Ahwatukee Foothills News 06/07/2023

www.ahwatukee.com

The vast 373-acre

of pristine

along Chandler Boulevard between 19th and 27th avenues in Ahwatukee eventually will be home to 1,050 singlefamily homes and 479 apartments and townhouses. Although developer Blandford Homes told the city last year it expected to be selling homes by 2024, no construction has begun and a Blandford official said it doesn’t know when it will start. (Tom Sanfilippo/Inside Out Aerial)

BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor

The massive Upper Canyon development in western Ahwatukee is taking shape far slower than originally project-

BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor

He’s had his shares of hard times and scares – cast from the family home with his parents and eight siblings in

ed – partly because the site owner hasn’t paid most of the $175.1 million it owes Arizona for the site.

While developer Blandford Homes told the city last year it expected to be selling homes by 2024, no construction activity has occurred on

the 373-acre parcel of former State Trust Land along Chandler Boulevard between 19th and 27th avenues.

the Great Depression, once told kidney cancer would take his life in five years, losing his wife of 71 years.

But he’s also traveled around the world, played in the championship round of the 1944 NCAA basketball tournament and enjoyed an

And no date has been set for D.R. Horton see

page 14

astonishing relationship with his brother that few siblings ever share.

And last Sunday, Roy Wehde could look back with gratitude to God and his positive at-

parcel

desert

The Ahwatukee Foothills News is published every Wednesday and distributed free of charge to homes and in single-copy locations throughout Ahwatukee Foothills.

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BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor

Tempe Union High School District has lost 1,172 students in the last five years – almost as many as it lost in the previous 12 years – and will continue losing more over the next 10 as fewer students from inside and outside its boundaries enroll in its schools.

That assessment last month by the district’s demographer, Rick Brammer of Applied Economics, echoes his similar assessment for Kyrene School District.

But it also takes on added significance as a new report last week showed that the number of students heading to private schools as a result of the expanded voucher program could rise far higher than projected at a cost of nearly $1 trillion to Arizona taxpayers (see report on page 20).

Because a significant portion of any district’s state subsidy is based on the number of students it has, Tempe Union’s decline could pose financial challenges down the road.

The unexpected high number of students sent by their parents to private schools augments that financial pressure.

Brammer told the Tempe Union Governing Board that the same factors influencing Kyrene’s enrollment are pushing Tempe Union’s decline.

Those factors primarily include a low birth rate and the average cost of a singlefamily home in Ahwatukee, Tempe and Chandler.

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Home prices not only are too high for younger families with kids but high mortgage rates and those prices also are prompting older homeowners without school-aged children to stay put, Brammer said.

“The age distribution of householders in the district is shifting away from the childbearing cohorts,” he said.

Although he said “housing turnover rates in the district are increasing “ and that “this could mitigate the aging of the resident population," Brammer cautioned, “It is doubtful that either changing demographics or residential construction will be sufficient to prevent enrollment from declining over the next 10 years.”

Also pushing enrollment down is a decline in the number of students from outside Tempe Union’s boundaries.

Charter and private schools also are exacting a toll, Brammer said.

“One of the things that we have seen, especially over the last three or four years, is charter schools getting more involved at the high school level,” Brammer said.

“They originally really got started with the big numbers game at the elementary level but as they developed more and more specialized schools with gyms and tracks and things like that, they are actually having a bigger impact at the high school level.”

From its peak enrollment in 2005-06 of close to 13,000 students who lived within district boundaries, Tempe Union has lost 2,500 and is projected to see no more than 9,000 enroll from within the district by 2032-33, Brammer’s data showed.

In the last 20 years, the district’s overall enrollment peaked at 14,000 between 2014 and 2018 because of the high number of students who attended Tempe Union schools from outside the district.

During those years, the district’s total

enrollment counted close to 3,000 out-ofdistrict students.

But that number has been shrinking since 2018 and by 2032-33, only about 2,000 out-of-district students are projected to attend Tempe Union schools, bringing total enrollment to about 11,000. Brammer’s report also showed:

• ‘Significant differences exist” between the number of students who live within the attendance boundaries of each Tempe Union high school and the those enrolled in that school.

• Corona del Sol, McClintock and Desert Vista all counted a significant number of students who did not live within their boundaries. However, Desert Vista also had the highest percentage of students who lived in its attendance area.

• Desert Vista’s total enrollment of 2,983 students was the largest this past school year with Corona coming in second with 2,738. Mountain Pointe held fourth place among the district’s six high schools.

• Charter and private school enrollment by students living within the district increased steadily through

see TEMPE page 5

Demographer Rock Brammer of Applied Economics LLC produced data showing the decline of Tempe Union students among both kids who live within district boundaries and those coming from other areas of the Valley (Applied Economics)

TEMPE from page 4

2018-19 and “appears to have peaked for the same reasons district enrollment has peaked” – namely housing costs and low birth rates.

• The 12 charters and six private schools located within or very close to Tempe Union boundaries served a total 3,400 kids in grades 9-12.

• While the percentage of district residents under 18 continues to fall, the rate of erosion in that age group has slowed since 2000-2010.

That trend largely is driven by a declining birth rate, but is also affected by the shifts in home prices and the average ages of home owners.

Between 2000 and 2010, the number of children ages 5-13 fell by 3,606 and the ages of those between 14 and 17 tumbled by 5,633, Brammer said.

The declines in those age groups between 2010 and 2020 were 1,653 for ages 5-13 and 1,151 for kids 14 to 17. Between 2020 and 2022, Brammer said, ages 5-13 saw another decline of 625 and the number between 14 and 17 fell by 337.

Brammer noted the difference in the

enrollment declines between Kyrene and Tempe Union, stating the decline among K-8 students “is expected to continue throughout (the next 10 years) but at a diminished rate while the decline at the high school level is likely to continue at the higher rate.”

At its peak year of 2017-18, out-of-district enrollment comprised 30% of Tempe Union’s total student population. Since then, it has dropped to 20% – which Brammer said is still high compared to most Valley school districts.

But he said the overall decline in schoolage kids and the expansion of charters and private schools will continue to erode the number of students from outside Tempe Union.

The most outside-district students come from Phoenix Union High School District, with 1,281 in the just-ended school year. Brammer said 503 students came from second-place Mesa, 335 from Maricopa and 263 from Chandler.

Those totals were all lower than the numbers who attended Tempe Union Schools in 2017-18, with the largest drops being from Phoenix Union (down 120) and Maricopa (down 236). 

For more blue skies, Phoenix asks residents for climate plan ideas

BY LIAM COATES Cronkite News

Phoenix wants to be more ambitious with its climate action plan, and city officials said they want residents to tell them the best way to get there.

“You have more power than you realize” to shape the changes being made, said Nancy Allen, environmental programs administrator for the city. “We keep track of all your questions, and we are listening to you.”

Allen was speaking at a recent public meeting on the city’s Climate Action Plan, which was last updated in 2021.

by 2050, among other goals. Allen also emphasized the benefits of the planned transport projects, which are meant to lower single-occupancy car travel from the current 85% of trips to 60% by 2050.

It wasn’t the larger projects, however, but the local issues that held the attention of Phoenicians at the meeting.

Speakers raised concerns about neighbors using too many pesticides in their gardens, the equity of public transit planning, and the lack of tree-shade on many walkways.

The meeting aimed to get public feedback for a draft update that will be released later this summer, followed by more hearings and an updated plan by the end of the year.

The next public meeting on the plan will take place in the Burton Barr Library in Phoenix at 5 p.m. today, June 7. Registration and details are at phoenix.gov/oep/cap.

The plan currently calls for several lightrail extensions and a net-zero energy grid

One resident asked about the future rollout of micro-mobility schemes, like escooters and e-bikes.

Allen said the major focus for micromobility is downtown at the moment, but the city is seeing success there, so it will no doubt be rolled out to other areas.

One resident was concerned about the potential for increased water rates.

“They’re a big stick and I’m wonder-

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BLUE from page 6

ing where the carrot is?” he asked, noting that if water gets more expensive, it will discourage people from planting trees, thereby leading to even more heat on the streets.

Phoenix Climate Program Manager Joshua Uebelherr said increasing tree coverage is something the city wants to do, but there are challenges around finding the best placement for trees, with concerns about their roots and providing space for people with visual impairments.

Uebelherr pointed to a ranking that showed the most water-efficient trees to plant and said the city would be considering financial assistance to encourage the right tree planting in the right areas.

One man asked where the expected emissions savings are going to come from, noting that much of the progress touted by the city to date has come from the 2019 closure of the Navajo Generating Station, a coal-fired plant in northeastern Arizona.

“Where are you going to find another environmental disaster to shut down like that?” he asked.

“We have plenty of disasters,” said Allen, drawing a laugh from attendees before raising the imminent transition of the city’s bus fleet away from fossil fuels.

“Hydrogen is a big deal, because we don’t have the range on electric buses yet,” she said, but emphasized that electric

is the way the city would like to go in time.

Uebelherr gave an overview of the progress the city has made since the 2021 update of the plan, touting the fact that Phoenix has cut emissions despite population and economic growth.

He also highlighted major projects like the Sky Train extension to the airport and the Drought Pipeline Project, connecting north Phoenix with alternative water sources. Both projects were completed in December.

He said there was a large public appetite for climate action, highlighting figures from the 2021 document that showed 77% of Phoenicians support climate solutions that improve air and water quality, while 76% were motivated to leave a world where future generations can thrive and 65% wanted a reduction in fossil fuel reliance.

Allen said Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) would revolutionize travel for Phoenicians, cutting a current two-hour trip through downtown to 20 or 30 minutes.

BRT is a transit system that promises the benefits of light rail at a much lower cost with dedicated bus lanes for high-capacity buses.

The 2021 Climate Action Plan calls for development of 75 miles of BRT in Phoenix and expansion of the current 20-mile light-rail line to a 42-mile system by 2050.

“Every part of our lives has a climate component,” said Allen. 

At Spencer 4 Hire Roofing we believe it is essential to give back to our community and support those who support us. So, this 4th of July we have decided the best way to celebrate our country’s freedom is by supporting those who have afforded us those freedoms. We are giving away ONE FREE ROOF ($13k Value) to a deserving veteran!

Have someone in mind? We are looking for someone who inspires and is deserving. The giveaway is limited to homes in the following zip codes; 85044, 85045, and 85048. The nominee must be the owner of the home. Scan the QR code or visit the link below to make your nomination!

https://www.spencer4hireroofing.com/support-a-veteran-giveaway-nomination-center

Willis Ranch – Chandler

Bonus living area in the secondary bedroom wing. Perfect for teens or guests and also makes a great mother in law suite! New light fixtures, ceiling fans and interior door hardware throughout. New vanities, sinks, faucets, fixtures and mirrors in the bathrooms. New interior paint. New carpet. Cozy gas fireplace in the family room! Exit the family room to the resort style backyard! Covered patio, sparkling pebble tec pool with water feature and large grass area! New sod in back. Landscape refresh front and back! New faux wood blinds throughout. New exterior lights on front.

Orchidhouse – Downtown Tempe

Listed for $ 529,000

Calling all urbanites with a toolbelt or investors looking to remodel one of the most desirable 6th floor corner units in Orchidhouse with incredible city lights and mountain views! Northeast exposure! This scenario does not come up often! 1,574 sf with 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms Two car garage parking. Walking distance to Mill Ave dining, shopping, light rail and all the entertainment Downtown Tempe has to offer! Close to Spring Training, Downtown Phoenix and Old Town Scottsdale! Some appliances and vanities on premises. If you’re looking for an amazing location and exposure but also want to make it ‘’your own’’ - - - this is the perfect opportunity!

Sun River

Listed for $420,000

1,447 sf single level home on the Gilbert/Chandler border. This beautiful 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom home has an open floor plan. Granite counters, stainless steel appliances, center island, tiled back splash, large pantry and eat-in dining nook in the kitchen. Hardwood plank tile flooring throughout with carpet only in the bedrooms. Bathrooms are upgraded with granite vanity tops and tile surrounds in the showers. Brushed nickel hardware and wood blinds throughout. Large walk-in laundry room. Backs to the canal; easy hiking/biking access and no neighbors immediately behind! Low maintenance front and back yards. Close proximity to both Gilbert and Chandler Schools!

Listed for $815,000

Remodeled home in a transitional contemporary style! 2,626 sf, 4 bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms. Hillside lot with an east facing back yard! 2020 DOUBLE PAPER ROOF! Custom finishes throughout.! OPEN FLOOR PLAN! Kitchen boasts soft-close white Shaker cabinetry with ORB hardware and pull out shelving,

tile

and engineered hardwood in the bedrooms and office (2021.) No carpet in the home! 8’ custom doorways throughout with solid frame doors. Recessed LED lighting throughout home! 2021 interior paint and 7 ¼” baseboards. 2022 trendy ceiling fans and 2022 silhouette window blinds. The 2021 remodel of the bathrooms includes new faucets, vanities, sinks, Toto toilets, mirrors, lights, and tile surrounds in showers. Enormous, expanded walk-in shower in the master suite! 2020 Nuvo whole-house water purification system. 2021 Milgard windows and doors throughout. 2021 sprinkler systems front and back. Sparkling pebble tec pool!

Mountain Park Ranch

Listed for $449,999

1,594 sf 3 bedroom, 2.5 bathroom home

BY BOB CHRISTIE Capitol Media Services

Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs is directly negotiating with Republican lawmakers who control the Arizona Legislature to try to craft a deal to ask Maricopa County voters to extend a half-cent sales tax that for nearly 40 years has paid for new freeways, bus routes and light rail transportation projects.

Whether the efforts succeed will have implications for the rest of the state.

The bid to put Proposition 400 on the ballot has been an uphill fight despite unanimous support for an updated plan from the 27 mayors, three tribes and two counties who sit on the Maricopa Association of Governments, the regional planning organization that oversees the transportation spending.

That’s because powerful conservative groups like the Arizona Free Enterprise Club strongly oppose the plan submitted by the group known as MAG.

A large number of Republican lawmakers have joined them, voicing opposition to not just the idea of financing public transportation but also provisions to improve air quality. They have refused to approve it without major revisions.

Their major beef is with the amount of money that pays for public transit, including buses and light rail.

If the tax extension fails, either because the Legislature refuses to endorse a local election to extend it or a revamped plan crafted by lawmakers and signed by Hobbs is rejected by voters, it could upend new highway construction statewide.

That’s because Maricopa County, home to nearly two-thirds of the state’s residents, would suddenly be without its dedicated transportation funding stream for its share of projects.

Potentially more significant, that means the county, whose residents have largely self-funded massive freeway expansion projects, a regional bus system and miles of new light rail over the past 40 years, now would suddenly be competing with the rest of the state for federal funding.

“If you’re Kingman, Arizona, or you’re the mayor of Yuma or you’re the mayor of Flagstaff, you don’t want Maricopa County competing with you for federal trans-

portation dollars,’’ said Kenn Weise, the mayor of Avondale and the chair of MAG.

The Legislature is involved because of a 1999 law that requires it and the governor to give their OK before Maricopa County can put a local transportation sales tax on the ballot. No other county faces similar roadblocks.

Lawmakers passed MAG’s plan last year, but it was vetoed by former Gov. Doug Ducey, who complained its longer 25-year length made it a tax increase. Two previous tax plans lasted 20 years.

He also said a planned special election planned would have low turnout, inflation made it a bad time for a tax measure and said it failed to take into account new federal infrastructure money.

A more conservative Legislature this year means backers of the tax extension vote must overcome strong opposition to get the plan to Hobbs’s desk.

Republican lawmakers, including Senate President Warren Petersen, don’t trust the planning group.

“MAG is completely unaccountable,’’ the Gilbert lawmaker said last month.

“You’ve got mayors that have some oversight, but not really,’’ he said. “These mayors are overwhelmed, busy.’’

Weise called that “a bunch of crap.’’

“MAG has been running transportation for 40 years and incredibly successfully,’’ he said.

“And that’s an insult to mayors when he says that MAG is a big bureaucracy and basically the mayors don’t know what’s going on and they delegate,’’ Weise said. “That is absolutely not true.’’

MAG’s plan would use 40.3% of its funding for mass transit, primarily bus service.

Four percent would go to maintaining light rail. But none of that cash could be used to expand the system, currently at 28 miles, though another approximately 10 miles already is under construction or at least funded by the current levy.

Instead, plans to complete the envisioned 50-mile system by 2030 would have to rely on federal cash dedicated to mass transit and separate city funding. And that doesn’t include another extension being studied into northeast Phoenix planned for 2040.

The rest of the money would go to freeways, major roads and regional programs, including initiatives to address the Phoenix region’s poor air quality. Freeways alone would get 40%.

If renewed when it expires at the end of 2025, the tax is expected to raise nearly $20 billion in 2020 dollars over its life, according to MAG.

