Ahwatukee Foothills News 03/22/2023

Kevin Robinson prepares for his new job

BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor

Savoring an overwhelming victory in the Phoenix City Council District 6 election last week, Councilman-elect Kevin Robinson immediately rolled up his sleeves and got to work, pledging regular meetings with his constituents throughout the district – including Ahwatukee.

The 38-year veteran retired Phoenix police officer, who rose through the ranks to become the department’s second in command, defeated Sam Stone March 14 by a 62.2%-37.8% margin in the runoff election March 14 to succeed termed-out Councilman Sal DiCiccio, according to unofficial results.

Robinson garnered 23,178 votes to the 14,109 cast for Stone, who was DiCiccio’s chief

District 6 Councilman-elect Kevin Robinson addressed a crowd of supporters last Tuesday night after he soundly beat Sam Stone to succeed termed-out Councilman Sal DiCiccio. (David Minton/AFN/Staff Photographer)

Local prof reveals vehicle safety numbers game

BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor

You probably won’t find Dr. Norma Faris Hubele’s book in popular bestseller lists or turned into a Netflix movie.

But if you drive a car or truck and cherish your and your passengers’ safety, “Backseat Drive: The Role in Great Car Safety Debates” may be a lot more valuable than “Bridgerton.”

The book is all about data – partly about the evolution of federal agencies’ use of it to assess vehicles’ safety and order a recall or redesign if necessary and partly about how manufactur-

ers use the same numbers to fight them.

Faris Hubele is no stranger to that math. A former statistics professor at Arizona State University and the first director strategic initiatives at ASU’s Fulton School of Engineering and now professor emerita, she has steeped herself in data related to car safety and risks for over three decades.

She used that knowledge to create a rating system of vehicles on a free website, theautoprofessor.com. And she has testified as an expert witness in over 120 accident lawsuits.

“With car safety, it’s the value we place on every human life that counts,” she writes. “But

all too often that value has been eclipsed by greed and bureaucracy.”

Her book may take on new urgency these days amid a stunning rise in traffic injuries and deaths.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration projects 31,785 people died in traffic crashes in the first nine months of last year – a 0.2% decrease from the total fatalities in January-September 2021. But it also reported that the 2021 total deaths marked a 10.5% increase from 2020 and hit a 16-year

see CAR DATA page 7

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Local prof hails governor’s hair discrimination ban

BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor and HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

When Gov. Katie Hobbs on March 17 signed an executive order banning state agencies under her control from discriminating against workers based on their hair texture and style, her staff had figured one man had to be there.

That’s because Dr. Neal Lester, an Ahwatukee resident and Foundation Professor of English at Arizona State University, had written extensively over the last couple decades about how hair had been used to deny Black women in particular employment, housing and other opportunities for centuries.

“Everyone has a hair story, and that hair story connects each of us with someone else,” Lester told the governor and a group of supporters who gather for Hobbs’ ceremonial signing of the executive order.

“And while each person has their own story, the story of Black folks’ hair in the U.S. underscores the fact that, with hair, the personal is political and the political is ‘professional,’” he said.

Effusive in his gratitude to the governor, Lester was careful not to steal Hobbs’ thunder.

“She was the speaker and the star,” he told the Ahwatukee Foothills News. “I was invited as a guest commentator on the significance of this moment for Arizona. So, yes, I see the need for and significance of this declaration of antidiscrimination/anti-bias.”

Though Lester played no role in Hobbs’

see HAIR page 4

Correction

Homeowners in the small Ahwatukee homeowners called RT-2 face a decision on how to pay for the next roof replacement. A story in last week’s Ahwatukee Foothills News had an erroneous name for the community.

AFN regrets the typo. 

decision to issue the far-reaching ban, her staff invited him because of his extensive writings on a subject few people across the country – especially men – have tackled.

Scores of incidents involving hair-related discrimination have prompted bans similar to the one Hobbs issued at both the state and local level.

The U.S. House of Representatives in 2020 passed the Crowns Act, though the Senate failed to approve it. However, some 20 states – which now include Arizona – have passed some version of the Crowns Act.

In signing the executive order, Hobbs said she wants to make sure that Black state employees – as well as workers for companies that contract with the state – “will be able to wear their natural hair without fear of discrimination.’’

“More importantly is the message this sends to all Black women, men and children that you deserve to be comfortable wearing your natural at school and in the workplace without being perceived as unprofessional or suffering other negative consequences,’’ she said.

Nothing in her order, however, affects the policies of other levels of government, much less private employers, all of which are beyond her unilateral control. Nor does it preclude schools from establishing their own rules and regulations about hair for staff and students.

But Hobbs said it could provide a basis for action by others.

“I’m hopeful that this order will set an example for other employers also committed to building an Arizona for everyone,’’ she said, calling on the Republicancontrolled Legislature “to address these inequities for all Arizonans.’’

The governor acknowledged that her order is focused on Black hairstyles and does not address how other employees can be discriminated against because of their hair, such as Sikhs, who must maintain uncut and untrimmed hair, and Hasidic Jews, with side curls known as “payos.’’

Hobbs cited certain protections already in state law, such as a 2021 law that allows Native American students to wear tribal regalia to graduation ceremonies. But nothing in that measure addresses hair.

“We’re certainly willing to look into

more,’’ she said, repeating her hope that her executive order would spur legislation “to end this kind of inequity across the board.’’

The governor made it clear she was acting because there appears to be a special problem for Black workers and contractors.

“A Black woman is 80% more likely to change her natural hair to meet social norms or expectations at work,’’

Hobbs said.

“Black women are 1.5 times more likely to be sent home, or know of a Black woman sent home from the workplace because of her hair,’’ the governor continued. “And one in two Black children have experienced hair discrimination as early as 5 years old. And the impact can last a lifetime.’’

Lester, who specializes in AfricanAmerican literature and cultural studies.

Lester, is the co-author of “Hair Stories,’’ a catalog prepared for the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art.

He said the order recognizes the reality of the discrimination that does occur now based on how some Black people are perceived.

“All this is to say is we are not our hair,’’ he said at the signing of the executive order. “But our hair is part of who we are and how we are.’’

Lester read off a litany of situations across the country where people were turned away from restaurants because of their hair and students were forced to cut it.

Many of the figures cited by Hobbs on Friday came from a study conducted by Dove, the hair and skin-care company.

That study also found that two-thirds of Black women change their hair for a job interview, including 41% who change it from curly to straight.

So pervasive is the discrimination against Black women because of certain hair styles and textures, Lester stressed, that several industries have grown up as a result of it. Hair-straightening products comprise perhaps the most prominent of the way manufacturers have capitalized on Black women’s fear of being rejected for their hair.

While Black women bear the brunt of hair discrimination, Lester said Black

HAIR from page 3

During her ceremonial signing of her executive order, Gov. Katie Hobbs spoke as several dozen Black women – often the target of discrimination based on hair – celebrated. (Special to AFN)

Dr. Neal Lester, right, an Ahwatukee resident and Arizona State University Foundation Professor of English, thanks Gov. Katie Hobbs for signing the executive order banning state agencies from discriminatory practices against people because of their hair during the ceremonial signing last Friday. (Capitol Media Services)

New suit again attacks state’s ‘dark money’ law

BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

Aconservative advocacy group founded by the Koch brothers is asking a federal judge to quash a new voter-approved campaign finance laws aimed at exposing “dark money’’ contributions for political purposes.

Attorneys for Americans for Prosperity contend the First Amendment protects the right of individuals to donate to advocacy organizations without fear their identities would be disclosed.

Their new lawsuit contends that Proposition 211 “trammels that right by subjecting countless Americans nationwide to governmental doxing for doing nothing more than supporting their chosen non-profit organizations and charities.’’ And they want U.S. District Court Judge Roslyn Silver to block the Citizens Clean Elections Commission from enforcing it.

The lawsuit is the second effort by special interest groups to kill the law.

A separate lawsuit filed by the Arizona Free Enterprise Club and the Center for Arizona Policy is pending in Maricopa County Superior Court. It contends that

HAIR from page 4

men as well as men and women of other races – including Native Americans – have been victimized as well. In 2018, for example, a Black male teen was forced to cut his dreadlocks on the spot during a wrestling match because a referee required it. Teens have been suspended in high school for their dreadlocks in recent years as well.

Multiple-gold-medal-winning Olympics gymnast Gabby Douglas encountered a storm of criticism in 2012 for her hair style from people who all but ignored what the then-16-year-old had accomplished in competitions as the first African-American woman to win some events.

Lester said discrimination against Black women’s hair dates back at least to the 18th century, “when Black women were forced to cover their hair because white women felt threatened that their white men would be attracted to the

the initiative runs afoul of a state constitutional right of privacy.

The judge in that case, however, is not set to hear arguments until May.

Central to the case is the decision by voters to close what some consider to be a loophole in state campaign finance laws.

Arizona has for years required that the names of those who give at least $50 to political campaigns, or to support or oppose ballot measures, to be made public. That includes “in-kind’’ contributions, where some organization, rather than giving money to a cause, runs its own commercials.

But that law had said only the name of the organization need be made public, not the individuals or corporations who donated to that group. The result is that many commercials identify the sponsors as only a bland-sounding name, with viewers given no clue as to who was really financing them.

Proposition 211, approved by a nearly 3-1 margin in November, is designed to address that by requiring public disclosure of anyone who has given at least

Black women.”

But while he cited some incidents of discrimination involving male hair styles during Hobbs’ ceremony last week, “what I didn’t want to do is upstage the centrality of this to Black women.”

He noted that hair styles and textures also can trigger “micro-aggression” in the workplace or other gatherings when people try to touch a Black person’s hair.

Lester called Hobbs’ executive order “momentous” for Arizona.

But he noted the fight against hair-related discrimination is hardly done “because there are school codes … that list very specifical kinds of Afro-centric hairstyles, like cornrows, braids, dreadlocks.”

And he said that ultimately, the history of discrimination against women because of their hair historically has often cast the victims as “unprofessional” and reflects “the ways in which we value women based on what they look like, not on what they do.” 

$5,000 to one of these front groups. Potentially more significant, it requires any group making political expenditures to trace the cash back to its original source, no matter how many hands it has passed through.

All that, according to Americans for Prosperity and its affiliated foundation, is harmful to the organization and its donors who may fear reprisals.

“Some people publicly associated with the plaintiffs have faced boycotts, character attacks, personal threats, and worse as a result,’’ the lawyers told Silver. “Others simply have no desire for their giving to be made public.’’

In fact, they said, many donors have insisted their identities remain confidential.

“This assurance of confidentiality is vitally important and enables plaintiffs’ continued robust participation in the public sphere -- whereas Proposition 211’s compelled disclosures vitiate this understanding and threaten to chill continued donations and support for plaintiffs,’’ the attorney said.

That, they said, is only part of the problem.

The lawsuit argues that the initiative used the phrase “campaign media spending’’ as the trigger for when there needs to be disclosure.

And that, the lawyers said, means not just any public communication that promotes, supports, attacks or opposes a candidate within six months of an election but also any communication that merely “refers to a clearly identified candidate’’ between 90 days before a primary right through the general election.

The lawyers also note that Proposition 211 was advertised as providing Arizonans with needed information, even to the point of being dubbed by its sponsors as the “Voters’ Right to Know Act.’’

But the net effect, they argue, would be just the reverse.

“Far from improving voters’ knowledge, Proposition 211 stands affirmatively to mislead interested voters by directly tying donors to candidates and issues those donors may support only

high.

The Arizona Department of Transportation’s 2021 accident review – the most recent published – said 1,180 people died and 51,633 were injured in 121,345 accidents. That was a 22.45% increase over 2020. The 2021 numbers equaled 3.23 traffic deaths and 141 injuries a day in 2021, said ADOT – which called that year the deadliest for Arizona motorists in 14 years.

