Ahwatukee Foothills News 06/21/2023

BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor

Preliminary results from this year’s state assessment tests in English Language Arts, science and math show Kyrene students’ overall performance handily beat statewide averages.

But even though district officials on June 13 told the Kyrene Governing Board they still

have much data crunching ahead, some troubling signs have emerged in the early results.

Dr. Christine McDougal, Kyrene’s executive director of teaching and learning, told the board that on a national level, learning assessment data points to the pandemic’s long-term impact on kids’ learning.

She said national data point to “a widening achievement gap and greater impact for grades 3 and 8 and that recovery in reading is

lagging behind recovery in math."

Moreover, McDougall added, “Recovery is expected to take up to five years.”

And according to Dr. Rebecca Bolnick, district research and evaluation director, “Kyrene is seeing a similar trend with our students.”

Both educators stressed the early state of the data, stating both the district and the state still

BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor

Phoenix last week took the first step toward creating a second court for getting unsheltered people onto the road to a better life but not before an emotional debate among City Council members and staff over whether jail should be used to punish them for quality-of-life crimes or become the first step toward their recovery.

Council's Public Safety and Justice Subcommittee on June 14 unanimously approved a Phoenix Community Court, sending the administration proposal to the full Council for a final vote June 28.

The court would cost $2.23 million annually. If Council approves it – as it likely will – the city would begin hiring the 10 “navigators” and 11 other court

personnel in August needed to get it running by January.

The navigators work with defendants to get them into treatment or other services that could enable them to avoid criminal liability for whatever charges got them into the system to begin with.

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.

Besides one for troubled military veterans and those with severe mental illness who end up, Phoenix also administers the Maricopa County Regional Homeless Court, which is “designed to resolve outstanding minor misdemeanor, victimless offenses and war-

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BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor

Phoenix may take the first step today, June 21, toward opening more internet service options for residents.

City Council’s Transportation, Infrastructure and Planning Subcommittee will consider an administration request for permission to develop a framework for transactions with – and licensing of –companies building and operating fiberoptic networks.

An administration report released last week said the request would be the first step toward providing “fiber-to-the home services that will allow residential customers to have access to high-speed internet services.”

Fiber-optic networks are considered the new gold standard for digital connectivity.

These high-speed communication links comprise cables containing strands of glass thinner than a human hair that transmit information in the form of infrared light pulses.

One optical fiber can carry 90,000 television channels and three million voice calls.

Fiber optic networks dwarf their aging cable counterparts with bigger bandwidth, higher speeds, longer distances and higher resistance to corrosion and other damage.

The council report notes that Mesa officials last year approved licenses for five companies to provide fiber-to-the-home services.

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AT&T Gigapower and Google Fiber obtained similar permission from Gilbert and Chandler and now those two companies, as well as Desert iNet, want similar permission from Phoenix.

In theory, the framework sought by the administration could give residents more options for internet service providers than exist in Phoenix today, possibly spurring more competitive pricing.

According to the website bestneighborhood.org, six legacy internet service providers currently serve various parts of Phoenix and three boast a fiber optic network.

To provide those services, each new company that obtains a city license would likely be digging “microtrenches” along city streets to lay fiber optic cable.

FIBER

Those trenches are slots cut into the road about 2 inches wide and a foot deep and are placed as close to the curb as possible.

Mesa’s contracts with four companies require micro-trenching because it minimizes construction time and traffic disruption.

Fiber installations also have aboveground structures associated with them, similar to the utility cabinets and pedestals associated with current broadband internet service providers.

While it is possible for multiple providers to obtain permission to dig trenches in the same neighborhood – thus giving homes several providers to choose from – experts normally consider that unlikely.

“You could have four different right-ofway users today go through if they were so inclined. The way that we see the market playing out is not necessarily that,” said Ian Linssen, assistant to the Mesa city manager.

Mesa officials hope the framework they have provided for fiber optic cabling will help bridge the “digital divide” between people who can afford internet services

and those who can’t.

That also has long been a goal of Phoenix officials, who felt a greater urgency in achieving it when the pandemic forced widespread school closings.

During the pandemic, Phoenix spent millions of its federal pandemic relief funding to expand its public Wi-Fi coverage outside nearly 50 libraries and community, senior and recreation centers to ensure all students have internet access.

The city’s focus at that time was on digital equity, though it only provided students with 13 hours of internet access a day to participate in distance learning and navigate online tools.

Residents also could connect their devices daily for 13 hours to access the free public internet service by sitting in the parking lot of a participating facility or in a public area at the location.

In most cases, the Wi-Fi signal was the strongest closer to the building and residents would have to bring their own laptop, smartphone, or tablet.

Mesa’s framework gives fiber optic companies the option of waiving some annual fees by installing their infrastructure in less lucrative neighborhoods or subsidiz-

ing services to low-income residents.

One Mesa city staff report said one provider, SiFi, had agreed to provide discounted broadband services to 30,000 low-income households in return for a waiver of its annual right-of-way fee to the city.

The Phoenix report released last week makes no mention of similar plans.

But the report reflects a move clearly in its infancy with numerous details that still need to be worked out.

It focuses on what needs to be done to create the initial framework.

Noting that the City Code covers licenses for cable TV gas pipelines, telecommunication services and small wireless providers, the report says it “does not have a chapter to allow network infrastructure services to be installed and operated in the right-of-way.”

“The City is working with network infrastructure service providers to develop City Code changes so that these companies may install fiber-optic cabling in the City’s rights-of-way to provide high-speed internet access to residential customers through a (fiber to the home) services network,” it states.

Completing that network for residents could take four to six years, it adds.

“At this time, the use of trenching and horizontal directional drilling processes will be used for installation,” it states.

“The new code section will establish the framework for the license, the basis for the long-term agreement with these companies, and will outline the financial terms and payments that companies will remit to reimburse the City for services provided in the installation and operation of their networks, and a fee for the use of the right of way,” it adds.

If it gets the green light from council, administration staff would then develop a detailed set of regulations for approval later this year.

“The new Code section will propose a license fee based on a gross revenues from (fiber to the home) customers and/or a linear foot fee. In addition, the companies will reimburse the City for plan review and permits, inspections, right-of-way management and other fees for staff time that are directly related to the construction, operation and repair of the facilities re-

Village Planning Committee to hear zoning law changes Monday

AFN NEWS STAFF

The Ahwatukee Foothills Village Planning Committee will hear three presentations from city staff, one of them on the city’s initial steps toward an updated General Plan and the other two amendments to the zoning code to stimulate construction of more affordable housing.

The committee meets at 6 p.m. Monday, June 26, at Pecos Community Center and will be asked to take a formal vote on recommending the two zoning changes.

But whether a vote actually will occur is another matter because it can only be taken if there are enough committee members at the meeting to constitute a quorum.

The committee last month could not make a formal recommendation on three other proposed zoning ordinance changes – all involving mobile home parks – because it lacked a quorum.

And because the panel has struggled to get attendance even when its meetings were online, the panel has yet to elect a chair and vice chair for 2023.

The zoning ordinance changes involve proposals for “accessory dwelling units” on single-family homes’ lots – such as converting an unattached garage into an apartment or building an unattached casita or possibly putting a trailer ion the back yard.

The other change involves a reduction in the number of parking spaces required for multifamily developments.

Citizens who attend the committee meeting enxt week are allowed to comment on the measures

Regardless of whether the Ahwatukee Village Planning Committee has a quo-

FIBER from page 4

quired” for each provider’s network,” the council report states.

Only a few months passed between the time that Mesa requested proposals from fiber optic companies and Google Fiber began offering its service in select neighborhoods, offering 1 gigabit for $70

rum to weigh in on the zoning ordinance text amendments, the city administration is hoping to get them before the Phoenix Planning Commission as soon as possible.

City Council members have directed planning staff to present the mobile home park measures before their summer recess begins and the other measures, including those the Ahwatukee panel is slated to discuss next Monday, would be presented to the council early this fall.

The General Plan presentation is part of the city’s early efforts to update Phoenix’s primary guide for growth and development.

State law requires municipalities to update their general plans ever 1`0 years and put it on the ballot for voter approval.

Phoenix planning staff hopes to put the updated General Plan on the November 2024 ballot and has mapped out an extensive process for getting there that includes public hearings and other outreach.

Currently the city is looking for residents’ ideas and comments through a survey at phoenix.gov/pdd/generalplan2025

“The General Plan provides a powerful medium for residents to strategize on how the city will grow,” the city states on its website, noting the document “can continue to shape its natural and built environment to meet the needs of its residents and achieve their vision for the future.”

Called “planPHX,” the General Plan was last approved by voters in 2015.

The process for updating it involves refining the existing plan, aligning its goals and strategies with other City Council initiatives and determining the city’s overarching development goals for the next 10 years. 

a month.

Residents of the west Mesa neighborhood where it went live two months ago raved about the service’s speed and reliability.

Mesa officials did note that fiber optic providers had to also seek approval from HOAs to get access to local roads. That likely would also be the case in Phoenix.

Phoenix short-termtightening rental rules

traditional long-term rent al properties.

Owners of short-term rental properties in Phoenix may soon have to deal with the same kind of toughened regulations their counterparts in other Valley cities are confronting.

The city administration is scheduled today, June 21, to ask the City Council Transportation, Infrastructure and Planning Subcommittee for preliminary approval on a permitting system that will include fines for owners who maintain rentals that become sources of neighborhood disruptions.

But over the following five years, officials in some municipalities – notably Scottsdale and Sedona – became frustrated with the inability to have control of local jurisdictions to reduce the nuisance factor among some short-term rental properties.

Sedona also wanted to curb their proliferation because hospitality industry workers were priced out of the rental market – a problem that remains for that municipality.

Phoenix’s move follows similar actions in Scottsdale, Tempe, Chandler and other municipalities that took the state Legislature’s decision last year to loosen its grip over how far they can go in regulating short-term rentals.

In 2016, the Legislature removed local control and required municipalities to treat short-term rentals the same way they treat

As the Phoenix report issued last week notes, the Legislature has slowly relented and gave back some local control to municipalities “due to significant negative impacts” on residents living near nuisance short-term rentals.

In January 2020, Phoenix started a registration system for short-term rentals as a result.

Now, a result of the Legislature’s pas-

SHORT-TERM from page 6

sage of a bill last year, Phoenix intends to put some teeth in its three-year-old permit requirement by posing a fine of as high as $1,000 a month for short-term rental owners who don’t obtain a permit.

Owners also must maintain a $500,000 liability insurance policy, provide the city with an emergency contact, notify neighbors of their intent to operate a short-term rental, and conduct background checks of all renters,

The city will charge $250 annually for issuing a permit and must approve or deny an application in seven days after submittal.

The city also will have the power to impose fines for violations and can suspend the permit for three minor violations or one major violation at the property in one year.

The city’s 2020 ordinance regulation

short-term rentals said violations can include “excessive noise or traffic, obstruction of public streets by crowds or vehicles, public drunkenness, the service of alcohol to underage persons, fights, disturbances of the peace and litter.” Fines for violations of the new rules range from $500 to $1,500.

The ordinance also requires owners of short-term rentals to respond to police calls about disturbances within an hour.

One thing missing from Phoenix’s proposed additions to its regulations that other municipalities adopted is a band on any sex offender from running a shortterm rental.

Phoenix is home to nearly 7,900 shortterm rentals, according to airdna.com, a site that analyzes rentals registered with Airbnb and Vrbo, the two largest online platforms for those properties.

In Ahwatukee, airdna data indicate there are 262 rentals in 85044, 19 in 85045 and 152 in 85048. 

Mark & AlexisMarkBreyer

Transportation tax put on life support for now

BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

Voters across the state are likely to get to decide whether Maricopa County residents get a chance to extend the half-cent sales tax for transit projects.

Gov. Katie Hobbs said last week she will back a proposal to put an issue on the 2024 ballot repealing a state law that requires only Maricopa County to get legislative approval before putting the tax renewal to voters.

That move was supported in a letter signed by six Valley mayors – including Gilbert’s Brigette Peterson, Chandler’s Kevin Hartke and Mesa’s John Giles.

The letter ripped “a very small group of lawmakers – all Republicans linked to the so-called “Freedom Caucus” – for derailing the ballot measure, accusing the “uncompromising band of lawmakers” of “spouting the half-truths of fringe special interests.”

The governor acknowledged that she could call lawmakers back to the Capitol after she vetoes the funding plan approved June 13 by Republican lawmakers.

Hobbs said what was sent to her is unacceptable, from less money for mass transit than sought by the Maricopa Association of Governments to the fact that the GOP plan would require two separate votes.

“I don’t think it serves anyone’s purpose if they’re not willing to come to the table and talk about a deal,’’ she said. “And that requires some cooling off.’’

Time, however, is not a likely answer.

“This is going to be the only bill that passes this session’’ on extension of the tax,’’ said Rep. David Livingston, R-Peoria, of the GOP plan.

Other Republicans made it clear that if Hobbs won’t accept their plan, Maricopa County voters will have no chance to extend the levy, first approved in 1985, for another 20 years.

If that’s the case, they claimed, the current tax will self-destruct at the end of 2025. And all the funds it would raise – an estimated $20 billion over the next two decades – would not be collected and all the projects that the cash would fund will

not happen.

But Avondale Mayor Kenn Weise, chairman of MAG, said that’s not true. He sent a letter to the governor seeking a veto.

What that leaves is Plan B – what Weise called the “Free Maricopa’’ initiative. He said the idea is to sell voters statewide on the idea that residents of the state’s largest county should not be hobbled by a restriction that doesn’t apply anywhere else.

“Maricopa County is the only county in the state that has to go through this process’’ of getting the blessing of state lawmakers to ask voters to extend the tax, Weise said. “And we’ve seen just how disastrous that can be.’’

What that would mean is getting 255,949 valid signatures on petitions by July 3, 2024 to put the issue to voters that November. Then, if it passed, it would be up to the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors to set a date for a special election in early 2025 on extending the tax to kick in when the current levy expires at the end of that year.

Livingston said he doubts the business community would pony up multiple millions of dollars to get the signatures for the initiative and then probably $10 million or more to convince voters statewide to let Maricopa County out from under the legislative restriction.

Weise said he doesn’t foresee a problem getting the necessary backing, especially in the wake of Republicans telling Maricopa County, effectively, that when it comes to a transit tax, it’s their way or the highway.

Hobbs said she believes that voters statewide would be willing to support repeal of the restrictions under which Maricopa County has to operate.

“They’re holding them hostage,’’ she said. “It is ridiculous that Maricopa County has to go to the Legislature to get permission to go to the ballot for something for their region.’’

Moreover, she said, “If Maricopa doesn’t get this, then every other region of this state is going to be competing with Maricopa for transportation dollars.”

