Ahwatukee Foothills 05/03/2023

BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor

AWednesday, May

3, 2023

dler Boulevard, on land the developer leased for 77 years from Kyrene School District.

nearly 511,000-square-foot complex of three light industrial buildings along I-10 triggered renewed alarm about traffic and new concerns about potentially hazardous materials in manufacturing on the site during the developer’s presentation at a sparsely attended meeting of the Ahwatukee Foothills Village Planning Committee April 24.

Attorney Carolyn Oberholtzer made the pitch for a zoning change on behalf of Via West for its largely built complex on 50th Street near E. Thistle Landing Drive, just north of Chan-

Although it was the VPC’s first in-person meeting since March 2020, when pandemic restrictions forced the panel to meet only virtually, only one citizen appeared to register concerns about traffic.

And the panel lacked a quorum to conduct any official business since only seven of its 15 members showed up.

Because zoning changes require a developer to go before the VPC twice anyway, panel members were able to let the presentation go forward.

It was unclear when Via West will return for

a formal vote by the committee before the zoning request goes to the city Planning Commission and, eventually, City Council. Although Via West could return as soon as this month, Oberholtzer told the panel it might be June or July.

Via West wants a minor General Plan amendment and related zoning change for the 28.6-acre site.

see

BY COTY MIRANDA AFN Contributor

A9-year-old Ahwatukee girl with a rare bone cancer is leading an awareness run for a Chandler nonprofit that stands by families whose children are struck by the dreaded disease.

Elilai Ramarui will hold the lead position in the Children’s Cancer Network’s 13th annual Run to Fight Children’s Cancer May 6 at Riverview Park in Mesa.

The nonprofit chose Elilai as this year’s poster child for its work in assisting families with children stricken by cancer and to salute her bravery in her fight against the disease.

Children’s Cancer Network was founded in 2004 by Patti and Stephen Luttrell as a result of what they experienced during their son Jeff’s extended cancer battle.

Having experienced many years treatments, relapses, new cancers – and tremendous expense – the Lutrells learned the hardships confronting families blindsided by childhood cancer.

“When we started Children’s Cancer Network 20 years ago, we were determined to provide assistance to children at all stages of their cancer journey as well as their family members,” said Patti, who serves as CEO of the nonprofit while her husband is president.

“We provide financial assistance, promote

Elilai

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Club West course suit could linger for another year

BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor

The Club West Conservancy has told a judge it will be ready for a March 2024 trial in its suit against golf course owner The Edge and Shea Homes.

The Edge and the Conservancy last month also told Superior Court Judge Timothy Thomason they remain at an impasse in litigation over the course’s future.

Over four years have passed since the city shut off water to the 162-acre site and a little more than three years have passed since the four men who comprise The Edge bought it.

In a joint report to Thomason filed April 17, the Conservancy and the Edge said that about the only things they agree on is “they have conferred in good faith” and “that this case is not subject to the mandatory arbitration provisions” of a court rule aimed at pushing civil suits to settlement.

Representing about 50 of the Club West community’s approximate 2,500 homeowners, the Conservancy in December 2021 sued The Edge and Shea Homes to secure a court order forbidding home construction on the 18-hole course.

That suit was filed about six months after the Conservancy won a lawsuit preventing the Club West Homeowners Association from claiming the land-use rights to the site.

In the current suit, the group contends Shea and previous homebuilder UDC Homes guaranteed in some sales contracts that the site would always remain a gold course.

It also submitted numerous newspaper ads and related stories in which both UDC and Shea touted the course to sell homes.

On the other hand, both Shea and The Edge said no such promise was ever made, noting the declarant rights allow the site to be used in other ways.

Shea Homes has unsuccessfully tried to get out of the suit, contending it has no designs of its own on the site.

The

Denying the Conservancy’s assertions, The Edge also wants a protective order preventing public disclosure of confiden-

tial financial information related to the four partners and their purchase of the site in late 2019 for $750,000.

In the joint report, the Conservancy also states it “will be ready for trial by March 25, 2024.”

“The parties do not agree to engage in settlement discussions with a settlement judge assigned by the court or a private mediator,” the report states, adding:

“The parties have already spent significant time engaging in settlement discussion efforts…The parties do not believe further efforts to settle will be beneficial.”

While the Conservancy is demanding a jury trial, the Edge and Shea want a judge to decide the case, which they said would last five days.

They also laid out the broad scope of documents the defendants might seek in pretrial discovery.

They include home sales agreements dating as far back as July 1989, “various representations related to a potential golf course on The Edge’s property beginning as early as 1989,” city annexation documents and the 1993 land use declaration for the course.

“Defendants hope to work in good faith regarding mutually acceptable parameters around discovery proportional to the circumstances of this case,” they declared.

If the two sides can’t agree, The Edge and Shea want to meet with the judge no later than this month to work out rules for what documents they can obtain in discovery.

But the Conservancy also “is considering whether judicial efficiency would be advanced by bifurcation of the issues.”

That suggests issues that are not spe-

cifically outlined in the report could be divided into two separate trials of some kind, though the Conservancy does not elaborate.

That statement also apparently puzzled Shea and The Edge. They said they “do not understand what issues the plaintiff would like to bifurcate and will respond to any motion to bifurcate accordingly.”

Shea and The Edge also said they believe a maximum four hours would be needed for any individual deposition of a

witness and want to see at least two days in advance of in-court testimony any “demonstrative exhibits that summarize, support or explain expert opinions or testimony.”

Prospects for a trial were elevated in December when Thomason rejected The Edge’s request to toss the suit.

The Edge contends a portion of the use rights to the site declare, “The declarant has the power under the declaration to release portions of the property to be developed for non-golf course uses, including housing.”

In rejecting The Edge’s motion for dismissal, the judge said the only issue before him was whether the Conservancy had the legitimacy to file a suit and he agreed that it did.

“The court emphasizes that its ruling here is limited in nature,” he wrote, adding that the “Edge makes arguments that might end up being correct.”

Noting that the land use rights for the site specifically say that golf is not necessarily forever guaranteed on the site, the judge also said, “The CC&Rs provide no representations or warranties were provided to homeowners about the golf course.” 

The Club West Golf Course last looked like this in February 2018, about a month before the city shut off the water because a previous owner ran up over $150,000 in unpaid water bills. (AFN file photo)

Retiring local professor to continue his mission

BY MARK J. SCARP AFN Guest Writer

Since Professor Richard Knopf announced he is retiring this month from Arizona State University, he has often been asked what he’s going to do once he officially departs.

“Cry for the next 20 years,” the Ahwatukee resident chuckled, “because I love this job so much.”

Knopf has worn a rack full of hats in the nearly 37 years since he arrived at ASU to teach community development, leisure studies, human services and other subjects in what is now called the School of Community Resources and Development.

And his ambitious post-retirement strategy reflects the energy and enthusiasm of an impressively active career.

During his tenure, Knopf served in college and university administration, as ASU associate vice provost for research for ASU’s West campus and as associate dean of what is now called the Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions, where the School of Community Resources and Development is based.

Since 2004 he has been director of Partnership for Community Development, which helps form multisector partnerships to advance life-quality issues in local and global communities.

He once took a year’s leave from ASU to serve as a loaned executive for the Valley of the Sun United Way fundraising campaign. And at ASU, he managed external investments of more than $5.2 million — donations from large businesses, funding from government agencies and contributions from charitable foundations — in centers he directed.

But Knopf is best known for the years he served as director of the Osher Institute for Lifelong Learning’s program at ASU, or OLLI at ASU.

He has been a tireless advocate for older adults continuing education, social engagement and community impacts through transformative, lifelong learning experiences.

Every year in over 300 online and inperson courses, OLLI at ASU members, as its students are called, explore a wide

variety of educational experiences representing the broad spectrum of academic disciplines across ASU.

Knopf has guided the ASU program since he became director in 2010, having co-founded it more than a decade earlier.

“My passion and ASU’s mission have always been woven together. It’s invigorating, and it’s common sense as to why we are in this place,” Knopf said.

“The reality of retirement is that it sharpens my zeal to contribute in ways I have not yet been able to. I will continue mentoring, carrying on impactful research on the dynamics of abundant aging, and advocating for better integration of older adults into the teaching and research lifeblood of universities.”

Knopf said he wants to be a spokesman for the ASU core value of lifelong learning and fueling the growth of older adults on a national and global scale.

“ASU’s service portfolio in that regard is so much richer than other universities. I want to convey the power of that core value of ASU — catalyzing and mirroring ASU’s commitment to older adults to the national and global academic community.”

Not all universities are as age-friendly as ASU, he said.

“Most universities really have neither passion nor programming for the vast array of needs of people over 30 or 40. ASU has one of the best practices that focuses on universal learning — providing opportunities for all, regardless of age, available resources, lifestyle, race, ethnicity, gender identity, and intellectual and physical disabilities,” he said.

“My plan is to lift up the possibilities of universal learning that call for the centrality of older adults at other universities in all aspects of scholarship, teaching and service.

“I will be working hard to co-create innovative curricula that are tailored for post-retirement older adults. In terms of unleashing human capacities, the potential is astonishing.”

Watts College Dean and President’s Professor Cynthia Lietz said she remembers meeting Knopf nearly 20 years ago, when

Scores of parents and alumni turned out last Friday to celebrate Kyrene de la Sierra Elementary School’s 30th anniversary in Ahwatukee. Entertained at the E. Liberty Lane campus by the school’s Sierra Singers, visitors also perused student art work, waxed nostalgic over memorabilia and enjoyed food trucks. (Special to AFN)

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Porn limits stump GOP lawmakers in Arizona

BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

State lawmakers are struggling to find a way to keep minors from accessing internet porn that’s legal, effective and politically acceptable.

And so far, they’ve come up short.

The original proposal by Sen. Wendy Rogers would have required anyone seeking to access “explicit sexual material’’ to first provide the website with a government-issued identification proving age.

“This is a scourge that’s affecting impressionable minds,’’ the Flagstaff Republican told a committee reviewing her legislation. She called it one of several measures this session to “protect the innocence of children.’’

But her idea of adults having to give information like a driver’s license to a website proved to be a non-starter, unable to clear even the Senate.

That led to Plan B to require any website that contains a “substantial portion’’ of material “harmful to minors’’ to use a commercially accepted database or other “commercially reasonable method of age and identity verification’’ before providing access.

Those changes were enough to convince all Senate Republicans and three Democrats to vote in favor.

The House has proven to be a different problem.

“I think we all want to make sure that internet pornography is not being distributed to children,’’ Rep. Alexander Kolodin, R-Scottsdale, said. But he said SB 1503 as approved by the Senate goes beyond that.

He said it would require adults who want to view those materials to register with documents that could wind up in the

hands of the government. “That’s a constitutional problem,’’ he said.

But the question for Kolodin and a handful of other Republicans who found the plan unacceptable goes beyond the legal issues.

“I do not trust the government even a little bit,’’ Kolodin said. “Why would I want to give the government that kind of power?’’

The key, he explained, is the power that would be in the hands of officials who know who has signed up to download what some define as pornography.

“It’s a way for the government to try to blackmail people,’’ Kolodin said. “It’s a way for the government to try to scare off people from what materials they consume.’’

“Yes, it is socially desirable to reduce pornography viewership, I suppose,’’ he said.

“But the government doesn’t get to say ‘This speech is socially undesirable, consume less of it,’" said the attorney and firstterm lawmaker. “That is emphatically not our role.’’

The GOP opposition, coupled with the unanimous vote against SB 1503 by the Democrats, doomed that version to defeat.

Now a third version awaits a final House

vote. And this one seeks to take the government out of it entirely.

Instead, it essentially would put the burden on parents to take affirmative action, contacting their internet service providers and requiring that those companies block sites determined to have materials the legislation deems offensive.

That, however, raises its own issues.

What would have to be blocked would come down to a three-part test of the materials: whether they appeal to the “prurient, shameful or morbid interest of minors;’’ is “patently offensive’’ to what adults determine is suitable for minors; and lacks “serious, literary, artistic, political or scientific value for minors’’ when taken as a whole.

And it’s even more complicated than that.

It is only when a website contains a “substantial portion’’ of the materials meets all three tests that the content provider would have to consult the blacklist to see if that customer asked that the site be blocked. And the legislation defines “substantial’’ as 33 1/3%.

Marilyn Rodriguez, lobbying for the see PORN page 10

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PORN from page 9

American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona, told lawmakers they are wrong if they think that will keep minors from accessing what they think is unacceptable.

“There are several websites, including Google, Reddit and Twitter that allow access to sensitive content but whose total sensitive information falls beneath the 33% threshold,’’ she said.

Setting up a blacklist to protect children also would block access to those materials to any adult in that household or anyone using that phone or tablet.

Moreover, SB 1503 actually is worded in a way that one spouse could actually limit what her or his partner could see: The provider would not be required to determine if there is a minor child in the house.

The issue clearly caused some heartburn for some lawmakers.

Rep. Alma Hernandez, D-Tucson, said she personally doesn’t think children should be looking at pornography. But she said that the measure lacks any sort of

enforcement mechanism.

Rogers said her legislation provides “first steps’’ to regulating those who publish such materials “and gives recourse to those who happen upon it.’’

That “recourse,’’ however, would require parents to hire an attorney to file a civil suit. And they would have to show “damages resulting from a minor’s access’’ to those materials.

Rodriguez told lawmakers they are not considering how such a law would affect the First Amendment rights of adults.

“Courts have repeatedly struck down attempts to prohibit minors from accessing adult content when they burden speech more than necessary to achieve that goal,’’ she testified.

She cited a 2004 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that struck down a similar federal law. There, the justices wrote, “blocking and filtering software is an alternative that is less restrictive than the (law), and, in addition, likely more effective as a means of restricting children’s access to materials harmful to them.’’ 

CANCER from page 1

education, encourage healthy lifestyles, build self-esteem, and help others understand what it’s like for a family to battle childhood cancer,” she said.

“Most importantly, our support doesn’t end when chemo ends; we’re there for the long haul.”

Elilai was diagnosed in March 2022 with Ewing sarcoma, which first manifested with a swollen arm.

Over 20 cycles of chemotherapy and 32 days of radiation, the Summit School of Ahwatukee third grader has proven to be resilient.

And, according to her parents, Melody Orak and Abel Ramarui, she’s “spunky” as she is back in school.

The Children’s Cancer Network run is the nonprofit’s signature event, celebrating survivorship and honoring kids who lost their battle with cancer.

Elite runners, weekend joggers and walkers are among those participating in the 13th annual event that begins with the 10K run at 7 a.m., followed by the 5K run at 7:45 a.m.

A celebratory Cancer Survivor Walk steps off at 9 a.m., with walkers circling a small pond within Mesa Riverview Park. It is also possible to participate as a virtual runner.

Though the Cancer Survivor walk is free, pre-registration is recommended.

Registration for all the 13th Annual ‘Run To Fight Children’s Cancer’ events, including virtual runner, can be done online at Runtofightcancer.com

Also available on the website is the story behind the Luttrells’ founding of the nonprofit two decades ago.

