AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS, AUGUST 17, 2022 by Times Media Group

Sanchez’s petition says McCoy should have disclosed his wife’s presence on Robinson’s election petitions, though it also concedes “whether the trial judge was aware of it is unknown.”“Whenthere is a reasonable perception that a judge’s ability to act was impaired,” the pe tition states, “the judge’s decision should be vacated if there exists a risk of injustice or of undermining public confidence in the judicial still faces staggering pension debt at Back to Kyrene BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor

an Ahwatukee home isn’t alone. SPORTS ........................42 Changes are in store for high school sports, including track.

A rizona municipalities, coun ties and fire districts last fis cal year took advantage of unanticipated general fund revenue increases to make big additional pay ments on their debt to the fund that pays the pensions earned by thou sands of retired police officers and firefighters. Even Phoenix kicked in an addi tional $65.6 million over the last two fiscal years toward its fund debt. But many Arizona government en tities still have a long way to go be fore they erase their huge unfunded liabilities. And for Phoenix, that $65.6 million in additional payments was more like a nibble than a bite into its debt. No municipality has a bigger public safety pension debt than Phoenix. It owes $3.4 billion to the Public Safety Personnel Retirement System, records show. That accounts for nearly half the $8.84 billion of the plan’s unfunded liability that existed at the close of the 2021-22 fiscal year on June 30. For the entire state system, includ ing county and state corrections of ficers’ retirement plans and the plan for judges and elected officials, that number was $10.9 billion.

NEWS 18 This snoozing bobcat

Wednesday, August 17, 2022 COMMUNITY P. 35 | BUSINESS P. 39 | SPORTS P. 42 | GETOUT P. 47 | CLASSIFIEDS P. 52 see PENSION page 14 Council ballot fight questions judge’s impartiality REAL ESTATE RE5 A 3d printer made this real-life Phoenix home. BUSINESS ................. 39 Ahwatukee pet sitter Tracy Zipay has much to celebrate. ThisINSIDEWeek Phoenix

news and top local stories in

BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor One of the Ahwatukee hopefuls for Phoe nix City Council asked the Arizona Su preme Court last week to remove one of his competitors from the ballot for reasons that include a challenge to the impartiality of the judge who refused to oust the candidate. The petition filed by Moses Sanchez against former Phoenix Assistant Police Chief Kevin Robinson, the self-proclaimed front-runner in the seven-way race for Council District 6, sets the stage for a still unscheduled hearing over allegations that Robinson rented a “shad ow residence” in Ahwatukee even though his home is actually in Scottsdale. Among the issues raised in the appeal by attorneys Dennis Wilenchik and his son Jack Wilenchik is Superior Court Judge M. Scott Mc Coy’s impartiality in deciding Sanchez’s initial bid to oust Robinson. The petition shows that McCoy’s wife, at torney Kelly Barr, was one of 399 people who signed Robinson’s petition. McCoy declined comment when contacted by the Ahwatukee Foothills News last week and his wife said he did not know she had signed Robinson’s petition to get on the ballot. “As an Arizona voter, I did sign Mr. Robin son’s petition,” she told AFN in an email. “I did not discuss this with my husband and he had no knowledge of my signature on the petition.”

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For details, see page 13. (Kyrene School District) see breaking Ahwatukee!

These new teachers at Kyrene School District all have something in common: their educational journey began in the very district where they started working this school year. “It’s always so special when many of our teachers choose to teach in the same classrooms that they were in as students,” Superintendent Laura Toenjes told the governing board last week. “It’s quite a few teachers who joined us back that were once carried kids that are now teaching in our schools so it’s very exciting.” Toenjes also unveiled a timeline for the development of the district’s next strategic plan, which will set the district’s course for five years after the current school year.

ROBINSON page 6 The latest

2 AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | AUGUST 17, 2022

The eviction cases involving Ahwatukee tenants range widely in the size of claims, Kyrene court sees county’s 6th most eviction cases so far

AFN NEWS STAFF

3AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | AUGUST 17, 2022 NEWS FREE Estimates • Credit Cards www.spencer4hireroofing.com ROC#244850 | Insured | Bonded 480-446-7663 Spencer4HIREROOFING Valley Wide Service aFamily Operated by 3 Generations of Roofers! aWe have a “Spencer” on every job Ahwatukee’sPremierTileRoofer! 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: 1900 W. Broadway Road, 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 National Advertising Director Zac Reynolds 480-898-5603 zac@ahwatukee.com Advertising Sales Representatives: Laura Meehan, 480-898-7904, | lmeehan@ahwatukee.com Katie Mueller, 480-898-7909 kmueller@TimesLocalMedia.com Classified: Elaine Cota, 480-898-7926 | ecota@ahwatukee.com NEWS STAFF Executive Editor: Paul Maryniak, 480-898-5647 pmaryniak@ahwatukee..com GetOut Editor: Christina Fuoco-Karasinski, christina@TimesLocalMedia.com480-641-4518 Sports Editor: Zach Alvira 480-898-5630 | zalvira@TimesLocalMedia.com Designer: Ruth Carlton | rcarlton@TimesLocalMedia.com Photographer: David Minton | dminton@TimesLocalMedia.com Production Coordinator: Courtney Oldham production@@TimesLocalMedia.com480-898-5617 Reporters: Cecilia Chan. 480-898-5613 | cchan@@TimesLocalMedia.com Circulation Director: Aaron Kolodny 480-898-5641 | aaron@phoenix.org Distribution Manager Brian Juhl brian@TimesLocalMedia.com WRITE A LETTER 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. EDITORIAL CONTENT The Ahwatukee Foothills News expresses its opinion. Opinions expressed in guest commentaries, perspectives, cartoons or letters to the editor are those of the author. ADVERTISING CONTENT 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. © 2022 Strickbine Publishing, Inc. see EVICTIONS page 5 Ahwatukee Foothills News is distributed by AZ Integrated Media, a circulation service company owned by Times Media Group. The public is limited to one copy per reader. For circulation services please contact Aaron Kolodny at aaron@phoenix.org..

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K yrene Justice Court, which cov ers all of Ahwatukee and parts of Chandler and Tempe, has seen the sixth highest number of eviction petitions filed so far this year among all 26 Marico pa County justice courts, data show. Of the 1,983 eviction petitions filed in the Kyrene Court from Jan. 1-July 31, court records show, at least 300 involved Ahwatukee addresses.

Justice courts hear traffic cases and cer tain civil and criminal cases. They issue search warrants and handle domestic violence and harassment cases. They hear landlord/tenant disputes un der $10,000 as well as other claims cases under $3,500. The Kyrene court has seen the second largest number of eviction petitions so far this year in the East Valley. Ahead of it is San Marcos Justice Court, which largely covers portions of Chandler and Gilbert. It has so far received 30 more petitions than the Kyrene court in 2022, landing in 5th place among the 26 courts for the number of eviction petitions filed this year.

Data show the Kyrene Justice Court has seen an average 383 eviction petitions filed a month – five cases fewer than the San Marcos Court’s average but well be low Manistee, the busiest justice court in the county for eviction filings. “Our busiest eviction docket takes place at the Manistee Justice Court in the Northwest Valley,” said Scott Davis, the spokesman for Maricopa County Justice Courts. With a seven-month total of 2,981 peti tions, Davis said, “Manistee holds an evic tion calendar three days each week, aver aging at least 33 cases each day.” Court records indicate the majority of the Ahwatukee eviction petitions have not yet been processed and more than 40 had been either dismissed without a judg ment or withdrawn by the landlord. At least two dozen of the Ahwatukee cases, moreover, likely won’t be processed until next February, Davis said.