All that goes to the question of why the

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Legislature decided that it needed to have veto power over the Maricopa plan.

“They thought that a government agency like MAG could have too much power,’’ Livingston said.

Livingston sidestepped the point that MAG lacks the power to impose a levy.

Ed Zuerker, MAG’s managing director, said, “We have given on freeways,’’ he told Capitol Media Services. “They wanted more freeways, so we increased the freeway number.’’

At the same time, Zuerker said, MAG decreased the percentage it was seeking for transit. And he said the organization even agreed that any light rail extensions would be funded by other revenues.

Zuerker said MAG even agreed to language to require Valley Metro to meet certain “benchmarks,’’ based on comparable cities, of what percentage of the operating costs of buses, trolleys and light rail would be covered by fares.

“We just have hit a limit of there’s no more to give,’’ he added.

Hobbs and MAG want an extension of the half-cent levy for 20 years, with 40% of the proceeds going towards freeways, an identical amount to mass transit, with the balance for regional and arterial roads.

By contrast, Republican lawmakers authorized a vote on a 0.0495 cent levy, with a larger share going towards freeways. They also want voters to separately approve a 0.07-cent tax for construction and extension of light rail.

Republican Rep. Barbara Parker said during debate the experience in her home community of Mesa, where the light rail now runs, suggests to her that residents have seen enough.

“The light rail not only destroyed our historic Main Street and downtown Mesa, but it destroyed lifelong businesses of families and generations of business that had been there for years and year,’’ she said.

“We are funding a loser,’’ Parker said. “In our town, it’s a moving urinal and that is it.’’

But Democrat Lorena Austin, also representing Mesa, painted a different picture.

“If you’ve been to downtown Mesa, even in just the past year, you would see that all the retails are actually booming,’’ Austin said. “We can’t get businesses in there fast enough. And it has everything to do with public transportation.’’

Senate Minority Leader Mitzi Epstein, D-Tempe, told colleagues that shortchanging mass transit is not a good move, stating:

“If we continue to have the idea that everything must be a single driver in a car on a road, we will just get to the point of having to pave every speck.’’

Senate President Warren Petersen, RGilbert, said the GOP plan does not mean that there will never be a further extension of light rail. What it does mean, he said, is that it won’t be paid for by everyone who buys items subject to sales taxes throughout Maricopa County.

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House Speaker Ben Toma said what Republicans approved gives Hobbs and MAG, made up of local elected officials, what they want: the chance to extend the sales tax until 2045.

“If cities want to do light rail, you know what?’’ Petersen said. “They can find ways to fund it and do it.’’

Bob Christie of Capitol Media Services contributed to this story. 

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have a considerable amount of analysis ahead of them before final results are available this fall.

Moreover, in comparing test results for each year from 2021 to 2023, Kyrene data showed that at least half of all students showed proficiency or high proficiency in English Language Arts throughout that time period. Those who showed proficiency or high proficiency in math steadily increased from 40% in 2021 to 45% in 2023.

The percentage of fifth and eighth graders who were proficient or highly proficient in science increased from 38% in 2022 to 41% in 2023. Only those two grades are tested in science and tests were not administered in 2021.

Even so, Governing Board President Kevin Walsh said after the presentation that while “there’s a lot to celebrate” in the initial cut of the data, “a third of our students did not experience growth.”

“That’s something I think as a district we just need to double down on commitment to that,” Walsh said, though he also noted the tests are “by far not the only time we are looking at assessment results.”

Superintendent Laura Toenjes also on June 13 rolled out the district’s five-year strategic plan – which has been under development for over a year and involved an array of stakeholders, from parents and teachers to administrators and business and other community leaders.

Toenjes said that plan contains strategies “that we believe are going to address some of these concerns in the future.”

Kyrene Chief Financial Officer Chris Herrmann also noted that the district’s 2023-24 is $1.4 million for 19 additional teachers to lower class sizes in K-3.

Among the preliminary test results, the data show:

• District-wide, 51% of students passed English Language Arts, 45% passed math and 41% passed science.

• Among individual grade levels, passing rates in English for fifth and eighth graders were at 49% and 48%, respectively, while the other grades scored above 50%. Statewide, no grade had a higher passing rate than 45% in English and passing rates for fifth and eighth grade students were 37% and 36%, respectively.

• In math, at least half of Kyrene students in grades 3-5 passed while passing results were achieved by only 35%

to fifth and eighth graders and in Kyrene, 46% of fifth graders and 37% of eighth graders passed. Statewide passing rates were 34% for fifth graders and 27% for eighth graders.

• Digging deeper into the data, “highly proficient” results in English were achieved by 15% of Kyrene students in English Language Arts, 18% in math and 10% in science.

• “Proficient” results were achieved by 37% of Kyrene students in English, 27% in math and 31% in science.

• “Partial proficiency” was shown by 19% of Kyrene students in English Language Arts, 22% in math and 42% in science.

• “Minimal proficiency” was shown by 29% of Kyrene students in English Language Arts, 33% in math and 17% in science.

• “Proficient” or “highly proficient” scores overall were achieved by 65% of white and Asian students, compared to 28% for Black students and 24% for Native Americans. Among English Language Learners. only 12% were “proficient” overall and none were recorded as highly proficient. Students with disabilities also tested at lower rates than the general student population, with only 4% showing high proficiency and 13% showing they were proficient.

In analyzing individual students’ test results between this year and last, Kyrene analysts determined 64% showed growth, or improvement, in relation to the passing threshold for both English and math while 55% of those who did not pass in either subject are on track to pass within three years. Bolnick said that percentage for growth includes students who passed last year and achieved higher passing grades this year.

Toenjes also noted that once Kyrene and the state Department of Education complete their analysis of results from the tests, which were administered last fall, “it’s pretty much put aside once a (new) year gets started and we really start to use our district assessments because they’re much more real in time and give us more actionable data at that moment.

of sixth and eighth grade students and 39% of seventh graders. Statewide results showed passing rates range from

27% in eighth grade to 49% for third graders.

• Science tests were administered only

Toenjes also touted the potential impact of Kyrene’s new strategic plan on students, particularly in the wake of public education’s emergence “from one of the greatest

This chart takes a deeper dive into assessment test results for each grade level in Kyrene. (Kyrene School District)

The state assessment tests were administered in all Arizona school districts last fall and Kyrene has only partially analyzed the results. (Kyrene School District)

Passing rates among Kyrene students in state assessment tests were higher than state averages for any grade. Math and English Language Arts assessment tests are administered in grades 3-8 while science is administered only in the fifth and eighth grades. (Kyrene School District)

Kyrene OKs employee bonuses as it hones in on 2023-24 spending

BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor

Kyrene School District is giving a $1,500 bonus to all employees working at least 20 hours a week and $750 to the rest of its workforce in an effort to reduce job vacancies in the 2023-24 school year.

The Governing Board’s unanimous approval of the measure on June 13 means eligible employees will get their “retention stipend” in three installments in July, December and May as part of the district’s effort to “retain high quality personnel and for the continuity of operations.”

The $3.3 million cost of those bonuses brings to $8.3 million Kyrene has spent in one-time payments to employees for continuity of operations.

That total comprises the largest part – 42% – of the $19.5 million Kyrene received from the four major pandemic relief funds that were distributed to all school districts over the last three years.

Of that money, the district also spent $6 million on support for student learning, $3.3 million for laptops and other technology, $1.1 million for cleaning supplies and equipment and $800,000 for medical costs related to COVID-19, such as tests and vaccines.

Approval of the stipends followed a presentation by Chief Financial Officer Chris Herrmann on the district’s proposed $235.5 million spending plan for 2023-24. The board is scheduled to adopt it on June 27 and hold a public hearing and give final approval July 11.

Herrmann said the district projects enrollment in the coming school year will decline by 523 students, spelling a loss of about $3.2 million in revenue from the state funding stream tied to student population.

However, the district will benefit from one-time increases in state funding totaling $3.6 million as well as $500,000 from the Maintenance and Operations budget override.

The budget includes $1.4 million for 19 additional teachers to lower K-3 class sizes and $1.4 million for teachers and “academic and behavioral specialists” at Kyrene’s eight RISE UP Schools.

Those schools offer reduced student ratios and increased resources “to close achievement gaps and transform the lives of students,” according to the district.

Herrmann stressed that the district, like virtually all government entities, has been struggling with inflationary pressures and that those challenges are hard-

Kyrene School district will be using a one-time $8.8 million additional funding in a variety of ways in the coming school year. (Kyrene School District)

ly covered by the 2% inflation adjustment the state provides in its payments to public school districts.

Combined with the reduced per-student subsidy resulting from the enrollment decline, Herrmann said "the district will likely not have a substantial (Maintenance and Operations) funding increase from state inflation funding for employee compensation.”

He said any raises the district is giving employees primarily comes from spending cuts, mainly at the district office.

Kyrene faces costly repair and maintenance projects in the future and is asking voters in November to approve a $161 million capital bond increase an $8.5 million annual increase in its District Additional Assistance, which covers smaller capital projects and purchases such as furniture, technology and curriculum materials.

Herrmann also reiterated the state Auditor General’s report earlier this year that showed that 71.9% of Kyrene's spending in the 2021-22 school year went to the classroom and said that had it not been for a sharp increase in food service driven by the pandemic and campus shutdowns, that figure would have been 74%.

Kyrene plans $8.8 million in one-time expenditures with the largest being the money paid for the retention stipends. That money is coming from the additional $4.1 million in one-time state funding and $4.7 million carried over from the current budget – the result of lower personnel costs created by vacant positions

and lower employee medical costs.

The next largest one-time expenditure is $2.37 million that will be spent of multiple years for “strategic planning.”

Total one-time spending also includes $1.5 million for student support, $562,000 for special education, $500,000 for “professional growth,” $430,000 for “operational costs” and $100,000 for the special all-mail bond election Nov. 7.

Herrmann also noted that the state never fully funded the Ducey Administration’s 2017 pledge to raise teacher salaries by 20% by the 2019-20 school year, forcing Kyrene to make up the difference.

“The state’s funding calculation was based on overall statewide average teacher salaries and was not based on the average salary within each particular school district,” he explained. “And because Kyrene's average teacher salaries were higher than the overall state average, the funding increase that we received was less than what our district actually needed to provide a 20% increase.”

Moreover, he said, “The state provided additional funding only based on the number of classroom instructional teachers, which is a smaller subset of the overall population of teachers across the district… So because of these reasons, Kyrene received about $2 million less from the state than what was actually needed to provide a 20% increase for all teachers over that three-year time period.”

All Kyrene employees will be getting a $2% bump in pay in the coming school year, bringing teachers’ average salaries up 27.3% over the last seven years. 

HOMELESS from page 1

rants for individuals experiencing homelessness who demonstrate commitment to end their homelessness.”

The new Community Court would essentially do the same thing, but the administration says it would offer a “more robust” approach to defendants.

It would be modeled after a highly successful community court in Mesa that has been in operation for over four years and that has won broad approval from police as well as advocates for the unsheltered because rather than simply incarcerate a homeless person who commits a minor crime, it provides an alternative of treatment of the root causes of their behavior.

But Councilman Tom Waring touched off a debate about the effectiveness of this approach when he recounted a story of a city staffer who was returning to City Hall after lunch and saw a vagrant defecating in front of the Orpheum Theater.

Saying such behavior “flies in the face of thousands of years of civilization,” Waring asked city staffers if such a person would be eligible for the new Community Court.

Chief Municipal Court Judge Don Taylor replied, “I think the answer is ‘probably’ and I know that’s not a great answer to say that because at the end of the day now, the gatekeeper to this program is the prosecutor’s office and they’re going to be looking at each of these cases on an individualized basis, determining whether or not this is an appropriate place for that particular individual, given the context, to go forward.

“And they may or may not decide that. I can tell you largely we expect this court to be filled with what are often similar to that sort of quality-of-life issues that are prevalent.”

Taylor said “the lion’s share” of homeless people who end up on the wrong side of the law are charged with trespassing and “include significant numbers of things like shoplifting and some others.”

“There is going to be some very serious filtering on the front end, particularly by the prosecutor, to make sure that any individual who finds himself in Community Court is appropriately there,” he added.

City Law Department Assistant Chief Council Esteban Gomez also stressed that people charged with a wide variety of crimes would not be eligible for Community Court diversion.

“We’d be looking at the particular facts of a particular case – whether or not vic-

tims are involved, restitution involved, the types of injuries; if there’s any types of damage, … their criminal history. Is it aggravated? Is there some sort of threat to safety, community safety, that nature,” Gomez said.

“So what we’re looking at is trying to identify those cases where somebody needs that assistance, needs that help to get out of this cycle, and try to move them towards receiving that appropriate treatment and hopefully getting their records in place like identification, birth certificates, things of that nature so that they can

help hopefully find reliable housing and shelter,” he said.

Staff also noted domestic violence and assault cases automatically would make a defendant ineligible for the court.

But Waring wasn’t satisfied with those answers, contending people who relieve themselves in public “pretty much intentionally sort of wreck the quality of life for everybody else, or certainly at least wreck their lunch.

“Behavior like that is so outrageous it should not be eligible” for Community Court, Waring said, telling staff: “The book should be thrown at them and that’s it. There should be no discussion. You reap what you sow when you’re acting like that.”

vices,” Ward said, “I think that the word ‘services’ is hidden. People think euphemistically that we’re going to give them a cookie and an apology. That’s not what services look like.”

“When we say ‘services,’ it’s not a cakewalk,” Ward said. “These people have to go to counseling, they have to behave, they have to play by the rules. Their lives are very structured for a very long time, sometimes for a couple of years.”

But Waring continued to cite conditions downtown, fearing “some hedge fund guy” on his way to City Hall to meet with economic development officials would see some of the conduct he alluded to and decide to take his business elsewhere.

Adding that he himself almost got into a fistfight with a homeless man outside City Hall, Waring said, “The impression that we’re making at City Hall is we have completely lost control of everything.”

Scott Hall, deputy director of the city Office of Homeless Solutions, reminded the subcommittee, “A lot of our folks that are out there suffering on the streets have given up hope. They’ve given up on society, they’ve given up on themselves.”

Hall alluded to having been personally in the same situation and that “I’ve worked hard to come though that but I didn’t come through that alone. It took a village of people to support me when I just wanted to give up and crawl into a hole.”

Public Defender David Ward conceded that defecating in public is “horrific,” but sought to dispel what he termed might be a misunderstanding of what happens to someone charged with this type of offense once they would get into Community Court.

He called attention to the success of the Veterans Court, where defendants also are charged with quality of life crimes, and said it has become “a flagship of veterans courts in the country.”

