 two-bedroom and 50 threebedroom ranging in six from 730 square feet for one-bedroom units to 1,200 square feet for three-bedroom units. All units are equipped with a washer and dryer.

The gated complex includes a tennis court and two pools, according to vizzda. IPA also noted that all units have either a balcony or patio and some have woodburning fireplaces. The sale price represented a unit price of $291,729 and a square foot price of $311.55, vizzda said. The sale history of the complex shows it has changed owners four times since 2012, when it sold for $30.9 million.

LaSalle Investment Management’s parent company, Jones Lang LaSalle “traces its origins to 1783, when auction-

eer Richard Winstanley set up shop in London,” the company’s website states, adding that his son 23 years later renamed the firm Jones Lang Wooton & Sons and began expanding internationally after World War II.

“As JLW continued to grow, LaSalle Partners was doing the same, moving from humble beginnings as a small real estate firm in Texas to become a globally recognized real estate investment manager. In 1999, the two firms would join forces to become Jones Lang LaSalle,” the website states.

The company was named to the Fortune 500 in 2015 with gross revenues of over $5.4 billion.

LaSalle Investment Management last year earned the WELL Health-Safety Rating for 193 office and multifamily properties in North America and Asia Pacific through the International WELL Building Institute.

“The WELL Health-Safety Rating is an evidence-based, third-party verified rating focusing on operational policies, maintenance protocols and emergency plans to promote overall occupant health and ensure emergency preparedness,” it states.

Properties earn that certification by demonstrating improved air and water quality management, health service resources, emergency preparedness

see LASALLE page 20

The 240-unit Mountain Park Ranch apartment complex at 44th Street and Ray Road, Ahwatukee, sold for just over $70 million. (vizzda.com)

tests were administered prior to last year because of pandemic-driven shutdowns of campuses.

The percentage of Kyrene students who passed math assessment was 44.9% and 41% for Tempe Union students. Both districts also exceeded the averages recorded in districts of their size.

In English Language Arts, 53% of Kyrene students and 48% of Tempe Union students passed as opposed to a 40% state average.

Kyrene’s passing average was well above the 40% average for districts its size and Tempe Union far exceeded the 28% passing rate for districts its size.

In Science, 38% of Kyrene students 29% of Tempe Union students passed – exceeding the 24% average for all districts in Arizona.

For per-pupil spending on administration, the Auditor General gave Kyrene a “very low” rating compared to districts its size and Tempe Union a “high” designation.

Kyrene’s spent $860 per student on administration in contrast to peer districts’ $1,082 and a state average of $1,088.

The number of students per administrator in Kyrene was 64 last school year, compared to 67 for peer districts and a state average of 63.

Tempe Union’s $1,092 in per-pupil spending for administration exceeded both the peer district average of $1,000 and the state average. The number of Tempe Union students per administrator also exceeded that of peer districts’ 65 average and the statewide 63 pupil average.

Overall, Tempe Union’s per-pupil costs of all operational and non-operational spending fell by $464 from the previous year to $10,979 because of reductions in all four categories of so-called non-operational categories.

Those categories include land and buildings for spending such as utilities and maintenance. equipment, bond interest and other expenses. Those reductions included $414 for land and buildings and $272 for equipment.

Kyrene’s total operational and non-operational spending per pupil increased by $1,064 to $12,576.

That increase was driven partly by the spike in food service costs but also $130 per pupil for land and buildings

and $137 for “other” expenses that the report defines as “remaining nonoperational spending, primarily consisting of adult education, community service programs, and civic activities.”

The average teacher salary in both districts also exceeded the state average of $58.366. Kyrene’s teachers earned an average $58,592 while Tempe Union’s earned an average $69,283.

Kyrene’s teachers had an average 13 years’ experience and only 10% had less than three years. Tempe Union’s teachers had an average 14.9 years’ experience and only 9% had less than three years on the job. 

programs, enhanced cleaning and sanitation procedures and “stakeholder engagement and communication.”

“The WELL Health-Safety Rating can instill confidence in those who come through the building as well as the broader community,” LaSalle says.

David DeVos, LaSalle Global head of sustainability, adds: “Tenants are prioritizing healthy spaces where they feel safe, so it is critical to exemplify our commitment to safety to drive tenant demand and, ultimately, portfolio performance.” 

based Caliber Development Company will begin conversion of the Sheraton site is unknown.

Asked about its timeline for construction, Caliber Senior Vice President Kelly McAndrew told AFN last week, “At this time, we don’t have any update to share with you.”

Caliber’s project is located on a socalled county island in Ahwatukee, meaning the Board of Supervisors had final say on its request for rezoning of the Sheraton site to a planned unit development.

That request was part of the supervisors’ consent agenda, and no one spoke for or against it when it and several other projects in other parts of the county came up for their consideration.

P.B. Bell and Everest Holdings want to raze what they call an under-utilized two-building office complex on nearly 14 acres at 15210 S. 50th St.

They need council’s blessing on its plan to construct four three-story buildings that would surround two four-story, 56-foot-high structures and a 12,000-square-foot clubhouse and swimming pool.

Developers in both cases pointed out their respective sites are currently underutilized for a variety of reasons.

And in both cases, developers say their “highly amenitized” complexes will be a boon to retail in the area and address a critical shortage of housing in the Valley.

While some neighbors have raised concerns about the larger complex’s impact on often-congested Ray Road, no one has voiced opposition to Caliber’s plan – which can’t go forward until Marriott International sells the hotel.

McAndrew would not comment on sale negotiations.

In its report to the supervisors, the county Planning and Development Department said it had “incorporated all design standards requested by the City of Phoenix” and indicated the city still has to sign off on a critical pre-construction component.

It said that before a building permit can be issued, Caliber must provide “an executed pre-annexation service agreement with the City of Phoenix that details either a timeline for annexation, or an agreement to provide water and sewer service.

“In lieu of pre-annexation service

agreement the developer must provide a ‘will serve’ letter from the certificated water and sewer provider(s),” county planners said in their report.

They added there are “no near-future plans for the site being annexed to the city.”

They also said the city must agree to provide fire protection services prior to a building permit’s issuance and that Caliber must conform with several design requirements of its own.

Those requirements include 1.68 parking spaces per unit and 20% guest parking for a total 376 spaces, provide at least a 10-foot landscape setback along the southern edge of the site and provide a shaded sidewalk along 51st Street.

The only way to enter or leave the complex will be along 51st Street.

In pitching the proposal to the county, Caliber told the county in documents that their development “will provide support for the nearby commercial and businesses.”

“Not only will this community provide needed housing density in this area, but it will provide an alternative housing option with a variety of units sizes, upgraded interior finishes, and high-level common amenities,” it said.

“We expect this development to attract individuals with expendable income to spend in this area. Our research shows that there is little to no ongoing market demand for a hotel use at this location. The new hotels have shifted locations to Chandler and I-10 corridor which is closer to the high growth employment

along the Chandler Boulevard corridor.

“We anticipate future residents of the proposed community would come from various demographic groups. One group that we expect to be attracted to this community would be young professionals looking for a residential experience.”

Predicting “the walkability to the nearby commercial center (will) be a big selling point for our community,” Caliber added:

“We also expect these professionals to be attracted because of the close proximity to I-10 Freeway. The proposed multifamily community will help to not only avoid vacancies in adjacent retail and restaurants but will support new commercial tenants because of the expendable income from individuals likely to live in this community. It also provides a much-needed housing opportunity within this high employment growth area.”

In addition to converting the hotel, Caliber would construct 18 new buildings with one- and two-bedroom apartments that would come in two different styles.

One style would be a three-story single-family building with private garages and driveways. There would be one fourunit cluster and two six-unit clusters of this building style.

The plan also calls for 40 two-story duplexes with attached garages.

In many ways, the plan for the 50th Street complex that P.B. Bell and Everest Holdings want to build has echoed the same themes as Caliber.

They say the office complex they hope to demolish has steadily lost tenants to newer and more efficient buildings as well as to shifting work habits that see more people work remotely from their homes.

Some Village Planning Committee members voiced concerns about that complex’s impact on traffic as well as on service calls to Phoenix Police.

Several neighbors noted that Ray Road between 48th Street and the freeway already is heavily congested at rush hour and on the weekends and said traffic from the complex would only add to the delay.

