Ahwatukee Foothills News 06/14/2023

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Vision of Upper Canyon emerges in city records

BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor

Though the start of construction has yet to be announced, the massive Upper Canyon Development on 373 acres in western Ahwatukee is taking shape in plans the developers have submitted so far to the city.

Phoenix Planning and Development Department documents obtained by the Ahwatukee Foothills News through a state records law request show how the overall development is being planned by land owner Blandford

Homes and its subsidiary, Reserve 100 LLC, together with homebuilder D.R. Horton.

When it is done, Upper Canyon will comprise 1,050 detached single-family houses, 150 rental townhomes and a 328-unit apartment complex on former State Trust Land along Chandler Boulevard between 19th and 27th avenues.

Blandford won a state Land Department auction for the property with a $175.5 million bid that it is not scheduled to finish paying until 2029, according to state records obtained by AFN.

The developers so far have submitted plans for the first two phases that will cover a total of six of the 20 parcels they’ve carved out for development.

But no timetable for any phase is indicated in the developers’ submissions, although the city has put the second phase on a “time extension” for further details.

The first phase of the development calls for 122 single-family homes divided among three parcels along W. Chandler Boulevard

Phoenix crime reduction plan targets 4 areas

BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor

The Phoenix Police Department last week rolled out a new “Crime Reduction Plan” aimed at driving down violent crimes by 5% and property offenses by 8%.

The plan takes “a community and victimcentered approach” that targets “the most violent people, the most active places, prohibited possessors (of firearms) and violent offenders with outstanding warrants,” a department release stated, noting it includes metrics for assessing progress.

The plan comes at a time when a Phoenix

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BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor

Phoenix City Council was scheduled today to consider a proposal by the administration for creation of a “community court” to handle minor criminal cases involving unsheltered people.

The proposed Phoenix Community Court would add 21 people to the city payroll and cost at least $2.23 million annually with an additional start-up cost of $46,000 to buy three vehicles and other equipment, according to a council report released last week.

Those new employees would include 10 “navigators” who would work with defendants most closely and 11 other court system personnel, such as prosecutors and public defenders.

The Community Court would be the fourth “specialty court” in Phoenix that addresses specific categories of people and minor crimes with the goal of helping defendants turn their life around rather than punish them.

Two of those three entities are adjuncts of Phoenix Municipal Court while the third is a regional court run by the city.

All three courts have judges, city prosecutors and public defenders working together on “evidence-based best practices and procedures to provide long-term solutions to offenders through an alternative path to traditional criminal justice systems,” the report notes, calling them “problem-solving alternatives” to the traditional legal system.

Those three entities are, the report says:

• The Phoenix Veterans Court, which aims to “restore veterans to being successful, contributing members of the community” by diverting defendants charged with minor criminal offenses into programs that “to address the root causes of the behavior” that got them into trouble.

• The Phoenix Behavioral Health Court, which diverts defendants into programs tailored to meet “the unique needs of individuals with certain mental illnesses” and reduce their recidivism through “early interven-

tion and increased treatment engagement, collaboration and coordination with criminal justice, mental health, and other community partners.”

• The Maricopa County Regional Homeless Court, “designed to resolve outstanding minor misdemeanor, victimless offenses and warrants for individuals experiencing homelessness who demonstrate commitment to end their homelessness.”

The city report says Phoenix needs a second specialty court to deal with homeless defendants because the Regional Homeless Court works on county-wide issues and the administration’s proposed model “engages all stakeholders in a more robust specialty court process.”

The report concedes that while the city has seen considerable success with all three specialty courts, it faces “a continuing and significant challenge for the community is assisting individuals currently experiencing homelessness.

“This challenge has resulted in unsheltered members of the community often being cited or arrested on minor charges,

such as trespassing, and entering into the traditional criminal justice system with limited opportunities to seek services, es-

tablish stable housing, or access other resources,” it said.

The report said Phoenix officials would

use the “best practices” of other municipalities’ specialty courts “that have provided an alternative approach outside of the traditional criminal justice systems to better support individuals currently experiencing homelessness.

“The Phoenix Community Court will be a collaborative effort with staff from multiple City departments, including the Municipal Court, Police, City Prosecutor’s Office, Public Defender, and Homeless Solutions.”

Mesa has had a community court for over four years.

The defendants arrive in custody at times, though many are out on their own recognizance, working on sentences that focus on personal improvement – such as attending alcohol or drug counseling and finding a place to live.

Unlike conventional courts, the Mesa Community Court adds “navigators’’– representatives of social service agencies – to help defendants connect with the services they need to improve their lives.

The arrests – sometimes individuals are arrested as many as 100 or even 200 times

The city administration provided this cost breakdown for a new proposed court that was scheduled to be considered by City Council today, June 14. (City of Phoenix)

COURT from page 4

– are mostly for crimes of desperation, misdemeanors such as trespassing or shoplifting that are committed by people with nothing to eat and nowhere to go.

The goal of the Mesa Community Court would be the model for Phoenix’s proposed court: interrupt that cycle of addiction, homelessness and arrest, giving the most desperate of defendants an opportunity to regain their self-esteem and to live productive lives.

Phoenix officials said their proposed Community Court would start with unsheltered people who were jailed for arrests in nonviolent crimes.

A navigator would be assigned to the individual and the two would work with court personnel, prosecutors and public defenders in a process that would include a needs assessment and drug screening

and an individualized plan with specific milestones for the defendant.

That team would appear in court periodically to update the judge on the defendant’s progress.

“If the individual is able to complete their customized service plan, the individual will graduate from Phoenix Community Court. This graduation will result in either the dismissal of the person’s case, a reduced charge or a suspended sentence.”

Failure to successfully complete the program would send the defendant back into the normal court system for people charged with a crime.

“The Phoenix Community Court will be centered around a holistic and compassionate approach to provide long-term solutions that will positively impact individuals currently experiencing homelessness, and benefit the entire community,” the administration said. 

It’s not clear if actions to clear “The Zone,” a stretch of encampments in the heart of Phoenix, would end up diverting some people in the new Phoenix Community Court proposed by the city administration. (AFN file photo)

Phoenix kicks off campaign for $500M bond yes vote

Supporters of Phoenix’s first General Obligation bond in 16 years kicked off their campaign for passage in the November all-mail election last week with a flock of city officials and community leaders urging a yes vote.

The “Let’s GO Phoenix!” campaign, chaired by South Phoenix Councilwoman Kesha Hodge Washington and Sunbelt Holdings CEO John Graham, is pushing voter approval of a $500 million bond that will pay for a slew of major projects, many of them related to police and fire facilities.

four measures, we can enhance public safety, bring quality of life improvements, address housing affordability, and ensure that Phoenix remains a forward-thinking and future-focused city.“

Phoenix City Council was scheduled to adopt the bond language today, June 14.

“We can pass a city bond package that will not increase tax rates. It will simply continue the rate property owners are paying now for existing bonds which costs the average homeowner only 6 cents per day – a small price to pay for huge improvements to life in Phoenix, “ Graham said.

Added Washington: “By approving all

The four bond questions would establish the authorization to sell up to $214,000,000 general obligation bonds for fire, police, roadway and pedestrian infrastructure projects; up to $108,615,000 general obligation bonds for library, parks and historic preservation projects; up to $114,385,000 general obligation bonds for workforce and job creation, education, economic development, environment, sustainability, arts, and culture projects; and up to $63,000,000 general obligation bonds for affordable housing and senior center projects.

Arguments supporting or opposing any

see BOND page 7

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BOND from page 6

of the bond questions must be filed with the City Clerk no later than 5 p.m. Aug. 9. Arguments are limited to 300 words.

The Phoenix measure is one of two issues Ahwatukee voters will be weighing in the Novemebr election.

Besides the four city questions, they also will be voting yes or no on two questions from the Kyrene School District – one of a $161 million bond and the other for a $8.5 million annual override of the so-called District Additional Assistance fund, which covers smaller capital projects.

Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego praised the broad coalition supporting the city’s bond request.

Some of the notables who are throwing their weight behind its passage include Sharon Harper, executive committee chair of Plaza Companies; Kate Wells, CEO of Children’s Museum of Phoenix Kate Wells; Vice Mayor Yassamin Ansari and 7; Councilwoman Debra Stark of District 3; Rick Naimark of Arizona State University; Robin Reed of the Black Chamber of Arizona and Abraham James of the Library Advisory Board.

Organizations that are mobilizing for its passage include the Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce; Greater Phoenix Leadership; United Phoenix Fire Fighters Association Local 493; Carpenters Local Union 1912; Valley Youth Theatre; Phoenix Center for the Arts and Phoenix Theatre Company; Phoenix Law Enforcement Association and Operation Blue Ribbon. A citizens commission earlier this year recommended that of the $214 million,

a total $132.5 million would pay for four new fire stations and one new police station and renovations for a second police station and city’s evidence warehouse while $81.5 million would go to street and storm drain replacement citywide with nearly a third reserved for flood and drain mitigation in Laveen and an area around Dobbins and Baseline roads.

The $63 million for housing would include $33.2 million for “affordable housing property preservation” and another $21.3 million for housing development in the Edison-Eastlake community, according to previous city reports.

The rest of the bond money would cover a broad range of projects, including $21.6 million for a Latino Cultural Center, $14 million for a new Valley Youth Theater venue, $44.6 million for neighborhoods and city services with more than two thirds of that going to three new libraries, and $10 million for making city facilities more handicap-accessible and $5 million for historical preservation program.

Also covered by the bond measure are $38 million for economic development and education, all going to three projects, $14 million in energy and water efficiency upgrades at city facilities, $7.7 million for “heat resiliency,” $3 million for brownfields redevelopment of city land and $1.3 million for electric vehicle charging stations.

It also would pay for $385,339 in “cultural facilities critical equipment replacements” citywide and improvements or expansion at the Children’s Museum, Phoenix Center for the Arts Theater, Phoenix Theatre Company and Arizona Jewish Historical Society. 

Vetoes of porn, bathroom ban bills infuriate GOP lawmakers

BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

Arizona won’t block transgender students from using restrooms and locker rooms that do not match their biological sex.

In a short veto message Thursday, Gov. Katie Hobbs called the legislation “yet another discriminatory act against LGBTQ+ youth passed by the majority at the state Legislature.’’

Republican Scottsdale Rep. John Kavanagh pointed out that the legislation was about more than bathrooms with separate stalls.

“There’s something terribly wrong with making a 15-year-old high school freshman coed stand naked in the school shower next to a naked 16-year-old biological male who may identify as female,’’ he said.

But the governor, who earlier had nixed legislation forbidding teachers from using a student’s preferred pronoun, warned the Republican majorities in both chambers not to send her similar measures.

“I will veto every bill that aims to attack and harm children,’’ she wrote.

Hobbs vetoed four other measures Thursday, bringing her total so far this session to 110.

While three were related to election procedures, the other vetoed measure would have increased the amount of money individuals can divert from income taxes owed to the state to instead fund scholarships for students to attend private and parochial schools.

She said such credits reduced state income tax collections more than $271.8 million last year, a move that “diverts much needed funding from our public schools.’’

But it was the measure on restrooms and locker rooms that was the most controversial.

As crafted it would have required schools to provide a “reasonable accommodation’’ to a student is unwilling or unable to use a facility that matches the persons sex.

That could include a single-occupancy room, a room for faculty or staff, or even a restroom or locker room for the opposite sex when no one of that sex was present.

It also covered sleeping rooms.

More to the point, the legislation defined “sex’’ as “determined by anatomy and genetics existing at the time of the person’s birth’’ as evidenced by a document that reflects the individual’s birth certificate.

The measure also would have allowed anyone who encounters someone of the opposite sex in a multi-occupancy restroom or changing facility to file suit and recover claims for all psychological, emotional and physical harm suffered.

Kavanagh called the legislation a matter of common sense.

“Modesty is a basic universal and historic human instinct,’’ he said during debate on the measure. “It goes back to Adam and Eve hiding behind the bush after the apple was eaten.’’

“A school rule or a state law or a court decision cannot change that natural instinct of modesty,’’ he said. “And I think we have to respect that.’’

Sen. Christine Marsh, D-Phoenix, said such legislation would further isolate transgender students and cause further harm.

“They are at immediate risk for all kinds of things, particularly suicide,’’ she said.

She said if some students do not feel comfortable using a facility with a transgender individual, perhaps they should be the ones who have to use those “reasonable accommodations’’ rather than singling out the transgender students.

Kavanagh called that unworkable.

“That would be an unbelievable burden upon our schools and take valuable funding away,’’ he said.

“Quite frankly, I don’t know what the percentage of transgender students are,’’ Kavanagh said. “But I suspect it’s well under 1%,’’ meaning schools would have to provide special accommodations for the other 99%.

This isn’t Kavanagh’s first effort to define in Arizona law who can use what facilities.

A decade ago he proposed making it a crime for someone to use a restroom, shower or locker room that did not match the person’s gender.

That measure covered not just schools but any public facilities. And violators could have gone to jail for up to six months.

see PORN page 10

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PORN from page 9

It ran into several practical issues, including whether some people might be forced to carry around a birth certificate.

Kavanagh then revamped the measure to instead give business owners immunity from civil and criminal prosecution if they turn away someone from a restroom based on the belief of the owner or manager that person should not be using that facility. That variant proved no more successful.

The senator called his new measure a compromise. He said it ensures that facilities designated for a particular sex are maintained that way while ensuring there is a “reasonable accommodation’’ for those who, for whatever reason, cannot or will not use a bathroom, locker room or sleeping quarters that match their biological sex.

“It’s trying to give something for everybody but respecting modesty,’’ Kavanagh said.

In a prepared statement following the veto, the senator said Democratic lawmakers and Hobbs “are catering to an extremist culture by pushing ‘gender neutrality’ as a means to win political points from their liberal base while stealing dignity away from women and girls in the process.’’

Earlier last week, Sen. Jake Hoffman, RQueen Creek, ripped Hobbs’ veto of a bill he said would prevent the filming of sex acts on public property.