“When we say we’re going to try and give them ser-

Councilwoman Ann. O’Brien, who chairs the subcommittee, recalled attending “graduation ceremonies” for some of the defendants who came though the other specialty courts, recalling a mother of four who had been arrested on a drug charge.

“It was really powerful to listen to her say that going to jail is what saved her life … because it got her into this program.

“She was thankful for the officers who arrested her. She was thankful for the system and thankful to be able to graduate from the program so that she could return to being with her kids,” O’Brien said.

“What is important to me in this (Community Court) program is it is individualized,” O’Brien continued. “People will be screened and not get a free pass. Anybody who knows me knows that I believe in accountability and consequences.”

“So it is important to me that this court offers folks the opportunity to do the work to get back on their feet and become productive members of society and help improve not just their quality of life, but the quality of life for our entire city.” 

Councilwoman Ann O’Brien, who chairs council’s Public Safety and Justice Subcommittee, talked about how moved she was by people who went through the city’s other specialty courts that divert people charged with minor crimes into programs that help them turn their lives around. (YouTube)

Phoenix Chief Municipal Judge Don Taylor, left, and City Law Department Assistant Chief Council Esteban Gomez defended the proposed Community Court for homeless people charged with minor crimes during a council subcommittee hearing June 14. (YouTube)

Group wants more collegeeducated Arizonans

BY OLE BRAATELIEN Cronkite News

Valley education and business leaders last week unveiled an “Everything to Gain” campaign, with a goal of helping to increase the number of Arizonans with college degrees or certificates by 2030.

If successful, they say, it could boost the state’s economy.

The campaign is the latest effort to help meet the state’s Achieve60AZ goal, which the Board of Regents and thenGov. Doug Ducey announced in 2016. The initiative aims for 60% of Arizonans to have a post-high school degree or certificate by 2030.

Currently, 48% of Arizonans have a degree or certificate, said Rich Nickel, president and CEO of Education Forward Arizona.

Advocacy group Education Forward Arizona, which launched Everything to Gain, advocates for expanding scholarship programs, augmenting pay for teachers and increasing dual enrollment plans that allow students to earn college credits while still in high school, among other actions.

“Increasing higher education enrollment by just 20% could lead to more than $5 billion in economic gains for Arizona each year,” Nickel said.

“That’s $5 billion, with a ‘b,’ for every high school graduating class that accomplishes that goal. But we have a lot of work to do if we’re going to reap these benefits.”

Steven Gonzales, chancellor of Maricopa Community College District, said he is concerned about the state’s degree attainment numbers.

“Just a few weeks ago, Arizona’s three public universities, community colleges, tribal colleges and private colleges and universities, awarded more than 80,000 two- and four-year college degrees and thousands of professional certificates,” Gonzales said.

“While those numbers sound impressive, they actually represent a level of stasis that is very concerning.”

Undergraduate enrollment at Arizona colleges and universities dropped an estimated 0.5% in spring 2023 compared to the previous year, according to a recent analysis by the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.

One big reason Arizonans aren’t seeking degrees is because of the cost of tuition.

At Arizona State University, the state’s largest university, in-state tuition costs roughly $12,000 per year for a bachelor’s degree, according to its website.

In April, the Board of Regents approved a 3% tuition increase over the next five years for Arizona’s three largest universities: ASU, Northern Arizona University and University of Arizona.

Nickel blamed the state Legislature for high tuition.

“Unfortunately, in Arizona, because the state Legislature has really underfunded our universities over time, they’ve really been forced to make up that gap with tuition increases,” Nickel said.

Gonzales added that the fewer number of students earning degrees also has to do with underfunding from the state.

“Today’s students have to work between four and six times more hours per week than they did in the 1970s, just to be able to afford tuition fees,” Gonzales said.

“So that’s what demonstrates the lack of state investment. That dollar has to get passed on to someone and unfortunately, it’s passed on to the students.”

Regardless of the cost, Gonzales still advocates for Arizonans to pursue some kind of post-high school education.

“Folks have got to see this as an investment in themselves,” Gonzales said. “And I say to do whatever it takes for you to pursue some form of post-secondary education. I know there’s a lot of debate on whether students should take out student loans.

“That’s a last resort option for many students, sometimes an only resort option. But even that – it’s looking at it as an investment in yourself.”

Full-time workers, 22 to 27 years old, with bachelor’s degrees made a median yearly wage of $52,000 in 2021. Their counterparts with high school diplomas earned only $30,000 a year, according to a Pew Research Center studyin 2022.

In 1990, bachelor’s degree holders in the same age range earned $48,481 annually, while those with high school diplomas earned $35,257.

The Everything to Gain campaign primarily seeks to spread awareness of Arizona’s education efforts. 

WARNING!

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.

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challenges” it has ever faced – namely “a landscape that had been fundamentally transformed” by the pandemic.

Among its goals, the plan aims for a 70% increase in academic progress by 2027-28 “as measured by the weighted average of students passing, growing and on track on state English Language Arts and math assessments.”

By 2024-25, the plan states, “at least 85% of kindergartners” will meet end-of-the year reading benchmarks in the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skill testing program. 

LA CASA DE JUANA

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.

Amazon, Google expand footprint in region

BY SCOTT SHUMAKER AFN Staff Writer

The Elliot Road Technology Corridor inside the Loop 202 freeway in Mesa is mostly former dairy and alfalfa farm land.

Motorists driving this stretch of Elliot Road get a more rustic feel than the portion of Elliot north of Eastmark and east of the 202.

But with a flurry of activity this month, the inside-the-loop part of Elliot Road started catching up with the corridor to the east.

On June 9, Amazon celebrated the grand opening of its 1.2-million-square-foot storage and distribution center at the northwest corner of Elliot Road and the 202.

The developer originally planned two large industrial buildings, but Amazon, the long-term lessee, requested the buildings be combined.

The architects for the project created the current mega-building, which Amazon says is the largest storage and distribution center in the U.S.

The company says it’s the first “major” Amazon facility east of Central Avenue in Phoenix.

Down Elliot Road to the west of the new Amazon facility, Google is getting ready to break ground on the first phase of its massive, $1 billion Red Hawk data center campus.

The highly vaunted project was first approved by the city council in 2019.

Google received the greenlight last week from Mesa’s Design Review Board on its plans for a 288,000-square-foot data hall. It’s the first phase of a total 750,000 square feet of development on the 186-acre site, once an alfalfa field.

The design hearing gave the public its first look at details of the secretive project, but even at this stage of the process, the company is taking steps to protect information about it.

When the first Google data hall is complete, the formerly rural area will have two of the largest companies in the U.S. anchoring it, giving the corridor an auspicious start.

Nearly 2 mile perimeter

Officials with Amazon said the Mesa facility launched four weeks ago when it began receiving inbound-only deliveries to fill up its rows of tall metal shelves, which seem to go on forever inside the building.

Amazon said the center will serve as an intermediary between its largest warehouses where products are stored in bulk and the fulfillment centers where orders are packed for final delivery.

Intermediate facilities like this are important for keeping high-volume items in stock and holding products closer to customers, enabling the company to deliver packages in a day or two instead of four or five days.

The warehouse is one large open space, but it’s so vast that it’s difficult to make out the opposite wall of the building while standing at one end.

Mayor John Giles, who toured a small part of the building along with other city officials, joked that he could see “the curvature of the Earth” inside the warehouse.

Christina Matus, senior operation manager for Amazon, said a recent inspection walk of the building perimeter was 1.7 miles long.

The site managers have made the building’s mascot the jackalope, and images of

the mythical creature appear throughout the warehouse, adding a bit of levity to the behemoth center.

The Mesa facility currently has 650 employees, with plans to eventually employ 800 to 1,300 workers at full operation. Full-time employees work four 10-hour shifts per week, Amazon managers said.

Site Lead Rodney Huffman, a graduate of Mesa High, said the distribution center has been meeting all of its hiring targets so far.

As officials toured the facility during the grand opening, several new employees were being trained on the company’s Power Industrial Trucks.

The trucks comprise a key component of the operations as they are designed to navigate the rows of shelves and move employees up and down to retrieve product.

Company officials boasted high-tech safety features, that help the trucks navigate the aisles and prevent accidents.

In Arizona, Amazon has 17 fulfillment and sortation centers, 13 delivery stations and more than 33,000 full-and part-time employees.

Red Hawk rising

In 2019, the Mesa City Council approved a development agreement and tax incentive program with Google to develop the data center campus on Elliot and Sossaman roads, but there’s been little visible movement on the project until last week’s design review hearing.

Google must meet development milestones. It faces a July 2025 deadline for 250,000 square feet of development and $600 million in capital investment.

According to the agreement, the average salary of all full-time employees on the project must be $65,000 per year.

The city is allocating 1,120 acre-feet of

water initially and up to 4,480 acre-feet at buildout, promising as well “sufficient emergency back-up supplies for water.”

Water is important for data centers as an efficient means of moving heat away from servers. Data centers use a lot of water, but the industry is trying to develop technology to reduce its water demands.

The city is sweetening the deal for Google with a $16 million tax break over the next 25 years, which Mesa believes will be far exceeded by construction sales tax, electricity sales tax and personal property tax generated by the data center.

Google submitted site plans ahead of the hearing, but according to the project narrative, “proprietary information regarding the equipment in the server halls has been removed from the drawings due to intellectual property concerns.”

“The client would be willing to disclose the design of this area in an in-person non-public review meeting,” the document continued.

The internal features of buildings are blocked out in gray on the architectural drawings submitted to the city.

Security features of the data hall include a 10-foot wall surrounding the project, a gated entry and guard shack.

In the site plans submitted by Google, designers have added interest to industrial buildings with metal accents and LED lights, some of which casts dramatic shadows on the side of the building at night.

Issues related to the land use of the project are outside the purview of the design review board, which is focused on the appearance of a project.

Board member Tanner Green summed up the board’s sentiment on the first phase, “We’re looking forward to this project.”

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BY SOPHIA BIAZUS Cronkite News

An annual report that measures the well-being of children showed slight improvement for Arizona kids, but the Grand Canyon state remained among the lowestranked states.

On a national level, fewer parents were economically secure, educational achievement was hit hard because of the aftereffects of the pandemic and more children died young than ever before, according to the 2023 Kids Count Data Book.

One of the biggest areas of concern in Arizona and the country was the lack of access to affordable child care.

Published last week by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the data book ranked Arizona 39th overall. Rankings were compiled from national and state child welfare statistics across four fac-

tors – family and community, economics, education and health. Last year, Arizona came in 44th.

The Annie E. Casey Foundation is a private national philanthropic organization dedicated to bettering the lives of the nation’s youth who are at risk of poor educational, health and socioeconomic outcomes.

States’ rankings were grouped in four categories: best, better, worse and worst. Arizona ranked worse for economics, family and community, education and health.

“We fall into the worst category, again,” said Kelley Murphy, Children’s Action Alliance interim president and CEO. “The top headline for me is that any movement we’ve had has been minimal.”

The state ranked 32nd in health, 33rd in economic well-being, 40th in family and community and 45th in education.

Issues with child care seemed to be

the overarching topic of concern. Murphy said shortcomings in Arizona’s child care system leave women, people of color and those on the lower end of the socioeconomic scale in jeopardy.

“The child care system is really in disarray and in crisis,” Murphy said. “The overall impact is that people who live in poverty are forced to stay in poverty because they have to quit jobs because it’s more expensive to put their child in child care.”

This year’s data book reported the national annual cost of center-based child care for toddlers at $10,883, or 31% of a single mother’s income and 11% of a married couple’s income.

Additionally, 16% of children’s families across the country suffered job changes due to child care problems.

“If they can find a job that pays them adequately then they are not eligible for services, but they don’t make enough money to actually pay the cost

of child care on its own,” Murphy said. “So it creates a cycle where we keep people in a situation where they can’t get ahead.”

Murphy said she expects more child care providers to close because extra funding during the pandemic is scheduled to run out in August.

During COVID-19, the state created a plan that increased access to child care through funding from the Arizona Department of Economic Security.

State agencies, the Governor’s Office, community partners and stakeholders know this issue is a cause for concern, Murphy said, adding that she believes a lack of access to child care will continue to worsen in the next year.

“There’s probably going to be some additional shifting,” she said. “We may lose some providers for whom it’s no longer feasible for them to stay in business, but we’re working diligently to try and prevent that.” 

Ahwatukee teen ready to shine in ‘Mean Girls’

BY KATY SPRINGER AFN Contirbutor

Everyone knows a mean girl. Whether you’re currently a student or graduated high school decades ago, you know that girl who inspired fear – and total obedience – among her classmates and even the occasional adult.

Her power was absolute: students clustered around her to curry favor – or scampered away to avoid her gaze.

At Northshore High School, that girl is Regina George. And now, Limelight Performing Arts is bringing Northshore to life with its production of “Mean Girls High School Version,” playing June 23-July 1 at the Studio 3 Artspace Theatre, 511 W. Guadalupe Road, Gilbert.

The “Mean Girls” experience is so thoroughly universal that the movie, which hit the big screen nearly 20 years ago, still resonates with teens today. In 2018, it launched as a Broadway musical, and now it’s being produced as a musical movie.

Madeleine Conrad, 14, a rising sophomore at Desert Vista High School, loves the movie and couldn’t wait to be part of the stage production.

“I wanted to participate in ‘Mean Girls’ because of how much I loved the movie growing up,” said Madeleine.

“So many talented kids came out to audition for this show,” added Emma England, artistic director of Limelight and director of “Mean Girls.”

“We cast an incredible group of teenagers who connect with the story in such a personal way. It really shows in their performance.”

The musical follows Cady Heron, a naïve 16-year-old who arrives at a suburban Illinois high school after growing up in Africa with her scientist parents. She quickly confronts the challenges of fitting in and the realities of the popularity pecking order.

At the top of the social hierarchy sit “The Plastics,” a trio of lionized Mean Girls led by the charming but ruthless Regina George, who rules the school with an iron fist.

With the help of her outcast friends, Janis and Damian, Cady concocts a scheme to take on The Plastics and dethrone Regina, but soon learns the hard way that you can’t cross a queen bee without getting stung.

“The show uses humor in a very edgy way to tackle difficult topics like insecurity, bullying and revenge,” said England.

“The entertainment value is very high, but the show also does an incredible job reaching kids who are dealing with these issues in real life.”

Madeleine plays the role of Lizzie Thurman, part of the “rich stoners” clique at Northshore. She is working hard to bring her character to life.

“I’m most proud of how much work I’ve put into this show,” she said. “I go to Limelight 12 hours every day and I grow so much as an actress, dancer and singer.”

It’s a rigorous schedule, especially since Madeleine was rehearsing for two shows

see MEAN GIRLS page 25

Ahwatukee actress stops by Oz before Broadway

BY KEN SAIN AFN Staff Writer

When the theater bug bit Ahwatukee’s Jasmine Bassham, it bit hard.