A lawyer for the developer said traffic is “just not here – it’s everywhere” and said “We’re happy to continue to work with this committee and neighbors on traffic as best we can.”

The developers also said they worked with a third-party traffic engineer and the city to study the project’s impact and that they concluded the impact would be minimal. 

Caliber wants to turn the six-story 160-room Sheraton Hotel at 51st Street and Elliot Road into a hi-rise with 100 studio and one-bedroom apartments. (AFN file)

Caliber Development company has cleared the final government hurdle to transforming the Four Points by Sheraton Phoenix South Mountain hotel and some surround vacant property on a 7.8-acre site into a high-end apartment complex at 51st Street and Elliot Road. (AFN file)

Audubon Society focusing on fatal bird collisions

BY LIZ FARQUHAR AFN Contributor

Have you ever heard a thump on a window in your house? Unless you live on a golf course or ball field, you probably heard a bird crashing into the glass.

You may have found the injured bird, but often they fly away to die of their injuries out of sight.

A 2014 study by the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the Smithsonian Institution estimated that between 365 million and one billion birds in the United States are killed annually by building collisions – 60% after hitting buildings under four stories, such as homes.

But there are ways to prevent these unnecessary deaths.

Desert Rivers Audubon Society is hosting a DIY workshop at Gilbert Riparian Preserve’s Rattlesnake Ramada from 1-3 p.m. on Sunday, March 12, where residents can make a custom window treatment that will prevent birds from

striking the glass.

Materials, tools and expert assistance will be provided. Registration is required and there is a $15 fee.

To a bird fleeing a predator or heading to the next tree, the reflection of a yard or the street in a window looks like an open flyway - not a solid surface. This video illustrates the problem from a bird’s eye view: bit.ly/HowBirdsSeeWindows

The Acopian BirdSaver, also called the Zen Wind Curtain, leverages the birds’ own biology to alert them that a glass window is impassable.

Birds are able to calculate that they cannot fly through an opening that is 4 inches or less in width: it’s how they successfully fly through tree branches.

The Acopian BirdSaver consists of lengths of paracord cut to the height of the window secured at 4-inch intervals across the width of the frame on the outside of the window.

This breaks up the reflection, signaling to birds that they cannot fly through. The curtain is virtually 100 percent effective

at diverting birds.

Installation is easy, and the cords do not obstruct the view from inside the home and in fact are aesthetically pleasing.

Residents will use the measurements of their problem window and with the help of volunteers will make an Acopian BirdSaver custom-fitted to their home and ready to install.

“There’s no need to cover every window in your home, just the ones that are hazardous to birds,” said Karen StuckeJungemann, Desert Rivers Audubon conservation director.

The chapter hopes to repeat the workshop in the future.

“Our goal is to reach as many homeowners as possible to stop bird-strike deaths,” Stucke-Jungemann said.

Residents who would rather buy an Acopian BirdSaver may order directly from the company at birdsavers.com.

To learn more, download the  Acopian Bird Saver manual at bit.ly/MakeABirdSaver. The American Bird Conservancy publishes a reference resource about other bird strike solutions at bit.ly/BirdStrikeConsumerGuide.

Desert Rivers Audubon Society serves Chandler, Gilbert, Queen Creek, Apache Junction, the San Tan Valley and parts of Pinal County.

It provides environmental education and conservation opportunities and advocate for our environment.

Information:desertriversaudubon. org. 

Often fatal collisions of flying birds with home windows can be prevented by the Acopian BirdSaver. (Liz Farquhar/GSN Contributor)

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Mayor Gallego to judge Ahwatukee chili contest

AFN NEWS STAFF

The Ahwatukee Community Swim & Tennis Center for the 18th year this weekend will be calling on some of the most talented kitchen maestros in the nation to whip up potentially award-winning chili and a special guest will judge one of the competitions.

Mayor Kate Gallego will be the featured guest judge at annual Chili Cook Off and Carnival, March 11–12 at Ahwatukee Park, 4700 E. Warner Road. Admission is free.

The fun actually begins 5-9 p.m. Friday, March 10 with carnival rides provided by Kastl Amusements. Tickets can be purchased on site and carnival hours for Saturday are 10 a.m.-9 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m.5 p.m.

“The Chili Cook-Off on Saturday and Sunday is one of our hottest events of the year with diverse recipes from across the region,” said Susan Rast, Community

Center director.

“Cooks from all over the country travel here to compete for the cash prizes and their chance to qualify to compete at the International Chili Society World Championships at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina in September,” Rast added, noting cooks travel from as far as Michigan to

participate.

The mayor on Sunday will judge the Chili Verde competition, which is one of four categories for contestants’ entries.

“We welcome the Mayor and her staff to our beautiful Ahwatukee community and for their involvement in our event,” Rast said.

Officially called the Copper State Regional Chili Cook-off (Saturday) and Valley of the Sun Cook-off (Sunday), this is a sanctioned event of the International Chili Society.

The society traces its origins to Terlinqua, Texas, where in 1967, a group of friends started a friendly chili competition.

“The ICS continues to uphold the same core values of their founders by bringing people together to enjoy healthy competition and America’s great culinary creation – chili,” Rast enthused.

“Their mission is to continuously improve chili while raising money for charities and non-profits year-round.”

The Ahwatukee contest’s proceeds will benefit the Kiwanis Club of Ahwatukee and the Ahwatukee Little League.

While admission is free, guests can buy tasting kits for $7 that contain seven sampling cups and a raffle ticket for a

2 Summit School students publish dystopian novel

AFN NEWS STAFF

Two 8th grade students at Summit Middle School in Ahwatukee are basking in the light of accomplishment – and amazon.com.

Sadie Peterson, 13, and her 14-yearold classmate Sydney Hardy just published a dystopian novel, “Divided by Seasons,” that is on sale on amazon. com in both digital and paperback formats.

The novel is set in a dystopian society in which the world is split up into the four seasons based on personality traits.

Four teens are given roles they never expected to receive and confront potentially harmful situations that involved a corrupt regime.

The girls started the project in Sep-

tember 2021, spent six months writing it and almost another year fine-tuning it before going to market.

They describe the four teenaged main characters as “living in worlds they don’t quite belong to” who “learn horrible things about the places they called home.”

The book already has garnered a few online reviews from readers.

One posted on amazon: “Loved it! What a page turner. Once I started reading I could not stop. I want more! Read it all in 1 day, same day delivered.”

Another reader said, “I really enjoyed this book. Anna was a great character who was maybe too relatable at times.”

Surprisingly, only Sydney, daughter of Scott and Barbara Hardy, said her favorite subject is literature.

Sadie, the daughter of Kevin and Lau-

rie Peterson, likes math and wants to be a teacher when she gets older.

Sadie said writing the novel was somewhat challenging.

“For me, my biggest challenge was getting the ideas to write the book and keep going even when I really didn’t want to,” she said.

Sadie added that she and Sydney worked both together and individually on writing the book.

“We would either write at the same time, or we would write at different times, but before we started to write, we would read over what the other added to the document.”

As for the genesis of their joint project, Sydney said that while they were inspired by Veronica Roth’s “Divergent,”

The Ahwatukee Community Swim & Tennis Center will hold its 18th annual Chili CookOff and Carnival this Saturday and Sunday, March 11-12. (AFN file photo)

Sadie Peterson and Sydney Hardy hold a copy of their dystopian novel, “Divided by Seasons,” which they recently published. (Summit Middle School)

CHILI from page 24 great prize.

Tasting times are 11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Saturday and 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Sunday.

Awards are announced at approximately 4 p.m.

The “people’s choice” part of the event doesn’t have to adhere to the same rules for sanctioned categories of the ICS, which have certain requirements and no-nos.

For example, cooks can’t use beans in traditional red and green chili, and they must include meat. People’s Choice can include beans or other filler such as pasta, and it can be vegetarian.

Entries will run the gamut from a little

AUTHORS from page 24

the idea of the book “just came out of the blue.”

And while their characters’ names were largely selected out of the blue, Sydney added, “some were named after our dogs and parents and some smaller characters were named after our teachers.”

to a lot of spice, Rast said in an interview two years ago.

