Ahwatukee Foothills News - 7.28.2021 by Times Media Group

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Cop who killed local man faces dismissal BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor

@AhwatukeeFN |

he Phoenix Police Department has begun proceedings to fire the cop who fatally shot an Ahwatukee man in the back last year in the doorway of his condo. But the Phoenix Law Enforcement Association said it will fight the move to dismiss Officer Jeff Cooke from the job he’s held for about four years. Cooke was the shooter in the May 21, 2020, death of Ryan Whitaker at his Desert Foothills Parkway home.

Whitaker was shot twice in the back seconds after answering his door as Cooke and Officer John Ferragamo responded to a 911 report that there was a domestic dispute in his building. Both officers were immediately placed on administrative leave but Ferragamo was eventually cleared of wrongdoing and returned to active duty. Cooke remains on administrative leave. According to a Phoenix Police Department statement released last week, the Use of Force Board, comprising sworn staff and community members, met on May 26 and “reviewed the shooting involving Officer Jeff Cooke, and recommended the incident be designated as

within policy. But, “after extensive review of the totality of the circumstances, Chief (Jeri) Williams has notified Officer Cooke of the intent to move forward to end his employment with the Phoenix Police Department," the statement continued. "The administrative process is still underway. In the interim, Officer Cooke remains on administrative leave.” Police union President Michael “Britt” London said PLEA “is disappointed in the decision by the Phoenix Police Department to termi-

see WHITAKER page 15

Public safety pension Disc golf campaign fund sees good news BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor

espite an $11.8 billion unfunded liability owed by more than 300 Arizona municipalities, counties and state agencies, some encouraging trends have emerged for the system that provides pensions for nearly 60,000 retired first responders, corrections officers and qualifying elected officials. Shaped in part by the unexpected surge in revenue many of those government entities have seen for nearly a year, those trends aren’t just good news for the retirees who receive pensions from the

Public Safety Personnel Retirement System. They’re also good news for taxpayers. One trend involves the largely unflagging health of the stock market. Combined with some astute investment decisions, PSPRS has seen an unaudited return of close to 25 percent on investments for the agency’s pension funds in the 2020-21 fiscal year. Though the exact percentage won’t be known for several months pending a routine annual audit, that one-year return is the biggest the PSPRS has seen in more than 30 years.

see PENSION page 12

Tom Butler of Ahwatukee is campaigning to have the city create a disc golf course at Sun Ray Park. For a look at his progress, see page 3. (Pablo

Robles/AFN Staff Photographer)

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AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | JULY 28, 2021

NEWS

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | JULY 28, 2021

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

Times Media Group: 1620 W. Fountainhead Parkway, Suite 219 Tempe, Arizona, 85282 Main number: 480-898-6500 Advertising: 480-898-5624 Circulation service: 480-898-5641

PUBLISHER Steve T. Strickbine

VICE PRESIDENT Michael Hiatt

ADVERTISING STAFF

Tom Butler of Ahwatukee shows off a typical basket used for disc golf. He’s campaigning for the city to build a disc golf course at Sun Ray Park in Ahwatukee. (Pablo

National Advertising Director

Robles/AFN Staff Photographer)

Advertising Sales Representatives:

Resident presses for disc golf course at Sun Ray Park

Zac Reynolds 480-898-5603 zac@ahwatukee.com

Karen Mays, 480-898-7909, kmays@ahwatukee.com Laura Meehan, 480-898-7904, lmeehan@ahwatukee.com

Classified:

Elaine Cota, 480-898-7926, ecota@ahwatukee.com

Circulation Director:

Aaron Kolodny 480-898-5641, customercare@ahwatukee.com

NEWS STAFF Executive Editor:

Paul Maryniak, 480-898-5647, pmaryniak@ahwatukee..com

GetOut Editor:

Christina Fuoco-Karasinski, 480-641-4518, christina@timespublications.com

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Designer: Ruth Carlton - rcarlton@timespublications.com

Production Coordinator:

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Tom Scanlon, 480-278-6903 tscanlon@timespublications.com Wayne Schutsky, 480-898-6533 wschutsky@timespublications.com Cecilia Chan. 480-898-5613, cchan@timespublications.com Ahwatukee Foothills News is distributed by AZ Integrated Media, a circulation service company owned by Times Media Group. The public is permitted one copy per reader. For further information regarding the circulation of this publication or others in the Times Media Group family of publications, please contact AZ Integrated Media at circ@ azintegratedmedia.com or 480-898-5641. For circulation services please contact Aaron Kolodny at aaron@ azintegatedmedia.com.

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To submit a letter, please include your full name. Our policy is not to run anonymous letters. Please keep the length to 300 words. Letters will be run on a space-available basis. Please send your contributions to pmaryniak@ahwatukee.com.

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The Ahwatukee Foothills News expresses its opinion. Opinions expressed in guest commentaries, perspectives, cartoons or letters to the editor are those of the author.

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The content and claims of any advertisement are the sole responsibility of the advertiser. The Ahwatukee Foothills News assumes no responsibility for the claims or content of any advertisement.

BY DREW SCHOTT AFN Contributor

hen Tom Butler was a student at Arizona State University, he witnessed the beginning of disc golf in the Valley. Courses were constructed at Tempe Beach Park and Vista Del Camino in Scottsdale in the 1980s as the game began getting traction alongside the popularity of ultimate frisbee. In disc golf, players throw a frisbee at a basket. Over time, the game has steadily gained traction in the U.S., which is home to more than 7,000 courses – including roughly 75 in Arizona. It is one of the fastest growing games in the country, according to AARP, which estimates 50 million rounds of disc golf have been played globally in 2021. Now, Butler is campaigning to have Ahwatukee to have its own disc golf course at Sun Ray Park. An Ahwatukee resident since 1987, Butler said he’s excited about that prospect for many reasons. “One is my love for this game – it’s just so much fun,” he said. “Secondly, I am so excited to potentially be able to ride my bike two miles to a disc golf course and play whenever I want.” Butler’s campaign for a course at Sun Ray Park started after he learned that Udisc – advertised as “The App for Disc Golfers” – showed that the closest course to Butler was 17 miles away at Vista Del Camino Park. He decided to connect with the office Ahwatukee city Councilman Sal DiCiccio, whose office laid out the plan that residents must follow in order to try and get a pars amenity added in their community. DiCiccio's Chief of Staff Sam Stone said his office wants to support any person that comes in with an idea to add a disc golf course or similar outdoor activity venue. However, community support for the project is an important factor in deciding whether it will happen.

see DISC page 6

NEWS

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | JULY 28, 2021

Neither COVID, Ducey backing down as school begins

Instead, both the governor and Dr. Cara Christ said Friday they are relying on people getting the vaccine as the primary way to address the fact that new infections are now back to where they were in the middle of February. And while daily deaths generally remain in the single-digit range, there has been an upswing in the number of Arizonans hospitalized with the virus. Ducey said he is focusing on the availability of the vaccine as the method of curbing the spread of the virus. “We will not be listening to the lock-

down lobby,’’ said Ducey. “There will be no mask mandate,’’ he added. As of Friday, just 3.3 million Arizonans – 46 percent of the population – are fully vaccinated. Even factoring out those younger than 12, for whom the vaccine has not yet been approved, that number only approaches 53 percent of the eligible population. County health department data released last week shows higher fully vaccinated rates for Ahwatukee ranging between 58 percent in 85044 to 62 percent and 68 percent in 85048 and 85045, respectively. The state health department reported that about 95 percent of COVID cases in May involved unvaccinated people. That figure was 92 percent last month and is 90 percent so far this month. Christ said her agency is addressing “misinformation’’ about getting inoculated. “There’s also a lot of fear about the vaccines,’’ Christ said. Press aide C.J. Karamargin said Ducey remains convinced that public schools, community colleges, universities and local governments should also be barred from imposing their own mask requirements, regardless of local conditions. Instead, he said, it should remain a personal option. “Any Arizonan can wear a mask if they choose,’’ Karamargin said, including students in schools.

Christ said her two youngest children, both younger than 12 and unable to be vaccinated, are back in school but under her directive to wear masks while they are there. “If you are unvaccinated, we recommend you wear a mask whenever you are with people that you don’t live with,’’ she said. The surge in COVID-19 cases is likely attributable to a combination of factors, including the July 4 holiday, the highly-infectious Delta variant, a lack of statewide mitigation measures and a decrease in personal mitigation efforts, according to Dr. Joe Gerald, a researcher at the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health at the University of Arizona. Gerald wrote that the current vaccination rates – combined with the large population of individuals infected and recovered from COVID-19 – will likely prevent a surge similar to last summer, but he emphasized the need to prioritize increasing vaccination rates among working-age adults and eligible adolescents. Ducey has also pushed back against school districts that plan to quarantine unvaccinated students who are exposed to COVID-19. In a letter to Peoria and Catalina Foothills school districts, his office said that violated another measure passed by the Legislature that bans districts from re-

ber of Arizonans unwilling to take the COVID-19 vaccine (21 percent), while those who reported already taking the vaccine rose by 8 percent,” according to the survey. The decrease in “pandemic panic” comes at a time when the Arizona Department of Health Services’ daily curve showed an uptick in COVID-19 cases in the past week. Earlier this month, the daily number of new cases exceeded 1,000 for the first time since February. Arizona has recorded more than 18,100 deaths since January 2020. According to the survey, vaccine willingness rates varied among Arizonans of different racial groups, education levels and ages. “College-educated white respondents

reported an 81 percent vaccination rate while 57 percent of non-college-educated white respondents said they had been vaccinated,” the survey said. “However, 58 percent of college-educated Hispanic/Latinos say they have been vaccinated, and a statistically equivalent 56 percent of non-college-educated Hispanic/Latinos are vaccinated as well.” Vaccine hesitancy could be a potential roadblock to achieving herd immunity against COVID-19 in Arizona, according to Mike Noble, OH Predictive Insights’ chief of research. “As the lack of concern among the unvaccinated continues, coupled with the fact that nearly all COVID deaths in the nation are now among the unvaccinated, I echo CDC Director Dr. Walensky’s quote

from the White House COVID briefing: ‘This is becoming a pandemic of the unvaccinated,’” Noble said. Of the nearly 160 million fully vaccinated adults across the country, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports there have been nearly 6,000 “breakthrough” cases of vaccinated individuals who became so sick they required hospitalization or died. Health experts have also noted a pattern of new COVID-19 cases arising primarily in unvaccinated people. According to the OH Insights survey, vaccine rates were highest among respondents who were “moderately/extremely concerned” about COVID-19 in Arizona, suggesting that this group has reached herd immunity among themselves. ■

AFN NEWS SERVICES

s students prepare to return to Kyrene campuses tomorrow for the start of the 2021-22 school year and Tempe Union students prepare to do the same next Monday, the state’s former top health official has issued a warning about COVID-19. “It’s now crystal clear… Arizona is back in a COVID-19 exponential growth curve,” Humble wrote, citing a 48 percent increase in positive test results last week. “By and large, it is a surge among the unvaccinated,” said Dr. Joshua LaBaer, executive director of the Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University, in a media briefing Wednesday. “The important take-home message is that the vaccines do work against this delta variant.” LaBaer said, “Things are definitely accelerating, and if we stay on this trend, we could definitely see a new surge.” Meanwhile, Gov. Doug Ducey is doubling down on his refusal to reimpose mitigation measures to help slow the increasing spread of COVID-19. And the state’s top health official agrees that mandated protections, ranging from wearing masks to occupancy limits at businesses are not appropriate at this time – even if the Republican-controlled Legislature had not just voted to remove them as options.

Former state health director Will Humble, now executive director for the Arizona Public Health Association, said COVID-19 is back on “an exponential growth curve.” (AFN file photo)

see SCHOOLS page 14

Poll shows no change in attitudes toward vaccine BY RITHWIK KALALE Cronkite News

lthough the percentage of those unwilling to take a COVID-19 vaccine has remained unchanged since May, Arizonans are showing less concern about the risks, according to a new survey by OH Predictive Insights. The online opt-in panel survey of 1,000 adults, conducted from July 6 to July 11, found that 42 percent of Arizonans were “slightly or not at all concerned” about the deadly disease, whereas 35 percent of Arizonans were “extremely or moderately concerned.” “The data showed no statistically meaningful change from May in the num-

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DISC from page 3

especially new outdoor recreational opportunities with everything that’s going on The same holds true for a campaign by with COVID. This is another Ahwatukee residents Carrie McNeish and great thing that people can Jill Ostendrop for pickleball courts at Desdo outdoors in very safe cirert Foothills Park. They too were told by cumstances.” Stone to gather evidence showing a deIn June, Butler was notimand in their neighborhood for a park. fied by Albert Santana, city The 3-year-old 16-court pickleball comassistant parks director, that plex at Pecos Park is great, the two Aha nine-hole course, is movwatukee women say, but unfortunately, a ing forward. lot of other pickleball players think so too. City Parks and Recreation “The Pecos courts are always overDepartment Gregg Bach said whelmed,” said Ostendorp, who has set up his department’s staff “is an email address – dfparkpb@gmail.com working with a group that – for residents to express their support at expressed interest in adding Desert Foothills Park, which the city never a disc golf amenity to Sun finished and which has room to accommoRay Park. date pickleball courts. “The department plans to Ostendorp brought their plea to the Phoenix Parks and Recreation Board ear- Tom Butler proposed this layout for a disc golf course engage residents who live lier this month, but didn’t get much reac- at Sun Ray Park on his campaign’s Facebook page, titled in the neighborhood near tion from it beyond a thank you. “Phoenix Sun Ray Park Disc Golf Course Project.” (Facebook) the park and evaluate community interest. After that proShe told the board they’ve already reButler said a disc golf course at Sun Ray cess is completed, the department plans to ceived 400 emails supporting the courts and that most of them were Ahwatukee Park makes sense because there’s “room take the item to the Parks and Recreation something residents living within two miles of Desert Rthere uxu ~ Ladd ry Vinyl like this and not Board with a recommendation.” ugs to Area take ~ Cof m away from existing uses Butler said parks officials asked him Foothills Park. outhe o t ntepark.” us C ~ r s r t e Added Stone: “Our residents always apto do public fundraising for the baskets, She asked~the board what the next steps o w o ps Sh ood ~ Lawere. ateone on minNo preciate new recreational opportunities, which cost between $400-$500 apiece. the board answered.