Their son, Jeff, was only 5 when he was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Following that August 1993 diagnosis, he underwent multiple rounds of chemotherapy, radiation and finally a bone marrow transplant to treat the initial onset of the disease and four subsequent relapses.

Nine years after being cancer-free, Jeff was diagnosed with a secondary cancer of the tongue that required numerous surgeries and two types of radiation. Four years later, it reoccurred.

It was through these experiences that Jeff’s parents and sister Jenny gained an empathy for other parents facing a tumultuous cancer journey.

“Our organization grew from our daughter Jenny’s vision to put on a fashion show featuring children dealing with cancer and their siblings,” Patti wrote.

“While visiting her brother in the hospital one night during his bone marrow transplant, a young girl in the next room passed away. Her family was at her bedside to say their goodbyes.

“Shortly after her passing, it was realized that the family didn’t have money to put gas in their car to get home to Phoenix,”

doing. She’d been diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma in March and didn’t attend school,” Melody explained.

“The HOPE program explained really well to Elilai’s class the type of cancer she had, her treatments, why she lost her hair, but most importantly that she was still the same Elilai.

“Since becoming so involved with CCN, our family has become a part of a club that you really don’t want to belong to. But you know, everyone you come across, including Steve and Patti Luttrell, have walked your walk and they get you without saying anything,” she added.

she recalled.

“This was an eye-opening experience for Jenny, then a high school freshman. It did not seem fair that a family grieving for the loss of their daughter also had to worry about finding cash to make the drive home to Phoenix.”

The annual Inspirations Fashion Show continues, and Elilai was proud to be one of this year’s models for the March event at the Phoenix Art Museum.

Children’s Cancer Network also arranged for the youngster to cheer at a girls’ varsity basketball game at Gilbert’s Williams Field High School.

Elilai’s mother said the Children’s Cancer Network has helped Elilai “live her best life” since their family connected with the Luttrells through their Honoring Our Peers Everyday program, which provides speakers to help explain childhood cancer in an age-appropriate way.

“Abel and I were looking into the HOPE program to go out to Elilai’s school and talk to the kids about where she’d been this whole time and what she had been

“It was comforting to Abel and me to have these fun experiences for Elilai to see her smile and not think about cancer, treatment, medication or upcoming scans. Now, Elilai is excited to be this year’s race starter. She’s always been spunky, but she’s even more determined now to live her best life.”

Donations can be made to Team Elilai and other specific teams and runners online at the Children’s Cancer Network website.

The nonprofit also runs a wealth of programs for families of children with cancer – including scholarships to childhood cancer survivors or immediate family members whose lives and college savings were affected by childhood cancer.

The John W. Luttrell Scholarships, established in 2005, are named for Stephen Luttrell’s father, who succumbed to brain cancer.

Among other programs and services, the nonprofit commits $100,000 annually for gas and food cards to families in need.

In the last two years, it has also purchased and donated bus passes and cafeteria passes as needed, at the request of the pediatric oncology social workers.

Information: childrenscancernetwork.org. 

Patti and Stephen Luttrell formed the Children’s Cancer Network to help families following their own son Jeff’s extended cancer battle with the disease. (Courtesy of Grand Canyon University)

Arizona near top for drunken driving deaths

BY ALEXIS WAISS Cronkite News

COVID-19 was not the only killer accounting for an increase in Arizona deaths in 2021: A surge in drunken driving deaths on the state’s highways that year was among the highest in the nation.

Arizona drunken driving deaths rose from 295 in 2020 to 421 a year later, a 43% increase that was the fifth-highest rate among states and territories in the U.S., according to a report this month by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

In terms of raw numbers, the additional 126 drunken driving deaths was the nation’s fourth-highest – and accounted for virtually all of the increase of 127 traffic deaths of all types in the state from 2020 to 2021.

Experts point to a variety of possible reasons for the rise, but most said restless boredom spurred by the pandemic likely triggered an increase in unsafe driving behavior, especially speeding and driving under the influence.

“The pandemic really reset a lot of people’s driving habits for the worse nationwide, and including Arizona,” said Julian Paredes, a public relations specialist for AAA Mountain West.

“Unsafe behaviors like distracted driving, drunk driving, all those things were going down, up until 2020, and … we found by 2021 those habits started increasing again.”

While Arizona was an outlier, it was not unique: Nationwide, drunken driving deaths rose 14% in 2021, from 11,718 to 13,384.

Rebecca Sustayta, manager of victim services for Mothers Against Drunk Driving Arizona, said she saw an increase in the number of people seeking help after a loved one was killed or severely injured in an impaired-driving accident.

For many, there is a financial burden “on top of all of this loss that people were already facing during the pandemic.”

“A lot of people end up losing their cars, they lose their home, and they have to find other places to go because they just can’t financially support their family anymore,” Sustayta said.

“It’s so heartbreaking to see that happen because this is not something that this family ever did … but because somebody else decided to make that decision for them.”

Mesa Police Officer George Chwe said he was not surprised by the data.

Chwe said he typically files more driving-under-the-influence charges against people coming from home than from a bar or social gathering, because the homebodies often “thought they’re OK” and “want to go get food.”

But they are not OK, and Chwe said that trend was exacerbated during the pandemic.

“I had been in our traffic unit for the past 10 years,” said Chwe, who also coordinates the Drug Recognition Experts program for the Arizona Governor’s Office of Highway Safety.

“And even in that 10-year time period, I’ve never seen where the alcohol had surpassed our drug-related DUIs.”

Michael Scott, the director of Arizona State University’s Center for ProblemOriented Policing, said the pandemic created an environment where roads were emptier and fewer police were around, factors that encouraged not only drunken driving but also speeding.

Paredes said collisions are more likely to happen in states that have a high population, see lots of travelers and are more reliant on cars, all of which are found in Arizona.

But even with that in mind, Paredes said he was surprised by Arizona’s surge in drunken driving deaths given the state’s zero-tolerance rules. Chwe said Arizona police can file a DUI charge even if blood alcohol content is as low as 0.02, as long as the driver is obviously impaired.

Scott said zero tolerance policies are only as good as their enforcement, and they are “almost impossible as a practical matter to enforce.”

“There’s not going to be any arrest if a police officer doesn’t make the stop in the first place,” Scott said. “There’s not going to be any penalty if the prosecutor drops the charges or doesn’t file. So you really have to look at what’s actually happening.”

Sustayta agreed that “we can make as

many policies as we want, but until people change that behavior, things really aren’t going to change completely.”

One of the best ways for people to make that change, she said, is to take the time to learn more about the experiences of drunken driving victims.

“I think we just need to work as a whole to hear more of people’s personal stories and to understand that there are families on the other side,” Sustaya said.

Chwe said people tend to underestimate the amount of alcohol in their drinks and overestimate their ability to drive while intoxicated.

On top of this, Chwe said the danger of

driving under the influence “oftentimes gets lost” and becomes “just another number, another statistic.”

“Look at how many deaths we have, hey, these are all preventable deaths. They all are, every one of them,” he said. “And it all comes back to that very first decision that you made, you know, drinking, and then getting in the car and driving.” 

CONVERGE from page 1

tenant companies it can court for occupancy in the three buildings, which are about 40 feet high.

That expansion of potential uses provoked VPC member Darin Fisher to express concern about the companies that could lease space and the fact they would be allowed to include hazardous materials in their manufacturing processes.

And both Fisher and resident Lei Finke expressed concern over the developer’s traffic study estimate that the complex would generate 1,742 vehicle trips a day – mostly by semi-trailer trucks, according to Via West’s presentation to neighbors last fall.

The Kimley Horn traffic study said that about 200 vehicle trips would be added to both morning and evening rush hours.

Kimley Horn said the total number of trips was far less than the 2,858 daily trips that would have been generated if the site had been developed as an office complex as previously planned.

During Via West’s neighborhood meeting last year, the developer’s representatives said the trucks likely would exit the complex and head north on 50th, then turn right onto Ray Road in order to hit I-10.

Conversely, the developer’s representative said last week, trucks would likely queue up in the south bound lanes of I-10 at the Chandler Boulevard exit to turn right and then right onto 50th Street to reach the Converge Logistics Center.

All that traffic concerned resident Lei Finke, who reminded the committee that another developer is awaiting city council approval of a plan to build of a 417-unit apartment complex on 50th Street within a few hundred yards of Converge Logistics.

That developer’s traffic study estimated the complex would also generate an additional 200 trips during both rush hours every weekday.

“That brings us to an extra 400 vehicles per rush hour that we do not normally see on that three-block stretch of 50th Street,” Finke said.

Calling 50th Street “notorious for speeders” with two “quasi-blind curves” near its intersection with Thistle Landing, Finke echoed another citizen’s written remarks about the “terrible gridlock” that will be created at 50th and Ray.

Fisher also worried about traffic in the area, calling 50th and Ray one of the “two

worst intersections in rush hour here.”

Noting “Phoenix doesn’t limit delivery times for these trucks,” he said there was a strong potential for 24/7 truck traffic that would likely create an annoyance for nearby households with the rumble of engines and the hiss of air brakes.

But Oberholtzer said, “These kinds of manufacturers, their schedules don’t always match 9 to 5 so sometimes they get deliveries in the evenings and the middle of the night. But most of them do daytime.”

As for congestion, she reiterated the Kimley Horn estimates that the Converge Logistics Center actually was cutting by

1,000 daily vehicle trips the traffic that the previously planned office would have generated.

And VPC member Max Masel said, “I don’t feel threatened by the amount of traffic.”

Fisher was more concerned about what would be going on inside the companies those trucks will be visiting at the Converge Logistics Center.

He noted the expanded uses allowed by the zoning change would “change materially the manufacturing capabilities on the site.”

He said that because semiconductor

companies are included in that list of possible tenants, “that means you’re using some of the most toxic and dangerous chemicals available.”

“And you’re putting this type of manufacturing into one of the densest areas in Ahwatukee,” Fisher continued, adding:

“We’re giving them carte blanche with no control of the type of manufacturing that would come in there and a very broad latitude of the type of tenants that they can secure.”

While not denying that the zoning change expanded the potential uses on the site, Oberholtzer noted that a tenant handling hazardous chemicals would need additional city permits.

To get those permits, the company would be required to go through additional levels of scrutiny for safety by city fire inspectors.

Oberholtzer said the zoning classification “spells out very clearly as to hazardous materials storage, a fire review, all of the environmental quality reviews, what the limitations are. They also have noise limitations and the agencies that are in charge of those various environmental quality considerations.

“It’s not always specific, but it absolutely points you to all of those reviews and when you are doing your occupancy certification and your tenant improvements,” she continued.

“So when you know who’s going in… and if it has an ‘H coding,’ which is the hazardous materials segment of the building codes, then that triggers additional reviews and provisions for certain fire safety elements or disposal requirements – all kinds of waste disposal requirements get triggered.”

She also noted “these are shell buildings and there will be a whole ‘nother review for each of those tenants once we know who’s going in. And so that is again an extra layer of protection here in that code.”

Oberholtzer also pointed out that there are companies in the vicinity that already engaged in the same uses that Via West is seeking for the complex.

Fisher remained adamant, saying “We haven’t tapped the brakes fast enough to say ‘I just want to make sure we have all the questions answered, all the information,’ because this is a huge change.

“It’s not a minor change. It really is pretty big,” he continued, “It is a significant

The three buildings, totaling just under 511,000 square feet, are located within the area bordered in blue. (Via West)

Developer Via West wants a rezoning of the 28-acre Converge Logistics Center site on 50th Street at Thistle Landing Drive, pictured here in a drone shot taken last November, so it can approach an expanded pool of potential tenants. (Tom Sanfilippo/Inside Out Aerial)

Partisan bickering threatens Arizona programs

BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

The state’s Medicaid program won’t have money to pay its bills next month unless the governor and lawmakers reach a deal soon on at least some elements of a budget.

Senate President Warren Petersen told Capitol Media Services last week that legislative Democrats are balking at providing the GOP with a list of their priorities.

Without that, he said, there can be little progress on coming up with a spending plan for the fiscal year that begins July 1.

CONVERGE from page 16

change in the type of people and tenants that could then utilize this facility, so we just want to make sure we’re looking at two steps down the road.”

Oberholtzer also noted that despite the total size of the three buildings, “one tenant is not taking the entire site ." She also said Via West has “a laser focus on

But the more immediate problem, he said, is that some state agencies need additional funds for the current budget year. And the Gilbert Republican said efforts to resolve that have become bogged down in the talks over next year’s budget.

Most immediate is the funding for the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System.

Legislative budget staffers say the agency requested an additional $3.3 billion to finish off this fiscal year. That includes both state funds and authorization to spend federal dollars which cover about two-thirds of the total price tag.

what we are going to accomplish” at the site.

“We made it specific to electronics and locking systems because that is the segment of the market that we’re really focused on trying to meet that demand for. So there’s not ‘everything under the sun’ and it’s not food processing.”

She also noted the site is at least 100 feet from a residential district.

“You’re right, the city doesn’t get to pick

Gov. Katie Hobbs signed legislation in March for half of that amount. But without the other half, GOP staffers say, AHCCCS cannot make payments to the managed care plans due in May and June being provided to eligible Arizonans.

Less pressing but also necessary is an estimated $180.6 million shortfall in spending for K-12 education needed in June.

And the Arizona State Hospital also needs additional cash before June 30, though the figures were not immediately available.

Petersen said all the supplemental requests were included in the “skinny’’ bud-

tenants. We establish the framework for the use, Oberholtzer added. “And then the tenants have to get through the process. But what Via West is exceptionally good at – and motivated to stay that way – is fitting the right tenant mix with each other.”

“They don’t want to jeopardize one tenant,” she continued. “So that’s why this mixture of tenants is such a dance because they are trying to always have the right mix

get that Republicans sent to the governor earlier this year. Hobbs rejected the $15.8 billion plan, saying it failed to include any of the priorities in her own $17.1 billion spending proposal.

But Petersen said a simple way to resolve the current shortfall is in the Arizona Constitution and the governor’s power to remove any spending item she doesn’t like.

“She could have line-itemed everything but the supplementals,’’ he said. That would have preserved her bargaining

see PROGRAMS page 19

of businesses within the business park because they all co-exist together with the same rules.”

She also pointed out that while the site plan includes “about 300 parking spaces over what the city requirements are,” any overnight trucks would be parked behind a screen with a 20-foot buffer on the northern end of the site and no closer than 200 feet away from any homes. 

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5 New contracts are significantly outpacing new listings every week.

5 We have more buyer demand than we have supply.

5 Multiple Offers are increasing.

5 With the inventory as low as it is, interest rate fluctuations are not impacting sales prices, which have stabilized and are increasing.

5 Number of available homes coming onto the market are the lowest they've been in 23 YEARS!

power for the 2023-2024 budget while not creating a potential emergency for this fiscal year.

Hobbs’ press aide, Christian Slater, said his boss has been working to “pass a budget that makes meaningful investments in improving Arizonans’ lives.’’ What’s happening now, he said, is not her fault.

The most recent report from AHCCCS shows it is providing care to nearly 2.5 million Arizonans.