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But Robinson testified in a hearing be fore McCoy on Aug. 1 that he rented the Ahwatukee home around Sept. 25 because he knew he would be running for council and is required to live in the district. Calling himself “the presumptive frontrunner” in the race, he countered San chez’s allegations by stating also that he had previously lived in another District 6 neighborhood and had moved to Scott sdale so that his physician-wife could be closer to the hospital where she works. Dr. Michelle Robinson needed to be clos er to the Mayo Hospital on the PhoenixScottsdale border, he said. While McCoy in his opinion stated, “Robinson’s testimony is highly plausible on this point,” he conceded that the data from Robinson’s Ring doorbell-camera and Nest thermostat was “less convinc ing” because of “his relatively few appear ances on the Ring camera and for the pro pensity of the Nest thermostat to be set at relatively high temperatures.”

6 AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | AUGUST 17, 2022NEWS process.”Italsosays, “There is not enough time to retry the case to another judge. This some what unique problem therefore militates strongly in favor of the (Supreme Court) conducting an independent” review of the facts in the Robinsoncase.has the strong support of the Democratic political establishment in Phoenix in his bid for the seat that in cludes Ahwatukee and is currently held by Sal DiCiccio , who is termed-out. Mayor Kate Gallego has been reportedly making fund-raising phone calls on Rob inson’s behalf, former Mayor and U.S. Rep Greg Stanton is his campaign manager and at least three other former mayors and other party luminaries have endorsed his bid. Robinson raised just $10,000 less than the combined total garnered through July 15 by five of his six competitors, accord ing to campaign financial statements filed with the Phoenix City Clerk. He has raised $353,728 and spent $43,572. The other candidates and what they have raised so far for the Nov. 8 election are: Mark Moeremans, $161,569; Sanchez, $107,086; Sam Stone, $49,920; Kellen Wil son, $27,750; and Greene, $16,936. The seventh candidate, Juan Schoville, does not appear to have filed any financial reports. Sanchez’s challenge to Robinson’s presence on the Nov. 8 ballot involves a 1,596-square-foot garden house in Pointe South Mountain that he rented on Sept. 30, shortly before he filed to run for citySanchezcouncil.had submitted evidence to the judge that included: video of Robinson at the Scottsdale residence; his use of a UPS Store on Ray Road in Ahwatukee as his mailing address on his nomination form; a log from his doorbell camera at the Ahwatukee home that shows “only six dates since at least June 30, 2022, on which it has detected anyone in the vi cinity of his house.”

Yet, the judge also said, “On the whole, however, the greater weight of the evi dence reflects that Robinson has moved to District 6 and intends (and intended at the regular time) to reside permanently in that district. His wife will join him there as circumstances permit.” McCoy also noted that the City

In addition, records from a “Nest” digital thermostat “shows that the temperature in the leased home is always set to 86 degrees.”

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SPORTS 38 Desert Vista football star cementing his legacy.

“If they are not separated from their family and continue to live at the family residence, then that is their ‘permanent residence’ as a matter of law,” the Wilen chiks“Theargue.candidate continues to spend up to half his time with his spouse in the ‘fam ily home,’ which he has owned and lived in for a number of years,” they say. “On these facts, it was an abuse of discretion for the lower court to disregard the ‘family rule’ and find that Robinson was a resident of the district.” 

NEWS 3 Lovebird deaths pose a danger for local residents, officials warn. ThisINSIDEWeek HEALTH WELLNESS care Larry Casey of Ahwatukee, right, planning special celebration Sunrise at Chandler for his fa ther Floyd when he marks his 100th birthday on July 20. Floyd could often be seen his son’s golf cart when they played Ahwatukee. Larry said. “He knew all the guys.” (David Minton/Arizonan Photographer) Bring the Outdoors In with our Moving Glass Wall Systems 4454 E. Pollack said. “There’s virtually no vacancy or available units. Supply has not community attracting jobs and people has not been matched by sufficient increase in and continued shortage of housing is going velopment efforts. “Virtually nobody is going to get free pass Pollack belongs to Home Arizona, group comprisingformerpoliticiansandindustry supply-demand crisis confronting the region. The group analyzed housing 11 Valley Wednesday, February 16, 2022 TUTORCHIEF 26 MASKS

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Wednesday, August 10, 2022 COMMUNITY BUSINESS 29 OPINION P. 31 SPORTS P. 33 GETOUT CLASSIFIEDS P. 40 CANYON page ELECTIONS Traffic concerns snarl Upper Canyon’s bid for city approval SPORTS 33 DV frosh Everest Leydeckeralready champ.

ROBINSON from page 6 www.ahwatukee.com Subscribe here Receive your digital ﬂip-thru edition every week in your e-mail box!

The denials by Fitch and McCarthy and school attorneys Sean Healy and Gina Batto szek were filed June 30 with Superior Court Judge eter Thompson response to law suit filed by Chase Rasmussen of Rasmussen Injury La on May 27 the same day Justin Walters, 29, of Tempe, was sentenced to four years in prison and lifetime probation for guilty plea three felonies. He also named inthelawsuitbuthasnotfiled response.

PAUL HAFN part of rapidly diminishing breed of men, member the Greatest Gen eration,thoughwhenyouaskhimwhat thoug mindwhen backon his days as telegraph operator in the Euro peantheaterduringWorldWarII.FloydCasey without sa “Theweather.”weather was so damn cold,” recalled Floyd, who becomes centenarian on July 20 and already is the oldest resident at the Sun rise of Chandler assisted living community. ou couldn’t think every time you went out in the wintertime and summertime wassohotyoucouldn’tbreathe.” Floyd survived not just the weather everybulletandshelltheGermanscouldfling against his units major WWII clashes like the Battle the Ardennes, the Battle of tral Europe, and the Battle of Rhineland all BY MARYNIAK Editor AprivateAhwatukeeschoolanditsown ers have denied they or the school shar anyblame the19-monthsex ual relationship their son had with an under agestudentwhile taughtthere. esponding lawsuitbroughtbythenow 18-year-old victim, attorneys for James and ShetalWalters,ownersofDesertGardenMon tessoriSchool,andlawyers theschoolsaid neitherthecouplenortheschoolbearan sponsibility for the actions their son, Justin Walters.TheWalters’ attorneys the case, Eliza bethFitchandCraigMcCarthy,saidthatwhile the gir must prove any damage she suffered resulted from their actions, “any and all dam agessufferedbytheplaintiffweretheresultof ervening/superseding causes through the negligenceand/orconductofsomeotherper son, party third party, which bars recovery ainst”them.

Wednesday, July 13, 2022 INSIDE: COMMUNITY P. 28 BUSINESS P. 33 OPINION 36 SPORTS 38 GETOUT P. 40 CLASSIFIED P. CENTENARIAN page Local man to lead 100th birthday tribute to his WWIIGARDENdad page8 COLE 16 School, owners deny fault in student’s sexual abuse COMMUNITY 28 Festival of supportersLightsrevupfundraisingcampaign.

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BUSINESS 29 Local man’s pet supplycompany milestone. ThisINSIDEWeek you’re building new renovating your existing choices wide comes to selecting designed Milgard windows patio doors. Strong, lasting and durable. windows and patio designed with stunnin architectural style and performance. Plus, you’ll your investment industry leading, Full Warranty that includes labor. Milgard offers beautiful, comfortable, energy efficient vinyl windows and doors for your home 54 E. Thomas Phoeni 2-508-0800 liwindow.comon-Thurs 8:30-5pm Fri 8: Sat 9-2pm ROC# 13 LD 12 appearcontestsset,GOPsenate race tight NEWS 3 Court fight continues overcandidate’s residency. GET OUT 37 Company offers marijuana-flavored beer, cocktails. This scene from what turns out be the 22nd and last presentation of of ”The AhwatukeeFoothills Nutcracker.” No, the community Christmas tradition one of Ahwatukee’s oldest isn’t going away but rather has been rebranded “The Arizona Nutcracker.” And where this scene taken from may surprise you too, as you’ll read on page 23. (Tubitv.com) ‘Nutcracker’ made new BY PAUL TExecutive he Nov. General Election thethree legislative seats representing Ahwatukee appears to be battle thesexes of sorts as an all-male Republican slatewillvie threeDemocraticwomen.The two Ahwatukee women runningfive-wayracefortwoDemocraticHousenominations in Legislative District 12 topped theand the all-Ahwatukee contestRepublican Senate nomination appeared won