The Legislature has advanced two competing proposals. Both cut the new tax to 20 years.

One, backed by the Free Enterprise Club and GOP lawmakers David Farnsworth of Mesa and David Cook of Globe, would cut the transit spending to 26% while boosting freeway spending to 52% of the total and allocating 22% to other major road and regional projects.

Free Enterprise Club lobbyist Amy Yentes testified that Farnsworth’s original Senate bill gave just 5% to transit, “and we think that’s generous’’ based on ridership data.

Another plan, backed by Rep. David Livingston, R-Peoria, would give 40% to freeways, 21% to other roads and regional projects and allocate 39% to transit.

His bill also includes unrelated issues that have failed to advance on their own: zoning changes designed to boost the housing supply and barring cities or counties from prohibiting “pocket shelters,’’ homeless shelters that have fewer than 32 residents run by nonprofit or religious groups.

Both of those proposals await action in the House.

Petersen has his own plan which has not been formally introduced. It would give at least 47.5% to freeway projects, 19% to local roads and to address regional issues including air quality and 33.5% to transit.

The sweetener for MAG in that plan is it would fund all the roadways included in its longer 25-year plan, including a new east-west freeway in the southern part of metro Phoenix running from Interstate 17 west to Avondale known as SR30.

The freeway is designed to provide an alternate to Interstate 10, which can become a parking lot during rush hours.

All three legislative plans add major strings to the spending, limiting MAG’s ability to choose new programs or move projects at will or to adopt and fund emerging technologies.

Hobbs, who would have to sign whatever emerges, declined to give details on

the negotiations but said:

“I see this as a pretty important piece of legislation for the region and the state as well and we are working to get it across the finish line.”

Hobbs has made it clear she wants something on her desk. In a tweet last week, she noted that conservative GOP lawmakers were holding an extension of the tax that has boosted the region’s economy hostage because they did not like public transit.

“It’s time for the Legislature to stop playing games,’’ Hobbs wrote.

Petersen called her tweet “bizarre,’’ noting it came just as lawmakers were sitting down to negotiate with Hobbs.

“Our plan has more roads, less congestion and is a better value to the taxpayer,’’ Petersen said.

Weise said the GOP lawmakers he’s met with, including Queen Creek Sen. Jake Hoffman, who Petersen tapped as a negotiator, just don’t get how important transit is.

He said Hoffman and others scoffed when he noted that metro Phoenix light rail and buses counted 32 million boardings last year.

“And Hoffman says to me ‘well those aren’t real people,’ Weise said. “And I said, ‘Well, they’re not puppies and they’re not kittens and they’re not ghosts.’’’

Hoffman disputed the quote.

He did say, though, that his point was that Weise appeared to be promoting the claim that 32 million people used mass transit, something he said clearly was not possible in a state with only about 7.3 million residents. The actual number of Arizonans who boarded buses and light rail, Hoffman said, is far, far less.

Weise, however, said the fact is these are people like single moms with two jobs and no car who need to get to work and get their kids to school.

“I will tell you that happens every day in Avondale and Buckeye. It happens in Tempe,’’ Weise said. “It happens all across the valley.’’

And Weise said when he asked what happens with these people, “there wasn’t an answer.’’

Yentes, of the Free Enterprise Club, said transit accounts for just 1% of the region’s passenger miles and that does not justify spending more on those programs.

“The Legislature is not voting for a sales tax,’’ Weise said. “They’re voting to send this to the people. “Just pass the bill, give it to the governor and … if it’s a horrible plan, the people don’t vote for it.’’ 

CENTENARIAN from page 1

titude and ice cream as he marked a century of life that included over 25 years in Ahwatukee.

A resident of Friendship Village since 2015, Roy was an early pioneer here.

He and his late wife bought a home in the Ahwatukee Recreation Center HOA in 1980, when the community comprised a smattering of maybe a few hundred homes and a lot of desert.

Before he chose Ahwatukee over Sun Lakes to settle down in Arizona, Roy was a championship track star and basketball ace, a U.S. Navy officer who served during World War II and a vice president for State Farm Insurance.

He is the father of four children and a cancer survivor.

And his twin brother Ray has been all those things too.

About the only thing they did not do together was play professional basketball and write a book.

In 1948, Ray, who opted to retire in Palm Springs, became the first Iowa State Cyclone ever drafted by the Boston Celtics.

Roy, on the other hand, wrote a book titled “The Passage of Time: Story Poems of Warmth and Humor,” donating all the proceeds to a church in Greeley, Colorado, where he and his wife would spend summers when they lived in Ahwatukee.

Other than those two differences, Roy said, “We were on a conference winning track team. We both ran the high and low hurdles and in basketball were in the Final

Four in 1944. We were both in the Navy in the officer training program. We got discharged together.

“We’ve done all our traveling together. We both ended up as vice presidents for State Farm Insurance. We were, of course, retired at the same time.

“We did all our vacations together over Mexico, Canada, Europe, Scandinavia and Greece.”

As children, they also shared the hardships of the Great Depression.

The youngest of nine children, the twins spent their first 11 years on a small farm outside Holstein, Iowa, where their father

season.

As seniors, they didn’t lose a game until the state title match with Davenport High School.

Ray and Roy both ended up playing forward for the Iowa State basketball team and in 1944 played in the NCAA Final Four, losing to eventual champion Utah.

It was touch and go for the team, which comprised nine Naval officers in training and an Air Force member who could be drafted at a moment’s notice during the height of World War II.

The war and the Navy caught up with them, though, and they both served their country before Germany and Japan surrendered.

They were not allowed to serve together, so Roy was assigned to a minesweeper in the Pacific as a navigator.

After they were discharged – at the same time, naturally – the twins returned to Iowa.

owned a produce business and an ice cream store.

“We lost it all in the Depression,” Roy said. “We had an 11-acre farm and in 1934 we were moved out. We lost our home.”

Their father found an old hotel in town that had been empty for 15 years “and that’s where we moved.”

As he recalled his early years, Roy quickly volunteered that his father died in 1939 and his mother in 1950 at ages 59 and 55, respectively.

“So it wasn’t genetics on our side,” he stressed in case someone might think that he and Ray – the only surviving siblings –reached 100 through a birthright.

When the twins were in sixth grade, he recalled, “we were both kind of ornery and did a lot of bad things.”

And one day after basketball practice, “the coach herded us all in the hall and said, ‘You know, you guys have enough talent to be state champions.’

“And we took him to heart for that.”

So, instead of raising hell, they eventually raised their game on the track circuit and basketball court.

The twins led their high school basketball team in their junior year to a state title after losing only one game all

Roy got married in 1947 to Sally, a teacher in Iowa State’s Home Health Department. A student in her class ended up marrying Ray.

Both brothers ended up working for State Farm and became vice presidents in different divisions.

While still working, Ray moved to Ahwatukee in 1950 largely because one of his daughters was married to a doctor completing his residency at the old Maricopa County Hospital.

Roy remembers his time in Ahwatukee with great affection.

He and his late wife Sally raised a son and three daughters – Ray has two sons and two daughters.

Roy’s oldest daughter is 73 and his

Roy Wehde and his twin brother Ray were stars on the basketball court. As freshmen they played forward on the Iowa State University basketball team that made it to the NCAA championship in 1944. (David Minton/AFN Staff Photographer)

Roy Wehde, who was an early “settler” in Ahwatukee and lived here for 25 years before moving to Friendship Village in 2015, celebrated his 100th birthday last Sunday, June 4. (David Minton/ AFN Staff Photographer)

Roy “Speedy” Wehde garnered his share of attention as a high school basketball and a track star (Special to AFN)

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Mesa, AZ - When it comes to chronic pain and/ or neuropathy, the most common doctor-prescribed treatment is drugs like Gabapentin, Lyrica, Cymbalta, and Neurontin. The problem with anti-depressants or anti-seizure medications like these is that they offer purely symptomatic relief, as opposed to targeting and treating the root of the problem. Worse, these drugs often trigger an onset of uncomfortable, painful, and sometimes harmful side effects.

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

As displayed in figure 1 above, the nerves are surrounded by diseased, withered blood vessels. A lack of sufficient nutrients means the nerves cannot survive, and thus, slowly die. This leads to those painful and frustrating consequences we were talking about earlier, like weakness, numbness, tingling, balance issues, and perhaps even a burning sensation.

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CENTENARIAN from page 12

youngest just turned 66. He also has 14 grandchildren and 50 great-grandchildren. A watercolor artist in his spare time who also played tennis and a lot of golf, Roy got involved with a theater group at the ARC. He started painting backdrops for the group until a friend asked him to try out as an actor. He obliged and performed for a while.

Roy has functioned with only one kidney for the last 40 years after losing one to cancer. When he was first diagnosed, he recalled, “The doctor said, ‘You’ll get another five years if you’re lucky.’”

He beat those odds handily: After an operation, doctors found the cancer had not spread.

That was in 1957 – three years after doctors were certain he had contracted polio.

“They checked me for five days and said, ‘If you had what we think you had, you’re the luckiest man that ever lived because you can go home.’”

Ray was diagnosed with cancer at age 99

CANYON from page 1

and Blandford Homes to start building the 1,050 single-family homes and 479 apartments and townhouses they plan for site, which Blandford won with its whopping bid in a June 7, 2021, auction.

Still, city records obtained by the Ahwatukee Foothills News show Blandford, its subsidiary Reserve 100 LLC and D.R. Horton have been steadily submitting a variety of plans for the parcel.

The installment plan Blandford negotiated for paying off its bid has been extended twice – most recently last Dec. 1 with a final payment of $31.6 million now due on June 7, 2029.

But that doesn’t necessarily mean construction won’t start before then.

Nor will construction be impeded by Gov. Katie Hobbs’ announcement last Thursday of a moratorium on any residential development that does not have an assured 100-year water supply.

and was told he was too old for surgery but “they did chemo on him and he got rid of the cancer,” Roy said.

Because neither of them can drive any more, Roy and Ray don’t see each other as much as they once did and depend on getting a ride with a child or grandchild to visit each other.

They celebrated their birthdays separately last week. Roy was the guest of honor at a small celebration at Friendship Village and then gathered with a lot of his children, grandchildren and greats for a party in Scottsdale.

Asked to what he attributes his longevity – a question, he said, “I get asked a lot” –Roy didn’t hesitate for an answer.

“I say I eat a lot of ice cream,” he joked, before adding:

“I do think it is a state of mind. Both of us have been very positive thinkers.

“And both of us have a religious background – the routine going to church and learning the catechism and all that. But in the end, what it comes down to is I don’t discount the Lord stepping in.” 

But the payment plan Blandford negotiated with then-Gov. Doug Ducey’s administration apparently means Upper Canyon will be developed in stages and that it might not be fully developed for six years.

Site plans submitted to the city show the land has been carved up into at least five separate pieces.

But to build on any of those sections, Blandford must obtain a patent for each one from the state Land Department.

Asked if the homebuilder can start construction if it hasn’t paid off its bid, Lynn Córdova, the Land Department’s legislative policy administrator, told AFN in an email:

“Yes, but only mass grading, no vertical until they have a patent.”

According to a 2012 state law governing State Trust Land deals, “a patent for less than the entire tract may be issued to the purchaser if the (Land Department) commissioner finds it is in the best interest of the applicable trust.”

Hobbs said the restrictions do not apply to any industrial development or residential communities that already have been approved.

The Upper Canyon’s residential zoning has been in place for 20 years and the city Planning and Development Department two months ago gave preliminary approval to Upper Canyon’s plan.

That law also sets out various criteria that must be met for the land buyer to obtain a patent. Emails and other documents obtained from the Land Department by AFN through a state records law request show that almost immediately after the auction, Blandford Homes made a $17.5

Water unlikely a roadblock to Upper Canyon

AFN NEWS STAFF

The Hobbs administration’s limits on residential development in Arizona that can’t prove a 100-year water supply apparently won’t stop Upper Canyon in Ahwatukee.

Although the city Planning and Development Department did not return AFN’s request for comment, the Phoenix Water Services Department quickly issued its own response to Gov. Katie Hobbs’ announcement.

“Phoenix’s water security remains intact due to its diversified water portfolio and long-term planning,” the department said.

“It is crucial for Phoenix Water customers and stakeholders to know that the City’s water security remains unaffected, the department said.

“Groundwater plays a minimal role in Phoenix’s overall water usage, accounting for only 2% of the City’s total water us-

CANYON from page 14

million down payment, then paid another $500,000 on Dec. 1, 2021, after negotiating an extension to 2028 for paying off its bid.

Last Dec. 1, Blandford obtained a second extension to June 7, 2029, according to Land Department records.

But that second extension came after company owner Jeff Blandford indicated to the Land Department that housing market conditions had made the going tougher than it had expected.

In an Oct. 19, 2022, email to the department, Blandford referred to a December 2023 extension he had sought on a $25 million interest payment.

The department wanted $5 million up front and Blandford wrote:

“We did not have any expectation to fund any payments in exchange for an extension to December 2023. This request is of course due to market conditions that we all discussed yesterday. Your $5,000,000plus payment request towards interest did catch us off guard and I am not sure what you would like to do at this time. Builders are delaying all financial land decisions and commitments at this time.

“We are prepared to continue spending dollars in good faith towards the entitlement approvals in exchange for the extension to June 2023,” Blandford’s email con-

age each year. The remainder of Phoenix’s water supplies come from renewable resources, such as the Salt, Verde, and Colorado Rivers. Phoenix also reuses more than 95% of its reclaimed water.”

Mayor Kate Gallego included her own reaction to Hobbs announcement, stating, “For the last several decades we have stored more groundwater than we have used, and we will continue to invest in diversifying our resources, bolstering infrastructure, and enhancing conservation practices.

“We’re not only looking out for ourselves—Phoenix will continue to lead the region in securing our water supplies for the future, including in driving the development of a regional Advanced Water Purification system that will supply up to 60 million gallons of water per day by the end of the decade.”

Water Services’ release reiterated that Phoenix and the nine other Valley cit-

ies that belong to the Arizona Municipal Water Users Association “ have a 100-year Assured Water Supply Designation, demonstrating their ability to meet current and future water demands, including growth.”

It said it maintains a “sophisticated water forecasting system” that takes into account various weather patterns as well as population growth and economic development.

“Its comprehensive approach allows the City to accurately assess future water demands and make informed decisions to ensure water availability for its residents and businesses,” the release said.

“This proactive approach, combined with the diversified water portfolio and long-term planning, further solidifies Phoenix’s commitment to maintaining water security and sustainability for the years to come,” it continued, asserting:

“Phoenix can meet current and future water demands, regardless of the chal-

lenges posed by the groundwater model or potential Colorado River shortages.”

The Hobbs administration had noted that the building restrictions do not cover any industrial development nor any residential developments already approved.

Upper Canyon likely falls into that category since its residential zoning has been in place for 20 years.

More significantly, on April 11, the city Planning and Development Department signed off on site plans for three of Upper Canyon’s current eight subdivisions.

In an email to developer Blandford Homes and homebuilder D.R. Horton, planner Craig Mavis wrote, “This project has now been granted a Preliminary Approval by the Planning and Development Department.”

After briefly reviewing some attachments, Mavis added, “Thank you very much for doing business with the City of Phoenix.” 

tinued.

He referred to an arrangement he had worked out for a 717-acre trust land bid “during the 2007/2011 financial crisis” in which Blandford obtained an extension “for multiple years without any payment.”

“Again we are asking for an extension to continue with our intent to keep moving forward on the entitlement process and then to hopefully purchase the property as

conditions improve and market clarity prevails, thus allowing the state to achieve the bid-up auction price,” Blandford continued.

“As you recall, the property was bid-up over appraisal value by a considerable amount of money.”

No Land Department response was among the records it provided to the AFN's records request but all parties met at least once last October, documents show.

Based on the value of the land determined by an independent appraiser, the Land Department set a starting bid of $105 million for the June 2021 auction. Blandford’s $175.5 million bid stunned the other three bidders, who quickly folded.

Last Nov. 28 – three days before he got his second extension on the auction debt

This Power Point image was submitted to the city during Blandford Homes’ unsuccessful effort to have the city drop its requirement for the expansion of South Chandler Boulevard to five lanes. A resident was alarmed by the developer’s claim that Upper Canyon would not generate enough traffic to warrant the widening. (City of Phoenix)

– Blandford wrote then-Deputy Land Department Commission Jim Perry.

“I do not see what the issue is with (the department) in regard to extending this out as there is nothing whatsoever to lose as you will not be able to sell this property again over the next 12 months at the bidup price we have as of now. We will continue making the property more valuable over the next year.

“The (department) has a track record of entending out terms with NO additional payments even on properties NOT bid up like this one,” Blandford continued, reminding how high his company exceeded the opening bid, capitalizing a couple words to make his point.