“Republicans are committed to holding health care for one-third of Arizonans hostage to score cheap political points,’’ Slater said, adding there is no reason that Senate Republicans cannot act now in a bipartisan way, as they did in March, to approve the supplemental funds for AHCCCS.

Even assuming the more immediate funding issues can still be worked out, that still leaves just 66 days until the end of this fiscal year to adopt a new budget.

There is no authority in Arizona, unlike the federal government, to simply enact a “continuing resolution’’ to keep the state operating once the new budget year begins on July 1.

What happens without a budget is pretty much uncharted territory, though negotiations one year actually went a few hours into the new spending year.

Petersen said it’s not the governor holding up progress so much as legislative Democrats.

“We’ve got the governor’s ask,’’ he said. “We’re pretty close with her.’’ What’s missing, he said, is what Democratic lawmakers want.

For the moment, he said much of the discussion is over projects that can be financed with one-time dollars, as GOP leaders are loathe to start new, ongoing programs or vastly expand existing ones with money that may or may not be there years from now.

Many are clearly projects requested by one or more lawmakers.

For example, there’s $5.9 million for pavement rehabilitation along U.S. 99 in Yuma County. A plan for drainage and safety improvements for Moson Road in Cochise County is logged in at $6.1 million. Some $10 million is set aside for a traffic interchange between I-10 and Cortaro Road in Marana. And there’s another

$6.9 million to improve a stretch of Ironwood Drive in Apache Junction.

And there are smaller allocations, too, for everything from streetlights to reconstructing a roundabout.

Peterson said there are “hundreds of millions’’ of dollars available for such projects. And he said some of those dollars are available for Democrat priorities.

House Minority Leader Andres Cano of Tucson said Democrats have provided a list of priorities. But he said that list has gone to the Democratic governor with whom GOP leaders are negotiating – and who has the ultimate power over the budget.

Cano said his colleagues have a real concern with lawmakers coming up with their own wish list of road projects which may not even be priorities of the Department of Transportation. Yet while trying to finance favored rural road projects, he said many are refusing to advance the necessary legislation to allow Maricopa County residents to vote on continuing the half-cent sales tax that pays not only for roads but also mass transit, including light rail, programs he said are priorities for area business leaders.

Nor is Cano letting Republicans off the hook for the looming deadline confronting AHCCCS.

He said the GOP leadership had the opportunity last month to approve the entire $3.3 billion needed for AHCCCS. Instead, Cano said, they decided to take this “week-by-week, month-by-month that tries to paint the minority party as obstructionist.’’ 

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Senate President Warren Petersen, R-Gilbert, blames Democratic lawmakers for the impasse over some critical spending bills. (Cronkite News)

she began teaching at ASU as a social work professor.

“His spirit of service, commitment to student success and passion for community development was contagious even back then,” Lietz said.

“Since then, his ability to inspire others has continued to positively influence our work and learning environments across the Watts College for decades. We are fortunate for his years of impactful service.”

School of Community Resources and Development Director and Professor Christine Buzinde praised Knopf’s “phenomenal work” at OLLI at ASU and in many other organizations and institutions.

“He will be greatly missed, in part because of his intellectual dexterity that has allowed him to contribute to multiple areas of scholarship, whether it is parks and recreation or tourism, but also community development,” she said.

Buzinde said Knopf’s career has been about ensuring that knowledge is not only for knowledge’s sake, but for assisting communities to become better places to live, work and play.

“His community development work is unparalleled. He is an individual who is very human-centered in his connection with others,” she said.

“All who encounter him will recall the

generosity in which he connects with people, the compassion with which he engages with them, but also the meaningfulness he interjects into his conversations with them.”

Professor and former ASU Provost Mark Searle called Knopf “an outstanding colleague, mentor to numerous graduate students, (an) excellent teacher and scholar and, most importantly, one of the warmest people I know.”

Searle recognized Knopf as a thought leader in his work on aging and deepening understanding of the importance lifelong learning has for a vibrant later life.

Steve Thaxton is executive director of the Osher Foundation National Resource Center, which is the convening entity for the network of 125 OLLIs across the United States.

He noted that Knopf co-founded what is today one of the largest and most impactful lifelong learning institutes in the country.

“He took it through its growing pains and progression to a highly successful institute — in many arenas, modeling to the Osher Network just how an OLLI can successfully serve a large metropolitan area with its vast and diverse communities,” said Thaxton.

He noted that Knopf accomplished

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these goals while serving simultaneously as a professor and a center director.

Thaxton said he expects Knopf’s continued friendship and leadership now that he can participate in even more OLLI offerings “to enjoy what he so lovingly created over these many years.”

Dancing ‘between worlds of practice, theory, pedagogy, scholarship’

OLLI at ASU faculty research associate Craig Talmage will become an associate professor in management and entrepreneurship at Hobart & William Smith Colleges in Geneva, New York, in July.

He said Knopf is one of only a handful of professors who know how to challenge students to construe the world as a plethora of interlinking systems.

“I swear that neurons in my brain rewired themselves so differently after taking his courses, having him mentor me through my dissertation, engaging in our

informal conversations in pubs and then crafting well over 20 publications together since 2014,” Talmage said.

“He dances between the worlds of practice, theory, pedagogy and scholarship, using steps one can easily follow, yet few hardly ever achieve.”

Talmage said Knopf’s “kindness and care for his students surpasses the expectations of the profession and leads to lifelong connections that inspire such models of love to others in their work as well.”

OLLI at ASU member Kathleen Adamson said she first met Knopf in a class that taught better communication among people who disagree, but she didn’t know he headed OLLI at ASU or was a professor.

“He was just one of two fellow students who I worked with on listening exercises. We practiced what we had been taught and all of us in the class got to know each other a little bit,” Adamson said.

“Fast-forward a few weeks. Rick recruited me to the OLLI Fundraising Commit-

tee where I began working with him and others to raise financial resources for OLLI programming at ASU, she continued, adding:

“Rick is remarkably kind and generous, sharing ideas and opinions, inviting others into his family. He is learned and thoughtful without being pompous. He is engaged and welcomes others’ engagement.”

Bjørn Peterson, an OLLI at ASU senior research associate, said Knopf has been one of his life’s most important figures who defies “easy titles or roles.”

“Rick is the rare person whose tender heart and penetrating intellect create spaciousness for true, wholistic inquiry,” Peterson said.

“Rick’s hospitality for learning and being is perhaps his defining characteristic. He has lived a life of tremendous accomplishment, yet maintains a beginner’s heart and mind, choosing wisdom and compassion over certainty and ego again

and again. His questions draw people out, never to embarrass or rebuke, but always with the intent to deepen understanding.”

Knopf said the vibrancy of the university campus will be one thing he will miss most.

“I will miss the serendipitous encounter of students in the UCENT lobby and of those strolling through the halls,” he said.

“There is great power and wisdom through the encounter that emerges from the everyday lived experience of the university, where people interact, gain stature, wisdom and excitement about life and its potential. People talking about who they are, what they want to be.

“The unexpected enlightenment of seeing the world through someone else’s eyes. That’s the miracle of the university.”

Knopf’s career was celebrated April 12 at the inaugural OLLI at ASU Night of Excellence. He will be the School of Community Resources and Development’s guest of honor at a reception in early May. 

Do you need help with appointment scheduling?

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Do you want to discuss the vaccines in more detail with one of our health educators?

BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor

Village planning committees throughout Phoenix will soon be asked to weigh in on zoning code changes aimed at increasing affordable housing options amid rising home prices and rent.

Seven so-called text amendments that will start rolling out June 1 reduce parking space requirements for multifamily projects, lower minimum acreage for mobile home parks and address “accessory liv-

ing units,” potentially rentable units on single-family homes' lots.

While they are still finalizing as the final wording of the seven proposed so-called text amendments, city Planning Director Josh Bednarik told a council subcommittee last week that his department aims to get three amendments related to mobile home parks before City Council by early July while others might not be ready for final approval until September.

Another amendment addresses short-

Home-garden show returns to WestWorld

BY ALEX GALLAGHER AFN Staff Writer

For over three decades the Maricopa County Home & Garden Show touts itself as the Southwest’s largest, wooing Valley residents with hundreds of vendor booths and home improvement seminars.

Next weekend, May 5-7, it returns to WestWorld of Scottsdale with 1,000 vendors, a slew of classes and a celebrity appearance by David Bromstad, the host of the HGTV show “My Lottery Dream House.”

“When we sit down and talk about what makes the show fun, what makes it exciting, what makes people want to attend and what would make us want to attend, we started to think ‘let’s start bringing celebrities back to the show,’” said show manager Katie Jones.

“David Bromstad has been in the industry for nearly 20 years and I can’t even turn HGTV on without seeing ‘My Lottery Dream Home’ or (one of) David Bromstad’s other shows.”

Past shows have welcomed celebrities like Martha Stewart and brothers Jonathan and Drew Scott, better known as the Property Brothers.

“In bringing David to the show, there’s a whole group of people now who will get to experience the Maricopa County home and garden shows who maybe have never come to the show before simply because they’re fans of David,” Jones said.

“We’re excited to hear what he has to say and talk about and then guests get to take a picture with him.”

Jones emphasized that the show, spanning three buildings at WestWorld’s

equestrian and special event space, will excite prospective, current and future homeowners.

“In addition to contractors, home shows are for everybody even if you don’t own a home but still want to get out and do something fun with your family we have something for you too,” Jones said.

Included in the lineup is an exhibition of tiny homes for patrons to tour, handmade craft workshops where guests can make crafts like candles and clay pottery and seminars discussing home improvement techniques.

Jones said it took 18 months to plan the event and will take an army to ensure that the event goes off without a hitch.

“We’ve actually been planning the show for maybe 18 months now,” she said. “Within the last couple of months, it’s been all hands on deck. We’re a small office – there are seven of us – but every

person in here is multitasking like you wouldn’t believe. There’s so much prep work involved.”

Among the prep work working with Bromstad’s agents is managing logistics so that booths fit comfortably into the expansive space and curating a lineup of five daily seminars.

However, the most arduous but important task was vetting each vendor to give guests the satisfaction that they are hiring professionals for their jobs around the house.

“Every one of our contractors here is going to be a local licensed contractor that we confirm with the Arizona Register of Contractors so that everybody coming into the show is licensed appropriately for

term rental regulations, though details were not disclosed either last week or at a March 22 hearing on those zoning code changes.

However, it apparently will create a permitting system and regulations for shortterm rentals similar to those adopted by other cities that are trying to curb nuisance complaints.

“As we are finalizing the language,” Bednarik said, “part of what we’re looking at as we allow for an (accessory dwelling unit) is what …to allow for a duplex or even a triplex. So, there’s some minor modifications that we’re having to make across the board.”

Speaking at a Feb. 22 meeting of the same Economic Development and Equity

what they’re going to be showcasing at the show,” Jones said.

“That way guests get to shop with the confidence that we’re backing your decision to hire them.”

Jones said the spacious layout of WestWorld provides the ideal space to plot it all-out.

“I remember living here when Westworld was just a pile of dirt but with what they have done to the buildings is so beautiful and the buildings are great for home shows,” Jones said.

“It’s such a beautiful area of the Valley and it’s set to the backdrop of the McDowell mountains so when you come into the show you’re already feeling this vibe and when you walk into the show, you’re greeted with these huge, beautifully built landscaping booths and it just all fits to where you are.”

Jones said the Scottsdale show typically draws between 25,000 and 30,000 patrons in part because of WestWorld’s accessibility.

With the final two of the five home and garden shows her team puts on annually still left this year, Jones said, “We want to grow, we always want to do better and we have a competition amongst ourselves and to make the next show different.

So that way, when we charge admission for the shows that you’re getting, you’re getting something that you need and you’re getting something valuable. Although we charge for admission, it’s so much more than just shopping at the show.”

Subcommittee, Bednarik defined an accessory dwelling unit as “a structure that’s positioned on a lot that is smaller than the primary structure.”

He said the city currently allows such structures, but that “the main provision that isn’t currently permitted in the code is the provision of cooking facilities and that’s what we will be looking to update as part of this text amendment.”

In 2019, council allowed cooking within accessory dwelling units that are inside the main home, but the proposed changes will address structures outside a house –including a garage.

Several council members noted that

The Maricopa Home & Garden Show returns to WestWorld of Scottsdale beginning Friday, May 5, featuring a celebrity appearance by HGTV’s David Bromstad. (Special to AFN)

Phoenix REALTORS upbeat on Valley market trends

AFN NEWS STAFF

March housing market data suggests a stronger market is coming to the Valley, according to Phoenix REALTORS..

The organization of real estate professionals last week pointed to Maricopa County’s population growth last year as an indicator of “solid sales through the rest of 2023.” March residential real estate numbers also showed a “stable and slight upswing potential,” according to Phoenix REALTORS.

“We’re in a unique situation in Maricopa County. Nearly 200 people daily are moving into Greater Phoenix, and the inventory is still limited while demand is strong,” said Butch Leiber, president of the Phoenix REALTORS board of directors.

“Year-over-year housing numbers look weak, especially given the drastic shift from May to December 2022, but the trend behind the numbers is shifting upward.”

In single-family homes, new listings were down 29.9% over last year, with closed sales down 25.4% in the same period.

The average sales price dropped 6.1% to $588,444 from 12 months earlier.

Data show that while May 2022 was the peak housing sales month, January and February 2023 were at the bottom. In month-over-month data, the numbers are trending higher, the association said.

“Homes are selling for less than asking price – a change from a year ago,” said Leiber. “In March, that percentage of list price received rose to 97.9%.”

Inventory for townhomes and condominiums are down 28% compared to last year’s data, but the units selling are gaining an average premium of almost 3%.

“The trends of the last three months show that perhaps the worst is behind us and

HOUSING from page RE2

Tucson already provides for accessory dwelling units, but they also raised concerns such units could be then marketed as short-term rentals and do nothing to ease the dearth of affordable housing units in Phoenix.

Asked if the text amendment could require that accessory dwelling units be offered only for long-term rents, Bednarik replied: “Having some type of affordability con-

that the market is coming closer to where it should realistically be,” said Leiber.

“The last few years, Phoenix enjoyed an extraordinary run, but now we see the market normalizing. I believe we’ve seen the worst of it as we head out of the eye of the storm.”

As the number of days on the market is trending up from 30 days in March 2022 to 75 days in March 2023, so are new listings and pending sales, which have seen a 29.7% decline and 44% decline respectively.

Closed sales have also experienced a 25.7% dip from last year.

The association also said, “The Phoenix economy is strong; more high-value jobs are entering the market, and a new population is moving in.

“In fact, most of the population growth in Maricopa County came from new population rather than organic growth, which means that the demand is likely to increase as new families move into the area.”

It noted Maricopa County was the fastest growing country in the nation last year while ranking on the lower end of other large counties for population growth from

dition associated with ADUs is not something we’ve currently contemplated – nor is it something that the City of Tucson has. But that’s not to say that’s not something we could certainly consider.”

Bednarik also noted that 10 of Phoenix’s 15 villages – mostly in the western and northern portions of the city – allow a multigenerational unit within a home so that an elderly parent of special-needs adult child could live independently but yet be near family when needed.

births over deaths.