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Butler hopes to bring his campaign to the Parks and Rec Board next month. “I’ve started fundraising and I’ve got quite a response,” Butler said. “By the time this project gets approved by the parks board, we will have all the capital and we’ll be able to get the installation going as quickly as the city can move.” Butler has set up a Facebook page, “Phoenix Sun Ray Park Disc Golf Course Project,” with updates on his campaign and advice on how community members can help. He has also posted a proposed layout of the course on that page. If the course moves forward to the design phase, Stone said the rec board will ask citizens to raise $5,000 to pay for it – “something that’s pretty doable,” he said. Butler is looking forward to bringing a game that people of all ages can play to his local community. “I have people in my immediate friend group, I have people that I’m meeting weekly who are very excited about the potential of the course because they’re familiar with the game,” he said, “but they know that there’s nowhere within 20 miles of our community here where they can play.” ■

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AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | JULY 28, 2021

Low-income people getting hearing aid help BY MIKENZIE HAMMEL Cronkite News

hen Michele Michaels became program manager at the Arizona Commission for the Deaf and the Hard of Hearing four years ago, she started keeping track of those who called seeking services but couldn’t afford the care. Today, her list includes more than 500 names – and is being put to good use. The commission is partnering with Arizona State University’s Speech and Hearing Clinic to provide a year’s worth of hearing care to those who qualify. Patients must be 21 or older and make less than $17,130 individually or less than $23,169 in a two-person household. Michaels now is going through her old list and reaching out to see whether those people still need help. The Hearing Healthcare Assistance Project, as it’s called, is considered a last resort for those who can’t afford private insurance and don’t have government as-

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sistance. Participants usually can schedule a consultation with the clinic within two weeks of approval. After that first appointment, patients who fall within a certain hearing loss range will be fitted for hearing aids and directed to an aural rehabilitation program, covered for a year. The project launch in May included a donation of 100 Unitron hearing aids from Optium Hearing Care, an Arizona provider that recently closed. Michaels, who’s hard of hearing, said her genetic condition worsens every year. Her experiences within the deaf and hard of hearing community inspired her to help others. “I certainly get what they’re going through because I’m going through it myself,” said Michaels, whose mother is deaf. Across the country, about 15 percent of adults – more than 30 million people – have some degree of hearing loss, according to federal data. In Arizona, more than 1 million residents – 17 percent of the population –

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having an evaluation before purchase and expressing concern over the potential for scams. In addition to the hearing aids provided by Optium, Unitron has provided hearing aids to the ASU Speech and Hearing Clinic for $200 to $250. Clinic workers seek donations to provide the devices to patients for free. Aparna Rao, a clinical associate professor at ASU’s College of Health Solutions, is one of the leads at the speech and hearing clinic. She and her co-workers assist patients with hearing aid care and communication strategies using visual cues. “People (who need) hearing aids just tend to withdraw, become isolated,” Rao said. “So helping them advocate for themselves, get their needs met … is our goal to make the appointment successful.” Rao said the project would not be available to the wider public until Michaels’ list is combed through. The partnership’s ultimate goal is to make hearing services accessible to anyone in Arizona, regardless of insurance or financial state. ■

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have a hearing loss. And Native Americans and Hispanics in the state have the highest rates of a more serious hearing disability, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports. Medicare does not cover many essential hearing care services, including exams, fittings for hearing aids or hearing aids themselves, which can cost $500 to $6,000 apiece, depending on the technology. Experts estimate that only 1 in 4 adults who would benefit from a hearing aid has used one. To make the devices more accessible and affordable, Congress in 2017 directed the Food and Drug Administration to create a category of over-the-counter hearing aids for those with mild to moderate hearing loss. On July 9, President Joe Biden ordered that proposed rules for over-the-counter sales be issued within 120 days. The Arizona Commission for the Deaf and the Hard of Hearing and other groups have urged caution about over-the-counter hearing aids, noting the importance of

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3,807 sf home with 5 bedrooms + loft and 3 bathrooms! Open kitchen family room floor plan! Rick dark wood cabinetry with granite slab counter tops, extended island, extra deep stainless steel sink and upgraded faucet, eat-in kitchen area, pantry and stainless steel appliances. Gas cooking! Soaring ceilings! Plantation shutters throughout. Hardwood flooring, porcelain tile and upgraded carpet. The enormous master suite is a retreat you won’t want to leave with his and hers vanities, large walk – in shower with custom glass door enclosure, Roman soaking tub and enormous walk – in closet. Large secondary bedrooms! Two bedrooms and one full bathroom downstairs. 2021 exterior paint. Staircase bannister was painted in 2021. Exit the family room to the covered back patio and pool size back yard! Gas hook up in back for a BBQ. R/O and soft water systems. 220v outlet in garage. Nest thermostats and Ring doorbell. 2018 water heater. Dryer has gas and electric hook up.

Foothills Reserve Listed for

$590,000

Beautifully updated 5 bedroom + den /3.5bathroom home featuring 2 master suites; one upstairs and one downstairs. 3,125 sf. Open kitchen family room floor plan, 20’ soaring ceilings! Kitchen was remodeled in 2019 with professionally refinished cabinetry in a trendy white color with crown molding, backsplash, Silestone counter tops and large center island refinished in a gray accent color. 2019 porcelain tile on the main level. 2021 carpet on staircase and in upstairs master bedroom and 2021 laminate flooring on upper level. 2021 tile flooring in upstairs hall bathroom. Original loft has been enclosed and a contemporary armoire added (armoire conveys;)....makes a great bedroom! Sparkling pool (2014,) extended covered back patio and low maintenance hardscape in back yard. East facing back yard! 2021 vanities in upstairs hall bathroom. 2019 vanities in downstairs bathrooms. 2019 toilets. Bathrooms are upgraded with designer mirrors, trendy light fixtures and sinks. 2019 exterior and interior paint. This remarkably remodeled home boats the perfect variety of color and textures throughout! 2021 insulated garage door. Two Nest thermostats (installed 2019.) Large laundry room with storage space. Upgraded staircase with wrought iron railing leads to second master suite with access to balcony. Epoxy floor in garage. Plantation shutters in the formal living and dining rooms. The upgrades are endless!

Tartesso

Listed for $410,000

2021 construction! Home has never been lived in! 2,024 sf 4 bedroom 3 bathroom single level home with open kitchen – great room floor plan. Four bedrooms plus office and three bathrooms. Split master floor plan! Kitchen boasts espresso colored cabinets, granite counter tops, large center island / breakfast bar, Whirlpool stainless steel appliances (gas cooking!) and pantry. Porcelain tile throughout with carpet in bedrooms only. Smart home technology. 14 seer HVAC unit. Large master suite with walk in closet, double sinks and walk in shower. Faux wood blinds throughout. Oversized premium lot with east facing back yard! Backs to a common area; no neighbors immediately behind! Covered back patio and pool size back yard! Low maintenance front and backyard landscaping.

Heartland Ranch Listed for

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | JULY 28, 2021

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AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | JULY 28, 2021

PENSION from page 1

The other trend not only puts the pension fund on more solid footing, but also spares taxpayers millions of dollars in fees on the unfunded liability owed by municipalities, counties and some state agencies. Over the past fiscal year, 60 employers have paid a total $1.58 billion in additional contributions to PSPRS to whittle down some of their unfunded liability, often contributing extra money to both their police and fire pension funds. For taxpayers, that means savings in penalties for the unfunded liability totaling more than $1.7 million. Employers either devoted some of their budget surplus from the 2020-21 fiscal year to pay down their pension debt or borrowed money at interest rates that are less than half and even a third of the 7.3 percent rate PSPRS assesses annually on their unfunded pension liability. That $1.58 billion in extra payments is on top of the $1 billion employers were required to pay on accruing pension benefits and the interest on their pension debt. Payments on unfunded liabilities account for roughly two-thirds of mandated employer contributions each year. “The additional contributions help secure pension stability for employers’ retirees and members while saving taxpayers money by eliminating or reducing unfunded pension debt that will escalate employer costs each year if left unaddressed,” PSPRS spokesman Christian Palmer said. His boss, PSPRS Administrator Mike Townsend, was even more ebullient. “This milestone is the result of an allout effort to help employers understand and realize the true cost of public safety pension benefits and the taxpayer savings that can be achieved by paying off unfunded pension obligations,” said Townsend. “Although the large amount of additional contributions is great, the other impressive fact is the total number of employers that are taking action. Employers across the state are chopping down a mountain of pension debt.” One thing Townsend didn’t mention is the role he personally played in the employers’ big pay-down effort. Sources said he personally appeared before more than 40 county boards of

Mike Townsend, administrator of the Arizona Public Safety Personnel Retirement System, praised the dozens of municipalities, counties and state agencies that have make extra payments on their unfunded pension liability. Phoenix taxpayers are paying additional penalties on an unfunded police and fire pension liability of $3.2 billion. (Special to AFN) supervisors and city and town councils to urge them to take advantage of historically low interest rates to pay down their pension debt. Many of those bodies heeded Townsend’s encouragement, with Gov. Doug Ducey taking the biggest step by adding $500 million each to the unfunded liability owed on pensions for corrections officers and retired state troopers. The current unfunded liability for retired adult and juvenile corrections officers combined is $1.12 billion while the unfunded liability for Department of Public Safety employees totals $898 million. Phoenix plunked down an extra $26 million on the unfunded liabilities for police and fire pensions that total nearly $3.4 billion. That city’s total fire and police pension debt exceeds $5.4 billion. At a City Council meeting last month, Phoenix City Manager Ed Zuercher said he may seek permission in the fall for a

bond issue to pay down another $1 billion of that pension debt, borrowing money at an interest rate far lower than the penalty assessed by PSPRS. Zuercher’s plan also takes 1.2 percent of the $5.6 million in expected new revenue from recreational marijuana sales taxes and an extra $39.7 million from the General Fund for a total payment of close to $300 million on the city’s pension debt. Mayor Kate Gallego voted against the bond issue part of the payment plan, claiming PSPRS had made “unnecessarily risky investments” in the past. And several other council members expressed reluctance to keep using marijuana tax revenue after this year, suggesting they might want to use the money to fund other city services. But doing that only avoids the inevitable since pension debt is any municipality's mandated obligation. Zuercher and Chief Financial Officer Denise Olson told Coun-

cil in a memo the importance of paying down that pension debt, stating it needs to “avoid a huge burden” down the road that would require “significantly decreasing services or an increase in taxes.” “This taxpayer burden must be balanced with being fiscally responsible and committed in providing pensions to retirees,” the memo said. As it is, they said, the unfunded liability costs “have placed significant budgetary constraints on the City’s ability to provide employee wage and non-pension benefit increases, public services and infrastructure maintenance." Up until the end of the last century, unfunded pension liability for PSPRS didn’t exist. Then came the housing market crash in 2008 and the subsequent economic collapse that not only adversely impacted the stock market but also reduced government hiring to a crawl. At the same time, more government employees were retiring and with fewer new employees paying into the plan, the agency’s pension obligations were increasing. As municipalities started putting more of their available revenue into more immediate public services, their pension debt steadily increased – fueled in part by the penalties assessed annually on that debt. Voters in 2016 overwhelmingly approved Prop 124, which reduced cost-ofliving increases in the pensions for retired firefighters, police and elected officials. Those cost-of-living adjustments were now tied to the regional Consumer Price Index with an annual cap of 2 percent. For nearly 20 years, an annual 4 percent compounded increase had been paid out to retirees, significantly cutting into the amount of money remaining to pay future retirement benefits. But that prop had the strong support of public safety unions, which said the move would make the pension fund more secure. A subsequent for two years later made the same changes in pensions for corrections and probation officers. Not everyone favored the props. The Arizona Tax Research Association and the Goldwater Institute contended the measures provided no short-term financial relief for taxpayers and that savings may occur only years down the road. ■