The Desert Vista High graduate is going to perform a last show in Arizona before heading to Broadway with her dreams of making it big there.

Bassham has been cast as the lead performer in the Arizona Broadway Theatre production of Wizard of Oz, so she will be putting on those ruby red shoes and battling the Wicked Witch of the West as Dorothy.

It’s a nice full-circle kind of moment for Bassham before heading off to New York.

“I saw my first Broadway show when I was eight, and that was it for me,” Bassham said during a break rehearsing for the pro-

duction in Peoria. I’m so lucky I was able to grow up doing something that I loved and having a family the supported me.”

That first Broadway show she saw as an 8-year-old was “Wicked,” sort of the prequel to “The Wizard of Oz.”

It will not be the first time Bassham has performed on the Arizona Broadway stage.

She played Wednesday Addams in The Addams Family and was the understudy for Sophie and ensemble performer in Mamma Mia!

The performance is a brief return to Arizona before heading off to Broadway.

Bassham has spent the past four years at Rider University in New Jersey to earn her college degree in musical theater.

She said she’s really looking forward to the Broadway Theatre performance.

“With ‘Wicked’ and the world of the

‘Wizard of Oz’ sparking my initial interest, that definitely plays a role,” Bassham said. “I grew up watching the movie, and listening to ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow.’ It’s one of the first songs I ever sang, so it has a very special place in my heart.”

Bassham said another reason she’s looking forward to this run is that she knows the people in the audience love the story just as much as she does.

“I love that it brings a nostalgic energy to the audience and the people who care so much about the movie,” she said.

While at Rider, Bassham said she wasn’t able to get to as many Broadway shows as she would have liked. The cost of theater was one factor. Rider is located near Trenton, so it’s about 60 miles from Broadway.

Still, being in the musical theater pro-

see ACTRESS page 27

Madeleine Conrad of Ahwatukee plays Lizzie Thurman, part of the “rich stoners” clique at Northshore High School, in the upcoming Limelight Theatre production of “Mean Girls High School Musical.” (Sam Weid/AFN Contributor)

Ahwatukee resident Jasmine Bassham plays Dorothy in the Arizona Broadway Theatre’s production of “Wizard of Oz” and will soon be heading for the bright lights of Broadway, where she hopes to land on a new step in her budding acting career. (David Minton/Staff Photographer)

BY BOB CHRISTIE AND HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

Eorts at the state Capitol to address the rising cost of housing imploded last week, at least in part because conservative Republicans are unwilling to override local regulations, even with the consent of a ected communities.

Sen. Steve Kaiser, R-Phoenix, acknowledged that the comprehensive zoning

overhaul won’t happen this year despite the deal he struck with the League of Arizona Cities and Towns on a slimmeddown version of his bill.

Kaiser also had picked up support from many Democrats who see local zoning and “NIMBY-ism” as enabling communities to keep out “a ordable’’ housing.

e deal would have set state standards for zoning, requiring municipalities to allow backyard casitas and a mix of new

smaller developments including small lots sizes, duplex and tri-plex homes and manufactured housing.

But it ended up going a bit too far for many.

Rep. Neal Carter, R-San Tan Valley, saw problems with Kaiser’s e ort to set some baseline restrictions on those local powers.

“I do not want to turn the Legislature into the local zoning board,’’ he said, contending that would happen if questions of size and density suddenly became matters that were governed by state law.

In a Twitter post, Mesa Republican Rep. Jacqueline Parker described the package as “horrible, suburb-destroying bills.’’

Kaiser’s e orts were designed to jumpstart the construction of smaller, cheaper housing in already built-up communities to ease a housing crunch that has made it impossible for many people to nd rental homes they can a ord. One result is rising homelessness.

Kaiser said he could not even get a majority of fellow Republicans in the House to get on board.

e Senate, in a separate action, overwhelmingly rejected a backstop measure designed to garner support from the conservative “Freedom Caucus.’’ It did not work.

“Ultimately, I think members just want to slow down and really work on a better product during the interim and then run something in January,’’ Kaiser said. “I think a lot of them were a little bit uncomfortable with just how fast everything was moving and how complex the issues are.’’

House Majority Whip Teresa Martinez agreed.

“ is was too much to absorb,’’ said the Casa Grande Republican.

Sen. Anna Hernandez, D-Phoenix, who

was at the forefront of Democrats working to expand access to a ordable housing, expressed frustration.

“When we earn constituents’ votes, those come with accountability,’’ she said. “So constituents need to ask their legislators why they are voting ‘no’ on a ordable housing measures and measures that will ultimately bring a ordable housing in the middle of a crisis.’’

e Home Builders Association of Central Arizona has been a key backer of Kaiser’s original package.

at even included elements of what is called “zoning by right.’’ at would have allowed some property owners to convert the use of their property from how it was zoned to something else without having to rst get local approval.

But lobbyist Spencer Kamps said for is members the key element of the original package was the e ort to cut down on what he said is the red tape in getting a new development approved.

“ e private sector can’t respond to the market quick enough when demand increases,’’ he said, with the problem being local regulations. e result, said Kamps, is an “arti cial spike in pricing because of the supply.’’

And delay, he said, is a big part of it.

“My industry literally 40 years ago you could be able to get a subdivision approved from raw land to the rst home sale in about two years,’’ Kamps said. “And we’re now up to about four years.’’

But Kamps said that by the time Kaiser was done amending it after negotiations with the League of Arizona Cities and Towns and others, his organization decided to neither support or oppose it.

Kaiser seemed resigned and even supportive of calling a pause to his e orts.

But he was buoyed by emerging and “long overdue” e orts in places like

Phoenix to voluntarily change their zoning regulations to allow developments that are more a ordable than the single family homes that have been a hallmark of development in Arizona for decades.

“If the local governments can match supply with demand, then there’s no need for the state to be involved,’’ he said.

Still, he said that even if a large number of cities voluntarily adopt new zoning rules that match what he believes

is needed, they should not expect him to just drop his e orts to force zoning changes.

“I think there’s still there’s so much work to be done on zoning,’’ Kaiser said.

“It’s so complex,’’ he said. “ ere’s a million layers and barriers you can reduce, to speed up the process, but still respect local input. So there’s still work to be done for sure. But they’re moving in the right direction.’’ 

Million-dollar babies

Two Ahwatukee homes that recently sold both topped the $1 million mark. Top: This 3,836-square-foot house on S. 13th Way sold for just under $1.3 million. The five-bedroom, four-bath two-story house on a 20,443-square-foot cul de sac lot boasted stainless steel appliances, walk-in pantry, spiral staircase and numerous amenities. Bottom: Sold for $1.1 million, this 4,180-square-foot house on S. 29th Avenue has four bedrooms, 3-1/2 bathrooms across two stories. The open floor plan included a kitchen with high-end appliances and $150,000 worth of other upgrades. (Special to AFN)

Monsoon can rain a host of legal issues on homeowners

BY BENJAMIN GOTTLIEB Guest Writer

Arizona monsoon seasons are unpredictable. In 2020, for example, the state experienced one of the driest monsoons of all time, while 2021 was the second wettest in the past 30 years. Most Arizonans remember the extraordinary 2014 monsoon storms that created 100-year ooding events recorded by the Maricopa County Flood Control District.

at 2014 monsoon season wreaked havoc across the Valley, ravaging residential communities and causing extensive ood damage. at September, a record-breaking rainstorm battered the area, producing an all-time rainfall record of 3.30 inches in a single day at Sky

summer.

During typical monsoon storms, residents may see a modest build-up of storm water and sediment. In larger rainstorms, stormwater can ow through washes and channel bottoms throughout neighborhoods and across homes, transporting water, sediment and debris from one house to another. In extreme cases, signi cant ooding occurs, as Arizonans saw in 2014.

Homeowners concerned about protecting their home from ooding may erect walls around the perimeter of their property; import dirt ll to engage in a landscape remodel and raise the elevation of their lot; or build other structures designed to obstruct or divert water ow from their property.

While these “protective” actions appear to be those of a responsible home-

drainage conditions.

Further, not all water is treated alike under Arizona law and the state di erentiates between surface water, stream water, and oodwater.

Surface water is water naturally spreading over land – i.e., rainfall. Stream water is water that ows in a watercourse, like a wash or stream. Flood water is water that escapes from a watercourse and ows over adjoining lands wildly and in no regular channel.

Under Arizona law, landowners cannot obstruct or divert the ow of surface waters without providing su cient outlets.

And while landowners are prohibited from obstructing or diverting the ow of stream water, they may obstruct and protect themselves against oodwaters. ese issues make it imperative that if you are involved in a dispute involving

property that could a ect drainage conditions, homeowners should consult a civil engineer and discuss submitting grading and drainage plans to the local municipality to seek approval of the planned developments.

Neighbors generally wait until a storm that creates water damage has occurred before bringing legal action against the homeowner that changed the drainage conditions.

By that point, the aggrieved neighbor’s property has likely incurred signi cant damage from the water diversion, and in extreme cases, the home itself may have experienced water intrusion.

If you are aware of a neighbor who has altered drainage conditions based on development of their property, you should seek legal counsel to provide an assessment of the situation prior to sustaining

Realtors group, ASU form mentoring partnership

BY JUSTIN LIGGIN AFN Contributor

The Arizona Association of Realtors and W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University have formed ASU/AAR Education Partnership for university juniors and seniors who are pursuing a minor in real estate or a Master of Real Estate Development.

e students learn more about the licensed real estate profession by increasing their professional skills while advancing their careers in the eld.

Made up of classroom education and mentoring, the program has supported the professional development of students and provided them with knowledge, career advice, skills training, assistance and guidance.

e program launched last fall and is

Area Realtors last fall began mentoring the first group of Arizona State University juniors and seniors who are hoping to make a career in real estate. (Special to AFN)

continuing in the coming school year.

More information about it is at real-estate. wpcarey.asu.edu/programs.

“Mentorship is an important part of growth in the real estate eld, and our Realtor professionals are dedicated to pro-

viding ASU students with the tools and experience for success,” said Michelle Lind, counsel for the Arizona Realtors.

Jihan Nawara, a biological sciences major, said the mentorship program caught her eye as an important career opportuni-

ty while pursuing her real estate and business minors.

“I was drawn to this opportunity because it was a chance to receive valuable one-on-one training and be in a place where I can interact with people who have an interest in the eld just like I do,” Nawara said.

Her mentor, Chandler Realtor Craig Peck, said guiding the next generation of the industry has always been second nature and made his participation in the program an easy decision.

“Mentorship is near and dear to my heart, and it means so much to be a part of this and give back to the youth,” Peck said.

“To be in the business as long as I have, it is amazing to see these young individuals come into the eld and be caring, dedicat-

ed and actively looking to educate themselves on real estate.”

A Realtor emeritus with more than 40 years of experience, Peck has previously taken part in the National Association of Realtors’ SPIRE program.

SPIRE helps individuals learn the fundamentals of the real estate industry and empowers consideration of real estate as a career path.

Similarly, the Arizona Realtors and ASU program also helps highlight the concept of real estate as a career and gives prospective Realtors a space to interact and grow their network as they discover the industry.

“Many students only know real estate as selling homes and think of it as an activity,” said Mark Stapp, a Fred E. Taylor professor of real estate at the Carey School along with Lind, created the program.

“ is program emphasizes the fact it

is a profession and viable career path for young people,” Stapp said. “It is also exposing segments of the population historically underserved, with knowledge about the profession. We strive to create diversity and bring in young people to the profession.”

Nawara, who hopes to one day become a lawyer, plans to work in real estate on the side and use the knowledge she gains about the profession to help her practice law.

“I was able to get insight on how to grow my background in real estate to be better prepared for a career in this eld,” Nawara said. “As a participant, I have had the opportunity to network and meet so many people.”

Since meeting in September 2022, Peck has noticed Nawara and other program participants excel, thanks to the hands-on experience that Realtor mentors o er.

“I have seen so much growth in all the students. Students like Jihan are doing more than just listening, but participating alongside us mentors in the purchase, list-

ing and contract processes. It’s truly great to see,” Peck said.

Nawara encourages students interested in pursuing real estate to take part in the program for not just professional guidance, but to learn the business of the real estate industry.

“ e mentorship program simpli ed the process, and I would say to anyone who is on the edge of pursuing the profession or program that it doesn’t hurt to give it a try. I discovered the profession of real estate, and I was able to gain knowledge of the purchase process for buying a home someday or helping someone nd theirs,” she said.

For Peck, real estate was a pleasant departure from what he studied previously and allowed him to develop important people and communication skills that are required for success in the industry.

“With my degree in civil engineering I was somewhat bored, but then I discovered real estate,” he said. “ e profession requires a

lot of creativity, patience and emotional intelligence for each unique client.

“ is is what makes it all so exciting to me and is the reason why I have never been bored a day in this profession.”

With the inaugural year of the Arizona Realtors and ASU program coming to an end, Peck hopes to continue mentoring and inspiring the next generation of Realtors just like Nawara, so they can discover their passion and build on their skills in the real estate industry. 

Superb single level with detached casita in highly

Ahwatukee custom estates. Open kitchen features granite countertops, raised-panel cabinetry, stainless steel appliances, island with Jenn-Air glass cooktop, breakfast bar, pantry and desk. Inviting family room with recessed lighting, surround sound and wet bar. Master suite features an office, separate den, walk-in closet, laminate and travertine flooring, granite countertops, jetted tub and walk-in shower. Two bedrooms share a jack and jill bath. Upgrades throughout include shutters, travertine, laminate flooring in all bedrooms plus granite counters in all baths. Laundry room with sink and cabinetry. Backyard oasis features Pebble Tec pool and spa, ramada,

steel BBQ/smoker, grass area, grapefruit tree, lighting and great views.

480.706.7234

www.MendozaTeam.com

This magnificent contemporary home, designed by notable Architect Ilan Baldinger,

CABRILLO CANYON

STUNNING & IMMACULATE SINGLE LEVEL CABRILLO CANYON HOME ON A 1/3 ACRE CORNER LOT!! AMAZING CURB APPEAL WITH MOUNTAIN VIEWS, 4 BEDROOM, 3 BATH, 3-CAR GARAGE, & A PERFECT FLOORPLAN. GRAND FOYER, FORMAL LIVING & DINING ROOM, FAMILY ROOM W/FIREPLACE, GOURMET KITCHEN W/CUSTOM CABINETRY, CORIAN COUNTERS, S/S APPLIANCES, SUBZERO, RECESSED LED LIGHTING & WALK IN PANTRY. BREAKFAST NOOK, MARBLE FLOORS, UPGRADED CUSTOM FIXTURES THROUGHOUT, PLANTATION SHUTTERS, SURROUND SOUND, LARGE MASTER SUITE W/SITTING AREA, FIREPLACE & VAULTED CEILINGS. MASTER BATH W/SOAKING TUB, DUAL VANITIES, CUSTOM GLASS SHOWER & WALK-IN CLOSET. LAUNDRY ROOM, GARAGE W/EPOXY, PARADISE PERFECT BACKYARD W/COVERED PATIO, TRAVERTINE, PEBBLE SHEEN POOL, GRASSY PLAY AREA & RV GATE. NEW ROOF - GREAT LOCATION! GREAT NEIGHBORS! & A GREAT OPPORTUNITY!!!