According to U.S. Census Bureau annual population estimates, almost 73,000 people moved into Maricopa and Pinal counties last year.

Maricopa County saw nearly 57,000 new residents in 2022 over 2021, an increase of over 111,000 from 2020. Pinal added over 16,000 in year-over-year data and just shy of 35,000 in 2022 compared to 2020

Almost 49,000 new residents chose Maricopa County as their new home in 2022, compared with just over 7,800 net natural population growth.

The county ranked 10th in the nation in international migration, attracting about one in three people from a foreign country to the county.

In the most recent data, 2021, the Census Bureau said Asia was the source of more new residents than Mexico and Canada combined. Net migration was almost seven times faster than organic population growth, with the number of deaths subtracted from the number of births.

The Cromford Report, a leading analyst of the Valley’s housing market, said vir-

When Bednarik noted that one of the issues facing the city is whether it made sense for a “one size fits all” approach to accessory dwelling units, Councilwoman Ann O’Brien stressed input from all the VPCs and other parties is critical.

“Not every neighborhood is exactly the same,” O’Brien said. “This particular legislation would be blanket legislation and neighbors and communities would no longer have any kind of input on what might come to be their neighbors.”

tually all but two indicators showed the Phoenix Metro in a stronger position than a year ago.

“Obviously, everything looks unfavorable for sellers compared to April last year, but almost everything is looking favorable compared to last month,” the Cromford Report said.

It said the two exceptions were annual sales rate and the annual appreciation rate based on the monthly average square foot prices. “These will take a long time to turn around, by their very nature,” it said.

“Compared to March 22, we see available supply is significantly lower; listings under contract are higher; sales are up sharply, but still low by normal standards; dollar volume is up; days on market are coming down; average and median pricing is up; listing success rate is up; homes are closing at a higher percentage of their final list price.”

The Cromford Report also advised, “Since all the indicators are showing the market improving for sellers, it is safe to throw out the skepticism and move on to relief.

“We have a full-on recovery taking place.” 

Vice Mayor Yassamin Ansari noted that the state Legislature has been working on a measure to generate more affordable housing by removing some municipal controls over new developments. She said she liked those provisions of the measure that are using accessory dwelling units to create “new zoning districts for duplexes and triplexes, increasing density and height allowances within two miles

see HOUSING page RE5

LEFT: This five-bedroom, 4 ½-bath, two-story house on S. 8th Way in Ahwatukee’s Palma Brisas subdivision recently sold for just under $1.3 million. Built last year by Blandford Homes, the 3,615-square-foot house, boasted a large kitchen with high-end appliances and numerous other amenities. (Special to AFN) RIGHT: Built in 1991, this 3,850-square-foot house on S. Tuzigoot Court in Ahwatukee recently sold for $1.2 million. Boasting an extensive remodeling to all four bathrooms, the five-bedroom house came with a number of major features and upgrades. (Special to AFN)

What it means to purchase a property ‘as-is’

BY PATRICK MACQUEEN AFN Guest Writer

If you’ve ever purchased a property, whether commercial or residential, you’ve probably come across a listing or a contract that included the words “as-is” in the text of the listing or the contract.

While some may view these words as a red flag or something to avoid, some understanding of what “as-is” really means may help to avoid some confusion or apprehension.

An “as-is” property is a property that is being listed and sold in its current state.

In other words, any issues or problems disclosed by a seller or discovered by a buyer will not be addressed by the seller during the escrow period.

In a traditional purchase and sale arrangement, if the buyer discovers something wrong with a property, the buyer can request that the seller pay to have the issue fixed prior to closing.

In this scenario, the purchase is contingent upon the repairs being made prior to closing. In an “as-is” sale, the words “as-is” suggest that the seller will not entertain any requests to repair an issue. That’s all “as-is” means.

Note that a buyer is not precluded from requesting repairs, even when a seller is selling “as-is.”

An ”as-is” sale or “as-is” property actually makes sales easier and smoother. Unless the parties specifically agree that certain items must be repaired prior to closing, an “as-is” sale avoids any confusion about whether repairs will be provided.

Importantly, an “as-is” sale is not an in-

vitation to misrepresent the condition of a property.

Many sellers are under the misbelief that selling a home “as-is” relieves them of their obligations to disclose issues with the property.

Again, “as-is” just means that the seller is not going to make any repairs, unless the parties specifically negotiate for the repairs to be completed. “As-is” really has nothing to do with disclosure law.

In other words, a seller can choose to make repairs or not make repairs, but they cannot withhold information about the property and must truthfully answer questions about a property.

In short, when purchasing property in Arizona, whether commercial or residential, buyers will run into sellers wanting to sell their properties “as-is” and “as-is” provisions are common in most “form”

contracts.

Because most properties are sold this way, it is critical to have a property inspection completed prior to close of escrow and to complete all of the other due diligence items allowed by your contract.

If you have any questions about purchasing “as-is” properties, disclosure laws, or anything else, email pmacqueen@ medalistlegal.com or call 602-767-0050.

Ahwatukee Attorney Patrick R. MacQueen is founder of Medalist Legal, PLC. He graduated with honors from the Eli Broad College of Business at Michigan State University with a bachelor’s degree in finance. He then moved on to the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law, where he ranked top in his class. His work is primarily in the areas of real estate transactional law and real estate litigation. 

HOUSING from page

of a light rail line, also removing parking minimums.”

The amendments to Phoenix’s zoning code are part of a broad city strategy to increase housing availability for low-income individuals and families and provide more “workforce housing” in the city.

That strategy includes millions of mostly federal dollars focused on various housing programs for people earning no more than 80% of the regional median income Administration officials told the subcommittee on April 26 that while the federal funds must be directed to lowerincome housing, they believe the public investment in turn drives more private development of housing for teachers, public safety employees and other working people who are finding themselves squeezed by rising home prices and higher rent.

new construction is developed, other properties will become more affordable to that tier level of workforce housing.”

Asked by Councilwoman Laura Pastor if the administration is “saying workforce housing is driven by the market,” Deputy City Housing Director Samantha Keating replied that she was “absolutely correct.”

analysis” they performed in connection with the Housing Phoenix Plan launched in 2020.

Based on 2020 data, an April 21 council report said, city officials determined that Phoenix needed an additional 163,067 housing units.

“This housing gap was determined by comparing the number of non-homeowner households with the number of rental units available in the market,” the report said.

“HUD does not fund workforce housing,” said Assistant Housing Director Aubrey Gonzalez. “So what we see in the market tends to be naturally occurring. So as other

Last week’s hearing was a follow-up to a council Economic Development and Equity Subcommittee hearing in March in which representatives of the city Housing and Planning and Development departments discussed a “housing gap

“Through the end of 2022, over 26,000 housing units have been created or preserved toward the Housing Phoenix Plan’s goal of 50,000 units by 2030,” the report said, adding:

“Additionally, since 2020 over 39,000 housing units have been approved to be built through City Council’s approval of rezoning requests and may be in various stages of the entitlement or development process.”

Architectural Gem on the Preserve! This home was designed by award-winning architect Richard Doria and featured twice in Phoenix Home &

4701

City Planning Director Josh Bednarik addressed changes the administration is preparing to the zoning code that will start being presented to village planning committees across the city next month with an eye toward presenting some of them to City Council in early July. (YouTube)

CABRILLO CANYON

EXTREMELY PRIVATE HILLSIDE ESTATE LOCATED IN COVETED CABRILLO CANYON*4 BEDROOM,3 BATH,AND COMPLETELY REMODELED,OVER 250k SPENT*FORMAL LIVING ROOM*FORMAL DINING ROOM*FAMILY ROOM W/LIMESTONE FIREPLACE*DECORATOR COLUMNS*WET BAR*KITCHEN INCLUDES:S/S APPLIANCES,GRANITE,ISLAND,CUSTOM CABINETS,RECESSED LIGHTING,& WALK-IN PANTRY*ADDED LIGHTING*LARGE MASTER SUITE*MASTER BATH W/SLAB GRANITE COUNTERS,MOSAICS,DUAL VANITIES,CUSTOM SHOWER W/SEAMLESS GLASS,& CLASSY CLOSET*CUSTOM WOODWORK THROUGHOUT*TRAVERTINE IN VERSAILLES*PLUSH CARPET*NEW FIXTURES*NEW CEILING FANS*ALL BATHROOMS REMODELED*BACKYARD PARADISE W/STUNNING MOUNTAIN VIEWS,SPARKLING POOL,HEATED JACUZZI,2 WATER FALLS, COVERED PATIO,SPORT COURT,PUTTING GREEN*GARAGE WITH EPOXY & BUILT IN CABINETS*THIS STUNNING ESTATE HAS IT ALL!

4 bedroom, 3 bath, Listed for $1,299,000

CUSTOM

Superb single level with detached casita in highly coveted Ahwatukee cus- tom estates. Open kitchen features granite countertops, raised-panel cabinetry, stainless steel appliances, island with Jenn-Air glass cooktop, breakfast bar, pantry and desk. Inviting family room with recessed lighting, surround sound and wet bar. Master suite features an office, separate den, walk-in closet, lami- nate and travertine flooring, granite countertops, jetted tub and walk-in shower. Two bedrooms share a jack and jill bath. Upgrades throughout include shutters, travertine, laminate flooring in all bedrooms plus granite counters in all baths. Laundry room with sink and cabinetry. Backyard oa- sis features Pebble Tec pool and spa, ramada, stainless steel BBQ/smoker, grass area, grapefruit tree, lighting and great views.

Listed for $1,225,000

West USA Realty

HOUSING from page RE5

Keating told the committee that with a goal of creating or preserving 50,000 housing units by 2030, “We’re pleased to report that as of last month, we are more than 59% towards reaching this goal with a total of almost 30,000 units. Based on the rate we have created or preserved units over the past several years, we anticipate reaching the 50,000 goal by the end of 2026.”

The zoning changes would help the city meeting that goal, the administration official as said.

The first three amendments would try to help mobile home parks survive and even grow, Bednarik said, adding that he understood the “urgency” of getting those to City Council by the first week of July.

During the Feb. 22 meeting of city council’s Economic Councilwoman Ann O’Brien stressed the importance of having a variety of stakeholders involved in discussing so-called accessory dwelling units because it affected “what might come to be their neighbors.” (YouTube)

Residents of three Phoenix mobile home parks were evicted last month as their owners sought to sell the land while it commands high value in the Valley’s real estate market.

One amendment “is going to make it easier to create new mobile home parks,” Bednarik said, by addressing the special permit required for those parks and the 10-acre minimum required for their location.

The other “really allows continued investment in existing mobile home parks that is somewhat limited today by the zoning ordinance,” Bednarik said.

He noted that because many parks don’t conform to code, the amendment will make changes so their owners “can continue to invest and expand” without necessarily conforming to all the regulations they must meet now.

A third amendment would “incentivize maybe some investment on a mobile home property while allowing those residents to stay in place.”

The possible reduction required parking spaces for future apartment complexes concerned some council members, including Ansari.

“One of my biggest concerns is that –similar to the walkable urban code and micro-mobility – that a drawn-out public process may result in piecemeal policies where affluent areas who may have a bit louder voices will get to opt out of zoning updates while solving the weight of the housing crisis could end up on the south and west sides of our city,” Ansari said.

Rob

602-430-3917

5 BR / 3 BA / 2,736 SQ FT

Spacious former UDC model home with South Mountain views. Private backyard with large pool.

Listed for $625,000

“So I want to make sure that staff are very prepared to speak to what the text amendments do and what they do not do and we’re able to clearly articulate that to abate any misplace fears that might exist,” she continued.

Those fears, she said, go to myths that apartment complexes are crime magnets or fears “that everyone is going to be parking on neighborhood streets.”

Ansari added, “I don’t think any of those generalizations are true and that we can handle those narratives.” 

5 BR / 3.5 BA / 5,079 SQFT

Impressive custom with mountain views. Abundant amenities including professional sport court in private backyard.

Listed for $1,325,000

3BR / 3 BA / 2,166 SQFT

Split master suite plus secondary bedroom could be a separate guest suite. 2015 kitchen remodel and AC.

Listed For $749,500

3 BR / 2 BA / 1,361 SQFT

Updated single level. New interior/ exterior paint, carpeting plus granite counters in kitchen and baths.

Listed for $450,000

5 BR / 3 BA / 3,394 SQFT

Complete remodel. New roof, two AC units, flooring, kitchen, baths, plumbing and more.

Listed for $799,000

5 BR / 4.5 BA / 4,391 SQFT

Superb single level with detached casita. Shutters, travertine and laminate flooring. New roof in 2022.

Listed for $1,225,000

room w/canterra fireplace, kitchen incs :slab granite,alder cabinets,s/s wolf appliances,gas cooktop,miele dishwasher,copper sinks,island, & subzero, most amazing custom stonework ever seen in ahwatukee consisting of marble,canterra,travertine, & granite, large master ste w/sitting area & 2 separate full baths, his/her alder & cedar lined closets, guest suite-2nd master w/ensuite bath & courtyard, extremely private backyard w/covered patio, pebbletec pool w/waterfalls, firepots, firepit, grassy play area, & fully equipped outdoor kitchen, fruit trees inc: apple, orange, lemon, & lime, this dream estate has it all!

Ahwatukee Custom Estates $2,799,000

AT THE END OF A CUL-DE-SAC WITH A 6-CAR GARAGE*GATED DRIVEWAY*COMPLETELY REMODELED WITH THE HIGHEST QUALITY FINISHES*EVERYTHING IS NEW*GRAND FOYER*LIVING ROOM W/ FIREPLACE*FORMAL DINING ROOM*FAMILY ROOM W/FIREPLACE & FULL WETBAR*KITCHEN INCLUDES CUSTOM CABINETRY,RARE QUARTZSITE COUNTERS,THERMADOR APPLIANCES,BUILTIN FRIDGE/FREEZER,ISLAND,& WALK-IN PANTRY*LARGE MASTER SUITE*MASTER BATH W/ STEAM SHOWER,JACUZZI TUB,HIS/HER VANITIES, & WALK-IN CLOSET*MEDIA ROOM*EXERCISE ROOM*GAMEROOM*GIGANTIC PARADISE BACKYARD INCLUDES:PEBBLESHEEN POOL & JACUZZI,TWO GRASS AREAS,SPORT COURT, AND STUNNING SOUTH MOUNTAIN VIEWS*BACKS & SIDES TO WASH WITH COMPLETE PRIVACY*A 6-CAR GARAGE

Mountain Park Ranch

Ahwatukee Custom Estates

$1,750,000 Amazing Remodeled Custom Estate with mountain views located at the end of a cul-de-sac.Over 8000sqft of pure luxury finishes.6 Bedroom,5.5 Baths.Custom Kitchen.Elevator.Executive Office.Basement Media Room.Dance Studio.Huge Backyard with Pool, Jacuzzi, Turf, BBQ, Sportcourt.This

Foothills $499,000

One of the most amazing lots available in ahwatukee!! Located in foothills mountain ranch estates!! Over 5 acre hillside lot with stunning mountain views from every direction*build your dream custom estate or build multiple homes on this sight*zoned r3*the possibilities are endless on this rare opportunity*there is not another piece of land in ahwatukee that offers this many buildable acres*no hoa*located at the end of a cul-de-sac*be the king of the hill with views all the way to four peaks*plans available and other custom home options available from a well know ahwatukee custom home builder*do not miss this amazing hillside lot in an amazing location!!!!