A spokeswoman for the mayor said there are a couple of firsts for Gallego this Sunday.

“I don’t think she’s been to the Tukee gig before,” said Communications Director Arielle Devorah. “She’s judged other competitions before – salsa, tamales –but not chili - exciting!”

If contestants have competition chili left over after the judging, they bring it out for the attendees.

The festival will also feature food, beer, wine, great food and a live band on Saturday and Sunday. Parking is free.

Information: 480-893-3431 or email shyden@ahwatukeehoa.com 

Sydney also admitted that her biggest challenge was “trying to find motivation during the editing stage.”

“It’s why finally publishing the book took so long,” she added. “We spent a lot of time doing nothing.”

But of course, they did a lot more than “nothing.” And proving that is easy: they’re working on a sequel. 

AROUND AHWATUKEE

Corpus Christi to hold annual St. Vincent de Paul furniture drive this weekend

The annual furniture drive by the St. Vincent de Paul Corpus Christi Conference Ministry in Ahwatukee is coming soon.

People can drop off furniture either 9 a.m.-3 p.m. March 11 or 10 a.m.-3 p.m. March 12 at the 36th Street parking lot of Corpus Christi Church, 3550 E. Knox Road, Ahwatukee.

However, no mattresses/box springs, tube televisions or damaged or broken items will be accepted.

Learn CPR to help people of all ages this Saturday at Ahwatukee class

The Frontline Coalition founded by Malinda Malone, an Ahwatukee pet groomer and pet tech trainer, will hold a class on administering CPR to adults, children and infants. 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, March 11, at 3820 E. Ray Road, No. 18, Ahwatukee.

The event will benefit Ahwatukee-based Armer Foundation for Kids, which helped save the life of Malone’s great niece, Keira Riley.

The cost is $42 to $50 and registrations should be made before 9 a.m. tomorrow, March 9, at thefrontlinecoalition. com.

LD 12 Democrats slate their monthly breakfast meeting in Chandler

or $50 without military logo. Pick up order forms at the Ahwatukee Board of Management office, 4700 E. Warner Rd., or download at ahwatukeehoa.com/blue-starmemorial.html.

Leave completed forms and payment at the ABM office or mail to the address on the form by APRIL 15. For more information, contact mltiede@hotmail.com.

The Blue Star Memorial, a joint project of the Desert Pointe Garden Club and the Ahwatukee Board of Management, is located on the north side of Warner Road just west of 48th Street. Parking is available in the ABM parking lot.

Tempe Legion post to host annual Sentimental Dreams dance

Tempe American Legion Post 2 will hold its 28th annual Sentimental Dreams Dance to benefit the Legion’s Boys And Girls State event.

The dance runs 7-10 p.m. March 25 at the Legion Post, 2125 S. Industrial Park Avenue, Tempe.

Proceeds will help Post 2 send five Tempe Union students to a statewide convention in which teens learn about Arizona government and citizenship.

The dance features the 18-piece Swing Memories Big Band Orchestra, which plays music from the 30s and 40s. Tickets are $15 in advance or at the door. Information: 480-967-2968.

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The LD12 Democrats & Donuts meeting at 8 a.m. March 15 at Denny’s, 7400 W. Chandler Blvd., Chandler, will feature a guest speaker and a Bada Bing Raffle of baskets by Judy Wade.

Next week’s speaker is Dave Wells of the Grand Canyon Institute, who will discuss education funding in Arizona and the Aggregate Expenditure Limit.

Although the start time of the meeting is 8 a.m., guests are asked to arrive early to place their order. Someone will be on hand from 7:30 a.m. Information: Julia Fleeman at juliafleeman@cox.net.

Legion Post 64 slates social mixer for veterans next month at ARC

American Legion Post 64, the only formal military veterans organization based in Ahwatukee, is holding a free veterans social mixer that’s open to the public 5-6:30 p.m. April 5 at the Ahwatukee Recreation Center, 5001 E. Cheyenne Drive.

Light food, iced tea and water will be served at the free event and music and the card game spades are also on the agenda.

Information: Brenda, 303-301-4429

Commemorative pavers offered at Ahwatukee Blue Star Memorial

An engraved commemorative paver placed at the Ahwatukee Blue Star Memorial can honor a friend or family member who served, or is currently serving, in the U.S. Armed Forces and orders are being accepted until April 15 for pavers to be placed in time for Memorial Day. Pavers cost $60 with the military logo of your choice,

Phoenix taking registrations for Kids

Triathlon at Pecos Park

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 by today, Feb. 15, to guarantee an event shirt and the $26 registration fee. Register: email denise.romero@phoenix.gov or call 602-534-5234.

Deadline nears for entering 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, see AROUND page 27

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.

City Street Transportation seeks teen volunteers for their guidance

The City of Phoenix Street Transportation Department is recruiting students from local high schools, colleges and universities to be non-voting members of its Vision Zero Community Advisory Committee to help guide the department’s Vision Zero Road Safety Action Plan, which aims to reduce the number of collisions in Phoenix that result in serious injuries or fatalities to zero by 2050.

In addition to the student members, the committee comprises 11 voting members who have already been appointed.

Student members of the committee must be at least 17, able to attend quarterly meetings and interested in providing meaningful input about road safety.

Interested students can learn more and download an application at Phoenix.gov/RoadSafety. Applications are due by March 15.

Ironwood Library offers free activities for all ages throughout March

Ironwood Library, 4333 E. Chandler Blvd., Ahwatukee, 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.

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 (except for March 31), 9:30-10 a.m., outdoors at Pecos Park, 17010 S. 48th St. No tickets required. Supported by a grant from First Things First.

Kindergarten Bootcamp

Children entering kindergarten in Fall 2023 and their caregivers can join this interactive series! It meets once a week for seven weeks and gives families a taste of kindergarten.

Parents/caregivers and children learn together the social, academic, and classroom skills needed for school success. Receive free tools and activities each week leading up to Bootcamp graduation. March 22-May 3, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Registration is required at phoenixpubliclibrary.org.

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 Street. 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.

Backyard gardening

Using Master Gardener techniques, learn the basics of gardening, watering, reading a Valley planting calendar, and about additional desert landscaping resources.

Presented by the local community & sustainability nonprofit organization Keep Phoenix Beautiful. March 25 25, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. 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 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, 5-5:45 p.m. No tickets required. On April 5 the featured book is “The Measure” by Nikki Erlick.  Submit your releases to

LA CASA DE JUANA

DELIVERS A KNOCKOUT WITH ITS FRESH, AUTHENTIC AND MOUTHWATERING FOOD

If you thought you have been to a Mexican restaurant lately you probably need to reconsider and visit La Casa De Juana in Ahwatukee. The fare is authentic Mexican, and when we say authentic we mean it, unlike many of the restaurant chains that call themselves Mexican. Upon entering you’ll be dazzled by the colorful décor, the tables and chairs are beautiful, Mexican painted murals, colorful banners hanging from the ceiling and the gracious service with warm orange and yellow tones echoing throughout the restaurant will make this your favorite Mexican restaurant. With great lunch and dinner specials, we have Happy Hour Monday - Sunday from 2 - 6 PM with $5 House Margaritas, $4 Beers, $5.95 Cheese Quesadilla, $8.95 Chunky Guacamole and $9.95 Juana’s Nachos. Live music every Thursday night in our Ahwatukee location and every Friday at our Tempe location. In conclusion The flavorful salsa, the delicious margaritas, the extraordinary and well-priced food will definitely keep you coming back.

Don’t hesitate to stop by the Ahwatukee location

3941 E. Chandler Blvd. (S/W corner Chandler & 40th St) to make your next reservation call 480-626-9295

www.juanashouse.com

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 of MERCY

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.

BY SCOTT SHUMAKER AFN Staff Writer

Iveda Solutions, an East Valley artificial intelligence video surveillance company, started in a 250-square-foot office at Alma School Road and Southern Avenue in Mesa 20 years ago with a couple employees.

Today, its shares are traded on the NASDAQ stock exchange and it has ambitions to become a billion-dollar company leading the charge toward “smart cities.”

CEO David Ly said that despite being wooed by other Valley communities to relocate over its 20 years of growth, Iveda has “stayed loyal” to Mesa.