“The best chance to the state to receive this price plus interest is to give us the 12 months we are requesting,” Blandford continued. “There is nothing to lose and plenty to gain with this request.”

The extended payment agreement states “the Commissioner has determined that it is in the best interest of the Trust to grant the requested extension.”

It then sets out a payment plan calling for $25.2 million to be paid this Decem-

ber, followed by six annual payments of $31,629, 063.

The total Blandford will have paid by 2029 includes $57 million in interest.

Tom Lemon, Blandford Homes vice

president of land acquisition and development, declined an interview request from AFN after conferring with Jeff Blandford. Instead, Lemon texted a response to AFN’s request that said:

“On the state land property in Ahwatukee, we’re continuing to make progress through the City of Phoenix on engineering and plan approvals. There is not an estimated start date for development at this time.”

Lemon had obtained a meeting with District 6 Councilman Kevin Robinson a week before the new council member’s April 17 inauguration to update him on the Upper Canyon development.

“It’s going great,” Robinson said when AFN asked him about the meeting. He declined to elaborate, stating Lemon told him he'd be happy to answer questions.

There is no question the Land Department considers Blandford Homes and Reserve 100 the owners of the land.

In January, Lemon and the Land Department were confused about how to handle reports that squatters had set up a camp site on the land.

State Land Department official Van Robinson on Jan. 18 emailed Perry about Lemon’s call in relation to the reported squatters – none were ever found.

Robinson wrote that he talked to Lemon, explaining, “I told him I would discuss the issue internally but also reminded him that he now owns the property.”

Water curbs some development in Maricopa County

BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

State water officials said Thursday they won’t issue any permits for new subdivisions for some areas on the fringes of Phoenix, the first real acknowledgment that the state’s water supply cannot support all of the anticipated growth.

Tom Buschatzke, the director of the Department of Water Resources, said a newly completed analysis of the groundwater in the basin in and around Phoenix shows there simply won’t be enough to provide the legally required 100-year supply of water. State law requires such assurances in the major metropolitan areas before construction can take place.

He put the shortage at 4.9 million acrefeet over the next century, about 4 percent of the anticipated need. An acre foot is generally considered enough to serve three families for a year.

What that most immediately means is that developers in affected areas who were awaiting the go-ahead to build won’t get them.

But nothing in the new order will bring all development in the Phoenix metro area to a halt, at least not at this point.

That’s because all existing municipal and private water companies are currently presumed to have their own 100-year supply. And so anyone seeking to build homes within that service territory that the utility agrees to serve is presumed to have the amount of water required and can start construction without further state approval.

But the order could bring some of the urban sprawl around Phoenix to a halt.

Affected areas include some of the largest tracts of undeveloped land in the fringe suburbs.

That includes much of Queen Creek, which doesn’t have its own 100-year certificate of assured water supply. Instead, it has been seeking to import water from other areas.

Buschatzke said, though, construction

can continue if developers find sources beyond the water under their development which can range from another community’s stored water credits to obtaining an allocation of surface water, perhaps from Native American tribes who have their own water rights.

Gov. Katie Hobbs viewed the new analysis as proof that there is no reason to put curbs on future growth.

“My message to Arizonans is this: We are not out of water and we will not be running out of water,’’ she said.

“It is also incredibly important to note that the model relates only to groundwater and does not concern surface water supplies which are a significant source of renewable water for our state,’’ Hobbs said. “What the model ultimately shows is that our water future is secure.’’

But all those assurances are based on something that even Buschatzke could not guarantee: that Arizona won’t see further cutbacks in its allocation of Colorado River water.

Arizona and other lower-basin states just entered into an agreement to cut usage in exchange for federal cash.

But that deal lasts only into 2026. After that, Buschatzke said, is an unknown.

A particularly wet winter has improved the flow into the river and dampened talk that Lake Mead could reach “dead pool,’’ a point at which no river would flow past the dam. But what that means beyond 2026, Buschatzke said, is unknown.

“The cuts are going to be based on what the hydrology provides every year on the river and what the levels of Lake Powell and Lake Mead are,’’ he said.

Hobbs, flanked by a developer and the head of the state’s economic development agency, sought to give a message -- presumably meant for outsiders -- that things are not bad in Arizona despite the latest announcement.

It starts with that fact that none of this has any immediate effect on developing vacant land in communities that have their own assured water supply.

The governor also said nothing in the new order affects 80,000 lots in the areas where the state won’t issue new permits. The Department of Water Resources already has provided the required certificate of assured water supply. And Buschatzke acknowledged that a “lot’’ can translate to more than a single-family home.

And Hobbs said there are no limits on industrial development. Nor are there new restrictions on everything from fountains to golf courses that dot the Phoenix area.

Hobbs also crowed about the fact that reservoirs controlled by Salt River Project are full. While these are a source of water for agriculture in the area, SRP also has deals with cities to provide them with surface water.

Even with all that, there’s still that 4% gap between water pumping and recharge.

“We have to close this gap and find efficiencies for our water use, manage our aquifers wisely and increase our utilization of renewable supplies,’’ the governor said.

But Hobbs has yet to seek, much less try go impose any form of conservation. The closest she came to acknowledging that people should use less was setting aside $40 million in COVID relief funds to promote water conservation.

The question of Colorado River supplies beyond 2026 will have an affect on not just the Phoenix area.

Other areas of the state, particularly the Tucson region, also rely on this supply. And Buschatzke’s agency has no firm date for when it will perform the same evaluation of groundwater in the Tucson area and possibly could issue similar orders for development in that basin. 

State water chief Tom Buschatzke details new restrictions on development in the far fringes of the Phoenix area due to groundwater shortage. With him is Gov. Katie Hobbs. (Howard Fischer/Capitol Media Services)

Phoenix stands to gain $60 million in revenue over the next three years for leaving 150,000 acrefeet of its share of Colorado River water in Lake Mead between 2023 and the end of 2025.

City Council last week unanimously approved an agreement to reduce its share of Colorado River water as Phoenix’s contribution to the Lower Basin Consensus Plan that commits to conserving at least 3 million-acre-feet of water through the end of 2026.

“Conserving water and using it efficiently is in our DNA, and we will continue our efforts to bolster Western water security,” said Mayor Gallego said after the vote.

“We recognize that safeguarding the Colorado River is not just about protecting our city’s water supply but also about ensuring the future viability of the Southwest. This decision reinforces

our commitment to sustainable water management and builds on a long history of collaboration with our partners across the state.”

Phoenix gets its water from five main sources: the Colorado, Salt and Verde rivers, groundwater and reclaimed water.

The vast majority comes from the rivers with the Salt and Verde rivers contributing 52%, and the Colorado River 38%.

Council’s action last week is part of the larger Lower Colorado Conservation and Efficiency Program funded by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, which is designed to incentivize water users to conserve water to protect Lake Mead from catastrophic risks.

The money the city will get will support water conservation programs and “resource portfolio augmentation” through the Colorado

The city said in a release, “Working with tribes, cities and other entities

across the state and the region, Phoenix remains committed to ongoing conservation and efficiency improvements.”

In a report to the council, the city administration said, “Conditions on the Colorado River system remain difficult, with the major reservoir of Lake Mead and Lake Powell at historically low water levels.

“Based on recent modeling on the Colorado River, the Bureau of Reclamation has determined there is an unacceptable risk of further water declines in Lake Mead that threaten operations and deliveries of Colorado River water to the Lower Basin states of Arizona, California, and Nevada even with delivery reductions agreed to in the Lower Basin Drought Contingency Plan.” The Inflation Reduction Act allotted $4 billion to the bureau to specifically address Colorado River issues.

Under the agreement, Phoenix will make available up to 50,000 acre-feet of the city’s share of Colorado River water

this year and the next two years in exchange for compensation of $400 per acre-foot.

In 2023, Phoenix is scheduled to receive 177,237 acre-feet of Colorado River water that includes 27,960 acre-feet of “mitigation water.”

The city report defined that water as “Non-Indian Agricultural Priority water that would have otherwise been unavailable to Phoenix without the mitigation measures taken by Arizona to deliver water from reserves in Lake Mead.”

That mitigation water comprises slightly more than half the 50,000 acrefeet the city is leaving in Lake Mead each year through 2025.

The remainder of the 50,000 acre-feet “is water that would have been stored in Tucson for future shortage conditions,” the city report states. “The creation of system conservation has no impact on water available for customer deliveries.” 

School voucher cost approaching $1 trillion

BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

Gov. Katie Hobbs last week promised a new effort to get state lawmakers to curb the growth of universal private school vouchers.

Her vow came a day after a new legislative report said the expanded Empowerment Scholarship Account program will cost taxpayers $900 million – 63% over what GOP lawmakers put into the 2023-24 state budget a month ago.

But the governor may have even less bargaining leverage with GOP lawmakers now to place some limits on the program than she did when she was negotiating the $17.8 billion budget and first asked for limits on the program.

“Obviously, this number wasn’t published before the budget,’’ she said. “We have a different set of facts that we’re dealing with now in terms of actual cost.’’

That argument, however, may hold little sway among GOP leaders who refused to negotiate with her before.

Instead, an aide to Senate President Warren Petersen distributed an analysis by legislative budget staffers of the Department of Education numbers.

That report questioned the assumptions used by education staffers in their projections.

And it also said it may be impossible to come up with an accurate cost until November.

The Gilbert Republican refused to comment on the original report, the questions raised by budget staffers or the governor’s interest in raising the issue again.

But House Speaker Ben Toma already is questioning the report prepared by staffers of state schools chief Tom Horne.

All that leaves what, if anything, Hobbs can do about the vouchers now, with less than a month before the new fiscal year begins.

Hobbs, in her first State of the State speech in January, decried the program that lets any student get a voucher.

She said the program “lacks accountability and will likely bankrupt the state.’’ Hobbs put the cost at $1.5 billion over the next 10 years.

Republicans, unmoved, refused to negotiate. So Hobbs gave up.

Now, with the renewed estimate, the

governor said, “We’re looking at every option available.’’

But her arguments Thursday about curbing the program remain the same as the one that GOP lawmakers refused to consider even when Hobbs had some bargaining power in terms of being able to reject some of their demands.

“We knew going into this that this program was going to be out of control and has the potential to bankrupt our state,’’ she said.

“And I will put it squarely back on Republican leaders who wouldn’t put this on the negotiating table when we were doing the budget.’’

That still leaves the question of whose cost estimates are to be believed.

The report prepared by the Department of Education estimates 100,000 students will enroll in voucher programs this coming year. And so far the majority are those who already were attending private and parochial schools, with the cost having been picked up by their parents.

The median cost of a voucher to the state is $10,000.

Legislative budget staffers sniffed at the estimate, saying it doesn’t detail the methodology Horne’s agency used.

As to that projection of 100,000 stu-

“The 39,000 additional students that are being projected for the next year are going to be educated someplace,’’ he said. “They’re either going to be educated in the public schools or their going to be educated in ESAs.’’

And that $900 million estimate, he said, includes money following those students from traditional schools to private schools. But that’s not true.

Even Horne’s own staffers acknowledged that three out of every four of the students who have applied for the new universal vouchers to date already were going to private schools on their parents’ dime. Now their tuition will be borne by taxpayers.

And even assuming Horne’s projections that just half of the additional 39,000 expected to sign up before the end of the next school year already are in private schools, with the median voucher running $10,000, that alone adds up to an additional $200 million.

dents, the legislative report says it always has considered enrollment in universal vouchers “highly speculative.’’

And the cost numbers, the report says, will depend on how many students already were in private schools on their parent’s dime versus those who switch from public schools where the state was already providing aid, albeit not at the same level as the cost of a voucher.

In a memo to legislative budget staff, Christine Accurso, director of the Empowerment Scholarship Account program, said by the end of the next school year there will be about 100,000 students who will get state funds to attend private and parochial schools.

That compares with just around 58,000 who are now in the program, with another 3,000 who already have submitted their applications.

Accurso said the state will need to come up with about $900 million to fund all those vouchers – about one dollar out of every eight now earmarked for public education. That compares with the $552 million estimate prepared just months ago by the Joint Legislative Budget Committee.

Despite that, state schools chief Tom Horne argued last week there really is no additional cost to the state.

The fact that there has been a burst of parents seeking to shift the costs of their children’s private school tuition to the state should come as no surprise to lawmakers. They were warned earlier this year by their own budget staffers before the new spending plan was adopted that would happen.

“We expect that most of the growth in universal ESA participation will likely occur among private school and home school students,’’ said the report by the Joint Legislative Budget Committee.

“They have already decided to opt out of the public school system and would be likely to receive a financial gain from ESA program participation.’’

Vouchers originally were designed specifically to help students who fit certain categories who may have needed help beyond what they could get in public schools. These included those with special needs, foster children, children living on reservations and those attending schools rated D or F.

The Republican controlled Legislature, at the behest of then-Gov. Doug Ducey, voted to lift all restrictions, making state funds available to all who want.

Hobbs sought to redistribute the cost of the expanded program – then pegged at

John Ward, an auditor at the Department of Education, last week disclosed that Arizona’s expanded school voucher program could cost Arizona taxpayers $900 million next school year as state Superintendent of Public Schools Tom Horne looked on. (Howard Fischer/Capitol Media Services)

Arizona State to open advanced medical school

BY SOPHIA BIAZUS Cronkite News

State University has announced ambitious plans to open a medical school focused on medical engineering and technology as part of a new “ASU Health” initiative that addresses the state’s long-term health needs.

The proposal, unveiled by ASU President Michael Crow at last week’s Arizona Board of Regents meeting, is in response to regents’ request for new approaches to its AZ Healthy Tomorrow strategy to deal with Arizona’s shortage of health care professionals while accelerating bioscience, life science and research at the state’s three universities.

The addition of a medical school at ASU, one of the largest public universities by enrollment in the United States, is decades in the making.

“This moment has been a long time coming,” said Fred DuVal, chair elect of the Arizona Board of Regents.

The new School of Medicine and Advanced Medical Engineering will integrate clinical medicine, biomedical science and engineering in a new approach to medical school, Crow said, and will create “a new kind of physician engineer.”

He said the program will follow the design of similar schools at Texas A&M University and the University of Illinois.

A School of Public Health Technology will be created under the ASU Health banner as well as a Medical Master’s Institute, which will offer master’s degrees in medical engineering and design, public health technology and observational sciences.

The institute is meant to attract MDs to Arizona, he said, with a goal of allowing doctors to further their education.

ASU’s partnership with Mayo Clinic will continue, and the Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation as well as the College of Health Solutions will come under the ASU Health banner.

An Arizona Health Observatory will be established, providing a real-time warning system to help state leaders spot health trends based on data.

“These will be things we learned during the pandemic, ways in which we make better decisions, ways in which we can produce better health outcomes,” Crow said. He highlighted such issues as track-

ing viruses, pathogens and drug use.

Crow called ASU Health a “learning health ecosystem” with a goal to accelerate health efforts to tackle Arizona’s health care needs. He said the comprehensive efforts are designed to increase the number of health care workers and improve health literacy on a socioeconomic scale.

“We are focusing our full energy and innovation on improving Arizona’s health outcomes,” Crow said. “We have an opportunity for change. And over the past 20 years, ASU has shown that we know how to create transformative change, at scale.”

According to a health care gap analysis report prepared for the regents, Arizona ranked 43rd among states in 2022 in public health funding and 32nd in health care system performance.

The numbers coincide with the 2022 edition of the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Kids Count Data book, which reported that about 149,000 children do not have access to health insurance.

“Three million Arizonans live in a community with limited access to primary care,” DuVal said. “Arizona has approxi-

DuVal said. The portfolio is composed of $30 million from the regents, funds from the individual universities and outside sources such as grants from foundations.

Crow said there is no timeline for when the new schools will open.

Regarding ASU Health, Crow said, “Like the rest of ASU, it will find a way to fund itself. That’s the way we’ve built the university.”

DuVal said funding specifics are the next phase of AZ Healthy Tomorrow.

“We wanted to signal a commitment by making these monies available so the universities know we are that serious and that they have money to plan,” he said.

Brittney Kaufmann, CEO of Health System Alliance of Arizona, said the regents’ initiative will better equip patients across “diverse health care settings and with unique needs, both in urban hubs and rural areas statewide.” The alliance is an advocacy group that includes major hospitals in Arizona.

“AZ Healthy Tomorrow will mean more physicians, nurses and other health professionals to fill the health care talent pipeline, and we look forward to welcoming these new professionals into our hospitals, clinics, rehabilitation centers,” she said.

mately eight nurses per 1,000 residents, the ninth-lowest nursing ratio in the country.

“We are in the bottom quartile per capita in the number of physicians for our population. More than one in three Arizona hospitals face critical staffing shortages.”

DuVal said the ASU initiative is “part of the most aggressive and comprehensive health care plan in Arizona’s history. It will include major growth and new investments by all three of our state universities, significant partnerships with the private sector, and the support of our government partners.”