4 bedroom, 3 bath, Listed for $899,000

PV land sale has record for single parcel

or $66 per square foot.

Launch Powered by Compass recently closed on the sale of a $7 million single family parcel in Paradise Valley, making it the largest price per square foot sale in the history of Arizona real estate.

Frank DiMaggio, managing partner at Launch Powered by Compass in Scottsdale, closed the sale and said that at 1.25 acres, the property sold for another record of $125 per square foot.

e sale the previous record of $5.5 million for one single-family parcel.

e record-breaking parcel provides full tip to tail views of Camelback Mountain with unobstructive landscapes that will never be impeded upon by future home builds.

e oversize lot of 1.25 acres provides extra land for building as area building requirements only allow 25 percent of the property to be developed. at works out to only 0.3125 acres that can be developed.

As home and land sales in Arizona continue to rise, this $7 million sale may set a new benchmark for future land buyers.

On average, lots in the same area typically sell in the range of $3 million an acre,

MONSOON from page RE3

cent development that changed the drainage conditions such that in the next large rainstorm your property will experience an unusual and unnatural amount of water intrusion, you may have an obligation to disclose this fact to a prospective purchaser of your property. Otherwise, you may be in for a ood of

“ e sale sets a record for single family parcel sales for Launch | Compass as well as the state of Arizona,” DiMaggio said.

“Having a full view unobstructed view of Camelback Mountain really sets this property apart.

“ e extra .25 acres was also a big selling point as it provides more space for not only building a home but garages, pools, and other outdoor buildings and areas,” he said.

Several building projects are taking place in Paradise Valley with potential buyers coming to the area to seek out dream properties.

Launch Powered by Compass is a premier luxury brokerage rm in Scottsdale, Arizona with over 300 agents.

Previously called Launch Real Estate, the company was founded by John Vatistas and Sean Zimmerman in 2016 with a focus on a culture of collaboration.

After joining Compass in 2023 the company is focusing on keeping traditions while bene ting from Compass’ national network of agents.

Information: azhomes.com. 

legal issues.

Chandler attorney Benjamin L. Gottlieb is the founding partner of Gottlieb Law at 2375 E. Camelback Road, Phoenix. e rm may be reached online at GottliebLawAZ.com or 602- 899-8188.

e rm handles real estate, business transaction and estate planning law, and specializes in all forms of real estate transactions and litigation.

Rob Castellini

602-430-3917

2BR / 2 BA / 1,340 SQFT

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

Listed For $339,900

5 BR / 3 BA / 2,736 SQ FT

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

Listed for $625,000

5 BR / 3.5 BA / 5,079 SQFT

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

Listed for $1,325,000

3 BR / 2 BA / 1,361 SQFT

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

Listed for $425,000

5 BR / 3 BA / 3,394 SQFT

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

Listed for $799,000

5 BR / 4.5 BA / 4,391 SQFT

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

Listed for $1,225,000

This single 1.25-acre parcel in Paradise Valey commanded a $7 million price tag, setting a new record. (Special to AFN)

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

Ahwatukee Custom Estates $2,799,000

ACTIVE

ON A

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

Mountain Park Ranch

Ahwatukee Custom Estates

$1,750,000

Foothills

Amazing Remodeled Custom Estate with mountain views located at the end of a cul-de-sac.Over 8000sqft of pure luxury finishes.6

Bedroom,5.5 Baths.Custom Kitchen.Elevator.Executive Office.Basement Media Room.Dance Studio.Huge

Backyard with Pool, Jacuzzi, Turf, BBQ, Sportcourt.This Spectacular Estate has it all!!! SOLD!

Home backs up the 8th Fairway of the Ahwatukee Country Club with great view of South Mountain. Close to Golf, Restaurants, Shopping, the I-10 and Medical Facilities. Sit on your extended covered patio and watch the sun set. Enjoy all the amenities of the Ahwatukee Recreation Center with a large outdoor pool, heated indoor saltwater pool, Sauna, Spa, Gym, woodworking shop and more!

Troy Royston

480-435-3461

troyston61@gmail.com

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

Donna Leeds � GRI, ABR lf"fl! 949.310.5673

wwwBestAgentWUSA.com

Maricopa

Home, sweet meticulously maintained home! 4 bed ‘’plus’’ a den and 3 bath! All nestled on a giant quiet cul-de-sac lot. Beautiful bright living area showcasing neutral tile flooring,

Mike Foley

480-216-7878

mikefoley.homes@gmail.com

Make yourself at home in this fabulous residence nestled in the desirable

South

$580,000

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

Carlos Martinez

480-751-8866

teammartinez11@gmail.com

Morrison Ranch Gilbert

This 1,976 sq ft, 3 bed 3 bath is nestled on a corner lot displaying a great curb appeal highlighted by a cozy front porch, & a grassy front yard. Interior boasts a formal living room, plantation shutters, archways, tons of natural light, and carpet & wood-look tile flooring t/out. The family/dining room opens to the kitchen, featuring a fireplace, surround sound, & sliding doors to the back! Gourmet kitchen offers quartz counters, recessed & pendant lighting, staggered cabinetry, mosaic backsplash, island w/breakfast bar, and SS appliances w/cooktop gas. Main bedroom has backyard access and an ensuite w/dual vanities and spa shower. Enjoy the entertainer’s backyard with a covered patio, travertine pavers, & a sparkling pool!

Kelly Predaza

480-238-4035

Kpedraza123@aol.com

at the same time; she also played the role of Miss Honey in Limelight’s summer production of “The Magic of Matilda,” which wrapped on June 17.

Madeleine says the work is all worth it and can’t wait for opening night of “Mean Girls.”

“The audience will love the show because it is a cast full of beautiful singers and amazing dancers,” she said. “Hanging out with all of my friends was an added bonus.”

Limelight’s production of “Mean Girls” offers all the best elements of a stage production: drama and comedy, catchy musical numbers, showstopping ensemble performances and a rotating set that transports audiences from Africa to a high school cafeteria, the local mall, Regina’s bedroom and beyond.

“We accomplish these scene changes with our use of lighting, projections and a set that’s continually moving,” England said. “My favorite thing is that there are no blackouts and no downtime in this show. The effect is that audiences are completely immersed in the world of Northshore High.”

Indeed, there’s never a dull moment in “Mean Girls.” The dancing adds energy and interest to every number, but it also conveys emotion in a way few other musicals can.

Said England, “The choreography adds so much feeling to the show. It allows audiences to see the story from each character’s point of view.

“For example, in a couple of scenes, Cady sees her classmates as the predators and prey of the African savanna. The dancing tells the story and reinforces the high emotion she’s experiencing.”

The score offers both a musical theater and rock and roll sound. The lyrics and script are equal parts edgy, hilarious and touching.

Tickets for “Mean Girls” are $15 and can be purchased at limelight.ticketleap.com. The run includes both matinee and evening performances. Group discounts are available.

Adapted from Tina Fey’s hit 2004 film, “Mean Girls” features music by Jeff Richmond, lyrics by Nell Benjamin and book by Fey. The Broadway production was nominated for a staggering 12 Tony Awards. 

Christmas in July

Vocal Connection, a women’s a cappella chorus in Chandler, is celebrating “Christmas in July,” rehearsing new holiday songs to prepare for its annual show Nov. 12. The group is looking for women to join and who love to perform, sing a cappella and enjoy fellowship with other women. It is not necessary to be able to read music. Rehearsals start at 6:45 p.m. Mondays at Seton Catholic Prep, 1150 N. Dobson Road. Chandler, AZ. Additional details and resources are available by emailing guestinfo@vocalconnection.org (Courtesy of Vocal Connection)

Ahwatukee Toastmasters offers growth opportunities

For over 35 years, the Ahwatukee Toastmasters has maintained a continuous presence in the Ahwatukee community, providing the know-how, practice and encouragement to help members improve their communication and leadership abilities.

Ahwatukee Toastmasters, which promises to “develop the skills they need to increase their speaking competence as they prepare for personal growth and professional advancement,” meets every other 7-8 a.m. every other Tuesday at Esperanza Lutheran Church, 2601 E. Thunderhill Place, Ahwatukee.

Information: call or text Ed Prestwood at 480-603-8359, or search “Ahwatukee Toastmasters.”

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,

AROUND AHWATUKEE

sponsored by Spencer 4 Hire Roofing, at Lights, Camera, Discover, 4825 E. Warner Road, Ahwatukee.

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

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

west 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

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-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

The Kiwanis Club of Ahwatukee has speakers at many of its weekly meetings

see AROUND page 27

AROUND from page 26

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.

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: phoenixpublicli-

ACTRESS from page 24

gram, the school tried to help out.

“Our school actually did a really cool thing, where you enter a lottery and could do a Broadway trip for a day,” Bassham said. “They paid for your housing, for the transportation, and the ticket. I was lucky enough to do that a couple of times.”

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

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. Today, June 21, 2-3 p.m. No tickets required

That’s how she saw “Michael Jackson” and “Mean Girls.”

Bassham has an idea what life will be like when the “Wizard of Oz” closes and she heads to New York, where she and a group of friends plan to room together while they audition.

It will be the start of a life that she’s been dreaming about for a while.

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.

12th annual Filipino Fest coming to Chandler this month

Filipino cultural and social organizations as well as small businesses from around the Valley will be celebrating the free 12th annual East Valley Filipino Festival 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 24 at the Saigon

“I just think 8-year-old Jasmine didn’t even know this world existed,” Bassham said. “She loved dancing around in her kitchen, and she loved annoying her parents with singing nonstop. Seeing it for the first time on stage was overwhelming, in the best way possible.

“It was just opening up that little girl to this world.” 

Center, 2051 N. Arizona Ave., Chandler.

The public is invited to experience Filipino culture and history, including dance and music performances, games, activities, prizes, and a variety of traditional food.

The Philippines marks its 125th Independence Day on June 12 and the local festival commemorates that historic event.

The Leyte Dance Theatre, a global troupe celebrating 30 years, will perform “Padayaw,” which translates in English as “continue dancing.”

Tickets are required for admission to the dance troupe program, with general admission at $30; admission for children 12 and under is $15. VIP and sponsor tickets with special privileges are available for $50 and $100, respectively. 

Wizard of Oz

When: Through July 23

Where: Arizona Broadway Theatre, 7701 W. Paradise Lane, Peoria

Tickets: Range from $35 (youth) to $79 (adults) plus fees. Dinner is served at some performances.

Information: azbroadwaytheatre.com

Antiques & Appraisal Fair

Free to the Public

Friday, June 30th

Bring up to 3 items for a free pre-auction verbal assessment of antiques, heirlooms & collections. Spots filling up quickly! Call today to reserve your spot!

New venue brings a novel hi-tech approach to golf

BY ALEX GALLAGHER AFN Sta Writer

Anew entertainment venue that opened in the Valley combines the pleasures of miniature golf with some high-tech-inspired challenges that have little to do with the sport.

e result is Puttshack, which features four nine-hole courses spread across two oors totaling 25,000 square feet as well as a large cocktail bar and a restaurant with a globally inspired food menu.

e main attraction is the spin the Scottsdale facility puts on the game of mini golf.

Puttshack features a grand total of 36 custom-made, high-tech holes at its Scottsdale location and lurking at each hole are hazards that remove points from each player’s score.

Special “Super Tutor” holes give golfers a 95% chance of shooting a hole-in-one. is is also one of the only games of golf where the highest score wins.

“We wanted to revolutionize something

that’s been around for 100 years and we did that by infusing technology inside of golf balls,” explained Puttshack Chief Op-

erating O cer Chris Rockwood.

“We have taken a golf ball and given it a computer chip that has GPS tracking and

lots of other cool stu in it and then we put the same technology on our courses.”  e tracking system measures how close the ball gets to the hole with each stroke and awards points for each swing. e goal is still to reach the hole in the fewest number of strokes.

In addition to the hazards and obstacles at each hole, some holes have special tasks, such as requiring an answer to a true or false trivia question by aiming your ball in the direction of the player’s choice. e maximum score one can reach is 600, which Rockwood admits is rare.

“We’ve had one 600-score game in my time with the company,” Rockwood said.

Because each hole contains advanced technology, Puttshack operations Director Joe Romanowsky admits that there were several obstacles to master before opening.

“Because it’s custom-made and it’s techdriven, a lot of the parts and equipment

see GOLF page 30

State jobless rate remains historically low

BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

The state’s unemployment rate remains at historic lows.

But those Arizonans who do nd themselves out of work through no fault of their own won’t see their bene ts cut, at least not this year.

A new report June 15 from the O ce of Economic Opportunity shows the seasonally adjusted rate for June at 3.4%.

No lower gure has been registered in the state since the current method of computing the statistic was instituted in the 1970s. e report comes just days after state lawmakers narrowly defeated a proposal by Sen. Steve Kaiser, R-Phoenix, that would have sharply cut the length of time that Arizonans who are laid o can collect jobless bene ts.

Kaiser contends the current system, which provides bene ts of up to 26 weeks for those red or laid o without case, removes the incentive for those out of work to go out and look for new employment.

Kaiser submitted his resignation from the Legislature last week over the defeat of his e ort to relax some municipal zoning regulations to encourage the development of more a ordable housing.

He sought – and got the state Senate to approve – a graduated scale that based the eligibility period on the statewide unemployment rate. And at current levels, his SB 1167 would have ended bene ts after just 12 weeks.

But two House Republicans aligned themselves with Democrats opposed to the bill, denying Kaiser the 31 votes he needed for approval.

One of them, Rep. David Cook of Globe,

told Capitol Media Services on ursday that a big aw in what Kaiser was pushing was that the length of bene ts would be based on that statewide unemployment rate – a rate that, because of where most of Arizonans live and work is linked heavily to economic conditions in the Phoenix metro area.

“If I lost my job in Chandler, I could drive to Queen Creek,’’ he said. “If I lost my job in Mesa I could go to Tempe. Tempe, I could go to Phoenix. Or Phoenix, I could go all the way to Mesa.’’

at, said Cook, isn’t true for residents of rural areas. And even now, in a time of generally low unemployment rates, both statewide and nationally, the picture varies across Arizona.