Phoenix 602-508-0800 liwindow.com Mon-Thurs 8:30-5pm Fri 8:30-4pm Sat 9-2pm ROC#179513 Up 1500toOFFdetails! Easy-To-Read Digital Edition CALLINGITQUITS 18 www.ahwatukee.com @AhwatukeeFN @AhwatukeeFN Marea must build their way out the current housing deficit or face eco ley economist is warning local officials. The housing shortage is just not dire in Ari group of municipal bodies in the Valley, with Mesa scheduled soon. plummet,”

INSIDE: COMMUNITY P. 26 BUSINESS P. 32 OPINION P. 36 SPORTS 39 GETOUT 42 CLASSIFIED P. HOUSING Kyrene ends mask mandate, TU’s remains BOSCOTREAT 39 Bring the Outdoors In with our Moving Glass Wall Systems Mon-Thurs 8:30-5pm Fri 8:30-4pm Sat 9-2pm ROC#179513 Up to$1500 OFFCall details! CATCHINGWAVE RE ARRIVALSWEET 32 Housing crisis threatens us all, economist warns K and some parents Valentine’s Day gift Monday by lifting mask mandate. ment last Friday came after her administra tion signaled to the Governing Board three ing downward, as they have been generally throughout Arizona and the nation. Tempe Union High School District retained its mask mandate, though Assistant Super intendent Sean McDonald had told his board two weeks ago that its mandate could be lifted few weeks. With spring break beginning March 7, that could mean the mandate will be Inherannouncement,Toenjescited“improv Look at the expression on Camden Pryor and you can imagine what the hundreds of kids who be up close and personal with dozens vehicles and other modes of getting around. For look some of the others who showed up, see page (Zac BonDurant/AFN Contributor) Free wheelin' 46 www.ahwatukee.com @AhwatukeeFN COMMUNITY X AROUND AF X OPINION P.X BUSINESS P.X |HEALTH WELLNESS P. GETOUT P.X SPORTS X CLASSIFIED P.X PAUL MARYNIAK TExecutivehePhoenix Planning Commission onAug. dealt 30-day setback to the developers’ timetable for the massiveper Canyon development in Ahwatukee afterexpressing confusion over their request andquestioning city staff’s analysis relatedtrafficstudy. Blandford Homes and subsidiary Reserve100 LLC have the zoning to build 1,050 mostlysingle-story houses, 150 build-to-rent townhouses and 329 apartments on the 373-acreformer State Trust Land parcel along ChandlerBoulevardbetween19thand27thButtheyneedCityCouncilapproval proposal to leave South Chandler Boulevard three lanes and downgrade the classificationof Avenue between BoulevardSouth Mountain Freeway from “arterial” to“collector”TheyhadhopedtogetPlanningCommissionapproval during last week’s virtual hearingtimeforCityCouncil act atitsfirstpost-summer-vacation meeting Sept. BlandfordandReserve100aimtostartsellinghousesby2024.But their timetable was thrown off by atleast 30 days after the Commission directedthem to more clearly explain the impact ofmanyhomesontrafficandroadsafetyinlightof their opposition to widening South ChandlerSomeBoulevard.commission membersplained Blandford’s reasoning confused them while residents who opposed the plan saidBlandfordwants avoidthecost wideningandhavemoreland morehouses.Residents fear for the ability emergencyvehicles to access not only Upper Canyon butthe communities west there FoothillsReserve,PromontoryandCalabria.Among those expressing concern was JohnBarton, one of the developers those threecommunities.Stressingthat he supported the Upper Canyon development, Barton nevertheless rippedBlandford’s request, noting that the nearestfire station six miles away and the city hasno immediate plans build one in westernAhwatukee.

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Gila Buttes Listed for $399,900 2022 construction! Home has never been lived in! Single level home with open kitch en – great room floor plan. FIVE bedrooms and THREE bathrooms. 1998 sf. Kitchen boasts espresso colored cabinets, granite counter tops, large center island / breakfast bar, Whirlpool stainless steel appliances and pantry. 20x20 porcelain tile throughout with carpet in bedrooms only! Smart home technology. 14 seer HVAC unit. Large mas ter suite with walk in closet, double sinks and walk in shower. Two of the secondary bedrooms also have walk in closets. Faux wood blinds throughout. Covered back patio. NORTH FACING BACK YARD! Low maintenance front and backyard landscaping.

Beautifully updated 2,027 square foot single level home! Gated Commuity. Large lot with 10’ RV gate and 18’ wide side yard. Open kitchen – family room. Spacious great room plus a flex room that can be used as a game room, office, craft room, etc. 4th bedroom has its own bathroom. Gour met kitchen package with 42’’ cabinets, crown molding, gas range, granite counter tops and walk-in pantry. Extensive hardscape in the back yard. This gated community offers community pool, clubhouse, BBQs, and disc golf course. Walk across the street to Clubhouse and pool!

Mission Royall II Listed for $399,900 2021 build, single level, 1,913 sf, four bedroom THREE FULL BATHROOM home in highly sought after Mission Royale!. Kitchen boasts granite slab counters, large is land / breakfast bar, pantry, stainless steel Whirlpool appliances. Fridge and washer / dryer convey. Open kitchen great room concept. Split master floor plan! 2022 interior paint and 2022 carpet (carpet only in the bedrooms.) Low maintenance front and back yard landscape. North facing back yard! The community amenities cannot be beat with a resort – style pool, clubhouse, two large water slides, bas ketball court, playground and parks. Refrigerator and

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The $1.35 billion project received $637 million in federal funds, $427 million from Phoenix’s Transportation 2050 tax and $280 million from Prop 400 funds, Phipps said. The extension is expected to open in 2024 and sets up the system for future ex pansion. Extensions in planning The Capitol extension is in planning to connect with the new east-west line in downtown Phoenix by extending it with a loop that starts from the downtown hub, continues west on Washington Street, south on 19th Avenue and back east on Jefferson Street before reconnecting to theThehub.project is in the preliminary en gineering phase, and the environmental assessment phase is expected to begin this year. Phipps said that the funding is expected to come from a mix of federal, regional and city sources. The I-10 West extension, which is in the early conceptual phase, would go from the Arizona Capitol, north along I-17, west along the Interstate 10 median, then north on 79th Avenue to Desert Sky Mall. Cost estimates have not yet been re leased. 

Tempe streetcar

The Northwest Phase II extension will extend the northern reach of the light rail by 1.6 miles by going from 19th Avenue west on Dunlap Avenue, north on 25th Av enue, then west on Mountain View Road over Interstate 17 and stopping at the for mer Metrocenter mall. Valley Metro also is adding three stops along the extension and a park-and-ride location at the old mall, which will be re placed by housing and spaces for retail, restaurants, services and offices.

Vivienne Pelletier of Tempe loves taking the streetcar because there are stops close to her apartment and her work. “It’s very, very convenient to get from here to Mill,” she said. “And it’s opened up new things I can do super quickly, espe cially because I don’t have a car.” The $192 million project received $75 million from the Federal Transit Adminis tration; $103 million from regional Propo sition 400 funds; and $13 million from a partnership between the city, ASU and several Tempe businesses. Approved by Maricopa County voters in 2004, Proposition 400 extended the halfcent sales tax for transportation through 2025 and helps fund many of the public transportation projects in the region.

12 AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | AUGUST 17, 2022NEWS

Construction on the track and rail stops started in May, with completion expected in early 2024. The $401 million project is funded by $158 million from a federal Capital In vestment Grant, which are funds from the Federal Transit Administration, $213 mil lion from Phoenix’s Transportation 2050 tax and $30 million from Prop 400 taxes, Phipps said. Also underway is the South Central ex tension/Downtown Hub, which began construction in October 2019 and will split the existing light rail into two lines: the north-south line and the east-west line. It will also extend the north-south line south along Central Avenue from Wash ington Street to Baseline Road. The lines will cross at a hub in down town Phoenix, which will include three new stops. The project also will close off a section of Central to vehicle traffic, ac cording to Valley Metro.