Hobbs called the measure little more than “a thinly veiled effort to ban books.’’

Part of what is behind the bill was an incident last year reported by Havasu News involving a teacher at in Lake Havasu City who, with her husband, a fourth-grade teacher at another school, were filming obscene videos in her classroom and posting them for money on a social media site.

The school acknowledged that some students found the video online but said it had not been taped during the school day.

Hoffman’s bill sought to make it illegal to film or facilitate “sexually explicit acts’’ at any publicly owned or leased property.

Sen. Priya Sundareshan, D-Tucson, said she presumed that already was against the law.

“Amazingly, it’s not,’’ Hoffman responded. “I don’t think anybody ever thought to have to believe that folks were going to use public facilities for porn-filming locations.’’

That part of the legislation appeared to have little opposition.

allowed to expose minors to sexually explicit materials.

“I’m reading this and I’m wondering, does this include a library that has a book with any sexual situation, even if it was in the adult section just because a child could potentially find it on the shelf?’’ Sundareshan asked.

“It absolutely does include that,’’ Hoffman responded, adding that he saw no reason not to combine both topics.

“It’s absolutely sickening that Katie Hobbs is allowing pornography to be filmed in our state’s taxpayer funded classrooms,’’ he said.

“These should be safe spaces for our kids to learn in, not venues for the sexually explicit adult entertainment industry,’’ Hoffman continued. “No 12-year-old child should ever have to worry that their middle school desk was the location of a porn shoot.’’

But the testimony on the bill was focused not on the filming but the effect of the other section on what materials should be available to children.

Elijah Watson said he understands the desire to protect children from sexually explicit materials. But he called the legislation “dangerously broad,’’ failing to provide adequate assumptions.

Consider, he said, examples of literature like “Beloved’’ by Toni Morrison which include memories of sexual abuse and exploitation. Then there’s “The Great Gatsby’’ with homoerotic language and “Of Mice and Men,’’ which uses vulgarity and racist language.

Watson said violations carry a presumptive term of 1.5 years in state prison, something he said should not be imposed on teachers for assigning a book.

Hoffman pointed out that lawmakers actually approved a similar measure last year that already makes it illegal to have sexually explicit materials in schools. What this legislation sought to do, he said, was extend that to all other levels of government, including libraries.

Banning certain books from the library was just fine with other GOP lawmakers.

Rep. John Gillette, R-Kingman, said he was prepared to bring in a book from his public library to read it out loud at the hearing.

What did draw concerns was the other half which said no state or local agency is

“There was no possible way in the spirit of decorum we have here that I could read this book aloud, a book that was intended for sixth graders, to speak about sexual acts, with photographs,’’ he said. 

CANYON from page 1

east between an extended Liberty Lane and 19th Avenue.

The second phase comprises two parcels along the extended Liberty Lane near the southern end of the first phase development.

The three parcels along Chandler Boulevard cover 33.23 net acres and 25% of that will be open space, according to the site plan. There will be three lot sizes ranging from 2,812 square feet to 3,900 square feet.

The city is requiring the creation of a homeowners association for the 122home portion that will be responsible for maintaining common areas, drainage facilities and any private streets.

The city also is requiring the installation of a traffic signal at 17th Avenue and Liberty Lane during the first phase of development as well as curbs, gutters and bicycle and pedestrian paths along both the southern part of Chandler Boulevard and both sides of Liberty Lane, according to the site plan.

The maximum height for retaining walls within that subdivision can’t be over 3 feet 4 inches and water retention must be able to accommodate a 100-year 2-hour rainfall runoff.

For the southern rim of Upper Canyon near the freewat, the city states, the developer "shall incorporate noise mitigation measures as approved by the development services department, which may include such measures as one-story height limitations, use of double-pane glass, over-height walls, and larger-than-average lot sizes.” Additionally, it must build a trail on the north side of Pecos Road.

The second phase has two parcels totaling about 16.5 net acres with 29% of the area reserved for open space and 65 lots whose sizes have yet to be determined.

Site plans show that a pool and “amenities building” are planned on a separate parcel between the two subdivisions that comprise the development’s first two phases.

Though the original residential zoning the city approved over 20 years ago require a 12-acre parcel for a school, neither Tempe Union nor Kyrene school district were interested and so the land can be used for residential development.

Various city planning entities will have a final say over landscaping and the community’s streetscape, street lights and even sound mitigation because of its proximity to the South Mountain Parkway, accord-

373 acres has been divvied up for development. The parcels A1 through A3 comprise the first phase and B4 and B5 the second phase. The B3 and B6 parcels as well are designated for duplexes while C1 would host build-to-rent townhomes and D1 and D2 would be home to the apartment complex. Parcel 4A would be the location of a community pool and “amenity building.” (City of Phoenix)

ing to the terms of the zoning approved in 2003 when it was still State Trust Land.

Such land has always been considered for development by Arizona, which uses the proceeds for auctions under the State Constitution to fund a dozen different areas, mainly education.

The archeology section of Pueblo Grande Museum found no need for any archeological work for the project but added, “If any archeological materials are encountered during construction, all ground-disturbing activities must cease within 10 meters of the discovery so the city Archeological Office can investigate.

However, the site plan states two of three sites within the second phase area “are of historic age and have been determined ineligible for inclusion in the Arizona Register of Historic Places and National Register of Historic Places. One was a mining site and the other a corral.

“The third site within the project area is … a prehistoric trail that has been determined” eligible for the Arizona and national historic registers.

That trail “may be considered a Traditional Cultural Property by the Gila River Indian Community and the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community,” the site plan states. “The City of Phoenix Archaeology Office recommends avoidance of site, it said, adding that if the site can’t be avoided the developers should consult with both tribal communities to “determine an appropriate mitigation project that may involve detailed site mapping and ethnographic research and reporting.”

It adds that mitigation “may be required,” although it doesn’t detail what that might include.

The site plans also show that five sections are designated for multifamily development.

Two are along the southern edge of Upper Canyon and designated as area for duplex development while the 150 rental townhomes and 329-unit apartment complex would be located on three parcels in the southeast corner of Upper Canyon. That portion also was zoned for multifamily two decades ago.

All the multifamily development is designated for a third phase for which no details have been provided to the city, records show.

The apartment complex would cover about 33 acres. 

This site plan map for Upper Canyon shows the way the

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PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHY AND CHRONIC PAIN TREATMENTS NOT WORKING!!

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.

The drugs your doctor might prescribe will temporarily conceal the problems, putting a “BandAid” over a situation that will only continue to deteriorate without further action.

Thankfully, Mesa is the birthplace of a brand new facility that sheds light on this pressing problem of peripheral neuropathy and chronic pain. The company is trailblazing the medical industry by replacing outdated drugs and symptomatic reprieves with an advanced machine that targets the root of the problem at hand.

Effective neuropathy treatment relies on the following three factors:

1. Finding the underlying cause

2. Determining the extent of the nerve damage

(above 95% nerve loss is rarely treatable)

3. The amount of treatment required for the patient’s unique condition

Aspen Medical in Mesa, AZ uses a state-ofthe-art electric cell signaling systems worth $100,000.00. This ground-breaking treatment is engineered to achieve the following, accompanied by advanced diagnostics and a basic skin biopsy to accurately analyze results:

1. Increases blood flow

2. Stimulates and strengthens small fiber nerves

3. Improves brain-based pain

The treatment works by delivering energy to the affected area(s) at varying wavelengths, from low- to middle-frequency signals, while also using Amplitude Modulated (AM) and Frequency Modulated (FM) signaling.

It’s completely painless!

THE GREAT NEWS IS THAT THIS TREATMENT IS COVERED BY MEDICARE, MEDICAID, AND MOST INSURANCES!!

Depending on your coverage, your peripheral neuropathy treatment could cost almost nothing – or be absolutely free.

The number of treatments required varies from patient to patient, and can only be determined following an in-depth neurological and vascular examination. As long as you have less them 95% nerve damage, there is hope!

Aspen Medical begins by analyzing the extent of the nerve damage – a complimentary service for your friends and family. Each exam comprises a detailed sensory evaluation, extensive peripheral vascular testing, and comprehensive analysis of neuropathy findings.

Aspen Medical will be offering this free chronic pain and neuropathy severity evaluation will be available until June 30th, 2023. Call (480) 2743157 to make an appointment.

Due to our very busy office schedule, we are limiting this offer to the first 10 callers. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO SUFFER ANOTHER MINUTE, CALL (480) 274-3157...NOW!!

We are extremely busy, so we are unavailable, please leave a voice message and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

The state’s top school o cial said last week the “hotline’’ he set up two months ago has resulted in credible tips about what he calls “critical race theory’’ and unacceptable handling by schools of other controversial issues in Arizona classrooms.

But Tom Horne refused to say how many such reports there were, acknowledging only that there were 30,000 “crank’’ calls. And when pushed for speci cs of complaints with possible merit, he could cite only four

None of those, however, have resulted in the Department of Education taking any action. Instead, Horne said, his o ce has reached out to the districts for more information.

As it turns out, one of the four incidents he cited actually occurred in 2021.

And o cials from the Mesa Uni ed School District denied Horne’s claim that a second incident was from its website as he claimed.

Horne conceded at a press conference he called that even if he could prove validity to complaints that a school district has what he believes is unacceptable racially tinged curricula or policies he nds unacceptable about how students are addressed, he lacks the power actually to do anything about it.

at answer, however, did not sit well with two self-de ned “dissident’’ members of the Scottsdale Uni ed School District governing board, invited to the press conference by Horne, from complaining about materials being used at both the elementary and high school level. One module for lower grade students, said Karen Warner, is “how to be a good citizen.’’

“It’s showing children protesting with politically charged posters as well as racially charged posters,’’ she said. Pushed to de ne what she called “racially charged,’’ Warner said “Black lives matter.’’

should and should not approve for the classroom.

e ursday press conference was the latest bid by Horne to wipe out what he calls “critical race theory.’’

at actually is an academic concept of understanding racism and how what continues to occur in society is a ected by historical and current factors like discrimination, red-lining to keep minorities out of neighborhoods and even subtle racism.

But in what has become a culture war, Horne and many other Republicans contend that any lesson that teaches anything other than equality is CRT. He said that theory tells children that race is the primary factor of how people treat each other.

e concept has ballooned in Arizona.

“ is all started during COVID when parents could see what the students were being taught because it was online,’’ Horne said. “And many parents were shocked at what they saw, especially critical race theory kinds of things that were being taught to the students.’’

One result was the hotline, billed as a place where parents and teacher can report what the Department of Education called “inappropriate public school lessons that detract from teaching academic standards.’’

at includes not just focusing on race or ethnicity rather than individuals and merit but also “promoting gender ideology, social emotional learning, or inappropriate sexual content.’’

Horne has refused to make the complaints public.

So what’s the point of calling?

“We can try to use our in uence,’’ Horne responded.

Horne said state law gives parents the right to review all books, teaching materials and supplemental lessons available to students. And all parents are free to lobby school board members about what they

“If a teacher is abusing the position of using a captive audience to promote an ideology, that might be unprofessional conduct,’’ he said. But all that would allow him to do is to recommend that the state Board of Education suspend or revoke that person’s teaching license.

“I think the solution is teach the other kids that they are to treat everybody as

SAFETY from page 1

law firm’s study of department data shows that reported crimes in the city in 2022 totaled the lowest in six years.

AZ Defenders reported that its analysis shows the crimes reported to Phoenix Police in 2022 totaled 62,064. The record year for crime in that six-year period was 2019, when 68,788 criminal acts were reported, according to AZ Defenders.

The Phoenix Police Crime Reduction Plan reports a slightly lower total number of total crimes last year.

It also states that between 2017-22, violent crimes rose 8% and property crimes fell by 21%.

The plan also shows the biggest changes in the five-year period for violent crimes occurred in homicides, up 39%, and aggravated assaults, which rose 13%.

Driving the decline in property crimes in 2017-22, the department said, are a 51% plummet in burglaries and a 16% drop in other theft cases.

The Phoenix plan also comes at a time when the city – like many major metropolitan cities across the country – is trying to fill vacancies created by a large exodus of retiring officers and others who quit the profession or found a job with a municipality that pays better salaries and benefits.

That struggle to shore up the department’s ranks came to the fore at a City Council meeting May 31, when the administration recommended approval of a five-year $1.7 million contract with ON Advertising Inc. and Lincoln Strategy Group to find police recruits.

“The Phoenix Police Department faces significant challenges to fill hundreds of vacant positions and maintain necessary staffing levels,” Assistant City Manager Lori Bays told council in a memo.

“These contracts will provide marketing services and advertising using digital and traditional media to promote the Phoenix Police Department as a premier employer for law enforcement careers, attract a diverse pool of qualified applicants, and generate a continuous pipeline of applicants for the next five years.”

PARENTS from page 14

an individual and that race is not relevant and that sexual orientation is not relevant, not to tell kids that they live in a white supremacy country,’’ he said. “That’s outrageous to me and I think it’s unprofessional

During the council’s May 31 meeting, several members balked at the contract, forcing postponement of formal action until today, June 14. They questioned whether the city is spending enough on recruitment efforts and whether those efforts are targeting the right groups of people.

Assistant Police Chief Bryan Chapman told the council the two firms would augment recruitment efforts by the city. focusing on Arizona, Texas, California, Washington State, Nevada and New Mexico for new talent.

But Mayor Kate Gallego expressed reservations about that strategy, saying, “I would prefer we focus locally. I think we want people who know this community and are excited about it.”

Chapman said the city is doing that with “a pipeline” created by the department’s cadet program, which targets high school students in the Phoenix region.

“We’re looking at 14-19-year-olds who can onboard in a volunteer capacity and then transition to full-time employment” in a variety of city law enforcement areas ranging from patrol officers to clerks.

Though the city has stopped providing a monthly report on the total number of patrol officers on duty, Chapman said the department is “several hundred spots down.”