So Mesa remains the company’s base as it plots a major expansion, hiring engineers and signing contracts to deploy products across the globe, with clients in Taiwan and Latin America among its most

East Valley AI surveillance company goes global Bill would cut unemployment benefits

BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

State lawmakers are moving to cut the time Arizonans can collect jobless benefits even as unemployment hits double digits.

The Senate last week gave preliminary approval to setting the maximum length of payments for those looking for work at no more than 12 weeks at any time the state’s seasonally adjusted jobless rate has been 5% or less for the prior quarter.

That compares with the current law, which allows up to 24 weeks when the unemployment rate is that low and would apply now with the jobless rate in the 4% range.

More dramatic are the changes for periods of higher unemployment.

Now, a jobless rate of at least 5% quali-

recent new customers.

Iveda hopes to ride a rising wave of interest in artificial intelligence and solve problems in law enforcement, health care, city management and business.

Ly said when he was starting out in 2003, the company was bringing surveillance systems into the 21st century by upgrading them from VHS tape recorders to cameras linked to networks and cloud storage.

Suddenly, businesses could monitor their properties from anywhere in the world and keep footage longer. Twenty years ago, this was cutting edge.

Ly was well-versed in the latest technology because he worked for a San Josebased wireless company before starting Iveda.

He was successful as a sales manager and relocated to Phoenix to take a leadership role.

But soon after he arrived, Ly said, the

parent company started layoffs, which eventually included his job.

A natural choice might have been to move back to tech-heavy San Jose, but Ly saw opportunity in Arizona.

“I made the decision that, ‘You know what? This is new,’” Ly said of the state. “The opportunity for us to build technology here. It was just pure excitement and enthusiasm for actually starting over.”

As the technology for analyzing and utilizing video footage evolved, Iveda has kept pace with developments right into

see IVEDA page 31

Iveda Solutions’ Utilis Poles are light street lights on steroids. Besides a light, the poles have video, environmental sensors, wireless antennas and even a drone charging station.

(Special to AFN)

fies those who are out of work through no fault of their own to up to 26 weeks.

The measure pushed through the Senate by Sen. Steve Kaiser, R-Phoenix, instead sets up a graduated benefit schedule, adding an additional week of benefits beyond the 12-week base for every halfpoint the unemployment rate rises.

But SB 1167 still caps benefits at 20 weeks even if the jobless rate tops 8.5%, six weeks shorter than now.

Kaiser contends there are jobs to be filled but people collecting unemployment are not applying for them. He said there are 10 open jobs for every applicant, suggesting that they are not applying because they are collecting up to the $320 a week the state provides in benefits.

That number is at sharp difference to the official numbers from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, which shows

about 213,000 job openings in December, the most recent month available, and about 148,000 people looking for work.

But Kaiser said he is basing the number on the smaller number of 22,656 people who are actually applying for or collecting unemployment insurance in Arizona.

Arizona law allows those workers who are laid off or fired for no reason to collect up to one-half of what they were earning while they look for new work. But it is capped at no more than $320 a week, no matter how much they were earning before, and with the 24- or 26week cap depending on the state’s jobless rate.

Kaiser said he sees the current level of benefits as unnecessary.

“If there are plentiful jobs out there, the unemployment insurance benefit

timelines should be shorter,’’ he told colleagues during floor debate. He pointed out that Arizona has a voter-imposed $13.85-an-hour minimum wage, which over a 40-hour week translates out to more than unemployment benefits.

The idea drew questions from Rep. Mitzi Epstein, D-Tempe. She asked who benefits from the change.

“Getting a job benefits the individual and their family,’’ Kaiser responded. Epstein sniffed at that response.

“That’s a new piece of information to me that yanking benefits away from somebody helps them to get a job faster,’’ she said. But Epstein said that still doesn’t answer her question of who is promoting the idea.

Kaiser said he could not recall the

the AI age.

Many Iveda products use smart technology, allowing a police body camera to not just record a scene, but actively help an officer spot things in real time.

AI can also automatically analyze footage from hundreds of cameras, like those at Mesa’s Real Time Crime Center, so a handful of humans can monitor a vast network of cameras.

Algorithms can detect weapons or abnormal behavior in the footage and alert a human.

In January, Iveda signed a deal with a city in Taiwan to deploy its Utilis Smart Poles.

Utilis Poles are light street lights on steroids. Besides a light, the poles have video, environmental sensors, wireless antennas and even a drone charging station.

According to the company, deploying the poles throughout the Taiwanese city will help it “solve a myriad of urban challenges, from improving parking and traffic management and charging electric vehicles, to detecting and notifying officials about street flooding.”

Ly believes that making existing cameras and other hardware like street lights smarter has enormous growth potential.

“Think about the world – how many cameras are in existence today?” Ly said.

UNEMPLOYMENT from page 30

name of the group.

The measure was pushed in the Senate Government Committee by Brian Sikma, a lobbyist for the Foundation for Government Accountability, which lists its purpose as advancing policies to move individuals from welfare to work. He testified that states that set up an indexed jobless benefit system get people

“Iveda has built technology that in less than two seconds can enable any of those functional cameras … to gain intelligence to help us detect, alert and provide more efficiency throughout our operations, whether we’re a 7-Eleven, a laundry mat or an international airport.”

Ly said he sees artificial intelligence as the “next wave” in the tech industry.

“In the next five to 10 years, it’s all about AI and automation,” Ly predicted.

“Like you and I were jumping on the iPhone wave of cloud from 2008 to 2014 … when every company put ‘cloud’ in front or behind their name and became something special. Well today, if you put AI within your company name, you can tag along the bandwagon of AI.”

Ly says Iveda is not a newcomer to the technology and believes it is in a good position to bring AI into real-world applications.

Mesa has made headlines by luring Fortune 500 companies to the city, but an even higher distinction for a community may be nurturing small businesses into giant status, which Iveda hopes to attain.

Iveda is one of several Mesa-born companies that has seen success, like Auer Precision, Edupoint, Atlis Motors and Backyard Taco, to name a few.

Ly said a factor in staying in Mesa was that one of the company’s first customers and investors was Mesa businessman Joe

back to work faster.

Epstein said she remains unconvinced.

“Unemployment insurance is a bridge for the individual and it’s important for stability in the economy,’’ she said, asking Kaiser whether he had worked with any economists to assess the global effects of such a change.

Farnsworth of the real estate and homebuilding Farnsworth family.

Farnsworth was not a tech guy, but Iveda’s technology intrigued him after it helped solve burglary issues at properties he managed in 2003.

“I hired David to come out and use the old technology,” Farnsworth said. “When that happened, we caught the thieves and kind of shut down the guys that had been hitting us at our RV parks.”

The power of the cloud cameras appealed to Farnsworth, as well as the entrepreneur behind them, and he decided to become an angel investor.

“I could tell (David) was just a young, hardworking hustler, and I mean that in a good way,” Farnsworth said.

Farnsworth, who currently serves on Iveda’s board, also brought international business experience to the company, having opened a real estate office in Taiwan in the 1990s that brokered millions in transactions.

After 20 years backing Iveda, the technology continues to impress Farnsworth.

“As I sit and listen, I’m astonished at what we can do,” he said.

Farnsworth appreciates the good the

technology can do in protecting people and property, but he also worries about abuse of surveillance technology.

Bad actors in authoritarian governments could use technology to track political dissidents, for example.

Iveda’s AI Video Search technology has been certified by the Department of Homeland Security as Qualified AntiTerrorism Technology, which grants the company liability protection under the SAFETY Act.

“Given the higher intelligence of the technology, there is a two way street: The technology will help you monitor any misuse,” Ly said. “The technology will tattletale on you.”

Ly said that one of the hardest calls he had to make as CEO is whether to take the company public or not.

Being a publicly traded company is “a double-edged sword.”

It opens Iveda up to millions of new investors, which helps generate capital to grow, but that comes with new obligations and makes the company answerable to a broader audience.

“The choice was, let’s do this. You want to be global? Do it right,” Ly said. 

Near retirees should consider Social Security’s future

BY JOSEPH ORTIZ AFN Guest Writer

If you’re getting closer to retirement, you might be thinking more about Social Security. Specifically, can you count on it to contribute part of the income you’ll need as a retiree?