UArizona President Robert Robbins presented the Tucson university’s contribution to AZ Healthy Tomorrow at a Board of Regents meeting earlier this year.

That plan focused on fully integrating the College of Medicine with Banner University Medical Center and improving telemedicine for rural health care providers. NAU will present its proposal at a later date.

The health care initiatives at the three universities will be paid for with a seed fund involving public and private sectors,

ASU’s new college of medicine would join four medical degree-granting schools already in Arizona. The University of Arizona College of Medicine in Tucson was the first medical school, established in 1967.

The University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix graduated its first class in 2011. The UArizona colleges are separately accredited, but each receives between 6,000 and 7,000 applicants each year for a class size of 120 students in Phoenix and 125 in Tucson.

Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine is a national medical school with campuses in Arizona, Florida and Minnesota. Its Phoenix/Scottsdale campus has 50 students per class. Creighton University School of Medicine opened a Phoenix campus for its MD program in 2021.

ASU was initially part of a collaboration between UArizona and the Translational Genomics Research Institute for a fouryear branch campus of the UArizona College of Medicine in Tucson that began in 2007 at the Phoenix Biomedical Campus in downtown Phoenix. Citing budget issues, ASU pulled out of that partnership in 2010. 

ASU President Michael Crow, left, and Fred DuVal, chair elect of the Arizona Board of Regents, are excited about the university’s new medical school. (Sophia Biazus/Cronkite News)

only about $144 million – for other education priorities.

But closed-door negotiations between the governor failed to rescind the expansion. In fact, Republicans refused to even put a cap on the number of new students who could enroll to help control costs.

Lawmakers will be back at the Capitol on June 12. But whether Hobbs will try to renegotiate the deal she agreed to just a month ago is less than clear.

“We are evaluating our options,’’ said press aide Christian Slater.

Horne’s report also contends that students switching from public schools to private ones actually saves money for the state. That is based on a law that the base voucher – the amount that is available for a student with no additional needs like special education – is supposed to be based at 90% of what the state pays on a per-student basis if that same student were attending public schools.

But that is misleading.

That 90% figure is based on aid to charter schools, private, for-profit schools that qualify as public schools that cannot charge tuition. And the state gives them an

additional $1,986 for each K-8 student and $2,314 for high schoolers above what they give to traditional public schools.

Figures provided by the Arizona Association of School Business Officials show the basic voucher for this year at $6,764 for elementary and middle school students. That’s $424 more per student than state aid to district schools.

And vouchers for high schoolers are worth $7,532, about $540 more than the state provides to public schools.

Several Republicans who support vouchers said they were not concerned about the price tag.

Rep. Jacqueline Parker, R-Mesa, said in a Twitter post that $900 million is “not enough yet,’’ calling it “a drop in the bucket to the other $7+ billion spent on the useless indoctrination camps that are ‘government schools.’’’

Horne sidestepped the question of whether there is enough money in the $17.8 billion budget to support the increase in the number of private school students.

“If we conclude that more is needed, we will have to deal with that at the time,” he said,

Horne, who at one time was a member

of the Paradise Valley Unified School District governing board, has become a major champion of vouchers.

“Competition is good for everyone,’’ he said.

Traditional public schools must accept anyone living in their district. Even charter schools – privately run for-profit schools –also generally cannot discriminate against applicants.

Private and parochial schools, however, are free to accept -- or reject -- any student for any reason. And that can include those who may be the hardest to teach like those with learning disabilities and language skills.

Horne brushed aside the question of whether the comparisons are fair.

“If a public school is worried about losing students to ESAs or to charter schools, it’s motivated to improve its academic performance so it won’t lose those students,’’ he said.

“The test scores have not been good right now because the focus has been too much on things other than academics,’’ he said. “I can name them: critical race theory, social-emotional learning, inappropriate sexual lessons, all kinds of things that detract from academics.’’ 

Arizona sues firms over ‘forever chemicals’ clean-up

BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

Attorney General Kris Mayes is suing several major companies for producing and selling “forever chemicals’’ that they knew or should have known are hazardous.

The lawsuit filed May 26 in Maricopa County Superior Court charges that 3M, DuPont and Chemours were negligent in the design, manufacturing, marketing and sale of per- and polyfluroalykl substances which have been used for decades in everything from nonstick cookware and stainresistant fabrics to some firefighting foams.

Mayes says 3M began publishing peerreviewed literature in 1980 showing that humans retain one form of these substances in their bodies for years.

And she said DuPont has been studying the potential toxicity of these chemicals since at least the 1960s and knew it was contaminating drinking water drawn from the Ohio River.

“Yet DuPont did not disclose to the public or government regulators what they

knew about the substance’s potential effects on humans, animals, or the environment,’’ the lawsuit states.

In 2005 the company was fined $16.5 million by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for violating legal requirements that it report to the agency substantial risk information about the chemicals they manufacture, process or distribute.

Despite that, Mayes said, the companies continued to make, market and sell their products in Arizona and other states for years –and, in some cases, apparently still do: Forbes reported that 3M promises to discontinue the use of the chemicals by 2025.

“It’s had a very detrimental and, in some cases, devastating impact to the state of Arizona,’’ Mayes told Capitol Media Services. “We have multiple sites throughout the state where our water has been contaminated by PFAS.’’

The lawsuit says the state Department of Environmental Quality has detected these compounds in groundwater near Davis-Monthan Air Force Base and in both groundwater and drinking water supplies at several locations across the state, includ-

ing what DEQ said was one utility around Luke Air Force Base notified of problems in early 2021.

“We’re going to make them pay for the cleanup of these chemicals,’’ Mayes said. “These are cancer-causing agents.’’

One place Mayes said the chemicals are commonly found in firefighting foam.

What makes PFAS so dangerous, the lawsuit says, is their chemistry.

They are highly water soluble, according to the legal papers, which increases the rate at which they spread, contaminating soil, groundwater and surface water. And that is complicated by the fact that are resistant to breaking down.

Then there’s the argument that these chemicals are readily absorbed in animal and human tissue after oral exposure and accumulate in organs like the kidney and liver as well as “human serum,’’ the liquid portion of blood. And the lawsuit says they have been found globally in human food supplies, breast milk and umbilical cord blood.

“A short-term exposure can result in a body burden that persists for years and can increase with additional exposures,’’ the

lawsuit claims. And that, the state says, is backed by 3M’s own data that it could take a person up to 18 months just to clear half of the chemicals from their body after all exposures had ceased."

Anyone who believes he or she has been injured would have to file separate legal actions. And they do exist.

Last December, for example, a federal appeals court upheld a $40 million verdict against DuPont on behalf of a cancer survivor who claimed his two instances of testicular cancer were due to prolonged exposure to a type of PFAS.

The lawsuit seeks to require the companies to pay for the state’s cost of investigating, monitoring, testing, removal and disposing of the contaminants in soil and water.

According to the legal papers, DEQ is helping fire department statewide to remove, dispose of and replace their filmforming foams with foams that do not contain PFAS. To date, it says, the state had paid to replace 6,200 gallons of the PFAScontaining firms with 4,010 gallons of PFAS-free foam.

BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor

Valley home buyers and sellers may be facing a long and not-so-hot summer, according to a leading analyst of the Maricopa and Pinal counties’ market.

“With supply and demand both dropping, volume is likely to be weak between June and September,” the Cromford Report said last week. “It is currently a contest between sellers and buyers for who loses motivation fastest.”

Rising mortgage rates, a plummeting in-

ventory of resale homes and a continuing increase in prices continue to create havoc for buyers and sellers alike.

“With an unusually low number of resale homes coming to market, we can reasonably expect the supply shortage to last for a long time,” the Cromford Report said.

It also reported that all 17 submarkets in the Phoenix Metro are showing improving conditions for sellers, though at a slower pace than in the first five months of this year.

“Most improved are Cave Creek and

Maricopa Recorder launches title theft protection

Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer has unveiled a new weapon in the fight against a growing scam across the country – land and house title theft.

He launched Maricopa Title Alert, a free service to help residents stay informed of document recordings and protect against title fraud and other unlawful documents.

“This tool will function similarly to Google Alerts and will allow users to monitor recordings containing the names – individual names or business names – en-

tered by the user,” according to a release.

When a recorded document contains the entered name, the user will receive an email at the end of the day with a link to the relevant document.

“This proactive measure allows user to monitor recordings and immediately take action if necessary,” the release said.

“I have heard from Maricopa County residents with concerns of title fraud,” Richter said. “I’m hopeful that this tool provides a line of defense against fraudulent recordings, and generally provides more transparency into the millions of documents that we record.”

He said his team “continues to innovate” and that “we have other exciting recording developments that we will release later this summer."

Title theft is a subset of identity theft and involves criminals who file fraudulent documents like forged deeds and liens to gain control of a home or piece of property.

The FBI says it can take many different forms.

“Con artists look for a vacant house … and do a little research to find out who owns it,” it said in an alert. “Then, they steal the owner’s identity, go through the same process of transferring the deed, put

the empty house on the market, and pocket the profits.

“Or, the fraudsters steal a house a family is still living in…find a buyer (someone, say, who is satisfied with a few online photos)…and sell the house without the family even knowing.

“In fact, the rightful owners continue right on paying the mortgage for a house they no longer own.”

While some experts have said unscrupulous companies are taking advantage of a rare crime and charging anxious owners

see TITLE page RE3

Fountain Hills,” it said. “Not far behind are Glendale, Peoria, Maricopa, Chandler, Avondale, Queen Creek and Buckeye. The slowest rate of improvement for sellers is 1%, achieved by Goodyear.”

And it said none of those markets are considered favorable to buyers with all but two heavily tilted toward sellers.

But that’s cold comfort for sellers right now, the Cromford Report suggests, noting “demand remains weak and is clearly weakening further after 30-year fixed mortgage rates exceeded 7%.”

“Listings are going under contract at a slower rate than this time last month,” it said. “However, high interest rates are discouraging to sellers too, and the flow of new listings is getting alarmingly low.”

In the past four weeks, it noted, 7,205 new listings were added – down 37% from the 11,392 that came on the market in the same time period in 2022.

The report said that should mortgage rates edge below the 7% threshold, “things

could change quickly” because buyers likely will find it “psychologically a lot easier to live with than numbers over 7%.”

For now, it added, “the few sellers we have are seeing their listings find buyers quite easily, with less than 17% getting cancelled or expiring.”

Because it seems the only potential buyers in the market are ready to meet almost any price, the listing success rate is 83%, the Cromford Report said.

“The long-term average success rate is only 67.6% and rates over 83% are relatively uncommon in history, although they have become much more common since 2017,” it said. “This is largely due to the chronic shortage of supply that still prevails today.”

The Cromford Report also cautioned hesitant buyers not to put much hope in any predictions of declining prices, calling that incompatible with the high rate of successful listings.

“Those who predict more drops in sales prices will have to explain where a vast new supply is going to come from,” it said.

“Prices only drop when there is a glut of

homes coming to market and not enough buyers. In the current circumstances this is looking very unlikely.”

It also warned again against believing any predictions of a massive wave of foreclosures, calling people who believe that “deluded by fabricated data that exists only in their own mind.”

“All the real world data says that delinquency rates remain below normal, that

pre-foreclosure activity is unusually low and that the rate of actual foreclosures taking place is extremely weak, even though most of the forbearance that was introduced during the pandemic has ceased,” it said.

Last week there were only 993 foreclosures pending in Maricopa County – a stark difference from the 50,537 that existed in 2009 and the 10,159 average over the last 21 years. 

This 3,144-square-foot house on S. 19th Way in the Ahwatukee community of Cabrillo Way recently sold for just over $1 million. The house has four bedrooms and 2 ½ bathrooms and was built in 1993. It boasted mountain views from nearly every room and a variety of interior and exterior amenities. (Special to AFN)

This four-bedroom, five-bathroom house on E. Hialea Court in Ahwatukee recently sold for $1 million. Built in 1994, the 5,818-square-foot Santa Fe adobe-style house features a dual staircase, a family room with wet bar, multiple outdoor seating areas and fireplaces and a plethora of other amenities. (Special to AFN)

East Valley stone supplier overcame rocky road

BY JOSH ORTEGA AFN Staff Writer

Lane Cook never expected to work in the construction field but he’s built a reputable business brick-by-brick for the last 20 years.

The Westwood High alum is the owner and president of Visionmakers International stone supplier with showrooms in Mesa, Scottsdale and Utah.

For 20 years, Cook has specialized in custom stonework for new and remodeled custom home builds that imports soughtafter stone from “every continent except Australia and Antarctica,” along with other architectural products such as steel/iron, wood, lighting fixtures and vents.

“If I worked in a cubicle at some company and just typed in X’s and O’s, you don’t see the direct result of that down the line,” Cook said. “But here I can drive by all over the Valley and see lasting things that we’ve done to help people beautify their house.”

Having overcome a global financial crisis and pandemic, he also is marking eight years in remission from a battle with a disease that involved five different chemotherapy treatments – a battle Cook credits his wife and four kids for his motivation to live and succeed.

“They were my motivation to try to fight what I had to fight to survive,” Cook said.

After earning a master of business administration in international business degree from the Thunderbird School of Global Management, Cook spent a decade working for several firms, living between U.S. and Mexico before his last stop in Guadalajara, Mexico.

For a decade, Cook worked in various fields including the trucking and logistics industry building a network of exporters that worked for major companies like

TITLE from page RE2

expensive fees, Richter’s new tool provides peace of mind for free.

Among the key features of Maricopa Title Alert Include an easy sign-up for users. “All that is needed is a valid email address,” Richter’s office said. “The user can select alerts for multiple names under a single email.”

Users can monitor both personal names and business names.

When a document is recorded that in-

Walmart, Target and J.C. Penney, pulling various orders of textiles, furniture and leather goods.

Following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Cook said, many businesses chose to cut costs and move many of their operations to China. At the same time, a relative asked Cook for some help with a project at his 8,000-square-foot home built in Gold Canyon.

higher calling.

“I knew nothing about stone but I just kind of started walking, flooring the field and asking around,” Cook said.

That logistics network came to roost when Cook needed it most and he said he found a Cantera stone – a volcanic rock from Mexico and Central America known for its properties that allow detailed cutting and carving – that “looks great still.”

“I said ‘okay, this could be a good business,” Cook said. “I just took the dive when I moved back.”

Since then, Cook has built custom home projects for some of top earners throughout the Valley – such as baseball players, football players and a couple of politicians – that includes work on a 3,500-squarefoot guest home and a mansion that’s now selling for $26.5 million.

But his favorite projects come from a

cludes one of the entered names, Maricopa Title Alert will send an email notification with a link to review the recorded document.

“This enables users to promptly assess the content and take appropriate action, with law enforcement or otherwise, to protect their interests.”

To sign up for the service: recorder.maricopa.gov/MaricopaTitleAlert/Default.

The Maricopa County Recorder’s Office is responsible for recording all documents required by law and making them avail-

Over the last seven years, Cook has developed good working relationship with the Catholic Diocese of Phoenix and has worked on several chapels throughout the Valley.

With computer-assisted design software, Visionmakers turns 400-pound pieces of marble and stone into the highly carved marble altars, arches and pillars with craftsmanship reminiscent of St. Peter’s Basilica.

As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Cook said he enjoys working on all houses of worship because the art withstands the years and inspires spirituality.

“You’re doing something that lasts and you’re doing something that helps people feel closer to God and so, it’s more than just money and just pumping out a house but there’s something lasting there,” Cook said.

A customer’s dream for doorways, lighting fixture, or fireplaces starts similarly with a design by an architect or interior designer who takes it to Visionmakers to add

able for public record.

In August 1999, the department began accepting documents electronically, which now constitutes over 92 percent of all filings.

“Today, the Recorder’s Office remains at the forefront of e-government, with nearly 200 million images available for viewing at any of our office locations as well as on the Internet—dating back to our first recording on June 5, 1871,” Richter noted.

Additionally, the Recorder’s Office over-

details via AutoCAD software.

Visionmakers also takes measurements to ensure a snug fit of the curvature, length and linear footage of the product.

Due to labor shortages, the manufacturing of its products takes place at a factory in Mexico that Cook has worked with for over 20 years.

In 2007, Cook initially received a diagnosis of follicular non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma – a type of slow-growing blood cancer that affects white blood cells. Though his first bout with the disease went rather smoothly, it returned two years later with a vengeance.

“I was in danger of losing the company, losing my life, losing everything,” Cook said.

He also got help from his nephew Court Zulauf, who had just graduated

see VISIONMAKERS page RE5

sees the voter registration process, documentation, and administration for the County’s 2.5 million voters. It also plays an administrative role in overseeing early voting, all mail elections, and other election processes and administration.

“We are proud of the many awards and recognitions we have received while strengthening democracy and are considered by many to be the premier recording office and elections department in the country,” Richter said. 