GOT NEWS? Contact Paul Maryniak at 480-898-5647 or pmaryniak@timespublications.com

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | JULY 28, 2021

AG loses bid to skirt relief fund regulations

BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

federal judge has thrown out a bid by Attorney General Mark Brnovich to void provisions in a COVID-19 federal relief package that preclude any of the cash being used for tax cuts. In an extensive ruling, U.S. District Court Judge Diane Humetewa said neither Brnovich nor the state has any legal right to challenge the provisions of the American Rescue Plan Act approved earlier this year by Congress. Humetewa may be best known in Ahwatukee for her 2016 opinion that basically paved the way for the South Mountain Freeway by rejecting efforts by the Gila River Indian Community and a separate group of Ahwatukee residents to stop it. The $1.9 trillion plan, the latest in a series of measures designed to deal with the pandemic, includes $350 billion for state and local governments, with $4.7 billion of that for Arizona. Congress said states cannot use the money to then turn around and reduce taxes, but Brnovich challenged that as unconstitutional. If nothing else, he argued, the conditions are so ambiguous as to leave Arizona unsure of what would cause it to forfeit any of that federal cash. And that, Brnovich said, illegally prevents the state from lowering its net tax collections in any way. But Humetewa’s 10-page ruling cited a huge flaw in that argument. She pointed out that Brnovich claims the “ambiguity’’ in the federal law puts legislators in an uncertain position about how to comply with the law. Humetewa noted none of that kept Arizona lawmakers from just approving $1.9 billion in tax cuts. “There is no evidence that the lawmakers’ decision was influenced by the restriction,’’ the judge said, saying all Brnovich offered were “conjectural and hypothetical injuries.’’ Humetewa was no more impressed by arguments that the rules about the conditions of getting the money – including the ban on using them directly or indirectly for tax cuts – were too ambiguous

to be enforced. “Congress is not required to make known every way in which states may violate a condition on the receipt of the funds,’’ she wrote. The judge said the only requirement is that the statute “provide clear notice to states that they, by accepting funds under the Act, would indeed be obligated to comply with the conditions.’’ And then there’s the practical side. “Explaining every possible way in which a condition might be violated ... would prove too onerous, and perhaps, impossible,’’ she said. But Humetewa said that, in this case, there was no gray area. “Congress ... made the existence of the condition upon which Arizona could accept funds explicitly obvious,’’ she said. “That Arizona was unsure of every factual instance of possible noncompliance does not amount to a violation of Congress’ duty.’’ Humetewa also rejected Brnovich’s contention that the sheer size of the proffered funds from the feds -- that $4.7 billion -- amounted to illegal coercion given that the state’s total annual budget is only about $12.4 billion. She conceded that theory might have some merit in some states that have been financially strained by the pandemic. “But Arizona has not alleged facts showing that it has undergone financial strain,’’ the judge wrote. “To the contrary, Arizona has alleged that its revenues from taxes in fiscal year 2021 brought in $1 billion over estimates.’’ The judge also pointed out that there is no claim that Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen currently is trying to get back any of that $4.7 billion based on the state’s noncompliance. Nor is the state admitting that it has directly or indirectly used any of that cash for the $1.9 billion in tax cuts. And then there’s the fact that Arizona waited for more than two months after ARPA was enacted and four days after Yellen published rules about the restrictions on the dollars before accepting the cash – and certifying that it would comply with those rules. “Such delay does not evidence coercive pressure,’’ Humetewa wrote. ■

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AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | JULY 28, 2021

SCHOOLS from page 4

quiring students be vaccinated for in-person education. Those districts disagree and are not changing their position. Quarantines have been left as an option by both Kyrene and Tempe Union officials. Ducey’s position also conflicts with advice from the CDC, which states that “contact tracing in combination with quarantine and isolation, and cleaning and disinfection are also important layers of prevention to keep schools safe.” The governor’s position drew criticism from the Arizona School Boards Association and Kathy Hoffman, the state’s school superintendent, who said the decision puts students – many of whom are not eligible for the vaccine – at risk. “A quarantine period for exposed, unvaccinated individuals is one of the only tools left to maintain a safe in-person learning environment,” Hoffman said. The ASBA argued the governor’s office’s recent position is in conflict with its own health department’s guidance. Last year, the state health department advised, “Close contacts are quarantined for 14 days after their last exposure with the COVID-19 case.”

Health officials continue to stress that more people need to get a shot to stem the current surge of COVID-19 cases, which mainly involve unvaccinated people in Arizona. (Cronkite News) The county’s guidance to school districts currently includes a quarantine recommendation for unvaccinated students and staff exposed to a positive case. Humble argued the governor and the state do not have the authority to dictate quarantine rules, citing a state law and other rules giving that power to county health departments.

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That law, ARS 36-624, states that in cases of infectious disease, “the county health department or public health services district may adopt quarantine and sanitary measures consistent with department rules to prevent the spread of the disease.” Attorneys for Catalina Foothills and Peoria school districts say Ducey is misreading a new law and that quarantine is “the BEFORE

appropriate course of action except for students who can demonstrate that they have been fully vaccinated.” But, so far, the governor is not backing down. “We expect Arizona’s public schools to comply with state law and we’re not going to allow anyone to deny Arizona kids an education,’’ Karamargin said. Christ told Capitol Media Services she still believes that the best place for children is in school. And that may entail having students who are not vaccinated wear masks. But Christ said that separating out some unvaccinated students – and maybe even some who are vaccinated but have underlying health conditions – may be appropriate when there is a confirmed case in a school. “Isolation and quarantine does remain a tool that’s available to local public health (agencies) when they are working with school districts,” she said. “One of the things that we’re talking about here at the department is, with how transmissible it is, that all close contacts should be quarantined potentially,” she said. AFN, Cronkite News and Capitol Media Services contributed to this report. ■ AFTER

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AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | JULY 28, 2021

WHITAKER from page 1

nate Officer Jeff Cooke due to a shooting deemed in-policy by the department’s Use of Force Board and will support him through the appeal process” PLEA lists its mission as partly “to protect and secure members’ rights and benefits through effective representation.” City Council last December unanimously approved a $3 million settlement for Whitaker’s family as Councilman Sal DiCiccio of Ahwatukee criticized both cops’ “callousness” in failing to call for help for at least 10 minutes after Whitaker was shot. “That this shooting occurred is unacceptable,” DiCiccio said, decrying “the fact that we as a city did not call for immediate help, medical assistance for Ryan Whitaker for such an incredibly long time. “We don’t know if he would have lived or not,” he said. “But the fact of the matter it showed a strong callousness from those individuals that were there to not immediately call for help.” DiCiccio noted that Phoenix Police have changed their policy as a result of Whitaker’s slaying, requiring officers to immediately call for medical assistance after they’ve shot someone. He also stressed, “Ryan Whitaker did everything right that night. There was nothing he did that was wrong…He did everything correctly. He was an upstanding man who did everything right.” Cooke dodged a criminal charge a month after Council’s action when County Attorney Allister Adel said both he and Whitaker “could have made decisions that would have avoided this terrible result” and that “neither did anything that is prohibited by our criminal laws.” London praised that decision, stating: “Each day, our men and women in uniform encounter dangerous situations, many resulting in split-second decisions. In circumstances where a deadly weapon is involved, our officers try to de-escalate the situation but must also defend themselves and protect others at risk.” Whitaker, whose great great grandfather was one of Phoenix’s first 12 policemen, had been playing video games with his daughter, who had just graduated from Desert Vista High School. Adel said the investigation into the shooting found “no evidence of any physical altercation between Mr. Whitaker and his girlfriend” and that “they were being

loud while playing a video game.” A neighbor called 911 to complain about the noise twice and during the second call, it appears that the operator subtly coaxed the caller into agreeing that the noise from the unit indicated a violent encounter. The officers arrived at the scene “not knowing exactly what the situation was inside the apartment,” Adel said. She said Ferragamo knocked on Whitaker’s door, announced it was Phoenix Police and then each officer took a position on either side of the door, out of sight from any peep hole in the door. Adel said this was a common practice. “Approximately 12 seconds after Officer Ferragamo knocked on the door, Mr. Whitaker opened the door and immediately stepped out of the doorway with his gun in his hand,” she said. Both officers saw the gun and “protecting his partner from what he saw as an immediate deadly threat, Officer Cooke fired his weapon and Mr. Whitaker died from his wounds,” Adel wrote. But she said, “With the benefit of frameby-frame analysis and having time to review and re-review the videos, it appears that Mr. Whitaker was moving his gun to put it down and put his hands up. In other words, after analyzing the videos it does not appear that Mr. Whitaker was a threat to the officers. “That fact makes this case a tragedy, but it does not end the legal, criminal analysis because the law requires us to assess what Officer Cooke reasonably perceived and

Ryan Whitaker was fatally shot twice in the back by a Phoenix cop who now faces dismissal in the May 2020 killing in the doorway of the victim’s Ahwatukee condo. (AFN file photo)

believed was occurring in the moment he made the decision to fire his weapon.” Though she said “the facts of this particular case are clear in terms of what happened,” Adel said what was left for her to decide was “whether a crime occurred and, if so, whether there is a reasonable likelihood of conviction at trial.” She detailed Arizona law on justification defenses, stating it would be up to a

prosecutor “to prove that Officer Cooke’s actions were not justified beyond a reasonable doubt.” “In his interview, Officer Cooke explained that his decision to shoot was based on the fact that Mr. Whitaker had a gun in his hand, and he saw that gun start to move in the direction of his partner, Officer Ferragamo,” she said. “He feared for Officer Ferragamo’s safety and he decided to shoot to prevent Officer Ferragamo from getting shot.” “Officer Cooke made a decision based on the information he had – he could do no more,” Adel also wrote. “Based on what he knew, I cannot prove beyond a reasonable doubt that his decision to use deadly physical force was an unreasonable one.” “When terrible things like this happen, we naturally want to find out who was right and who was wrong,” she continued. “Mr. Whitaker is dead and he shouldn’t be. It is natural to try to find who is at fault; we want to assess blame.” But she said the officers assumed Whitaker knew the police were at his door and that when he answered with a gun in his hand, “it was reasonable for the officers to conclude that he meant them harm.” She called Cooke’s decision to fire “inaccurate in hindsight” but “not unreasonable in the moment and was, therefore, not a crime.” Cooke now faces a lengthy appeal process if he wants to keep his job. That process was overhauled last April by City Council and sets out the process for firing an officer for “failure to meet the standards of conduct, duties, or work performance” set forth by the city in administrative regulations. If Cooke fights his firing, his appeal goes before a board that must decide whether dismissal is warranted by the “preponderance of the evidence”– meaning “that the evidence as a whole shows the fact sought to be proved is more probable than not,” according to the new language approved by Council. ■

GOT NEWS? Family and friends of Ryan Whitaker demonstrated about two months after his slaying, demanding that the officer who killed him be criminally charged. The county attorney eventually ruled against that. (AFN file photo)

Contact Paul Maryniak at 480-898-5647 or pmaryniak@ timespublications.com

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | JULY 28, 2021

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AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | JULY 28, 2021

I-10 eastbound lane closure set for this weekend AFN NEWS STAFF

he rainy weekend may have forced some planned outdoor activities indoors but it didn’t stop the first of many partial closures of I-10 for work on the Broadway Curve Project. That means that this weekend starting at 10 p.m. Friday, the eastbound lanes of I-10 between US 60 and the interchange with the Santan/South Mountain freeways will be closed until 4 a.m. Monday, Aug. 2. The westbound lanes of that stretch were closed last weekend as crews began taking the surface down to the concrete for the duration of the I-10 Broadway Curve Improvement Project. ADOT anticipates this first phase of the project will continue through early September. “The driving surfaces will be re-

stored after construction is completed in late 2024,” the agency said. Each of this summer’s weekend closures will occur in segments ranging from one to seven miles. Only one direction of travel – eastbound or westbound – will be affected at a time, ADOT said. The Arizona Department of Transportation is taking unprecedented measures to help motorists avoid the impending traffic nightmare the project promises. At least 50 closures on I-10 or US 60 are anticipated throughout the project and while most will be scheduled at night or on the weekends, ADOT is not promising none will occur during the work week. ADOT also announced a virtual town hall on the project will be held at 6 p.m. Aug. 4 at i10broadwaycurve.com/meetings-andpresentations. At that time, people who

want to tune into the meeting by phone, can call 855-756-7520 Ext. 73680# for English or Ext/ 73681# for Spanish. Motorists who want to check out this weekend’s detour can go to rb.gy/cdyibc. But they can also go to i10broadwaycurve.com for other information n about the project or download a mobile app at the App Store (rb.gy/gnpzao) or Google Play (rb.gy/smi4u9). ADOT plans to widen I-10 to six general purpose lanes and two high-occupancyvehicle, or HOV, lanes in each direction between US 60 and I-17 and add a fourth general purpose lane in each direction between Ray Road and US 60. Other parts of the project involve adding collector-distributor roads that parallel I-10 between Baseline Road and 40th Street to separate through-traffic on I-10

from local traffic entering or exiting the highway. Unlike frontage roads along portions of the existing freeway system, these CD roads will not intersect with perpendicular roads. The project also includes rebuilding the I-10 interchange with SR 143 to improve traffic flow and create direct connections to and from SR 143 for drivers in the I-10 HOV lanes. When work is completed, drivers on westbound I-10 will exit I-10 near Baseline Road and use the CD roads to access northbound SR 143 and reach the airport. The entire SR 143 and I-10 interchange will be replaced by ramps that make a direct connection for drivers from the general and HOV lanes and eliminates the existing cloverleaf ramp that connects southbound SR 143 with eastbound I-10. ■