There’s been an increase in alarming language surrounding the solvency of Social Security, but in reality, its prospects are not nearly as gloomy as you might have heard.

Here’s the story: Under current law, Social Security is estimated to exhaust its trust funds by 2035, after which benefits could be cut by 20%, according to the 2022 Social Security Trustees report. However, the large cost of living adjustment (COLA) (8.7%) for 2023 could cause the trust funds to use up their resources sooner.

But this outlook may represent a worstcase scenario. For one thing, the cost of

the 2023 COLA will be somewhat offset by higher taxes on workers contributing to Social Security.

The maximum amount of earnings subject to the 6.2% Social Security tax jumped from $147,000 in 2022 to $160,200 in 2023. And in looking down the road, further increases in this earnings cap may also help reduce the gap in the trust funds. Increasing the payroll tax is another possibility for boosting funding to Social Security.

And here’s a political reality: Social Security is a popular program and it’s unlikely that any future Congress wants to be blamed for reducing benefits. Of course, there are no guarantees, but it seems fair to say that you can reasonably expect some benefits from Social Security when you retire.

But perhaps the bigger issue is just how much you should depend on Social Security for your retirement income. On average, Social Security benefits will provide about 30% of a beneficiary’s preretirement earnings, according to the

Social Security Administration. But the higher your earnings before you retire, the lower the percentage that will be replaced by Social Security.

Still, you’ll want to maximize the benefits that are available to you — and that means deciding when to start taking Social Security. You can begin as early as 62, but your monthly payments could be as much as 30% lower than your normal (or “full”) retirement age, which will likely be between 66 and 67.

Even if you were to wait until your full retirement age before collecting Social Security, you’ll also need to draw on other sources of funding. So, while you are still working, it’s a good idea to keep contributing to your IRA and 401(k) or other employer-sponsored retirement plan.

The amount you contribute should depend on your overall financial strategy and your financial needs, so, for example, you probably shouldn’t put in so much into your retirement accounts that you feel significant stress in your monthly cash flow. But when you do

get a chance to invest more in these accounts, such as when your salary goes up, you may want to take advantage of the opportunity.

Ultimately, you should be able to count on Social Security as part of your retirement income. You may want to consult with a financial professional to determine when taking Social Security makes the most sense for you and how you can also get the most from your other retirement accounts. You’ll want a retirement income strategy that’s built for the long run.

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

Goldwater Institute: What is Phoenix hiding?

BY PARKER JACKSON AFN Guest Writer

The City of Phoenix and its union enablers have shut the public out of its most recent contract negotiations—a process that is funded by Phoenix taxpayers and affects where their money is spent—in violation of Arizona’s Public Records Law.

The Goldwater Institute last week sued the city to bring these public records to light.

If you care about transparency, these latest rounds of negotiations got off on the wrong foot.

Before negotiations with the city commence under Phoenix’s “Meet and Confer” ordinance, public-sector unions are required by city code to submit draft contract proposals for public comment.

Despite following this protocol in the past, the Phoenix Law Enforcement Association (PLEA)—the union that represents most of the city’s police officers—decided to ignore the legal requirement this time around.

By doing so, the union prevented the public from providing input on its proposals before the start of negotiations.

The city acknowledged that the union’s refusal to provide a public draft of its contract proposals violated city code, but then did nothing to hold the union accountable for taking away the public’s seat at the table.

The public’s business should be done in public, not behind closed doors. The city of Phoenix has a duty to comply with state law—and the city’s own code—so that residents can find out what their government is up to.

After Phoenix agreed to proceed behind closed doors, the Goldwater Institute stepped in and requested records relating to the negotiations, including any draft agreements and proposals received or created by the city.

First, the city claimed that no draft agreements or draft proposals existed. Then, when Goldwater asked for the information again, the city denied the request, claiming that releasing such records “would hinder the negotiations process.”

The city later said that it had at least some of the requested records but claimed that disclosing them “would harm the best interest of the City.”

Of course, this ignores the fact that the city is supposed to be negotiating on the

public’s behalf. And that those negotiations are funded by the public.

And that the negotiations involve matters of pure public concern regarding how government employees will conduct the public’s business. And that the negotiations process should not have started without public input in the first place. And that, as a result, these records are obviously public records under Arizona law.

That’s why the Goldwater Institute filed suit against the city today, asking the court to compel the city to stop hiding records about union negotiations from the public.

Fortunately, Arizona has broad public records laws requiring open and transparent government. Although there are limited exceptions allowing the government to withhold certain confidential records, these records do not fit within any of the legally recognized exceptions.

In fact, Arizona courts have said that when analyzing the so-called “best interests of the state” exception, they look to the overall interests of the public, not just the government.

Labor agreements are particularly important documents for the public to see.

Not only do they outline compensation

and other policies for government employees, but they are also sometimes used to hide wasteful, corrupt, and unconstitutional practices like taxpayer-funded release time or dues deduction revocation restrictions. Phoenix is guilty of both.

This is not the first time a government entity and public-sector union have worked in tandem to hide information from the public or to benefit unions at taxpayer expense.

Goldwater client Nicole Solas has recently confronted similar public records and open meetings violations by her Rhode Island school district and the local teachers union.

And Goldwater is also pushing back against both local and federal government entities that want to use restrictive contractual provisions to trap their employees in public-sector unions.

In Arizona and across the country, the Goldwater Institute will always fight for open, transparent government and to protect taxpayers.

Parker Jackson is a Goldwater Institute staff attorney and lead attorney on this case. Information: goldwaterinstitute.org. 

Giving the gift of life made her ‘feel so good’

BY DAVID LEIBOWITZ AFN Columnist

At 2:30 a.m. Feb. 15, Maureen Salloom arrived at Mayo Clinic in north Scottsdale perfectly healthy. The 42-year-old came by choice, of sound mind and body, on a mission: For a surgeon to make small incisions in her lower abdomen and left side to extract one healthy kidney.

The organ was rushed to a jet bound for Wisconsin. There, another surgeon implanted the kidney into someone Sal-

loom will never, ever know. Not even his or her name.

Which is precisely what makes this story of epic generosity so worth telling.

“I don’t want to know anything about them,” Salloom says. “I didn’t do it for that reason. … I just hope it works. That they’re healthy and they live however much longer they’re supposed to live in their life. But I don’t need to know anything about that.”

Whoever said ignorance is bliss, I doubt they had this level of benevolence in mind.

For Salloom, the daughter of immigrants from Mexico and Jordan, kind-

ness has always been her thing, dating back to grade school in Texas. She was the first kid to volunteer, class president, the girl voted friendliest. She gets it from her mom and dad, Olga and Ray.

“My parents have always been so grateful to live in this country, to have our freedoms, to have a job,” says Salloom. “They have this overwhelming sense of gratitude towards life. They definitely instilled that in me and my brother.”

Salloom, a Phoenix resident, moved here in 1999 to attend Arizona State. A career in nonprofits followed.

Seven years ago, working at Phoenix Children’s Hospital, she learned about

kidney disease. Salloom planned events and camp programs for kids, and saw them return every second day for dialysis. Cancer got more attention, but chronic kidney disease seemed to her more grinding and equally awful.

Around that time Maureen married Brad Whitley, a Tempe firefighter. She was a touch envious of Brad’s career treating emergencies, saving lives. Last August, she sat her husband down and unveiled her idea: She intended to donate a kidney to a stranger. To save a life herself.

Says Whitley: “I think it took me a little bit to realize that she was serious. I was very fearful.”

Whitley spoke to Tempe Fire Chief Greg Ruiz, whose wife Adrian had donated a kidney to their son. Reassured Maureen wouldn’t die in surgery, Brad embraced the idea “full speed ahead.” He went to most of Maureen’s 30 or so pre-surgery appointments, perpetually beaming with pride.

Eventually, Maureen told him to stop with the praise.

“I was like, stop telling people,” she recalls. “I’m not doing this for attention. I just want to do it to help someone. Period.”

Whitley laughs. “I’m probably never going to stop telling people what she did. To me as a firefighter, that’s what

we’re supposed to do. For her to do this on her own? There’s no comparison.”

Two weeks post-surgery, Salloom is up and at ‘em again. She walked three and a half miles yesterday; she has a follow-up at Mayo next week.