Maricopa County, for example, has logged jobless rates below 3% for four of the past ve months.

In Pima County, by contrast, the percentage of people listed as unemployed, meaning they are actively seeking work, has been running about a half point higher.

And in Gila County, where Cook lives, the latest unemployment rate was 4.1%. at’s still low. But it’s also historically proven quite volatile.

Even disregarding what happened during COVID, Gila County hit a 14.1% unemployment rate in January 2010. A decade ago it was 9.3%.

Much of that is because the employment situation in not just his county but several others in Arizona is closely linked to copper, both mining and smelting.

“And when the mining industry lays people o , it takes a long span for it to recover,’’ Cook said.

Puttshack Scottsdale opened June 14 boasting four nine-hole courses spread across two floors.

(Courtesy of Puttshack)

GOLF from page 29

that we have are coming over from the UK, where we are based out of,” Romanowsky said. “It really takes an entire team to be able to build and install these courses.”

Now that they’ve opened after an unexpectedly lengthy construction time, Rockwood and Romanowsky aim to make it a stand-out in the mixed-use retail and dining complex.

“We love bringing everybody into play from parents to kids and everybody in between,” Romanowsky said. “I think that it’s going to be a great opportunity for people to come inside, not be outdoors, get away from the heat a little bit and enjoy some great drinks and food.”

Although golf is the main attraction of Puttshack, the establishment sets itself apart from the competition by o ering a mouth-watering food and drink menu.

“We’ve put a lot of time and energy into our food selections and if you look at the menu you will see that we’re not going to have nachos and we’re not going to have Bu alo wings,” Rockwood said. “We call our menu ’globally inspired street food.’” is is evidenced by menu items like chorizo and cheese empanadas, pork bao buns, pad ai and Puttshack’s signature tailpipes.

JOBS from page 29

He said that Kaiser’s legislation did not account for the fact that there simply are not nearby jobs that people can pick up waiting to be called back to work.

More problematic, Cook said, is what happens if those laid-o workers, facing a cuto in their bene ts, decide to pack up and move elsewhere.

“If the mining companies lose those experienced workers, then they spend thousands and thousands of dollars on training new people that have no mining experience,’’ he said.

He also noted that unemployment bene ts are not paid for from state tax funds. Instead, he said, it’s actually a form of insurance.

Payments come from a special fund which is nanced by a levy paid by employers on the rst $8,000 of each

e Scottsdale location is the only one in the world to feature the Chicken Chimichanga Tailpipe and Puttshack will donate $1 from each order of tailpipes to the Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center in northern Scottsdale.

“It’s local to us and we like that it really puts an emphasis on being able to create a sanctuary to be able to help rehabilitate local animals that we have around our area,” Romanowsky said.

worker’s salary.

e actual tax rate is based on how often a company’s workers end up being found eligible for bene ts. Rates range from as low as 0.07% for rms with low usage to as high as 18.78% for companies which have a high number of employees who are laid o or red for no reason of their own.

e most recent gures show that the “openings rate’’ in Arizona was 5.9%. at re ects the number of positions that are not lled.

And Doug Walls, the state agency’s labor market information director, said that gure is higher than pre-pandemic levels.

By contrast, the rate at which employers were able to ll jobs was just 4.4% “ at’s a sign that employers are still understa ed and looking for labor,’’ Walls said.

One bit of fallout from all of that is that Arizona companies are having to pay

ingredients including hand-pressed juices from Belize and it’s not your average kind of cocktail program that you can see in a social entertainment venue.

“We o er a lot of Instagrammable moments with a lot of our cocktails and smoking elements.”

Adding to the fun for adults, Puttshack is only open to guests 21 and over after 8 p.m. each night and will capitalize on the nightlife vibe by providing music courtesy of a live DJ.

With several strokes of fun now being housed inside of Puttshack Scottsdale Quarter, Welch and the rest of the Puttshack crew are aiming to score a hole-inone at the newest location.

“We really want you to get immersed in what we’re here to do in the Scottsdale market. And that’s Eat, drink and play this fantastic game,” Welch said. 

e drinks are equally appetizing, especially cocktails like the Spiced Pineapple Mezcal Margarita, garnished with a jalapeño hell re Popsicle, and mocktails like the hibiscus mule.

“We’ve taken modern classics, twisted them and taken them up a notch,” said January Welch, Puttshack regional director of operations.

“We have handcrafted bar syrups that are made in-house, we use high-quality

more to ll those slots.

e state’s wages rose 5.6% in the past year, compared with just 3.6% for the rest of the nation. Still, even at that, the average hourly wage in Arizona is $31.61 versus $33.37 nationally.

But not all sectors of the Arizona economy are growing.

One big loser was in warehousing and transportation.

“ is was an industry sector that had bene ted from the impacts of the pandemic,’’ Walls explained. “Consumers turned to purchasing goods.’’

More to the point, he said a lot of those purchases were made online.

“More traditional retail businesses also had closed in-person sales,’’ Walls explained. And that left the companies that could store and deliver those ordered goods.

Now, he said, these companies don’t

Puttshack Scottsdale

Where: 15059 N Scottsdale Road

Suite 100

Open: 11 a.m.-midnight MondayWednesday and 11 a.m.- 1 a.m. ursday-Saturday

Cost: Games start at $14

Info: Puttshack.com

need as many workers. But Walls said that the industry still has more people employed than it did before COVID.

Di erent factors are a ecting other sectors of the economy that shed jobs last month. And at least some of that is tied to both in ation and the e orts by the Federal Reserve Bank to curb it with what has been a series of hikes in interest rates.

So, for example, the state’s nancial activities sector shed 3,800 jobs between April and May. And half of those were among credit unions, mortgage and other loan brokers and commercial banking as higher borrowing costs meant fewer quali ed applicants.

Then there’s the closely related construction sector which lost 1,300 jobs in the past month. By contrast, it normally adds about 1,000 jobs between April and May. 

Lurking at each hole are obstacles and hazards that decrease player’s scores and bright green “Super Tutor” holes that give players a 95% chance of putting a hole in one (Courtesy of Puttshack)

Expires 6/30/23.

Don’t put o writing your advance directives

BY DEBBIE SHUMWAY AFN Guest Writer

It’s a special honor to care for people at all stages of life. Whether it’s a child or adult, whether it’s care for chronic illness or hospice services, our goal is the same: to provide comfort, dignity and compassionate care.

An important part of achieving comfort comes from knowing your medical a airs are in order well in advance. Our social workers often assist patients with this, helping them create their advance directives.  e rst step is to gather family members together for an important conversation. It’s a time to really listen to medical wishes.

It’s a promise to carry out those wishes, should their loved ones become so ill they

are unable to speak for themselves.

It is critical that all of us take the time to do this. We must choose someone we trust to be our voice, to advocate for us and make sure our wishes are followed.

Make your wishes known

Surprisingly, only about a quarter of us have made these health care decisions –the vast majority of Americans have not taken the time to draw up a living will or choose a medical power of attorney.

It’s only natural to delay thinking about this topic, but it’s essential that we prepare ahead of time. Advance planning reduces stress and anxiety for ourselves and our loved ones.

“America is a death-denying culture, but death is part of the human experience,” said Carol Taylor, a professor of Medicine and Nursing and clinical scholar at the

Kennedy Institute of Ethics at Georgetown University.

“Advance directives are a gift people give their families. If they say, ‘Here is what I want,’ then they’re not pulling decisions out of nowhere,” added Taylor, who lectures on healthcare ethics internationally.

It saves families from disagreeing about the best course of action. ey need only follow what their loved one said in their living will.

ere’s no second-guessing because it’s written down in black and white. And no regret years later because they are certain they ful lled their loved one’s wishes.

Don’t procrastinate

“Do it now. We can be perfectly healthy and not wake up tomorrow for any one of a million reasons. So don’t wait,”

Taylor advises.

She rmly believes making healthcare decisions now is one of the most loving things we can do.

“Spare your family anguish and let them know what your wishes are. A lot of peace comes from that – and that’s a gift.”

And it all starts with an honest conversation.

Hospice of the Valley provides living will and medical power of attorney forms at no cost. Just contact us at 602-222-2229 or download the forms (available in several languages) at: hov.org/why-hospice-of-thevalley/serving-our-community/living-will.

For more on the importance of making healthcare decisions about end of life while you are still healthy, check out the informative video at hov.org.

Debbie Shumway is executive director of Hospice of the Valley. 

Wrong kind of bipartisanship sank housing bill

BY TYLER DENHAM AFN Guest Writer

Arizona is in the midst of an a ordable housing crisis, with 80% of voters across the political spectrum agreeing that housing costs are out of control.

Legislators seemingly took notice and promised solutions when the 2023 legislative session began in January, but the session ended in June without a single successful housing bill.

No one will accept blame for the poor outcome. John F. Kennedy said, “Success has many fathers, but failure is an orphan.”

But we should try to understand what happened regardless.

Two of the key gures were Sens. Mitzi Epstein, D-Tempe, and Juan Mendez, DTempe, the Democratic Minority Leader and Deputy Leader, respectively. ey were two of the loudest voices promising action on a ordable housing, calling it a top priority on social media and at events.

Yet in the Senate they undermined the work of Sen Anna Hernandez, D-Phoenix, in order to deny a win to Sen. Steve Kaiser, R-Phoenix, a rst-time legislator from a competitive district who partnered with Hernandez on several housing bills.

Mendez seemed to believe that delaying meaningful action on housing is an acceptable price for potentially ipping the seat, publicly stating “Democrats are far too close to a majority to give in and settle.”

Mendez did not acknowledge all the residents who will be pushed into homelessness and nancial ruin in the meantime.

Ironically, Epstein and Mendez were supported by several Republicans in the Senate.

Sen. John Kavanagh, R-Scottsdale, was the loudest voice, publicly disavowing free-market principles in favor of populist fear mongering over low-income residents. He argued that keeping a ordable housing out of expensive, exclusive neighborhoods “is what our constituents want,” ignoring the polling indicating that a ma-

jority of residents want more a ordable housing options.

Meanwhile, Democratic leadership in the House of Representatives ignored the issue. Rep. Analise Ortiz, D-Phoenix, did an admirable job pushing several housing bills throughout the session, but the lack of support from leadership was obvious.

e only colleague that gave her sustained public support was Rep. Oscar De Los Santos, D-Phoenix. House Democratic leadership seemed to agree with Sen. Mendez that discontent with rising housing costs can be used to ip Republican seats.

Similar to the Senate, inaction by Democratic leadership was supported by several Republican representatives. Somewhat ironically considering their name, members of the Freedom Caucus eschewed free-market principles to join Kavanagh’s populist fear-mongering over low-income residents.

Rep. Jacqueline Parker, R-Mesa, was the loudest voice, proudly defending the thicket of government regulations that

keep neighborhoods expensive and exclusive, calling the housing bills “suburb destroying.”

But e League of Arizona Cities and Towns was the biggest villain of the session.

Ortiz revealed the details in an unusually candid Instagram post. e League, after months of aggressive attacks, made a deal with Kaiser to secure votes for watered down versions of two housing bills.

Yet on the last day of the session the League failed to materialize the votes. Kaiser, who spent the entirety of the session working on the bills, immediately announced his resignation.

Whether due to incompetence or betrayal, the lesson to the remaining legislators is clear: the league is not a good faith negotiator on housing a ordability. Any lobbying on their part is to water down or outright kill e ective solutions.

In review, the prospects for progress

Land Department deprives our children with Upper Canyon deal

Bravo Shawn Corsetti for saying what many of us feel in your editorial “Upper Canyon report echoed a familiar story.”

Big business once again has a self-inicted problem and then tries to shirk responsibility and look to government for a remedy for its bad decisions.

How ironic it is that they are looking to the government for help in this day and age when many large corporations are trying to lessen federal involvement and oversight.

For me a bigger concern is the State Land Department (the Trustee” for our children’s inheritance) is not doing their duciary responsibility by granting an extension.

Not getting funds for four years is not in the best interest of our children’s education funding.

-Laurel Arndt

Ron DeSantis is more than quali ed for presidency

I would like to respond to the letter from Jane Emery. My question to you is exactly why isn’t Ron DeSantis quali ed for President? Your thought is he needs to learn the ropes.

Ron DeSantis has an impeccable resume! He is a Yale and Harvard Law graduate with military experience in the Navy Jag and worked with Navy Seals. Now, please tell me the last president or candidate that can say that?

When was the last time we had a president who had military experience? ere is something to be said about someone willing and knowing how to serve and put their country rst! We have had too many activists all ready.

What did Obama have that made him ready? e other end of the spectrum is that our current president has had 50 years’ experience and can’t do anything good! We also need someone younger.

-Gloria Jewett

Ahwatukee postal branch drive-thru boxes a nuisance

Why has the USPS installed new drive thru mailboxes that people have to get out of their cars and squeeze between their car

doors and the curb and the mailbox to post their letters?

I watched this for 20 minutes at 51st and Cheyenne and was convinced that we will see a lot of broken hips and knee damage.

When I went inside to inquire as to why these changes have come about I was advised: “People are using string and chewing gum to extract letters from those boxes.”

I found this di cult to believe and felt there was more to this like saving the postal worker from having to go out and collect the mail or just training the citizens to come inside to post their letters or put them in their own mailboxes at home.

But no reason is worth the possibility of trauma to the poster.

I spoke with a retired post o ce employee who assured me there are big blue boxes with a double ap securing mail in a way that no one can retrieve mail after it enters the box. So, why aren’t we using these for safety sake of the mail and the poster?

-Jane Emery

Not all opinions are of equal value

Opinions, are they all the same? Of equal value? I had a family member tell me that they think the indictment of Ex-President Trump is politically motivated. I asked if they had read the indictment.

It is an easy-to-follow story that lays out the facts quite clearly. If the evidence in court is substantiated by a jury, then it will show Trump is guilty of purposely stealing government documents and obstructing justice.

My point is, should the opinion of the person who really does not know the facts hold as much weight as the person who has read the indictment?

e same would be true with COVID vaccine deniers. Should you trust the opinion of a person who did research on the internet over Dr. Fauci, who spent his entire adult life studying infectious disease?

I would argue that Dr. Fauci’s opinion carries more weight than the internet researcher.

We have come to think that everyone’s opinion is equal in a democracy. We need to be careful. Everyone gets one vote and, of course, people use their opinions to de-

cide how to vote.

But just because our votes are equal does not mean our opinions are equal.

If someone believes the earth is at, they certainly have that right, but that does not change the fact that the earth is in fact round.

e members of the jury in President Trump’s trial will certainly have more information and facts than we do. Instead of torpedoing our justice system that on the whole works (although not perfectly), why not let the people with the most facts decide guilt or innocence?