Statewide campaign aims at maternal mortality BY MIKENZIE HAMMEL Cronkite News

anielle Edwards, a registered nurse and mother of two, nearly died because of risky medical mistakes when she gave birth to both her children. During her first pregnancy in 2014, she gained 20 pounds in one week, a sign that her blood pressure was too high. Edwards said she was not given proper medication, putting her at risk for seizures and liver failure. In her second pregnancy in 2016, Edwards said she experienced alarming fits of nausea and dizziness. In the delivery room, her placenta detached from her uterus, cutting off oxygen to her son and causing severe bleeding. She knew something wasn’t right but felt brushed off by hospital staff. “When they realized that it had been going on for probably quite some time during my labor and delivery, that was kind of traumatic for me because I had been telling them something was wrong,” said Edwards, who declined to name the hospital. “They had to put me on oxygen and put me on my left side and all these things. I just felt so terrible that I

Danielle Edwards holds her daughter, Amelia, after giving birth in 2014. During her pregnancy, Edwards gained 20 pounds in a week, a sign of high blood pressure. She now is the patient advocate for the new Arizona Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health to help improve maternal health care. (Courtesy of Danielle Edwards) thought I was going to die. I thought he was going to die.” Now 33 and director of nursing at Pima Medical Institute in Tucson, Edwards said her experiences inspired her to serve as the patient advocate on the new Arizona Alliance for Innovation on Ma-

ternal Health, to “make sure that hospitals are working to ensure education and safety of our moms out there.” The AIM Collaborative brings together 33 hospitals across Arizona to help combat pregnancy-related deaths and address underlying causes using strategies

based on evidence. The collaborative launched its first program in May, providing hospitals with so-called “pregnancy bundles” – a list of practices for both medical staff and patients – with a goal of reducing complications of hypertension by 20 percent over the next 18 months. “This is a gift to the mom, the care that’s delivered to them which is based on the evidence, meaning research and national guidelines,” said Vicki Buchda, vice president of care improvement at the Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association. The U.S. has the highest rate of maternal mortality among developed countries, according to a 2020 report by The Commonwealth Fund, which points to a lack of providers and inadequate postpartum care. About 700 women die each year in the U.S. as a result of pregnancy-related issues, and about 60 percent of those deaths are preventable, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Black and Indigenous women are two to three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women, and those disparities increase with age, according to the CDC. In Arizona, Native American women

see MATERNITY page20

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Petition signing slated for education, voting rights

group of local citizens is asking people to sign petitions in Ahwatukee on behalf of adequate

public education funding and protection of voter rights. Petitions are available for signing

7-10 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays at the Nosh Cafe, 4855 E. Warner Road; 9-11 a.m. Saturdays at Ironwood Library,

MATERNITY from page 18

are four times more likely to die during birth than white women – the highest rate across the state. With these deaths in the spotlight in recent years, federal and state officials have pushed for legislation to protect mothers. In 2018, former President Donald Trump signed the Preventing Maternal Deaths Act, which supports state maternal mortality review committees in tracking maternal deaths. The next year, Arizona lawmakers established the Advisory Committee on Maternal Fatalities and Morbidity to review data collection efforts and develop recommendations. Buchda said the AIM Collaborative is the first partnership of this size in Arizona that not only tracks data related to maternal health but actively works to find solutions. The pregnancy packages are designed to provide consistent health care protocols to help hospitals better prepare for, recognize, respond to and report on any complications caused by high blood pressure. For example, facilities will receive standards to spot early warning signs for preeclampsia and evaluate pregnant women with hypertension, as well as protocols for educating patients about the signs of hypertension and preeclampsia. The goal is to quicken response times when problems arise and integrate extensive follow-up care to ensure the safety of mothers. Dr. Andrew Rubenstein, head of obstetrics and gynecology for Dignity Health

Leticia and Vicente Garcia look at family photos at their home in Phoenix on June 29, 2021. They became advocates for better maternal health care after their 23-year-old daughter died during childbirth in 2018. (Alberto Mariani/Cronkite News) Medical Group at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Phoenix, praised the AIM Collaborative approach of bringing together multiple hospitals and a variety of expertise to improve maternal health. “Without this, we have really failed to really address some of the health care issues that have been plaguing the everrising maternal health care crisis,” Rubenstein said, noting the U.S. ranks “lowest among the high-income countries for the parameters of maternal health, disparities and racial inequities and the social determinants of health.” Pregnancy-related complications have been rising and affect tens of thousands

of women every year, the CDC reports. Health experts aren’t entirely sure why but point to women giving birth later in life and preexisting conditions, such as obesity. In Arizona, about 900 women a year experience a severe complication during labor and delivery, and women with chronic hypertension are almost three times more likely to suffer from complications, according to a report by the Arizona Department of Health Services. Rubenstein said that in order for all communities to be integrated into the AIM effort, hospitals and other health organizations need to support culturally

4333 E. Chandler Blvd.; and 8-11 a.m. Sundays at the Ahwatukee Farmer’s Market, 4700 Warner Road. ■ appropriate maternal care, including the use of doulas – women without formal medical training who provide support to mothers during the birth process. Breann Westmore, maternal infant health director for the Arizona chapter of March of Dimes, a national nonprofit that advocates for moms and babies, said the collaborative also is examining other underlying factors that affect maternal health, such as income, reliable transportation and familial support. “Throughout the effort, a lot of our partners have begun to look at the social determinants of health and look at it with a health equity lens,” she said. “We know care is not equitable in different populations, and we’re working to compensate for that.” Westmore was among those who advocated for passage of SB 1040, which directs the state health department to conduct studies to improve maternal mortality rates. The bill is known as “Arianna’s Law” in memory of Arianna Dodde, who died at 23 after giving birth to her third child in 2018. Her father and stepmother, Vicente and Leticia Garcia, were blindsided by the tragedy because Dodde had previously given birth to two healthy girls. Vicente Garcia believes that if his daughter had been monitored more closely, “she would still be here.” “Before this happened, I thought (maternal care) was great. But it’s been a tough slap in the face with the reality that it’s not so great,” he said. “There are holes in our system that need to be fixed. There’s a lot of room for improvement.” ■

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Kiwanis Club’s ‘Monthly Treats’ cheer up foster teens AFN NEWS STAFF

he pandemic has been hard for kids of all ages, and especially so for teens who live in group foster homes. That’s why the Kiwanis Club of Ahwatukee over the years has made a mission of bringing a little happiness to those teens. Very often, teens in group foster homes never find an adoptive family, and with the pandemic, their sense of isolation is only exacerbated. That’s why the Ahwatukee Kiwanis Club started a new kind of outreach as part of a mission that also includes its annual baby shower, a Thanksgiving dinner and Christmas gift giving.

Now, members – and even some nonmembers – are taking charge of a program called Monthly Treats. “Since we were unable to do many charity events, our goal was to help foster kids deal with the isolation of staying at home,” said club member Margaret Ramsay. She added club members were moved by “how lonely the foster kids were not going to school during the pandemic – they were missing their friends and teachers.” “We choose a different foster home each month and surprise them with treats,” Ramsay said. This month Carol Arnold was in charge and in addition to what Ramsay called “a whole bunch of goodies,” non-member Marianne Danks of Shear Image Salon at

15815 S. 46th St., Ahwatukee, stepped up to provide free haircuts and highlights for foster girls. The fact Danks stepped up is symbolic of what Ramsay sees in Ahwatukee generally – more than just Kiwanis Club members ready to help these foster teens feel a little less lonely, a little more valued. “Initially, it was supposed to be a small treat like games, chips and ice cream,” Ramsay said. “But it has morphed into a main event. Members call upon friends and family to contribute toward whatever the theme is. “This month, since Carol had a girls home, she put together toi- Ahwatukee hair dresser Marianne Danks gave free haircuts and highletries, nail polish and make-up lights to girls from a group foster home last Saturday, helping the Kiwanis Club of Ahwatukee with a project it calls Monthly Treats.” (Pablo

�ee FOSTER page 24 Robles/AFN Staff Photographer)

ABM bringing back Chili Cook-off, other events AFN NEWS STAFF

he Ahwatukee Community Swim, Tennis and Event Center and Ahwatukee Board of Management have some good news for residents bummed out by all the local events canceled over the last year by the pandemic. They’re bringing back the Chili Cook Off and three other popular events – including the annual dog show, car show and Tukee Fest Rockin’ in the Park this fall. While the Chili Cook Off is traditionally held in March, concerns about the pandemic this year forced a postponement. Last year, it was virtually the last big community event held in Ahwatukee before shutdowns and bans on large gatherings were enacted as the pandemic worsened. This year, the event center and the swim club have thrived in spite of the lin-

nates the center’s activities among other duties for ABM. “The beginning of January started out really, really slow, then February picked up,” Robinson said. Then from there it was non-stop. This was the scene at the 2020 Chili Cook Off in February last year as We’ve had cooks brought their boxes filled with cookware and ingredients. baby show(AFN file photo) ers. We’ve had gering presence of COVID-19 in Arizona, weddings receptions, birthday parties, celaccording to Lisa Robinson, who coordi- ebrations of life. It’s been non-stop.”

Partly, the center and swim club benefit from the fact that ABM encompasses more than 5,400 households, she said, though she also plugs various activities through social media to the wider Ahwatukee community. “We were able to do our swim lessons,” Robinson said. “We were able to have our swim team. We were able to have our child enrichment classes. So it’s almost like we just kind of picked up when the new year started and haven’t stopped.” One longtime event that will not be occurring this year – or ever again – was terminated for reasons other than the pandemic. That’s the Halloween haunted house and hay ride, which had gone on for 18 consecutive years.

�ee ABM page 24

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AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | JULY 28, 2021

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‘Ahwatukee Nutcracker’ auditions are scheduled

The pandemic last year had an impact on Dance Studio 111 owner Kimberly Lewis, but that didn’t stop her from mounting her traditional “Ahwatukee Nutcracker,” though before a virtual audience. Lewis again plans to present the 22nd consecutive classic this year and has scheduled auditions for kids 3 to 20. Lewis reminds kids and teens that they do not need to have dance experience or even an interest to be part of the cast, since there are numerous roles that don’t involve dance. The auditions are scheduled on August 14th, according to age, beginning at 9 a.m. for ages 3-5, followed by an hour each for ages 6-9 and then ages 10-13. At noon, boys of all ages are slotted for a half-hour audition, with ages 14-20 set for 90 minutes beginning at 12:30 p.m. Audition attire: Girls should dress in black leotard, pink tights, hair pulled back in a ballerina bun, pink ballet shoes and pointe shoes if dancers are on pointe. Boys should wear a white T-shirt and black shorts. Dance Studio 111 is at 4910 E. Chandler Blvd., Ahwatukee.

FOSTER from page 23

in addition to snacks. We try to steer away from too many sweets. At the last minute we decided to get the girls backpacks full of school necessities. Fortunately, the Ahwatukee community members stepped up and helped.” Ramsay said, “Carol paid for all the toiletries and nail polish, but we asked 10 women if they would consider sponsoring a backpack full of school items for each girl. Ahwatukee is an amazingly generous community.” Danks said she was only too happy to

ABM from page 23

But after the last Halloween attraction ran in 2019, Robinson said, “we just got rid of everything.” “We don’t have a production company. We don’t have anybody other than us and we had to set it all up. We had to work it. We had to tear it all down. We’re getting up in age and it’s harder and harder to do every year and it was just too much on us,” Robinson said. “Even before COVID the year before we decided this was our last year,” she said. The Chili Cook Off draws scores of cooks who have their eye on the World Champion Cook Off, which requires par-

Information is also available at DanceStudio111.com and at 480-706-6040. Performance dates are 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. Dec. 18 and 1 p.m. Dec. 19.

Cat adoption event slated at Gordy’s Goodies

For more information, contact ARW President Judy Krahulec at judy.krahulec@gmail.com or 603-520-5082. Information: ahwatukeerepublicanwomen.com/index.html

Ahwatukee Toastmasters up and running

Ahwatukee Republican Women will hold their annual fundraising breakfast at 7:30 a.m. Aug. 17 at Foothills Golf Club with guest speaker Kari Lake, a Republican candidate for governor. Check-in is at 7:30 a.m. and breakfast begins at 8 a.m. Cost is $25 for members, $30 for nonmembers.