Light rail extensions under construction

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The streetcar is free to ride for the first year. Phipps said 20,000 people used the streetcar in its first month alone, with an average of 767 boardings per weekday. Unlike light rail, it shares the road with other vehicles. The car starts on Rio Salado Parkway, goes west and splits into a loop in down town Tempe, extending south on Mill Av enue and Ash Avenue, where it reconnects on Mill, turns east on Apache Boulevard and ends at Dorsey Lane, where it shares a stop with the light rail.

Valley Metro says use of the light rail and buses decrease carbon emissions in the Valley because riders don’t have to burn gas in their personal vehicles. Here’s what’s new with Valley Metro.

The board this week is holding a retreat as part of that process as “we co-create those goals together” and then determines “how are we going to measure ourselves,” ToenjesDividingsaid.the process between the next four-and-a-half months and then the first six months of this year, Toenjes said the first block of time will be devoted to devel oping “the what” and then the focus will shift to the “how.”

AFN NEWS STAFF

District administration is currently ana lyzing feedback from surveys of various groups in the community, such as parents, students and staff as well as the business professionals and others. It is also working with a consulting group to determine the district’s compe tencies and capabilities as well as gaps and challenges so that the district has a clear idea of the causes of the challenges and gaps so that administrators and the board can determine how best to over come them.

Kyrene lays out district’s strategic plan timetable

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Kyrene Superintendent laid out this timetable for the development of the school district’s next five-year strategic plan. (Kyrene School District)

K yrene School District will include students, parents, staff and other community stakeholders over the next 10 months as it develops the strategic plan that will set its goals, processes and measurements for the coming five years. Superintendent Laura Toenjes laid out the process and timeline for the strategic plan during the Aug. 9 governing board meeting, noting that she and the rest of her administration have spent months laying the groundwork for the next stages of its Indeed,development.theadministration and the board already have signed off on the two foundational pieces of the plan – the dis trict’s equity policy that lays out the prin ciples of providing a quality education for all students and the “Portrait of a Kyrene Student” that sets out the qualities the district hopes to develop in every student by the time they are ready to move on to highNowschool.comes the task of developing the plan with measurable steps the district will follow to realize those principles and help students achieve those qualities. “I think what’s really exciting about go ing into strategic planning is that we get to think about the future, we get to think about what we don’t even know,” Toenjes told the Becauseboard.the portrait of a Kyrene grad is one who is ready for the future – not just in high school but for college and the working world as well – strategic plan ning answering a basic question, she said: “What is it we need to put in place as the governing board and policies and the ad ministrative team in this district that will really carry this work forward and help our students be ready for the future.”

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PENSION from page 14

• Chandler Fire: 73.7% of its pension plan is funded, leaving a debt of $1.5 million. The city’s additional pay ments have totaled $12.5 million. Currently there are 82 retirees with an average annual pension of $69,024.

16 AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | AUGUST 17, 2022NEWS see PENSION page 24 the funding plan and funding levels of the City’s pension systems when determining their view of the overall financial health of the City,” Zuercher said. Though several Phoenix Council mem bers, including Mayor Kate Gallego, voiced support for Zuercher’s proposal, it never came up for a vote. When he released the city’s 2022-23 spending proposal in April, City Manager Jeff Barton said employee pension costs overall “have consumed a growing share of our General Fund GF resources.” He acknowledged “the significant un funded sworn pension liability unfunded liability to PSPRS” but only said it “will require continued diligence and further resource strategies in the coming years” to address it. Phoenix aside, the status of the state re tirement plan for public safety retirees and retired court personnel and corrections of ficers appears to be on solid footing. Although the final results of PSPRS’ investments for the 2021-22 fiscal year won’t be known for a few months, success in the 2020-21 fiscal year drew kudos in the Pensions & Investments annual 1,000 Largest Retirement Plans report. It said the combined PSPRS plan pen sion trust and defined contribution plan assets under Townsend’s management grew 44% to $16.1 billion in 2020-21, ex ceeding the percentage growth of all pub lic pensions in the top 200 of the largest 1,000 U.S. retirement plans surveyed. Townsend said his agency’s success was more than just a matter of hiring new au ditors, new actuaries, changing “a lot of the actuarial assumptions and the pro cesses of how we’re managing the money.”

East Valley pension debt Here’s a look at five East Valley municipalities’ current PSPRS pension debt, according to the agency’s data, and what the total in additional payments they made toward reducing their unfunded liability over the last two fiscal years. Phoenix is included for comparison.

It also was a matter of convincing the municipalities and other government em ployers about the efficacy of those chang es and showing them options for whittling down their pension debt. “When you think about the decision makers, you’re talking about elected boards and councils around the state,” Townsend said. “They’re not pension peo ple, obviously, and a lot of them are really not financial people. They need to get to a place where they can understand and un derstand what we’re doing.”

The agency’s moves increased the gov ernment employers’ trust in the system, which had been battered more than a de cade ago by the Great Recession of 2007-08.

• Mesa Fire: 50.2% of its plan is funded, leaving a debt of $235.9 million. Additional payments totaled $7.6 million. There are 289 retirees collecting an average annual $67,443.

• Phoenix Police: 41.4% of its plan is funded, leaving a debt of $2.2 billion. Additional payments totaled $44.5 million. There are 2,699 retirees collecting an average $69,371 a year.

• Tempe Fire: 44% of its plan is funded, leaving a debt of $121.9 million. Additional payments totaled $123 million. There are 150 retirees collecting an average $69,792 a year.

• Tempe Police: 45% of its plan is funded, leaving a debt of $215.7 million. Additional payments totaled $218 million. There are 290 retirees collecting an average annual $59,787.

• Phoenix Fire: 43.4% of its plan is funded, leaving a debt of $1.2 billion. Additional payments totaled $21.2 million. There are 1,223 retires collecting an average $74,158 a year.

The $2.85 billion in additional govern ment employer contributions last fiscal year surpassed the $1.58 billion in ad ditional payments made in 2020-21 and dwarfed the $120 million in extra pay ments made in 2019-20. Townsend said his agency is working to help governments pay down their pen sion debt in a somewhat less burdensome manner.Hesaid it will take years to eliminate that debt and voiced optimism that mu nicipalities at some point in the future will have another opportunity to secure fixedinterest loans that will make it easier to pay off their PSPRS obligations. He also said PSPRS is recalculating their contribution rates “to get their payments down to something similar to debt financ

• Scottsdale Fire: 84.5% of its plan is funded, leaving a debt of $23.3 million. Additional payments totaled $5.3 million. There are 46 retirees collecting an aver age annual $53,879.

• Scottsdale Police: 55.1% of its plan is funded, leaving a $167.8 million unfunded liability. Additional payments totaled $35.8 million

• Mesa Police: 47.9% of its plan is funded, leaving a debt of $422.7 million. Additional payments totaled $15.9 million. There are 660 retirees collecting an average annual $57,874.

The Legislature last fiscal year applied $1.15 billion to the state public safety and corrections officers’ pension debts. Maricopa County over the last two years has put an extra $10 million into its jail of ficers’ pension plan, which is only 56.7% funded with an unfunded liability of $283.7 million, PSPRS records show. Tempe led all cities in Arizona with its additional police and fire pension debt contributions – $341 million last year alone. Even so, both its police and its fire fighter pension plans are only about 45% funded with a total unfunded liability of $341 million. “Clearing this much unfunded pension debt off the books in a single year takes an incredible amount of resolve and initiative among employers throughout the state,” said Townsend. “It also takes faith in our commitment to protect members’ retire ment benefits and to help employers and taxpayers save money.”

• Chandler Police: 68.3 of its plan is funded, leaving a debt of $102.8 million. Additional payments totaled $24.5 million. There are currently 201 retirees with an average annual pension of $60,766.

• Gilbert Police: 91.7% of its plan is funded, leaving a debt of $14.4 million. Additional payments totaled $13 million. There are 92 current retirees collecting an average annual $58,573.