The hospital will monitor her for the next two years. The only thing she can’t do going forward is take ibuprofen. Oth erwise, she can eat, drink, and jog to heart’s content. In time, her remaining kidney will grow larger to compensate for the kidney she gave away.

I can’t imagine it ever growing as big as her heart.

“I’m not going to say it wasn’t painful, it wasn’t emotional,” says Salloom. “Ev ery emotion you could feel, I felt it. But now I feel so good. … That person’s life has changed. I’m so happy, so grateful for them. That I could make a difference. That’s just huge.” 

For the last six weeks Ahwatukee residents have been treated to a weekly column in this paper contrasting my opponent and myself. I want to start this piece by saying ‘thank

you’ to Paul Maryniak and everyone at the Ahwatukee Foothills News for giving us, and this community, such an extensive opportunity to hear directly from the candidates in this race to become your next city councilman. There isn’t another community newspaper anywhere in the Valley that devotes the work AFN does keeping their neighbors informed. And no other community invests the time the way Ahwatukee residents do using that opportunity to stay on top of important, often poignant, local issues. So ‘thank you’ to all of you as well.

I’m asking for your support and your vote not to simply continue what Phoenix is doing, but to bring fresh ideas to the table and fight to make our city work better. My opponent has run entirely on continuing the status

quo. And, yes, we both have backing on the current council; I’m endorsed by Sal DiCiccio, he’s endorsed by the Mayor. But only one of those two people will be in office when we’re sworn in. I won’t walk into city hall owing anyone else there my vote, my only interest will be ensuring the future of Phoenix and our District 6 communities. I will only be answering to you.

I have tried to run a clean race focused on the issues. But, as many of you have probably seen in your mailboxes, my opponent is attacking me both relentlessly, and deceptively. I don’t have the support of the big money interests he does, so I can’t respond in kind, but many of you know me personally from my work in the council office. And if not, ask yourself how I earned the support of people like Republicans Sal DiCiccio

and Matt Gress, Democrat Joan Green, Progressive Christina Eichelkraut, and Black-activist Rev. Jarrett Maupin? It’s because they do know me personally, have worked with me over many years, and know I will work openly and tirelessly to better our city.

If you choose to elect me, that’s exactly what I will continue to do. But regardless of the outcome, I want to thank each and every one of you who took the time to read all the columns in this paper, to consider, weigh, and cast your vote in this race. It was a pleasure working for you for five years in Sal’s office, and a pleasure getting the opportunity to speak with you throughout this campaign.

Election Day is March 14. Visit SamStone.vote for more information.

Sam Stone Candidate for Phoenix City Council

Desert Vista wins girls’ Open Division title

BY ZACH ALVIRA AFN Sports Editor

Desert Vista’s girls’ basketball team couldn’t help but turn and smile to each other on the floor with every made basket.

All season long the Thunder girls were the favorite to win the inaugural Open Division girls’ state championship, due in large part to the addition of freshman guard Jerzy Robinson – the top-ranked player in the nation in the 2026 class – and junior guard Shay Ijiwoye, who is being pursued by major college programs.

Saturday, though, the expectations set upon the Thunder from the start came to fruition – and in convincing fashion.

Top-ranked Desert Vista simply ran away from Millennium, dominating in all facets of the game to win the Open Division state title, 63-37.

“That’s our main thing right now, I said,

‘Have fun, go play basketball and do what we do,’” Desert Vista coach Dave Williams said. “If we lose like that, then we lost. It is what it is. But play the way we play.”

Desert Vista only let Millennium hang around for a quarter.

The Thunder were finding ways to break through the Tigers’ lengthy wings and guards on defense. Millennium caused fits initially for Desert Vista, which aims to out-run teams out of the gym with its speed in the transition game.

But Millennium hung in tough and trailed by just two points after the first

see OPEN page 38

Desert Vista junior Shay Ijiwoye hoists the trophy after the Thunder knocked off Millennium to win the first Open Division girls’ state championship Saturday, March 4 at Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix.

(Dave Minton/AFN Staff)

Thunder hockey raising money for nationals

BY ZACH ALVIRA AFN Sports Editor

Desert Vista’s hockey program accomplished its main goal for the 2022-23 Arizona High School Hockey Association by winning the state title.

It did so in dramatic fashion, coming from behind by three goals to force overtime and eventually beat Notre Dame Prep, a perennial club hockey power in the state. But the Thunder’s season didn’t end as the first team of any level to win a championship at Arizona State’s Mullet Arena.

Desert Vista is going national.

“It’s something we aspire to do every season,” Desert Vista coach Mark Moynahan said. “Now that we have the opportunity, it’s a great accomplishment and we’re looking forward to it.”

With its win in the state title, Desert Vissee HOCKEY page 39

Desert Vista’s hockey team, fresh off its thrilling win over Notre Dame in the state championship, is preparing for nationals by fundraising for the trip to Minnesota. (JJ Digos/AFN Contributor)

OPENfrom page 37

eight minutes. Then Desert Vista found a rhythm.

Robinson caught fire and began to dominate, much like she has all season. Sophomore guards Dylan Swindle and Michaela Fairwell joined her, knocking down big 3-pointers and finding space under the basket for easy layups.

Ijiwoye was the facilitator for the Thunder’s offensive onslaught in the final three quarters of play. Desert Vista outscored Millennium 19-10 in the second and 26-8 in the third, putting the game well out of reach by the fourth quarter.

“We were a little nervous as you can tell,” Robinson said. “We were jittery. It’s a big facility, a bigger court. Once we calmed down, we were able to play Desert Vista basketball and we took off.

“It’s surreal. It’s amazing.”

Leading 60-32 with just over 3 minutes to play, Williams pulled his starters. They received a standing ovation from fans inside the ‘Madhouse on McDowell.’

But even as they were done with their season early, the five starters – Robinson, Ijiwoye, Swindle, Fairwell and junior

guard Eanae Dagons – continued to cheer on and at times, coach, their teammates. Swindle said that’s simply how this year’s team was wired. They’re a close bunch that supports one another no matter who is on the floor. That’s what helped

lead to their success.

“This team is like a sisterhood,” Swindle said. “We just love each other so much through thick and thin from the start of the season to the end.

“We played as a team. We were passing the ball to each other, we knew who was on and who was off. We had our binoculars on all game.”

Part of Desert Vista’s game plan was to limit Millennium junior guard Elli Guiney, who took over in the Tigers’ win over Seton Catholic in the semifinals.

Williams said he knew Guiney was going to get looks at the basket, that’s simply

what good players do. But he was happy with his team’s effort despite her 15 points and 6 rebounds.

“We knew she could get 15 or 20, we knew that,” Williams said. “But we wouldn’t let the rest of them get 15 or 20. She’s a hell of a basketball player. But these girls are relentless, they don’t give up and they do what I ask them to do.”

Robinson led Desert Vista with 21 points and 9 rebounds. She scoffed at the thought of being one rebound short of a doubledouble. Swindle added 16 of her own points while Fairwell had 10 and Ijiwoye 9.

Desert Vista’s roster is young with just two seniors. That opens the door for a potential dynasty in Ahwatukee, something the players and Williams have already thought about.

Should everyone return as expected, Williams knows he has something special on his hands. But he isn’t setting the expectation of winning a state championship on them right away.

In his mind, harboring the culture that’s been created is the most important. Wins will come with that.

“I’m hoping we can keep this going,” Williams said. “We don’t have to win backto-back championships, but I do want the culture that we developed to stay afloat. Keep working, keep having fun, keep talking to each other, be the best of friends on the court and off the court.”

The Desert Vista girls have accepted an invitation to play in a national tournament featuring other state champions in Washington, D.C. 

From left: Shay Ijiwoye, Jerzy Robinson, SaRae Kennard and Katelyn Larney begin to celebrate as the final buzzer sounds for the Thunder to win the Open Division girls’ state championship. (Dave Minton/AFN Staff)

HOCKEY from page 37

ta was invited to compete in the 2023 USA Hockey High School National Championships. The Thunder will compete in the Division I bracket and will face teams from across the country.

Moynahan said it’s an opportunity his players are looking forward to. But it comes with a hefty price tag.

The Arizona High School Hockey Association (AHSHA) pays for flights for championship teams to fly to nationals every year. That has helped to a certain extent.