Do we want to tear down an entire system we have been building for over 200 years because a twice impeached, twice indicted, proven liar says he is being railroaded? Is that not what every guilty person says?

If Trump committed murder, it would not be political to indict him. e same is true with these crimes.

It is not just important that the person has an opinion, but an opinion that has substance and backing.

-Barry Smith

on housing a ordability are poor. Democratic leadership eschews bipartisan solutions for potential electoral gain. Several Republican legislators are committed to populist fear mongering over low-income residents.

Kaiser’s resignation will scare future legislators o of bipartisan legislation. And the League of Arizona Cities and Towns will undoubtedly repeat its tactics in the future. If we want real progress on a ordable housing in next year’s session we must hold legislators accountable.

Tyler Denham is a resident of Flagsta and a volunteer with pro-housing advocacy groups. 

Alumni represent DV on college track’s biggest stage

BY ZACH ALVIRA AFN Sports Editor

Sevanna Hanson, Elijah Mason and Youssef Koudssi are used to competing on big stages.

They did it for years representing Desert Vista, as they helped elevate the Thunder track & field program to become one of the best in the country in throws and pole vault. They, along with other before them, set the standard for the program today, one that focuses on bringing out the best in every athlete.

That often leads to top-three finishes for Desert Vista. Or state titles. It also helped the program pump out nextlevel athletes on a consistent basis.

Sometimes, those athletes go on to compete at the highest level the NCAA has to offer. And in the case

of Hanson, Mason and Koudssi, they did it together.

“Youssef and Elijah are both really great guys and genuine people,”

Hanson said. “Any time I get to see them at a meet I get to check in with them and hug them. Meeting up at the national meet was a whole different experience.

The three recently competed at the NCAA Division I championships.

Hanson, who is a senior pole vaulter for Arizona State, placed fourth overall while achieving All-American honors. Mason and Koudssi both competed in discus.

Mason is a senior at the University of Washington while Koudssi just finished his junior season throwing for the Wildcats of University of Arizona in Tucson.

It was common for the three to see

each other at various PAC-12 meets. But June 7-10 was the first time they all had a chance to meet up at the national championships. It was a special moment. They cheered each other on and had a chance to meet with Chris Hanson, Sevanna’s father and former head coach of the Desert Vista track team.

“This was both of their first nationals and for my last nationals to have

see TRACK page 36

Sevanna Hanson, Elijah Mason and Youssef Koudssi, all Desert Vista alums, met and competed at the NCAA Division I track & field championships June 7-10. It was the first time the trio met up at an event of that caliber and was a show of how hard they all worked to reach that point in their careers. (Courtesy Chris Hanson)

Weekend 1 of Section 7 provided new opportunities for girls

BY ZACH ALVIRA AFN Sports Editor

Section 7 has long established itself as the top high school basketball showcase event in the western part of the United States.

The event attracts teams from as far as Florida, housing teams under one roof for a weekend filled with four games in front of several hundred college coaches. It’s an event that often sees scholarships handed out to players.

But it was always missing one thing: a large girls’ division.

That’s why Matt King and the rest of his team with the Arizona Basketball Coaches Association Set out to change that this year.

Instead of a couple dozen local girls’ programs playing on one night before the boys take over, they got their own weekend.

in and see what our competition is like, it’s a big deal for us.”

More than 120 teams from across the western part of the United States flocked to State Farm Stadium June 15-17 for the girls’ weekend of Section 7.

“This just shows we value girls’ basketball in the state of Arizona,” first-year Desert Vista coach Erin O’Bryan said. “We’ve got a lot of talent here and we’ve had a lot of talent in the past. Just having an event here for the local kids and for kids to come

The event attracted some of the top teams in the country, including Lone Peak from Utah, Etiwanda from California and Ahwatukee’ down Desert Vista, fresh off its Open Division championship season. The Thunder were placed in the premier bracket at Section 7, where it played teams like Etiwanda.

It was a learning experience for the group that returns four out of its five starters and adds new pieces for next season. It was also one of the first true outings for O’Bryan as the Thunder’s new head coach. It was a learning experience. It showed there is still plenty Desert Vista has to work on ahead of the season. But that’s still months away. This weekend was all about exposure, something the Thunder had every time they played with college coaches sitting court side every game.

“It’s a good outlet for the people that haven’t gotten to show themselves, college coaches wise,” Desert Vista senior Eanae Dagons said. “And just coming together. New coach, new players.”

Desert Vista found itself playing on the middle courts throughout Section 7. It had the most exposure with college coaches flocking to the court side tables and large video boards set up on either side.

Those two made up the 12 total sprawled

see SECTION 7 page 36

Mountain Pointe junior forward Keiarra Forney was one of many players who helped lead the Pride to the championship of their bracket at Section 7 in Glendale. (Dave Minton/Staff Photographer)

Proposed HS spring football league met with criticism

BY ZACH ALVIRA AFN Sports Editor

Aproposed spring football league for some of the top players in high school football is in the works to begin as soon as next year in 12 cities across the country.

Phoenix is on the list.

Brian Woods, the former president of the United States Football League, is leading the charge to create the league, which he hopes would draw in some of the top sophomore and junior high school football players from participating cities. The league would be separate from state athletic associations, giving players the opportunity to profit off name, image and likeness, a direction some states have already gone with high school athletes but has yet to be implemented in Arizona.

According to a report from the Associated Press, Woods’ goal is to offer an opportunity to high school athletes to be evaluated in front of college coaches in a true 11-on-11 padded setting. Currently, most states allow only non-padded spring football practices and for a short duration.

The proposed league has already drawn criticism from those involved in the Arizona high school football scene, including Arizona Interscholastic Association Executive Director David Hines, who said instate players who participate automatically lose eligibility to play for their schools in the fall.

“Bottom line is if somebody has kids that want to do that, then they’re going to go do that and lose their eligibility,” Hines said. “I don’t think it’s smart. It’s not helpful to high school athletics. Honestly, the more contact you have in football, the greater the risk of injury. It’s tough enough when you play a season of football let alone coming back and playing another one.

“There’s a reason the NFL doesn’t play all year round.”

Woods told the AP the league would operate a six-week regular season. Players local to the Phoenix area will be in full pads and compete against other teams from the 11 other cities.

A “player development fee” will be paid by players to help fund the league. He told the AP it would be similar to what athletes pay to play in the AAU circuit for basketball and other club sports. He also hopes

A new high school spring league may be coming to Arizona

by former USFL president Brian Woods. The league, which would run from April through May and be full contact with NIL opportunities, has drawn criticism from coaches in Arizona.

(Dave

Minton/AFN Staff)

ticket sales and sponsorships will help front the costs.

The league is set to operate on NCAA rules and use sensors to measure performance metrics that can be sent to colleges as another recruitment tool alongside film.

To be eligible for the league, players must be enrolled in a middle or high school curriculum in the area.

Woods said in the report his goal is to put players in front of college coaches to help them earn a scholarship opportunity. He believes this route is better than what the spring football season currently offers in most states: two to three weeks of nonpadded practices with little to no contact.

“If you look at 7-on-7, you look at these

camps, at the end of the day, none of them are 11-on-11 football,” Woods said. “None of them are going to give a quarterback, for instance, in a 7-on-7 situation, a live pass rush. So if you’re looking to evaluate players in an actual football context, that’s what this league is about.”

While still a fresh concept, the idea of a spring league has been met with criticism from East Valley coaches. Many elected to decline comment due to an overall lack of knowledge but were quick to question the legitimacy based on preliminary details.

Perry coach Joseph Ortiz questioned the safety of players potentially suiting up for two tackle football seasons in a year. He also questioned who would be coaching.

“Who’s going to coach it?” Ortiz said. “I don’t need my players getting hurt in the spring. Why are we adding more wear and tear on these kids’ bodies?”

Questions surrounding the impact to spring sports were also raised.

Many football coaches like Ortiz and Mountain Pointe’s Eric Lauer also coach track in the spring, which has become one of the biggest tools for football players to not only stay conditioned but to also work on their speed.

The spring league would run April 19 through May 24, virtually eliminating the opportunity for football players to compete in track and baseball.

“College football coaches come around and the big-time schools we talk to, they’re asking if our players run track,” Lauer said. “So we will continue to push that. It threatens what we do as high school coaches. I don’t see how we would coexist.

“Football, the tire tread can start to wear when you look at injuries and collisions. So to add another season of full contact, it’s a lot.”

Queen Creek coach Travis Schureman shared the same concern as Lauer regarding spring football, a time when players become reacclimated to the sport and begin bonding with teammates for the new season.

“One thing that stood out is that it goes through May,” Schureman said. “So, kids wouldn’t be able to do spring ball with us and that.”

Hines, who spent 30 years as a coach, teacher and administrator in Mesa Public Schools, has seen the impact club leagues and prep schools – especially in basketball – have had on players.

Mountain Pointe coach Eric Lauer said he isn’t a fan of the league because it takes kids away from running track, which has become a recruiting tool used by college coaches to measure the speed of recruits. He also is concerned by the wear and tear on athletes’ bodies. (Dave Minton/AFN Staff)

Low-impact sports such as basketball, soccer and volleyball have flourished under that concept. But football is a different animal. Contact on every play, at times with violent collisions.

Hines said he doesn’t see any of the AIA coaches encouraging their players to suit up for the league when and if it arrives next spring. Not only can it risk their overall health, but injuries that linger into the fall season could impact scholarship opportunities, too.

“I don’t see coaches encouraging their kids to do that,” Hines said. “They go out there and play and get hurt, then what do you do? These are supposed to be the top kids. That makes them break teams.” 

as part of a new concept created

TRACK from page 34

my teammates with me, it was cool,” Mason said. “It was the first nationals my mom and my family were able to go to as well. So to go out like that, it’s a full circle kind of thing. It was really great.”

Koudssi said it was a reminder for where they all came from. As well as a look at how far they’ve all come in their careers.

“It was really cool to see all of us there,” Koudssi said. “Seeing people you know, people you grew up with perform as well as they did, it always brings me joy.”

Hanson’s career at Arizona State has been one marred by injuries that kept her from competing at different times over the course of the last four years. That, on top of the COVID year eliminating track altogether, made what she was able to accomplish during the championships this year all the more worthwhile.

For just the second time in her career

she eclipsed the 14-foot mark. She first reached that mark during the indoor track season this past year.

At the NCAA national championships, she reached 14 feet, 1.25 inches, which helped her earn All-American honors.

“This is something I’ve been striving for since I was a young kid,” Hanson said. “Finally being able to make it to nationals was something that was super awesome for me and something I’ve always dreamed of. Being in that environment with a bunch of other girls who worked their butts to get there was unreal for me.”

Like Hanson, Mason also battled through various injuries throughout his college career.

Nerve damage kept him from throwing shot put in high school, yet Washington still took a chance on him. He excelled as a redshirt freshman, winning the PAC-12 title in his first official season competing for the Huskies.

He won another PAC-12 title in 2021

and was named an All-American in 2022 despite battling nagging injuries. This past season, he eclipsed the 200-foot mark for the first time in his career.

Mason placed eighth at the NCAA championships with a throw just over 200 feet.

“That was huge, to finally break the 200 my final year and to even have an opportunity to compete,” Mason said. “This was the first time in my career I had a full year of training. It was wild. I can’t believe I got over that mark and how easy it became after.”

Mason is someone Koudssi looked up to while at Desert Vista. The two were close, and Mason often shared pointers that helped Koudssi become one of the top throwers his senior season for the Thunder.

He landed at Arizona and competed for the first time in the 2021 outdoor season due to COVID and not competing in indoor track. He continued to improve over the course of the last two seasons, winning the NAU Tune Up indoor shot put with a

throw of 62 feet, 10.5 inches.

He qualified for the outdoor national championships in both shot put and discus, placing 18th and 11th, respectively.

“It’s cool to say I was able to be a part of it,” Koudssi said. “Seeing all these guys, it’s like, ‘Wow, I’m really competing with the big dogs.’ But then also coming to the realization that I’m one of those big dogs now.”

Hanson, Mason and Koudssi all had success at the national meet. But even those accolades don’t compare to being able to see one another and relive old times like they do during other meets throughout the season.

This instance, however, was different. It was on a stage they all desired to reach in their careers. To do it all at the same time was special.

“I was so thankful we come from a school that really supports its track athletes,” Hanson said. “Coming from Desert Vista and to be on that stage together was really awesome.” 

across the concrete floor of State Farm Stadium, which typically houses the moveable football field that will be used by the Arizona Cardinals as soon as next month for practices.

Further down is where Mountain Pointe played its first game. Walking distance for college coaches but arguably saw less foot traffic.

Pride coach Ashle Ledford knew if her kids wanted to play in front of a majority of the hundreds of coaches in attendance, they would have to earn it. They did so by going undefeated in pool play and earning a spot in the championship game of the bracket.

“Surreal, in a sense,” Ledford said. “It shows our hard work has been paying off. The girls have been working hard. They haven’t taken any days off since our last loss to Sunrise Mountain in the quarterfinals.

“They took it personal, and they’ve got a lot of unfinished business to take care of.”

This was Mountain Pointe’s first trip to Section 7. Desert Vista played one game last year the night before the boys tipped off.

Ledford said her girls were in awe of the sight when they arrived the day before it began for practice. An alum of Mountain Pointe herself, she believes this may be the biggest stage the Lady Pride have ever had a chance to compete on.

But for that, she’s thankful. It makes her feel like she is building something special with the program after making the playoffs for the first time in years last season. It’s also special for the seniors, including forward Zoey Carrillo.

Carrillo said she’s felt like Mountain Pointe deserved a chance to compete at Section 7 since she was a freshman, even if it was a one-day event in year’s past. Her goal this time around with the team invited was to make an impact and proved the Pride belonged.

She believes they did just that by going undefeated in pool play.

“For the team I think it’s a really good opportunity for all of us,” Carrillo said. “I’ve been wanting to be here since my freshman year. I feel like the whole team belonged here. Hard work pays off, that’s what our team is about.”

Mountain Pointe went on to beat Seattle Prep for the Financial Solutions bracket championship. Desert Vista finished 2-2 in the Arizona Family Bracket, which featured the nationally ranked programs. Regardless of the outcome of games for either team. The experience was second to none.

The ability to house over 120 girls’ bas-

ketball teams in one building proved to both coaches that their efforts to grow and bring more awareness to the game aren’t going unnoticed. The rise in the level of talent in Arizona, let alone the country, has been exponential in girls’ basketball.

“It’s an amazing experience and it really puts Arizona on the map,” Ledford said. “It shows the talent we have here. I think Arizona is a sleeper state. They don’t know what we have until they get here.” 