• Gilbert Fire: 90% of its plan is funded, leaving a debt of $12.6 million. Additional payments totaled $2 million. There are 30 retirees with an average annual pension of $60,772.

According to wildlife specialists, the best way to keep all of that from happen ing is to turn a high-pressure hose on the bobcats before they get comfortable and think that your backyard is a great place to start a family.

eas now, even urban areas, so we don’t see the phone calls on the fringes any more but we are getting them in the interior,” saidPhilBurnett.Cameron, who lives in North Scott sdale, has had his share of backyard bob cats, including an injured one that took up residence in his yard for several days and had to be rescued. “This is the first time I’ve ever had to call someone to help us out with an animal in the yard,” he said. “We’re careful. Like anything else, if we see it, we stay away from it. Like anything with Mother Nature, we respect it and give it a wide berth.”

“I use mountain lion poop in certain yards because that’s an apex predator,” he said. Bobcats will steer clear when they think there is another predator.”

Enter little dogs and cats that may be minding their own business in the back yard and may come between the mother bobcat and her kittens. “Bobcats are all cute and fine until the mom hisses at a grandchild,” Burnett said. “Instinct is automatically going to take over. No one wants to have their dog eaten.”

This bobcat was spotted in one Ahwatukee resident’s backyard. (Facebook)

“Anecdotally, it’s more than just a slight uptick,” said Amy Burnett, a spokeswom an in the department’s east Mesa office. Ahwatukee homeowners may not be surprised by Burnett’s observation: in re cent months, numerous photos have been posted on social media by residents who found bobcats perching on walls, scam pering across driveways and even taking a nap in their bushes. While the state doesn’t have official numbers on bobcat encounters in resi dential areas, drier conditions have driven more of them in search of readily available water and shelter, she said. “We have inadvertently created nurseries in our backyards for bobcats,” Burnett said. “The living is so easy, really. The resources are so rich in our urban areas. The bobcats are living the high life and urban bobcats are thriving in our urban interface.” “What’s happening in these urban areas is that we now have generations of bobcats living in amongst us that are used to get ting water and food from our backyards. That in and of itself is not the problem. It’s when we are okay with it and we are not scaring them away when we see them.”

“It’s a delicate balance between under standing that bobcats are here in amongst us but not encouraging them to stay in our backyards,” Burnett said. “Not feeding them. Not putting water out specifically for them so that they will stay in our backyards. When bobcats are too close, incidents happen. They can be come aggressive towards people.”

CoonrodCoonrodexplained.alsouses scent deterrent, in cluding scat from predators, to keep bob cats at a distance.

What to do if you encounter a bobcat in your yard: • Do not approach them • Haze with a water hose. Encourage them to move • Keep pets inside • If the animal is injured or you per ceive a direct threat, contact Arizona Wildlife Relocation Services: Southwest wildlife: (480) https://www.southwestwildlife.org/471-9109

18 AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | AUGUST 17, 2022NEWS BY MARK MORAN AFN Staff Writer Chasing wild bobcats may not seem like a good idea but the Arizona Fish and Game Department calls it the best way to keep them from starting families in your backyard and adding to the growing population of bobcats putting down roots in residential areas.

Bobcats aiming to make a backyard a home

As the Valley has sprawled in every direc tion, the number of wildlife encounters has increased. It used to be that state officials would get calls from residents living on the fringes who hadn’t seen bobcats before. As people started to get used to seeing bobcats on the outskirts, Game and Fish started hearing more from people living in more urban areas. “Then, as people get used to bobcats liv ing in and among their communities we get fewer calls from those areas and bob cats seem to be living all in our metro ar

He also uses motion detector lights and sprinklers to deter them from becoming full time backyards residents. Coonrod says the number of bobcat in teractions likely will increase as the popu lation expands at the urban fringes and drier weather patterns persist. Both he and Burnett say they are not an inherent danger in a backyard; the prob lems arise when people do things that they shouldn’t. So, wildlife officials say to have the best possible outcome of coexisting with wild life is to enjoy it, but at arm’s length. And don’t roll out the welcome mat. “Urban bobcats are definitely here to stay,” Burnett said. “If we set up a KFC next door, they’re not leaving.” 

“I have seen bobcat calls go up,” said Robert Coonrod, a permitted wildlife specialist who started a business called Arizona Wildlife Relocation Services spe cifically designed to remove bobcats and other wildlife from residential areas. Coonrod is the person Phil Cameron called for help when the injured bobcat stuck around in his backyard. “I try to educate people as to why they are there, and what they can do to allevi ate that problem because if I trap the ani mal, all I am doing is taking that animal out and putting up a vacancy sign for the next one to move in, whereas if we get the animal to move on its own, it relocates,”

This bobcat cub scampered across an Ahwatukee driveway. (Facebook)

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From 2030 to 2050, according to the World Health Organization, 250,000 ad ditional deaths are expected each year worldwide because of climate-driven health problems, including malnutrition, malaria and heat. In Arizona, health conditions related to rising temperatures are a primary concern. Even before the official start of sum mer this year, Phoenix hit a high of 114 degrees. So far this year, Maricopa County – Ari zona’s most populous – had seen 38 con firmed heat-associated deaths for the year, more than the 26 recorded over the same time period in 2021. Over all of last year, the county recorded 339 heat-associated deaths – the highest onDecadesrecord. of rising temperatures prompt ed Phoenix to allocate almost $3 million to heat readiness in its 2021-22 budget, to launch an Office of Heat Response & Mitigation last fall, and to develop a heat response plan. “We’ve certainly seen significant trends in temperature here in Arizona, especially nighttime temperatures, as a consequence see

CLIMATE page 24

Toddlers, teens and young adults from Canada to India have designed flashcards – with artwork on one side and short es says or comments about the effects of cli mate change on the other – to challenge people to “think, see and act in new ways.”

“Climate injustice is a very complex and widespread issue, and how it affects mental health is overlooked,” Darira said, pointing to Arizona’s often record-break ing, blazing temperatures as one example. “The lack of being able to go outside due to the heat, the increase in feel ings of ecologicalisolation,grief – they all play a role in mental health.”During an an nual meeting of its delegates in June, the Ameri can Medical Association declared climate change a public health crisis and said it would push for more policies to help limit global warming to no more than 1.5 de grees Celsius – the ceiling included in the Paris climate accord.

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The organization highlighted the health risks of producing fossil fuel-derived hy drogen and said it will develop plans to help physicians adopt environmentally sustainable programs in their practices. “Our patients are already facing adverse health effects associated with climate change – from heat-related injuries, vec tor-borne diseases and air pollution from wildfires to worsening seasonal allergies and storm-related illness and injuries,” AMA board member Ilse Levin said in a statement.“Takingaction now won’t reverse all of the harm done, but it will help prevent further damage to our planet and our pa tients’ health and well-being.”

Garcia was not sure the idea had been tried, but he assured the board that shortterm rentals now have to pay the same taxes that hotels do. “They’re paying the 5.5% (state) sales tax … they’re paying 1.77% of the county, and they’re paying 5% (transient lodging tax) to the city of Mesa, along with the 2% (transaction privilege tax) in the city of Mesa,” Garcia said. 

A whole neighborhood of short term rentals? GOT NEWS?

The latest short-term rental bill from the legislature, signed by Gov. Doug Du cey in July, granted cities a half-dozen new powers to regulate the rentals. It restricts them from being used as so ber living homes or sets for pornographic films and requires the owner to provide contact information for responding to complaints and emergencies. It also allows municipalities to require permitting and licensing and require home owners to notify neighbors of the property’s use as a short-term rental.

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While the developer in question hasn’t signed any deals yet, Garcia said, the com pany is “quite serious.”

He told the board he has a meeting scheduled this month with the company, but a spokeswoman for Visit Mesa de clined to provide additional details.

Kevin Thompson, who rep resents Eastmark, had not heard anything about the project when contacted last week his assistant Alicia White wrote in an“Heemail.will now look into this further and will have the appropriate discussions with Eastmark,” she wrote.