The team has to remain in Minnesota –the site of the national tournament – for the duration. That means transportation, food and hotel rooms for coaches and players for up to a week. Even if Desert Vista were to be eliminated from the tournament early on, all teams must stay.

“The overall expense is quite high,” Moynahan said. “You’re looking at hotels and transportation for all the hockey equipment and 25 people. Those costs rack up really fast with having to feed three times a day.”

Desert Vista hockey has already held several fundraising events to help with the cost of the trip.

The team recently held a carwash near The Buzzed Goat Coffee Company in Ahwatukee. They’ve also partnered with several local businesses to have proceeds from

meals purchased to go toward the team.

Additional fundraisers will take place this week and in the days leading up to and after their departure to Minnesota on March 22.

There will be dinner promotions March 8 and March 15 at Vero Chicago Pizza in Ahwatukee and March 25 at Spinato’s.

Moynahan said so far, the support has been great from the community.

“It means a lot,” Moynahan said. “We’re proud to support and represent Ahwatukee and Desert Vista High School. I know a lot of the guys that are on the team are really proud.”

The opportunity for Desert Vista to compete on a national stage is special for Moynahan and his players. They won the state title in dramatic fashion over Notre Dame.

Now, they aim to create some more magic in Minnesota.

“Coming from behind was definitely a good feat,” Moynahan said. “I still look back on it and it feels great. But right now, my focus is on the nationals. We’re going to be playing against teams that are really stacked.”

The 2023 USA Hockey High School National Championships will take place from March 23-27 in Plymouth, Minn.

Those interested in donating can do so by sending funds through Venmo to @ AZHockey with “DV Hockey” in the memo section. Or scan the QR code. 

Use this qr code to help the Desert Vista hockey team’s fundraiser. (Special to AFN)

Renaissance Festival brings revelry and ruckus

BY SUMMER AGUIRRE GetOut Staff Writer

Take one step into the Festival Village of Fairhaven, and you’ll get whisked away to 16th century Europe for a medieval adventure full of jousting knights, sea fairies and circus performers.

One of the largest renaissance festivals in the nation, the annual Arizona Renaissance Festival & Artisan Marketplace returns for its 35th year with old and new amusements and antics.

With a cast of nearly 2,000 costumed characters roaming a 50-acre festival village, guests can immerse themselves in the Middle Ages with an artisan marketplace, whimsical circus, people-powered rides and games, jousting tournaments and nonstop theater performances.

From 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday through April 2, festival goers of all ages can revel in the village’s many festivities at the foothills of the Superstition Mountains on U.S. 60.

“We have a festival that’s always been

in one place, one spot, for going on threeand-a-half decades now, and people count on that and make it a tradition to come see us,” said Jerome Hill, the festival’s promotions coordinator and the King of the Fools. He called the fest’s 35th year a testament to its standing power as an at-

traction here.

In commemoration of that anniversary, each weekend will have a special theme. Throughout March, the event will celebrate pirates and BrewFest, wizardry and magical creatures, the art of theater, Celtic culture and artist appreciation before the

Fool’s Masquerade Final Huzzah on closing weekend, April 1 and 2.

“One thing that I really like about the Renaissance Festival is that it always has been, and is always just going to be like a full-family outing – families with kids or people that just want to come on their own. There’s sort of an all-ages appeal to it,” said Grayson Coleman-Shelby, a performer.

A focal point is the festival artisan marketplace, an elaborately adorned open-air collection of storybook shops, studios and galleries.

Over 200 talented artisans offer handmade wares fitting all budgets, ranging from pottery, to clothing, to home decor. Some even perform demonstrations right in front of festival goers, creating timehonored crafts like glassblowing, blacksmithing, woodcarving and coin stamping.

“A lot of the merchants have the same goods they’ve been making and selling themselves for years,” ColemanShelby said.

see REN FEST page 42

Gilbert theater presents Broadway musical

The stakes are high when a chorus girl from Allentown, Pennsylvanian, gets a chance to become a Broadway star in the Hale Centre Theatre’s new musical, “42nd Street.”

The Gilbert theater’s show through April 1 “recalls the classic days of Broadway and the golden age of movie musicals with lots of sensational tap numbers and lavish costumes,” a spokesman said.

Songs such as “You’re Getting To Be a Habit With Me,” “We’re In The Money” and “Shuffle Off To Buffalo” are among the popular numbers in the musical.

Hale favorite Rochelle Barton stars as a Broadway’ diva while the humbler Pennsylvania chorus girl is portrayed by Brie Wadsworth-Gates. Brandt Norris

plays a young male lead gifted with incredible dancing while Jere Van Patten and Kathleen Richards play the writers of the Broadway show-within-a-show.

Brandon Zale stars as the demanding Broadway director. The ensemble is filled with Hale veterans as well as newcomers.

“42nd Street” plays at Hale Centre Theatre, 50 W. Page Ave., Gilbetr, Wednesday through Saturdays nights,with Saturday matinees and select Friday matinees.

Dr. Cathy Hauan is the music director, with multi-ariZoni Award winner Cambrian James as the director and choreographer.

Tickets are $45 to $48 for adults and $30 for youth ages 5-17. Tickets may be obtained by calling Hale’s Box Office at 480-497-1181 or HaleTheatreArizona. com. 

Jousting knights are part of the fun at the Arizona Renaissance Festival now offered through April 2. (Special to GetOut)

GETOUT STAFF

The Hale Centre Theatre production of “42nd Street” offers lavish set pieces recalling the golden age of movie musicals. (Courtesy of Hale Theatre)

Scottsdale Airpark eatery gets big Yelp nod

BY ALEX GALLAGHER Progress Staff Writer

When hungry patrons first set foot in the homey Middle Eastern restaurant in Scottsdale Airpark called De Babel, they are quickly greeted by spotless floors, the aroma of freshly cut chicken, lamb and beef and the sounds of French fries and falafel being made to order.

Behind the counter, carefully crafting meals is owner Marwan Kandeel, who meticulously inspects each meal to ensure he and his staff serve only the finest and freshest foods possible.

This commitment to perfection and authenticity has garnered his establishment the recognition of being one of Yelp’s top 100 places to eat this year.

“We don’t want to compromise on the quality of food or the quality of service or cleanliness or hygiene or safety,” Kandeel said. “We believe a good product would sell itself,  good service is obvious and a clean restaurant is obvious.”

Although these details are easily noticeable when customers dine in at his casual dive, Kandeel attributes his commitment to quality to his career in the food service industry which has spanned nearly three decades.

Kandeel, a native of Jordan, began working in the industry at the age of 14 at an Italian restaurant before jetting off to Dubai where he would work for big chains like Five Guys Burgers and Fries and Cinnabon for over two decades before making another trek overseas to the United States.

“I always wanted to settle somewhere

with good opportunities and a growing, sustainable market and the United States was the place I thought I could settle with my wife and start my own business,” Kandeel said.

Because of this, Kandeel says he began seriously devising his idea of a restaurant about three and a half years ago.

His idea was to create a restaurant titled

De Babel as Babel translates to Babylon in Hebrew and offered an idyllic setting to base his concept around.

“I wanted to associate the restaurant and the authenticity of something really back in time,” Kandeel said.

In addition to creating a space with authentic-tasting food, he wanted to create a haven for customers to customize their orders that would satisfy their taste buds.

“The customization is unlimited,” Kandeel said. “People can customize the meals, the sandwiches, the toppings and condiments, or they can customize something new every time they come in.”

However, his dream took time to come to fruition.

When Kandeel arrived in the United States, he started his career by working for Sheraton Hotels in Houston, Texas where he would work for nearly a year before packing his bags for the west’s most western town and making his dream come true.

The dream began to take shape when Kandeel found an intimate space off of Loop 101 and Raintree Drive that could cater to the surrounding businesses looking for a quick and tasty lunch or a healthy portioned dinner to take home.

see DE BABEL page 44

The marketplace also features a spread of cuisine and beverages.

At the village’s many food stalls, visitors can feast their way through turkey legs, shepherd’s pie, soup bread bowls, funnel cakes, steaks-on-a-stick and a variety of meads.