He said that of some 500 applicants from other police departments – many out of state – the city has been able to hire only “between 5-8%” because they don’t have the qualifications required in Arizona for police officers.

Councilman Tom Waring said that while

as hell.’’

Horne also lashed out at anything that teaches about a dominant culture, unconscious bias, privilege and “restorative justice,’’ the last he defined as talking to people when they misbehave versus punishing them.

the cost of the recruiting contract “is not that much money,” he agreed with the mayor on the need to target local residents for police jobs.

He suggested spending more money but targeting locals as well as spending money to retain existing officers.

Chapman said the city’s “retention numbers are much better year over year” but that the department is trying to change a personal and professional background check that he termed “audacious” and “very intrusive.”

Councilman Kevin Robinson, a 38-year vetera Phoenix police officer who rose to assistant chief before he retired, also thought the contract “may not be able to do as much as we want to” because the cost was low and said the two companies needed “to hit certain benchmarks” to make an impact.

The manpower shortage is not addressed in the new crime reduction plan that Interim Chief Michael G. Sullivan rolled out last week, promising a strategy that “leverages data, is intelligence-led and employs solution-oriented policing.”

The plan said its guiding principles are “vibrant partnerships with communities, other city departments and prosecuting agencies to reduce victimization, crime and disorder;” “strategies striving to identify the root cause of the victimization., crime and disorder via problem identification and collaborative resource allocation;” and technology and “robust data analysis.”

Explaining the four focus areas of the crackdown, the plan explains that “the

most violent crime suspects are engaged in a high volume of violence” and calls for their “early identification, investigation, apprehension and prosecution.”

It also says, “A disproportionate amount of criminal behavior in our city is concentrated in specific geographical locations within each precinct,” although it provides no detail on where they are located.

The plan also states that criminals who are prohibited from carrying or using firearms “have bene linked to a higher number of violent crimes” and that those with outstanding warrants will be targeted with a “department-ide prioritized tiered approach.”

The plan says the department has devised strategies that can be customized within each precinct and bureau, “dependent on their unique issues and challenges.”

It promises that patrols will provide “a prompt response to citizen calls for service” as well as “high visibility patrol and investigative follow-up” with “high-quality initial investigations” and “data-driven processes to engage in apprehending violent and repeat offenders.”

It also promises “dedicated crime reduction teams within Patrol, Neighborhood Enforcement Units and Community Action officers” that will take a “prioritized tiered approach” to identifying and arresting criminals.

While the plan does not allude to last year’s use of detectives to shore up the flagging ranks of patrol officers, it says investigations will involve a seven-part attack.

Those seven parts include “active follow-up and efficient case management,” “centralizing intelligence and working with crime analysts to identify citywide patterns” and coordination with the precinct-level crime reduction teams and prosecutors.

It’s unclear if the plan will come up for a review by the city council, which is rapidly heading toward its summer recess.

During the monthly updates the department provides at a council subcommittee meeting on its recruitment efforts, there has been virtually no discussion of crime trends or arrest rates. 

This review of major crimes committed between 2017-22 in Phoenix is included in the Police Department’s Crime Reduction Plan released last week. (Phoenix PD)

GOP lawmakers seek curbs on greedy guardians

BY SOPHIA BIAZUS Cronkite News

Health problems forced Bill Chalmers into a guardianship after he retired from Intel as a senior engineering director.

“I suffered from sleep deprivation, and I have something called nocturnal epilepsy,” Chalmers told a group of state legislators and disability advocates at a town hall at Arizona State University’s downtown Phoenix campus. “It causes me to have disruptive sleep patterns that contributed to my erratic behavior.”

Deemed incapable of handling his own money, Chalmers’ attorney petitioned for an emergency conservatorship – a legal status in which a court appoints a person to manage the financial and personal affairs of an incapacitated person or a minor.

Chalmers’ conservator charged him more than $400,000 over 13 months for services and withdrew $288,000 from his 401k account without paying taxes on the withdrawal, he said.

Chalmers shared his story as part of a town hall discussion on probate reform. His was one of nearly a dozen experiences that detailed abuses of conservatorships and the probate system.

Gov. Katie Hobbs on May 8 signed Senate Bill 1038, which creates a probate advisory panel to identify abuses in the probate system.

But legislators and disability advocates said more work needs to be done.

SB 1291 is a reform bill that would bring sweeping changes to Arizona Revised Statutes Title 14 guardianship and conservatorship laws.

If signed into law, it would ensure people are kept out of isolation from their loved ones, given the right to a jury trial and guarantee that they are informed about any details or pending action pertaining to themselves and their case.

Sen. John Kavanagh, R-Scottsdale, who sponsored SB 1291, said the bill adds supported decision-making, which allows a person to decide who will help them make decisions.

It is an alternative to guardianship where a conservator is appointed for them. Legislation enabling supported decisionmaking has passed in 20 states.

“The whole philosophy behind supported decision-making is that it’s not a binary world,” Kavanagh said.

“In the world of logic,” he continued, “there’s something that’s called a false dichotomy where you say to somebody, ‘Should we do this or that’ or ‘Are you this or that’ because the person who frames the question controls the debate. In a false dichotomy, they structure the debate so that you can only choose between two things, when in reality there could be a third, a fourth or a fifth possibility that’s even more reasonable than the other two.”

Kavanagh said supported decisionmaking simply says that maybe there is something in between.

The person makes their own decisions without any restriction, he said. The bill is moving through the Legislature. Sen. Justine Wadsack, R-Tucson, who moderated the event, said she hopes the bill will be

ready to go to the governor in the next few weeks.

Sherry Lund, founder of 5-14 Protecting Liberty and a presenter at the town hall, said she has been involved in a probate case involving her son where a trustee took financial advantage of him when a probate court would not protect him or his assets.

“The truth is these abuses do happen and worse, every day,” she said. 5-14 Protecting Liberty is a grassroots coalition of residents who have experienced abuse, separation from loved ones, the loss of individual liberty, personal property, due process and finances in the probate system.

“My family and my son went through a living hell for over eight years in Arizona, fearing my son would lose his freedom, lose control of his assets and possibly not be allowed to see his family again,” Lund said. “Our family was attacked with horrible lies conjured up by attorneys who didn’t see any benefit in telling the truth or finding the truth. There was never any evidence submitted to the court to support the allegations of the petitioners.”

Wadsack said she plans to continue advocating for probate reform.

She said she hopes to propose a bill of rights during the 2024 legislative session that would protect the constitutional rights of vulnerable people, making sure they are informed about the probate process and that they are protected from unscrupulous, unethical and immoral predators.

The bill of rights would allow vulnerable people to live as independently as possible, have medical directives and durable power of attorney respected, preserve family relationships and give them the right to participate in developing an individualized plan for their care, she said. 

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!

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Arizona AG vows fight on judge’s drug ruling

BY ERIN MURPHY Cronkite News

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes has vowed to “fight like heck” against a federal court ruling that could overturn a mandate that health insurers provide HIV-preventive medication without charge.

Mayes, backed by health advocates, said if the ruling by a judge in Texas is allowed to take effect, it could have devastating consequences for Arizonans who rely on lifesaving preventive services under the Affordable Care Act.

“As the attorney general of Arizona, it is my job to protect the people of Arizona, to uphold the law and to represent state agencies as well that might be impacted by this lawsuit,” she said.

Mayes, speaking on a call organized by Protect Our Care Arizona, was joined by other health care advocates who said the ruling could “stop the clock” on what has proven to be a cost-effective health mandate.

public health officials,

the preventive care mandate in the ACA is designed to “catch people at the top of the waterfall” and let them avoid expensive medical treatments. (YouTube)

“I’m going to fight like heck against the Braidwood case, fight to uphold preventive services in the state of Arizona and

to make sure the ACA continues to be the massive success that it has been so far,” Mayes said.

She was referring to Braidwood v. Becerra, in which a group of businesses and individuals challenged that part of the ACA that requires insurance companies to provide select preventive care services at no additional charge to the customer.

Among other things, the plaintiffs objected to ACA requirements that insurance plans include coverage for contraceptives, screenings and treatment for drug use and sexually transmitted diseases, vaccination for human papillomavirus and an HIV-preventive medication known as preexposure prophylaxis – or PrEP.

The plaintiffs challenged the right of federal agencies to determine which preventive care measures need to be provided.

They also said they should not be forced to pay for coverage they do not want or need and, for at least three of the plaintiffs, for coverage that violates their religious beliefs.

In particular, Braidwood Management

– which court documents call a “Christian for-profit corporation” – said that providing PrEP “facilitates and encourages homosexual behavior, intravenous drug use, and sexual activity outside of marriage between one man and one woman.”

U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor agreed in September, ruling that forcing Braidwood to choose between providing PrEP and paying a “substantial monetary penalty ” for refusing to do so “imposes a substantial burden on religious exercise.”

O’Connor’s ruling has been on hold, but the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals held a hearing this week in which it considered letting the ruling take effect, which would lift the preventive care mandates.

Arizona advocates said hat it would be a mistake to lift the mandate to provide preventive care like PrEP, which Mayes said has “saved countless lives in Arizona and made our state stronger.”

Arizona Public Health Association Executive Director Will Humble said the

see DRUGS page 23

Annual Fourth of July

Children’s Parade at Mountain Park Ranch:

The community of Mountain Park Ranch is again sponsoring a Children’s Fourth of July Parade. The Parade date is set for Tuesday, July 4, 2023. All families are invited to join in. Come celebrate with Mountain Park Ranch family and friends. We will be celebrating this historic day with a Parade and some fun and games for the entire community.

The Parade begins at 8am at the Foothills Baptist Church on Thunderhill Place and will follow Thunderhill Place east to the Park near Ray Road. The Phoenix Fire Department will be on hand to lead the kids down Thunderhill. Time will be approaching to start decorating your bikes, trikes, wagons, scooters and electric kiddy cars with red, white and blue streamers and ribbons. Making a small float could be a great neighborhood project to keep the kids busy.

A family celebration will follow the Parade, at Thunderhill Park, and end around 10:30a.m. The celebration will include a DJ, a superslide and other family activities. There will be sno-cones, hot dogs and drinks for the entire family. Best of all, there will be awards and prizes for best decorations and spirit. Bring your cameras!

This is a great opportunity to show our community spirit, to meet neighbors, visit with friends and have a great time with the entire family. See you at the Parade and celebration. For more information please contact the MPRHOA office at 480.704.5000

Arizona Public Health Association Executive Director Will Humble, Arizona’s onetime top

said

Mayor seeks federal help combat heat effects

BY JOSH BOOTZIN Cronkite News

All Phoenicians are familiar with heat, though resources to mitigate the health risks presented by extreme heat are not nearly as consistent from resident to resident.

In 2022, 425 heat-associated deaths were reported in Maricopa County, a 25% increase from the previous year.

To curb the rise in deaths, Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego has made efforts to provide assistance and disaster relief for residents susceptible to heat exhaustion and other heat-related harms, with the creation of the Office of Heat Response and Mitigation.

“I made it my mission to adapt to this trend to innovate, to try to find solutions so that we are not falling behind on heat resilience,” Gallego said Friday at a news conference to discuss heat reliefs efforts.

“We’re the first city with a permanent office of government that is dedicated to fighting the heat and adapting to it anywhere in the United States. The office works side by side with the entire city government to address … our city streets, our fire response programs, environmental

Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego and her ex-husband, U.DS. Rep. Ruben Gallego, held a joint news conference last week to explain Phoenix’s request for federal aid to ease heat risks to vulnerable residents. (Cronkite News)

problems and so much more,” she said.

Some of Gallego’s efforts have already been put into place.

Last week, the city reached 100 miles of cool pavement coating – a water-based product applied over asphalt that has been found to reduce surface tempera-

tures up to 12 degrees. The Cool Pavement Program started in 2020.

In addition to Gallego’s efforts in Phoenix, U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego, DPhoenix, is pushing for federal heat-resistance legislation in Washington.

The proposed Extreme Heat Emergency Act urges the Federal Emergency Management Agency to consider adding extreme heat to the existing list of 16 types of declared major disasters.

“When a hurricane hits in Florida or a tornado touches down in Oklahoma, the federal government steps in and provides assistance,” the congressman said. “The same should be true when extreme heat waves strike.

“My bill allows cities like Phoenix to do more in building cool pavements, add more trees, install additional bus stop covers and deploy more cooling centers around the city,” he said. “With $30 mil-

lion available in funding, my bill would make a difference in keeping Phoenicians cool.”

According to the National Safety Council, heat was the second-highest death-causing weather event in 2021, and heat-related deaths are only continuing to climb.

The National Weather Service reported that over the last 125 years, Phoenix experienced an average of 12 days per year that exceeded 110 degrees Fahrenheit, but that average has climbed to 21 days over the last three decades.

Gallego’s bill is not set at a specific temperature, so any of the 50 states could potentially ask for federal aid when heat becomes extreme relative to the state’s normal temperature averages.

In other words, northern states would not have to experience temperatures that would be extreme for Phoenix in order to qualify for federal aid.

Currently, local governments are forced to take from their general funds in order to offer relief to residents during extreme heat situations. Under the bill, cities would work with FEMA to create better and faster aid at a lesser cost to local governments.

Rep. Gallego said he hopes to have the bill approved by next year. 

Valley needs more river restoration, official says

BY LIAM COATES Cronkite News

WASHINGTON – A Phoenix city official told lawmakers last week that Army Corps of Engineers assistance with river restoration projects has provided wide-ranging benefits for the Valley, but that there is more to be done.

In testimony to a Senate panel, Phoenix Environmental Programs Coordinator Tricia Balluff said ecosystem restoration projects like Rio Salado and Tres Rios have provided flood reduction and recreational opportunities while preserving critical habitat.

And investment in those projects has saved local governments millions in avoided water system improvements, she said.

“The City of Phoenix is appreciative of the many benefits that have come from collaborating with the Corps,” Balluff said. “We fully support the Corps’ mission in

undertaking and completing ecosystem restoration, particularly in the Southwest.”