Garcia said the idea of grouping shortterm rentals together could be a win-win for Mesa’s tourism business and neighbors. “You’ve heard or read in the news about a lot of people’s concern about short-term rentals and the noise and the parties and things of that nature. So the solution for this developer is ‘we’ll locate them all in one area,’ so they’re not impacting resi dents who live there 365 days a year,” Gar ciaCouncilmansaid.

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The law goes into effect Sept. 22, and Mesa’s city attorney plans to bring a short-term rental ordinance to city coun cil that aligns with the rules in the new legislation.Garciasaid a short-term rental neigh borhood would benefit the city by quick ly growing Mesa’s stock of lodging where it is needed and push up the city’s aver age nightly rates, since rates for singlefamily homes are “much higher than the hotel rates.”

Southeast Mesa needs more visitor ac commodations, Garcia said, as lodging demand is expected to grow from the Bell Bank Park sports complex, Cannon Beach and other new or planned attractions.

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The surging industrial sector may also create short-term rental demand from temporary workers in town to help set up new data centers and other operations.

She also said current CC&R restrictions at Eastmark require a minimum 180-day lease. Under Arizona law, a willing home builder could sell tracts of new homes to an investor for use as short-term rentals, and there’s nothing city planners could do about“Citiesit. cannot prohibit a person from buying or using property as a short-term rental,” a spokeswoman for the Mesa City Attorney said. That has frustrated some cities and towns in Arizona, such as Scottsdale and Sedona, which feel their limited workforce housing and quiet neighborhoods are be ing compromised by demand for shortstayOpponentsrentals. of transient rentals of have argued that converting a home to shortterm rental essentially puts commercial properties in the midst of residential neighborhood.SomeArizona cities have been lobby ing the Legislature to give municipalities the power to create rules guiding where short-term rentals can be located, but so far the powers granted to cities have fallen short of that. Other critics call for short-term rentals to be regulated as businesses but current ly, city zoning laws can’t discriminate be tween a house used for transient lodging versus and one occupied long-term. For example, cities can’t require the rentals to have more parking spaces than an owner-occupied home.

BY SCOTT SHUMAKER AFN Staff Writer In what may be the first in Arizona, a California developer is thinking of buying 144 single-family homes in the Eastmark community in southeast Mesa to create a neighborhood of shortterm rentals. Visit Mesa CEO Marc Garcia told the city’s Economic Development Advisory Board about the possible project earlier this month. Visit Mesa is the city’s official tourism marketing organization that is partially funded by bed taxes collected from hotels and short-term rentals.

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Garcia was discussing the outlook for new lodging in Mesa when he mentioned the proposed short-term rental neighborhood, He said a “California-based company with some representation here in the Val ley” wants 144 homes in Eastmark in or der to establish “a whole neighborhood of short-term rentals.”

At the current $625,000 median sales price for homes in Eastmark on Realtor. com, a 144-home deal would cost $90 million.Aspokeswoman for the Eastmark devel opment group said. “No one has recently approached Brookfield/Eastmark Devel opers to inquire about lots available for short-term rentals. All Eastmark’s remain ing residential parcels of land have already been sold to builders. Nothing is left.”

Garcia’s description of the idea for a neighborhood of short-term rentals in Eastmark caused a murmur on the board. Board President Rich Adams and anoth er member wanted to know if the shortterm neighborhood idea had been tried anywhere else in the country, and wheth er homes used for transient lodging have to pay the same taxes as hotels.

Turning

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Other Arizona cities that wound up in the top 20 were Tucson, Glendale and Phoenix. Workman said people who don’t have a pool in their yard but are considering it, expect to pay about $55,000. “It was nearly $35,000 before the pan demic, but it has nearly doubled,” he said.

“The Phoenix metro area is one of the biggest swimming pool markets in the world,” said Cohl Workman, owner of Thunderbird Pools & Spa. The survey ranked Chandler first be cause about 60% of single-family homes or condos for sale have a swimming pool. For those who don’t have a pool at their home, there are 2.3 public pools for every 100,000 residents. The survey also con sidered storage space for pool accessories, and said Chandler ranks just above the na tional average for a 10’x12’rental unit at about $142 per month. Gilbert ranks fourth, and, like Chan dler, almost all the apartments in the city have access to pools. Also, about half of the homes or condos for sale in Gilbert feature pools. A home with a pool in Gilbert is approxi mately 9% more expensive than one with out a pool, the survey found. Mesa and Scottsdale rank 6th and 7th respectively. Scottsdale has the highest proportion of homes and condos for sale with pools among the top 100 cities, 70%, but all this water fun potential comes with a lofty price tag. Scottsdale homes with pools are 16% more expensive than those without pools, the survey found.

The pandemic has led to a huge increase in the number of new pools being built and also the increase in price, Workman said.

BY KEN SAIN Tribune Staff Writer A national survey found that Chan dler is the best place for swimming pools in the country. It is one of seven Arizona cities ranked in the top 20 in the country, though Queen Creek didn’t make the cut..

Chandler has no plans to limit how its residents use their swimming pools, offi cialsGreggsaid.Capps, the city’s utility resources manager, said there are steps they can take if the drought gets worse. “If we reached Stage Four, which is the highest level of our current plan, there could be restrictions put in place related to outdoor water uses, such as for irriga tion purposes,” Capps said. “Those decisions would be made based on the demand and available water supplies at the time. We are proactively evaluating municipal water uses to identify water sav ing measures that could be implemented.”

23AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | AUGUST 17, 2022 NEWS Chandler nation’s tops for swimming pools

The city is currently in Stage One of its drought management plan. That is using education to encourage residents to take steps to conserve water.

Pool ownership comes with liabilities

Workman said the pandemic also prompted many people to decide to move to the Sun Belt or sunny areas. He said people moving from expensive areas, such as California, could buy a cheaper home and have extra money to improve it – like adding a swimming pool. “In May of 2020, the demand went through the roof,” he said. “We came to work one day and there were over 100 in quiries for a new pool. And it was like that for quite a Workmanwhile.”saidthat led some pool com panies to oversell, meaning there was no way they could build enough pools fast enough. He said some people have been waiting up to two years for a pool they or dered to be built. The other problem facing the industry right now are the supply shortages every other industry is dealing with. “This year we’re dealing with a crippling concrete shortage,” Workman said. “We’ve had to cut the orders we can take in half.”

Owning a swimming pool in a desert can help families escape the summer heat. But, all that water sitting in backyards during a drought is being noticed. Las Vegas officials voted this month to limit the size of swimming pools in that city because of the drought and falling wa ter levels at Lake Mead. Phoenix is encour aging residents to cover their swimming pools to prevent evaporation.

It is your legal responsibility as a pool owner to keep your pool and its surround ing area safe as required by law. If it can be proven that an accident or injury occurred as a result of your negligence, you may be heldPlayresponsible.itsafeand take heed of the abovementioned information – and enjoy being outside and in our pools with confidence.

“The swimming pool industry has been majorly affected by the pandemic,” Work man said. “The demand for pools went up during the pandemic.

“People said if I’m not going to go to concerts, or out to eat, and I’m going to be spending a lot of time at home, well, that money went into their house, and their backyard.”