ADOT also said the economic loss from collisions in 2021 totaled over $20 billion.

While the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration blames distracted driving as the major contributor to that staggering loss of life, limb and money, “Backseat Driver” looks at an equally significant but little-discussed factor in many traffic deaths and injuries.

It delves into the pitched battles that car manufacturers, safety advocates and lawmakers waged for decades over the way cars and trucks are designed.

Faris Hubele examines those controversies and shows how all sides use the same numbers to argue about recalls, gender inequality in testing and design, the growing gap in vehicle size and, lately, the emergence of driver-assistance systems.

‘Data and social progress’

In an age when electric and self-driving vehicles are gaining more attention and market share, Faris Hubele hopes the book will generate a more informed discussion of how safe such cars and trucks really are.

But she admits her book may not be for everyone.

“The target audience is really an educated, inquisitive person – people who like to read and are kind of curious about how we got to where we are,” she told AFN.

She likens her book to the way “Money-

Dr. Norma Faris Hubele said her new book examines the data and analyses that “are used to determine, ultimately, the type of cars we get to drive.” (Special to AFN)

ID,” she noted, “there was a lot of discussion about data and whether or not certain preventive measures were effective. Those kinds of conversations are exactly what happens every time they propose a change the way they build cars.

“It’s those kinds of conversations that are always in the forefront. And I’m hoping that when somebody reads this book, they hear the news, they start to understand the context of what they’re listening to – and some of the changes the industry willingly goes along with, but the majority of changes, they fight tooth and nail.”

Carrots and sticks

Faris Hubele said vehicle manufacturers often base their decisions to add a safety feature within a carrot-and-stick environment.

The stick is when the federal government mandates a change while the carrot is a high rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

ball” looked how the 2002 Oakland Athletics up-ended professional baseball’s traditional value system for building a team or the way “The Big Short” examined some of the root causes of the housing bubble that triggered the Great Recession.

“This is a book about data and social progress,” she writes, noting that in the first half of the 20th century, traffic tragedies weren’t even on a national radar. Airplane safety was.

It wasn’t until 1951 when a military study found that crashes injured more personnel – and caused longer hospitalizations – than the Korean War that some national attention started to be focused on motor vehicle accidents.

At the same time, an Indiana State Police official began collecting car crash data, leading to a program at Cornell University that started motor vehicle accident injury research.

Such research quickly became a major federal endeavor.

In her introduction, Faris Hubele writes, “You don’t need a college-level course in statistics to read this book. You only need a curious mind and appreciation for debating vital issues facing our society.”

She said consumers looking to purchase a vehicle need only harken to the discussion – and sometimes heated debates –that came with the COVID-19 pandemic.

“When we were in the middle of COV

“The carrot is when the Insurance Institute starts espousing the virtues of a particular car,” she said, adding manufacturers “voluntarily put in a safety measure that’s going to prevent injuries or save lives.”

When the federal government orders a redesign of some kind, however, the reaction is markedly different. That’s when the war of numbers heats up as both sides turn to the same datasets to make their case.

Faris Hubele became a statistics expertturned-consumer-advocate over 30 years ago when a consulting firm asked for her help in sorting out some crash data.

“Because I was teaching statistics to engineers, it kind of made sense that I knew the practical applications of data analysis, and I understood the engineering implications of that,” she explained.

Mark

Ahwatukee resident and Arizona State University professor Dr. Norma Faris Hubele has just written a book on car safety and also runs a website, theautoprofessor.com, that may be the most comprehensive source of data on individual vehicles’ safety. (PBS)

Over time, she became an expert witness in trials involving injuries or deaths, testifying, justifying and always dissecting the statistics that are being used to typically defend against an injury.”

One of her most celebrated cases involved a former Phoenix Police officer, Jason Schectertle, who was severely burned in March 2001 when his patrol car was rammed from behind by a taxi.

He was behind the wheel of a Ford Crown Victoria, the core of police department fleets across the country.

In the 1990s and early part of this century, at least several dozen officers across the country died – including a Chandler police officer – after their Crown Vics collided with other motor vehicles. Countless others were severely burned.

Eventually, Ford stopped manufacturing the vehicles after studies showed the location of its gas tank was the culprit in most of those horrific accidents.

Faris Hubele said the genesis of her new book came after she heard that American Statistics Association and CRC Press had decided to do a statistics and society. Hers is now among 12 books in that series.

New challenges ahead

She said the hardest part in writing her book “was finding the voice because I have an academic background and I wanted to bring it to a level where people will enjoy reading it.”

So over the two years she wrote her book, she found actual stories of tragic accidents and layered in professional illustrations to make all the data more impactful for readers.

She hopes the book also leads people to theautoprofessor.com before they buy their next vehicle. “The data that’s used throughout my book is the same data that lies behind” the grades her website gives to scores of cars and trucks, she said.

Lately, Faris Hubele is turning her attention to autonomous and electric vehicles.

“Everything about autonomous vehicles is about the data,” she notes.

She fears the algorithms that command those vehicles’ movements don’t necessarily accommodate a variety of purely human factors.

She harkened back to the fatal accident a few years ago in Tempe when an autonomous vehicle fatally struck a pedestrian at night. She theorizes the car’s algorithms

may not have been able to react properly to a dark figure with a backpack crossing near its path.

She cites Tesla’s difficulty in recognizing flashing lights on an emergency vehicle as a similar issue and wonders “if they’re going to be able to implement these autonomous vehicles in chaotic environments.”

Likewise, electric vehicles concern for Faris Hubele, who notes “they’re going to pose bigger risks to people in intersections because they’re going to come off the starting line a lot faster than your internal combustion engine.

“I think we’re going to see a rise in pedestrian and cyclist fatalities and intersection fatalities,” she said.

She believes EV manufacturers “are selling the cars without saying, ‘We need to teach you how to drive again’ because drivers are going to be coming off the starting line much faster.”

Likewise, the propensity of lithium batteries – used extensively in electric vehicles – to blow up and cause stubborn fires suggests a need for more federal scrutiny and regulation, she said.

Such fires she said, “may not show up in fatality statistics because some of those fires are happening in parking lots and homes. Those kinds of statistics don’t end up in federal databases.”

Faris Hubele believes a reimagined approach is needed for collecting data on lithium battery fires because of “the safety of those batteries and the risks associated with different temperature ranges on those batteries.”

And then there’s the element of human behavior, especially where autonomous vehicles and other “smart vehicles” are concerned. While they are pitched to appeal to convenience, Hubele wonders if some brakes may need to be applied.

As she said recently in an interview on PBS in response to a question about smart cars and the help they offer drivers:

“It comes down to how much help do people need. What we see is that if we make it too complacent – and that comes down to the Human Factors argument about car safety – if we make them too smart, people start video gaming, watching movies, reading their books.

“And so, you have to reach a balance between getting the driver to stay attentive, and having the car help them in those emergency situations.”

The book is available at amazon.com. 

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glancingly, or not at all,’’ the complaint alleges. Anyway, it contends, the sheer volume of information about donors that Proposition 211 would produce wouldn’t help “given voters’ likely inability to appreciate any contributors beyond direct donors.’’

And what the measure does, is tie the names of individuals and corporations who give to a group for what could be “a plethora of reasons’’ to everything that group does in the future.

“Proposition 211 chills protected speech and confuses voters, in violation of the First Amendment,’’ the lawsuit states.

There was no immediate response to this new lawsuit. 

Legislature targets Phoenix home rule charter

BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

State senators voted last week to ask voters to wipe out the ability of cities to have their own charters only after its sponsor vowed to narrow it to affect only Tucson and Phoenix and, pretty soon, Mesa.

As approved, SCR 1023 would repeal a provision of the Arizona Constitution that dates to territorial days that permits city voters to establish home rule. That enables them to make their own rules on matters of local concerns like how the local government is set up and how and when to run elections.

But Republicans Ken Bennett and T.J. Shope said they were supporting it because Sen. Justine Wadsack, R-Tucson, promised to have it altered when it goes to the House so it would affect only communities larger than 500,000. Both said they would not have voted for the measure if it undermined the charters that now exist in Prescott and Casa Grande in their home

legislative districts.

That logic angered Senate Minority Leader Mitzi Epstein.

“What I’m hearing so far is, ‘Well, as long as it doesn’t happen to my city then I’ll let this bad idea happen to somebody else’s city,’” said Epstein, a Democrat whose own home city, Tempe, has a charter and would get to keep it if Wadsack later narrows the scope.

“That’s flabbergasting,’’ she said. “It seems disrespectful to our democratic republic. It seems disrespectful to the idea that everybody deserves a voice.’’

Shope acknowledged that his affirmative vote for SCR 1023 was based on Wadsack’s vow the bill would be amended so it didn’t affect any communities of fewer than 500,000 people – meaning none in his legislative district.

“I’ve done it before,’’ Shope said, calling smaller and larger cities “different animals.’’

“To compare Tucson or Phoenix to a Casa Grande or a Florence or what-haveyou that I represent, they’re not even in

the same stratosphere,’’ he said. “There does have to be some wiggle room in state law to recognize that they’re not the same.’’

Bennett also told Capitol Media Services he’s “not really comfortable’’ with the idea of removing the right to have a charter from all cities. That, he said, is why he voted against the measure two weeks ago when it first came up.

But all that changed with Wadsack’s commitment to add limiting language.

“I’ve been promised by the sponsor that that will be added in the House,’’ Bennett said in casting the deciding 16th vote in the 30-member Senate.

Even with that, however, Bennett said he’s still ill at ease with the whole concept.

“I’m still struggling with doing to three of the 19 charter cities what I’m protecting the other 16 from,’’ he said.

Tuesday’s vote is not the last word – not only because SCR 1023 needs House approval and, presumably the amendment that Wadsack promised would be added.

That’s because it seeks to amend the state Constitution. And that can be done

only if voters in 2024 ratify the change she is pushing.

The measure actually is one of two being pushed by Wadsack, a first-term lawmaker, who has repeatedly said she is unhappy with one particular power that her home community has exercised by virtue of its charter status: how it conducts elections.

State law requires that city councils be chosen either through at-large elections, where everyone in the community gets to vote for all candidates, or through a district system with council members chosen by voters living in that part of the city.

Tucson has a hybrid, with candidates nominated in each of the six districts but having to stand for election on a city-wide basis. That guarantees at least one council members from each district.

But what it also has meant more often than not is that Republicans nominated from their own home districts cannot survive a city-wide election.

Eliminating Tucson’s charter status would eliminate its ability to keep the current election system.

GOP senators vote to give new businesses tax break

BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

Starting a new business?

Arizona lawmakers apparently want to help you succeed.

On a party-line vote, the Senate on March 14 voted to exempt new businesses from having to pay any state income taxes at all in their first year of operation. That tax break would taper off to 50% in the second year and 25% in the third, by which point it should be clear whether a company will make it or not.

SB 1559 is the brainchild of Sen. Steve Kaiser, R-Phoenix, who told colleagues of his own experience trying to start a business – he has since sold it – and the problems in arranging financing. What this is designed to do, he said, is provide a bit of fiscal breathing room.

But Democrats were opposed even after he added requested language to ensure that companies don’t simply

dissolve and reform on an annual basis to take advantage of the tax break.

“Of course, we support small businesses,’’ said Senate Minority Leader Mitzi Epstein, D-Tempe. “Arizona businesses are so important to every part of our economy.’’

But Epstein said that carving out a special tax break for those who start a new business is not good policy. And she noted that it’s not like lawmakers are providing similar relief for people who start a new job.

“Why is it only a person who owns a business that gets a tax break?’’ she asked.