Full-scale stonework pieces fill Visionmakers International’s Mesa warehouse. (David Minton/Staff Photographer)

Lane Cook, owner of president of of Visionmakers International, started his business early this century after discovering stone while helping a relative with a home improvement project. (David Minton/Staff Photographer)

Housing development soars in Pinal County

BY JASMINE KABIRI Cronkite News

It’s unclear which came rst in Pinal County, the houses or the people lling them. What is clear is that both continue growing at some of the fastest rates in the state and, in some instances, the nation.

e number of housing units in Pinal County grew by an estimated 3.5% from July 2021 to July 2022, the fastest rate in the state, according to new U.S. Census Bureau data.

“At one point in Pinal County, Casa Grande was a very sleepy town, and they’re wide awake now. People are just sprawling to it,” said Eric Gibbs, president of the Arizona Association of Realtors.

e Pinal County numbers were just the most recent data from the Census that

show continued booming growth in certain Valley communities.

e bureau reported that Maricopa County posted the largest population increases in the country from 2021 to 2022, the second consecutive year it has held the top spot.

e report said Phoenix had the secondbiggest population gains in the country last year, adding 19,053 residents to fall just 117 shy of the number of residents added by No. 1 Fort Worth for the year.

In terms of growth rate, two Valley cities nished in the top 20 last year: Queen Creek, located partially in Pinal County, and Maricopa City were the seventh and 12th fastest-growing large cities in the United States respectively.

Queen Creek grew at a rate of 6.7% and Maricopa City grew at 6.2%.

Maricopa County added the most new

homes last year, with 28,051 housing units added, far outstripping the 6,347 housing units added in Pinal.

But the new homes in Maricopa County accounted for just a 1.5% increase in housing, only good for fourth-fastest in the state.

e total number of housing units in Pinal County grew to 185,650 as of last summer, according to the Census Bureau.

“ ey (Pinal County) have increased their ability to build homes. And even with that said, they still probably have some type of small shortage of homes, but they’re working really hard to catch up because of the number of people that are moving into that market,” Gibbs said.

Brent Billingsley, Pinal County’s director of community development, said that housing a ordability has been drawing more residents to the county for the past three years.

He said the accelerated rate of singlefamily homes is due to the county “balancing demand with price.”

According to the real estate website Red n, the median sale price of a home in Maricopa County in April 2023 was $455,000 compared to a a median price $365,000 in Pinal County.

Billingsley and Gibbs also pointed to the expansion of corporate businesses in the county, like Lucid Motors in Casa Grande and the Nikola Corp. manufacturing facility in Coolidge, and the jobs that come with them.

Gibbs noted that more businesses are expected in the coming years, with a Kohler plant expected to open in Casa Grande in August and a Procter & Gamble manufacturing facility slated for Coolidge by 2025.

Leading Luxury Home Experts

Queen Creek is the bene ciary of a $5 billion investment by lithium battery manufacturer LG Solutions, a South Korea rm that plans to build two battery plants that it says will generate thousands of jobs once they open within the next 18 months.

Pinal County Supervisor Mike Goodman said it’s no accident that the county is attracting jobs and residents.

“We have a model in Pinal County called live, work and play,” Goodman said. “And the reality is people live here, but they work and play in other areas, and so over the last ve years, six years, we’ve put a lot

of emphasis to keep the people here for their work and also for their play.”

Billingsley said he expects that Apache Junction, partly located in northern Pinal County, will pop up on next year’s list of fast-growing cities.

After averaging about 10 permits a month for single-family homes over the

past several years, he said, the city has seen permits triple in the past year. He also said Coolidge and Red Rock are seeing more growth.

“Over the last year, I can tell you that that in uence has spread out over the whole county. It’s not just a San Tan Valley or a Casa Grande thing anymore,” Billingsley said.

from college.

After a crash course in the business, Zulauf and the “skeleton crew” kept business from hitting rock bottom while Cook left for treatment.

“He did a really good job and it’s just a team e ort with good employees that kind of kept us going at that point,” Cook said. at was around 2010-2011, when revenues went down 70% during the Great Recession.

He endured a two-year period paying four employees out of his own savings simply to retain them.

Cook saw light at the end of the tunnel when many of his competitors shut down or downsized to one-man operations, and by 2012 he started rebounding.

In that same time, Cook went a couple more rounds with the disease, and after the fourth bout, doctors informed Cook that a stem cell transplant was the last option to beat the disease.

With his eldest brother as a donor, Cook wasn’t out of the wood just yet.

A small risk of severe side e ects worse than death still existed and he had a 1420% chance of not making it past the rst year. But he fell into the 25% of patients that beat the disease and has enjoyed a

good quality of life.

“I’ve been blessed personally because the odds were not good that I was going to survive this,” Cook said. “So, I was really blessed.”

A year after the transplant surgery, Cook said 2016 marked a ramping up for business and the beginning of “the wildest ride in the world.”

e current economy has strained business and Cook said it derives from one part “antiquated and dysfunctional” immigration policy and one part “American culture.”

“None of us tell our kids ‘hey, go be a stonemason, go be a drywaller,” Cook said. “ ey’re all like ‘you need to go to

college, you need to go work at GoDaddy, you need to go work at a solar place or something.’”

With not very many construction workers under the age of 30, Cook said the solution could easily come from the south, if not for a “frozen border” and worker programs that prioritize nurses and temp workers over construction.

“ ere’s been so much construction that there’s just not enough people to ll it,” Cook said. “And so, the big struggles that we’re having is trying to keep up with our commitments.”

see VISIONMAKERS page RE7

Rare

CANYON

PINAL

VISIONMAKERS from page RE3

SPOOTLIGHT TLIGHT home

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Superb single level with detached casita in highly coveted Ahwatukee custom 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, laminate 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 oasis features Pebble Tec pool and spa, ramada, stainless steel BBQ/smoker, grass area, grapefruit tree, lighting and great views.

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Listed for $1,299,000

Home mortgage rates continue upward march

Mortgage rates jumped higher last week, further dashing homebuyers’ hopes for an affordable spring home-shopping season.

Rates averaged 6.79% for a 30-year fixed-rate home loan as of June 1, according to Freddie Mac. That’s a significant jump from the rate of 6.57% the previous week and far higher than the mid-May average rate of 6.39%.

As if that weren’t worrisome enough, Mortgage News Daily – which tabulates rates daily rather than weekly – pinned the average 30-year fixed rate even higher, at 7.12% last Friday.

These numbers are a cruel twist given they arrive just as home prices seem to be drifting back down to earth.

“Recent momentum has home prices on a trend to dip below year-ago levels in a matter of weeks,” Realtor.com Chief Economist Danielle Hale noted in her most recent analysis of housing data for the week ending May 20.

“But while many homebuyers will certainly welcome a lower price tag, higher mortgage rates may minimize or erase any potential savings.”

Home price gains keep shrinking, and Hale isn’t the only one expecting them to fall below year-ago levels soon. The economics team at Freddie Mac is forecasting a 2.9% decrease in national home prices over the course of 2023.

Prices in the Midwest and Northeast remain more affordable, but they are gaining by double digits as these markets heat up.

Meanwhile, prices in the West and South, which grew exponentially during the pandemic, are moderating or even falling now.

The entire housing market would ben-

VISIONMAKERS from page RE5

Through the struggles and investing so many of his “healthy years” into the business, Lane Cook feels it’s a part of him now. He has enjoyed building friendships among his customers and “a little family” of 30 employees.

“There’s a lot of hard work that’s not so fun, but there’s a lot of good that comes

efit if more homeowners decided to list their homes for sale, but few seem willing to volunteer.

“With roughly two-thirds of existing homeowners holding onto a mortgage more than 2 percentage points below current mortgage rates,” Hale said, “it’s easy to see why new listings lag behind.”

The fact that many of those listings are stale suggests that buyers have already picked over these clunkers and passed.

And the slowing pace of sales suggests that home-shopping enthusiasm is on the wane.

Will homebuyers get rate relief anytime soon? Most signs point to not likely.

Just a month or so earlier, some economists predicted mortgage rates would dip lower later this year. But now, the Freddie economists aren’t so sure.

They now forecast a scenario in which “long-term interest rates move largely sideways, staying in a range similar to where rates are today, perhaps moving up or down by around half a percentage point.”

Yet despite the gloomy outlook, determined buyers are finding ways to navigate today’s dismal market.

Some are sifting through stale listings and lowballing. Others are exploring a whole new possibility they might not have considered before: new-construction homes.

“Even though existing home sales have waned in recent months, new-home sales have ticked up,” said Hale. “Buyers grappling with low inventory look to new construction as a relief valve.”

Given builders can sometimes offer discounted mortgage rates through preferred lenders, new construction might even cost less than pre-existing homes in certain areas today.

Realtor.com provided this report. 

from it,” Cook said. “When you finish a job well done, it just feeds me. I love it.”

While his wife of 31 years and his four kids have made some sacrifices with his 60-hour work week, Cook added:

“They were my motivation to try to fight what I had to fight to survive. They’ve been able to balance and live in rhythm with my schedule a lot and they’ve just been awesome.” 

602-430-3917

Mike

2BR / 2 BA / 1,340 SQFT

Patio home on the green belt, 2022 bathroom updates. 2021 HVAC, garage opener, water heater and more.

Listed For $339,900

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

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

3 BR / 2 BA / 1,361 SQFT

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

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5 BR / 3 BA / 3,394 SQFT

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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

family 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!

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Local comic book artist is ‘a creator to watch’

BY GERI KOEPPEL AFN Contributor

Like many comics aficionados, Nick Cagnetti plans to go to the renowned San Diego Comic-Con July 19-23.

But he’s not just a fan: The Ahwatukee Foothills native Cagnetti will be flown out and put up the entire time by his publisher so he can make appearances and sign copies of his own popular series, Pink Lemonade.

Cagnetti, 28, has a contract with Oni Press, a respected comics publisher, and has released six issues of Pink Lemonade so far with a trade paperback coming out July 4.

Single issues are selling in the tens of thousands at comic shops and online, and the paperback collection with all six issues and other content is available for pre-or-

der on Amazon, Target, Barnes & Noble and more.

The series centers on a custom motorcycle-riding female protagonist called Pink Lemonade who has a mysterious past and gets enmeshed in the intrigue of the entertainment industry.

The soft-spoken Cagnetti—who has never ridden a motorcycle—said that although the story includes dramatic conflict, the goal was to make it fun and positive.

“I want to make stuff with wonderment and awe like when I was a kid,” he said.

“That’s the guiding light for me through a lot of this work: Find that childlike wonderment.”

The comics industry for the past few decades has gotten “darker and more edgy,” Cagnetti added, and he wanted to counter that with a character that re-

Ahwatukee native Nick Cagnetti created his popular Pink comic books while working at various places around the community like Florencia Pizza Bistro. (Geri Koeppel/AFN Contributor)

Ahwatukee bariatric surgeon helps save lives from obesity

BY TOM SCANLON AFN Staff Writer

Dr. Kelly Shortridge recently returned to his hometown, joining in the bariatric program at Abrazo Scottsdale.

It could be argued that Shortridge and his supervisor, Dr. Daniel Fang, an Ahwatukee resident who is Abrazo Scottsdale’s bariatric medical director, are indeed lifesavers.

According to a medical study published last April in the Lancet, a peerreviewed medical journal, “excess weight in the U.S. was responsible for over 1,300 deaths per day (nearly 500,000 per year) in 2016, contributing to higher excess mortality than smoking…On average, excess weight was associated with a loss in life expectancy of nearly 24 years.”

Every day, distraught patients come to see Shortridge and Fang.

Some are so obese that just getting to the clinic is a painful journey.

Most have tried diets, pills, workout routines, support groups and more in

what for many is a lifelong, losing battle with weight.

Fang and Shortridge say they can tip the scales – so to speak – with bariatric surgery that is so technologically advanced that after surgery and an overnight stay for observation, most return to daily routines in two weeks.

“A lot of our patients that have a sedentary job or a desk job can go back as soon as a week after surgery,” Fang said.

According to the Mayo Clinic’s website, “Gastric bypass and other weight-loss surgeries – known collectively as bariatric surgery – involve making changes to your digestive system to help you lose weight. Bariatric surgery is done when diet and exercise haven’t worked or when you have serious health problems because of your weight.”

Using cutting-edge technology, Abrazo

Bariatric surgeon and Abrazo Scottsdale Medical Director Dr. Daniel Fang of Ahwatukee helps obese patients at the Abrazo Scottsdale Campus bariatric facility (David Minton/AFN Staff Photographer)

Ahwatukee teen exceeds bottle drive goal again

For the second consecutive year, an Ahwatukee teen and rising Desert Vista High School senior exceeded her goal for collecting reusable water bottles for unsheltered people.

Elia Woods, 17, conducted the monthlong drive in April, collecting cash on her website, the recyclingproject.org, and strategically locating 40 collection boxes throughout Ahwatukee and 14 other communities for donations of new and gently used reusable water bottles she could distribute to two nonprofits that serve people without homes.

Her goal was to collect around 1,300 –which was double the number she collected last year. The 678 bottles she collected in 2022, in fact, far outnumbered the 200 she had hoped to garner.

This year, she again exceeded her goal, collecting 1,500 bottles that will be distributed to needy people by St. Vincent de Paul and Arizona State University’s Project Humanities – the latter founded and directed by Ahwatukee professor Dr. Neal Lester.

Because she collected so many hydro flasks, plastics, glass, aluminum and stainless-steel bottles, Elia sought assistance and 25 volunteers rose to the occasion.

Each bottle was individually hand washed and sanitized by volunteers from Boy Scout troops 78 and 3014 and the Sustainability Club at Desert Vista High School.

The goal of the drive and TheRecyclingProject.org is two-fold: Reduce the amount of single-use plastic on the street and provide those experiencing homelessness with access to water.

The idea came to Elia last year while volunteering with her family at Paz de Cristo in Mesa.

When dinner was served to the people there, Elia noticed that most only had an old Circle K cup or a crinkled plastic water bottle with them. Most were coming back to the water dispenser several times to refill small styro-foam cups.

Elia and her volunteers said they wanted to publicly thank Spooner Physical Therapy, Chandler/Gilbert & Tempe YMCA, Colleen Rinker from the Ahwatukee YMCA, Treasures 4 Teachers, Chan-

Desert Vista High rising senior Elia Woods is surrounded by some of the nearly 40 collection boxes she located strategically throughout Ahwatukee and 14 other communities to collect reusable water bottles for needy people. (Special to AFN)

dler Dental, Music Maker Workshops, Mountainside Martial Arts, Zzeeks Pizza locations, TLC Pediatrics, Awaken Chiropractic, AZ All-Stars Cheer and Tumbling and Chris’ Water and Ice for their sup-

port.

While the annual water bottle collection has ended, money can be donated for water refill stations at: therecyclingproject.org 

Scottsdale provides “minimally invasive robot-assisted surgery” for many bariatric procedures.

This isn’t “robot surgery,” as Fang and Shortride are at the commands of the da Vinci XI surgical system, which provides computer guidance and magnified, 3-D views of the surgical site.

It sure works, Natalie Lopez will tell you.

“Using various methods, I lost weight through the years but was never able to keep it off. I became so tired of the weight gain and weight loss. I had headaches and diabetes,” Lopez said.

Ready for a major change as her weight neared 300 pounds, Lopez traveled north from the city of Maricopa to Scottsdale for Abrazo’s wraparound surgery and support systems.

Since going through the bariatric process, she has lost 100 pounds.

She understands that while she has been given the best ammunition available, the battle will continue.

“The team at Abrazo was super supportive and encouraged me every step

of the way,” she said. “Before the surgery, they gave me a step-by-step plan.

“I met with the doctors and dietitians, who taught me the right way to eat, and I had weekly weigh-ins,” she said. “They helped me accomplish my life goal. I continue to see the team today to keep myself accountable.”

Fang stresses the big-picture of his clinic, which is far from a stitch-and-done approach.

“We try to get these patients to start making changes in their lifestyle several months before having a surgery done to get them ready for the surgery. And that way it’s not just a shock to their system after a surgery so they’re kind of prepared for the whole process,” Fang said.

“Then, once they’ve had the surgery done, they hit the ground running.”

Don’t expect to walk in off the street and get surgery: Fang says most patients have a three- to six-month preparation path.

Fang points with pride to the recent “Bariatric Institutes of Quality” designation from insurance giant Aetna.

This was the fourth designation for quality and value in bariatric surgery for

the Medical and Surgical Weight Loss Program at Abrazo Scottsdale.

“The designations and accreditations that Abrazo Scottsdale Campus has received demonstrate that our bariatrics program provides quality care, clinical excellence and positive patient outcomes, while also recognizing the efficiency and value of our program,” Fang said.

When they ask patients what they want to look like, many can look at the two doctors and say, “I want to be normal –like you.”