She was one of three officials from around the country at a Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hearing who heaped praise on the Corps for its role in ecosystem restoration projects from the Everglades to the desert.

Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., and chairman of the committee, said the projects orchestrated by the Corps were “win-win, not just for our environment but also our economy,” recalling French President Emmanuel Macron’s address to Congress when he said “there is no planet B.”

Balluff cited several Arizona projects undertaken in partnership with the Army Corps, which she said aim to create new habitats, extend existing ones, and remove the invasive salt cedar while also attempting to save water in the drought-ridden state.

see RIVER page 23

Tricia Balluff of Phoenix’s Office of Environmental Programs told a Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hearing that federal funding has helped restore rivers in the Valley, but that more help is needed to remove invasive salt cedars from riparian habitats. (Liam Coates/ Cronkite News)

Former Mesa cop warns of freeway debris dangers

TRIBUNE NEWS STAFF

An on-duty accident that resulted in a severe brain injury brought a cruel end to Sean Stoddard’s 13year career as a Mesa police officer nearly three years ago.

And while he is still recovering, the injury didn’t stop the Army combat veteran and Mesa native from giving back.

Still president/CEO of a nonprofit called The Archangels that he started in 2017 to help veterans and first responders, Stoddard appeared June 6 at a press conference for a different kind of giving back.

He was there at the request of the Maricopa Association of Governments to call motorists’ attention for the need to properly secure loads they’re carrying on their vehicles.

While a distracted driver of an SUV was directly responsible for slamming into Stoddard’s stopped patrol car in August 2020 on the US 60 near the Higley Road exit, he would not have been there had he not parked on the berm to pick up a ladder that another careless motorist let fall from a never-identified vehicle.

Last week, with the mangled wreckage

DRUGS from page 20

preventive care mandate in the ACA is designed to “catch people at the top of the waterfall” and let them avoid expensive medical treatments.

“If you can screen for depression in kids and adolescents early and get them into treatment, you can prevent not just really bad outcomes like suicide but other long-term effects because you are able to intervene more quickly with conselling,”

RIVER from page 20

She said the Tres Rios project has saved the city $375 million in “avoided cost” because it meant the city did not have to upgrade the filtration system in the 91st Avenue wastewater treatment plant, the largest such facility in Arizona.

Tres Rios is a multistage project that uses effluent from the plant to create wetlands, fulfilling the dual purpose of saving water and creating habitat for over 200 species, some endangered and threatened, according to Balluff.

“Tres Rios’ use of constructed wetlands to treat wastewater using natural pro-

of his police car piled on a flatbed behind him, Stoddard echoed reminders to motorists to secure their loads before they take off.

Stoddard was deployed by the Army for four tours – two in war-torn Iraq and Afghanistan.

But he barely survived the accident, sustaining severe brain trauma.

“I wasn’t able to walk or talk and I was in a wheelchair for a while,” Stoddard said. “They had to reteach me everything: teach me colors, shapes, numbers, letters, everything. And I’m still in therapy. Years later.”

Stoddard served Mesa Police in a variety of capacities during his years on the force. He was aa patrol officer, trainer and school resource officer.

“My time as a civilian law-enforcement officer unexpectedly and heartbreakingly ended after being hit on the freeway by a distracted driver,” he says on his Linkedin profile.

“Although I am saddened that my retirement came unexpectedly and earlier than I would have chosen, I have an attitude of gratitude.”

He earned both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree while working for Mesa PD

Humble said.

Brian Hummel of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network said the district court ruling would freeze preventive treatment “back in time” and limit access to newer, less-invasive treatments.

He stressed the essential nature of preventive services in catching and treating cancers in their early stages.

“We know that having access to nocost preventive services matters,” he said.

“It has been demonstrated in study af-

cesses make this a unique core project that helps compliance with regulatory standards while simultaneously providing quality habitat,” she said.

Even without the other benefits, Balluff said, “simply from a financial perspective (Tres Rios) made a lot of sense.”

Another project namedropped by Balluff as a successful collaboration between the city and the Corps was Rio Salado Phoenix, which was completed in 2009 and involved the restoration of 5 miles of the Salt River for native plants and the creation of wetland habitat.

Plans call for Rio Salado Phoenix to be followed by Rio Salado Oeste, would add a

and provided the context of the tragedy that can happen to patrol officers and civilian motorists alike when thoughtless people fail to ensure their loads are se-

ter study that catching cancer early can improve the likelihood of successful treatment.”

Hummel pointed to an American Cancer Society survey that found a majority of cancer patients and survivors said they would be less likely to keep up with their care if those services came with an out-ofpocket cost.

All the speakers said preventive care is cost-effective as it typically negates the need for expensive and invasive medical

further 8 miles to the restored area. Funding was provided last year to continue preliminary work on the project.

When asked by Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., what further support the Corps could provide to the city, Balluff said with a laugh, “more projects to help remove salt cedar would be fantastic.”

Kelly asked for details on the invasive plant, which Balluff said consumes a lot of water and increases the saline content of the soil, damaging riparian habitat. This is an issue because, according to her opening statement, “70% of threatened and endangered vertebrates in Arizona depend on riparian habitat along rivers.”

curely fastened.

In the past year alone, nearly 900 crashes on Arizona freeways have resulted from flying debris from unsecured loads and 23 

intervention.

Humble said the mandate has helped to “keep a lid” on insurance premiums, while Mayes noted that preventive care has saved Arizona “an untold amount of money in healthcare costs.”

“This lawsuit, this challenge to the ACA, doesn’t make sense financially, it doesn’t make sense in terms of strength and bolstering our public health care system and it doesn’t make sense from a legal standpoint,” she said. 

The Army Corps of Engineers is responsible for constructing infrastructure projects around the country like flood defenses, dams, military facilities and ecosystem restoration and they have around 37,000 employees.

When Carper asked the witnesses why young people should care about their work and about the environment in general, Balluff said rivers, and their protection, are crucial to preserving their future.

“Do we want our kids to inherit a world in which our rivers are dry and dusty in the Southwest with nothing in them but landfills and sand and gravel pits?”

Former Mesa Police Officer Sean Stoddard spoke at a press conference last week held to warn motorists to secure any loads their vehicles are carrying. Behind him is the patrol car he was in when an SUV slammed into him as he was stopped on the US 60 in 2020 to pick up a ladder in the middle of the freeway. (Special to the AFN)

Ahwatukee teen heads to big CTE competition

BY KATY SPRINGER AFN Contributor

Sarah Israel is not your average teenager.

At only 16, the Ahwatukee resident has already earned impressive academic accolades and built a resume that belies her young age.

A student at Insight Academy of Arizona, an online charter school that serves students in seventh through 12th grades, Sarah boasts a 4.0 grade point average, has earned nine college credit hours and has received career and technical education (CTE) certifications in CPR, first aid and automatic external defibrillators and clinical medical assisting.

But that’s just the beginning of her story.

As a freshman, Sarah decided to pursue the medical assisting pathway at ISAZ.

Insight Academy of Arizona and its sis-

ter school, Arizona Virtual Academy, are Arizona’s only online schools offering state-approved CTE programs.

She soon decided to join ISAZ’s Healthcare Occupation Student Organization’s (HOSA) chapter. Even at 14, she knew she wanted to pursue a healthcare career and was determined to experience everything she could.

“I have always been the kind of person who wants to learn everything I can,” said Sarah.

“This is actually why I love ISAZ so much. The school provides so many opportunities to gain hands-on experience in healthcare and to expand my education in all kinds of areas.”

At the beginning of the 2022-23 school year, Sarah, then a sophomore, became president of the school’s HOSA chapter.

Realtors, teens, parents make mats for homeless

BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor

If you know anything about West USA Realty, it’s not all that surprising that Realtors at its Ahwatukee branch are working with two community service organizations on a project to help some less fortunate people.

It’s part of the culture at West USA Realty’s office at 4505 E. Chandler Blvd.

“We also support individual agents’ charities,” Realtor and West USA office Manager Donna Leeds once explained. “We also have a charity arm of West USA Realty – West USA Cares, which is company-wide.”

For four years, several West USA Realtors have worked with members of the Horizon Honors Secondary School Key Club and East Valley Service Club to weave plastic grocery bags weave sleeping mats for unsheltered people who oth-

erwise might spend the night sleeping on the ground or a concrete floor.

During the school’s summer recess, Key Club advisor and Horizon Honors librarian Mindy Duet has moved a loom into West USA Realty’s office so the students and Realtors can weave whenever the spirit moves them.

The loom was provided by Juan Te Dailey, CEO and president of Dsquared Homes for the Homeless, a nonprofit that distributes the finished mats to unsheltered people. Dsquared describes its programs as an effort to “help humanize the homeless by providing dignity in a bag, preventing homelessness for the Serious Mentally Ill (SMI) population experiencing a temporary setback, and instilling a sense of philanthropy in students and surrounding communities.”

While the realty company and the two

Flanking Sarah Israel are Angela Sutton, left, and Jordin Heacock. The three comprise the winning team from the Academy of Arizona, an online charter, that won three first-place medals at HOSA’s state competition in Tucson in March (Special to AFN)

Participants in last week’s mat-making session at West USA Realtors were Realtors, Horizon Honors Key Club members and East Valley Service Club members. From left: Front: Rashmi Seth, Dylan Lehner, Nicolas Encinas, Miles Hall and Julie Grove. Back: Norma Riggs, Kate Barney, Leonardo Encinas, Lenore Encinas and Carlos Encinas. (David Minton/Staff Photographer)

Y OPAS clients enjoy regular shopping trips

BY JUNE TESDALL AFN Guest Writer

Ahwatukee seniors enjoy many services through the YMCA’s Outreach Program for Ahwatukee Seniors, or Y OPAS.

Y OPAS is an outreach organization for Ahwatukee seniors age 65 years or older. The mission of this program is to keep seniors in their homes.

Twice a month, the YMCA bus takes clients grocery shopping and to other popular stores.

One of the regulars for the shopping trips is Gloria Bartelt.

It is not every day you meet a Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award winner.

Gloria received that award two years ago in recognition of her almost 25,000 hours of volunteering at the Arizona Humane Society.

She has done numerous jobs, including training dogs to have good

manners.

“Gloria is one of our long-time volunteers. We appreciate all of her hard work,” said Ashley Goebel, the Humane Society’s manager of volunteer services.

“Working with dogs is my passion,” said Bartelt. “I am currently taking care of Hutch, a 10-year-old mix who is blind. Hutch is such a sweetheart.”

Gloria also volunteers at the Forever Pet Sanctuary in Scottsdale.

“We provide the human touch to these older dogs. This organization focuses on senior dogs that have been abandoned or need to be rescued,” said Bartelt.

When Gloria is not volunteering, she likes attending the Y OPAS lunches.

“The social events are a good way to meet new friends,” she said.

Y OPAS also provides transportation to doctors or other destinations in the Ahwatukee area.

Gloria moved here from Wisconsin and has been in Ahwatukee for many years. Gloria has three sons and four grandchildren.

“This is a wonderful place to live. I am not real fond of the heat, but in time you get used to it” she said.

Volunteers can devote any amount of time they can spare to helping Y OPAS and its mission.

“Without volunteers, we could not provide these important services,” said Y OPAS Director Brenda Nichols.

To learn more about volunteering or becoming a client: 602-2126088 or valleyymca.org/opas. 

Gloria Bartelt is caring for Hutch, a blind 10-year-old mixed breed. (Courtesy of June Tesdall)

AAUW needs items for struggling college students

AFN NEWS STAFF

The Southeast Valley Branch of American Association of University Women hopes the community will help it provide basic necessities for struggling students at the Williams Campus of Chandler-Gilbert Community College and come by June 19 with donations.

The Coyote Cupboard at CGCC’s Williams Campus contains a variety of supplies available free to students who experience financial hardships as they try to attend school while working and raising a family all at the same time.

“To address the need, Williams Campus staff strives to ensure that no one in their community goes without certain necessities that enable them to be successful in their academic endeavors,” the association said in a release..

Here is the list of items that our local AAUW Branch is collecting to fill the cupboard:

• Baby Necessities: Diapers, wipes, formula, onesies, bibs

• Household cleaning products: Lysol/Clorox wipes, laundry detergent,

She decided to compete in the association’s Arizona State Leadership Conference, an annual event that brings together 10,000 students from across the state.

The first step was a community awareness virtual competition.

After completing this qualifying test –and earning the highest score in the state – Sarah and her HOSA teammates, Angela Sutton of Scottdale and Jordin Heacock of Glendale, got to work on a community awareness campaign they could take to the state competition.

They won three first-place medals at HOSA’s state competition in Tucson in March.

Among the honors, they won the team event in Community Awareness and Sarah also took home an individual award, winning the top prize in the National Geographic Learning Academic Testing Center Career Development Competition.

“This was such an amazing experience for us,” said Sarah. “I was shocked when they announced our names because it was our first-ever competition, but we did

dish soap, paper towels, dusting cloths

• Basic hygiene: Soap, shampoo/conditioner, deodorant, towels, wash cloths, feminine products, toothpaste, toothbrushes, dental floss, face cleanser/wipes, sunscreen, lip balm, lotion

• Clothing kits (new items only): Socks, underwear, plain T-shirts, athletic/other shorts, sweaters, sweat pants

Bring donated items selected from the above list to Oakwood Library in the Oakwood community of Sun Lakes, 24218 South Oakwood Blvd. 5-7 p.m. June 19.

Members of AAUW Southeast Valley Branch will be on hand to accept and bundle donations. People can feel free to stay and mingle.

AAUW is a diverse group that encourages participation by those who wish to advance equity for women and girls through advocacy, philanthropy, and research. It supports education and legislation impacting girls and women.

AAUW is a national organization open to all graduates holding an associate

work very hard on our campaign and left nothing on the table.”

Their project, titled “The Importance of Physical, Mental and Social Health,” launched in January 2023 and quickly gained steam.