Epstein said she believes that special carve-outs are not the best way to encourage economic development. Instead, she said, the state is better with low rates that apply to all.

“Everybody pays a fair share,’’ Epstein said.

Kaiser, however, said his legislation

simply recognizes the hardships of starting a business from scratch.

About five years ago, Kaiser said he bought into a franchise that does junk removal.

“We had some pretty heavy capital investment when it came to the dump trucks,’’ he explained.

“I leased my warehouses, but we had three of them,’’ Kaiser continued. “We had all the franchise fees.’’

Kaiser said he grew it during the time he had, to the point he had 15 employees.

“But I still had capital problems every year,’’ he said.

The problem, Kaiser said, is not unique to him. He said that’s why most businesses fail in their first few years because of cash flow – or, more to the point, the lack of it.

“You can’t get financing from traditional places,’’ he said.

“You have to go to these short-term,

basically payday loans,’’ Kaiser said. “And those are really dangerous,’’ what with high interest rates that can leave a borrower even further in debt.’’

What SB 1159 would do, he said, is allow new businesses to hang on to as much capital as possible “when they’re the most vulnerable, which is those first few years.’’

Kaiser is no longer in the junk removal business. He said he concluded that the costs -- particularly those franchise fees plus having to spend time at the Capitol make it just too much of a burden.

He also said that giving a tax break to new businesses won’t increase everyone else’s taxes, as their income tax brackets and bills would remain unchanged.

But the flip side of that is the price tag. Legislative budget staffers predict SB 1559 would reduce state revenues by close to $39 million by 2027.

The measure now goes to the House.

Lawmakers push for state dementia plan

BY MADISON VEGA Cronkite News

State legislators are pushing a bill to build a state dementia plan and put up to $500,000 toward new jobs focused on Alzheimer’s disease, a common type of dementia that is rising especially fast in Arizona.

“We call it the silver tsunami,” state Rep. Jennifer Longdon, D-Phoenix, said last week at a news conference at the state Capitol. “The number of folks who are projected to experience Alzheimer’s in the coming years is going to be significant.”

Sen. T.J. Shope, R-Coolidge, sponsored SB 1220, which would require the Arizona Department of Health Services to build a dementia plan for policies and programs to fight Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia, according to advocates.

That would include hiring two dementia services coordinators to collaborate across state agencies. Longdon is sponsoring a similar bill in the House.

The Alzheimer’s Association, in a 2023 report, said Arizona’s rate of diagnosis

of a disease that destroys memories and leads to cognitive decline is expected to jump more than 33% over five years, ending in 2025.

That affects patients and their loved ones, who usually become caregivers. That comes at a cost – an estimated 18 billion hours of unpaid care, the association says.

Leonard Chayrez, who has Alzheimer’s, and his partner and caregiver Mark Garrity, said the diagnosis was delayed.

“Over three years, until finally they decided let’s start some testing on you,” Chayrez said.

Marisa Menchola, a Tucson dementia specialist, said diagnosing symptoms early is key.

“We cannot reduce this burden without earlier diagnoses and there is no early diagnosis without public education and awareness,” Menchola said.

Dementia upends families.

“Nothing prepares you for the day that your own mother looks you in your eye and doesn’t know who you are,” said Merry Grace, who cried at Wednesday’s news conference as she spoke of her mother, who died five years ago. Now Grace takes care of her father, who also has dementia.

Shope, who represents the Southeast Valley and parts of Tucson, said his greatgrandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. As a child he watched his relatives take on caregiving responsibilities.

“You’re watching the sacrifices that your own family has to make because my grandma, my aunt, and my mom did not want to have to send our great grandma away to a care facility,” Shope said.

Menchola said the battle against Alzheimer’s needs help from people from a variety of backgrounds.

“Our caregivers are doing their part. Our health care workers and our scientists are doing their part. We need our partners in the Legislature to do their part also,” Menchola said.

Similar bills, including one to raise awareness of the disease, are moving through the Senate and the House.

Garrity and other advocates say if the bills pass, it also will help to reduce misunderstandings about dementia.

“There is kind of a stigma that you don’t talk about it – something that happens to old people,” said Garrity. But it doesn’t, he said.

His partner, Chayrez, is 57. 

Supporters of bills to battle dementia spoke of the need for a statewide effort to battle the disease at the state Capitol. One bill would require the state to build a dementia plan for policies and programs. (Sierra Alvarez/Cronkite News)

East Valley event thanks Vietnam veterans 50 years late

BY JOSH ORTEGA AFN Staff Writer

In March 1973, the last U.S. combat troops withdrew from Vietnam and returned to a divided country where many veterans didn’t receive recognition for their service.

Starting at noon Saturday, March 25, the 50th Anniversary Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day event looks to remedy that by honoring area veterans who served on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces from November 1955 to May 1975, regardless of their location at the time.

Veterans are invited to receive free haircuts and other services from approximately 100 education and informational vendors.

The public is invited to join the celebration, which will include live bands, Native American and Mexican folk dance troops, military equipment displays a Wreaths Across America educational trailer, food trucks, and a replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

Organizers encourage people to contribute a small donation of a non-perish-

able food items to benefit the Superstition Community Food Bank.

Starting at 10 a.m., ceremonies will take place including a color guard by the Apache Junction High School Navy JROTC.

Additionally, students from Patterson

ing March 29 as the annual observance of Vietnam War Veterans Day. In 2017, President Donald Trump signed Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Act, to include National Vietnam War Veterans Day as an occasion for raising the flag on all public buildings.

In 2012, Nancy Fassbender of Gold Canyon started to hold an event that drew more than 1,500 veterans every March to the Mesa Market Place Swap Meet to honor veterans.

The Lincoln, Nebraska, native joined the Army National Guard in 1975 as a helicopter mechanic and although an injury ended her military career three years later, Fassbender said she’s still “very proud” of it.

Fassbender spent much of her career as an accountant and moved to Arizona in 1998.

Elementary School in Gilbert will be on hand holding signs with supportive phrases like “Welcome Home” and “Thank you for your service.”

From February 1961 until May 1975, approximately 2.7 million U.S. service members served in Vietnam, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.. is inscribed with the names of over 58,000 service members killed in the war. In 2012, President Barack Obama signed a presidential proclamation designat-

An office manager for a tax preparation company in Gold Canyon, she organizes a variety of veterans events and even penned a book, “My Fallen Hero,” which chronicles the stories of all the service members from Pinal County who died in combat, starting from World War One to present day.

“I encourage the public because I want them to welcome home the Vietnam veterans,” Fassbender said. “This is why in

Nancy Fassbender, Jerry Sullivan and Trio Caldwell show off the pins they will be giving to Vietnam War-era veterans. (David Minton/Staff Photographer)

Iraq and Afghanistan we didn’t lose as many soldiers as we could have, because of what the technology and everything that we learned happened in Vietnam.”

Fassbender has partnered with Mountain View Funeral Home and Cemetery in Mesa on other projects, including the Wreaths Across America, which offers people a chance to sponsor a wreath for placement on a veteran’s grave during the Christmas holidays.

She approached Mountain View about hosting the Vietnam veterans celebration and was surprised by the response.

“I didn’t get one sentence out before they’re saying, ‘We’re in, we would be honored to work with you on this,’” Fassbender said.

Elisa Krcilek, vice president of Mountain View Funeral Home and Cemetery, said that while she holds a special place in her heart for all veterans, those who served in Vietnam hold a special distinction.

“I come from a very long history of military and the people serving today are treated and respected far greater than they were 50 years ago,” she said.

Krcilek and her sister were born on base at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, California, while her dad served as a heavy equipment operator in the Marine Corps. She has two sons serving in the Navy.

Along with the importance of the halfcentury anniversary, Krcilek said events

like this allow the community to come together, regardless of political views of the war, to honor men and women who came home and found no respect or gratitude for their service.

“It gives our cemetery the opportunity to say thank you, to show reverence and respect to those that served during a very difficult time,” Krcilek said. “These guys, no matter what role or what job they had, during Vietnam, they’ve all come back with some heavy weight on their hearts.”

Krcilek’s dad served four years in the Marines and went to boot camp with many men who deployed to Vietnam, including two cousins, one of whom was featured on the cover of Time Life Magazine and in a documentary.

Krcilek said events like this tell those veterans they are appreciated and their service has not been ignored.

She recalled an incident in a supermarket that occurred while she was wearing a “Proud Navy Mom” t-shirt and a elderly gentleman walked up to her “clearly choked up” and thanked her son for his service.

Krcilek said the man told her, “You have no idea how prideful it is, but how sad it is, there’s not a day that goes by in my life that I do not think about that war.”

That’s one reason that when Nancy Fassbender approached Mountain View with her idea, Krcilek said they “just fell in love with the idea.”

“So, it’s a very honorable thing to be able to do for our veterans and their families,” Krcilek said. 

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ROBINSON from page 1

of staff for five years.

Robinson will be sworn into office April 17 following City Council’s canvass of the results, scheduled today, March 22.

While basking in the glow of a successful campaign that he said outperformed his and his team’s expectations and projections, Robinson reflected on his victory and preview a bit of what his constituents can expect during an interview with the Ahwatukee Foothills News.

He said his campaign team had set a goal of knocking on 10,000 doors during the race but even that goal was left in the dust.

“We had in our mind that we needed to knock on 10,000 doors in order to really make a difference,” Robinson said, “and we ended up knocking on a little more than 12,000 doors.”

That included 6,000 doors he said he personally knocked on.

“Clearly, we were able to accomplish what we set out to do,” he said. “We laid out a game plan on what we thought we needed to do in order to be successful. And for all practical purposes, we exceeded in all the metrics that we had set for ourselves, all the goals.”

“We were really happy with that,” he continued. “And we were extremely happy with the size of the vote difference. It told us that I was talking the right message, that I was getting to the right people.”

Knocking on doors personally, he said, not only made a difference in the campaign – which last fall vaulted him into first place among the initial seven candidates seeking the District 6 seat – but also helped him set his course for the next four years.

“I’ll tell you,” he said, “it took a lot of time but I learned a lot. I was able to connect with people directly. And I think that’s what made the difference.”

Though he had lived in Ahwatukee for years and helped expand the Phoenix Police Department’s footprint here as it grew, Robinson said his boots-on-the-ground involvement in the campaign also taught him a lot about the community.

“It reinforced what I knew,” he explained, “and what I knew was that the residents of Ahwatukee truly care about their community. When I sat down with folks from the Chamber of Commerce in Ahwatukee, they were equally as passionate about the community – wanting it to

grow in a reasonable and fair fashion. So what I learned was what I knew was accurate, but I learned how much more important it was to everybody.”

With a tough campaign behind him, Robinson immediately has plunged into preparing to take his seat on City Council along with another new member – Kesha Hodge Washington, who defeated first-

term Councilman Carlos Garcia in South Phoenix by a vote of 55% to 44%.

Robinson said, “I’m getting a lot of briefing material, getting up to speed on the budget, talking to department heads, wanting to understand the issues, the big projects that they’re working on, what they believe are critical.”

Among the citywide issues he’ll be voting on are the city’s 2023-24 budget, whether to put a General Obligation bond of $500 million on the November ballot –the first such bond the city has put before voters in 16 years – and wrestling with his colleagues on a multitude of other big-city challenges such as soaring homelessness.

Robinson also will have to decide May 1 on a 417-unit apartment complex proposed to replace an under-used twobuilding office complex on 50th Street near Thistle Landing Drive.

He was set to meet with City Manager Jeff Barton yesterday, March 21, “to have a better feel for things,” said Robinson, who also was in the process of hiring his staff.