Both surgeons weigh a slender 165 pounds. Fang, 60, is 5-foot-10; Shortridge, 33, is an inch shorter.

Yet they and their staff understand the struggles of their patients.

“All of us have family members who have been overweight or obese at some point,” Fang said. “Obesity is a very common disease.”

They are skeptical about Ozempic – a diabetes medicine used by some celebrities for weight loss – and other “trendy” weight-loss medications.

“I think it’s a useful medication to help with weight loss,” Fang allowed, regard-

ing Ozempic. “But the amount of weight loss you get with that class of medications is still drastically less than weightloss surgeries.

“The other thing to kind of keep in mind is that if you are taking one of those medications for weight loss, you need to take that medication for life. Because once you stop taking the medication, the chances are very high that you will regain all your weight back if not more.”

Conversely, Fang stressed, “bariatric surgery is for life – making permanent changes to your body.”

Shortridge feels he has made a satisfying career choice.

“I think that it is a very needed field,” he said. “I really like doing the surgery. And when you’re able to get a patient who has been struggling with obesity for their entire life and you can get them down to normal weight in a year – and all of their comorbidities are gone – you’ve cured them of their diabetes, or cholesterol or high blood pressure or sleep apnea, all of these things... That can be very rewarding.”

Information: abrazohealth.com.

Massage therapy helps sciatic nerve pain

BY DARLA HOFFMANN AFN Guest Writer

With over seven trillion nerves in the human body, maintaining their maximum health is imperative to our daily function.

The sciatic nerve is the longest and largest nerve starting at the low back just outside the spine and going down the back of both legs. At its widest point in the back of the thighs, the sciatic nerve is about 2 centimeters.

From there, the nerve splits and branches down to the outer feet. Essentially, the nerve allows you to walk and even stand by helping the muscles in your legs move and feel sensations.

Unfortunately, many people suffer from

Ahwatukee dance studio offers big show Saturday

As a long-time dance instructor, Kimberly Lewis likes to give all her Ahwatukee studio’s students from across the Valley a chance to strut their stuff with a big musical production.

And they’ll be doing just that at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. Saturday, June 10, at the Madison Center of the Arts, 5601 N. 16th St., Phoenix, with “A Night on the Town.”

Unlike Lewis’ scripted late summer production and her annual presentation of “The Nutcracker,” “A Night on the Town” is strictly about dance, choreography, bold costumes and vivid digitally produced backdrops – and a broad range of musical genres that will appeal to just about any generation, Lewis said.

Tickets for “A Night on the Town” are available at dancestudio111.com/tickets.

Armer Foundation slates casino night fundraiser

Attendees can roll the dice to benefit local families whose children have chronic or life-altering diseases

The Armer Foundation for Kids will host a casino night fundraiser 6-10 p.m. July 29, sponsored by Spencer 4 Hire Roofing, at Lights, Camera, Discover, 4825 E. Warner Road, Ahwatukee.

Along with poker, blackjack and craps, the event will also include a silent auction.

“This is a fundraiser for us to raise much needed funds for the families we support who have children with life-threatening illnesses – the treatments for which insurance does not always cover,” said foundation founder Jennifer Armer. “It’s a great oppor-

sciatica, which is not a medical diagnosis but a symptom of an underlying condition. Sciatica occurs from damage or pressure on the sciatic nerve causing numbness, weakness, aching, sharp pain, or tingling in the legs and hips.

There are many reasons why someone would experience sciatica. Aging alone can be a factor because of herniated disk issues and bone spurs that develop over time.

Heavy lifting, repetitive sports, trauma, and sitting for long periods can put pressure on the nerve and cause disk degeneration leading to pain at the site. Furthermore, obesity is another contributor to increasing the risk of disk herniation.

Diabetes and spondylolisthesis can cause disk slippage, nerve damage, and peripheral neuropathy. Osteoporosis, a condition of narrowing and compression

of the spinal canal, can also affect the sciatic nerve. And there is a modest risk factor that smoking causes nerve and lumbar pain as well.

Often, sciatica is confused with piriformis syndrome. While both can cause spinal dysfunction and the symptoms are similar, piriformis syndrome is a medical disorder that occurs when the piriformis muscle compresses the sciatic nerve. The piriformis muscle is responsible for rotating and stabilizing the hips.

Fortunately, there are things you can do to help alleviate pain from sciatica. Light exercises like yoga and stretching, and alternating heat and ice can reduce inflammation and increase the blood flow to the area, ultimately taking pressure off the nerve.

Moreover, massage therapy can be vital to your personal treatment plan. Deep

AROUND AHWATUKEE

tunity to have a fun night out, while knowing that you are making a difference in the lives of so many families who are struggling to pay the bills that will save their children’s lives.”

Ticket ranges are: $500 for $5,500 in chips and five drink tickets; $200 for $2,000 in chips and four drink tickets; $100 for includes $750 in chips and three drink tickets; and $50 for $250 in chips and two drink tickets.

Purchase tickets at armerfoundation.org/casinonight.

Ahwatukee women’s group schedules June luncheon

Ahwatukee Foothills Friends and Neighbors will hold its June luncheon social at The Olive Garden, 1010 W. Elliot Road, Tempe, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. June 26.

Activity leaders will discuss upcoming events. Contact affanwomensgroup@gmail.com for more details and to register. The cost of the lunch is $20 and must be prepaid by June 17 to attend.

The group schedules a variety of activities throughout the year, including team trivia, dining on the town, wine tasting, explore Arizona trips, book club, bridge and Mah Jong.

GRIC offering grants to eligible nonprofits

The Gila River Indian Community’s Gila River Cares Self-Excluded Jackpot Fund is seeking applications until June 30 for grants.

Eligible organizations should focus on education and children’s welfare.

Self-excluded jackpot funds accumulate throughout the year when Gila River Resorts & Casinos

tissue massage can release muscle tension providing the nerve with the space it needs to function properly.

Massage is proven to improve circulation, boost flexibility and range of motion, and enhance the body’s natural healing abilities. Look for a qualified therapist familiar with sciatic pain and understanding the anatomy.

Moreover, a therapist should check in on your pain during a session but always communicate your tolerance level. Of course, if symptoms persist or become worse, seek the guidance of a medical practitioner.

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

guests cannot accept their jackpot winnings. That money is distributed to nonprofits.

Previous nonprofits awarded this funding include the Lowell Observatory – Native American Astronomy Outreach Program in Flagstaff, Ryan House in Phoenix and Whispering Hope Ranch Foundation in Payson.

To learn more: playatgila.com/gila-river-cares.

Ahwatukee Kiwanis Club to host speaker from Boy Scouts

The Kiwanis Club of Ahwatukee has speakers at many of its weekly meetings at the Original Biscuits Restaurant on the southwest corner of Elliot Road and 48th Street in Ahwatukee.

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

On June 8, the speaker is Emily Gesell, Boy Scouts of America representative.

Ironwood Library offers free activities for all ages in May

Ironwood Library, 4333 E. Chandler Boulevard, 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.

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.

Full STEAM Ahead

Children ages 6-12 explore hands-on creative ways to design, experiment, and invent 2-4 p.m. June 10, 17 and 24in this drop-in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math (STEAM) program. No tickets required.

Around the World with Jungle Jill & Friends Children ages 2-11 can experience close encounters with reptiles and birds, large and small, from around the world at one of two shows today, June 7: 2-2:45 p.m. or 4-4:45 p.m. No tickets required.

Dr. T-rex Science

Children ages 2-11 can discover multiple scientific phenomena in this hands-on educational entertainment environment on June 14 at either 2-3 p.m. or 4-5 p.m.

Trash Talk: Zero Waste 2050

With interactive games and a virtual tour of Phoenix recycling facility, children ages 2-11 and their families will enjoy learning how to “Recycle Right at Home” and make “Reduce and Reuse” part of daily life. June 21, 2-3 p.m. No tickets required

Temporary Henna body art

Teens ages 12-17 can learn about the history, styles, and application of henna with a live demonstration 3-5 p.m. June 22.

Diarra Music

Enjoy a West African n’goni and balafon performance in the native Bambara language 11:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m. July 8. No tickets required.

East Valley nonprofit offers hope for addicts

BY JOSH ORTEGA Tribune Staff Writer

Just a half-mile from the Gilbert Road/ Main Street Light Rail Station, struggling addicts can find the end of the line and help to turn around their life.

Let’s Go Recovery is a nonprofit founded by Tracy Tingue, a husband and father of two who has experienced his own struggles of substance abuse.

In May 2022, Tingue purchased a 1,900-square-foot home in Mesa, refurbished it, and since July has helped people get back on their feet.

While Tingue said “housing in early sobriety is key,” it’s only a small fraction of the organization’s overall effort in helping people overcome their battle with substance abuse by giving them purpose, unity and helping them become “who they really want to be.”

“We’re talking about your mind, body and your spirit being changed,” Tingue said. “That looks a little bit different than just not drinking and doing drugs.”

For over two decades, Tingue was gripped by alcoholism and addiction until he had an epiphany in January 2021 at a small group meeting in Chandler, where “I surrendered to the fact that I was an addict and an alcoholic.” Tingue has since celebrated over two years of sobriety.

“Let’s Go” in the nonprofit’s name derives from the idea of taking action and “moving

towards something rather than sitting in the same old, same old,’” Tingue said.

Tingue said many addictions start from traumas of childhood and past relationships, something to which he is no exception.

“I was abandoned when I was 6 months old,” Tingue said.

While Tingue tried to “perform” for ac-

ceptance, he soon realized that finding purpose in what he enjoyed became a better way to spend his time.

Part of that journey, Tingue said, also comes in realizing that addiction partly stems from a feeling of worthlessness but changes when an addict chooses to find that purpose in “being a good human being.”

“Nobody that’s drinking and doing drugs cares about being a decent human being,” Tingue said.

Much of that good character building starts at Alpha House at 1954 E. Nielson Avenue in Mesa.

According to property records, the 1,900-square-foot single-family home was built in 1970 and has four bedrooms and two bathrooms and sold on May 10, 2022, for $448,000.

It operates as a starting point for those on the road to sobriety and represents only a fraction of the organization’s impact on the surrounding community.

see RECOVERY page 32

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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

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Founder Tracy Tingue performed a ceremonial ribbon cutting during the one-year anniversary of his nonprofit Let’s Go Recovery sobriety house. (David Minton/Tribune Staff Photographer)

tained a sense of joy.

The books pay homage to an assortment of art that Cagnetti admires, from Japanese comics in the 1970s to comic tropes from the 1990s and Michael Allred’s Madman.

The highly detailed artwork, vibrant colors and engaging story have spawned praise from reviewers who have used words like “upbeat and eye-popping,” “charming and dazzling” and “refreshingly unique.”

Even notable comic artist Don Simpson called Pink Lemonade “the most iconic comic book character to come along in 50 years” and he drew a four-page story for the number two issue.

Allred provided a quote for the front cover that reads, “Terrific and original like crazy.”

The president and publisher of Oni Press, Hunter Gorinson, said Cagnetti is “definitely a creator to watch.”

“Nick is the total package: He writes, he draws, he inks, he colors [the books] himself,” he added. “He’s created an entire world. He’s created not just the titular character, Pink Lemonade, but a fully formed cast.”

Gorinson noted Cagnetti’s creativity and the timeless yet contemporary nature of his work, saying that it “feels very of-themoment and in conversation with the current trend lines in comics.”

Cagnetti’s mother, Evelyn Cagnetti, said her son has loved comics since he was a toddler.

“It was his love of comics that got him reading and drawing,” she said.

Cagnetti recalled drawing Spiderman as

RECOVERY from page 31

Whether it’s holding small barbecues for 60 people or more in the Alpha House’s backyard or going down to Puerto Penasco, Mexico, to paint homeless and women’s domestic violence shelters, Tingue said recovery starts with sharing that human connection and not feeling alone.

“People don’t really want us around but we’re going to be around each other,” Tingue said. “When I’m connected with other human beings, when I’m connected with myself, when I’m connected to every

media including video and sculpture.

He also took drawing classes, but said, “It wasn’t the main focus, surprisingly.”

Cagnetti started drawing Pink Lemonade comic strips with pen and paint—a combination of watercolor and acrylic—as far back as 2016. He finished the strips near the end of 2018 and knew he wanted to do full comic books. But many people didn’t understand the concept at first.

“I remember writing the script and telling my friends and they were looking at me like, ‘What the heck are you talking about?’” he recalled.

Cagnetti added, “I think you can make anything work. You’ve just got to trust in what you’re doing because even the silliest of ideas, you can ascribe meaning to it and it can take on a life of its own.”

His mom, on the other hand, was immediately supportive.

As Cagnetti worked on the books—on an iPad now instead of on paper—it was a challenging time.

First, COVID-19 hit, and then his mom’s dad, Charles Poslosky Sr., died in 2020.

“He was a big supporter of Nick and his work,” Evelyn Cagnetti said.

Meanwhile, Cagnetti landed a deal with a small publisher in 2019, which put out the first two issues of Pink Lemonade. However, they both knew he was destined for bigger things, so the company let him out of his contract.

By April 2021, Cagnetti had offers from a “handful of publishers,” he said, but he didn’t like the terms and turned them down.

After he posted on Instagram asking if anybody was interested, he heard from Zack Soto, an editor at Oni Press, which gave him an advance to finish the series and royalties equaling 50 percent of sales.

Oni Press later re-released the first two issues and went on to publish the series and forthcoming trade paperback.

Cagnetti appeared at the recent Fan Fusion comicon in Phoenix and will be featured at the Charlotte Comicon in June as well as the event in San Diego. He’s also working on a completely new “fun spooky” series with a friend, he noted.

early as kindergarten, and he immersed himself in art throughout his days at Kyrene de los Cerritos Elementary, Kyrene Altadeña Middle and Desert Vista High schools.

After graduating in 2013, he attended Arizona State University and studied intermedia art, which involved a range of

part of my life, then I don’t want to be an addict anymore.”

While the first “annual analysis/update” on the nonprofit’s website said its volunteers have contributed 1,240 service hours to helping the community, Tingue said he estimates the real number is much higher.

“Service is where people find themselves of value,” Tingue said. “They find themselves of worth.”

According to the annual analysis on its website, the nonprofit said its quarterly need costs over $38,000, which goes to pay for housing, food, recreational events,

“He’s always been the artist, and here he’s written this story,” Evelyn Cagnetti said. “To me, that’s exciting, because I never thought of him as the author. He’s always been the artist.”

And not just his mom took note of his talent: Phoenix New Times named him the best local comic book artist in 2019.

and even hair cutting supplies.

Tingue said the nonprofit has brought together a wide variety of people from different backgrounds and life skills, including a barber.

It’s in those small interactions, Tingue believes one day someone will look back and realize their journey to recovery started with a free haircut and a supportive word.

“In a couple of years, we’re going to talk to somebody ‘how did you get clean and sober, man. You we’re drinking and drugging for 10 years. What did you do?’ He’s

Gorinson is eager to see what comes next for Cagnetti, saying, “It’s … rare for an artist to arrive with Nick’s level of quality and energy and vitality and in such a fully realized, fully formed state at such a young age.”

He added, “A lot of comics are cynically trying to be cool. Nick’s work is just cool.”

Nick Cagnetti is on Instagram @fudgy1nick.

going to say to you ‘one day, a guy cut my hair and he told me I could have a better life,” Tingue said.

With many projects in the works, including an interactive website, a podcast and “revolutionary” recovery app, Tingue said he wants people struggling with addiction to know they don’t have to suffer alone.

“In your apartment, in your deepest darkest place, you are not hiding from your pain; it’s coming from you. I say bring it to the light,” Tingue said.

Information: letsgorecovery.org 

The Pink Lemonade trade paperback is available for pre-order and will be released on July 4. (Oni Press/Special to the AFN)

Dental visits aren’t so ru with pet therapy dogs

BY GERI KOEPPEL AFN Contributor

People expect many things when they go to the dentist, including a paper bib, a free toothbrush, and quite often, a less-than-pleasant experience.

But Kokopelli Family and Cosmetic Dentistry in Ahwatukee Foothills o ers something special that most dentists don’t: pet therapy dogs.

Two Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Charlie and Koko, help calm patients’ anxiety and add a spark of joy to dental visits. Charlie is a certi ed therapy dog and Koko is in training to become certi ed, and they both began working at the o ce last year.

e dogs have been a huge success with patients of all ages, said Dr. Harveer Kaur, who owns the practice.

“ ey literally sleep on the patients’ laps,” she said. “ ey’ve been a great addition.”

Katie Eastwood, the o ce manager at Kokopelli Family and Cosmetic Dentistry, said the therapy dogs have led to about a 20 percent increase in new business. Even

when patients don’t have an appointment, she added, they’ll stop in just to see Char-

lie and Koko.