Ahwatukee author Katrina Shawver is now president of Ahwatukee Toastmaster and says her experience with the group has been “invaluable for my public speaking abilities.” Now that the club is meeting in person again, you can see how Toastmasters can help your ability to speak in public events. Ahwatukee Toastmasters meets every Tuesday at 7 a.m. at Mountain View Lutheran Church, 11002 S. 48th St., Ahwatukee. “Toastmasters provides a supportive and positive learning experience to help members become more effective communicators and leaders, resulting in greater self-confidence and personal growth,” Shawver said Visitors are welcome. For more information, email president-4873@toastmastersclubs.org or visit ahwatukeetoastmasters.toastmastersclubs.org.

help when a client mentioned the Kiwanis project. “I’m happy to do that for them because I know they were starting school and I have three daughters of my own, so I know they want to have nice hair,” Danks said. And she told her client she’d be happy to do it again because “I hope to be able to help them feel good about themselves.” “The girls were so sweet,” Danks added. “They just want to be like everybody else and I think it’s wonderful because they’re good girls.” The homes whose residents are being treated are the same dozen or so facilities

that benefit from the club’s other holiday programs, Ramsay said. Next month, Linda Jochim and Paula Kaper are taking boys from a group home to Top Golf in Gilbert and then out for pizza – all of which has been donated by the vendors. She also said that while Monthly Treats started a year ago, “members seem really excited about continuing the project.” Ramsay also noted that the club will soon be asking the community for help with its signature programs for foster teens, starting with the annual baby shower. The club will soon be launching

Gordy’s Goodies Pet Food & Supplies, 15425 S. 48th St., Ahwatukee, is hosting a cat adoption event titled “Downton Tabbies” 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Aug. 8. The event is helping local nonprofit rescue Kattered Tails, which has been inundated with abandoned kittens. Information: 480-577-0514

Gubernatorial candidate to address ARW

ticipants to have two first-place wins in regional cook-offs. Since ABM’s cook-off is a credentialed regional event, the winner in October has a head-start on getting to next year’s international competition, which is held in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. This year’s international competition will begin Sept. 15. “Our cook-off is going to be one of the first regionals following world championships, so hopefully we will get a ton of people because the quicker they get their first-place position the quicker they can stop cooking for the rest of the year,” Robinson said. The Chili Cook Off is slated for Oct. 2324 and will be preceded by a carnival that

Friday night, Oct. 22. Beer, wine, concessions, and other food items will be available for purchase. People who are proud of their chili recipes can check out the International Chili Society website for more information about becoming a cook at chilicookoff.com. The annual Dog Show, normally a spring event, will be held on Oct. 31, so Halloween might inspire canine owners to get especially creative with their pets’ outfits. Prizes are awarded in a variety of categories – including best kisser – and many dogs also will be participating in some athletic competitions like fly ball and carting. Proceeds benefit No Paws Left Behind. The car show will be held Nov. 13.

GOT NEWS?

Kiwanis Club of Ahwatukee back to in-person meet-ups

The Kiwanis Club of Ahwatukee is always on the lookout for new members and now prospects can join members at breakfast instead of on Zoom. The club meets at 7:30 a.m. Thursdays at Original Biscuits Restaurant, 48th Street and Elliot Road, Ahwatukee. Tomorrow, July 29, Dan Galvin, Arizona Department of Transportation, is the guest speaker. He will discuss ADOT’s plans for the Broadway Curve construction and improvements. On Aug. 12, State Sen. Sean Bowie will provide a wrap-up of the recent Legislative session and look ahead. The Sept. 9 speaker is Mary Ann LaRouche, representing the Seeds for Autism. ■

Submit your releases to pmaryniak@ timespublications.com its drive for baby-related items. “The best way the community can help is to continue doing what they already do,” Ramsay said. “We will be needing both new and gently used baby clothing. Also, Andi Pettijohn will start working on Christmas soon, too. “And of course, all donations are greatly appreciated since we have not had a fundraiser since the pandemic began. Right now, everything is paid for by members and generous donations from the community.”

To help, go to ahwatukeekiwanis.org or call Ramsay at 602-292-5238. ■

“We like to time this to Veterans Day weekend,” Robinson said, adding that trophies will be awarded and proceeds from a pancake breakfast that day will benefit the Wounded Warrior Project. Tukee Fest Rockin’ in the Park will wrap up the 2021 events and an 80s cover band will provide entertainment. There will be bounce houses, giant slides, a rock wall and more activities for kids and beer, wine, food and concessions will be available for sale. More details for all events will be at ahwatukeecommunitycenter.com. Information: lrobinson@ahwatukeehoa. com. ■

Contact Paul Maryniak at 480-898-5647 or pmaryniak@timespublications.com

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Developmental screens important for tykes BY SHERI COLLINS AFN Guest Writer

s Arizona’s early childhood agency, First Things First recognizes that while every child develops at their own pace, developmental and sensory screenings are a way parents can learn about their child’s development. Screenings can also catch concerns that can point to a delay or possible disability. “Screenings are important because they identify delays and allow parents to connect with support services,” said FTF Senior Director for Children’s Health Vincent Torres. “They promote positive child-

hood health and development and readiness for school.” The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that pediatricians talk with families about their child’s development at every well-child visit between birth and 3 years old, and conduct developmental screenings at 9, 18 and 30 months of age. Dr. Elizabeth Homans McKenna, cofounder of Healing Hearts Pediatrics, which has offices in Gilbert, Queen Creek and Chandler, said her offices provide developmental screenings for children starting at 2 months old to age 5. “Developmental screenings are very helpful as sometimes concerns are

Ready and able

missed or not picked up on, just by talking and examining the patient. They also allow parents to note concerns that they may have a difficult time verbalizing,” said McKenna, adding: “Developmental screenings are valuable because they assess the expected developmental stage for a child at a certain age and can reveal if a child is falling behind on developmental milestones.” Since the COVID-19 pandemic, many families put off well-child visits for their young child, Torres said, causing these regular screenings to have been missed. But another problem arises if a health provider is understaffed and doesn’t have

time to conduct the basic screenings that parents assume are happening, said Esther Turner, a senior program coordinator for the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension, Pinal County, which provides developmental and sensory screenings. Data show that for many children, even before the pandemic, those screenings were not happening. For example, the 2018-19 National Survey of Children’s Health found that only 28 percent of Arizona parents surveyed said that they were asked by a health care provider to complete a developmental screening tool

BY MELISSA BAKER, ROBERT OUIMETTE AND JENNIFER YOUNG Guest writers

tremely valuable, it is still important to make time to see your doctor in person to make sure you and your family are up to date on these vaccinations. Do you know the last time you or your children received their booster tetanus shot? Or if you and your loved ones are still protected against hepatitis? It is important to keep up to date with these vaccines to receive the best protection against deadly viruses. If you are still unsure why vaccinations are so necessary, consider the 1.5 million people who die from vaccine-preventable diseases every year. According to the World Health Organization, around 86% of children around the world are vaccinated. These vaccinated people prevent anywhere from

COVID-19 isn’t the only vaccine kids need this year

A Estrella Elementary third grade teacher Paulette Cuenca is ready to welcome her new pupils tomorrow, July 29, for the 17th year of her career. (Pablo Robles/AFN Staff Photographer)

see FIRST page 29

s families prepare to send their kids back to in-person classes, there might be one essential item parents still need to add to the back-toschool list – immunizations. Immunizations are shots that children and adults take to protect themselves and others against serious illnesses. Staying up to date on immunizations helps keep communities safe from an outbreak of a life-threatening disease. Unfortunately, millions of people fell behind on their vaccination schedule during the last year, as they could not physically visit the doctor or put off wellchecks during the worst of the pandemic. While telehealth appointments are ex-

see VACCINE page 30

BACK TO SCHOOL II

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | JULY 28, 2021

Dr. Dwayne St. Jacques has Pecos Center revs up with decades of experience, care full programming AFN NEWS STAFF

r. Dwayne St. Jacques of AZKidsDoc Pediatrics, a private solo-pediatric practice in Ahwatukee Foothills, has over 26 years of experience with 23 of them devoted to caring for children in Ahwatukee and nearby communities. The Kansas native, who was raised in Valparaiso, Indiana, attended the University of Arizona College of Medicine for his undergraduate and medical degrees and completed his pediatric residency at the University of Arizona. He is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics. AZKidsDoc Pediatrics specializes in pediatric and adolescent medicine, offering health care services to newborns, infants, children, adolescents and young adults through college years. Besides newborn, well-check and same-day-sick exams, AZKids Doc Pediatrics also provides sports/ camp/school physical exams, immunizations, circumcisions, minor ambulatory

procedures and behavioral consultations. St. Jacques said his practice “will continue to bring the best possible healthDR. DWAYNE ST. JACQUES care service to its patients during this period of uncertainty. “Ease of access, prompt courteous service and responsiveness to our patients’ concerns will always be our primary goal,” he added. “While we believe the best place for children to receive medical care is at a pediatrician’s office, we offer telehealth services (sick exams and consultations) that can be done from the comfort and safety of your home.” Information: 480-783-8964. ■

Over 26 Years of Experience. Over 26 Years of Experience. Over 26 26 Years Years of of Experience. Experience. Over Over 26 Years of Experience. Providing the best pediatric & Providing the best pediatric & Providing the the best best pediatric pediatric & & Providing adolescent healthcare in the Providing the best pediatric adolescent healthcare in the adolescent healthcare in the the& adolescent healthcare in Ahwatukee community for adolescent infor the Ahwatukee community Ahwatukeehealthcare community for Ahwatukee community for over 23 years. Ahwatukee community over 23 years. over 23 23 years. for over years. 23 years. Most over Sick Visits Visits & Consults Consults Most Sick &

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AFN NEWS STAFF

he Pecos Community Center has returned to full operations providing youth and adult classes and programs Mondays- Saturdays. Low-cost new fitness classes are complimented by the center’s long running karate, yoga, and Zumba programs. These summer classes are still open for registration: Burn and Tone, Thursdays at 7 p.m.; Fit Camps on Wednesdays and Saturdays; karate juniors programs on Saturdays; youth piano classes at 6 p.m.

Tuesdays; gentle yoga at 6 p.m. Tuesdays; and Zumba Gold at 9:15 a.m. Fridays. New youth basketball programs are also starting in August: Junior Suns Boys Basketball clinics, Junior Mercury Girls Basketball clinics; Junior Suns co-ed and boys leagues; Junior Mercury Girls leagues. All classes and programs take place at the Pecos Community Center, 17010 S. 48th St, Ahwatukee. Call 602-534-5252 for program information or see Phoenix.gov/parks. ■

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JULY 28, 2021 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS

FIRST from page 27

about their young child in the past year. Programs like the Cooperative Extension try to fill the gap by offering screenings conducted by staff working with a variety of parenting education or family support services in the community. They also do screenings in some preschool classrooms. “Kids don’t know any better, and they can’t tell you what they don’t know,” said Turner, whose FTF-funded program provides developmental and sensory screenings for young children in Pinal and Gila counties. “They only know what they’ve seen or heard their entire life.” In addition, there’s a fear or stigma for parents when talking about developmental screenings. “We’re not looking for problems,” Turner said. “Instead, we explain to parents that we’re looking to show you ‘this is normal development. Your kiddo is right now, on target.’” “We want parents to be comfortable and let them know that they are the expert on their child,” Turner said. “The parent sees the child throughout the day. They are the expert, and by letting them be a part of the

process, they feel active in their child’s development and growth.” And if the screening shows an area of concern, then the parent is referred to the child’s pediatrician for additional screenings or intervention. “When children are falling behind in their development in certain areas, we can give them activities which will help them develop in those areas,” McKenna said. “In addition, if a child is lagging significantly behind, we can refer them to community agencies such as the AZ Early Intervention Program, which can help the child with therapies such as speech, occupational or physical therapy to help optimize development.” It’s also important to provide vision and hearing screenings early on. “It is crucial to pick up vision difficulties because children need to be able to see well to learn — particularly when they start preschool and elementary school,” McKenna said. “Similarly, hearing screenings, which are done at birth and again in the preschool years are important to pick up deficiencies in hearing that can affect a child’s language and learning. Providing this help early in the first three years of life is key to

helping children attain their optimal development and thrive in school and in life.” If you are a parent or caregiver of a child 5 and younger, you can make a difference by monitoring your child’s physical, mental, social and emotional development and discussing your observations with your health care provider. Sheri Collins is a spokeswoman for

Where to find help

First Things First, Arizona’s early childhood agency that funds early learning, family support and children’s preventive health services to help kids be successful once they enter kindergarten. Decisions about how those funds are spent are made by local councils staffed by community volunteers. FirstThingsFirst.org. ■

There are a couple of resources to help parents and caregivers identify concerns regarding their child’s development and make the most of those early doctor visits. The first is the Ages and Stages Questionnaire, which parents can complete online. It includes a series of questions regarding your child’s development and behavior. The results of the questionnaire are emailed to parents within a couple of weeks and are intended to be used to follow up with a health provider regarding any identified issues. Free access to the questionnaire is available through Easterseals, Make the First Five Count website: easterseals.com/mtffc/. FTF provides a digital Ages and Stages guide to help families know if their child is meeting typical developmental milestones — the things most children can do by a certain age. How their child plays, learns, speaks, acts and moves offers important clues. Available in both English and Spanish, it is adapted from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Ages and Stages guides. Another resource is the free, statewide Birth to 5 Helpline (1-877-705-5437). There, nurses and developmental experts will give you tips on which milestones your child should have achieved for their age and help you decide if a follow up with your health provider is needed.