SECTION 7 from page 34

Mountain Pointe coach Ashle Ledford said her team’s first experience of Section 7 was a whirlwind of an experience and one that her players were thankful for. (Dave Minton/AFN Staff)

Mountain Pointe senior guard Alexis EmersonBerryhill was a key contributor to the Pride’s success at Section 7, as she helped lead them to the championship of their respective bracket. (Dave Minton/AFN Staff)

Booze, bikes, brides make June boon

BY TOM SCANLON AFN Getout Staff

The June mating call of Old Town Scottsdale goes something like this: "Woooo-ewwww!"

Unlike calls of the wild intended to draw mates, the calls of these feral females signifies one of them is off limits.

Then again, the other dozen or so tequila-powered ladies pedaling, sipping, selfie-ing and hollering are often lookin’ for love – or, at least, party partners.

Particularly this time of year, with June brides riding off into the dating sunset, party bikes packed with energetic, loud young ladies are a ubiquitous sight in Old Town.

A social media-fueled frenzy has pushed Scottsdale to rival Nashville as the No. 1 bachelorette party destination in the nation.

Las Vegas?

Big for bachelor parties, but not even close for the ladies' versions.

"Vegas sucks (expletive)," exclaimed Moriah Pera – soon to be Nelson – as the Xena Warrior Princess lookalike and her 14 bridesmaids took a break on Main Street.

By noon on a Friday, the young ladies from Reno were well into a gigantic bottle of tequila with the level of a massive vodka bottle also plummeting.

The bride and her crew - which included another Moriah and three Taylors –were among scores of pre-wedding parties shopping, dining and drinking their way through Scottsdale the first weekend of June.

Told they had been to Boondocks the night before, one wondered about their thoughts on the local young men.

“Aggressive vultures,” shot out Lindsay Nelson, sister of the groom. “We’re a group of hotties – it gets old.”

Just the same, she allowed, “I did make out with a guy last night.”

Scottsdale bars, restaurants, shops and rental facilities are also making out –

big time.

June boon

After a robust spring, traffic around Scottsdale’s busiest area figuratively and literally tamped down, as evidenced by dozens of empty parking spaces – all filled, just over a month ago – from Main Street to Camelback Road.

As June began, nearly every intersection of Old Town seemed to be punctuated by a slow-moving party bike, filled with bride-to-be parties from Boston, Oklahoma City, Denver, Seattle – and a smattering of local bachelorette parties, like one honoring Chandler’s Sydnee Behlmer.

She and her bar-hopping party fueled up at Rockbar, a sports bar that caters to bachelorettes, with $5 Fireball and Pink Whitney (vodka and pink lemonade) shot specials for party bikers.

“It’s so fun – I’ve never done it before,” said Sami Pincus, a Scottsdale local on her first party-bike excursion.

Shae Hardan, bar manager of Rockbar, said bachelorette parties provide a financial shot – so to speak – this time of year.

“We can get up to 90 (bachelorette parties) during the season,” she said. “Even during the slow season, we get 30 to 40 a day.”

That means an extra 300 to 400 people coming in, ready to quench their thirst.

“We’ve never been to the desert before,” Melissa Wilkson, a bach-partier from North Carolina, said between sips. “We love it!”

This party is not alone in their Scottsdale crush.

A New York Times story last June declared, “The Bachelorette Party Comes for Scottsdale.”

The Times talked to a Hoboken bride-

to-be, who explained, “Scottsdale kept popping up on her Instagram feed as a popular bachelorette-party destination.

“Everyone was talking about how amazing the nightlife is and the restaurants and the shopping,” she said. “And so I was like, ‘Let’s do Scottsdale!’”

Data compiled by Bach (pronounced “batch”), an app that helps users plan and book bachelorette parties, ranked Scottsdale second as a “bach party” destination – behind only Nashville and ahead of Las Vegas, Miami and Palm Springs.

According to the New York Times story, Bach tracked 3,600 bachelorette parties in Scottsdale in 2021. In 2022, the number quadrupled, with 11,600 bridesmaid groups – roughly 100,000 ladies – hitting Scottsdale last year.

Though that remains far behind the 30,000 bridal celebrations annually in Nashville, people like Robert Mayer say “bring it on, ladies!”

Mayer, the owner of Arizona Party Bikes in Scottsdale, says well over half his business of taking groups bar-hopping through Old Town comes from bachelorette parties.

Speaking of rankings, Arizona Party Bikes landed on Trip Advisor’s “Top Overall Experiences - United States” list. (“Save money with our most popular option, where groups of up to 15 people can book the entire Scottsdale party bike for a two-hour fun-filled private tour.”)

Stephanie Pressler, of tourist-promoter group Experience Scottsdale, said something is definitely going on.

“Anecdotally, we began hearing from our partners about increased interest from bachelorette groups going back to 2019. It seems awareness of Scottsdale as a bachelorette destination has only increased since then,” she said.

Pressler said bridal parties are lured to Scottsdale by “luxury resorts, spas, shopping, dining and outdoor adventure for a sophisticated and fun getaway.”

see BRIDES page 38

Pool party! Bride-to-be Lara Protti – in white, of course – and her eight bridesmaids celebrated at Maya Day Club. Like thousands of others, they were drawn to Scottsdale, which has become one of the top bachelorette party destinations in the nation. (Special to AFN)

After a bang-up May in which his company hosted 479 bachelorette parties, bike-party maven Mayer expects a June with upwards of 400 bachelorette parties.

At 10 per party, that means 4,000 hungry, thirsty young women descending on Scottsdale. Most are in their late-20s to early 30s, Mayer noted.

By contrast, he entertained a mere 55 bachelor parties in May.

Mayer chuckled about how disorganized the relatively-few bachelor parties he books tend to be.

Where guys tend to drink first and figure things out later, he said the female parties are remarkably organized, having done extensive research to put together detailed itineraries.

And unlike the stereotypical bachelor party, where everyone ends up in jail, with bachelorette parties, “the worst that happens is that they're too organized, you know, and they get on each other's nerves.”

The Protti party Organization-gone-mad case in point: To celebrate Lara Protti’s fleeting days as a single, organizers Jaime Price, Brittany Corea and Rielle Protti (sister of the

bride) put together and mailed to their bach party a Powerpoint titled “Lara’s Last Disco.”

First slide: Room assignment for the 11 ladies at the five-bedroom “The Coyote Den,” an Airbnb the group booked.

After checking in at 1 p.m. on Thursday, June 1, the group planned to stock up on groceries before hitting the popular indoor/outdoor Old Town club Boondocks that night.

On Friday, June 2, the Protti party had a “boozin’ bike ride” at Arizona Party Bikes just after noon, then the hot country bar Dierks Bentley's Whiskey Row at night.

In between?

“Hot Cabana Boys throwing us a pool party.”

Meet the Cabana Boys, an ingenious, super-hot – in more ways than one – PG-13 version of male strippers.

The Scottsdale-based company bills itself as a “butler and party hosting service,” promising “Our Boys will do anything they're comfortable with.”

Important fine print: “We are not an adult entertainment service and don't in-

tend to be. Our Boys have been instructed to keep their bottoms on.”

The Protti party’s Saturday began with wine-and-nibbles lunch at Old Town’s Wine Girl. Dressed in black, the group club-hopped through Old Town Satur-

day night.

Sunday featured another pool party, this one at Old Town hotspot Maya Day Club.

The Protti partiers closed out a long weekend of fun back at the rented “bachelorette pad” for a “Mamma Mia” dinner and house party.

Back home in Vancouver, B.C., did they think Scottsdale lived up to the hype?

All that – and more, said Jaime Price.

“We already have a couple other bachelorette parties and birthdays planned for the next year in Scottsdale,” she said. “It’s definitely a hotspot for us.”

The party from Reno agreed Scottsdale more than lived up to advance notice:

“Better than the hype,” Moriah Pera declared.

Shhhh….

On a Friday afternoon, one East Coast bachelorette party bike group happily answered questions from the Progress, posing for photos from a ridealong photographer.

By the end of the weekend, they apparently had a change of heart, firing off an email stating:

“No members of our group provide consent to be named or photographed in an article.”

The Progress is honoring that request, filing the photos and quotes under, “What happens in Scottsdale…” 

Like many bachelorette blowouts in Scottsdale, the Protti party started at Arizona Party Bikes, a good way to see – and drink one’s way through – Old Town. (Special to AFNs)

Arizona Party Bike shuttles bachelorette party members between bars in Old Town. (David Minton/Staff Photographer)

Downtown Chandler chef likes seeing his customers

BY KEN SAIN

AFN Getout Staff

The Acqua di’ Mare restaurant in downtown Chandler has only been open a few months, but its chef said it has already become a popular destination.

Chef Gustavo Heredia said that’s because they are offering two things others in the crowded downtown eatery scene are not: Mediterranean cuisine and European table side cooking.

“I enjoy that,” Heredia said of preparing meals at the customer’s table. “You can see the face of the customer, how happy he is, how interested he is in what we prepare, there’s just no [words] for that. You can have a bad day …, but you see the people happy when they try your food, and it makes my day.”

Most of the meals involve seafood, with influences from the Mediterranean countries of France, Italy and Greece. Some dishes include shrimp, octopus, squid, and lobster. However, the restaurant also offers dishes with beef, chicken and lamb.

For true seafood lovers, Acqua di’ Mare offers pretty much the entire sea, includ-

ing branzino, dorada, red snapper, Dover sole, big eye tuna, scallops, oysters, mussels, salmon and clams.

The restaurant, located just south of Boston on Oregon, does not have a lot of seating inside but offers quite a few tables on their patio.

Heredia said business has been brisk

since they opened and they are now recommending reservations to their customers.

Owner Nikola Hristov said they recently started offering a brunch on the weekends, which is a great way for people to sample a variety of dishes.

Hristov said he came up with the theme

for his restaurant by having the picturesque Italian town of Portofino in his mind. A giant mural of the seaside village covers the south wall of the restaurant and a large fishing net covers the ceiling.

Heredia said he grew up around the sea, so being a chef that specializes in seafood makes sense.

“My grandmother is from Italy, my mom from Spain, I’ve work in Chile and I’m from Argentina,” Heredia said.

The table side cooking is for specific dishes, which are Lobster di’ Mare, and Shrimp Provencal.

The items on the dessert menu include dishes you would expect from the Mediterranean region, including baklava, cannoli’s, tiramisu and crepe balan rouge.

Heredia said the tiramisu is also prepared at the table. He added the restaurant has a nice selection of wines for customers to enjoy with their meals. 

(Left) Acqua di’ Mare owner Nikola Hristov recently started offering a brunch on the weekends, which he says is a great way for people to sample a variety of dishes. (Right) Acqua di’ Mare Chef Gustavo prides himself on the restaurant’s Mediterranean cuisine and tableside cooking. (David Minton/Staff Photographer)

ACROSS

1 Fireplace residue

4 Height of fashion?

7 "Serpico" director

12 Scary cry

13 Oklahoma city

14 Sports venue

15 Takes too much, briefly

16 First-rate

18 Mafia boss

19 "Once upon --"

20 Send forth

22 Author Umberto

23 Hardly hirsute

27 Do sums

29 Composer Prokofiev

31 New Zealand native

34 Daydreamer Walter

35 Hansel's sister

37 Center

38 Round Table titles

39 Jargon su x

41 Winds up

45 Michelangelo masterpiece

47 Have the flu

48 First-rate

52 Bikini top

53 Worth

54 Samovar

55 Slugger Mel

56 Brownstone feature

57 "The Bells" author

58 "See ya!"

DOWN

1 Home

2 Sin city

3 Egypt's Mubarak

4 "Funny!"

5 Redacted

6 Wizardry

7 Chantilly, e.g.

8 Web address

9 "Give -- break!"

10 Em halves

11 Prof's helpers

17 Med. plan options

21 Small fruit pies

23 Illegal payment

24 Literary rep

25 Allow

26 Hobbyist's abbr.

28 Conk out

30 Outback bird

31 Brit. sports cars

32 Onassis nickname

33 Not 'neath

36 "Star Wars" royal

37 Straight, for short

40 Clinch

42 Mogul

43 Begrimed

44 Roofing material

45 Get ready, briefly

46 "Rule, Britannia!" composer

48 Den sets

49 Feedbag bit

50 Mideast org.

51 Pair with an air

Sudoku

IDad’s Favorite Shrimp Dish

still remember the first time I made this dish for my Papa. The look on his face was priceless. You would have thought it was the best thing he had ever eaten, and as the owner of a gourmet food company and restaurant, that’s saying something! Every time I rip off a chunk of charred, crusty Italian bread and dunk it into the savory, spicy and brothy sauce, I think of Dad and how much I miss breaking that bread with him. He was not only my best friend, but my favorite person to have a meal with. He enjoyed good food the way everyone should, with his whole heart and soul.

Make it this week for that very special father in your life! 

Dad would bow his head, clasp his hands in front of the bowl and just say, “Honey, this is liquid gold!”

Don’t be put off by the amount of ingredients. I can only tell you that this dish is worth every bite.

Ingredients:

• 2 dozen large shrimp (fresh if possible), peeled and deveined, reserve shells

• 1 large loaf of crusty French or Italian bread

• For The Soup

• 1 large Sweet yellow onion, peeled and quartered

• 2 stalks celery, rough chopped

• 2 bay leaves

• 6 cups of water

• For The Seasonings

• ¼ cup butter

• ¼ cup green onions, chopped

• 3-4 garlic cloves, minced

• ½ teaspoon fresh or dried thyme

• ½ teaspoon fresh or dried oregano

Directions:

In a large pot, combine 6 cups of water, the shrimp shells, onion, celery and bay leaves. Bring to boil and then simmer for 2 hours.

When soup is done, in a medium large pan over medium heat, add 4 tablespoons of butter, green onions and garlic, sautéing for 2-3 minutes. Add thyme, oregano, rosemary,

• ½ teaspoon fresh or dried rosemary

• The Spices

• ½ teaspoon ground cayenne

• ½ teaspoon black pepper

• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper

• ½ teaspoon salt

• For The Liquids

• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

• ¾ teaspoon liquid smoke (hickory or mesquite)

• 2 heaping tablespoons ketchup

• 1/4 cup beer, room temperature

• 1 cup soup stock

• 2 tablespoons butter

• ¼ cup Clamato juice, optional

cayenne, crushed red pepper, black pepper and salt, mixing well. Stir in Worcestershire sauce, liquid smoke, ketchup, beer, soup stock and 2 tablespoons butter. Simmer for about 5 minutes or until sauce begins to thicken. Add peeled shrimp and cook until shrimp is pink, 2-3 minutes. Do not overcook. Serve over a bed of rice or pasta with lots of crusty bread for dunking. 