“All of it takes a little bit of time, so all my days are kind of filled with getting prepared. And on top of that, I want to make sure I’m attending the various community meetings,” he added, noting he already had a meeting last Saturday with a community group.

“I know it’s important,” he said of such meetings. “People are asking me to come so I’m going to show up, have those conversations. That’s critical to do.”

That belief in community meetings also is prompting him to plan regular forays

into the villages that comprise District 6, including Ahwatukee, to meet with citizens so he can learn about their concerns for their neighborhoods.

“I hope to kick it off in May, but I am going every other week to be somewhere in the council district,” Robinson said.

“And we’ll let everyone know by our Facebook page, our website, stuff like that. I will be everywhere for a couple of hours once a week…. It might be an hour or three hours and I may pick a location, a coffee shop or a restaurant, and let people know when and if they want to come by and talk about concerns or issues.

“So we’ll come up with a name for it, you know? ‘Councilman on the Spot,’ whatever. But we’ll let people know that I’m available. If they want to stop by and talk or raise any issues, I will be there to get more information from them.”

One of his duties will be to appoint members of the various village planning committees in his district.

Asked if he would make immediate replacements on the Ahwatukee VPC or their counterparts elsewhere in District 6, Robinson replied:

“One of the things I want to do is see who’s on the board, their background, and how long they have been there. I will review it. I don’t know that I’ll make any changes immediately. But I will look at it, try to get a better feel for things.”

Despite the grueling schedule of his campaign, Robinson showed no indication he’s taking a breather anytime soon.

He said his wife, a physician, is retiring in June and they have been planning a trip abroad.

But he immediately added that a council meeting was in the block of time he and his wife had been considering for a trip, “so I’ll want to make sure I can be at least electronically available for that.”

And Robinson said he has already marked on his calendar a major community appearance in his district – the Ahwatukee Kiwanis Club Easter Parade on April 8.

“I have to get that form filled out and get it back to the Kiwanis Club,” he said, referring indirectly to the March 30 deadline for parade entries.

With a campaign powered by more than $500,000 in donations and endorsements by Mayor Kate Gallego and four of her predecessors, Robinson had been the odds-

Mayor Kate Gallego congratulated Kevin Robinson during his election night celebration. (David Minton/AFN/Staff Photographer)

Councilman-election Kevin Robinson celebrated his election victory with a gathering at Aunt Chilada’s in Central Phoenix. (David Minton/AFN/Staff Photographer)

on favorite in the race since it began last summer.

Former Mayor and current Congressman Greg Stanton, who led a crowd of supporters in cheering Robinson’s victory during a party on election night, was his campaign manager.

Robinson had garnered 20% of the total vote among seven candidates running last November but because he failed to get the magic percentage of 50% plus one, was forced into a run-off with the Stone, who landed second place with 17% of the vote.

Throughout the campaign, Robinson stressed his lengthy list of credentials that include membership on the boards of the Arizona Judicial Council, Arizona Police Officer Standards and Training Board, Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central and Northern Arizona, and Tuition Assistance for Police Survivors (TAPS) Program.

He also is a member of the Greater Phoenix Urban League, Anti-Defamation League, Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity Executive Board and The New Life Center Domestic Violence Center President’s Leadership Council.

Robinson also stressed his law enforcement background, which includes a long involvement in Ahwatukee and in higher education.

He began as a patrol officer in Arcadia and ended up assistant police chief in 2000 before retiring 13 years later.

With a master’s degree in public administration from Arizona State University, he is a graduate of the FBI National Academy, the National Executive Institute, University of Southern California Delinquency Control Institute, University of Denver Rocky Mountain Leadership Program, and Anti-Defamation League Advanced Training on Extremist and Terrorist Threats.

He also lectures at ASU’s Watts College’s School of Criminology and Criminal Justice.

As an operations lieutenant in the Phoenix Police Planning & Research Bureau, Robinson, 63, said he helped expand the force’s footprint in Ahwatukee, finding a temporary location at two sites before overseeing the construction of the permanent Pecos Park facility.

In his questionnaire from the Ahwatukee Foothills News, Robinson said his top priorities for the city and Ahwatukee were identical.

“Based on what citizens in Ahwatukee

have told me over the past year of my city council campaign, the top three issues continue to be public safety, water security, and affordable housing,” he wrote.

“I would address the issues by requesting reviews and evaluations of the police and fire departments, developing policy and management structures ensuring attainable groundwater supply, and exploring public-private partnerships addressing affordable housing shortages.”

In terms of city politics and governance, Gallego gains a more reliable ally – as she was hoping to get out of the other runoff race in South Phoenix by supporting Garcia’s opponent, a former assistant state attorney general.

Garcia and DiCiccio frequently disagreed with Gallego’s positions, though for different reasons. Garcia is an activist often associated with left-leaning causes, including some that have been highly critical of Phoenix Police, while DiCiccio is a fierce fiscal conservative who has been an outspoken supporter of police.

Stone, a political consultant who had been a policy advisor to failed Republican gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake, virtually promised to be a headache for Gallego.

In candidate columns that AFN invited the two District 6 candidates to write over six weeks leading to the election this year, Stone cast himself as an outsider who would wage war on the Phoenix political establishment.

tionnaire:

“Regardless of the outcome of this race, Democrats will have a super-majority at City Hall. We don’t need another automatic vote for their agenda, we need someone to push back the worst ideas, find ways to make the rest work better – that’s what I will do.”

Robinson positioned himself not only as a long-time public servant in Phoenix, but also as a consummate professional.

He said in one AFN column that citizens “want people who have demonstrated true professionalism, respect, resilience and steadfastness in their personal and professional lives.

“They want representatives who care about their fellow man. They want representatives who have the ability to disagree in such a way that the process doesn’t make enemies out of those they are disagreeing with.”

“A vote for me is a vote for accountability and transparency,” he said.

Promising in one column to “happily work with the Mayor, or anyone when they have a good idea,” he wrote in his ques-

“I have demonstrated such behavior in both my personal and professional lives. In the over 40 years I served our community as a police officer, as a volunteer in the non-profit arena, and as an educator I have always understood the importance of being a person of good character.” 

Former Phoenix Mayor and current U.S. Rep. Greg Stanton, who chaired Kevin Robinson’s campaign committee, points to a giant screen carrying results after the councilman-elect showed an overwhelming lead from the very first release of March 14 results. (David Minton/AFN/Staff Photographer)

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BY GERI KOEPPEL AFN Contributor

Ahwatukee Foothills’ Festival of Lights board works year-round to make sure the white lights go up on the trees along Chandler Boulevard each holiday season, including planning and executing two major fundraisers.

While they are still finalizing details for the spring event, the Beer and Wine Festival, board members want people to save the date and buy their tickets early.

Last year the indoor/outdoor gala was held in June but it returns this year prior to the searing summer heat on April 21.

“We had 350 people last year,” said Morgan Vanderwall, head of public relations, social media and marketing for the board. “This year our goal is to get back to 500 attendees for this event.”

The fundraiser will be held 6-10 p.m. at the Foothills Golf Club and is open to ages 21 and up.

Festival of Lights beer-wine event moving to April Bridgeway Church pastor celebrates 20 years here

BY COTY DOLORES MIRANDA AFN Contributor

Twenty years ago Rev. Gregg Cantelmo stepped into the pulpit at Bridgeway Community Church in Ahwatukee.

He has been pastoring there ever since.

Yet, truth be told, Cantelmo, 68, has been sharing the Gospel decades longer.

“I started in my early teens,” said Cantelmo as he sat in his church office, surrounded by a vast collection of theology books with more shelved in the adjacent hallway. His pet Goldendoodle, Louis, is an office companion, preferring to lay quietly near his chair.

Cantelmo was in mid-teens when he became involved in rural missions throughout California’s San Fernando Valley where he lived with his parents and his sister.

Unlike last year, which featured food trucks, cuisine provided by the club will be included in the ticket price. The cost is $100 per person or $180 a couple; use the code FOLMARCH for a 10 percent early bird discount through March 27.

The FOL board conducted a tasting at the golf club on March 14 to decide what will be served and settled on an extensive slider bar that includes a vegetarian patty along with a variety of toppings and homemade potato chips and dips.

“We’re bringing back the casino games, which were a hit last year, and, of course, the wine pull, said Maria Reyes-Smith, FOL board president and head sommelier. “There’s the opportunity to win exclusive, unique wines.”

The ticket also includes wines curated by Reyes-Smith, beer by WCKD Brewery, a commemorative wine glass, live music and $100 in casino cash. A raffle will in-

see WINE page 23

Growing up, his father and mother set an example of faith and faithfulness for their children.

“Our family was very active in the Church of the Open Door in downtown Los Ange-

les,” he recalled. “It was quite a drive, but every Sunday morning, Sunday night and Thursday night, we were at the church.”

The church, built in 1914 on Hope Street, was nondenominational, as is Bridgeway Community Church. Cantelmo prefers to describe his church succinctly as “Bible believing, Bible teaching.”

Bridgeway is the third church he’s pastored in his career.

He noted that the question “How long is the average stay at a church for a senior pastor?” is asked on Google; the answer is four years.

Cantelmo’s ministry at Bridgeway is now five times that.

Following his first pastorate in Washington state, accompanied by his wife Kim, Cantelmo accepted a call to pastor a church in Scottsdale.

Last year’s Ahwatukee Foothills’ Festival of Lights Beer and Wine Festival drew 300 people to savor fine wines and wines and help a big community cause. (AFN file photo)

The Rev. Gregg Cantelmo, seen here with his wife Kim, is celebrating 20 years as pastor of Bridgeway Community Church in Ahwatukee. (Special to AFN)

clude “experience” items worth $750 or more such as a getaway and spa package, Vanderwall said.

More details will be released as the event nears; the board suggests following the Festival of Lights on Instagram and Facebook for news.

FOL’s two fundraisers—the Beer and Wine Festival and the Kick-Off Party in November—are integral to raising money for the lights each year.

Last year, the Kick-Off Party attracted 12,000 people and featured about 50 local vendors, many from Ahwatukee, that focused on items for holiday gift-giving.

The family event included 15 bounce houses, six food trucks, and a beer and wine garden with tavern food by WCKD Brewery.

The two events raised nearly $20,000 in 2022, and the board donated $14,500 to the Foothills Community Association to

help pay for the lights and $5,000 to local charities.

Last year, the Armer Foundation and Lights, Camera, Discover split the amount. The board is accepting applications for this year’s recipient or recipients.

Also, sponsors and volunteers are still needed for things like setup, decorating, check-in, raffle ticket sales and breakdown. All volunteers work two-hour shifts and get free entry for the remainder of the time. The club will handle cleaning and maintenance.

“Getting volunteers is always a challenging task,” Reyes-Smith said. “We are very happy we have Pam [Peterson] running that committee. She has ties with the Ahwatukee Women’s Social Club. She’s able to recruit from that group.”

Reyes-Smith added, “She’s a local real estate agent, so she knows a lot of people.”

Although some volunteers have worked with the FOL for years, the seven-member board was all new as of 2022. And each

brings an appreciated skill set.

In developing the beverage selections, Reyes-Smith finds “wines that you don’t drink every day,” she said, and she provides tasting notes for all of them.

Vanderwall, meanwhile, pulls from her experience running her marketing, PR and social media business for clients like WCKD Brewery, Uncle Bear’s Brewery and the North Pole Experience.

Kristi Ohman and Christiane Acosta cochair the sponsorship committee, but everyone pitches in because “the more sponsors we get, the less money we spend, and the more goes back to the charities,” said Kimberly Bolton, the marketplace/raffle chair.

As volunteer chair, Peterson creates the schedules.

Andy Hayes, the CEO and executive director of the Ahwatukee Foothills Chamber of Commerce, serves as the board’s official “social butterfly.”