Designed to boost the health of their peers and online educators, the campaign incorporated a variety of efforts, from school-wide assemblies and podcast interviews to yoga sessions, guided meditation, a hiking club and Health Spirit week.

As their project grew in scope and reach, the team secured interest from high-profile organizations across the Valley.

Among numerous guests, Dr. Shari Brand from Mayo Clinic, Dr. Lauren Walsh from Barrow Neurological Institute and Bre’Anna Bush from Northern Arizona University shared health guidance with students and teachers during special assemblies.

Over the course of six months, the team reached nearly 5,000 students, advisors, educators, physicians and business professionals.

They also were invited to present their

or equivalent, baccalaureate, or higher degree from a qualified educational institution.

There are more than 170,000 members across 1,000 local branches. The South-

campaign at the Charters at the Capitol event and to Arizona State Treasurer Kimberly Yee and other state legislators.

“It has been incredible to watch this team in action,” added Dr. Erica YoungJackson, ISAZ’s career and college prep administrator.

“Not only have they put their education to work with a comprehensive campaign that has touched thousands of students and teachers, but they have gained invaluable leadership experience that will serve them for years to come.”

As the first-place winner of Arizona’s statewide competition, the team qualified for HOSA’s International Leadership Conference scheduled June 20-25 in Dallas.

In addition to presenting their project for the Community Awareness competition, Sarah and her teammates – along will 12,000 students from around the world –will participate in educational seminars, workshops and exhibits and will have an opportunity to meet other future healthcare professionals.

“We are all so excited to go to Dallas, as none of us has ever been there,” said Sarah. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime

east Valley Branch of AAUW was chartered in 1989.

Information: AAUW.SEV.AZ@gmail. com.

opportunity.”

Sarah will have many other opportunities in her lifetime, too. Though only 16, she is on track to graduate in February and plans to attend Grand Canyon University in fall 2024.

Her ultimate goal? To become a pediatric neurologist.

In the meantime, she’s putting her CTE certificates to work as a medical assistant at Foothills Neurology.

“Sarah is a very intelligent young woman, but more than that, she is driven to do her best, to maximize every opportunity and to make a real difference in this world,” said Dr. Young-Jackson.

“It is such an honor to work with her. I can’t wait to see where she goes from here.”

“I am beyond grateful for the opportunities I’ve been given,” said Sarah. “I give a lot of credit to my academic counselors and teachers. I’ve had the most amazing educational experience and so much support from the staff here.”

Learn more about Insight Academy of Arizona at insightaz.k12.com

CTE from page 25

Native American group slates Father’s Day event

BY MELISSA HIRSCHL AFN Contributor

The Mesa-based Native American Fatherhood and Families Association and the East Valley Institute of Technology are teaming up for a special Father’s Day celebration.

The free Father’s Day Festival will run 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, June 17, at EVIT’s Culinary Arts Banquet Hall, 1601 W. Main St., Mesa.

The event comports with the association’s mission “to strengthen, keep, and reunite families by responsibly involving fathers and mothers in the lives of their children, families, and communities to provide happy and safe families” and “support fathers and mothers in becoming models of healthy parenting everywhere.”

Thirty community agencies will provide information and the event will offer

MATS from page 25

service organizations have usually worked with Dsquared, the latest round of mats went to another nonprofit, the Tempebased Aris Foundation, which also helps people who need food, clothing and hygiene items.

Aris founder/CEO Katherine KouvelasEdick said the grocery bag mats are a godsend for many needy people – particularly because, according to the National Runaway Switchboard, among the more than 1.3 million homeless young people in the country, there is only one bed for every 125 people.

“Over the last seven years, we have handed out approximately 100 of the mats,” she said. “They take a tremendous amount of time to make, but are so appreciated by the community we serve. When you’re sleeping on the ground, these mats provide a little bit of comfort, when placed under a blanket.

“We have some amazing people in the community who crochet the mats for us.  They even make patterns in them,” she added, noting YouTube has a video for people who want to learn how to make them.

Duet said that crocheting the bags is a time-consuming project, which is why Dailey began making the looms.

“Crocheting takes 45 to 60 hours to

food trucks, contests, indoor games, door prizes for fathers and children, gardening classes, face painting, arts and crafts, bak-

make one mat,” she explained. “Before we got the looms, we’d have a whole room full of Key Club kids and we’d have big long tables and we’d cut and weave. Now it takes four to five hours to make one.”

The kids who participate in the matmaking project are among about 100 Horizon Honors students who belong to Key Club, which Duet describes as a “mini Kiwanis Club.”

Leeds, a member of the Ahwatukee Kiwanis Club, liaisons with the Key Club to help with projects and engage some of the West USA agents to participate.

The other component in the mat project is the East Valley Service Club, formerly called East Valley Boys Service Club but renamed to be more inclusive by bringing girls into an array of charitable endeavors that previously involved only boys.

Realtor Julie Grove, who describes herself as a “serial volunteer,” is the mother of one Horizon Honors grad and a current student there who is all about getting young people engaged in giving back.

Grove looks at the mat-making as a project with a three-fold good beyond creating an opportunity for service: Not only does it provide some comfort to people who need it but it also helps the environment by keeping the bags out of landfills, where they won’t degrade for 1,000 years, according to the Center for Biological Di-

ing kits, men’s health information, museum displays, storytelling and fun activities.

Agencies will present “great dad awards” to fathers involved in their programs.

Sponsors include First Things First, Catholic Charities, AZCEND and Healthy Start.

“NAFFA has always believed that fathers were the greatest untapped resource to help solve issues that many families and communities face,” an association spokeswoman said, noting it “promotes and teaches the Fatherhood Is Sacred program to thousands of fathers across the nation and now in Canada.”

Since 2002, association founder Albert Pooley has pushed to strengthen families by promoting responsible fatherhood and motherhood.

“NAFFA programs are different from other recovery models,” he said. “Our programs promote in three primary ar-

versity.

Moreover, the bags themselves “don’t hold any kind of bacteria” so that a user can safely lay them on even wet ground and not be exposed to potential infection.

“They’re not like a cotton blanket,” Grove explained. “They don’t hold dirt.”

“My main focus is just teaching the kids to get off their phones and do something nice,” she added, calling the mat-making project “just a good kill-two-birds-withone-stone kind of thing.”

Grove conceded that crocheting the bags into mats is time-consuming, so she welcomed Duet’s suggestion that she move one of Horizon Honors’ looms into West USA Realty’s offices.

That way, not only do Key Club and East Valley Service Club members have a place to go if they want to spend a few hours making the mats, but other Realtors can join in.

So far, Realtors Norma Riggs, Kate Barney and Rashmi Seth have joined East Valley Serice Club members Lenore Encinas, Carlos Encinas, Nicolas Encinas, Leonardo Encinas, Miles Hall and Dylan Lehner in making mats.

And Leeds does her part too, maintaining a drop-off box at West USA Realty’s Ahwatukee office where anyone can deposit their grocery bags Monday through Friday 9 a.m.-5 p.m. 

eas: self-worth, personal identity and a purpose-driven life. We focus on strengthening, reuniting, and keeping families together.”

The association also has programs titled Motherhood is Sacred, Linking Generations by Strengthening Relationships and Addressing Family Violence and Abuse. It also sponsors a suicide-prevention program.

Combined, the programs’ goal is to provide “a foundation to build strong families that are resilient to divorce, domestic/substance abuse, suicide and human trafficking,” the spokeswoman said.

“Strengthened relationships and an increased awareness of the sacred purposes of families have been the results,” she added.

Information: 480-833-5007 or nativeamericanfathers.org/narf. 

Many ways you can help

There are a variety of ways that people not only can help with the mat-making project but also help the East Valley Service Club and the two nonprofits that distribute the mats to homeless people.

East Valley Service Club

The club is currently recruiting families with kids in seventh through 12th grade. The nondenominational organization focuses on parents and their children engaging in charitable activities in the community. To learn more, go to facebook.com/EVSCAZ or call Julie Grove at 480-577-8428.

Dsquared Homes for the Homeless

People can sponsor a Dignity Hygiene Bag that contains basic necessities for homeless people or they can donate to further the nonprofit’s mission of preventing homelessness and helping critically mental ill people find shelter. Go to dsquared4homeless.org for details.

Aris Foundation

As a certified nonprofit, the Aris Foundation always needs tax-deductible donations to further its mission. The foundation also maintains an Amazon wish list. To learn more: arisfoundation.org.

The mat project

Anyone can learn to use the loom and help make the mats or simply donate their grocery bags. Contact Donna Leeds at dleeds@westusarealty.com for information or drop o your grocery bags at their o ces, 4505 E. Chandler Blvd., Ahwatukee, STE 170. “We have branches around the valley and agents send them in the nightly runs as well,” Leeds added.

Albert Pooley is the founder of Mesa-based Native American Fatherhood and Families Association. (Special to the Tribune)

School drive

pencils, markers, crayons, pencil pouches, composition notebooks, spiral notebooks, erasers, scissors and glue sticks. Doinations can be dropped off at 112 E. Myrna Lane, Tempe, or contact Bard for pickup at 480-270-2840 or fsb53061@yahoo.com. (Special to AFN)

AROUND AHWATUKEE

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.

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.

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 opportunity 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.

Summer line dancing party slated next month at Cactus Jack’s Bar & Grill

Cactus Jack’s Bar & Grill on the southwest corner of Elliot Road and 48th Street, Ahwatukee, is hosting its annual Proud American Summer Line Dance Party July 5.

Starting at 6:30 p.m., there will be line dancing lessons and open dancing, along with treats and raffles. There is a $5 cover charge.

Information: dancemeetsfitness.net.

Pima Canyon Church slates children’s reading event, but reserve a seat now

Author Stephanie Barton will read from her children’s book, Book Reading “Above The Clouds: What Really Happens In Heaven During A Thunderstorm” at 10 a.m. June 28 at Pima Canyon Church, 9807 S. 48th St., Ahwatukee.

Seating is limited so people should sign up quickly by emailing office@pimacanyonchurch.org.

Coloring pages, crayons and a light snack will be provided. The book tells the tale of why there are rumbling sounds from the sky, why raindrops fall, why the wind whistles and why lighting strikes. It is designed to calm children in thunderstorms and develop a positive attitude toward them.

GRIC offering grants to eligible nonprofits

The Gila River Indian Community’s Gila River Cares Self-

see AROUND page 31

Francine Bard, an LD12 Dems Give Back volunteer has launched a drive for school supplies for the Kyrene Family Resource Center. A frequent volunteer at the center, she is collecting through Aug. 14 new school supplies, including backpacks, lunch bags, mechanical pencils, colored

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 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 adds speakers to its schedule of weekly meetings at Biscuits

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.

Upcoming speakers are: June 22, Derrick Johnson, SAGA; June 29, Brenda Nichols, Y OPAS; July 13, Luis De La Cruz, Arizona Friends of Foster Children; and July 27, Sabrina Estrada, Arizona Citizens for the Arts.

LD12 Democrats to hold breakfast session

The LD12 Democrats & Donuts session will be held at 8

a.m. Wednesday June 21 at Denny’s, 7400 W. Chandler Blvd., Chandler.

Guests are asked to arrive earlier to place their breakfast order and hoists will be there by 7:30 a.m. Information: email Julia Fleeman at juliafleeman@cox.net.

Ironwood Library offers free activities for all ages in June

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

For more information: phoenixpubliclibrary.org.

Babytimes

Babies ages birth to 23 months, accompanied by a favorite adult, will enjoy songs, rhymes, books, and interactive fun

Tuesdays, 10:30-11:10 a.m.

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 17 and 24 in this drop-in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math (STEAM) program. No tickets required.

Dr. T-rex Science

Children ages 2-11 can discover multiple scientific phenomena in this hands-on educational entertainment environment

today, 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.

Book Club

Adult readers 18+ can meet up with fellow adventuresome bibliophiles to share their thoughts about each month’s selection the first Wednesday of each month, 5-5:45 p.m. On July 5, “Vanished Arizona” by Martha Summerhayes is the focus. No tickets required. 

LA CASA DE JUANA

DELIVERS A KNOCKOUT WITH ITS FRESH, AUTHENTIC AND MOUTHWATERING FOOD

BESTOF 2022

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

Don’t hesitate to stop by the Ahwatukee location

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

Obituaries

LtCol. John P. Sharples USMC (Ret.)

January 25, 1947 - June 3, 2023

LtCol. John P. Sharples, 76, of Edmond, OK, passed away peacefully, Saturday night, June 3, 2023, with his family at his side.

A come-and-go life celebration reception was held to remember and celebrate his life on Friday, June 9, 2023, from 1:00PM-3:00PM at Crawford Family Funeral Service in Edmond, OK (610 NW 178th St. Edmond, OK 73012).

A committal service will be held on a later date at Arlington National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you please consider making a donation to the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation in memory of LtCol. Sharples. To view a full obituary and to make a donation, please visit www.crawfordfuneralservice.com.

Obituaries - Death Notices - In Memoriam

We are here to make this di cult time easier for you. Our 24 hour online service is easy to use and will walk you through the steps of placing a paid obituary in the Ahwatukee Foothills News or a free death notice online.

Visit: obituaries.Ahwatukee.com

‘Slumber Shack’ keeps owners on their toes

BY MARK MORAN AFN Sta Writer

When Queen Creek residents Tim and Vanessa Shively bought the Slumber Shack business, they were just thinking about making some money outside of their day jobs, hers as a teacher and his with a nonpro t.

“I bought the company because I thought it would be a fun way to supplement my income nights and weekends,” Vanessa said. “Well, the company has evolved and I could no longer work full time.”

e business consists of two modi ed travel trailers used for birthday parties or neighborhood events and high-end camping trips for people who want to get into nature but have a comfortable place to sleep at the end of the day – also known as “glamping,” short for “glamorous camping.”

Slumber Shack has gone to another level.