Troy

480-435-3461

troyston61@gmail.com

Thunderbird Farms South

$580,000

Custom home on flat 3.3 acres with horse arena and room to roam. City water! Custom Santa Fe style 4 bedroom with tons of upgrades. Travertine tile galore, family room and other bedrooms also have tile. Kitchen has been upgraded with quartz counter tops, white cabinets and all stainless steel appliances convey. Custom doors and woodwork throughout home. Also, lots of tile work in bathrooms and other upgrades. Over $30,000 spent on upgraded doors and windows.

Carlos Martinez

480-751-8866

teammartinez11@gmail.com

Copper Creek

Gorgeous newer build with a spectacular back yard for your family! TLC abounds with many upgraded features: Hi-end plantation shutters, newer appliances, new paint, stunning cabinets and completely re-landscaped front and back. Enjoy those family great times in the highly upgraded north-facing back yard. Custom Sunburst shutters, dual pane windows and newer AC. Large Master suite with Beautiful Bay Window & Walk-in closet provide plenty of room for your bedroom set & sitting area. Nice views of the South Mountain Preserve.

Link Paffenbarger

602-989-7221

linkpaff@gmail.com

AZ ACT greets May with flurry of productions

AFN NEWS STAFF

Rebranded and ready to entertain Ahwatukee, the Arizona Community Theatre Company is having a couple of busy weeks this month.

AZ ACT, the rebranded Ahwatukee Children’s Theatre, at 11011 S. 48th St. Ste. B-101, Ahwatukee, fielded two different casts of elementary school children earlier this week to present performances of “The Aristocats KIDS,” the children’s version of the Disney classics.

Now, it’s junior and senior high cast members’ turn at 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Friday May 5, as they present the classic musical “Bye Bye Birdie” at Lights Camera Discover’s AMA Room, 4825 E. Warner Road, Ste. 15, Ahwatukee.

That will be followed by an all-adult cast

on Mother’s Day at 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. May 14 with a presentation of the hit musical “9

to 5,” also Lights Camera Discover. “9 to 5” is ACT’s first show where the

entire cast comprises actors and actresses over 18, ranging from both young ACT alumni to older adults.

The cast has been rehearsing since January for the musical, which is based on the 1980s comedy film that starred Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, and Dolly Parton, who wrote and composed all the music for the show.

Tickets for the shows are on sale now at azact.org/shows-tickets/ and are $10 per person general admission.

In addition to these three shows, ACT is also planning a summer full of camps and classes, headlined by a mainstage performance of “Spongebob the Musical.” Space is still available in all the camps.

Auditions for Spongebob will be May 16,

see ACT page 31

Boy Scout troop helps Club West HOA build a garden

NEWS STAFF

ABoy Scout troop chartered by Horizon Honors Schools in Ahwatukee pitched in for a project in Club West to build a vegetable garden that will help people in need.

Troop 278, led by Scoutmaster Randy Derr, got an assist from several adults on the community service project, including Jann Flusche, Assistant Scoutmaster Chris Lohman, Jamie Winslow, Eileen Warbington and Matt Warbington.

Aiden Duncan, the troop historian, said the effort was a community service project that involved about 15 of the chapter’s 25 Scouts and produced a garden on the east side fo the Club West Community Center.

“The troop’s Patrol Leader’s Council, which meets every month, voted to support this project,” Aiden said.

“We were asked to help by the project organizer, James Sopko. The troop thought this would be a great way to serve the community and learn about a community garden.”

Sopko had organized the project on behalf of the Club West Homeowners Association and funded by a grant, he added.

“Our troop was out volunteering at another project at Desert Foothills Park for the Cub Scout Rocket Launch and Mr. Sopko approached us about this commu-

nity garden project, Aiden said. “We discussed it as a troop and thought this was an exciting opportunity.”

The participating boys learned not only a little about gardening but also about how to develop a successful team effort, Aiden added.

Aiden said they created an online platform to share information and communicated closely to ensure everyone knew of any changes.

“We worked for four hours to support this particular phase of the garden,” he said. “We moved rocks, dug trenches for irrigation lines, assembled planter boxes, and filled raised beds with garden soil.”

“We aren’t quite sure how big they plan to make the garden, but the area that was worked on was roughly 30 x 50 yards,” he said, adding the vegetables grown there will be donated to local food pantries.

Funding for the project came from Phoenix’s “Love your Block” Grant Program.

“Helping others in our community is very rewarding for everyone,” Aide said. “We also learned that working with a group makes projects much easier. Our volunteer team was able to make a lot of progress in a short amount of time.”

The troop meets on Mondays from 7-8 p.m. Information: aztroop278@gmail. com. 

Desert Vista High School senior Bradley Ash, as Hugo Peabody, and Meredith Snow, playing as Kim McAfee, appeared in AZ ACT’s “Bye Bye Birdie.” (Melissa Snow/Special to AFN)

AFN

Some of the members of Ahwatukee Boy Scout Troop 278 who helped build a vegetable garden near the Club West Community Center were, from left, Gavin Flusche, Jackson Winslow, Danny Diggs, Christopher Warbington, Zachary Winslow, Owen Viquesney, Devon Baugh and Scoutmaster Randy Derr. (Aiden Duncan/Special to AFN)

Artists shine at Mountain Pointe

Several groups of Mountain Pointe High School on April 27 combined their art, ceramics and culinary talents at the school’s 31st annual art show. 1) Junior Gabriella Reeder pointed to her ceramics work as Celia and Terry Reeder captured it with their cell phone cameras as 2) sophomore Olivia Pattison showed her work to her sister Maia and dad Jason. 3) Students and parents cruised through the panels, displaying pieces the students made in a variety of media. Among them were 4) Senior Haylei Aspass and VJ Aspaas and 5) freshman Jerric Eller. 6) Ceramics students made plates that people could buy for $20 as part of a fundraiser for scholarships for some arts students and then 7) use for the spaghetti dinner cooked by culinary students.

Photos by DAVID MINTON AFN Staff Photographer

Bunco fundraiser slated May 10 by Ahwatukee Women’s Social Club

The Ahwatukee Women’s Social Club is hosting a Bunco extravaganza for 100 guests 5:30-9 p.m. May 10 at Lights Camera Discover on the southeast corner of 48th Street and Warner Road to benefit the YMCA’s Outreach Program for Ahwatukee Seniors.

Tickets are $30 and must be paid with the RSVP at sendomatic.com/AWSCBunco.

The evening will include a buffet meal served by Zzeeks Pizza & Wings, free raffle tickets for a 50/50 raffle and for prizes donated by local merchants., and bunco play.

Music Maker piano competition winners prepare for Tempe show

Winners of the fourth annual piano competition at Music Maker Workshops in Ahwatukee are preparing for the 2023 free spring recital at Tempe Center for the Arts from May 19-21. The public is invited.

Students competed in one of three divisions, each one progressively more advanced. “Each of the third division pieces take our students many months to learn and perfect. That alone is an exceptional accomplishment to be recognized,” said studio director Kim Steedman.

The most advanced students were also required to sight read.

AROUND AHWATUKEE

“The beauty of this is that students can play at various levels and still be able to participate. It’s very inclusive”, said studio manager Jess Magee. Some 50 students participated and were judged by Music Makers’ most advanced piano faculty. “The piano competition is a great opportunity to push musicianship skills to the next level. Getting feedback from other professionals is really helpful as well and can be a great motivator.”, said Madison Archer, competition coordinator and master piano instructor.

Cate Baskin, studio coordinator, said, “The students were inspired and excited after playing for the judging panel, they really felt a sense of accomplishment for the hard work they’ve been putting in the past few months.”

Winners were as follows: Division I: Yogya Ravipati (1st place), Marysol Martinez (2nd place), Kevin Hu (3rd place), Division II: Sophia Mateus (1st place), Beni Suffern (2nd place), Ivan Ford (3rd place), Andre Zelich; (Honorable mention), Division III: Anthony Christoforides (1st place), Mel Barthe (2nd place), An Le (3rd place).

Workshop helps people protect birds from their windows

Desert Rivers Audubon Society is hosting a DIY Bird Safety Workshop at the Southeast Regional Library, 775 N. Greenfield Road, Gilbert, from 1-3 p.m. on Saturday May 6, where people can make a custom window treatment to prevent birds from striking windows.

Materials, tools and expert assistance will be provided. Sign up at bit.ly/BirdSafetyWorkshop. A registration fee covers supplies.

Between 365 million and one billion birds in the United States are killed annually after flying into windows – 60% after hitting buildings under four stories – because a bird fleeing a predator or heading to the next tree sees the reflection of an open flyway, not a solid surface.

Desert Rivers Audubon Society is the East Valley’s local Audubon chapter, offering free bird walks, expert speakers and a children’s club.

Information: desertriversaudubon@gmail.com.

Ahwatukee-based comedy club rolling with weekly fun and big competition

HaHaTukee Comedy, a weekly comedy club that presents shows at Cactus Jack’s at 4747 E. Elliot Road, Ahwatukee, has launched a 17-week Funniest Person in the Valley Comedy Competition. Local comedian Anthony Solimini and Comedy School founder Tony Vicich are sponsoring the contest, which will be held at 7 p.m. every Tuesday.

Though the contest started April 25, there’s plenty of time to enter by texting 818-571-joke (5653) or emailing comedyschools@hotmail.com. More information is at comedyschools.com.

There are 10 weeks of preliminary rounds, four weeks of quarter finals and two weeks of semifinals before

the grand finale and, of course, even if you don’t consider yourself funny, you probably could use a good laugh and the public is invited to watch.

One comic will be chosen each week to close the following week’s contest. The grand prize winner will get $1,000 while second place will garner $300 and third place $250.

Along with cash prizes, bookings at the Tempe Center for the Arts, along with bookings at other comedy clubs, and out of state comedy clubs will be awarded.

Judging during the preliminaries will be done by three judges of the producers choosing.

“The Funniest Person In The Valley is one of the longest-running comedy competitions in Arizona,” said Solimini.

“We are very excited to be working with Tony who, along with his comedyschools.com, is a key player in the Arizona comedy scene and responsible for training and coaching hundreds of professional comedians around the country, many of who have gone as far as Saturday Night Live and The Walking Dead.

Ahwatukee Kiwanis Club lists speakers for coming weekly meetings

The Kiwanis Club of Ahwatukee has a series of speakers lined up at its weekly meetings at the Original Biscuits Restaurant on the southwest corner of Elliot Road

see AROUND page 30

and

The public is invited to attend. The meetings start around 7 a.m. and usually don’t last more than an hour.

Speakers include: Juan Te Dailey of Dsquared Homes for the Homeless on May 11, Audrey Partridge, Goldfish Swim School, May 25; and Emily Gesell, Boy Scouts of America, June 8.

Local church hosts Operation Christmas

Child packing party this weekend

Mountain View Lutheran at 11002 S. 48th St., Ahwatukee, is hosting a packing party for Operation Christmas Child, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, May 6, with special speakers Pastor Mark and Cherry Brumbelow of Grace Baptist Church in Wild Peach, Texas.

The Samaritan’s Purse global Christmas Children program is aimed at delivering Christmas presents inside wrapped shoe boxes to needy kids and the event on May 6 is aimed at packing packages for 150 girls. To contribute items, go to bit.ly/MVLCSpring23.

The Brumbelows.serve is a small church with only 30 members and in 2017 packed over 8,000 shoe boxes –four times the congregation’s goal – even though many of their homes were devastated by flooding from Hurricane Harvey. They even collected the suggested donation for each shoebox gift.

Shortly after, the Brumbelows were invited to travel to storm-ravaged Barbuda to distribute shoebox gifts

to children who had lost their homes to Hurricane Irma.

The Brumbelows will present an inspirational account of that accomplishment.

Ironwood Library offers free activities for all ages in May

Ironwood Library, 4333 E. Chandler Blvd., Ahwatukee, presents a variety of programs for children, teens and adults. Unless otherwise noted, free tickets are required and available 30 minutes before programs’ start times at the library’s information desk.

For more information: phoenixpubliclibrary.org.

Babytimes

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

Toddlertimes

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

Sit, Stay, Read!

Young readers and listeners can sign up for reading time with a registered therapy dog/handler team. Read with Elsa on May 9, 4-5 p.m. Read with Raven May 4 and 11, 4-5 p.m. Sit Stay Read will resume in August.

Full STEAM Ahead

Children ages 6-12 explore hands-on creative ways to design, experiment, and invent May 6, 13 and 27, 2-4 p.m., in this drop-in Science, Technology, Engineer-

ing, Art and Math (STEAM) program. No tickets required.

Summer teen volunteer opportunity

Teens 13-17 can volunteer during the annual Summer Reading Program. This is an opportunity to learn valuable customer service skills, inspiring children to read, and working with other teens. Look for information about availability, training, and volunteer requirements, as well as the online application and parent consent form, at phoenixpubliclibrary.org/teens.

Applications accepted until all positions are filled. Required training ends May 31 and volunteering begins June 1.

Paper crafts today

Adults and teens can learn a new papercraft the first Wednesday of each month. We will be starting with flowers and all materials will be provided. Today, May 3, 4:30-5:30 p.m. No tickets required.

Sit and Stitch

Join fellow stitchers to work on your current project May 6, 3-4:45 p.m. Knitting, crocheting, cross-stitch, needlepoint. No tickets required.

Next Chapter Book Club

This inclusive community-based book club is designed for people over 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 in May, 3:30-4:30 p.m.

Next Chapter will take a break for the summer and resume in the fall. Registration is required and available

in the library or online in the Calendar section of the library’s website.

Book Club

Adult readers over 18 can meet up with fellow bibliophiles to share their thoughts about each month’s selection the first Wednesday of each month, 5-5:45 p.m. The book today, May 3, is Turtles All the Way Down by John Green, and on June 7 The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave. No tickets required.

Con-Fusion 2023

This full-day extravaganza celebrating western and steampunk genres includes local author panels discussing their genres and books; vendors selling signed copies of featured author books and art from local western, southwestern and steampunk artisans; as well as opportunities to learn about Native American art techniques and get creative with crafts.

Cosplay is encouraged, but prop weapons are forbidden. May 20, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. No registration or tickets required. 

LA CASA DE JUANA

DELIVERS A KNOCKOUT WITH ITS FRESH, AUTHENTIC AND MOUTHWATERING FOOD

Daily Mass | Mon-Sat • 8:15am

Tuesday Mass | 6:00pm

Saturday Mass | 4:00pm Sunday Mass

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

with callbacks on May 22.

The multigenerational series of performances reflect’s AZ ACT’s new focus since it changed its name – which dates back to its founding as a children’s theater by former Ahwatukee resident Michelle Rubino in 2020.

“We will be focusing more on ‘community’ – both the community inside our walls with more programming for all ages, as well as the community we serve,” the theater company said earlier this year when it announced its new name.