“He has all the connections to all the local businesses,” Vanderwall said. “His

flower company will be doing all the flowers for the event.”

Even though weekly meetings, ongoing organizing, constant recruiting and more is required to pull off the Festival of Lights events, board members say it’s worth it to keep the community strong, create bonds and make connections.

Reyes-Smith does it for “the satisfaction we get the day of the events,” she said. “Seeing the community so excited, so happy, enjoying themselves.” 

Ahwatukee Foothills Festival of Lights Beer and Wine Festival

Where: Foothills Golf Club, 2201 E. Clubhouse Drive, Ahwatukee.

Cost: $100 per person or $180 a couple; use the code FOLMARCH for a 10 percent early bird discount through March 27.

Information: folaz.org

Deadline nears for Easter Parade, Spring Fling volunteers needed

With the March 30 deadline for entering the 47th annual Kiwanis Ahwatukee Easter Parade and Spring Fling on April 8 inching closer, organizers are turning their attention to rallying community members to volunteer for parade or fling duty.

The parade starts at 10 a.m. at Warner Road and 48th Street and heads north to Elliot Road but after that approximately hour-long event, The Ahwatukee Kiwanis Club is holding a Spring Fling that Kiwanian Mike Schiller promises will be a blast for young and old alike.

Led by club President Carrie Chipman, the Kiwanians have lined up a host of new attractions – including mini-robots – that will delight children of all ages.

PASTOR from page 22

“I left that church to do mission work with Covenant Medicine Outreach,” he said of the organization founded by Dr. David H. Beyda and headquartered in Phoenix.

Cantelmo worked with the nonprofit mainly in Kenya.

Throughout the years, Cantelmo has led or been a part of mission trips around the globe.

“I have a heart for missions but after a while, I missed pastoring,” he admitted. “Pastoring is getting to know people in depth. It’s really interesting in a relational way. We do life together and spiritual life as well so it’s so dimensional.”

“Ministry involves bringing the good news of Jesus and His offer of abundant life now, and eternal life in the future, to all who will listen,” he said.

“I’ve always enjoyed talking and teaching about the Bible and what it means to know and follow Jesus. Working as a pastor involves caring for people in both joy and crisis. I haven’t had all the answers, but I serve the One who does.”

Another milestone he marks this year is 40 years hosting Tuesday night Men’s Bible studies, which he began as an associate pastor and continued in the churches he served as senior pastor.

“I think women tend to be more involved in Bible studies in the church. Over the years, I’ve found men are more isolated and don’t generally like getting together,” he said. “I feel it’s important for the church to have men to come together to study the Bible and it’s important to families.”

He has a generous smile and a character that his parishioners respect.

Two Ahwatukee families have been at-

AROUND AHWATUKEE

But running a parade with dozens of entries and helping out at the fling, which runs until 4 p.m. takes help and the club needs it. Chipman said the club desperately needs at least 50 volunteers, who will work one of two three-hour shifts.

High school and college students can acquire additional service hours by volunteering, though Chipman stresses the club needs adults to many certain attractions, including the six bounce houses.

The Spring Fling is held 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. Proceeds help the Kiwanis Club carry out its numerous charitable endeavors, many of them aimed at helping kids in

tending Bridgeway Community Church for two decades because of the pastor.

Kathy Richmond, Bridgeway Community Church ministry assistant, recalls how her family became involved in the church two decades ago.

“Twenty years ago, my family showed up at Bridgeway Community Church. It happened to be Pastor Gregg’s first official Sunday preaching, and we’ve been here ever since,” said Richmond who formerly served as Director of Children’s Ministry.

“We knew that week that this is where we wanted to stay. Gregg was funny and genuine and taught from the Bible. It was exactly what we were looking for and still is. Though people have come and gone

group foster homes.

To volunteer, call 480-221-1051..

Multifamily garage sale slated at Miralgo community in Ahwatukee

Residents of the Miralgo gated community at Tanglewood Drive and 12th Street, Ahwatukee are holding a multifamily garage sale 7 a.m.-noon Saturday, March 25. Directions will be given at the gate for entry.

Ahwatukee man selling hand-made wood pieces in gratitude

Grateful for a new kidney he received through the work of St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center, long-time Ahwatukee resident is giving back.

over the years, Gregg’s faithful teaching has remained,” said Richmond.

“While there are many great churches and pastors in Ahwatukee, he truly is one of the best teachers you’ll find,” she continued. “If you want to dive deep into the Bible, Gregg Cantelmo is your guy.”

Richmond also said she appreciates his sense of humor.

Kay and John West, Ahwatukee residents who founded Swaziserve in 2009, have also been church members for two decades, keeping their membership while serving as missionaries in eSwazini and South Africa for many years.

“John and I started going to Bridgeway one week after Pastor Gregg started as pastor,” Kay said. “We were looking for a church in the Ahwatukee community and happened to see an article in the AFN announcing his appointment.

“We were immediately drawn to his scripture-based sermons, always full of wisdom, insight, and practical application, with dashes of humor thrown in each week, and he’s been our beloved pastor ever since.”

“Pastor Gregg has also been hugely instrumental in encouraging our mission endeavors with our non-profit Swaziserve, both when we lived in Africa as missionaries and since we moved back to the U.S. to run the mission from here,” Kay added.

“I’ve even had the blessing of being on a couple of mission trips with him, and he is the real deal, whether in the field or in the pulpit.”

Cantelmo, who spurns the title of “reverend,” admits that as he heads toward his seventh decade, the subject of retirement is raised, but usually by others.

“I would be clueless what to do if I re-

He makes finely crafted wooden household goods and decorative items and sells them, with all proceeds benefitting St. Joseph’s transplant department.

To see the items: bobswoodworking.online.

People who want to reach him also can email: Hamma30@gmail.com.

Mt. View Lutheran Church preparing for Good Friday ‘Way of the Cross’

“The Way of the Cross” will be offered on Good Friday, April 7, from 7 a.m.-6 p.m. except noon-1 p.m., at Mountain View Lutheran Church 11002 S. 48th St., Ahwatukee. The “Way of the Cross” is a self-guided

see AROUND page 25

tired,” he said candidly. “As of right now, I have no plans to retire. If I do, I would enjoy filling in as a pastor at churches when needed.”

When Cantelmo and his wife of 47 years came to Bridgeway in 2003, he wrote a statement for his parishioners entitled “Things I Strongly Believe In.”

Among the many points covered was church growth. Though the church has grown steadily in two decades, that was never a priority for him – as he wrote in that statement:

“I believe that God desires for us as a church to reach as many people as possible with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ. At the same time, we must recognize that numerical growth is not necessarily a sign of God’s blessing, and is not a sufficient goal in itself.

“Therefore, I will pursue methods and policies which will facilitate numerical growth, without compromising in any way our integrity or our commitment to Biblical truth.”

Echos of his written treatise of 2003 remain.

“As pastor of Bridgeway Community Church, my goal is to serve the church family and the community at large,” he said last week. “I often tell the church, ‘We exist for everyone who is not here yet.’

“It is fulfilling to meet, help, counsel, and develop relationships in our neighborhood and our community.”

Bridgeway Community Church is located at 2420 E. Liberty Lane in Ahwatukee.

Sunday services are at 10:30 a.m. except for Easter Sunday, April 9, when an additional service is scheduled for 9 a.m. A Good Friday service will be April 7 at 7 p.m. 

The pastor often wears attire from the countries he has served in, like Peru. (Special to AFN)

time of meditation and prayer comprised of seven stations. Each station has a picture, Scripture reading, devotion, and prayer that leads along the way of Jesus Christ’s suffering. It takes approximately 45 minutes to complete. The public is invited.

The artist of the paintings is Sieger Köder (19252015). His paintings, sculptures, and stained-glass church windows can be found throughout Europe. The paintings are displayed in the Catholic Church of St. Stephanus in Wasseralfingen, Germany.

The devotions and prayers are written by Theo Schmidkonz, SJ. They have two perspectives; one looks at the experience of Jesus’ suffering while the other looks at the experience of situations present in our world today and in our personal lives.

Mountain Pointe Dance Company slates carwash fundraiser

The Mountain Pointe Dance Company will hold a carwash fundraiser 8-11 a.m. March 25 in the parking lot on the west side of the school.

Donations are encouraged to help the nonprofit.

Ahwatukee Republican Women to host Pinal County sheriff, wife

The Ahwatukee Republican Women’s Club will host a special presentation by Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb and his wife Janel during its general meeting at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 28 at Foothills Club West Community Center, 16414 S 14th Ave., Ahwatukee.

Ahwatukee Republican Women meet on the fourth Tuesday of each month unless noted.

Keep up to date and find more information at: ahwatukeerepblicanwomen.com or email ARWomen@aol.com.

Cub Scout Activity Day slated at Ahwatukee church

The Grand Canyon Council Gila River District will host a Cub Scout Activity Day 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. March 25 at Mountain View Lutheran Church, 11002 S. 48th St.

The Cub Scout Activity day is both a fun day for Scouts from across the Valley but it is also an event that is open to anyone interested in learning about Cub Scouting. Boys and girls who are in grades K-5, and their families are invited.

At the event will be the opportunity to build a rain gutter regatta boat out of recycled materials and race it; construct a stomp rocket and launch it by stomping on a two-liter bottle; multiple craft projects for everyone to enjoy.

For the Scouts at the event, the District Pinewood Derby is a featured attraction. Information: ahwatukeescouting@gmail.com.

Kyrene Foundation seeks sponsors and players for golf tourney

The Kyrene Foundation has put out the call for players and sponsors for its 12th annual Golf Classic

May 5 at the Whirlwind Golf Club at Wild Horse Pass.

“In 2022, we raised over $25,000 for the Kyrene Foundation, which supports our initiatives in the Kyrene School District,” the foundation said, noting the public’s help is essential to that kind of success.

This year, the foundation has set a fundraising goal of $30,000, with all proceeds going to its work in helping struggling families living in the school district’s boundaries.

Sponsorships include title, contributing, hole and contest. Players can purchase tickets for foursomes, singles and classic and lunch-only tickets also are available.

Information: kyrenefoundation.org/event/golf23

Legion Post 64 slates social mixer for veterans at Rec Center here

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

Southwest Valley Realtors are holding a drive for Boys & Girls Clubs

The West & Southeast Realtors of the Valley has launched a “WeSERV With Sole” drive to hep get shoes for poor children and provide information to anyone on housing.

Through March 31, people can drop off new children-sized shoes, socks and gift cards at 1733 E. Northrup Blvd., Chandler, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday to Friday. Donations also can be made by calling 480477-5882.

The group also is sponsoring a free event offering information for renters and homeowners on things like budget assistance, maintenance and other topics 3-6 p.m. March 23 at 11820 N. 81st Ave., Peoria. Information: James O’Driscol at 630-945-5311.

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, 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-star-memorial.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 Dessee AROUND page 26

LA CASA DE JUANA

DELIVERS A KNOCKOUT WITH ITS FRESH, AUTHENTIC AND MOUTHWATERING FOOD

BESTOF 2022

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

ert 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.

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

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.

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 Ave., 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.

Ironwood Library offers free activities for all ages

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.

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.

Sit, Stay, Read!

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

Family storytime at Pecos Park

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

Sit, Stay, Read!

Young readers & listeners can sign up for reading time with a registered therapy dog/handler team.

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. 

Pride alums holding vintage bonanza here

BY COTY DOLORES MARKET AFN Contributor

Over two dozen vendors of vintage from throughout Arizona are expected to gather Friday at Mountain Pointe High School for an inaugural Vintage Market open to the public.