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AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | JULY 28, 2021

VACCINE from page 27

two to three million people from dying each year. If 90-95 percent of children were immunized against preventable diseases millions of lives could be saved. Keeping up to date with your and your family’s vaccinations helps the population as a whole maintain herd immunity – a phenomenon that the world is attempting to reach to be protected against COVID-19. With teachers and kids heading back to the classrooms this fall, it has never been more important to take stock of your health and receive proper care. After more than a year of physically distant learning, teachers are cautiously excited to return to the classroom. Yet parents remain anxious about what to expect in the new school year. Among the many challenges the pandemic brought onto families with school-age children, coming home with exposure to a potentially life-threatening disease should be the least of your worries this upcoming year. Do your part by checking in with your doctor to confirm you and your family are protected. If you are unsure of your vaccine histo-

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ry, you can request a copy of your immunization records from your primary care doctor. Upon pulling up your records, they may have you schedule an appointment for a vaccine or booster shot. If you do not have a primary care physician or are unsure of your previous health history, there are many healthcare resources like Jewish Family & Children’s Service that are open and ready to connect you to the right kind of care. Melissa Baker, Robert Ouimette and Jennifer Young are site directors at Jewish Family & Children’s Service’s integrated healthcare centers. For more information, visit the JFCS website at .jfcsaz.org. ■

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AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | JULY 28, 2021

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AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | JULY 28, 2021

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Young athletes no stretch for physical therapist BY COTY DOLORES MIRANDA AFN Contributor

hwatukee natives and residents Dr. Matthew Fletcher and his wife Amy opened their �irst practice, Fletch Physical Therapy, in Gilbert last spring, and since then the youthful pair has been helping area athletes – and even local seniors – step up their game. “We’ve got your back,” is a tongue-in-cheek phrase Fletcher has used in communicating on Facebook and Instagram. Yet, it holds true as he works in his modern clinic at Suite M, 1400 N. Gilbert Road, and when he literally hits the road with his fold-and-go physical therapy treatment table. With area schools either already open or opening soon, Fletcher is geared to helping youthful athletes learn effective ways to minimize risk of injury in their chosen sport, improve their game by targeting speci�ic muscle groups, and if and when needed, provide exercises to safely hasten recovery from injuries. He is scheduled to visit high schools throughout the East Valley this month with his preventive physical therapy approach to aid athletes perform at their optimum. As a former Desert Vista High School and college athlete, Fletcher said he learned the hard way the value of a physical therapist’s knowledge and advice when going gung-ho at sports, even at a seemingly-invincible age. “I tore my ACL three times in my early twenties while playing basketball in college! And that was when I was in my prime,” he said. “It’s scary to think that even though I was at my strongest, I was still so weak and susceptible!” Those experiences, from ages 21 to 25, moved Fletcher toward his career in physical therapy. “Yes, that’s why I became a physical therapist so that I could help other young athletes not have to experience what I did. The injury I had was easily preventable. That’s why I’m all about providing free screenings and watching people’s form while they run to make sure they are doing it safely.” Fletcher graduated from Brigham Young University Idaho with a BA in exercise physiology with an emphasis on personal exercise prescription and nutrition. He then earned a doctorate degree from Loma Linda University, one of the top 10 physical therapy schools in the nation. After receiving his doctorate, he completed 70 hours of a manual orthopedic residency from Ola Grimsby

As a former athlete himself, Dr. Matthew Fletcher knows the value of a physical therapist. (Special to AFN) Institute. He and his wife Amy and their then-4-monthold daughter Evelyn - opened their clinic in Gilbert, augmenting their business with what is proving to be a popular mobile therapy program that travels throughout the East Valley. Amy Fletcher, who serves as president of Fletch Physical Therapy, is a part-time dental hygiene instructor at Carrington College in Mesa. She also teaches weight-lifting classes twice weekly at the Ahwatukee Foothills Family YMCA. “And while the baby naps, Amy’s answering emails, making phone calls and scheduling patients,” Fletcher said of his 30-year-old wife. “Slow-cooked meals are a big deal in our house.” The pair, Ahwatukee residents, are avid runners having competed twice in the Phoenix Half Marathon and other area running competitions. “My wife is the one who got me into running. She started having knee problems from all the running since she wasn’t doing any strength training, so I put her on an exercise routine and now she’s pain free and teaches the weightlifting classes and often subs yoga classes,” said Fletcher. As a physical therapist, he’s also treating other area runners before injuries hobble them. A major goal this fall for the 34-year-old Fletcher is helping athletes in high schools throughout the Valley of the Sun, but especially those throughout the East Valley. “My plan is to travel to high schools to give free screenings for their athletes. These screenings show if the kids’ muscles are strong enough

to prevent injury, and you’d be surprised at the results I have found with some of my screenings with young athletes,” he said. “They might look strong, but quite often some muscle groups are weak, making other muscles overcompensate. And, do you know what happens when some muscles overcompensate? You guessed it. Injury. If we know that the kids are prone to injury, we can discuss what exercises they can do to strengthen the weak muscles.” Fletcher said he has found that adults of all ages appreciate the convenience of his mobile physical therapy, as well as the one-on-one private therapy hour. “We actually prefer treatment in the home because that’s where clients are comfortable, and it really helps us help them when going through their daily activities,” he said. “For instance, if someone has trouble going up and down stairs, we can see what stairs are causing the problem and how we can make adjustments or prescribe exercises. “We can show them how to use their therabands a certain way on the door or we can see what equipment they have at home and help them how and where they need it. Mobile physical therapy is safe, convenient and a great �it for patients who don’t want the hassle of going to a traditional clinic. We really want our patients to feel understood and comfortable.” At the Gilbert clinic or by mobile, each client

Ahwatukee native Dr. Matthew Fletcher and wife Amy, seen here with daughter Evelyn, opened a physical therapy clinic in Gilbert earlier this year. (Special to AFN)

receives a free evaluation. “At this appointment we discuss what the client is experiencing and what their long-term goals are. We spend an entire hour with our clients. There are no technicians or assistants,” Fletcher said. “It’s one hour with a board-certi�ied physical therapist. We pride ourselves on providing the best treatment and that’s why we give the free evaluation, so that they have time to tell us everything they need,” he said. “If I’d gotten an hour appointment with my physical therapist after my �irst ACL surgery rather than being run through a ‘patient mill’ maybe I wouldn’t have needed surgery the second or third time.” Fletcher admits starting his own practice with he and his wife in their early 30s is both exciting and daunting, yet they are fully optimistic that they can be successful and give back to their community. “Our goals are to be a contributing member of the community, and I’d love to earn enough money to provide jobs to others in the community who have helped us,” he said. “My long-term goal would be to see patients one time a week while teaching aspiring physical therapists at a local college. I want to have my business so organized that we can hire anyone on and give them a comfortable and warm environment so they can take care of their family.” Family life is very important to the couple, Fletcher said as he looked at a recent family snapshot of he, his wife and Evelyn, now 8 months. “We want the same for our patients. We want them to be part of the family and we want them to get to their goals and aspirations,” he said emphatically. “That young baseball player wants to throw the fastest pitch in their school’s history? We can help them get there safely. “What about the grandpa that wants to pick up his grandbaby without feeling back pain? We know we can help him and we want to hear about her favorite foods and �irst words at the appointment. What about the young mom who wants to run her �irst marathon? “We have already helped one client qualify for the Boston Marathon. We want to help our patients succeed, whatever their goals may be.” His needs, he said, are simple. “I want to provide for my family, give back to the community and prepare the next generation for success,” he said. Information: �letchPhysicalTherapy.com or 602-492-3019. ■

BUSINESS

JULY 28, 2021 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS

Some emotions are good for investors to keep BY JOSEPH ORTIZ AFN Guest Writer

ou may have heard that it’s important to take the emotions out of investing. But is this true for all emotions? Certainly, some emotions can potentially harm your investment success. Consider fear. If the �inancial markets are going through a down period – which is actually a normal part of the investment landscape – you might be so afraid of sustaining losses that you sell even the investments that have good prospects and are suitable for your needs. Greed is another negative emotion. When the �inancial markets are rising, you might be so motivated to “cash in” on some big gains that you will keep purchasing investments that might already be overpriced. And since these investments are already expensive, your dollars will buy fewer shares. In short, the combination of fear and

greed could cause you trouble. But other emotions may prove useful. For example, if you can channel the joy you’ll feel upon achieving your investment goals, you may be more motivated to stay on track toward achieving them. To illustrate: You may want to see your children graduate from college someday. Can you visualize them walking across the stage, diplomas in hand? If so, to help realize this goal, you might �ind yourself ready and willing to contribute to a college savings vehicle, such as a 529 plan. Or consider your own retirement: Can you see yourself traveling or pursuing your hobbies or taking part in whatever activities you’ve envisioned for your retirement lifestyle? If you can keep this happy picture in mind, you may �ind it easier to maintain the discipline needed to consistently invest in your IRA, 401(k) or other investment accounts. Another motivating force is the most powerful emotion of all – love. If you have loved ones who depend on you, such as a spouse and children, you

need to protect their future. One key element of this protection is the life insurance necessary to take care of your family’s needs – housing, education and so on – should something happen to you. Your employer may offer group life insurance coverage, but it might not be suf�icient, so you may want to supplement it with your own policy. Furthermore, you may need to protect your loved ones from another threat – your own vulnerability to the need for long-term care. Someone turning age 65 today has almost a 70 percent chance of eventually needing some type of long-term care, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This type of care, such as an extended nursing home stay or the help of a home health aide, is extremely expensive, and, for the most part, is outside the reach of Medicare. So, to pay for long-term care, you might have to drain a good part of your resources – or depend on your grown children for

�inancial help. To keep your �inancial independence and avoid possibly burdening your family, you may want to consult with a �inancial professional who can recommend a strategy and appropriate solutions to cover long-term care costs. By drawing on positive emotions, you can empower yourself to make the right �inancial moves throughout your life.

Joseph Ortiz is a �inancial planner for Edward Jones. Reach him at 480-7537664 or joseph.ortiz@edwardjones. com ■

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This year’s Olympics promises lots of low lights BY DAVID LEIBOWITZ Tribune Columnist

elayed a year by a global pandemic, the XXXII Olympiad has commenced in Tokyo. As a child, I would’ve been thrilled, anxious, mesmerized. How many gold medals would America win? Who would emerge as the Games’ next big star, our next Mark Spitz, Carl Lewis or Mary Lou Retton, our next Florence Grif�ith-Joyner or Bruce Jenner? Now, I can barely summon the energy to care. The Olympics just aren’t the same. Of course, neither is Bruce Jenner. Everything changes, often for the better, though the Olympics seem to be gasping

like a marathoner hitting the wall. Why so? A few reasons. The formulaic television doled out by NBC. The athletes’ desire to tie personal politics to performance. And the changing position of America in the eyes of neighbors near and far. Olympic TV was a staple once, with Jim McKay, Al Michaels and experts like Donna De Varona narrating. Every night at prime time, we’d all gather before the Zenith. In 1976, ABC broadcast 76 hours of coverage from Montreal. NBC won the broadcast bidding in 2014. They’re planning 7,000 hours of coverage from Tokyo, boasting they’ve created “the biggest media event ever.” To �ill this broadcast abyss – and justify nearly $8 billion investment in broadcast

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fees – NBC now focuses less on sports and more on storylines, making every athlete a hero out of Marvel comics. The U.S. is sending 600 competitors to these Games. To hear NBC tell it, each of them has led a life of systemic deprivation and loss, full of tragedies physical, emotional, personal or societal. If it sounds like I’m minimizing the struggles of my fellow Americans – well, I am. None of us has it easy in this life, nor should we expect to. Success in any endeavor is hard: That’s why when you perform an Olympic feat, you get a gold medal before the world. Turning the Olympics into a 7,000-hour “After School Special,” numbs the viewer the way formulas always do. When every story feels the same – when we all know the plot – no story feels signi�icant. The same can be said of social justice protests: Familiarity breeds disinterest. This summer, I followed the story of Sha’Carri Richardson, America’s fastest woman, suspended from the U.S. Olympic Team after testing positive for marijuana. I agree with President Joe Biden on this one: “Rules are the rules,” was how he put it. Where I lost the thread was when Richardson’s suspension became evidence of racism.