“We actually had to move,” said Vanessa. “We had to buy another home that had a double RV garage so this is more of a sus-

(David Minton/Sta

tainable business for us. ese trailers are a big investment for us and now that it’s on our property we can balance our lives and the business more e ciently.”

e Shivelys bought the business for about $70,000 and then remodeled the trailers to re ect their style, keeping it based in

Queen Creek.

Now they are just trying to keep up.

While they knew it was a big investment, Tim Shively had no idea how much this business would take on a life of its own.

“ e intent was to get out of that 9-5 routine that a lot of us fall into,” he said. “We tried to create a di erent path.”

When they rst bought the business, the Shivelys stored the trailers 20 minutes from where they lived, which added a whole different dimension to planning and logistics.

Ex-CEO’s book recounts Microchip’s turnaround

BY KEN SAIN AFN Sta Writer

Former Microchip Technology

CEO Steve Sanghi was nearing the completion of his second book and still hadn’t settled on a name.

He was working on the nal chapter, which includes a number of graphics that show his company’s progress through the years.

He noticed a trend.

“Every one of those graphs went up and to the right,” Sanghi said.

And that is the history of the Chandler tech giant during Sanghi’s tenure.

During over three decades leading Microchip, Sanghi moved the company from near bankruptcy to becoming a juggernaut.

Sanghi’s rst book, “Driving Excellence,” focuses on how he took over a struggling Microchip in 1991 and turned it around, making it pro table and taking it public.

e company, which started in 1987 after it was spun o from General Instrument, was losing $10 million a quarter when Sanghi started there.

e new book, “Up and to the Right,” looks at his entire stay at Microchip, where he still has a position as executive chair of the executive board after retiring as CEO in 2021.

Microchip’s story mirrors Sanghi’s own life, which has been a climb to the top from humble beginnings. He grew up in northern India.

When he came to the U.S. for college, he had $150 in his pocket and no way to pay for tuition. Life has

changed after building Microchip into a company with annual net sales of about $6.8 billion and employs around 22,000 people.

Sanghi said he was able to overcome those hardships and life starting improving after he graduated from college with a 4.0 grade point average once he got a job at Intel. He stayed with the microchip company for about 10 years, moving up the company ladder.

Steve Sanghi’s book, “Up and to the Right: My Personal and Business Journey Building the Microchip Technology Juggernaut” is available online and in bookstores. (David Minton/Sta Photographer)

Tim and Vanessa Shively operate the Slumber Shack.

Photographer)

Party lights set the mood for fun in the lounge area in the slide out space of a Slumber Shack camper trailer. (David Minton/Sta Photographer)

For example, if they were preparing for a birthday party, they had to remember to bring everything they needed when they left their house to go prepare the trailers and try to cram it all in their vehicles.

at becomes quite a task when prepping two trailers for one weekend.

“One sleeps 10. One sleeps seven,” Tim Shively said. “You have 17 sheet sets and pillow cases and blankets and then you had to pack the décor for the week, so you had to take like 15 pink pillows.”

ey did not have the trailers hooked to electricity when they were stored at the old location, he said, which meant dragging a generator along to hook them up to air conditioning to cool them down prior to using them.

So, it was time to make the move.

“We talked to other business owners who would say ‘until you invest everything into it, you can’t reap the full bene ts of it,’” he said.

“Having them at home has helped with that work-life balance,” he said. “Two of

MICROCHIP from page 33

e key moment in his life came when Intel had an opening for a general manager of a plant in Folsom, Calif. that was a $200 million business.

Legendary CEO Andy Grove was interviewing both internal and external candidates, and the 31-year-old Sanghi was one.

After Grove had conducted the interview, he asked Sanghi if he had any questions. He pulled out a strategic planning document, done in Intel formats, and presented it to Grove.

“I’d like to show you what I would achieve in the next two years if I were to get the job,” Sanghi told Grove. “Andy

our boys still live at home and actually help us on the weekends. ere are times I need them to go pick up one of the diesel trucks we use to haul these things because I can’t get to it.”

About those diesel trucks. Storing the trailers at their new home in the full-scale RV garages has de nitely saved transport and planning time and helped with the logistics, but it has not made much of a dent in the fuel and maintenance costs that come with the trucks and the trailers.

So they try to be strategic with their service area.

“We are primarily trying to focus this in the East Valley,” Tim said. “From the hauling them and opening and closing them as often as we do, we do a lot of maintenance behind the scenes so we like to keep them as close to where we are based as possible.”

“Every time something breaks, it’s like $1,000,” Vanessa added.

Overnight birthday or block parties start at $495 and three-day, two-night camping trips at $595. e company delivers the trail-

said he had never seen that before.”

After looking over the plan, Grove had another question for Sanghi.

“How old are you?”

Worried that the CEO would think he is too young for such an important position, Sanghi refused to answer the question.

“I said, ‘Andy, what does age have to do with it?’ He said, ‘Steve, I can make one simple phone call to human resources and nd out your age.’ I said, ‘Yeah, of course you can, but I don’t think you will.’”

Sanghi left the interview with mixed emotions. He said he felt over all, he did well. However, he wasn’t sure if that exchange at the end would work in his favor — showing con dence — or doom

er to the location and picks it up afterwards.

e customer is required to get their own approved camp site. Tim said they will travel to Canyon Lake in addition to state-approved camp sites nearby.

e couple custom-decorates for each event.

“ e Shack comes fully equipped with karaoke and a smart TV and games, and decorated based on the theme of your party,” Vanessa said. “For glamping trips it’s really nice because we just want to help people get outside.

“We do all the hard work: Tow the camper, set it up, give you a tour and show you how everything works so that you are comfortable to stay in the RV. en when you are done with your trip, we meet you, pick it up and take the mess away.”

While the Slumber Shack is available for di erent events, one in particular stands out to the Shivelys since having taken the business to the next level a little over a year ago.

A single father approached them about making his daughter’s 10th birthday a spe-

his chances, refusing to answer a direct question from the CEO.

Two days later he was o ered the job.

One of the key moments in the rise of Microchip came after Sept. 11, 2001. It was another crisis moment that had a huge impact on the semiconductor industry.

In addition to the terrorist attacks, it was also after the dot-com crash of tech stocks. It was a terrible time to be in the semiconductor business.

Sanghi, however, expected the industry to bounce back soon and wanted to be ready. Despite having about $280 million in cash on hand, they bought a Fujitsu Fab in Oregon for $183.5 million.

In retrospect, it was a great deal. Sanghi

cial occasion.

He called the Shivelys and asked “what can you do for her?”

“He was at a loss but you could see that he loves her so much he wanted to make it special,” Vanessa said. “ e little girl was just so excited and it was really memorable for her.

e way that she looked at her dad when she realized everything that he had done for her made it all worth it for us.

“It brings us a lot of joy to take that stress away from people.”

e Shivelys say those are the types of stories that make the business more than just a pro table investment, but also proves its mettle as a positive small business in Queen Creek.

Despite the fuel and maintenance costs, uprooting their family and logistics challenges, the Shivelys are optimistic about the future.

“We’re busy,” Tim chuckled. “We’re always dragging two, 30-foot trailers through the East Valley.”

Information: theslumbershack.com, 480-599-0421. 

estimates Fujitsu spent about $3 billion to build it, and even with depreciation it was worth at least $2 billion at the time.

But Fujitsu was getting out of the ash product business and looking to recoup whatever they could at the time. And since it was a recession, not many companies were looking to expand.

Investors and analysts reacted negatively to the purchase.

And that’s the history of Microchip, usually making the correct decisions that kept the company’s bottom lime going up and to the right.

“[ is book] is celebrating their success we achieved together,” Sanghi said of the Microchip employees who helped the company turn around. 

How ETFs can broaden an investment portfolio

BY JOSEPH ORTIZ AFN Guest Writer

Mutual funds offer investors a chance to own shares in dozens of companies, as well as bonds, government securities and other investments.

But you might be able to broaden your portfolio further by owning another type of fund — an exchange-traded fund (ETF).

An ETF, like a mutual fund, can own an array of investments, including stocks, bonds and other securities. Many ETFs are passively managed in that they track the performance of a speci c index, such as the S&P 500. In this respect, they di er from most mutual funds, which tend to be actively managed — that is, the fund managers are free to buy and sell individual securities within the fund.

Another di erence between ETFs and mutual funds is that ETFs are traded like stocks, so shares are bought and sold throughout the day based on the current market price, whereas mutual funds are traded just once a day, at a price calculated at the end of the trading day.

Whether this ability to make intra-day trades is meaningful to you will likely depend on how active you are in managing your own investments.

For some people, the main attraction of ETFs is their tax advantages. Because many ETFs are index funds, they generally do much less buying and selling than actively managed funds — and fewer sales mean fewer taxable capital gains.

ese ETFs are somewhat similar to index mutual funds, which are also considered to be tax-e cient, as opposed to actively managed funds, which constantly buy and sell investments, passing on taxable capital gains to you throughout the life of the fund.

(Keep in mind, though, that mutual funds that trade frequently may still be appropriate for your nancial strategy. While taxes are one element to consider when

evaluating mutual funds, or any investment, other factors, such as growth potential and ability to diversify your portfolio, are also important.)

ETFs typically also have lower operating costs than mutual funds, resulting in lower overall fees.

Part of the reason for these lower costs is that actively managed mutual funds, by de nition, usually have larger management teams devoted to researching, buying and selling securities.

By contrast, passively managed ETFs may have leaner, less-costly management structures.

But while most ETFs may share the same basic operating model, many types are available.

You can invest in equity ETFs, which may track stocks in a particular industry or an index of equities (S&P 500, Dow Jones Industrial Average, and so on), or you can purchase xed-income ETFs, which invest in bonds. ETFs are also available for currencies and commodities.

Of course, as with all investments, ETF investing does involve risk. Your principal and investment return will uctuate in value, so when you redeem your ETF, it may be worth more or less than the original investment. Also, liquidity may be an issue.

Some ETFs may be more di cult to sell than other investments, which could be a problem if you need the money quickly. And because it’s so easy to move in and out of ETFs, you might be tempted to “overtrade” rather than following an appropriate long-term investment strategy.

A nancial professional can evaluate your situation and help you determine whether ETFs are suitable for your needs. At a minimum, they represent another investment opportunity that may prove useful as you work toward your nancial goals.

Joseph Ortiz is a nancial advisor for Edward Jones. Reach him at 480-753-7664 or joseph.ortiz@edwardjones.com. 

How police process stress and navigate job demands

BY LT. JARED LOWE AFN Guest Writer

First responders are your neighbors, friends and family. We face unique challenges in our profession. Stress and trauma can take a toll on our mental well-being.

Each year, police o cers and re ghters are more likely to die by suicide than in the line of duty.

It is crucial to have sound practices that can help us recalibrate. Mental health is an important aspect for everyone in the valley community and especially those who are called on to have sharpened senses in the midst of adversity.

As an experienced police o cer, I will share essential tips that can help us process our external stressors, and navigate the demanding nature of our jobs while fostering resilience and balance.

Promote open communication and peer support.

One of the most e ective ways to maintain good mental health is by establishing open lines of communication within the rst responder community.

Encouraging a supportive work environment where individuals can openly discuss their challenges without fear of judgment or reprisal is crucial.

Peer support programs, such as con dential counseling or debrie ng sessions, can provide a safe space for discussing traumatic incidents and processing emotions.

ese programs enable us to share our experiences, seek advice, and nd solace in the support of our peers.

Seek professional help and counseling.

Seeking professional help is a courageous step toward self-care and healing. We are exposed to traumatic events that can impact our mental health in profound ways.

Our departments and organizations

should strive to create a supportive culture that encourages seeking help and removes any stigma associated with mental health issues.

Con dential mental health services speci cally tailored to our unique challenges can provide valuable guidance and support.

Mental health professionals who specialize in trauma-informed care can help us process our experiences, develop healthy coping mechanisms, and manage symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or other mental health conditions.

ere are many variations of health & wellness needs in the public safety community and a few local resources that I’ve found helpful are: e Bulletproof Wellness App and Fireproof Wellness App, created by the 100 Club of Arizona to help our community, providing 24 hour private, con dential and anonymous health and wellness resources in the palm of our hand.

e apps are free in the app store and are

also accessible online. I’ve had many colleagues use the apps and I’d encourage my colleagues to utilize its resources.

Each of these apps provide rst responders and our families with mental health & wellness initiatives, addiction awareness tools, assessments and direction towards treatment and care.

By actively seeking professional help, we can equip ourselves with the necessary tools to navigate the emotional complexities of our work and lead ful lling lives both on and o duty.

Prioritize self-care and resilience-building activities.

Being a rst responder can be demanding and it’s crucial for professionals to prioritize self-care as part of their daily routines.

Engaging in activities that promote relaxation, stress reduction, and emotional resil-

Was there ever a lousier time to be young?

BY DAVID LEIBOWITZ AFN Columnist

The family of ve sat across from us and I couldn’t stop watching them throughout dinner. e oldest of the three kids looked maybe 13, though mostly I saw only the top of her head.

She spent dinner tapping at her iPhone. Her two siblings, perhaps 10 and 8, a girl and a boy, also had electronic devices at the table, and they stayed engrossed in their digital worlds.

Take a bite. Tap. Chew, tap. Spear a forkful of chow mein. Tap, tap, tap. ey rarely looked up. Just tapped away life.

I would have eavesdropped on the family’s conversation, except there was nothing to overhear. Dad took a call at one point. at was the sum total of their chatter.

Something occurred to me as I watched,

a thought I’ve been pondering for days. I think I’m correct, though I hope not.

What a miserable childhood the 21st century provides its children. Has there ever been a lousier time to be young?

I grew up in the 1970s in Queens, New York, a time when there were no bicycle helmets. ere was no such thing as a cell phone or video games, no such thing as a GPS to track your location 24-7, no Ritalin, no cable TV, no Internet, no “peanutfree” lunchrooms, no vegan snacks, and no such thing as a “helicopter parent.”