Some patients even reschedule appoint-

ments if they nd out the dogs won’t be in the o ce that day, Dr. Kaur noted.

Lisa Mitchell of Ahwatukee has been going to Kokopelli for about a year and was happy with the friendly employees and relaxed atmosphere even before the dogs.

“You don’t dread coming,” she said, “and then the puppies came, and that clinched it.”

In fact, she added with a laugh, “You get jealous when you come in and the dogs are with other patients.”

Pet therapy isn’t new; many in Ahwatukee might remember Pam Gaber, who started a nonpro t called Gabriel’s Angels in 2000 when she lived in the neighborhood (she’s since retired and moved out of state).

e group provides pet therapy to at-risk children at crisis centers, schools and more.

In fact, animal-assisted therapy has been around since the Middle Ages, according to some sources, but became popular in the late 20th century in hospi-

see PET page 35

Aldi’s supermarket opening in Tempe

The discount supermarket Aldi’s is about to get closer to Ahwatukee.

Aldi’s is opening its 2,305th American store in Tempe on the southwest corner of Southern Avenue and McClintock Drive.

Stating “customers nationwide have become loyal fans of the company’s fast and a ordable shopping experience,” Aldi’s also is o ering a giveaway to mark its opening themselves when the new Tempe store opens at 8 a.m. ursday, June 15, at 1715 E. Southern Ave.

e store will be open daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

e rst 100 customers will receive a gift card as part of the ALDI Golden Ticket gift

card giveaway program. Shoppers can also enter a sweepstakes for a chance to win a $500 ALDI gift card during the opening weekend from June 15-18.

Aldi calls its business model di erent from traditional supermarkets, partly because it has its own brands and a weekly lineup of limited-time “Aldi Finds.”

“Our stores are designed to make grocery shopping smarter, faster and easier, and we’ve been voted the price leader for six years running,” said Tom Cindel, regional vice president for ALDI. “We’re excited to open our rst ALDI store in Tempe and introduce local customers to a new, more a ordable way of shopping.”

Noting that it is ranked tops for low pric-

see ALDI page 35

Dr. Harveer Kaur, owner of Kokopelli Family and Cosmetic Dentistry, holds her pet therapy dog, Koko, while patient Lisa Mitchell, center holds pet therapy dog Charlie, whose owner is hygienist Terry Wallace. (Geri Koeppel/AFN Contributor)

AFN NEWS STAFF

Aldi’s will be located on the southwest corner of Southern Avenue and McClintock Drive in Tempe in a strip mall where Trader Joe’s also is located. (Special to AFN)

tals and spread to dental o ces, airports and other settings where anxiety can be prevalent.

But Dr. Kaur isn’t aware of any other dentists in Ahwatukee, Chandler or Tempe providing it.

Kokopelli Family and Cosmetic Dentistry never purposely planned to o er pet therapy. It started when dental hygienist Terry Wallace brought Charlie in as a puppy to show o to her colleagues as the day was winding down and the last patient was still in the chair.

Wallace recalled the day: “I said, ‘Honey, would you like a puppy on your lap?’ And she said, ‘Yes!’” She put Charlie in the patient’s lap, and when Dr. Kaur came into the room, she asked, “When can he start?”

Charlie began going to the o ce in September 2022 when he was eight months old and was an “instant hit,” Dr. Kaur said.

She remembered the rst child he ever helped who came in to get four teeth pulled. e boy made it through a 47-minute procedure with no laughing gas or drugs. Many people who used to get gas or

ALDI from page 34

es in the dunnhumby Retailer Preference Index Report, Aldi also o ers a “Twice as Nice Guarantee” on items, as long as they are not on alcohol, national brands or for “issues unrelated to quality.”

Aldi boasts that it keeps prices low by requiring customers to deposit a quarter to use a shopping cart so that it doesn’t need anyone to round them up. e quarter is refunded after the cart is returned.

However, bags are not free, although customers can bring their own.

Aldi’s o ers online shopping and curbside pickup at some locations for an additional fee. It is unclear if the Tempe location will o er that service and customers

Valium no longer need it, she remarked, because the pet therapy is so e ective.

Patients began posting comments about Charlie on social media and referring their friends. Wallace said one patient found the practice online and came in because of the pet therapy.

He told her, “I didn’t realize how much this helps me,” she related.

e sta soon found that the dogs were helping more than just the patients.

“It’s not only great for the patients’ anxiety, but it’s great for us,” Dr. Kaur stated. “Dentistry is a stressful profession and how they calm us down is amazing.”

After seeing Dr. Kaur interact with Charlie, Wallace in November 2022 decided to surprise her with an early Christmas present.

She went to the same breeder in Pennsylvania where she got Charlie and got another Cavalier King Charles Spaniel from the same parents.

Dr. Kaur named him Koko, after the name of her practice, and he started going to the o ce regularly when he was six months old in January 2023.

Dr. Kaur said her daughter, Jessie, who will be seven in June, considers Koko her

can check shop.aldi.us once it opens.

A typical ALDI store is approximately 12,000 square feet of retail space, making it easier to shop than oversized grocery stores.

Ninety percent of Aldi’s shelves are stocked with its own exclusive brand with a limited selection of national brands. e company states shoppers can save up to 50 percent on their grocery bills by shopping at Aldi.

Aldi brands are made by many of the country’s leading food producers and meet or exceed the quality of national name brands, according to the company. e company is recruiting employees and interested people can check careers. aldi.us. 

“baby brother” and even reads to him.

e dogs get dressed up for various holidays and everyone on sta pitches in to walk them and care for them when they’re working. Dr. Kaur has taught Koko commands in English and Punjabi, her native language, and said Koko is more energetic and will jump on patients and kiss them, while Charlie is more low-key and “asks for permission.”

Of course, the sta accommodates any patient who is allergic to or scared of dogs. ey put copious notes in the system to make sure the dogs are sequestered in the back when those patients come in and they take care to use a lint roller on chairs in the lobby regularly.

But most people are glad to see the dogs, and Dr. Kaur said other specialists refer patients to them based on the fact that they o er pet therapy.

Dr. Kaur bought the practice from a corporate chain in 2017 and took it private; the sixth anniversary is June 14. Her entire philosophy, she explained, was to have a dental o ce where people looked forward to their appointments.

“You come here, you’re not a patient, you’re not a room number—you’re a

friend,” Dr. Kaur said. “We’re here to hang out with you. We’re all friends here. We love spending time with each other.”

She became a dentist after watching her grandmother su er from having her jaw wired shut following a car crash that killed Dr. Kaur’s grandfather. She resolved to deliver compassionate care, so pet therapy was a natural t.

And after seeing the bene ts of it, Dr. Kaur said she hopes other dentists will follow suit.

“I think this would be a great idea if everyone does [pet therapy] because you don’t understand what it does for people,” she said. 

Roth IRA Conversion carries big tax bene ts

BY HAROLD WONG Guest Writer

It was not until taking Ph.D.-level courses at UC Berkeley that I was exposed to the advanced concept of economic opportunity/cost bene t analysis. While attending hundreds of nancial seminars over the last 50 years, I have never heard any nancial expert mention this concept.

Why does this advanced concept matter to you? e world of investments states that to get a higher rate of return, you have to take higher risk. Many investments that promise a very high rate of return result in loss.

What if you could become a multimillionaire by simply taking advantage of the huge economic opportunity bene t of Roth IRA Conversion tax savings?

Case study: About a year and a half ago I met a retired nurse whose physician husband, passed away years before. She had $5 million of nancial assets (of which $1.2 million was in a traditional IRA). Her normal taxable income was $190,000.

In 2022, we did a $600,000 Roth IRA Conversion, which increased her taxable income to $790,000. In 2022, her federal income tax would have been $242,000 and state income tax about $16,500, for a total of $258,500. She will convert the other half of her traditional IRA in 2023.

Solution: She purchased $420,000 of solar business equipment that was leased long-term to giant food companies. It generated $365,400 of tax deductions and $109,200 of solar tax credits (30% of the $420,000 solar business equipment).

It reduced her normal federal income tax to $0, but she will owe about $25,000 of Alternative Minimum Tax. She will receive an annual income of $29,400 for 10 years and average an 18.5% return. At the end of 10 years, she will sell the equipment back to the company and receive her original investment of $420,000.

She has $1.2 million in a traditional

IRA and can earn 9% or $108,000 annually. She’s in a combined 28.5% tax bracket, which would be $30,780 of taxes owed if that $108,000 was distributed and spent.

She estimates she will be alive for at least 20 years then her son will inherit the Roth IRA and enjoy unlimited earnings for the rst 10 years.

Using a Hewlett-Packard 12C Financial Calculator, we enter: PMT = $30,780; I = 9%; N = 30 years; and so FV = Future Value = $4,573,145 more net worth. She can keep the same investments that were in the traditional IRA but the economic opportunity bene t of saving $30,780 of annual taxes creates $4,573,145 more net worth.

We know that not everyone has $1.2 million in a traditional IRA. What if you had $600,000 in a traditional IRA or 401k and converted all to a Roth IRA? You would add $2,286,572 of net worth. is analysis shows the tremendous power of doing large Roth IRA Conversions to create millions more net worth,without taking any more risk in your investments. ese examples demonstrate just how important tax savings are. Is there any logical reason why you would not want to add millions of dollars more net worth to your family?

Free seminars: June 20 and June 22, at Hyatt Place, 3535 W. Chandler Blvd., Chandler. e seminar is 6 p.m., followed by a free catered supper. e topic is “Advanced tax strategies, including Roth and Multi-Generational IRAs.”

Free tour/workshop: at Solar Reefer (Refrigeration) Factory, 9 a.m.-noon, July 8, Topic is “How solar reefers can reduce taxes to $0 and earn a steady 1014%.” Refreshments served. Location is at Advanced Energy Machines: 4245 E. Norcroft Street, Mesa, near McDowell and Green eld roads.

To RSVP for the seminar or schedule a free consultation, contact Dr. Harold Wong at 480-706-0177 or harold_wong@hotmail.com. His website is www.drharoldwong.com. Dr. Wong earned his Ph.D. in Economics at University of California/Berkeley and has appeared on over 400 TV/radio programs. 

New state budget o ers some welcomed items

BY SEN. MITZI EPSTEIN AFN Guest Writer

Everyday Arizonans know exactly what our state needs to prioritize in the budget.

Anybody who travels I-10 between Phoenix and Casa Grande knows that it needs a lot of road work.

From potholes to public education, we took our cues from you.

ere are many lesser-known items in this year’s budget – including $89 million to keep that I-10 construction on track, money for potholes in northern Arizona, and even an investment in setting up an Amtrak route between Tucson and Phoenix.

As House and Senate Minority Leaders, Andres Cano and I convened our caucuses to develop our shared priorities for the budget, with perspectives from across the state. Housing and schools have topped our list consistently this year.

Working with Gov. Hobbs, we made historic investments into housing with $150 million to the Housing Trust Fund plus another $60 million to a new Homelessness Fund.

For K-12 education, we made it our top priority to fund the actual in ation gap –something that is historically neglected in our state budgets. It took persistence and creativity, and we got it done to provide an infusion of $300 million, but those dollars will not be available next year.

e bottom line is that this year schools will get about a 7% increase, even with the in ation rate.

While we are celebrating this infusion, the reality is that this simply allows schools to be able to buy the same number of books this year as last year.

e results of last year’s budget showed that teachers received an average increase in pay of about 5%.  e in ation rate was 9%, leaving our K-12 schools still struggling.

Others who will continue to struggle with less than worthy wages include caregivers for the elderly and disabled; they received no increase this year. ey are symbolic of the Arizona workers who have been left behind by years of tax cuts for billionaires and big corporations, which have been the priority of the Republican majority in the state legislature.

Paired with the lack of investment in our frontline workers, the aftermath of the

Small businesses depend on digital marketing

It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience to see how technology can change your industry.

As a long-time resident of Arizona and a small business owner in the real estate industry, I have witnessed rsthand the impact of the internet on business operations. With more than 20 years’ experience as a Realtor, I’ve seen the open internet, and

digital advertising, move from a “nice to have” to “need to have.”

e ipside of living through this evolution is that I’ve seen Washington move to regulate this essential industry.

at’s why I traveled to Washington with other small business owners, to make sure that Congress understands how essential digital advertising is for small businesses like mine.

Last Congress, there was a lot of discus-

pandemic is a compounding burden for so many that lost wages and family over the last three years.

Within this framework of limited revenue, we made good decisions to make impactful investments.

One great example is the new funding to provide free feminine hygiene products in public school bathrooms. Over the past several years, wonderful advocates for school achievement and equity have explained in committee meetings that too many girls miss school days because they do not have these products in the school bathroom when they need them.

We provide free toilet paper in bathrooms because that is sensible – it’s where you need it.  e same is true for feminine hygiene products. Many girls have testi ed that this will be life-changing for them!

Two more good-news stories for school children are programs to provide for trees and community gardens on campus. We put aside $400,000 for schools to plant community gardens for the most engaging kind of nutrition lessons, and trees for shade.

Trees also help ght climate change by removing ground-level ozone and carbon

dioxide from the air and releasing oxygen, e ectively producing cleaner air. Childhood exposure to high levels of ozone can lead to long-term health complications, so providing our children with cleaner air in their school yards is important for their health.

A few rural re districts will bene t from the $5 million in the new Fire District Grants fund. Given that a new re truck can cost $800 thousand, it’s nowhere near the $150 million requested, but it’s a start. Our rural re ghters often help people from all over the state as visitors to the natural beauty of our state parks and other tourism destinations. We should provide state funding for them.

Going forward, we must do better for our state to meet our responsibilities to public safety and public education.  With careful attention to statewide needs and scal corrections to make our taxes more fair for you, our results will be better preparedness for res and all aspects of safety as well as a thriving economy with a great quality of life.

Sen. Mitzi Epstein represents Legislative District 12, which includes Ahwatukee. 

sion around legislation that would have impacted my business, thankfully none of that legislation made it to the oor.

However, in the midst of “techlash” it’s important that Washington knows who exactly bene ts from the open internet.

Digital advertising is a critical component of our rm’s ability to compete with larger corporations. Without it, small businesses like mine would struggle to reach potential customers.

If Congress changes the way digital marketing works, it could have devastating consequences for small businesses like mine.

I am calling on Congress to safeguard our ability to leverage digital ads. Lawmakers in Washington must keep small businesses in mind when voting on legislation that could harm our community and our ability to serve clients e ectively.

-Will Carter

Scooter Molander shifting culture of DV football

BY ZACH ALVIRA AFN Sports Editor

After every successful play during the three-week spring ball period for Desert Vista, the sound of three claps echoed through Thunder Stadium.

It meant the team had done something right. Whether it be a successful play, recognition for a player or simply the end of a drill. It motivated players. It let them know they were quickly learning the ins and outs of a new playbook — their fourth in four years.

It’s a subtle new tradition introduced by new head coach Scooter Molander and his staff to show appreciation for players and the hard work they put in during the off-season. It’s also the first step in changing the culture of the Desert Vista program. And players have begun to respond accordingly.

“It came from a great coach a long time ago, Jesse Parker,” Desert Vista coach

Scooter Molander said of the three-clap idea. “It’s just a positive thing. The good

news is our players are calling it just as much as our coaches.

“It doesn’t necessarily mean a huge thing, but little things that can lead to a big play.”

Molander knew taking the job at Desert Vista would be a rewarding experience. Yet, still a difficult one.

He’s back in the 6A Conference, where he helped build Brophy into a yearly contender. But Desert Vista is in a more difficult spot than the Broncos were when he took over.

Desert Vista has been unable to maintain a new head coach since the retirement of longtime leader Dan Hinds, who led the Thunder to two state titles during his tenure.

Ty Wisdom was hired as Hinds’ successor, but parted ways with the school after a season in which he took the Thunder to the playoffs. Then came Nate Gill, who revitalized the Sierra Linda program into one with a winning culture.

Phoenix Council wants championship games here

BY JOSH BOOTZIN Cronkite News

Valley basketball fans received encouraging news at Phoenix City Council’s May 31 meeting that could lead to the next major sporting events coming to town.

The council adopted a resolution to participate in and support bids to host WNBA and NBA All-Star games and related events.

Hosting an All-Star weekend, which includes the game itself and a number of related lead-up events, is a large economic booster for a city.

In addition, major sporting events draw national and international media attention, as well as tens of thousands of spectators.

“I have watched firsthand over the years

the businesses that have located or expanded into downtown as a result of experiencing Phoenix during previous megaevents,” said Devney Majerle, President and CEO of Downtown Phoenix Inc.

“We continue to see positive impacts from the local, the national and the international media and visitors who also descended on downtown for the related activities.”

in 1975, 1995 and 2009 and the secondever WNBA All-Star Game in 2000, as well as in 2014.