“ACT was built on a strong foundation that allows us to continue what we have been doing for over 20 years, yet still evolve. Now we pull back the curtain to present our new brand and introduce AZACT.”

It is describing itself as “a theater company formed to bring a variety of people together into one community through the joy of performing.

“It is a place where educational programs become performances and challenges are overcome through connection. We guide and direct as we develop and grow into the best performers we can be.”

Executive director of AZ ACT is Melissa Snow, who studied dance, music, and theatre from some of the top artists and educators in the business and danced competitively and with the Ballet Repertoire Theatre.

Snow, who is directing “Bye Bye Birdie,” she became a parade performer for the Disney Company at age 16 performing in street shows, stage shows, commercials, and television specials with Disney.

“Melissa has used those skills and passion that Disney ignited to teach dance at multiple studios not only here in Arizona but as part of a dance convention that traveled the country,” AZ ACT says on its website.

She joined the Ahwatukee Children’s Theater in 2005 as a choreographer and has directed and choreographed numerous stage shows as well as its award-winning show choirs.

Sharing “Birdie” duties as a co-director is her daughter Megan Snow, a 5th grade teacher at Kyrene de la Estrella.

In running AZ ACT, Michelle is assisted by a group of talented and experienced actors and dancers.

Bailey Isenberg, a 15-year veteran AZ ACT, has directed numerous shows and

taught dozens of young people.

Among the AZ ACT alumni now teaching others are Megan Snow, Anna Cederdahl, Katie Bring, Kendall Snow, Taylor Day, Jacob Anderson, Shannon Reagan, Morgan Brigham and Abby Van Vianen.

Board members include Ahwatukee resident Liz O’Neill, co-owner with her husband Tim of AZ Property Inspections, and a longtime volunteer in a number of business and community organizations.

Also on the board is Mike McDaniel, president of Modern Workplace for DXC Technology and also a longtime community volunteer.

For this Friday’s show, Desert Vista High School senior Collin Bridge will play Conrad Birdie.

The musical, based on Elvis Presley’s draft into the Army in 1957, revolves around the events leading to a television performance by Birdie, who will sing a love song to a fan selected in a contest.

A young Ohio teenager named Kim McAfee wins, but no one has counted on the jealous wrath of her boyfriend.

Playing jealous boyfriend Hugo Peabody in AZ ACT’s rendition is Bradley Ash, a senior at Desert Vista High School who plans to study theater at Loyola Marymount University.

Like Collin, Bradley is a long-time stage veteran, having played Charles Dickens in AZ ACT’s “A Christmas Carol” and Cogsworth in “Beauty and the Beast.” He also played the lead role the Thunder Theatre Company’s presentation of the mu-

sical “Footloose.” with Thunder Theatre Company at DV. Playing the role of Hugo in ACT’s production of Birdie is a homecoming of sorts.

The show is somewhat a nostalgic moment for Bradley.

“It’s weird to think that it’s the last show I’ll be in before I graduate, but at the same time, it’s just like every show I’ve done in the sense that I’m having so much fun performing and getting the chance to be with friends, doing what I love,” Bradley said.

“I got the chance to do ‘Bye Bye Birdie’ four years ago with another company, where I played Hugo as well. This show has always been one of my favorites and it’s been fun to relive the part and add some things to my character that I didn’t think of last time.”

Desert Vista sophomore Meredith Snow plays Kim McAfee, the president of the Conrad Birdie Fan Club who wins the contest for a TV appearance with her idol.

Meredith is a former competitive dancer with Innerscape Dance Company at Innerlight who has portrayed Emily Cratchit in “A Christmas Carol” and Grace Farrell in “Annie” with ACT this year.

“What I love most about this show is that if I have a bad day at school, I know that afterwards I get to go to a place I call home with people I consider my family. I’m so lucky to be part of this incredible show with my favorite people,” Meredith said.

Her stage mother is played by Bella Klein, who most recently appeared as charitable fundraiser Adele in “A Christmas Carol.” Bella’s first role with ACT was Kanga in “Winnie the Pooh” when she was a little girl.

“Musical theatre is a blast and we’ve all had so much fun during ‘Bye Bye Birdie,’” said Bella, who also plans to study theatre

in college in the hopes of an acting career.

Desert Vista senior Jeffrey Rudolph plays Birdie’s manager and songwriter, Albert Peterson.

“My favorite part about being in the show is the process of building the characters and scenes one by one but also all the fun we have when we aren’t on stage,” said Jeff, who will study theater at Mesa Community College for a couple years before transferring to a university.

Other cast members in “Birdie” are Darcy Sylvester, Shaun Sullivan, Eva Bush, Mia Egan, Brooklynn Harmon, Talya Myers, Bella Gump, Sheridan Reagan, Olivia Clennan, Layla Massoud and Abby Fedyski.

Also performing are Cameron Mullen, Julian Roman, Bella Roman, Rylie Pacheco, Lily Hamilton, Amelia Burt, Scarlet Bush, Karsen Maker, Sophie Godding.

“Aristocats KIDS” was directed by Morgan Brigham, Anna Cederdahl, and Megan Snow.

The cats from its show last Monday included: Lucy Holman, Amelia Singer Egan, Brynn Hayes, Emily Bonner, Morgan Adams, Colton Harmon, Sophie Harmon, Alexander Evans, Zoey Jefferson, Lucy Corbin, Aubrey Taylor, Zosia Moldt, Nora Nigro, Carly Thomas and Olivia Barriga.

Also performing two days ago were Alex DuPlessis, Lilah Chow, Claire Grider, Tori Taylor, Campbell Ake, Emerson Ake, Ella Gorman, Maritza Jenkins, Paige Johns, Benjamin Leonard, Jack Maura and Cecily Singer Egan.

Yesterday’s cast comprised Ryan Bargiel, Emma Rocco, Zoey Malone, Oscar James, Farrah Mandy, Cora Foldes, Hera Fox, Braxton Easton, Luke Gilbert, Emma Kidder, Aviva Fullington, Penelope Lyons, Norah Marshall. Lauren Madura, Jazlyn McClain and Ekaterina Kondrashova. 

The “Aristocats” was performed on Monday and Tuesday by two separate casts, one for each day. (Melissa Snow/Special to AFN)

Desert Vista senior Bella Klein played Mrs. McAfee and Desert Vista sophomore Shaun Sullivan took the role of Mr. McAfee, Kim’s parents. (Melissa Snow/Special to AFN)

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BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor

Scorned for its impact on Ahwatukee’s quality of life and the object of a bitter legal fight that lasted for years, the South Mountain Loop 202 Freeway is fulfilling its supporters’ expectations of becoming a critical to the Valley economy, city officials last week told a Phoenix City Council subcommittee.

And that’s especially true for the West Valley, where city officials said an estimated 60% of its workforce commute to other parts of the county, and for Phoenix, which they said is quickly emerging as an important hi-tech corridor generating highpaying jobs.

SM Freeway becoming a big job generator, city says Epicenter starts to blossom at Agritopia

But that corridor still needed help from the city.

Last week council preliminarily approved $10 million in tax breaks over the next 10 years to a Washington State developer for agreeing to privately finance massive road and other infrastructure work around the last 180 acres of residential land in the area of the freeway and Dobbins Road.

For years, Ahwatukee residents and the Gila River Indian Community fought tried to prevent construction of the $1.7-billion, 22-mile freeway linking the Loop 202 Santan Freeway in Chandler and 59th Avenue in the West Valley.

They alleged the freeway posed potentially harmful environmental threats and that it was damaging sa-

cred tribal land.

But federal courts rejected every claim.

Chris Mackay, community and economic development director, said that since the freeway opened in December 2019, it has become “our newest employment corridor – the South Mountain Technology Corridor.”

“Since that time, we’ve seen thousands of single family and multifamily units that have broken ground,” she told council’s Economic Development and Equity Subcommittee April 26. “There’s been thousands of square feet of retail and commercial that has also been announced and is under

see FREEWAY page 34

Phoenix officials say the city’s newest employment corridor along the entire 22-mile stretch of the South Mountain Loop 202 Freeway will generate tens of thousands of high-paying job. The developer of the portion of the map in yellow is getting $10 million in tax breaks for major infrastructure work in the vicinity of 180 acres of farmland it bought for light industrial development.. (City of Phoenix)

GERI KOEPPEL AFN Contributor

Epicenter at Agritopia, a 50,000-square-foot mixed-use development in Agriptopia, has been coming alive over the past several months to offer a boutique assortment of restaurants, retail, services and luxury apartments.

Located at Higley and Ray roads, it caters to an upscale clientele looking for locally focused alternatives to the chain restaurants and stores that are the norm at Valley strip malls. The demographics of Gilbert have changed over the years from a farming hub to the largest town in the country with the highest median annual income in Arizona at $104,802—even

surpassing Scottsdale’s, according to a study from Smartasset.com.

The long-awaited project came to life thanks to Joe Johnston, a Gilbert native who is also the visionary—his official title—at the adjacent Agritopia, a planned community with an organic farm, single-family homes and commercial spaces.

Epicenter had been in the works well before the town’s Design Review Board approved it in 2014.

It spans more than 20 acres and includes sister outposts of bars, restaurants and shops popular in hot neighborhoods of Phoenix along with new concepts that bring an urban sophistication to the area.

Agritopia Visionary Joe Johnston and his son, William Johnston, the CEO of Johnston & Co. developers, believe Agritopia will be the East Valley’s answer to Scottsdale and hot spots in Phoenix. (Geri Koeppel/AFN Contributor)

Stocks no sure answer to beating taxes, inflation

BY HAROLD WONG AFN Guest Writer

CNBC last December published an article by Jesse Pound and Samantha Subin: “Stocks fall to end Wall Street’s worst year since 2008.”

In 2022, all three major stock market indices fell and here are the results: Dow Jones -8.78%; S&P500 -19.44%; Nasdaq Composite -33.10%.

For many investors, the question is whether to pull most of their financial assets out of the stock market or stay in.

Jeff and Mary Jones are married, both 60 and planning to retire at 70. They have $1.1 million financial assets and $200,000 annual income. They pay $30,000 annual income tax and spend $120,000 annually.

Their financial assets are invested $1 million in the stock market and $100,000 emergency cash that is deposited in the bank. They have no pensions.

Scenario 1: The stock market drops

construction. And at full build-out in this quarter, we expect 50,000 to 80,000 jobs.”

She added, “We studied the workforce migration and we found that 60% of the West Valley workforce travels to other parts of the region for their jobs, making this an ideal location for a company to come in and be close to the workforce.”

“We’re talking about high-wage jobs and advanced manufacturing and technology, corporate campuses and business parks similar to the Cotton Center, the semiconductor industry and their supply chain,” Mackay continued.

She noted that it is “ideally located between” the expanded Intel campus in Chandler and the equally huge Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company facility in North Phoenix.

another 25% in the next year, due to the Federal Reserve continuing to raise interest rates to fight inflation and it causes a recession. The couple now has $750,000 in the stock market and lost $250,000.

We are ignoring any Wall Street fees to simplify this article. We next assume that for the next nine years, the stock market has a compound average growth rate of 6.25%, counting dividends. This was the historical number for the S&P 500 Index returns since 1/01/2000 (before subtracting fees).

From age 62, their $750,000 grows to $1,294,260 by age 70. At age 70, they retire and look at their income options for this money.

Assume that the S&P 500 companies generate an average 2% dividend rate; bank CDs pay 3%; and 30-year US Treasury bonds pay 4%. They divide their $1,375,151 equally among these 3 options and annual income is $38,827. Depending on what their Social Security income is and future inflation, they may have to substantially cut annual

“We’ve pitched this area to multiple companies including EV, solar and battery companies,” she said. “We’ve worked to promote this to our existing businesses that are looking to expand.

“We’ve been around the world promoting this to site-selection consultants at industry shows and conventions as well as at our local brokerage broker in town”

The preliminary approval of $10 million in tax breaks for IDM Companies involves its plans to build speculative industrial buildings on farmland that had been in the same family for 70 years, according to city documents.

Noting a Texas company, Capital Group, is developing 25 acres in that area, MacKay said, “All these are the last pieces of residential and we will have a full-fledged technology corridor.”

IDM is constructing speculative indus-

spending.

Scenario 2: The same couple has the same fact situation as in Scenario 1. However, they pull out all of their $1 million from the stock market before any further stock market decline in 2023 or 2024.

Step 1: They also save $25,000 taxes each year by buying a $70,000 piece of solar business equipment leased out to huge food companies and annual income is $4,900. In 10 years, this will become a steady $49,000 of annual income.

They are able to buy this with their annual savings from income, now that their taxes are heavily reduced.

Step 2: They deposit $700,000 in a private pension plan immediately. In 10 years, this will be a guaranteed annual $109,816 income, and none of the money is at risk in the stock market.

Their total income, not counting Social Security is $158,816. They also have at least $400,000 in an emergency cash fund vs. the original $100,000. They never have to worry about money in retirement.

Conclusion: The key to happiness in

trial buildings, meaning the shell will be built and then tailored to specific needs of tenants who sign leases for it.

The council report noted that IDM has developed several projects that include one south of Cardinals Stadium.

The report said tax breaks were part of the deal “due to the extreme cost of public infrastructure in comparison to other parts of the city.”

It also said the deal was “an effort to help world-class employers along the Loop 202,” because IDM “will privately finance and construct the public infrastructure” and then be reimbursed with revenue from privilege taxes assessed on the site, such as builder and commercial lease taxes and construction sales taxes.

“The project is vital to activate the Loop 202 South Mountain Technology Corridor,” the report said. “Multiple high-wage

retirement is high guaranteed income and little stock market risk.

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Free catered supper.

Topic: “Beat inflation by saving taxes and increasing income.”

Free tour/workshop: 9 a.m.-noon May 20, Solar Reefer (Refrigeration)

Factory at Advanced Energy Machines: 4245 E. Norcroft St., Mesa. Topic: “How solar reefers can reduce taxes to $0 and earn a steady 10-14%!” Lots of tasty refreshments.

To RSVP for the seminars or schedule a free consultation, please contact Dr. Harold Wong at (480) 706-0177 or harold_wong@hotmail.com. His website is drharoldwong.com.

Dr. Wong earned his Ph.D. in economics at University of California/ Berkeley and has appeared on over 400 TV/radio programs. 

employers have short-listed this site for their new location. Phoenix has reached a critical point in the real estate market that makes this investment a possibility, and will bring significant investment in the employment projects in the corridor.

“The redevelopment of the site is an important economic development opportunity that will transform the community and yield significant financial and public benefits for the City above and beyond the tax revenues,” it also said.

MacKay said the developers “worked closely” with area residents on what sorts of uses they would prefer from the project.

The infrastructure work includes utility lines as well as widening of Dobbins and Olney roads, intersection work at 63rd and Dobbins and a roundabout on Eliot Road. 

FREEWAY from page 33

DV alum aims to take his brand from online to brick-and-mortar

BY ATHENA KEHOE AFN Contributor

Desert Vista High School graduate

Connor Page has some simple advice for anyone who wants to start their own business.

“It may sound like a cliché, but just start,” said Page, 21, of Ahwatukee.