For toys, I had a baseball mitt and a worn basketball, a G.I. Joe and the board game “Operation” – for an afternoon, until my brother and I lost the plastic arm and leg bones. Our Zenith TV got NBC, CBS and ABC, plus three fuzzy independent stations that ran the “Million Dollar Movie” and sports. We also got a couple of UHF channels where you could catch wrestling, provided you held the TV antenna and stood balanced on one leg with

a hand on the window sill.

It was a great time to be a kid. I wouldn’t trade it for all the iPhones and Nintendo Switches known to man. at’s what I thought watching these kids tap on thousand-dollar devices while mom and dad split some Mongolian beef.

eir blank faces and oblivion took me back to the summer I was 12, after fth grade.

My neighborhood was gripped with terror that June, held captive by a serial killer who called himself “Son of Sam.” e .44 Caliber Killer struck eight times in New York between the summer of 1976 and 1977, killing six and wounding seven. Sam spent the summer of ‘77 burrowed deep in our brains, because of the letters he left at the scene or mailed to Jimmy Breslin at the Daily News.

“I love to hunt,” Sam’s wrote. “Prowling the streets looking for fair game – tasty meat. e wemon of Queens are z prettyist of all.”

My parents took extreme precautions to keep us safe that summer. Every night, once our family nished eating meatloaf or sh sticks – TV o , no books allowed at the table – my mother said, “You two be careful” and “no crossing Utopia Parkway,” before sending us back out to play ball or ring-o-levio until all the good sitcoms came on at 8.

We jumped bikes over trash cans. We shoplifted baseball cards from Henry’s candy store. We ignored the warnings about Utopia Parkway and chucked crab apples at the city bus. We were kids who thought we’d live forever, Son of Sam aside.

e only thing we tapped was someone’s doorbell, before we ran and hid behind the bushes.

We never knew what it was to be bored. We never knew the silence of digital life. Childhood then was loud and fun. It was nothing like the sad childhood of 2023 –and thank God for that.

POLICE from page 36

ience is vital for maintaining mental health.

Additionally, practicing mindfulness techniques, such as deep breathing exercises or meditation, can assist in managing anxiety and promoting mental clarity.

By taking care of our physical and emotional needs, we can enhance our resil-

Upper Canyon report echoed a familiar story

I am a resident of the Ahwatukee community and someone who looks at the state land acquired by Blandford Homes daily. I found the recent article on the topic quite rich.

While I was unhappy the land sold, I acknowledge it eventually would have. However, I am happy that the pro t will go to the schools.

With that said, the emails and communications revealed by AFN between Mr. Je Blandford and the State Land Department was nothing short of an ego-centric millionaire throwing a tantrum.

Mr. Je is upset HE paid too much for the land, but takes zero accountability that the

ience, cope better with the demands of our jobs, and prevent burnout.

With daily external stressors, many of our peers decide to retire or nd a di erent line of work. is can lead to a reduced workforce, more hours and increased pressure.

It’s important to communicate when you need to take a break and decompress.

Take this time to engage in hobbies,

spend quality time with loved ones, and pursue activities outside of work that bring joy and ful llment. ese are essential pieces of a healthy work-life balance.

By fostering open communication, promoting self-care practices, and seeking professional help when needed, we can build resilience, cope with stress and trauma, and lead healthier lives. Prioritizing

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

original appraisal for the land was $100M and Blandford o ered to pay $175M.

So by his logic (and inability to account for interest) he needs multiple payment extensions because he paid too much and how dare he not be recognized. Apparently Mr. Je doesn’t have a nancial strategist on the payroll...

How many times in business have we seen this? e ultra-rich feel they are above the basic rules and commitments that every day folks (his customers) must obey. When his homes are eventually built, can I go to Mr. Je and say I paid too much and need a forbearance and extension? Absolutely not.

Blandford overpaid for the land even when you account for the land rush of

2021. Blandford was blinded by how many homes they could stack on top of each other and the pro ts.

Let’s not forget Mr. Je went multiple years without payments during the lastnancial crisis, while millions of Americans were evicted from their homes Mr. Je simply took a pause.

I can only imagine how small and overpriced the lots will be when you consider the $175M for the land plus $57M in interest. Good luck, Je …

-Shawn Corsetti

Ron DeSantis not ready for the nation ‘s top job

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is a terri c gov but he’s not ready for international af-

our mental health is vital for our e ectiveness on the job.

Lt. Jared Lowe or the Peoria Police Department and 100 Club of Arizona board member has extensive experience in public safety employee wellness, mental health training and programs to drive job satisfaction. Information: 100club.org/ reproof or 100club.org/bulletproof. 

fairs or Washington, D.C.

He should have accepted the VP position and learned the ropes and who to trust etc etc etc before jumping in this campaign.

And, I might add there are so many losers with in ated egos bloviating in this campaign that it is ridiculous. Chris Christie and Mike Pence (espousing his Christian values while airing conversations between himself and Trump in an attempt to gather admiration for his decision re: 9/11 =g ive me break!} are two of the worst.

-Jane Emery

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EX-ASU receiver has big plans for young athletes

BY EGAN ADLER Cronkite News

The play – a 46-yard touchdown reception as time expired against USC – was so memorable it earned its own nickname.

The Jael Mary.

But former Arizona State and NFL wide receiver Jaelen Strong hopes to be defined by more than two standout seasons in Tempe and an unforgettable 2014 catch. He wants to make a difference for young athletes in the Valley.

Through his new athletic and academic youth organization, 602Era, Strong is committed to providing opportunities through sports for young athletes. The organization features teams in 7v7 football, basketball, baseball and track and field for students in elementary school through high school. He eventually hopes to create an IMG-like academy in Arizona.

While it’s a business, Strong hopes the lessons learned are far-reaching.

“We are trying to teach kids how to challenge themselves and develop constantly no matter what. The goal is to get kids to college for free through sports,” Strong said. “The foundation of 602Era is creating a network of alumni who will learn through years of being in the program and return to give back to the youth in the community. It’s a ‘reach one, teach one’ type of thing.”

Strong, alongside an elite team of former athletes and trainers, formed the business in January with the goal of becoming Arizona’s most prominent youth athletic organization.

Four months into the process, Strong has attracted youth from all over Maricopa County, including 34 two-sport athletes from eight high schools, some of which in the East Valley.

“I started 602Era because that is the area code of Phoenix and I wanted people to know that when we leave the area that we are from Arizona,” Strong said.

“That way it gains that activation of the

Valley that coach (Kenny) Dillingham at ASU is trying to incorporate. I want to create that great relationship through 602Era with the community, Arizona State and all other colleges across the country.”

Installing foundational values and shaping the young athletes into better people has been the highlight of the first few months, Strong said.

He believes his model of six pillars, no excuses and two places (school and playing field) will set the standard for what it takes to be successful. He expects every athlete who joins 602Era to adhere to the expectations of the pillars and demonstrate the same work ethic on the field and in the classroom.

The creation of the six pillars ideology was inspired by former Arizona State coach Todd Graham. Playing under Graham in his two seasons at ASU, Strong credits his former coach with implementing an environment that prioritized growing just as much off the field as on it.

Former Clemson tight end and 602Era assistant coach D.J. Greenlee built a relationship with Strong after his cousin and all-pro receiver DeAndre Hopkins introduced the two when he was his teammate on the Texans. The two have stayed friends since and Greenlee was one of the first people Strong called when recruiting coaches to 602.

Since then, Greenlee has been instrumental in establishing the 7v7 football teams for the various age groups. Just like Strong, Greenlee wants to “instill in these guys what I’ve been instilled from my past coaches and coach Dabo Swinney at Clemson.”

Still, the primary goal for Strong, Green-

lee and the rest of the 602 team is to provide the best leadership and training possible to help their players achieve their goals of playing at the next level.

He already has organized visits to the ASU and UNLV football programs while setting up camps and introducing his connections in the football world to his players.

Maren Pellant, the mother of 602Era player and Hamilton High School quarterback Beckham Pellant, believes that in the few months her son has worked with Strong, she has seen his skills develop and has watched him become more mature and focused off the field.

“He’s done grade checks and holds them accountable. He just wants the best for them,” she said. “He wants them all to play at the next level. So, he’s going to do everything he can to coach them up to that level so that they succeed.”

Beckham values Strong’s experience and knowledge and hopes it will put him

in a better position heading into his senior season.

“He’s a great guy to look up to. I mean, he’s obviously done it. He’s been to the league. He’s been in college. He’s done everything that we all hope to do,” Beckham said.

Strong, who grew up in Philadelphia and played at Los Angeles Pierce College before the they next step to Power 5 football, frequently shares his story of determination and following in his dreams.

“He tells us a lot about his upbringing, how he ended up at JUCO and then ASU,” Beckham said. “He uses his story to motivate us. And even if we do go to JUCO, we know we can still make it big.”

Strong’s motivation is to offer an alternate route to learn and thrive under professionals who have had success in athletics and off the field.

His coaching days are just getting started, but he already has big plans for the future.

“I’m going to open a school,” he said. “It’s been in the back of my mind for a while, and it is the next step in how I want to impact the youth.”

Strong wants to establish an “elite type of IMG school in Arizona,” Greenlee said, and build a curriculum that better prepares kids for college and a career in professional sports.

Whether it is training kids on the field, running an athletic organization or taking the steps to build a school, Strong has committed himself to using his platform for the betterment of future generations.

Although the ASU great will never be forgotten for the effect he had on the field, the legacy he is building off it is what pushes Strong to continue to leave his mark in the Valley.

“The kids know that they make my life so much better,” he said. “They give me a purpose to wake up every day and keep pushing.

“As long as I’m servicing the kids and I’m reaching one and he reaches another, that’s the only thing that matters to me.” 

Jaelen Strong may be best known for his “Jael Mary” reception while at Arizona State, but his focus now is on inspiring Arizona’s young athletes. (Photo by Damian Rios/Cronkite News)

‘Hairspray’ to dance across the Gammage stage

BY LAURA LATZKO GetOut Contributor

Even though it is set in the 1960s in Baltimore, the musical “Hairspray” resonates with audiences around the world because it tells the story of a girl who is trying to nd her place in the world and be accepted for who she is.

It also delves into relevant topics such as racial discrimination, representation on TV and freedom of expression.

e national tour of “Hairspray” will visit ASU Gammage Tuesday, June 20, to Sunday, June 25.

e musical tells the story of 16-year-old Tracy Turnblad, a girl with big dreams and ostentatious hair who is trying to make it onto “ e Corny Collins Show.” She faces opposition from star dancer Amber Von Tussle and her mother Velma because she looks and moves di erently than the other dancers.

She starts to see the bigger picture of the push for equal rights in her community when she meets fellow student Seaweed J. Stubbs, his mother, Motormouth Maybelle, and his sister, Little Inez. is inspires her to become more involved with the ght for civil rights.

Along the way, Tracy falls for teen heartthrob Link Larkin, and her shy, dorky and loveable friend Penny Pingleton nds love with Seaweed.

e show, inspired by the 1988 John Waters lm, ran for over 2,600 performances on Broadway and took home eight Tony Awards in 2003.

e national tour stars Niki Metcalf as Tracy Turnblad; Andrew Levitt as her mother, Edna; Ralph Prentice Daniel as her father, Wilbur; Skyler Shields at Link Larkin; Asabi Goodman as Motormouth Maybelle; Billy Dawson as show host

see HAIRSPRAY page 42

‘America’s Favorite Husband’ coming to Talking Stick

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI GetOut Executive Editor

Arizona means a lot to comedian Steve Treviño, who is dubbed “America’s Favorite Husband.”

“We started selling shows out consistently in 2015 and Phoenix was probably the rst place that I really started selling tickets to kick o , ‘I think my life is changing,’” he said.

“It gave me that moment of people know who I am and my life is going to be di erent. at was Phoenix to me.

e love that Arizona and Phoenix has given me a special place in my heart.”

He’ll return to the Grand Canyon State to perform at Talking Stick Resort on Friday, June 16.

“I’m excited because we’re literally right now, tightening the nuts and

bolts to lm our next special,” he said. “ ey will see a nished product of the next special and see me work on new material. I’m in the in-between phase. I have to perfect the material I’m doing for the next year or two.

“I’m talking about the struggles of raising children and talking about how me and my wife complement each other. I bring things to the table that she doesn’t have, and she brings things to the table that I don’t have. at’s why our marriage is successful. People see that being di erent is always a plus.”

Treviño has been viewed online more than 223 million times, has attracted more than 2 million social media followers and has headlined comedy specials on Net ix, Showtime and Amazon Prime. A promotional clip for his Net ix hit, “Relatable,”

generated 56 million views on Facebook alone, with the title, “When Your Wife Comes Home from Shopping.” Treviño also produced and wrote for Pitbull’s “La Esquina” reality series.

Raised in Corpus Christi, Texas, Treviño always wanted to be a comedian.

“ ere is no backup plan,” he said. “I still feel like the young guy. I haven’t quite made it. Most of my team is female and I like it that way. When I talk about my wife on stage, I want to make sure it’s fair and balanced. ey help me. ey give me that female perspective that’s important for my act.”

It’s important to make his gigs enjoyable for both people watching the show, he added. He enjoys his standup career and the podcast with his

“Hairspray” returns to the ASU Gammage Theater next week with an all-star cast and a relevant message (Special to GetOut)

Comedian Steve Treviño, who is dubbed “America’s Favorite Husband,” remembers selling out consistently in 2015 and saying, ‘I think my life is changing.’” (Special to GetOUt)

Corny Collins; Ryahn Evers as Amber Von Tussle; Addison Garner as her mother, Velma; Emery Henderson as Penny Pingleton; Joi D. McCoy as Little Inez and Charlie Bryant III as Seaweed J. Stubbs.

Originally from Birmingham, Alabama, Bryant is making his national tour debut with “Hairspray.” He joined the national tour last August.

Previously, he had been in shows such as “Spelling Bee,” “Cinderella,” “Memphis,” “ e Addams Family,” “Once on is Island” and “Company.”

Bryant previously played Seaweed in a high school production of “Hairspray.” He said in playing the role again, he is more focused on his character’s development and role in the story.