Future sporting events already set to take place in Phoenix include the 2024 NCAA Men’s Final Four and the 2026 Women’s Final Four.

We have really put our communities on the spotlight. … We’re seeing a lot of investment in downtown

Phoenix has become a hub in recent years for marquee sporting events. Most recently, February’s Super Bowl 57 was held at State Farm Stadium in Glendale.

The city also hosted NBA All-Star games

“We have been known as Championship Valley,” Mayor Kate Gallego said, “because we have the know-how and ability to execute the best major, marquee sporting and mega-events.

“We have really put our communities on the spotlight. … We’re seeing a lot of investment in downtown, and we’re learning

how to more strategically leverage these events, including for economic development and to support our small businesses and highlight those great successes.”

With the 2023 WNBA All-Star Game set to take place in Las Vegas on July 14, and the 2024 NBA All-Star Game scheduled for Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, locations for the 2024 WNBA All-Star Game and 2025 NBA All-Star Game remain up for grabs.

In order to land the opportunity to host, teams are required to place a bid to their respective leagues.

The bids include assurances that the city is able to support the event by offering hotel and convention center space, security details, areas for surrounding events and an up-to-date arena capable of entertain-

New Desert Vista coach Scooter Molander is attempting to change the culture of the Thunder football program one step at a time. (Dave Minton/AFN Staff)

He won two games as head coach before stepping down for mental health reasons in January. Molander was hired in March. His first order of business was to build relationships with players. That’s been achieved through hours of film sessions watching practices from days prior to identify mistakes and praising them for good plays made on the field.

“Usually, coaches are only caught on to people doing the bad thing,” senior wide receiver Roan Martinez said. “Just to have the whole team here and them call somebody up to tell them good job and have the whole team clap for them, it shows the coaches really care for us and they’re seeing the good we’re doing.”

Martinez has quickly become one of the better receivers in the state. At 6-foot-2, 185 pounds and fast times on the track, he’s started to gain attention from colleges.

He knows by the time his senior season is near complete, he will have enough film to really open the eyes of Division I programs. He has the size, speed and overall athleticism. He’s also got elite pass catching abilities that helped him become a 1,000-yard receiver last season with quarterback Braxton Thomas — who is now finishing his high school career in Florida.

Martinez knows he will be looked upon as a leader this season. He knows this Desert Vista team is young in key positions.

But he’s excited to prove doubters wrong about the Thunder.

ing the main event, among other criteria.

Phoenix has no issue checking off the boxes needed to land major events, with this year’s Super Bowl serving as the latest example.

“We’re excited to partner with the City of Phoenix to engage the NBA and WNBA to bring both All-Star games to the Val-

“Everyone on this team knows people aren’t expecting much from us,” Martinez said. “We’re coming with our goal being to make the playoffs and go as far as we can. This coaching staff is going to bring us far.”

Playing with a chip on his shoulder is something senior lineman Isaiah Packer has had to do his entire life.

He isn’t the biggest lineman at 5-foot-11, 260, but where he lacks in size, he brings in intensity on the field.

ley,” new Suns and Mercury owner Mat Ishbia said.

“Phoenix is one of the great basketball cities in the world and the perfect place to bring together the players and fans to celebrate the sport. The Phoenix Suns and Mercury want to continue finding new and important ways to partner with the city to bring real impact to our community.”

Packer, nicknamed “Packman,” plays bully ball. His low center of gravity helps him get into the chest of opposing defensive linemen. When he’s on defense, he uses his speed and violent hands to penetrate the line.

He’s had to play with a violent mentality his whole life and work hard to achieve his goals. Now, much of that is rubbing off on his teammates.

“I was always undersized, I still am,” Packer said. “I’ve always just had to go that

Now that the city government is supporting the Suns and Mercury to place host bids for future All-Star games, the teams have the green light to reach out to the leagues and cement their interest. At this point, it’s just a waiting process to see which cities the leagues choose.

Other cities with formal bids or reported interest in the NBA All-Star Game include Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Boston, Orlando,

extra mile and have that extra aggression to go against everybody else that’s bigger than me.”

Packer is confident in the players on this year’s team. He feels they’re motivated to catch teams by surprise, especially with the potential for yet another down year ahead for the Thunder.

But that hasn’t stopped him from motivating teammates. And it hasn’t stopped the coaching staff from holding them accountable and instilling discipline early on in the process.

Molander said his players have attacked the weight room since he arrived. Many participated in track to get faster. Even when other players leave the program, those who remain are buying into what Molander and his staff are teaching them to be successful.

Many of those same philosophies and culture worked when he built Brophy into a power. They worked the last three seasons at Eastmark, where he won a championship in the school’s third varsity season.

Now, he hopes his take on a football program’s culture will work on Desert Vista, too. So far, the Thunder are headed in the right direction.

“It’s just words if I come in here and talk about discipline,” Molander said. “We have to be consistent in what we’re doing. It would fall on flat ears if we don’t establish what we demand from ourselves as well.

“The guys are buying into what we’re doing because they’re seeing the improvement in not just themselves, but each other, and what the spirit of a team can be.” 

San Francisco, Sacramento and Detroit.

“The city of Phoenix’s collaborative approach to executing major events is wellknown among national event producers,” Majerle said, adding:

“It truly has become a competitive advantage for landing mega events in the region. We will keep our fingers crossed at Downtown Phoenix Inc. for positive news very soon.” 

HOST from page 39

Senior wide receiver Roan Martinez has noticed a positive change with the new coaching staff. They aren’t focused only on the wrongdoing of players in various drills or plays. They aim to encourage and acknowledge good plays made in practices, too. (Dave Minton/AFN Staff)

Vegan restaurant fills a nearby need

BY KEN SAIN GetOut Staff Wrtiter

Rob Matthew said that when he and his wife, Nequa, decided to become vegans in 2016, they quickly learned there were few options for going out to eat.

So the couple opened Nana’s Kitchen near downtown Chandler in 2018, offering 100% vegan soul food.

The restaurant filled such a need that this year they opened a second restaurant, right next door, called BYOV.

“It’s really just a lifestyle change,” Matthew said. “We just wanted to eat healthier. When we became vegan … there were only a handful of vegan restaurants in the Valley. Last Saturday, there was an event where there were over 40-plus vegan vendors. It’s definitely growing.”

Matthew said BYOV is a play on “bring your own booze,” with the “V” standing for

whatever you like, “vegan” or “vegetable” or whatever.

The menu has a little of everything, but the highlight and most popular dishes are the sushi offerings.

While Nana’s has built up a following because of its soul food offerings, Matthews and his wife wanted a second restaurant that would invite in a different clientele.

Matthew said BYOV is more eclectic, offering a variety of what he calls comfort food.

He said his hope is that people who usu-

ally come to Nana’s will give BYOV a try, and that new people attracted to BYOV’s menu will see Nana’s next door and decide to give that a try on their next visit.

“My wife is the one that got us in the industry,” Matthew said. “I’ve really en-

Company using AI to address disconnectedness

BY ALEX GALLAGHER AFN Staff Writer

Young people who suffer from social anxiety at mass gatherings may finally have some respite.

Scottsdale-based artificial intelligence entertainment company Gatzby’s has begun creating intimate events around the Valley where guests create an online profile before attending, answer a questionnaire and meet people based on their interests and life experiences.

“We have an increased level of loneliness and depression and there’s this massive disconnect that exists in our society today,” said Gatzby’s CEO/founder Aspen Gatz. “There’s a huge gap between what exists in the sense of connecting with others, talking about what needs to be talked about and making genuine lasting personal, professional, platonic and romantic

connections.

“There was this gap that we thought we would go ahead and fill in order to try to solve this epidemic of disconnect and loneliness that is existing within our society today.”

Gatz said she fell victim to that sense of disconnectedness while living in Los Angeles.

“When I moved to downtown Los Angeles by myself at 22, it was not necessarily the best thing for my psyche,” Gatz said.

This was a foreign feeling for Gatz, who had considered herself an extrovert and who held DJ concerts in the basement of her parents’ home when she was 15.

The Tucson native had also built an impressive resume in the entertainment industry when she aided in the opening of the nightclub located inside the established No Anchovies Pizzeria in her native city.

But she still felt overwhelmingly per-

plexed by her new feeling of loneliness.

So, she began plotting a business she had been brainstorming since age 15 that

could enable her to create intimate gath-

Rob Matthew and his wife Nequa opened BYOV next door to his other downtown Chandler restaurant, Nana’s Kitchen. The Mango Roll includes mock crab meat, cream cheese, avocado, cucumber topped with mango sauce and eel sauce. (David Minton/Staff Photographer)

Christian Grundemann and Aspen Gatz of Gatzby's believe they’re new online program can help people who are fearful of big social gatherings. (David Minton/Progress Staff Photographer)

BYOV from page 42

joyed cooking from a young age, and she decided one day that it would be a good opportunity for us.”

They found a space on Arizona Avenue, less than a mile north of downtown. The menu is filled with crab and shrimp, but everything is a meat substitute.

“We make our own crab in house,” Matthew said. “Our Birria tacos are made out of jackfruit.

“The shrimp we make as well. It’s just an

erings where people could develop fruitful partnerships.

As a former master’s student of interdisciplinary studies at the University of Arizona, Gatz researched the concepts of communication, psychology and what makes people compatible with each other.

That was when she came up with a questionnaire of up to 30 questions that ran the gamut from the individual’s interests to their childhood experiences.

“One of the first questions is what are you looking for personally, professionally platonically or romantically and what are you interested in? So, we take into account whether or not someone’s interested in romantic relationships, professional relationships,” Gatz said.

“We do take into consideration if they want children in the next couple of years or if they want children at all, if they believe in a higher power, whether or not they’ve had a good experience in their childhood or their 20s.”

Her early testing in August, when she started the company, included making a spreadsheet of answers, writing some of the questionnaire answers on the back of Polaroid pictures, making matches by comparing the images of the individuals and then giving individuals wristbands with numbers.

The premise was that the more numbers that matched with another person’s code meant that the two people were more compatible.

assortment of different vegetables that we season to flavor that will mimic crab and shrimp.”

Matthew said both he and his wife love to cook and they have been experimenting in the kitchen to come up with the right flavors to please customers.

“It’s definitely time consuming, to say the least,” he said. “Countless hours, my wife is a perfectionist, but she loves to be in the kitchen.”

In addition to 11 different sushi offerings, BYOV also offers nachos, burritos,

Fortunately for Gatz, technology began to catch up to her idea. This was around the time that she put out an Instagram ad to boost her company.

In addition to getting traction for her new business, Gatz also caught the eye of Christian Grundemann, a software developer who identified with her mission.

“I’m really passionate about our mission because I’ve struggled with loneliness throughout my life and I really struggled to find that like meaningful connection with (people),” Grundemann said.

Grundemann’s biggest complaint about social platforms is that the conversations were surface level and he never felt that he made deep connections with people.

Because of this, Grundemann gained more than a friend, he got a job as the startup company’s chief technology officer.

He also pivoted the company in a new direction by utilizing artificial intelligence to play matchmaker.

“AI kind of took a focal point as we progressed as a company,” Gatz explained. “It is being able to look at everything that has existed across the internet and all the different research that has been done. And then using that in application to match people within the experiences.”

Early testing proved successful. However, the big test was to come June 3, when Gatzby’s hosted its first event at the Walter Where? House in downtown Phoenix.

Although there was no telling how the event would go beforehand, Gatz remained steadfast in her belief that her company had built a first-of-its-kind

tacos and pizza.

Matthew said the most popular item on their menu is the Las Vegas sushi roll, which has mock crab meat, cream cheese, avocado, eel and is deep fried.

Nana’s Kitchen was named after Robin’s grandmother, who usually is at the restaurant helping out.

Just like their menu is filled with meat substitutes, BYOV is currently offering Mocktails, which are drink substitutes.

The new restaurant is still in the process of getting its liquor license so is not al-

concept that would catch on quickly and change the nightlife industry.

“We believe that it could be very large,” she said, adding that the nightlife industry “hasn’t changed in a decade – it’s the same model.

“It’s the same people going to forget their problems when they’re congregating in a space where a lot of solutions could potentially be found. So, taking that space and turning it into something good is something that we’re really passionate about as well as being a source of connection and instilling that within our generation.”

Gatz sees Gatzby’s as a company that can

lowed to serve alcohol at the moment.

Matthew said he expects to get the license soon, maybe by June, and they’ll be able to offer actual cocktails. He said they may not be done expanding. Matthew said he and his wife are looking for other opportunities to open more restaurants. 

BYOV

777 N. Arizona Ave., Chandler 480-690-6842

azbyov.square.site

create more rewarding social experiences.

“We will eventually entirely own our experiences,” Gatz said adding that she plans to expand the concept to other cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, Austin and Miami and dreams of taking this concept globally.

For now, the experience will lie within partner destinations around the Valley and focus on tackling the issue of loneliness one fun night at a time.

“We definitely want to solve the epidemic of loneliness and offer a space where people can come when they need a connection and when they need help finding what they’re looking for,” Gatz said.  

GATZBY’S from page 42

ACROSS

1 Cave flier

4 Beanies

8 Experts

12 Punk rock o shoot

13 Classic theaters

14 Global septet

15 Ages and ages

16 When bar drinks are discounted

18 First-rate, in slang

20 Perched

21 Apothecary measure

24 Of the Arctic

28 Annual celebration for a saint

32 Forbidden act

33 Freedom, for short

34 First half of an LP

36 Pol. party org.

37 Raw materials

39 Magazine founded in 1933

41 Costume

43 Admin. aide

44 Composer Rorem

46 Grammarian’s concern

50 Freshman

55 Pen name

56 Garfield’s pal

57 North Sea feeder

58 “This tastes awful!”

59 Engrossed

60 Conked out

61 Uncle (Sp.)

DOWN

1 Gridlock sound

2 Latin love

3 Singer Braxton

4 Companions

5 Oklahoma city

6 Zing

7 Easy targets

8 Actor Kutcher

9 Corp. boss

10 Vichy water

11 Old map letters

17 Chatter

19 Rx writers

22 Tennis score

23 Tyler Perry persona

25 Mine find

26 Diarist Frank

27 Boulder

King Crossword

28 Promote aggressively

29 Hibernia

30 Help a hood

31 Evergreen trees

35 Promised

38 Twilight time

40 Scale amts.

42 Favorite

45 Turned blue?

47 Border on

48 Leslie Caron role

49 Repeat

50 Supporting

51 Lupino of film

52 Wardrobe malfunction

53 Peyton’s brother

54 Actor Vigoda

Sudoku

YWith JAN D’ATRI GetOut Columnist

This treasured treat will be a welcome dessert

ou know this scenario. You’re invited to someone’s house for a get together. You flip over a dish they’ve prepared for you. You beg for the recipe and cross your fingers that they are willing to share it with you.

That’s how I got this treasured treat from a friend’s family recipe archive. The dinner they prepared was delicious, but this dessert was over the top.

How I love it when people share and don’t mind at all if you pass it along.

So, I think you should rescue this recipe and make it your own. Oh, and I’ve thrown in a recipe for homemade vanilla ice cream just for grins. 

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 cups butter, softened

• 3 cups sugar

• 5 large eggs

• 1 tablespoon vanilla

Directions:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 cup baking cocoa

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 12 ounces chocolate-covered peppermint patties

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine the dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture and mix well.

Spread two-thirds of the batter in a greased 13x9-in.

Fudge Frosting

• 12 tablespoons butter, at room temperature

• 4 cups powdered sugar, more as needed

• 1 cup cocoa powder, Hershey’s

Directions:

In the bowl of a stand mixer, add butter and beat to soften. Add powdered sugar, cocoa powder and espresso powder alternately with heavy cream. Blend well.

baking pan. Arrange peppermint patties over top. Spread remaining batter over patties. Bake at 350 degrees for 3540 minutes or until edges begin to pull away from sides of pan and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely and cut into bars.

• teaspoon instant espresso powder

• 1½ cups heavy cream, more as needed

• 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract

Add vanilla and continue to mix to achieve spreading consistency. If too runny, add more powdered sugar. If too thick, add more heavy cream, a teaspoon at a time. Easy homemade vanilla ice cream

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 cups butter, softened

• 3 cups sugar

• 5 large eggs

• 1 tablespoon vanilla

Directions:

Using a blender, electric beaters or whisk, blend the milk, sugar and salt together until the sugar has dissolved. Stir in the heavy cream and vanilla. Blend or whisk to fully incorporate.

Pour the mixture into the frozen freezer bowl of an

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 cup baking cocoa

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 12 ounces chocolate-covered peppermint patties

electric ice cream maker and let run until ice cream is thick. This generally takes about 25 minutes. Spoon the mixture out of the ice cream maker and scoop into a bowl. Freeze until ready to serve. Ice cream will set up and harden in about 2 hours. This recipe makes about 1 quart of ice cream. .

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