Kehoe found Pocket Runner$, getting the idea when he was still in high school in 2017.

He said he always had an eye for streetwear clothes and decided to turn his ideas for such clothing into reality, starting to sketch out logos.

Now he sells shorts, sweatshits, T-shirts and other apparel with the motto, “We

“We’ve lived in the Valley a long time, so I knew who we should go talk to,” Johnston said. “I know what I like to drive for.”

Johnston explained that he and his team were “super patient and super picky” about which businesses to approach to get involved.

“We’re trying to balance it so everybody feels they have a place,” he said.

This new hub will save East Valley residents countless hours and miles on their cars, he noted, because they’ll no longer have to trek to Phoenix or Scottsdale for the latest and greatest in everything from cocktails to cuisine and hair stylists to fitness classes.

And, Johnston added, “Us Agritopians that live in the houses over there, we can walk to it.”

The residents of The Tyler at Epicenter, which welcomed its first tenants in January 2022, are a built-in audience as well.

It’s the only mixed-use project in Gilbert with all residential over commercial.

Johnston’s son William Johnston, the CEO of Johnston & Co. developers—founded by his grandparents in 1960—said they listened to input from the community when envisioning what to offer at Epicenter.

Unlike most developers, he noted,

want to make your pockets run.”

Kehoe relies as much on personality as his talent to sell his clothing.

“I’m very personable. When people come and buy products from me, I like to talk to them and see what they like,” said Page.

The company started making its first sales at pop-up events in Arizona and New York.

Page feels like connections are best formed at pop-up events because he can interact with the customers.

When COVID-19 hit, his company ran into challenges because most of hiss sales come from pop-up events.

With large gatherings forbidden for weeks on end, Page figured he had to jumpstart an online platform.

He made a website and began selling his products online.

“I knew we had to promote ourselves on social media and make our website better so that people would buy from there,” he said said.

The company sell the clothing on Instagram and TikTok. Photoshop and animation clips are generated and posted on these social media platforms to further boost the company and get their name out there.

“It’s something we take our time with. We try to make sure that people are getting the best content and that we’re getting the eyes that we need on our stuff,” said Isaac Flores, the digital content creator for Pocket Runner$.

“We live where we develop.”

Forty percent of the commercial tenants were in place before the COVID shutdown, Joe Johnston said, and now that other businesses see how busy they’ve been, all of the spaces are spoken for and many are open.

Several others are much anticipated, including a 7,000-square-foot location of Buck & Rider, slated for opening in September, known for its high-quality meats and seafood, raw bar, and hopping happy hour.

“When Buck & Rider opens, that’s

Flores acknowledges that keeping up with current trends is important, but said he is careful to ensure that Pocket Runners$ communicates its brand fully.

Page credits his initial success to a popup event in New York City, which is headquarters to an estimated 900 fashion companies and a venue for over 75 fashion trade shows.

Page plans on doing more pop-up events in Arizona but hopes to open a brick-andmortar store in New York City.

He believes it’s important to find opportunities in rejection and tries not to be discouraged when people aren’t interested in his clothing line.

“Every ‘no’ means I’m closer to a ‘yes,’” Page said. 

makers. They also host yoga, trivia nights, pet rescue events and more.

Belly Kitchen & Bar, a relaxed Southeast Asian eatery with creative cocktails. Its original location on Seventh Avenue in Phoenix is a staple of the hip Melrose District.

Bunky Boutique, a mainstay of downtown style since 2007, for ontrend and locally made apparel, accessories and gift items.

The Fit Collective, a training studio with a range of workout classes—from cycling to strength to endurance— along with nutrition coaching and amenities such as a sauna and coldwater therapy.

Gadzooks Enchiladas & Soup, a locally owned chain of fast-casual Mexican with build-your-own, madeto-order enchiladas, tacos and more, including booze.

going to create a culinary earthquake out here,” Joe Johnston commented, adding that it’ll have a private dining room with a capacity of 50.

Businesses now open at Epicenter include:

Barre3, a group fitness center that uses modalities such as pilates, yoga, strength and cardio for a challenging yet accessible program for all.

Beer Barn, with over 30 taps and packaged beer and wine, including a wide selection of styles from national craft breweries and boutique wine-

Matt’s Big Breakfast, serving all of the acclaimed favorites like omelets, waffles, sandwiches and burgers that used to draw lines around the block at its original downtown Phoenix location.

Peixoto Coffee Roasters, the second location outside of downtown Chandler, run by a family with a long history of growing coffee in Brazil. They still get their beans from their father’s farm and make their own syrups, combining a connection to his-

EPICENTER from page 33

Source’s Mediterranean menu hinges on its award-winning owner-chef’s homemade breads and pizzas. (Geri Koeppel/GSN Contributor)

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City launches investment website

AFN NEWS STAFF

Phoenix’s Community and Economic Development department has launched a new website designed as “a one-stop destination for site selectors, businesses, developers, entrepreneurs and investors interested in doing business in Phoenix.”

The site – investinphoenix.com –provides information on business resources, information, and opportunities with provides up-to-date information on the city’s economic climate so that interested parties can make informed decisions, city officials said in a release.

“Phoenix continues to attract companies from all over the world because of its diverse industries and

EPICENTER from page 35

patrons to the high seas with its portholes and potions developed by the respected Barter & Shake Cocktail Entertainment crew.

Unlike most watering holes, it requires a reservation and allows guests no more than 90 minutes to enjoy their craft cocktails. But this location also offers selected cocktails to-go. urbAna, inspired by the owner’s grandmother’s entertaining diary frrom the 1950s, sells items for home entertaining and gift giving, such as barware, kitchen towels, dinnerware, decor and more. It also has a selection

talent,” the release said, touting the city’s “flourishing community with a young, skilled workforce and provides numerous programs to business owners looking to grow and expand.”

Calling the city “a leader in software and technology, manufacturing, ecommerce, retail, aerospace, bioscience, and healthcare,” city officials said the website aims to develop that abse further.

“As Phoenix continues growing, we want to make sure that businesses, developers, entrepreneurs, and investors know where to go to learn more about the many opportunities available here,” said Mayor Gallego. “InvestinPhoenix.com is a one-stopshop resource for businesses looking to build their future in Phoenix.”

of toys, games and more for children.

Vintage Home, a blend of boho, farmhouse and industrial home furnishings and decor, including crystal glassware, lamps, paintings, clocks and more.

The owner, Richele Ames, grew up going to estate sales with her grandfather and developed an eye for classic pieces.

Wylde Hair Salon, a chic, disco ballbedecked pampering palace for styling for men and women. The owners plan to open Hooligan’s Barbershop this summer in the complex as well.

Information: epicenteratagritopia.com. 

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Dems, GOP serve nothingburger in tamales debate

BY DAVID LEIBOWITZ AFN Columnist

When the New York Times came to town to cover the Great Tamale War of 2023, you knew this was big-times news. Forget inflation, the Arizona housing supply crisis, the epic drought, or our rising rate of violent crime. The burning question du jour at the state Capitol?

Will Arizona’s tamale-making abuelas and abuelos be able to legally sell their wondrous creations?

You likely have heard about this ruckus: The Legislature overwhelmingly passed House Bill 2509, “the tamale bill,” which expanded the types of “cottage foods” that can be sold by unlicensed home cooks to include perishables like tamales.

Gov. Katie Hobbs, who may yet end up sidelined by a wicked case of Veto Elbow, nixed the measure, saying “the bill would significantly increase the risk of food-borne illness by expanding the ability of cottage food vendors to sell high-risk foods.”

An April 24 effort to override the veto failed when a number of Democrats decided to back Hobbs over the tamale ladies, whose wares “hold a special, Proustian place in Arizona’s culinary soul,” according to the Times.

I don’t know what that means either. I’m pretty sure the Legislature outlawed Proust a couple years ago.

Two things stand out about this conflict.

The first is that HB2509 is what we call in the political business “a solution in search of a problem.” I’ve consumed no less than 15 stories about the bill recently; none included a single instance of an Arizonan

being arrested or fined $500 for the sale of illegal tamales.

I’m pretty sure the cops have better things to do – like bust fentanyl dealers, not ladies selling green chili tamales. The same goes for the Arizona Department of Health Services, which oversees retail food and drink sales. If there’s a tamale probe afoot somewhere, then we have bigger problems to solve than protecting Arizona residents from tamale-induced dysentery.

This leads to my second point. It concerns what we expect government to do for us nowadays. Personally, I like my bureaucracy the way I prefer my home-cooked foods: Small and easy to digest.

If the state feels compelled to spend another 14 billion taxpayer dollars this year, let them fund schools, highways, public safety, and a safety net for Arizonans in crisis.

County government seems to do a pretty

good job of picking up trash and inspecting restaurants – and tallying elections, which is a subject for 10 more columns on 10 other days. Our cities seem to do mostly good work keeping up roads and staffing police and fire departments.

Nowhere in all that “service” do I expect the government to keep me safe from the deadly dangers that loom from pork tamales, homemade barbecue sauces, or the palatero who occasionally bikes his cart up my street to sell me a mango ice cream pop.

Sometimes, people, you have to take your life into your own hands.

If you eat an illegal tamale, you may get a tummy ache. If you wander into the public library, you may read a book that offends you. Cigarettes may give you lung cancer. Hot coffee may give you fourth-degree burns. If you ride a motorcycle without a helmet, you may end up on life support, with less brain function than your average member of Congress.

Life is dangerous, folks. Act accordingly.

I’m not angry at Hobbs for vetoing the tamale bill. Nor am I torqued by legislators on either side.

Because, when you get right down to it, the Great Tamale War wasn’t much of problem in the first place. Here in Arizona, we eat tamales to our heart’s content, until our culinary souls get Proustian-level heartburn.

Any chance we can find a real issue to debate? 

Williams steps down as DV girls’ head basketball coach

BY ZACH ALVIRA AFN Sports Editor

Dave Williams, who led the Desert Vista girls’ basketball program to win the first-ever Open Division state championship and a national ranking this past winter, has stepped down.

A letter to parents and players was sent out Monday, April 24 by school Principal Stacy White. Williams confirmed his decision the morning of Wednesday, April 26 and said it stemmed from his desire to seek opportunities at the collegiate level.

“My wife said it to me, ‘What more can you do out there?’” Williams said. “I’ll be honest, once I got back from Washington, I started looking at jobs and trying to figure out what to do. I want a job where I can coach, train and strength and condition.”

According to the letter sent to families, Williams informed players of his decision on Monday afternoon.

That was the same time he notified White and other school administrators of his decision to step away from the team.

“Coach Williams communicated with me that he had received inquiries for coaching outside of DV and he would like to interview and explore those next level options,” White wrote in a text Wednesday. “He expressed to me that he had done great things with the program in the last three years under him.

“He loves the girls dearly but was ready to take on a new challenge and wanted my support. I have been friends with Dave for a long time and support him not only as his friend but as his

principal.”

Williams led the girls’ basketball program for two seasons at Desert Vista. In 2021, the girls went 25-5 overall and made a run to the 6A semifinals, losing to eventual champion Valley Vista.

The team reloaded with many young players a year older and the addition of junior guard Shay Ijiwoye, one of the best in her position in the country, and freshman point guard Jerzy Robinson, the top-rated freshman in the country.

The Thunder rolled through in-state competition, losing only La Jolla Country Day, a top school in California, and Archbishop Mitty also out of California in mid-season tournaments. They went

undefeated against in-state teams and beat Millennium by 25 points in the Open Division final in March.

Desert Vista’s dominance, along with its star power, resulted in an invite to the State Champions Invitational in Washington D.C. at Georgetown University. The Thunder made the trip in April and defeated Morris Catholic (N.J.) in the first round before falling to Utah power Lone Peak in the semifinals.

Williams said the season was special to him. He bonded with the girls, and he said he appreciates them for letting him coach.

“I love those girls, man,” Williams said. “They allowed me to teach them, but

they knew it so well there were some games I could just sit back, laugh and have fun. They executed and got it done.”

Williams said he will continue to teach at Desert Vista and help lead the strength and conditioning program for the time being. That, however, could change should he be offered a job at the next level.

He said he looks forward to seeing the girls around the halls of Desert Vista and encouraged them to stay together as a team to defend the Open Division state championship.

“I wish they go forward,” Williams said. “I had a great time over there. I just felt like this was a blessing from above to have this opportunity.”

Williams’ departure leaves administration with yet another coaching search to conduct, something that has become common at Desert Vista in recent years.

In 2021, the school parted ways with head football coach Ty Wisdom after a season. The school hired Nate Gill, who stepped down in February for personal reasons. Scooter Molander now leads the football program.

This past winter was the first season for head boys’ basketball coach Walter Bonner, who took over after the school parted ways with former coach Jordan Ballard after two seasons. Obie Tann was hired to lead the program but only did so through the summer before Bonner was hired.

White said the girls’ head coach position will be immediately opened to seek Williams’ replacement.

“We are committed to finding a coach who will focus on building a strong program on the foundations of our outstanding (2022-23) season,” she said. 

Dave Williams, who led the Desert Vista girls’ basketball team to a state championship and national ranking this past winter, has stepped down as head coach. Williams said he aims to pursue coaching opportunities at the college level. (Dave Minton/AFN Staff)

Ahwatukee jazz queen to perform at The Nash

BY LEE SHAPPELL GetOut Contributor

It’s summer -- well, technically it’s within two months of it – but what better way to celebrate the arrival of the early heat than with a hot Latin Jazz Salsa concert?

Check your fire extinguishers and get ready for the ever-popular Carmela y Más, featuring Ahwatukee’s own Carmela Ramirez (better known as La Chicana de la Salsa) on vocals along with some of the finest musicians in the Valley, in a show entitled “Afro-Cuban Delight.”

The concert, with Afro-Cuban rhythms and Latin-infused jazz, is 7:30 p.m. May 13 at The Nash in downtown Phoenix, one of the Valley’s leading jazz venues.

“It is so exciting to be performing at The Nash,” Ramirez said. “We promise that with our Latin music we’ll get you on your feet.”

Ramirez has a long history of moving audiences to their feet, dancing and clap-

ping to her music.

Her sultry and soulful voice delivers heartfelt passion for lyrics and drives the

band on exciting musical journeys. For decades, she has been among the most influential producers in the Valley.

Award-winning hamburger eatery opens in East Valley

BY DYLAN LAVIOLA GetOut Contributor

The award-winning and nationally renowned Paradise Valley Burger Company has sizzled into the East Valley.

The restaurant, which recently opened its second Valley location on the southwest corner of Rural and Baseline roads, Tempe, was founded 12 years ago by Bret Shapiro, whose unique menu has been featured on national TV shows like “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives” and “Man vs. Food.”

Shapiro started the Paradise Valley location not long after he was hired as a chef to create the menu for a Two

Hippies Beach House restaurant.

“They were looking for a chef/ partner to come and revamp their menu,” he said. “So I came up with this menu and I presented it to them. We had planned on partnering up on that joint, but halfway through our discussions they were like ‘we’re done,’ so I stepped in with the landlord, took the keys and that was 12 years ago.”