The Piazza Pub is a new addition, serving mixed charcuterie boards and a selection of wine and beer in a cozy courtyard setting. Transylvanian Treats is also new this year and offers custom-made European chimney cakes that have received rave reviews.

“Spend time investigating all the different food stalls, you might find stuff you didn’t know we had here,” Hill hints.

The pinnacle of the festival’s culinary experience, however, is The Pleasure Feast, held by Captain Rook and his fearsome, rascally pirates. During a 90-minute fivecourse meal with beverages at the Old

Manor Hall, the pirate crew provides surprise entertainment complete with upbeat music.

Tickets for the feast are $100, and include a souvenir limited-edition toasting goblet. Seating is limited with only two events a day at noon and 2:30 p.m.

The village comes to life with entertainment, which includes three competitive jousting tournaments a day, and interactive games and people-powered rides like giant rocking horses, paintball battles and climbing towers.

There is also a 16-stage theater presenting endless comedy, music and swordplay.

One of this year’s new additions is The Renaissance Men, a thrilling sword-fighting comedy show. Coleman-Shelby and Daniel Christopher, who play the characters Rowland and Florian, battle it out for the audience’s validation and the title of The Renaissance Man.

“It’s family-friendly, because we want to be able to have people of all ages

be able to watch the show,” ColemanShelby said. “It’s high energy, it’s high excitement.”

The Renaissance Festival’s team is always working on new attractions to give guests the opportunity for a fresh new experience, while bringing back beloved favorites.

“You can come here probably the entire weekend and still not really explore everything. It takes a really long time to really get into the nooks and crannies of everything that festival has to offer,” Coleman-Shelby said. “That’s one of the really cool things, an attraction that’s always evolving and appealing to a broader audience base.”

Whether one has visited the Renaissance Festival once or a dozen times, they are always able to transport to another time and place and leave their troubles at the gate for a little while.

“You get to have this fun, immersive experience, and that just sticks with you for a long time,” Coleman-Shelby said. “A lot of

people find that it’s a yearly thing that they almost need every year just to get through (something), and we help them with that.”

The jousters, mermaids and pirates look forward to sweeping you away on a medieval escapade to the Festival Village of Fairhaven. 

If You Go...

What: Arizona Renaissance Festival

Where: WestWorld of Scottsdale, 16601 N. Pima Road, Scottsdale

When: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays through April 2

Cost: Tickets start at $33 for adults, $21 for children ages 5 to 12. Children ages 4 and under are free. Discounts are available at the box office for military and seniors 60 and older. Parking is free.

Info: 520-463-2600, arizona.renfestinfo.com

REN FEST from page 41

Owner Marwan Kandeel said patrons won’t leave hungry at his De Babel Middle Eastern Restaurant. (David Minton/Progress Staff Photographer)

ACROSS

1 Two-wheeler

5 Bumped into

8 Pack (down)

12 Ireland

13 Peyton’s brother

14 “The Time Machine” people

15 Octopus arm

17 Lunch hour

18 Request

19 IV measures

20 Must-haves

21 Chai, e.g.

22 Vagrant

23 More recent

26 Goddess of wisdom

30 Tehran’s country

31 Sly one

32 Tidy

33 Workshop cutter

35 Rock

36 Very long time

37 Possesses

38 Brainy

41 Small barrel

42 “The Wedding Planner” actress, to fans

45 New York’s -- Field

46 Bicycle type

48 N. Mex. neighbor

49 -- Lingus

50 Pitt of “Moneyball”

51 Carry

52 Layer

53 Round Table titles

DOWN

1 Test version

2 Enrages

3 Neck problem

4 Tolkien creature

5 Pilgrimage site

6 Building wings

7 Dead heat

8 Some urban homes

9 Medicinal plant

10 Disposition

11 Bowling targets

16 Computer brand

20 Convent manager

21 Prepare meat for cooking

King Crossword

29 Packed away

31 Summer cooler

34 Drunkard

35 Droops

37 Ford or Hudson

38 Ella’s style

39 Surrealist Joan

40 Bickering

41 Fall (over)

42 Ryan of “Boston Public”

43 Tragic king

44 Probability

46 Light touch

47 “Frontline” airer

Sudoku

When it comes to runzas, I’ve discovered there are generally two types of people.

Those who have never heard of them, and those who would travel for miles just to find a runza that’s as tasty as the one they remembered way back when. If you’re from the Midwest, especially from states like Nebraska, Iowa and Kansas, you’re as likely to stumble across a Runza restaurant or drive-in as you would a burger joint.

Runzas (also called “bierocks”) are fantastic. There’s no other way to put it.

Runzas are a little known delight for your table

27 Old Oldsmobile

They are slightly sweet soft yeast dough made into bread pockets and filled with ground beef, cabbage onions, and seasonings. A good sharp cheddar can also be added for extra zing.

They are baked in various shapes. The official Nebraska Runza is always baked in a rectangular shape, and the Bierocks of Kansas are baked in the shape of a bun.

Both the bierock and the runza sandwich have German-

Dough Ingredients::

• 1 package active yeast 2 cups warm water

• 7 cups flour, divided

Directions:

In a bowl, place 2 cups of warm water. Sprinkle packet of yeast over top.

Stir gently and let dissolve.

Transfer to a bowl with electric mixer. Add sugar, salt and 2 cups of flour.

Mix with paddle attachment until blended. Add melted butter and remaining 5 cups of flour. Mix until dough ball

Runza filling

• 2 cups sweet yellow onions, finely chopped

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 2 lbs hamburger (or one pound of ground turkey and one pound of ground pork.)

• 5 cups (one head) cabbage, shredded or chopped

Directions:

Sauté onions in oil until soft. Add meat and brown. Add cabbage, stirring to combine.

Add Worcestershire sauce, oregano, salt and pepper. Stir and cook for about 15 minutes. When done, spoon

Russian roots going back to the 18th century. Originally the bierocks were served to the field workers for lunch. Today runzas and bierocks can be found at just about every church fund-raiser in the Kansas area.

For this recipe I’ve substituted ground turkey and pork for the beef simply because I now have beefless eaters in my family. In my opinion, they’re just as delicious. 

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 1 tablespoon salt

comes together.

Place dough in a large bowl (greased with melted butter), cover and let rise for 2 hours or until doubled in size.

Push down and let rise 5 minutes. Divide into 15 balls. On a floured surface, Roll out dough to 1/4 inch thick and cut into approximately 5-6 inch rectangles.

• 1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

• 1 teaspoon oregano, optional

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 black pepper

• 1 block sharp cheddar cheese

• 2 egg whites, beaten

2 heaping tablespoons of meat on each rectangle. Add slices of cheese if desired.

Fold up burrito style, seam side down. Brush with egg whites. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes or until runzas are golden brown. 

“There’s a wonderful potential for Mediterranean and Middle Eastern food because it’s everyday food, it’s not food you eat once a month or once a week,” he said.

Kandeel opened his doors in July 2021 and after a few weeks, he began seeing lines wrapping outside of the door during his lunch rush and into the nighttime rush.

His demand is often so high in-house that Kandeel will shut off delivery during his peak hours to keep orders properly fulfilled.

This hasn’t impacted his business as it still boasts a five-star rating on Yelp and was recently recognized as one of the top 100 places to eat at this year by the company that calls itself “the company that connects people with great local businesses.”

Although the award is an honor, Kandeel sees it as an expectation that customers and he will hold himself and his employees accountable to uphold.

“It’s actually a heavy responsibility for many reasons,” Kandeel said. “Now we’re challenged to maintain that trust and I also worry that this could drive increased traffic which could cause some

kind of delays since we want to keep the operation smooth to where people get their food quickly.

“This is a big challenge when we have people lining up outside the door and we want to respect their time.”

Kandeel is still not backing down on his commitment to quality and selling his big sellers like the “late night chicken” sandwich, chicken tawook plate and hummus with pita bread.

Because of this, he plans to continue to hire the help he needs to accommodate the rush of hungry customers and feels honored by the recognition.

“Being recognized by such a prestigious award, it’s something really good,” Kandeel said. “I left everything behind in my life and this makes me feel proud because I made the right decision and we will continue to try to hire more people as much as possible to be able to compete with the new sales train.” 

De Babel

14884 N. Pima Access Road, Suite 106, Scottsdale, 480-991-2022, de-babel.com

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