“Back then, I was younger, and I wasn’t focused on the storyline. It was more so just hitting all of these vocal beats and hitting the dancing beats and not being focused on the actual story that needs to be told. Now playing it at 24 years old, playing a 16-year-old, I can dive deep and see who

TREVI

ÑO

wife, Renae, “Steve Treviño & Captain Evil.”

“I’m lovin’ my life,” he said. “I do what I want when I want. ere are no networks telling me what to do and what to say. My wife and I produce shows, the podcast and social media. We live on our own little island. People keep nding us anyway.”

Treviño has been o ered TV shows, but he doesn’t want to go through the routine pilot. He wants to cut to the chase.

“People say they want to write a show

this role actually is, what story he is trying to get the audience to see,” Bryant said.

Bryant said the issues explored in the musical are relevant to events going on now.

“Racism still exists. Body shaming still exists, especially in the musical theater industry. I think it’s very relevant, and I just hope that audience members take something away from the story, something deeper than the costumes, the lights and the set pieces,” Bryant said.

Recently, musical theater has been changing and becoming more open to people of di erent shapes, sizes and backgrounds, he adds.

“ ere was a time when you didn’t look a certain way, there was no chance of you being in the ensemble or getting this particular role just based o the way you looked. And by the way you look, I mean the size you were…. I feel like in today’s time, we are working hard to take that o the face of the Earth and take that out of our industry. No matter what size you are, if you can bring it to the table, you can do it,” Bryant said.

with me, but unless they’re going to pick it up, I’m not interested,” he said. “I don’t want to lm or write a pilot. I don’t want to go through that. I make TV show money on my podcast.”

“Steve Treviño & Captain Evil” is the result of the pandemic-dictated break. He said he hears from fans that the podcast got them through COVID-19.

“I just tell them, ‘My podcast got me through COVID,’” he said. “I had no idea how much I needed the stage for my mental health. It was tough and live perform-

Bryant said the musical follows a similar storyline and has comparable music as the 2007 lm version, which starred Queen Latifah, John Travolta and Nikki Blonsky.

e musical features popular numbers such as “Good Morning, Baltimore,” “You Can’t Stop the Beat,” “Welcome to the ’60s,” “( e Legend of) Miss Baltimore Crabs,” “I Can Hear the Bells and “(You’re) Timeless to Me.”

Bryant said that he and Emery Henderson connected early on in the rehearsal process. During their o time, they hung out to get to know each other better.

“I think an o stage connection will make your onstage connection stronger,” Bryant said.

e role of Seaweed is demanding vocally and physically. Within the musical version, audiences get to know Seaweed more than in the lm. Bryant said through his portrayal, he wants to showcase the di erent facets of his character.

“I want to make Seaweed this very genuine guy,” Bryant said.

“He’s sweet. He’s smart, and he’s ready for change at this moment. He’s using his

ers weren’t even thought about in the media. ey were nding relief for all these other people. We sat there and thought, ‘What about us? We can’t perform.’ I think performing music and the arts is very, very important for mental health.

“When people say, ‘I survived cancer. All we did was watch your videos’ or ‘You saved our marriage’ or ‘I deal with depression, but I watched your special,’ it’s touching. I get anxiety about it. I have so many messages coming in all the time on the website or social media. I don’t want

dance moves. He’s using his education, and he’s providing all of these tools to Tracy to help us get where we need to be, to help us to get the show integrated.”

e relationships between Seaweed, Motormouth Maybelle and Little Inez are also explored more in the stage version.

“ e movie version is limited to a certain number of scenes. You can only see so much. With the live version, you get to see it all. During the big number ‘I Know Where I’ve Been’ that Motormouth Maybelle sings, you get to see her comfort her kids at this time that we are going through. I think there’s a deep connection there that you will see in the show,” Bryant said. 

National Tour of “Hairspray”

Where: ASU Gammage, 1200 S. Forest Ave., Tempe

When: Various times Tuesday, June 20, to Sunday, June 25

Cost: Tickets start at $35

Info: 480-965-3434, asugammage.com

When: 7 p.m. Friday, June 16

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

Cost: Tickets start at $40

GOT GETOUT NEWS Contact Christina Fuoco-Karasinski at 480-898-5631 or christina@timeslocalmedia.com Subscribe Here www.ahwatukee.com Receive your digital flip-thru edition every week in your e-mail box! www.ahwatukee.com @AhwatukeeFN @AhwatukeeFN INSIDE: COMMUNITY P.X AROUND AF P.X OPINION P.X BUSINESS P.X |HEALTH & WELLNESS P.X GETOUT P.X SPORTS P.X CLASSIFIED P.X BY PAUL MARYNIAK Executive The Phoenix Planning Commission on Aug. 4 dealt 30-day setback to the developers’ timetable for the massive Upper Canyon development in Ahwatukee after expressing confusion over their request and questioning city staff’s analysis of related trafficstudy. Blandford Homes and subsidiary Reserve 100 LLC have the zoning to build 1,050 mostly single-story houses, 150 build-to-rent townhouses and 329 apartments on the 373-acre former State Trust Land parcel along Chandler Boulevard between 19th 27th avenues. ButtheyneedCityCouncilapprovalof proposal to leave South Chandler Boulevard at three lanes and downgrade the classification of 27th Avenue between the Boulevard and South Mountain Freeway from “arterial” to “collector” street. TheyhadhopedtogetPlanningCommission approval during last week’s virtual hearing in timeforCityCounciltoactonitatitsfirstpostsummer-vacation meeting Sept. 7. Blandford andReserve100aimtostartsellinghousesby 2024. But their timetable was thrown off by at least 30 days after the Commission directed them to more clearly explain the impact of so many homes on traffic and road safety in light of their opposition to widening South Chandler Boulevard. Some commission members also complained Blandford’s reasoning confused them while residents who opposed the plan said Blandford wants to avoid the cost of road wideningandhavemorelandformorehouses. Residents fear for the ability of emergency vehicles to access not only Upper Canyon but the three communities west of there FoothillsReserve,PromontoryandCalabria. Among those expressing concern was John Barton, one of the developers of those three communities. Stressing that he supported the Upper Canyon development, Barton nevertheless ripped Blandford’s request, noting that the nearest fire station is six miles away and the city has no immediate plans to build one in western Ahwatukee. Wednesday, August 10, 2022 COMMUNITY P. 23 BUSINESS P. 29 OPINION P. 31 SPORTS P. 33 GETOUT 37 CLASSIFIEDS P. 40 CANYON page18 ELECTIONS page Traffic concerns snarl Upper Canyon’s bid for city approval SPORTS 33 DV frosh Everest Leydecker already champ. BUSINESS 29 Local man’s pet supply company hits milestone. INSIDE This Week Whether you’re building new home renovating your existing one, your choices are wide open when comes selecting beautifully designed Milgard windows and patio doors. Strong, beautiful, long lasting and durable. Milgard windows and patio doors are designed with stunnin architectural style and superior performance. Plus, you’ll feel secure in your investment with an industry leading, Full Lifetime Warranty that includes parts and labor. Milgard offers beautiful, comfortable, energy efficient vinyl windows nd doors for your home 4454 E. Thomas Rd. Phoenix 2-508-0800 • liwindow.com Mon-Thurs 8:30-5pm Fri 8: 0-4pm Sat 9-2pm ROC# 513 LD 12 contests appear set, GOP senate race tight NEWS 3 Court fight continues over candidate’s residency. GET OUT 37 Company offers marijuanaflavored beer, cocktails. This scene from what turns out to be the 22nd and last presentation of of ”The Ahwatukee Foothills Nutcracker.” No, the community Christmas tradition one of Ahwatukee’s oldest –isn’t going away but rather has been rebranded “The Arizona Nutcracker.” And where this scene taken from may surprise you too, as you’ll read on page 23. (Tubitv.com) ‘Nutcracker’ made new BY MARYNIAK AFNExecutiveEditor The Nov. General Election for the three legislative seats representing Ahwatukee appears to be a battle of the sexes of sorts as an all-male Republican slate will vie with three Democratic women. The two Ahwatukee women running in five-wayracefortwoDemocraticHousenominations in Legislative District 12 topped the field and the all-Ahwatukee contest for the Republican Senate nomination appeared won Easy-To-Read Digital Edition

ACROSS

1 Potential syrup

4 Ship’s front

8 Dutch cheese

12 Family card game

13 One with will power?

14 Cover with blacktop

15 Kind of stove

17 Mid-month date

18 Solo of “Star Wars”

19 Pie chart divisions

21 Exact

24 Fan’s cry

25 “East of Eden” brother

26 Blend

28 Interior design

32 Curved molding

34 Signing need

36 Chicago paper, briefly

37 Irritable

39 “Mayday!”

41 Blackbird

42 Summer mo.

44 Orders of pancakes

46 Snarls

50 Annoy

51 Pulitzer winner James

52 Soup cooker

56 Katy Perry hit song

57 Hunt for

58 Wilder’s “-- Town”

59 Leer at

60 Nashville venue

61 Dead heat

DOWN

1 Dine

2 Year in Cancun

3 Driving hazards

4 Wunderkind

5 Seminary subj.

6 Monet’s supply

7 More ironic

8 Disparaging term

9 Pedestal part

10 Declare

11 GI dining hall

16 Slugger’s need

20 Scoundrel

21 Highlander

22 Senate sta er

23 Chill in the air

27 Ballot marks

King Crossword

29 Eccentric

30 Sty cry

31 Baseball stats

33 Curio cabinet

35 Refusals

38 Actor Brynner

40 Viscid

43 Bas-relief medium

45 Noah’s boat

46 Poi base

47 Awestruck

48 Patricia of “Hud”

49 Dance move

53 “-- the ramparts ...”

54 Gigi’s “yes”

55 Three, in Rome

Sudoku

IThese salsas will enliven any pool party

t’s officially pool party season and chips and salsa are our go-to favorites for backyard barbeques. If you’re looking for some fun new salsas to try, I’ve got some delicious options.

The first is one of my favorite recipes for stand-out salsa fresca. It uses ingredients found in many diced tomato-based salsas, but you can heat it up or tone it down anyway you like.

The second option is a roasted eggplant salsa which was rescued out of my own recipe box – the one I’ve had for years stuffed with recipe clippings, potluck favorites and scribbles on scratch paper.

It’s perfect if you’re looking to add something a little different to your salsa spread. Now, all you have to do is grab a chip and dive right in. 

Ingredients:

• 6 large cloves garlic, unpeeled

• 4 large whole shallots, unpeeled

• 3 large Asian eggplants or one large eggplant

• 1 Poblano chile

• 1-2 fresh Thai chiles (bird chiles) or large jalapeno, minced

Directions:

Preheat oven broiler to 400 degrees. Grease a baking sheet with olive oil. Place unpeeled garlic, whole shallots, eggplants and poblano chile on baking sheet and place under broiler about 4-5 inches from broiler. Turn vegetables often to brown and soften on all sides.

Remove vegetables as they soften. Garlic and shallots will soften first, then poblano chile and finally eggplant. Eggplant will take about 8 minutes.

Salsa Fresca Ingredients:

• 4 large vine-ripened tomatoes, or 7-8 Roma tomatoes, diced

• 1-2 fresh jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped fine

• 1 large green chile (Anaheim or Hatch) diced 4 cloves garlic, minced or chopped fine

¼ cup chopped red onion, diced fine

• ½ cup green onion, chopped fine

Directions:

In a bowl, combine above ingredients. (Or use a food processor, pulsing a few times until desired consistency.) Don’t over pulse.

• 1 Poblano chile

• 1 tablespoon fish sauce

• 2 level tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves, chopped fine

• Salt and pepper to taste

• Olive oil for greasing baking sheet

• Pita chips, crackers or crustini toast

When cool enough to handle, peel garlic, shallots and poblano chile and place in a food processor. Pulse several times but leave chunky. Scrape the eggplant flesh from the skin into the food processor. Pulse once or twice to combine.

Transfer the mixture to a bowl. Stir in minced chile, fish sauce and cilantro. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm or at room temperature with pita chips, crackers or crustini.

• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

• 1 tablespoon Balsamic vinegar

• 1-2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Juice of one lime

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 2 teaspoons Mexican oregano

• 1 teaspoon cumin

• ½ to 1 teaspoon sea salt

• 1 teaspoon pepper

Serve with tortilla chips. Note: Salsa is best when refrigerated for 1-2 hours to allow the flavors to blend. Store in an airtight container.

FREEDOM. TO BE YOU.

If you think oxygen therapy means slowing down, it’s time for a welcome breath of fresh air.

Introducing the Inogen One family of portable oxygen systems. With no need for bulky tanks, each concentrator is designed to keep you active via Inogen’s Intelligent Delivery Technology.® Hours of quiet and consistent oxygen flow on a long-lasting battery charge enabling freedom of movement, whether at home or on the road. Every Inogen One meets FAA requirements for travel ensuring the freedom to be you.

• No heavy oxygen tanks

• Ultra quiet operation

• Lightweight and easy to use

• Safe for car and air travel

• Full range of options and accessories

• FAA approved and clinically validated

Carvana, LLC seeks an Engineer II in Tempe, AZ to support and engineer front end solutions for the listing of vehicles. Telecommuting permitted. Apply at https://www.jobpostingtoday.com/ Ref #88425

GENERAL EMPLOYMENT

Gen Digital Inc. has an opening for Software Development Engineer in Tempe, Az. Job duties include: Analyze, design, debug and/or modify software; or evaluate, develop, modify and code software programs to support programming needs. May telecommute. To apply, submit resume to jobads@gendigital.com. Must reference job 1648.7052.

GENERAL EMPLOYMENT

Gen Digital Inc. has an opening for Software Engineer in Tempe, AZ. Job duties include: analyze, design, debug and/or modify software; or evaluate, develop, modify and code software programs to support programming needs. May telecommute. To apply, submit resume to jobads@gendigital.com. Must reference job 1648.6985.