“There are no specific restrictions out lined in Chandler’s Drought Management Plan related to the city’s pools and aquatic facilities,” Capps said.  BY STEVE GROSS AFN Guest WWriterhilepool owner ship has a lot of perks, there are serious risks and potential liabilities a pool owner can face should an accidentAccordinghappen.toLendingtree.com, Phoenix ranks #1 in the country for share of homes with pools, with 32.7%. As a homeowner, most of us don’t think twice about having a pool. But we should. Pool owners have a responsibility to provide a safe environment for both chil dren and adults. Accident prevention is key so you aren’t faced with a personal in jury lawsuit should something occur. Here are a few things to consider: Premise liability applies. Since a pool is physically on your home’s property, it is considered part of the property and prem ise liability rules apply should someone get injured using your pool. This means that pool owners must keep up on main tenance and warn guests of any potentials dangers that may not be visible or obvious. Slippery patios or decks. The Arizo na Court of Appeals has ruled that, as a matter of law, homeowners have no duty to warn invitees of the danger of water around a swimming pool. But a homeowner can be liable if the patio surrounding the pool was painted with glossy enamel paint, making the pa tio more slippery, and if the homeowners were aware that others slipped on the pa tio but did not warn guest(s). Must be enclosed. Any residence with a swimming pool, where one or more chil dren are under the age of six live in the residence, must be enclosed with a mini mum of a 5-foot-high wall, gate, fence or barrier, and it must be at least 20 inches from the edge of the pool. Additionally, it must be self-closing or self-latching. Homeowners insurance can help. A homeowners insurance policy can cover repair to your pool if the damage is one of the risks stated in your policy. More im portantly, your homeowner’s policy typi cally has liability coverage which can help if a guest is injured at your pool and any medical or legal costs are incurred. Sometimes pool owners may opt to add an umbrella policy that provides liability coverage beyond the limits of your home owners policy. You should always tell your insurer that you have a pool, to make sure you have the adequate amount of coverage. Diving boards add risk. Diving boards add an extra element of risk and an op portunity for injury. Many homeowner insurance companies will no longer write coverage if a diving board is present on the property. If you are remodeling an old pool or building a new pool, you may want to con sider removing or not installing a diving board. Proper permits. It’s a good idea to hire a pool builder that can obtain the proper permits from the city on your behalf be cause it’s not an easy process. If you have additional or unique ele ments, such as a waterfall, fire features (connected to the pool), a raised pool or other non-typical pool structures or fea tures, additional permits are required beyond the standard. You may also need HOA approval.

Steven Gross is a senior member at Ca vanagh Law Firm and focuses on insur ance coverage, personal injury and bad faith litigation. 

The New England Journal of Medicine cited a host of other issues: “dermatologi cal malignancies, tropical infections, ad verse mental health outcomes, pregnancy complications, allergies and cardiovascular and pulmonary morbidity and mortality.”

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24 AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | AUGUST 17, 2022NEWS

Then, with the help of focus groups – in cluding students from grades 3 through 8 – the district will begin focusing on what one administrator called “the overall di rection” of the strategic plan, said Carrie Furedy, executive director of school effec tiveness.Various subcommittees will be working on “creating the strategies and success measures” for achieving the goals of the plan,” according to Chief Financial Officer Chris Hermann.

“We’re kind of shifting the slope of the line because the contributions were planned to increase pretty significantly 10 to 15 years out into the future,” he said. “By making these changes, we’re kind of shifting some of that cost to the short term.“So they’ll see some increased contri bution rates over the next five years” but then it “will get it to where it’s more of a stable line going forward without the huge cost out in the future.”  of urbanization and global scale climate change,” said David Hondula, director of the city Office of Heat Response & Mitiga tion.Efforts in the works to address the prob lem include increasing tree and canopy shade by 25%; continuation of the city’s Cool Pavement Program, a project that ap plies an asphalt seal coating to combat the urban heat island effect; and a new heat shelter in Phoenix that can provide relief for up to 200 people. “Almost everyone that comes in our doors initially has some level of heat-re lated illness, whether it be dehydration or extreme sunburn or signs of heatstroke,” said Jennifer Morgan, program director of the new shelter. Heat affects the body in many ways: dehydration, heat stroke, exhaustion and anxiety, while also compromising preex isting heart and lung conditions.

CLIMATE from page 20 GOT NEWS? Contact

The authors note that vulnerable pop ulations are those most at-risk: children, older people, individuals of color, the poor and those with underlying health problems.“Aswelook into a warmer future,” Hon dula said, “we need to be mindful of our currently constrained water resources.”

“We will develop reporting tools, key performance indicators and annual mile stones that support the monitoring of quantifiable progress towards strategic plan goals and objectives for the lifecycle of the strategic plan,” Herrmann said, adding: “This work will ensure the efficient management of individual initiatives track work and create systems of accountabil ity,” he said and provide “a public account ability to ensure that tactics and strategies are aligned, attainable, actionable, and a living document throughout the lifecycle of the plan.”  ing where they’re on more of a level dollar on a big way down,” he said. “They’re going to pay it down one way or the other and so we’re changing the system to help account for that. If they want to put additional cash up front, pay it down faster, it just makes it better for them.”

Concerns about the impact of the cli mate crisis on health are driving doctors, nurses, medical students and others to be come advocates for change. The Medical Society Consortium on Cli mate and Health, which amplifies the voic es of doctors in the U.S. while encouraging climate solutions, developed a three-prong approach to the issue: Stop investing in en ergy produced by fossil fuels, do invest in and support renewable energy, and make the transition fair to everyone. “Now is the time to ‘go big’ to meet the needs of the moment,” the group said in a 2022 report on climate and health. “We can and must raise our voices to influence the decisions that will affect health now and for generations to come.”

PENSION from page 16

amortization for those unfunded liabili ties.”“They’re

“The atmosphere is warming at a very alarming rate, and the world leaders are not taking urgent enough action,” Darira said.  Paul Maryniak at

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As you will see, the Court found that the CWC lacked “standing” finding that the claims could only be brought by a limited group of homeowners.

Our reading of the Court’s ruling is that only certain homeowners would qualify. Spe cifically, the Court’s ruling, we believe, excludes homeowners other than those who bought their homes from UDC relying on a particular contract addendum that came into use at some point.

Q: Can any homeowner in the Community join in as a plaintiff?

Q. How long is the lawsuit going to go on? It is impossible to tell. It is possible that the CWC may not be able to find enough properly situated homeowners to amend the complaint ending the case by Au gust 25. It is possible that The Edge will file a second motion to dismiss because the Property’s CC&Rs explicitly allow their amendment removing the golf only use restriction. If that motion is granted, the litigation could end in a few months al though the CWC could appeal. If an amended complaint is filed and completely litigated to resolution at the trial court level, the litigation could drag on for two years or so. Any party can appeal potentially leading to a 4-to-5-year battle—or longer.

The future development of the Foothills Club West Golf Course remains in limbo, pending resolution a suit brought by the Club West Conservancy against us—The Edge at Club West, LLC. We thought it would be helpful to provide an update as to the Property’s status by addressing some of the most asked questions.

Q: What is the status of the lawsuit? On July 25, 2022, Judge Timothy Thomason dismissed the lawsuit, but gave the CWC 30 days to amend the complaint with individual homeowners as the plaintiffs. You can read the Judge Thomason’s order here: http://courtminutes.maricopa.gov/viewerME.asp?fn=Civil/072022/m10060939.pdf

26 AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | AUGUST 17, 2022

Q: Can the golf course come back? We have no plans to restore the 18-hole golf course and it is extremely unlikely that a local or national golf course operator would have any interest in rebuilding the course. We have quotes, from nationally known third parties, to build an executive golf course with clubhouse entertainment and those estimates range from $10 to $12 million. The fundamental problem is that a golf course in Arizona is not finan cially sustainable utilizing potable water. The City, State and County are in long-term drought conditions and the cost of City water—the only source available—is going to increase. The economics of rebuilding the golf course are getting worse, not better.

Q: What are the current development plans for the Property?

Q: Is it possible that some portion of the Property might become a Community amenity? Yes, that is possible, but not while the litigation is pending. The Property is not subject to the HOA governance documents. Nevertheless, we remain open and willing to meet to discuss the potential joint use of open space, parks, trails, and amenities. There are opportunities to make some portion of the Property benefit existing homeowners, but not in the current litigation environment. We are not obligated to share future Property amenities with the Community but are certainly inclined to consider doing so. We are in formed that joint use would most likely require cooperation from the HOA Board which, last we understood, was dominated by directors sympathetic to the CWC. Perhaps that dynamic has changed. Our willingness to consider the Community’s interests has not. It is worth noting that at present The Edge has taken no steps to limit homeown ers’ use of the Property. We know many use the space to hike or walk their dogs. While this activity has led to extra maintenance costs for us and some vandalism, we choose to take no action. We do not object to the Community getting some small benefit out of this blighted land, but we would appreciate it if people would pick up their trash and pet’s waste. That seems to be a recurring discourtesy.