Shapiro has been running P.V Burger Co. ever since using that same menu with some unique burger creations he calls the most important parts of the shop’s success.

“The Burger Brulee is our most popular,” he said of his combination of a quarter-pound of beef, bacon,

egg, Havarti cheese, pickled onion, lettuce, Thousand Island dressing on a burnt sugar bun.

“It has always been a winner for us… consistently day-to-day, we sell more of those than cheeseburgers. I feel like for a random hamburger place to have a specialty burger that is that out-of-the-box, it is pretty awesome.”

Moreover, he said, “You just can’t

see BURGER page 46

Bret Shaprio, whose original Paradise Valley Burger Company has won numerous awards since he opened 12 years ago, has now opened a location in Tempe. (Courtesy of Bret Shapiro)

“As a performing artist, I have followed the path of many before me who have used performance platforms not only to entertain, but to communicate,” Ramirez said.

She lends her talents to various community-outreach projects, such as arts and culture, education, health, civics, social justice and special needs.

“If I can open doors of communication through music performance or production, then I have used my talents well,” she said.

As a producer, Ramirez has created a multitude of concerts, community festivals, arts and education projects and mentored youth in the arts. Believing that community thrives in a healthy artistic environment, she uses her platform to build bridges of communication. Her community work has gained awards, such as Valle Del Sol “Profiles of Success,” City of Phoenix Excellence Awards, NAACP Education Excellence Award and Phoenix Elemen-

see CARMELA page 46

Ahwatukee resident Carmela y Más and her band will present a concert, “Afro-Cuban Delight,” May 13 at The Nash in downtown Phoenix. (Special to GetOut)

Comedian Aida Rodriguez brings tour to the Valley

BY ALEX GALLAGHER Progress Arts Editor

Comedian Aida Rodriguez missed the roar of laughter when live shows came to a pandemic-driven halt in 2020.

“There’s something about being able to feel like you can talk to each other at a live show,” she explained.

“And because that had become prohibited, there was something that affected us psychologically about not being able to just embrace the people who show up to our shows, buy the two-drink minimum and get a babysitter for the night,” she said.

Rodriquez missed the “interactive experience where there’s a give and take that makes the exchange for me so valuable.”

“Not being able to have that experience with them was really hard.”

Rodriguez became slightly fearful of what the future of shows would look like given how contentious the world

had become.

However, she is no longer afraid to hold back and her latest show “Don’t @ Me” takes jabs at having a different opinion.

“I’m a pretty empathic comic. I’m very mindful and caring about what I’m saying and even still with that, I’ve had a lot of people who felt the need to police me and correct me,” Rodriguez said.

“I just got tired of it because I actually care about what I say and the fact that we can have a conversation where we explore the fact that two things can be true at the same time that became exhausting.”

She aims to explore the dichotomy between points of view while speaking her mind.

However, she insists that her bits are not intended to cause social media backlash.

“That’s what the epitome of this tour is about is exploring that area where we operate and we delve into nuance,”

Rodriquez said. “‘Don’t @ Me just’ became something that I was very passionate about because I tell people ‘I don’t want to hear it and I’m not going to read your dissertation and your

take on taking me down because you know that’s your opinion and you’re trying to invalidate mine.’”

She also wants to create a show where people can have thoughtful discussions about their beliefs and views.

“I think people have to respect that other people have had different experiences and perspectives and everyone has a right to see the way they see things,” Rodriguez said.

But more than anything she wants to leave fans feeling a sense of optimism, enlightenment and the temptation to return to comedy clubs often.

“There’s a lot of great stuff happening in the world and a lot of good people working for it,” she said.

“So, I just want to make sure that they know that everybody is not in the fight against them or trying to polarize them. I hope that they walk away knowing that love is real, and it does conquer all things. I want people to embrace that again.” 

Comedian Aida Rodriguez returns to the Valley to support her latest comedy show “Don’t @ Me.” (Special to AFN)

CARMELA from page 44

tary Schools “Star Mentor.”

Ramirez has been inducted into the Raul H. Castro Institute as an “Arizona Trailblazer” and nominated twice for the Gabe Zimmerman Award for Public Service.

About Carmela y Más

Carmela y Más delivers a kaleidoscope of Afro-Cuban and Latin-Caribbean rhythms in its electrifying performances. The band originated under the artistic design of Ramirez and Rebecca Kennell and celebrates more than 30 years of making music, paying homage to artists such as Dizzy Gillespie and Celia Cruz, icons who helped format Latin Jazz and Latin Salsa as we know it today.

The award-winning nine-piece Latin Jazz Salsa band has performed at hundreds of night clubs, concerts, festivals and performance venues throughout the greater Phoenix area and the Southwest. They have also been featured in concert at the National Museum for Women in the Arts in Washington D.C., The 100th anniversary of the Himeji Castle in Japan and the headliner for the Puerto Peñasco Latin Jazz Festival.

The band has also shared the stage with

find that burger anywhere else and if you do they stole it for sure. We were the first ones to do it. It is … just 100% ours.”

Fans of Shapiro’s Paradise Valley eatery say the awards he has received are wellearned.

“I love Paradise Valley. Best burger ever. When I lived in Phoenix I would go at least once a week. It was something we did regularly,” said Nathan Lawida, who stumbled on the Tempe location by accident.

“I’ve been telling all my friends. I’m so happy that it is here because I moved out a year ago and haven’t been able to go every weekend. So now I’m stoked,” said Lawida.

The building housing Shapiro’s Tempe restaurant was originally built by Smashburger and then briefly operated by Matty G’s.

recording artists that include Tito Puente, Eddie Palmieri, Arturo Sandoval, Nestor Torres and Claudio Roditi, performing salsa de sabor, dancing music, with expression and appreciation for the genre.

The band comprises jazz-performance and classical-music majors as well as music teachers, writers and arrangers who take passion in performing the intricate and syncopated rhythms and stylings of Latin Salsa and Latin Caribbean music.

It’s a don’t-miss show! But if you want to experience this exciting concert to usher in summer, hurry. Tickets are moving briskly and Carmela y Más is expected to play to a full house in this high-demand performance. 

If You Go...

What: Carmela y Más in ‘Afro-Cuban Delight’

When: 7:30 p.m., Saturday, May 13

Where: The Nash, 110 E. Roosevelt St., Phoenix, AZ 85004

Tickets: $27-$35 ($10.80 to students 25 and younger with ID, use code “student” at checkout) available at thenash.org/events or 602-795-0464.

Shapiro said his business has stood the test of time – and staff loyalty.

“My staff is a million times better than his staff,” he said, referring to one of his competitors in the burger trade. “They work hard, they are loyal, they come back.”

His employees back that up.

“People don’t quit restaurants; they quit bosses and we have a great boss. I try to promote leadership and work hard for my team so my team works hard for me,” said Thomas Harambasic, lead kitchen staff.

Harambasic has been working with Shapiro for around a decade and came from the Phoenix location to help open and manage the new Tempe kitchen.

“I think we are doing the best job we can for now. We have a lot of people that still wanna work for us and we have a lot of new guys that are doing a great job,” Harambasic said. “Putting out the best burgers in the Valley.” 

ACROSS

1 Cuts off

5 Cookout, briefly

8 Gridlock sound

12 Jacob’s brother

13 Actress Lucy

14 In -- land

15 Goatee’s spot

16 Here (Fr.)

17 Saharan

18 Submit

20 Give temporarily

22 Blue blood

26 Tour vehicles

29 Toe count

30 Actress Hagen

31 Sciences’ partner

32 Auction signal

33 Urban haze

34 Vitamin stat

35 Architect I.M. --

36 Stinging insects

37 Administrative worker

40 Lean to one side

41 Redacted

45 Poker variety

47 -- Victor

49 Art Deco master

50 Carton sealer

51 Texas tea

52 Albacore, e.g.

53 Cold War initials

54 ‘60s war zone

55 Once around the sun

DOWN

1 Nobelist Walesa

2 Job-safety org.

3 Ache

4 Ice cream parlor orders

5 Russian pancakes

6 Pen name

7 Took part in a bee

8 Mel of many voices

9 Hearing aids?

10 Inventor Whitney

11 Knee protector

19 1040 org.

21 Many millennia

23 Unemotional

24 Perched on 25 Labels

26 Biting remark

27 Pakistani language

28 New companies

King Crossword

32 Uncharged particle

33 Full feeling

35 Crony

36 Bankroll

38 Duck down

39 Kingdom

42 Loyal

43 Sicilian spouter

44 Beloved

45 R-V link

46 Prof’s helpers

48 Spy org.

Itaught a fabulous Provence cuisine class that let us all channel our inner Julia Child. Two star recipes emerged and I wanted to share them with you. Please enjoy a gorgeous, eye-appealing and tantalizing D’anjou Pear and pomegranate salad with Dijon ginger dressing and some light and delicate homemade French rolls.

C’est Manifique! 

DRESSING

Ingredients

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Sudoku

With JAN D’ATRI

This salad with French rolls provide taste of Provence

2 TBSP apple cider vinegar, or more to taste

2 TBSP Dijon mustard

SALAD

Ingredients

1 cup raw pecans (halves or pieces)

8 oz baby arugula

6 oz spring mix

Directions:

Whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, mustard, honey, ginger, salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to serve. In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast the pecans until fragrant and golden brown, about 5 minutes.

When cool, rough chop and set aside. Arrange the arugula and spring mix over a large serving platter. Sprinkle

3 TBSP honey

2 tsp finely grated fresh ginger

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

4 oz blue cheese

2 large ripe D’Anjou pears, thinly sliced

2 Honeycrisp apples, thinly sliced

Arils from 2 pomegranates

the chopped pecans and crumbled blue cheese over the arugula. Fan out slices of pear and apple, arranging them across the salad in sections.

Sprinkle the top of salad with pomegranate arils. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and serve immediately.

Servings: 8

FRENCH BREAD ROLLS WITH HERBES DE PROVENCE BUTTER

Ingredients

1 ½ cups warm water

1 TBSP active dry yeast

2 TBSP white sugar

4 cups bread flour

2 TBSP vegetable oil

Directions:

In a cup, stir together warm water, yeast and sugar. Let stand until frothy, about 10 minutes.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, add 2 cups of the flour, oil, salt and bloomed yeast. Beat slowly until combined. Add remaining flour and mix until the dough has pulled away from the sides of the bowl.

On a floured surface, knead dough until smooth and elastic, about 4 minutes.

Place the dough in a bowl, cover with a damp cloth and let rise until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

Make the butter. Blend the Herbes de Provence, lemon zest and salt into the softened butter. Shape the but

1 tsp salt

Butter

½ cup butter

1 TBSP Herbes de Provence

1 tsp lemon zest

½ tsp salt

ter into a log using plastic wrap. Freeze until butter log is firm – approximately thirty minutes.

When the dough has risen, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 16 equal pieces, and form into round balls. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and place rolls at least 2 inches apart. and cover with a damp cloth. Let rise until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spritz the rolls or brush lightly with water to form a crust.

Bake rolls in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 18 to 20 minutes. Makes 16 rolls.

㈀　　 匀 䬀夀刀䔀一䔀 刀䐀 䌀䠀䄀一䐀䰀䔀刀 䄀娀 ⠀㘀　㈀⤀ 㐀㔀㠀ⴀ㤀㠀　　 刀伀䌀㈀　㠀　㜀㔀 刀伀䌀㈀㜀㤀㐀㔀㔀

JOB SEEKERS

Professional References

Many jobs require you to provide references, which is why you’ll want to have them lined up before you start job hunting. Be prepared with a list of references who will speak glowingly of you.

CHOOSING REFERENCES

The Harvard Business Review recommends that you create a list of colleagues who could provide you with good references. They suggest that the list include current and former supervisors, managers, co-workers and subordinates. Others suggest including vendors you have worked closely with, clients or customers.

Consider managers who have given you strong, positive employee evaluations, coworkers who have thanked you for your help on projects and people who have successfully worked for you.

CONTACT YOUR REFERENCES

Before you provide a name as a reference, contact the person and let them know you are doing so. Ask their permission to use them as a reference —don’t assume that they are willing to. Giving a reference a heads up lets them prepare for the call and think about what they are going to say about you.

additional leads.

FIND OUT WHAT THE HIRING MANAGER IS LOOKING FOR

If you are being asked for references after an interview or as part of a pre-interview process, ask the hiring manager what specifically he or she is looking for. This can help you determine which reference is the best fit. Do they want to know about your leadership skills? Then provide them with someone who has worked for you. Do they want to know about your reliability? Provide them with a current or past supervisor. Do they want to know about your team-work ability? Provide them with the name of a co-worker.

Contacting them allows you to do several things. First, you can ask for updated contact information—an essential step in the process. You can also let them know what job you are applying for and why you want it. If they are open to it, provide coaching on what you would like them to highlight. This could be a good time to mention your strengths, projects you’ve worked on together and what your professional aptitudes are.

Consider providing your reference with documentation that might help them such as a copy of your resume, a copy of the job posting that you are applying for and relevant portfolio samples.

This is also a good opportunity to let your colleagues know you are searching for work. They may be able to provide you with

PROTECTING YOUR CURRENT JOB

If you are currently employed and don’t want your organization to know that you are looking for another job, let the hiring manager know this. It’s a common situation and likely to be understood. It can explain why you don’t have any references from your current employer. You can offer to provide references at your current company once a job offer is made.

Also, if the hiring manager asks for a reference from your current supervisor and you think that person might give you a negative reference, be upfront about that. Tell the hiring manager that they are likely to get a negative reference and explain why in as positive and professional a manner as possible.

HIRING NOW FOR:

• General Laborers

• Shipping & Inventory

Crane Operators

• Maintenance Mechanics/ Electricians

• Production Operators And

Two Day Hiring Event

When: Friday, May 19; 9 am - 2 pm

Saturday, May 20; 8 am - 1 pm

Where: CMC Steel Arizona 11444 E Germann Rd. Mesa, AZ 85212

CMC Steel Arizona has proudly been making the steel that builds America since 2009.

Come tour our facility and learn about our openings and potentially receive an on-thespot offer! At CMC, we offer great benefits and provide all necessary training and certifications.

GENERAL EMPLOYMENT

Carvana, LLC seeks a Senior Engineer I in Tempe, AZ. to design, develop, maintain, and deploy complex back-end solutions. Telecommuting permitted. Apply at https://www.jobpostingtoday.com/ Ref # 63239

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Carvana, LLC seeks a Senior Engineer I, Quality Assurance in Tempe, AZ. Develop, debug, and maintain test scripts, test cases, and automation frameworks for our web applications and back end services. Telecommuting available. Apply at https://www.jobpostingtoday.com/ Ref #77593.

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Carvana LLC seeks Senior Data Engineer, Product Analytics in Tempe, AZ to develop and maintain robust and scalable data processing pipelines. Telecommuting is permitted. apply at https://www.jobpostingtoday.com/ Ref #33047.

1 GENERAL EMPLOYMENT

Carvana, LLC seeks a Senior Engineer I in Tempe, AZ. Design, develop, maintain, and deploy native complex top-class iOS apps. Telecommuting Permitted. Apply@ https://www.jobpostingtoday.com/ Ref #21128.

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