The March 24 indoor market, open from 3-8 p.m. at the small gym located next to the Mountain Pointe High School track and football field, 4201 E. Knox Road, Ahwatukee, is the brainchild of two Pride alumni – Casey Jones and Jeffrey Bravo, class of 2009 and 2014, respectively.

Both also graduated from Arizona State University and operate separate vintage collectibles businesses.

Vintage Market is their first local collaboration and they have brought in friends who run similar businesses.

“There’s going to be something for everyone,” said Jones, 31, owner of Jester’s Thrift. “We have people selling vinyl records, record players, retro posters, clothes, jewelry, sports memorabilia and collectibles.

It’s a real assortment of items that will appeal to a lot of interests,” he added. “It’s open to the public, not just high school kids and their families. It’s going to be super fun.”

Born and raised in Ahwatukee, Jones said he’s been a fan of vintage since he was a freshman in high school. In those days, he said, thrifting was fueled by low funds,

but it grew into a passion when he discovered his thrifted threads were a hit with his classmates.

Though his ASU degree is in Film and Media Production, his earlier plan to head to Los Angeles wasn’t the road he decided to follow. Even while expanding his career options, he continued to enjoy thrift store combing, always appreciating the thrill of the hunt.

see MARKET page 30

Mountain Pointe alumni Jeffrey Bravo and Casey Jones are preparing for their inaugural Vintage Market at the high school 3-8 p.m. this Friday, March 24. The event is in the small gym located next to the MPHS track and football field. (Special to AFN)

Ganem’s ‘Wheels and Watches’ a luxury event

AFN NEWS STAFF

Take watch brands like Breitling and Tissot, add a liberal dose of vehicles like Porsche and Lamborghini and you have what Ganem Jewelers believes is a recipe for a perfect highend Saturday morning out for men.

And that’s whom the Ahwatukee jeweler largely hopes to lure 9:30 a.m.-noon Saturday, March 25, to its showroom and parking lot at 3602 E. Ray Road in Mountain Park Pavillion on the northeast corner of E. Ranch Circle North with its Wheels and Watches show.

Women, of course, are invited as well.

The several dozen vintage and contemporary exotic trucks and cars that will be at the show are just the appetizer for Ganem’s smorgasbord of luxury watches – which also is a mix of vintage and contemporary timepieces.

“Most men love watches and they love cars,” explained Ganem’s Wendy Galster. “So we thought, ‘hey, let’s kind of put

this together the best of both worlds.’”

Wheels and Watches isn’t new to Ganem’s Ahwatukee store, though it’s been on hiatus for several years, first because of the pandemic and then because

of a remodeling last year.

But it’s returning in full force with hundreds of luxury watches carrying just as high a drool factor as the vehicles that will be parked outside.

“We sell a lot of watches and the majority are the high-end watches – your Breitlings and your IWC s are purchased by men – and between their cars and their watches, we just thought this could be a cool thing,” Galster said of the show.

“We generally have an extra couple hundred watches,” she said. “We will have both pre-owned and new watches. And we discount them drastically for this event. So it gives everybody an opportunity to see a lot of unique watches and maybe add to their collection.”

The high-end cars and trucks available for inspection outside will largely be owned by local residents – many of them Ganem clients – who don’t mind showing off their wheels.

Indeed, Galster recalled that recently she was at an Ahwatukee gas station and saw someone filling up “a really cool car,” though “I forgot what it was.” So she walked up to him, invited him to roll over

Curtis Ganem’s vintage 1950s Porsche 356 A Speedster is parked inside the showroom at Ganem Jewelers, and is one of the attractions at its Wheels and Watches event Saturday. (David Minton/AFN Staff Photographer)

GANEM from page 29

to Ganem this Saturday – and he agreed.

The collection also will include a 1957 truck, some new Corvettes, and even a Lamborghini.

Asked if there is a “star” among the vehicles, Galster replied, “I don’t know. I mean, I think that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.”

But in the running for stardom is the yellow Porsche parked right inside Ganem’s showroom “which is really kind of cool,” Galster added.

In addition to gawking, though, people will have a chance to own one of those vehicles.

Ahwatukee resident Tim Berry of Tim Berry, founder and director of HOPE for the Homeless, will be selling raffle tickets for a 1971 Chevrolet C10 Stepside Pickup.

MARKET from page 29

Slowly his ethos evolved as he matured and viewed the trend toward throwaway consumerism more closely.

He wasn’t alone, and soon noted attitudes of both young and older consumers appeared to be changing.

Thrifting became fashionable; old was new again, literally.

“Vintage and sustainability have gone hand in hand for a long time with me and now the way the younger generations are starting to view things are one in the same,” said Jones.

“I didn’t think about sustainability like I do now; that happened around age 25. Now everybody thrifts. It’s a well- worn cliche, ‘one man’s trash is another man’s treasure,’ but I learned to always try to give things a second look, clean it up a bit, bring it back to life,” he said.

Jones also opened an antiques booth at a Mesa antique mall, “Call it New/Call it Antique.”

He said vendors are vetted and he waited two years to be accepted.

He also sells at area vintage gatherings like the popular monthly “Pickers Playground” in downtown Phoenix that attracts shoppers by the thousands.

Jones said it was Pickers Playground founder and friend Allen Pettenger that inspired him and Bravo to launch their own Vintage Market.

Unlike Jones, who has been an Intel project manager for seven years, Jeffrey

Tickets are $25 each, five for $100 or 12 for $200 and the raffle won’t take place until the fall car show in Ahwatukee in late November.

In 2012, Berry and a small group of volunteers from Mountain Park Church started serving the emotional and physical needs of the indigent and the homeless by sponsoring recovery meetings in central Phoenix.

Through his work, HOPE for the Homeless has grown to serving thousands of men and women suffering from addiction and homelessness. You can learn more – and buy raffle tickets – at hope4thehomelessaz.com.

Ganem’s event is free and it’s early Saturday because the shop figures people will want to do other things on Saturday as well – like maybe buy one of those watches before they hit up a Porsche dealer. 

Bravo has made vintage and retro sales as his sole occupation, opening his USA Auction and Resale online store (USAAuctionandResale.com) the month following his ASU graduation.

“I graduated from ASU in December, 2019 and opened USA Auction and Resale in January 2019,” said Bravo, 26. “It took off like crazy. I’ve always liked thrifting, but turning one of my passions into a business is amazing.”

Starting out selling sports memorabilia, Bravo expanded to vintage collectibles, toys, and sports-related clothing like jerseys and jackets.

He has amassed a large collection of music-related T-shirts and memorabilia including a wide selection of vintage vinyl records. He now has customers across the U.S. and in Europe.

Bravo will display his eclectic collectibles stock at Friday’s Vintage Market.

“Yes, I’m bringing quite a bit to sell on Friday,” said Bravo, whose business is headquartered in Ahwatukee. “And we have vendors coming from all across Arizona, and everybody’s excited for this. It’s going to be a big community event with local vendors, too, and even Zzeeks Pizza.”

Among local vendors scheduled to be at Friday’s Vintage Market are three other Mountain Pointe High School alumni. Avery Lipp, Xavier Lockett and Marc Ortega own GGO Market, which they essee MARKET page 31

tablished two years ago.

“We’re very excited to go back to our roots,” said Lipp, who is, like his business partners, a 2020 MPHS grad. “We’re also excited to bring Ahwatukee an assortment of our amazing vintage garments.”

The business of thrift and the recycling of vintage has transformed the market into a $28 billion industry according to an NPR.org article. It quotes ThredUp, an online consignment store, as projecting the industry “to eclipse fast fashion by 2029.”

Even Vogue Magazine, the doyenne of fashion, predicts “vintage trends boom to continue” in 2023.

And it’s not just vintage clothing but vintage collectibles, both antique and mid-20th century furnishings that are capturing collectors. Some popular items like Star Wars, Disney and Mattel collectibles, are sought not just for nostalgia sake alone, but as investments.

Vintage Market will present unique items from decades past that are often difficult to find elsewhere, say Jones and Bravo, and “the thrill of the hunt” is what is expected to attract all ages and inter-

ests to Friday’s five-hour event.

“I want to use this event as something to inspire people of all ages to reuse, recreate, or re-wear something that was once heavily admired,” said Jones. “Vintage has always existed,but now it’s more prevalent than ever before.”

Jester’s Thrift, USA Auction and Resale and GGO Market can all be found on Instagram.

JestersThrift.com is currently undergoing reconstruction.

Ahwatukee Y needs the support of its neighbors

BY MICHELLE HODGES

AFN Guest Writer

One thing that binds our community is how people come together to make Ahwatukee a great place to live. The YMCA is one of the organizations that supports and brings our community together.

A special event is taking place in Ahwatukee on March 25, when notable community members come together to make a difference at the second annual YMCA Wine Party Fundraiser.

For a $225 donation per couple to RSVP, attendees can enjoy an evening celebrating Ahwatukee in an elegant Foothills home, three bottles of luxury Leverage wine, wine tasting, spirits, hors d’oeuvres and many raffle items donated from local businesses. Proceeds for the event go directly to Ahwatukee YMCA’s community sponsored programs.

We focus on local businesses for support. We have some amazing leaders right here in our community. What I love the most is that people here are approachable and kind.

Some of our biggest community supporters can be seen on the walls of the basketball court at the YMCA.

Local businesses that donate over $1,000 to the Y earn President’s Club status while helping our community members who need it the most. No one should do without when we have so much.

Local businesses are making a difference by helping us raise much needed funds. Businesses donated funds directly to the Y or gift cards and gift baskets to raffle off at the event. Notable businesses that have donated include San Tan Ford, Foothills Golf Club and Native Grill and Wings, the biggest contributors.

We also have raffle items from Ace Hardware, Ish Salon, Duenas, Eden, Cravatta Law firm, Staci Cotter of Loan Depot, Foothills Nails and Spa, Xpress Automotive, Biscuits, First Class Reflexology, Miracle Nails, Buzzed Goat, Sports and Family Care Clinic, Aquilla Dental, Trader Joe’s and Design Ramon Hair Studio, to name a few.

There’s this misconception that the YMCA is just a gym. The Y is, in fact, a nonprofit that promotes healthy living, social responsibility and youth development.

There are many community-sponsored programs like drown prevention, diabetes awareness, Employee Univer-

sity (which gives teens life skills), Y OPAS (which helps the elderly maintain independence) and many more.

The Y is proud of the fact that no one is turned away and scholarships are available for those in need.

Our summer Employee University program gives teens a chance to learn life skills from volunteer public speakers while they volunteer and gain work experience.

Our Y OPAS program is run by volunteers who bus the elderly to and from appointments, shopping and more. They also coordinate fun activities and some are the only outside contact Y OPAS patrons have when families live far away.

Each sping, the Y campaigns to raise funds for these much-needed programs.

We also are looking for leaders, for people who care about others and our community, people who want to make a difference.

We have a few spaces on the board for people who like working behind the scenes making impactful decisions. We always need volunteers to give their time.

Among our volunteers is Marilyn ten Hope, who has been recognized for her kind spirit and selflessness. She was the

founding director of God’s Garden preschool and taught for over 20 years in the Alhambra and Madison school districts. She has a long history of volunteering for nonprofits. Ten Hope serves on the Y board, volunteers, raises funds that benefit our community, and is a Y President’s Club member.

Jason DiFrancesco, owner/operator of Leverage Wines, is offering three of his best luxury wines. Leverage wines from Paso Robles are wines you won’t want to miss.  There are many opportunities to make a difference. Be a part of the YMCA, a major organization that supports and brings our community together.

RSVP for the wine party: leveragewines.com/product/ymca.