As USA Today headlined, “Opinion: Sha’Carri Richardson’s positive marijuana test one example of how anti-Blackness triumphs in sports.” And Rep. Alexandra Ocasio Cortez weighed in: “The criminalization and banning of cannabis is an instrument of racist and colonial policy,” she said, calling for Richardson’s ban to be overturned. You can feel it building as these games begin: The smashing of an all-time record for protests against every -ism worth detesting. While I share many of those dislikes, where I change the channel is when the protesting feels endless. Turns out, I only have so much hate in me. Sometimes I just want to watch great athletes compete without being force-fed politics in the process. Other folks, not so much, especially where America is concerned. Before the Games started, American hammer thrower Gwen Berry turned away from the Stars and Stripes during the Trials award ceremony. Expect many more such protests during a games full of discord, plus a daily COVID-19 positive test tally. It’s an apt metaphor: The Olympics, diseased and trending toward life support. I’ll catch the highlights on the news. And the lowlights, too, of which I’m sure there will be many. ■

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Position change paying off for Pride’s Amier Boyd BY ZACH ALVIRA AFN Sports Editor

mier Boyd’s �irst season as the starting quarterback allowed him to �lash his athletic ability. The soon-to-be senior transferred from South Mountain after a coaching change and chose Mountain Pointe after a family member began teaching at the school. That allowed him to become immediately eligible and avoid sitting for half the season — a rule put in place by the Arizona Interscholastic Association when a player transfers. Despite the Pride’s 1-7 �inish to the COVID-impacted season, Boyd found his niche. Even under center, he proved he had the speed and overall athleticism to line up anywhere on the �ield. That, alone, has helped his con�idence. “My con�idence has shot through the roof,” Boyd said. “Everything I do I put 100 percent effort into. I’ve proven to myself that I can do anything on the �ield.” Boyd made the move to wideout and defensive back this season for the Pride. Chris Arviso, a junior who also transferred from South Mountain, now takes over as the Pride’s starting quarterback. The transition was made shortly after the 2020 season, in which the Pride knocked off rival Desert Vista behind the legs of Boyd and arm of Arviso. Boyd adds a new dimension of speed to a receiving core that already featured the likes of Jordan Huff, Terryon Rowe and Isaiah Ice-Robinson. Now with Boyd everywhere on the �ield, head coach Eric Lauer and Arviso believe the offense can reach a new level. “I feel like this is good for both of us,” Arviso said. “Me and Amier, we have chemistry. I know where he is going to be, and I know I can trust him to make a play. I expect him to make some big plays for us this year.” Mountain Pointe tweaked its offense throughout the spring with the position changes. By the time summer started and the team began competing in seven-on-

seven tournaments, they had, for the most part, mastered it. The Pride’s identity won’t change from year’s past. They still aim to be physical up front and run the ball. However, the improvement this offseason in their wideouts — Boyd included — and Arviso allows them to spread the ball around. Mountain Pointe’s speed alone will require teams to keep safeties over the top to not let a go-route turn into a momentum-changing touchdown. For Boyd on a personal level, the position change has resulted in an uptick in his recruitment. Even before Mountain Pointe began to play other teams in the summer, Boyd’s talent showed. And he’s eager to show it even more once pads come on in August. “My athletic ability will show throughout the entire game and on both sides of the ball,” Boyd said. “It won’t just be at quarterback anymore. Mountain Pointe senior athlete Amier Boyd’s tranOn defense, on offense, people are go- sition from quarterback to wide receiver and deing to see what I can do and how I per- fensive back has paid off in the form of private form all over the �ield.” workout invitations to Division I schools, and Boyd picked up his �irst offer from scholarship offers. (Zach Alvira/AFN Staff) Arizona Christian on May 13. The same day, he was offered by Lake Forest success recruiting the Valley under head College in Illinois, a program that has had coach Jim Catanzaro.

Mountain Pointe junior quarterback Chris Arviso, who takes over under center for Boyd, said the two have a certain level of chemistry he expects will result in big plays for the Pride this season. (Zach Alvira/AFN Staff)

Boyd traveled to Dallas to compete at Southern Methodist University’s camp and four days later received his �irst Division I offer from Northern Arizona. In late June, he was invited for a private workout at UCLA. “It feels great knowing the coaches are watching me,” Boyd said. “And seeing them, it makes me go harder. A lot harder.” Mountain Pointe players enter the 2021 season with a chip on their shoulders. They want to bring the program back to its status as one of the best in the state. They have bought in to Lauer’s “Embrace the Chase” culture he established when he returned last year to the school, he helped coach to a state championship in 2013 under Norris Vaughan. Having an offseason has helped in them take strides to achieving that goal. Last year at this time, Mountain Pointe and other Tempe Union schools were unable to play catch with a football, let alone workout in the weight room. This offseason provided the team with the ability to bond and become closer together, an opportunity missed due to the pandemic in 2020. “We’ve come together as a family this year,” Boyd said. “We are starting to care for each other more, love each other more, just starting to trust each other more. And it helps we can actually throw the ball.” Mountain Pointe, like other teams, is continuing its preparation for the start of the season on Sept. 3. The players hope to make a statement right out of the gate when they make the short drive to Corona del Sol, a team that beat them 45-9 last season. Boyd, like his teammates, knows that game is the �irst step to earning respect in their region and conference. Overall, they feel they are ready to compete at a higher level than what was seen the last two years with the Pride program. “We have been grinding this offseason,” Boyd said. “We are going to go out and give it 100 percent every play. We are all in this year.” ■

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Mesa Market Swap Meet a bargain hunting ground BY SYDNEY MACKIE AFN Staff Writer

ringing the East Valley together for over 20 years, the recently reopened Mesa Market Place Swap Meet continues to support local entrepreneurs by hosting over 900 small businesses in one location. Located at Signal Butte and Baseline roads and open every Saturday and Sunday from 7 a.m. until 3 p.m., the market offers a unique outdoor experience to those browsing for all manner of items. At the market – supplemented with a restaurant, a deli, six snack bars and live music – patrons can �ind everything they need all within one and a quarter miles of shaded shopping space. “We’re the largest small business incubator in the state of Arizona, you won’t �ind more small businesses in any one place,” said market spokeswoman Joan Wells. Many family-owned stores are exclusive to the market such as Stella’s Fashion, Fairyland Fun, The Larimar Stone, May’s Kettle Corn and Creation Cacti. Wells said patrons can expect to see exclusive and reasonably priced products for every demographic. Many vendors even sell their inventions as well. Admission and parking are free, but Wells suggests patrons will likely �ind many temptations for their wallets. “I’ve worked here since 2005 and I’ve learned that I have to leave my purse at home,” Wells joked. “I bring $15 with me to shop. If you gave me $2,500, I could have it all spent by 3 o’clock this afternoon.” Last year the Mesa Market underwent more changes than it ever had during Wells’ 16 years of employment. It closed in March 2020 and reopened only recently with mask and social distancing recommendations. Now, Wells spends her weekends encouraging customers to return by documenting the vast array of products for the Mesa

Bargain hunters flock every weekend to the Mesa Market Place Swap Meet at Signal Butte and Baseline roads. (Special to AFN) Market’s Facebook and Instagram pages. She also focuses on forming lasting connections with the market’s customers, vendors and other employees. “It really is a family,” she said. “I think

that’s the culture here. “Even people that sell the same things, for example, we have two people that sell pet accessories and if they don’t have what you want, they’ll send you to the

other one.” Keeping traditions and culture alive are an important part of the Mesa Market, as demonstrated by the authentic Native American and Southwestern art, jewelry and live music that can be found there. One vendor said she was in�luenced by her mother’s profession as an international bead stringer to begin a career selling jewels from around the world. “We’re known as an entrepreneurial outlet,” Wells said. “For as little as $300 a month, you get a lot of support because I’m posting on Facebook, I’m advertising and trying to get you as much foot traf�ic as I can.” Priding itself on patriotism, the Mesa Market cultivates meaningful relationships with its 40 plus staff members, which includes many retirees and veterans. Additionally, the market holds fundraisers and drives to send care packages to deployed soldiers and homeless veterans on top of celebrating events like Fourth of July and Veteran’s Day. Wells said the market hopes to bring back events such as pinning ceremonies for Vietnam veterans, their annual largescale Safehaven trick-or-treating and Easter celebrations. Owners also are in the �inal stages of developing an app to assist customers in locating a desired vendor or product using a virtual map. It will also feature helpful images of the stores and merchandise taken by the vendors themselves. “You can people-watch, you can listen to music and window-shop. It’s just really fun shopping, not at all like grocery shopping, it’s better,” Wells said. 

Mesa Market Place Swap Meet Even the spokeswoman for the Mesa Market Place Swap Meet concedes that she has to be careful how much money she’ll bring because she knows every cent will be spent. (Special to AFN)

Signal Butte and Baseline Roads Open every Saturday and Sunday 7 a.m. until 3 p.m.,

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King Crossword ACROSS 1 5 8 12 14 15 16 17 18 20 23 24 25 28 29 30 32 34 35 36 37 40 41 42 47 48 49 50 51

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With JAN D’ATRI GetOut Contributor

grew up with them. Watched them jump into and frolic in a bowl of milk and Kellogg’s Rice Krispies. Snap, Crackle and Pop were my cereal buddies. They each had their own solos in the commercials, and I like Crackle’s part the best:

34 36 37 38 39

Sushi condiment Ocean motion Fir coat “-- a roll!” California city

40 43 44 45 46

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Sudoku

DOWN 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 13 19 20 21 22 23 25 26 27 29 31 33

This Krispies treat crackles with color

Watch chain Wall climber Fun and games Dr. Jekyll’s alter ego Fax Sleuth Sham Grave Genealogy chart Soon, poetically Employer Fill fully Fay of “King Kong” Snake’s warning Spinning sound Modern money Joe of “GoodFellas” Talking heads’ opinions Spiced tea British noble Ersatz Pro Bowl stats Zedong follower

“I say it’s crackle the crispy sound. You gotta have crackle or the clock’s not wound. Geese cackle, feathers tickle, Belts buckle, beets pickle,” But Crackle... makes the world go round. When my mom made Rice Krispies treats for the very first time, I remember thinking that there couldn’t possibly be a better snack on the planet earth. Through the years, Kellogg’s has put out hundreds of recipes using Rice Krispies, but it’s hard to beat the iconic sweet cereal and marshmallow square. Well, let me share with you and “the boys” a very fun twist on the treat just in time for summer! It’s a giant

Kellogg’s Rice Krispies Treat in the shape and color of a watermelon. It’s simple. It’s fun. In fact you can make it in a snap! “Snap, what a happy sound Snap is the happiest sound I’ve found You may clap, rap, tap, slap but Snap ... makes the world go round. Snap Crackle Pop Rice Krispies”

Ingredients: For the Green Rind: For the White Rind For the Red Fruit: 5 oz mini marshmallows (half a 5 oz mini marshmallows (half a 10 oz. mini marshmallows (1 bag) bag) bag) 4 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons butter 4 cups Kellogg’s Rice Krispies 2 cups Kellogg’s Rice Krispies 2 cups Kellogg’s Rice Krispies Cereal Cereal Cereal ½ cup semi sweet chocolate Green food coloring chips for seeds Directions next to green cereal, Spray a 9 inch spring form or baking pan with Create another ring, a little wider than the green baking spray or grease with butter. rind. Fill ¾ of the way up the pan. Make green rind. In a microwave-safe bowl, Make Red Fruit. In a larger bowl, melt 10 oz. of melt mini marshmallows and butter until puffy and marshmallows and 4 tablespoons of butter. Add 4 melted, about 1 minute. Immediately add cereal and cups of cereal and red food coloring to desired color. a few drops of food coloring to simulate rind. Mix Press cereal into center of pan and with your hands with a buttered spatula or spoon. With your fingers, and press down to pack all three colors together. line the pan with green cereal so that it is about ½ Place chocolate chips, flat side up, randomly in inch wide and ¾ of the way up the pan. the red fruit part of the watermelon. Make white rind. In a microwave safe bowl, melt Let harden. Cut into wedges. For wedges on a marshallows and butter until puffy and melted. Add stick, insert stick into wedge while cereal mixture is cereal and mix with buttered spatula. Pressing up still soft. ■

PUZZLES ANSWERS on page 39

For more great recipe ideas and videos, visit jandatri.com.

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480.844.9765

480-586-8445

Responsible • 100% Guaranteed Ask for Ramon

• Sprinkler/Drip Repairs • New Installs Poly/PVC • Same Day Service

Not a Licensed Contractor

602.515.2767 Complete Lawn Service & Weed Control

Irrigation Repair Services Inc. Licensed • Bonded • Insured

480-217-0407

Specializing in Controllers, Valves, Sprinklers, Landscape Lighting, P.V.C. & Poly Drip Systems

Landscape Design/Installation

CALL US TODAY!

NTY

5-YEAR WARRA

480.721.4146

480.654.5600

www.irsaz.com

azirrigation.com

ROC# 256752

Landscape Design/Installation Irrigation Systems & Outdoor Lighting Fountain Repair alls C - Caring Repairs & Instuse. D - Dedicated for long term S - Service No Yard .

LANDSCAPING

Maintenance

• Spring Hrs: M-F 8-4; Sat 9-2; • Summer Hrs: M-Sat 6-9 • You Pay Labor & Materials Only • ROC#312942 • David R Smith Text or Email Only

480-580-4419

david@swo-of-artworks.com www.swo-of-artworks.com

Add a Background Color to Your Ad! Classifieds 480-898-6465

Specials

WANT A GREEN LAWN?

Cutting Edge LLC • ROC 281671

Serving the Valley for over 28 years

The Possibilities are Endless

Custom Design and Renovation turning old to new Custom Built-ins, BBQs, Firepits, Fireplaces, Water Features, Re-Designing Pools, Masonry, Lighting, Tile, Flagstone, Pavers, Culture Stone & Travertine, Synthetic Turf, Sprinkler/Drip, Irrigation Systems, Clean ups & Hauling

Lawn Mowing Starts At $40 Full Service Starts At $70

480-940-8196 theplugman.com

FREE ORGANIC LAWN FERTILIZA ATION TREATMENT WITH CORE AE ERATION FERTILIZATION • SOIL AMENDMENTS • LAWN SOIL TESTING ROC 282663 * BONDED * INSURED YOUR LAWN EXPERT SINCE 1995

15 + Yrs Exp! All English Speaking Crew

SONORAN LAWN

480-745-5230

Get Your Lawn Ready For Spring!

Call for a FREE consultation and Estimate

MISSED THE DEADLINE?

To learn more about us, view our photo gallery at: ShadeTreeLandscapes.com

Call us to place your ad online!

480-730-1074

Bonded/Insured/Licensed • ROC #225923

480-898-6465

CLASSIFIEDS

JULY 28, 20211 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS

PROFESSIONAL PAINTING Interior, Exterior House Painting. Stucco Patching. Gate/Front Door Refinishing. Quality work/Materials Free Estimate Ignacio 480-961-5093 602-571-9015 ROC #189850 Bond/Ins'd

Painting

CONKLIN PAINTING

SUN TECH

PAINTING

Free Estimate & Color Consultation

INC.

SPEND A LITTLE…

MAKE A LOT!

Serving Ahwatukee Since 1987 Interior / Exterior

• High Quality Materials & Workmanship • Customer Satisfaction Free Est imates • Countless References • Carpentry Services Now Available Visit us at Suntechpaintingaz.com or view our video promo at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GM5pbvpZJlg

Jose Dominguez Painting & Drywall SEE OUR AD IN DRYWALL! Quick Response to your Call! 15 Years Exp 480-266-4589 Not a licensed contractor

602.625.0599 ROC #155380 Family Owned • Free Estimates

Interior & Exterior Painting Residential/Commercial Free Estimates Drywall Senior Discounts References Available

HOME IMPROVEMENT & PAINTING Dunn Edwards Quality Paint Small Stucco/Drywall Repairs

We Are State Licensed and Reliable!

Free Estimates • Senior Discounts

480-338-4011

Interior Painting ● Pressure Washing Exterior Painting ● Drywall/Stucco Repair Complete Prep Work ● Wallpaper Removal

Affinity Plumbing LLC 480-487-5541

“We get your house looking top notch!” ★ Interior/Exterior Painting ★ Drywall Repair & Installation ★ Popcorn Ceiling Removal

Your Ahwatukee Plumber & East Valley Neighbor

★ Elastomaric Roof Coating ★ Epoxy Floors

Anything Plumbing Same Day Service

★ Small Job Specialist

Water Heaters

24/7

Inside & Out Leaks

Bonded

Toilets

Insured

Faucets

Estimates Availabler

License #ROC 298736

Disposals

CLASSIFIEDS 480-898-6465

$35 off

class@times publications.com

Any Service

Plumbing Looking To Freshen Up Your Home? WE CAN HELP!

PLUMBING

Voted #1 Paint Interior & Exterior • Drywall Repair Light Carpentry • Power Washing • Textures Matched Popcorn Removal • Pool Deck Coatings Garage Floor Coatings • Color Consulting

10% OFF

We Beat Competitors Prices & Quality Free Estimates! Home of the 10-Year Warranty!

Proudly Serving Ahwatukee for 15 Years! Family Owned & Operated Residential & Commercial Painting • Interior & Exterior • Professional Cabinet Reﬁnishing • Epoxy Floors & Concrete Coatings • In-Home Color Consultations “Professional, Punctual & Clean”

Veteran Owned

480-688-4770

www.eastvalleypainters.com Bonded/Insured • ROC#153131

*Any

affinityplumber@gmail.com

(602) 502-1655

Family Owned & Operated

Off 40work done

www.affinityplumbingaz.com

Call Jason

East Valley PAINTERS

ConklinPainting.com

Scott Mewborn, Owner 480-818-1789 ROC#309706

AHWATUKEE SPECIAL

480-888-5895 Lic/Bond/Ins ROC# 270450

Interior/Exterior Painting 30 YEARS EXPERIENCE

PAINTING

Plumbing

Now Accepting all major credit cards

MORE CLASSIFIED ADS ONLINE! www.Ahwatukee.com

www.ACP www.A CPpaintingllc.com paintingllc.com Licensed - Bonded - Insured ROC 290242

FREE ESTIMATES • CALL TODAY!

(480)785-6323

$35.00 Off Any Service Call Today!

A+ RATED

We Repair or Install ROC # 272721

AHWATUKEE’S #1 PLUMBER Licensed • Bonded • Insured

704.5422

(480)

Meetings/Events? Get Free notices in the Classifieds! Submit to ecota@timespublications.com

Not a licensed contractor

Painting

CLASSIFIEDS

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | JULY 28, 20211

Pool Service / Repair

Plumbing

PLUMBERS CHARGE TOO MUCH! FREE Service Calls + FREE Estimates Water Heaters Installed - $999 Unclog Drains - $49

10% OFF

All Water Purification Systems Voted #1 Plumber 3 Years In A Row OVER 1,000 5-STAR REVIEWS

$25 OFF

Filter Cleaning! Monthly Service & Repairs Available

602-546-POOL 7 6 6 5

www.barefootpoolman.com See our Before’s and After’s on Facebook Licensed, Bonded & Insured ROC# 272001

Bonded/Insured • ROC #223709

480-405-7099

Garage Sale Fri & Sat 7a-11am Household, clothes, kitchen items, furniture, electronics, mason jars, kid items, DVDs, MORE 555 W. Lane Dr Mesa

Only $27.50 includes 1 week online To place an ad please call: 480-898-6465 class@times publications.com

Juan Hernandez

Pavers • Concrete • Water Features • Sprinkler Repair

PPebbleOcracking, O L Plaster R Epeeling, P ARebar IR

Play Pools start at

showing, Pool Light out? I CAN HELP!

Over 30 Years of Experience Family Operated by 3 Generations of Roofers!

Spencer 4 HIRE ROOFING Valley Wide Service

480-446-7663

Ask About Filter Cleaning Specials!

• • • •

FREE ESTIMATES

Tiles & Shingles sunlandroofingllc@gmail.com Installation Repair Re-Roofing

602-471-2346

10% OFF Ahwatukee’s Premier Tile, Shingle & Foam Roofer! FREE Estimates • Credit Cards OK www.spencer4hirerooﬁng.com ROC#244850 | Insured | Bonded

Call Juan at

602-799-0147

Tiles, shingles, flat, repairs & new work Free Estimates • Ahwatukee Resident Over 30 yrs. Experience

480-706-1453

Licensed/Bonded/Insured • ROC #236099

480-699-2754 • info@monsoonroofinginc.com

480-720-3840

10% Discount for Ahwatukee Residents 100% NO Leak Guarantee Re-Roof & Roofing Repairs Tile, Shingles & Flat Roof

Not a licensed contractor.

CPO#85-185793

Plumbing

SERVICE • REPAIR • REPLACEMENT We offer personalized service for our customers. We use the best materials that we can find.

Owned and Operated by Rod Lampert Ahwatukee Resident Serving Ahwatukee for over 25 years

Serving All Types Clean, Prompt, Friendly and Professional Service of Roofing:

FALL SPECIAL! $500 OFF COMPLETE REMODEL! 25 Years Experience • Dependable & Reliable

with chemicals

Mark

You will find them easy with their yellow background.

Pool Service / Repair

MARK’S POOL SERVICE

$85/month

Watch for Garage Sales in Classifieds!

with this ad

Pool Service / Repair

Owner Operated - 20 Years

Roofing

Our services include: Sinks, Toilets, Faucets, Water Heaters, Garbage Disposal, Drain Cleaning, Pressure Reducing Valves, Pressure Vacuum Breakers, Hot Water Circulation Systems, Main Service Valves and Hose Taps.

(480)

279-4155

Licensed • Bonded • Insured • ROC 189848

THE BUSINESS THAT CONSIDERS ITSELF IMMUNE TO THE NECESSITY FOR

ADVERTISING

SOONER OR LATER FINDS ITSELF IMMUNE TO BUSINESS. - Derby Brown

Your leaks stop here! New Roofs, Repairs, Coatings, Flat Roof, Hot Mopping & Patching & Total Rubber Roof Systems

FREE ESTIMATES & MONSOON SPECIALS

MonsoonRooﬁngInc.com Licensed – Bonded – Insured – ROC187561

TILE ROOFING SPECIALISTS

10% OFF COMPLETE UNDERLAYMENT

SAME DAY SERVICE 30 Years Experience References Available

Licensed Bonded Insured ROC 286561

Senior & Military Discounts

623-522-9322

Commercial & Residential Family Owned & Operated AZROC #283571 | CONTRACTOR LIC. AZROC #312804 CLASS CR4 | FULLY INSURED

FREE ESTIMATES 602-736-3019

See MORE Ads Online! www.Ahwatukee.com

CLASSIFIEDS

JULY 28, 20211 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS

Roofing

Window Cleaning

Roofing

Family Owned & Operated for over 30 years

Family Operated by 3 Generations of Roofers! We have a “Spencer” on every job and every step of the way.

ROC #152111

Ahwatukee Based Family Owned and Operated Insured • Free Estimates

Quality Repairs & Re-Roofs Complimentary & Honest Estimates LICENSED | BONDED | INSURED | ROC #269218

$1000 OFF when you show this ad *on qualifying complete roof replacements

Ask us about our discount for all Military and First Responders!

480-330-2649

480-446-7663 Ahwatukee’s Premier Tile, Shingle & Foam Roofer!

Call

-EX D i ﬀe r e n

602-938-7575

for your FREE Roof Evaluation Today! www.InExRo

oﬁn

Call for our 3 Month Special! Starting at $145/month

FREE Estimates • Credit Cards OK www.spencer4hirerooﬁng.com ROC#244850 | Insured | Bonded

Licensed, Bonded, Insured

e IN

Place YOUR Business HERE! in the Service Directory

Classifieds: 480-898-6465

u Th

www.cousinswindowcleaning.com

480-460-7602

www.porterroofinginc.com

Let Us Show Yo

See our reviews and schedule at:

Call our office today!

g.c o m

Puzzle

Add a Background Color to Your Ad! Classifieds 480-898-6465

PHILLIPS

ROOFING LLC COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL

WORD S EARCH: Words ‘n Words #1 Find two words that spell the same word backwards as they do forwards... using only these letters.

#2 Find six three-letter words using only these letters.

THINK

TOTAL

Family Owned and Operated 43 Years Experience in Arizona

623-873-1626 Free Estimates Monday through Saturday

www.Ahwatukee.com

Licensed 2006 ROC 223367 Bonded Insured

PhillipsRoofing.org PhillipsRoofing@cox.net

#2 Find two three-letter words of items you eat or drink... using only these letters.

PALACE CB

#1 Answers: Tat, Tot, #2 Answers: Tin, Hit, Nit, Kit, Ink, Kin #3 Answers: Pea, Ale

See MORE Ads Online!

CLASSIFIEDS

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | JULY 28, 20211

#1 Rated Shop in the East Valley

Thank You for voting us

BEST AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR

Your Trusted European Car Specialists Please vote for us for Best of Chandler Best Automotive Repair Shop!

We at Huffs Automotive are specialists in: Se Habla • BMW • Land Rover • Mini Cooper Español • Jaguar • Volkswagen • Audi • Mercedes Benz • Porsche

CALL NOW! AIR CONDITIONING EVACUATION & RECHARGE R-134 $100 R-1234yf $350 Must mention ad when making appointment.

Vote for US!

VOTE NOW !

NOW HIRING

AUTO TECHNICIANS & MECHANICS

Experienced & Entry-Level Call 480-726-8900 Or Submit Resume at huffsautomotive@yahoo.com

Serving Chandler & the East Valley for over 10 Years • Family Owned and Operated

95 N. Dobson Rd. • Chandler, AZ 85224 480-726-8900 • huffsautomotive.com info@huffsautomotive.com

Call For An Appointment!