JUST GIVE: justgiving.com/page/michellehodges-my-go-fund-page?utm_ term=WQvr2g5MA

Michelle Hodges, is the Ahwatukee YMCA board chair as well as a twopercenter in real estate and a trusted advisor primarily in Ahwatukee. She has a long history of volunteering, including corrdinating drives for the VA facility 

Desert Vista’s Peyton Martin honored with scholarship

BY ZACH ALVIRA AFN Sports Editor

Peyton Martin was excited for her senior year at Desert Vista.

She was planning to play a pivotal role on the cross country team, which placed second in the state last fall. She also wanted to help the Thunder girls’ track team continue to be one of the best programs in the state.

But she wasn’t able to do either in the capacity she wanted due to an injury. Instead, she was forced to cheer for her teams from the sidelines. It wasn’t ideal, but she showed her colors as a true team player.

“That kinda took away the biggest thing in my life,” Martin said. “I was still chosen to be team captain despite not being able to run which proved to me I showed my teammates what it takes to be a leader.”

Martin has always suffered from knee pain. It started when she was younger playing basketball. Her knee would give out or lock up at times, but it never got to the point that it affected her athletic career.

But as a junior running in a track meet, the pain became too severe. Multiple visits to specialists revealed she suffered from patellofemoral pain syndrome, which is a result of the anatomy of her body and tracking of her knee cap.

Even when she couldn’t run, she still showed up for her team. She was present for every 5:30 a.m. practice and didn’t leave until the last runner on the team finished. She now does the same for the track team.

It was just the second bout with adversity Martin faced in the last two years. In 2021, her mother Kim was diagnosed with breast cancer. She is now in remission, which is something Martin is thankful for.

But both instances took a toll on her mentally, which made her a candidate for the Arizona Breaking Barriers

Student Athlete Scholarship, which is awarded through the Desert Financial Foundation and Arizona Cardinals. Its aim is to aid student athletes who have demonstrated resilience in their lives. She applied and was awarded the $3,000 scholarship.

It showed her that all of her hard work and ability to overcome difficult situa-

tions life threw at her paid off.

“For me, I have a fear of failure and put a lot of pressure on myself,” Martin said. “I feel like I don’t always give myself enough credit for all the hard work I put in. It was a good motivator and made me take a step back and feel like I was finally getting recognized for that hard work. It meant a lot.”

Martin was one of 14 student athletes across the state to receive the scholarship. She plans to use it toward her communications degree at the University of Arizona, where she plans to dive into sports media. She currently serves as the sports editor for the Desert Vista yearbook.

She and the other recipients also received a backpack with an iPad, iPad case, AirPods and school supplies.

Along with Martin, Higley senior tennis player Madeline Martin, who is also part of the National Honor Society, received the scholarship along with Williams Field senior Brianna Rowe, who plays softball for the Black Hawks and is student body president.

Dobson senior Joseph Desjardins also received the scholarship. The three-sport athlete lost his aunt, Rhonda Andre, last year. She was one of his biggest supporters and would always make her way over from Arizona College Prep where she worked as a security guard to Dobson to watch Desjardins play football, cross country and track for the Mustangs.

Like Martin, he applied for the scholarship and was pleased to learn he received it. He plans to use the money alongside the Lumberjack Scholarship he received from Northern Arizona University. He plans to study astrophysics.

“When I heard I received it, it was really surprising and really cool. I felt honored to be a part of that,” Desjardins said. “Being around all of those great student athletes, it was a cool opportunity to see all the other people that are like me who want to do great things.”

Hamilton senior Anthony Garcia also dealt with tragedy. He lost his mother to brain tumors when he was 12 years old. He felt lost but was motivated to fulfill her dream of him becoming a man.

He used wrestling as an outlet for that and became a state placer. But it didn’t come easy. He suffered two broken el-

Desert Vista senior Peyton Martin was told she couldn’t run anymore due to her knee injury. So, she became the best teammate possible cheering on her peers as they competed for the Thunder. As a reward, she was one of 14 student athletes that will receive the Arizona Breaking Barriers Student Athlete Scholarship. (Special to the Tribune)

SCHOLARSHIP from page 36

bows and had two minor knee surgeries in his career.

Garcia was nominated by his aunt for the scholarship. It’s one of many he received and now has most, if not all, of his tuition at Arizona State paid for. He plans to study computer science or engineering.

All to make his mother proud.

“When I lost my mom, it left a hole in my heart. Wrestling helped fill it, which is why I took it so seriously,” Garcia said.

“She would’ve wanted me to do really well and be a big man. It would mean a lot to her to know now I am a state placer and I’m going to college.

“She would be proud of me because I lived up to her hopes.” 

SIMPLY SMARTER

Solutions to Manage Your SRP Account

SRP offers simple account management tools and tips that will save you time and money. Sign up for reminders about your energy usage, enroll in automatic payments or just pick the day you pay. SRP is here to help you simplify your account and your life.

Learn more at srp.net/account.

www.ahwatukee.com

Symphony of the Southwest entertains for 8 decades

T

he Symphony of the Southwest, a hidden gem of an orchestra with members from throughout the East, presents its season final concert on April 1.Playfully titled Romantic Favorites for April Fools, the eclectic symphony will perform at 7:30 p.m. at the Mesa Arts Center.

Until 2008, Symphony of the Southwest was called the Mesa Symphony.

The current name better indicates not only the demographics of its 70plus musicians, but also the composition of the audience it attracts.

The Symphony of the Southwest has been under the baton of conductor Cal

Stewart Kellogg since 2005. His vast experience, as indicated in his biography on SymphonyoftheSouthwest.org, spans the world.

Before moving to Phoenix in 2000, Maestro Kellogg conducted 24 opera productions over 16 consecutive seasons for the prestigious Washington National Opera at the Kennedy Center, Washington D.C.

The maestro is an avid believer in the power of live music.

“The symphony concert is a real thrill; you can’t match it. You can play CDs all day but they’re not the same as when you hear the symphony live. It’s exceptional.” said Kellogg, who lived and studied in Italy for two decades right after high school.

Among the symphony orchestra’s

members is Mesa resident Andrew “Andy” Bunch, who is concluding his 49th season. He joined in 1974, shortly after graduating from Arizona State University.

The bassoonist has served under seven conductors, including Kellogg. His first three conductors were Bill Engelsman of Mesa’s Westwood High School; Ralston Pitt, who at the time was music supervisor for Mesa Public Schools; and Wayne Roederer, string specialist for the Mesa district.

“It is always inspiring to work with col-

see SYMPHONY page 40

Gilbert residents Trent and Megan Bender have played with the Symphony of the Southwest and for 12 years. (Courtesy of Kathy Roark)

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI GetOut Staff Writer

The impending closure of Wild Horse Pass Motorsport Park means the end of an era for five-time Pro Stock world champion Erica Enders.

Enders’ family has a long history with the Valley. A former record-breaking water-skier, her father, Gregg Enders, helped dig Firebird Lake, near the track. They frequented Manzanita Raceway in Phoenix, prior to its closure.

“Before I raced professionally, I always traveled to Phoenix to race, even though it’s a long haul from Houston,” she said. “That’s even as kids and junior dragsters. It’s sad that it’s coming to a close.”

Enders will have one more shot with the 28th annual NHRA Arizona Nationals at the Chandler track from Wednesday, March 22, to Sunday, March 26.

“I think you can look forward to some pretty outstanding performance there,”

NHRA Arizona Nationals speeds back into Arizona for one last time and Erica Enderswill be racing for one last win at the track. (Special to GetOut)

Enders said.

“We’re on the heels of our fifth world title last year. Our expectations are set pretty high.”

Enders, 39, is in her 19th professional season, but she has been racing since she was 8. She grew up watching Gregg race as an amateur, along with her sister, Court-

ney Enders. In 2003, The Disney Channel released a movie about the sisters called “Right on Track.” Erica was portrayed by Beverley Mitchell, while Brie Larson played Courtney.

In 1993, she won the Division 4 Junior Dragster championship in the 8- to 9-yearold class. Two years later, she was crowned Junior Dragster Driver of the Year. She now boasts 37 career wins.

“At 16, we joined the Lucas Oil Series, which is like the minor leagues,” Enders said. “I did that for five years. Then I got a deal to drive professionally at the end of 2004. Back, when I was a kid, when they’d ask what I wanted to be when I grew up. Other kids would answer doctor, lawyer, astronaut. I always wanted to be a race car driver and I’ve been blessed to accomplish that dream.”

Girls look up to her, she said. In 2006, she was the first woman to qualify No. 1

see

SYMPHONY from page 39

leagues that are as dedicated and talented as the musicians in the orchestra,” said Bunch.

“In the early years the symphony held its concerts at high schools and churches, but since the opening of the Mesa Arts Center we now have a world class venue in which to perform. We have also had the pleasure of performing with a number of talented, creative guest artists.”

Bunch has also performed with the Arizona Wind Symphony for 12 years.

Chandler resident Timothy Haas, principal clarinetist for Symphony of the Southwest, is in his 18th year. He teaches clarinet and saxophone in his home studio, online with students nationwide, and as clarinet professor at Grand Canyon University.

He said he was introduced to the clarinet in sixth grade.

“When we were in elementary school, I played recorder. Sixth grade at our school was the first year band was offered. I didn’t want to do it, but my mother signed me anyway,” he laughed.

“It was awful. I stuck with it for a while and discovered I liked it,” he said, admitting by high school he was All-State California in the instrument.

He chose it for his career, earning his undergraduate degree at ASU and then his Master’s in Clarinet Performance from Florida State University.

Haas said he appreciates the mastery of his fellow symphony musicians and their conductor.

Gilbert residents Trent and Megan Bender, who’ve been with the Symphony of the Southwest since 2011, play viola and French horn, respectively.

“I love playing the music that Maestro Kellog selects. We seem to play one of my favorite composers almost every concert. Dvorak, Tchaikowsky, Brahms, they all wrote fantastic parts for the viola,” said Megan, adding:

“We’re playing selections from ‘West Side Story’ which is one of my all time favorites, at our next concert.”

The couple, who met in orchestra while attending the University of Iowa, concur that their conductor is one reason for the Symphony of the Southwest’s continuing success.

“Maestro Kellog is one of the kindest people I have ever met. He’s so knowledgeable about the music and I truly feel it is a privilege to be following his baton,” said Megan, an orchestra teacher at Me-

sa’s Poston Junior High and Field Elementary schools.

“The players in our orchestra are also some of the most talented musicians as well as just enjoyable people to be having fun creating music together.”

After directing a high school band and teaching music at the elementary school level, Trent Bender is dean of students at Desert Ridge High School in Gilbert.

Symphony of the Southwest musicians as well as Kellogg say full audiences at their concerts are a boon, though ticket prices don’t begin to cover the symphony’s financial needs.

“It really depends on fundraising efforts,” said Kellogg, specifically pointing to Tempe residents Kathi Roark and Patricia Cosand, neither of whom are among symphony members.

Instead, these two women launched an Etsy shop called “Sewing for the Symphony” where they sell their handcrafted works with all proceeds earmarked for the Symphony of the Southwest.

“We’ve done many things to help raise money,” said Roark. “Patricia does a lot of smocking, mainly children’s clothing. She has a huge following in the UK. I do machine-embroidered towels, aprons; I’ve also knitted scarves.”

Why put the profits of their labor into the symphony’s coffers? Roark doesn’t hesi-

“It’s such a good organization; our biggest issue is letting people know we’re here,” she

from page 39

in Pro Stock, in Topeka, Kansas. She broke the national speed record in Pro Stock at 213.57 miles per hour in Gainesville, Florida. The accolades continued.

“I remember being a fan and going to see the women I looked up to,”

“I stood outside the pit waiting to get autographs. I see the same sparkle in some of those kids’ eyes. It’s been a surreal, pinchme moment. I try to make it the best experience I can for them.

“The first time someone asked for my autograph, I was a kid racing juniors. I thought, ‘So, this is where I’m going.’ We’ve had a blast of a life getting to do

In 2018, she began driving a Pro Modified entry for Elite Motorsports, a twin turbo 2019 Camaro. The following year, Enders escaped serious injuries when her

said. “And we have enormous respect for the conductor and musicians. Actually, we have many friends who are musicians.”

The April 1 concert line-up is a varied one with presentations from Brahms (‘Academic Festival Overture’) to Bernstein (‘West Side Story Symphonic Dances’).

And though the 2022-23 season comes to an end, there are other ways to enjoy the musicians.

People can hire the Symphony’s Community Ensembles for private events, large or small.

Their website SymphonyfortheSouthwest.org lists the various possibilities ranging from string quartets to full orchestra. There’s even a ‘Sing-a-long with Cal’ with Maestro Kellogg performing ‘golden Broadway favorites’ on piano.

Donations can also help the Symphony of the Southwest continue to fulfill their mission “to enrich the community through quality musical performances and educational programs for people of all ages, backgrounds and economic levels.”

It is also possible to “Sponsor a Chair” in the orchestra through donations.

Opportunities for tax-deductible donations can be made on their website , through PayPal, or by check mailed to 2109 E. Greenway Drive, Tempe AZ 85282

For more information on the Symphony or to purchase tickets for the April 1 concert: SymphonyfortheSouthwest.org.

They can also be found on Twitter and Facebook. 

Chevrolet Camaro caught fire at the end of a qualifying run in the NHRA Pro Mod class in Ohio.

The challenges of racing have kept her passionate throughout the years.

“The challenges intrigue me,” she said. “Pro Stock is a challenging car to drive. You’re pretty busy inside the cockpit, having to shift and whatnot. It’s a cool class. No matter how much seat time you have, or years you’ve done this, it’s still tough. It’s really humbling. That’s what keeps me coming back. I want to be the best.” 

If you go

What: NHRA Arizona Nationals

When: Various times Wednesday, March 22, to Sunday, March 26

Where: Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park, 20000 S. Maricopa Rd, Chandler Tickets: Tickets start at $44

Info: nhra.com

EV director’s sci-fi comedy debuts at film festival

BY MELODY BIRKETT GetOut Contributor

Described as a sci-fi/comedy, The Last Movie Ever Made was filmed all over the Valley, including Mesa.

Now Valley residents can get an advanced look at it at the Phoenix Film Festival, which runs from tomorrow, March 23, though April 2 at Harkins Scottsdale 101, 7000 E. Mayo Blvd., Scottsdale.

Writer-director Nathan Blackwell’s film will be featured Friday at 6:30 p.m. Friday, March 24; 7:10 p.m. Monday, March 27; and 11:25 a.m. Saturday, April 1.

Blackwell called the movie a merger of two ideas.

“It’s an idea of middle-aged people dealing with an end of the world scenario…merged with an idea I had about someone nearing their 40s looking for meaning in their life and deciding that meaning is finishing their high school sci-fi movie,” he said.

“Those two ideas collided and became something interesting where someone who is faced with the end of the world decides to give their life meaning. They want to finish their science fiction film from high school which means bringing together a bunch of old friends that haven’t kept in contact.”

Blackwell describes the cast represents misfits who came together and created a family.

“It’s unprofessionals’ who used to make movies when they were kids who are now grown-up adults and adults in silly outfits in the desert, trying to recreate a certain magic that they experienced when they were younger,” he said.

“One of our greatest collaborators has been Krissy Lenz at the Neighborhood Comedy Theater,” Blackwell added. “She has an improv comedy theater in downtown Mesa. She has gone above and beyond in helping us with our projects.

“In particular, on this one, not only did we film at her house for a day of the movie, but we also did our private test screening for a select group of people at her theater. So, that collaboration with her has been extremely valuable to us.”

This is Blackwell’s third film but he describes it as maybe his “first watchable feature film” in a competition.

He said he always has been interested in little bits of magic or a sci-fi element that twist a story into something interesting or compelling, seeing it from a different light and weaving comedy into it.

“I was fascinated by the potential of the comedy but also the human aspect of watching a person trying to fulfill their vision,” he said.

“Our production company, Squishy Studios, has been making short films and web series in the valley for a while but we finally wanted to do a feature film,” Blackwell said.

Despite being a micro-budget film, all self-funded, the 95-minute movie has a fairly big cast.

“We’ve slowly built up a troop of actors and collaborators,” Blackwell explained. “All the parts were pretty much written for the specific actors who ended up playing them. It was great to write to all their individual voices what makes each of them a little different.”

He thinks the film could appeal to all moviegoers.

“I’ve become addicted to making people both laugh and cry with the same,” he said. “This is a dramatic comedy. It’s about the silliness of making a ridiculous sci-fi movie.

“Still, it’s also about these wounded, broken, misfit people coming together and finding some connection with each

movie–- just the joy of doing something silly like that is fun for me.”

Blackwell and his crew did experience a harrowing day of filming when a cloud of bees descended on the Phoenix house and cast.

“We had to go inside,” said Blackwell. “They ended up hiding inside the house in a crack. We called pest control and it turns out they were all Africanized bees. That could have been a big problem but luckily no one was hurt.”

Unlike many movies filmed in Arizona that Blackwell said are made to look generic, he wanted to capture the desert’s essence.

other at the end of their lives.

“I enjoy watching the characters themselves as being in their late 30s, early 40s in ridiculous costumes trying to make a

“I believe Arizona still looks very exotic for a lot of people throughout the country,” he said. “It’s not the typical environment you see a movie in. I wanted to show off Arizona as a unique environment. I wanted to see a wide variety of locations represented in the valley.”

Information: phoenixfilmfestival. com 

Writer-director Nathan Blackwell, center, discusses a scene from “The Last Movie Ever Made” with Megan Hughes Rini and Adam Rini. (Courtesy of Athan Blackwell)

ACROSS

1 Blunder

5 Sir’s partner

9 Witty one

12 Massage target

13 Lamb alias

14 “Evil Woman” gp.

15 Dairy aisle purchase

17 Zodiac feline

18 Indiana city

19 TV’s DeGeneres

21 Rejection

22 -- buddy

24 Bears’ hands

27 Candy-heart word

28 Ashen

31 “-- Believer”

32 Epoch

33 Actress Ruby

34 Attire

36 The whole enchilada

37 Barking mammal

38 Dark and gloomy

40 “I see”

41 “Shrek” princess

43 Scents

47 Adj. modifier

48 Canning jar feature

51 King, in Cannes

52 Tale teller

53 “Woe --!”

54 World Cup cheer

55 China (Pref.)

56 Legendary loch

DOWN

1 Stare stupidly

2 Twice cuatro

3 “Hmm, I guess so”

4 Criminals

5 Office note

6 “The Greatest”

7 Be sick

8 “This -- no sense!”

9 Built to last

10 Downwind

11 Thug

16 Punk-rock subgenre

20 Prune

22 Strapping

23 Track shape

24 Pot-bellied pet

25 Docs’ bloc

26 “Dunkirk” or “Platoon,” e.g.

27 Faucet problem

King Crossword

29 Meadow

30 Snaky fish

35 Chignon

37 Sure winner

39 “Lady Love” singer Lou

40 Branch

41 Gambling game

42 Pedestal occupant

43 Sleek, in car lingo

44 Inspiration

45 $ dispensers

46 Females

49 Sundial numeral

50 Author Brown

Sudoku

IWith JAN D’ATRI

Baklava cheesecake cups a memorable dessert

would never have thought of putting these two delectable treats together to create one memorable dessert. But that’s exactly what happens when you combine Greek Baklava with New York cheesecake.

What you get is a delicious, creamy cheesecake filling in a sweet and crunchy phyllo dough cup. The individual servings can be made in a cupcake pan, but are much more suited for muffin tins. Got a special event coming up?

The Baklava Cheesecake Cups, with their sweetened raspberries and sug ared rosemary twig garnish will provide the wow factor on your dessert plate both in flavor and presentation!

Ingredients:

For the Phyllo Cups

• 2 sleeves phyllo dough (60 or more sheets)

• 1 cup butter, melted

• For The Cheesecake

• 2 cups pistachios, chopped fine

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

• ½ tsp ground nutmeg

• ¼ tsp ground allspice

• 2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese,

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray two muffin or cupcake tins lightly with cooking spray.

2. Cut phyllo dough into squares that will fit and slightly overflow a cupcake or muffin tin. Line the muffin tins with the 2 pieces of phyllo, pressing against the sides and bottom. Brush with melted butter. Continue to add 4-5 more pieces of phyllo to each muffin tin, patting down and brushing with melted butter in between each layer for each cup.

2. In a small bowl, mix together the chopped pistachios, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice. Sprinkle over bottom of phyllo in muffin cups. Bake 5-7 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool in pan.

3. Reduce oven setting to 325 degrees.

4. In a large bowl, beat together the cream cheese and mascarpone cheese on low speed until smooth. Beat in honey, milk and flour. Add eggs; beat on low

softened

• 2 carton (8 ounces) mascarpone cheese

• 1 ½ cups honey

• 1 cup milk

• 6 TBSP all-purpose flour

• 6 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten

• For The Garnish

• 6 TBSP light corn syrup

• ½ cup sugar, divided

• 2 pints raspberries

• Rosemary Sprigs

speed just until blended. Pour into crust in muffin tins.

5. Bake about 20 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack and then refrigerate until ready to serve.

6. For garnish, place corn syrup in a small microwavesafe bowl. Microwave, uncovered, for 10 seconds or until warm. Brush corn syrup lightly over both sides of rosemary. Place on waxed paper; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of sugar.

6. If needed, reheat remaining corn syrup until warm; gently toss raspberries in syrup. Place remaining sugar in a small bowl; add raspberries and toss to coat. Place on waxed paper and let stand at room temperature until set, about 1 hour, or refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.

7. Just before serving, top cheesecake with sugared rosemary and raspberries. Makes 12-16 Cups.

Great Job-Seeking Habits

Like

Unfortunately, there are obvious stresses involved with the loss of financial stability, and that fear and anxiety can make it difficult to properly focus your search.

If you find yourself stuck, reach out to professional resume writers or career counselors who specialize in getting these searches back on track.

Either way, incorporating effective search habits can help you better target your resume to the best-fit jobs, and that might ultimately shorten your time between employers.

HAVE OPEN DISCUSSIONS

Don’t overlook the shared experiences of those around you. Be open and honest about what led you to this moment in time, your goals for the next position and what you’re doing to make that dream come true. It’s possible that friends, family and others in your industry or former coworkers have had similar experiences, and they may be able to offer needed advice. They may even know about a new role that perfectly fits your skill set.

MAKE IT A GROUP EFFORT

Some open positions simply aren’t advertised in conventional ways, and may only be known to people who have adjacent industry jobs or friends working for your prospective employer. That’s where networking becomes a critical tool. Join job-hunting groups to expand this search beyond your immediate circle. Whether in person or online, you’ll find a community of people who share your particular struggles but who also can provide leads

for employment and critical advice about how to get the job. Social media helps us remain in constant contact, meaning you may have the chance to become one of the first to apply for unlisted openings.

KEEP UPDATING

Just because your employment has ground to a halt doesn’t mean your resume should. Continue adapting your application paperwork to reflect the requirements for individual job openings. Customizing your resume highlights the specific experiences and educational achievements that they may be looking for, and your research will help you familiarize yourself with the company — a key advantage should you be called in for an interview. You’ll also better navigate through the hurdles put in place by the computerized programs that many companies use to weed out candidates that don’t use certain keywords or meet certain qualifications. 