Q: Why is The Edge in litigation? Litigation is always a last resort. Unfortunately, we were sued by the CWC. The CWC oppose any use of the Property other than as a golf course. To be clear, it is our view that some residential development is the most responsible use for the Property and to protect our home values. We believe that careful, sensitive, well-planned residen tial development is preferrable to permanent blight and uncertainty. This has always been our view. We understand that not everyone agrees.

It is an unavoidable fact that there are no alternative water sources. If there were, we would not be having this discussion. That the course has been closed for years and no one has stepped forward proposing to buy the land and build out the course is irrefutable proof that the golf course as we knew it is not coming back.

At the moment, there are no specific development plans for the Property. Our prima ry focus is prevailing in the litigation and defending our private property rights. Once our rights are secured, we will begin the formal land planning process. Unfortunately, our plans are on hold during the lawsuit so what happens next remains fluid. If we knew the litigation was going to end on August 25, we could devote our efforts and resources solely to responsible land planning.

Q: What happens if individuals decide to take over the lawsuit for the CWC?

Q: What happens to the Property if an amended complaint succeeds? Unsurprisingly, at The Edge, we feel confident that we will prevail in the lawsuit. We would not keep fighting if we did not. If we lose after an appeal, though, and the Property is restricted to only a golf course use, the most probable outcome is that the Property is left fallow and vacant. A host of complicated land use regulations and private property ownership issues would follow.

Q: How long before we know what is going to happen with the golf course land? Again, it is impossible to tell. It is very likely that the use of the Property will not be determined until the lawsuit is fully resolved. At The Edge, we realize that litigation is very expensive so we raised enough money to ensure that we can see this lawsuit through to the end—including all appeals. Naturally, we would prefer to invest in the Community instead of legal fees but, at present we have no choice.

Foothills Club West Golf Course

Q: Will we ever have a voice in what becomes of the Property? We hope the answer to that is yes. If substitute plaintiffs for the CWC prevail (we think not), then there is nothing to discuss as the Property is limited to use as a golf course. From day one, however, The Edge has invited Community involvement in land plan ning process. At one point, working with the HOA, we initiated public comment and review. Unfortunately, The CWC sued the HOA and derailed that process. At present, we do not have any firm plans, but our goal, if we are successful (as we believe we will be) is to establish a process for constructive Community input.

Q: What is the CWC’s solution if it wins? Who knows? The CWC is suing to restrict the use of the Property to a golf course— and only a golf course. We have never seen a viable golf plan from the CWC. The CWC does not own the Property and has never offered to buy the Property much less build it out to its old standards. Senior members of the CWC have admitted that a golf course is not economically feasible. There are fundamental questions whether any alternate use, like open space and walking trails, would be permit ted if the CWC prevails. Even if open space is allowed, no one is going to pay for the construction of a nature park, much less the upkeep. . Perhaps this question should be put to the CWC because, in our view, a CWC victory means permanent blight.

More litigation. We believe that the claims individual homeowners can bring are limit ed and are different than those put forth by the CWC but, of course, we have not seen an amended complaint with these individuals taking the place of the CWC.

Our Side of the Story

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Just a few months ago, builders couldn’t put homes up fast enough to appease the hordes of eager buyers. They boast ed about lengthy waitlists, even holding lotteries to choose those lucky enough to purchase their newly constructed homes. Those days are now over as the housing market corrects after two years of run awayBuyersprices.are now canceling orders and extracting themselves from waitlists as higher mortgage rates have pushed their dreams of owning new construction be yond their financial reach. Sales are down. Among the slowing-down markets is Phoenix, Realtor.com reported. Builders are responding by throwing out incentives, like spaghetti against a wall, to see which ones attract buyers. Some have begun cutting prices, and the majority are slowing down the pace of construction— despite the nation’s dire housing shortage that’s hit crisis proportions. “We should anticipate fewer homes be ing built over the next 12 months,” says Ali Wolf, chief economist of Zonda, a real

REAL ESTATE AFN NEWS SERVICES

REVEL

What Valley summer real estate trends show

Revel Legacy, located off Pima Road and Legacy Boulevard, began leasing units in June and con struction should be completed by the end of the summer. (Special to AFN) see page RE3 BY SHAWNA WARNER AFN Guest Writer A rizona’s real es tate market is bus tling with activity, and the market for luxury homes is no Year-over-year,different.theluxury housing mar ket has seen an increase in listings, medi an sale price and sold properties. Even with higher inventory, supply for luxury properties is still low, comparative ly, which gives potential buyers confidence that their new property will appreciate. Although the summer has delivered in terest rate increases, inflation and stock market volatility, luxury real estate re mains a seller’s market. The emerging summer trends that our agents are seeing with perspective buyers include: Grand outdoor spaces. Buyers are sparing no expense when it comes to cre ating elaborate outdoor living spaces. Popular amenities include outdoor kitch ens, fireplaces, chic farm tables, cozy lounge areas, large screened-in rooms, custom ceil ing fans and misters, as well as comfortable accessories to tie it all together. Custom builds. Many luxury home buy ers are opting to build advanced homes with the latest integrated home technol ogy. A good example would be a ‘smart home.’ Technology such as smart locks, lights, and electrical outlets that are in sync with Google Home or Amazon Alexa. These are also features that can be controlled through mobile phone appli cations outside of the home. Energy effi ciency is another important factor to our buyers, who are opting for Energy starrated appliances and windows as well as solar panels to take advantage of the summer heat. Window shopping. While buyer ac tivity slows, we are noticing an increas ing rate of window shoppers. Real estate showings and open house attendances are still high, but most luxury real estate win dow shoppers will end up buying or build ing a home after summer is over. Luxury “toe-dipping.” Residents are testing the waters in luxury real estate by renting a luxury condominium or apart ment to see if they’d like to make a perma nent

The Phoenix and Scottsdale Metro areas continue to rank among the most com petitive luxury real estate markets in the country.Withthe multitude of exclusive enclaves, neighborhoods and communities that of fer a distinct set of amenities, the unique and breathtaking landscape of the So noran Desert as a backdrop, and the prox imity of world-class shopping, dining and entertainment, we find our demographic to remain on the list of hottest metros.

The design of both properties had to ca ter to the property’s core demographic of individuals over the age of 55. “We needed to be cognizant of all of the flooring transitions and whether some thing is slippery as well as the durability of all the materials knowing that there will be wheelchairs and walkers that could be banging into walls or things like that,” Johnson said. The communities’ amenities also are designed to make them stand out among independent living facilities. “We do whatever it is that makes people happy as they age, that’s what our mission is,” said Danette Opaczewski, the execu tive vice president and COO of Revel Com munities.“Weapproached it like we would a hotel or a resort and just going there with the mentality that it needs to feel welcom ing, warm and inviting and also check the boxes of all these other functional things in need to do,” Johnson added. With that in mind, Opaczewski and her team got to work asking for input from potential residents and people who fit their core demographic on what they were looking for in independent living communities.

Manymove.people in this group are younger buyers that are seeing what type of luxury living they can achieve. Wealthy millennials are eager to jump into luxury real estate.

Shawna Warner is a Realtor for RETSY, a technology-based real estate brokerage in Arizona, and has amassed valued clients and friends as she takes them through the intricacies of buying and selling real estate. 

re2 AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | AUGUST 17, 2022REAL ESTATE Be Smart. Choose LendSmart. When you support your local Community businesses, we are all winners, making our Community stronger one closing at a time. Contact Eric Kinneman for your mortgage needs 602-757-2171. Eric Kinneman, Branch Manager - Ahwatukee Branch. NMLS #212062 | AZ License 0911709 O: 480.477.8464 | D: 602.757.2171 | F: 602.445.0913 | ekinneman@lendsmartmortgate.com | www.erickkinnemanloans.com Revel independent living communities near completion BY ALEX GALLAGHER AFN Staff Writer Two new independent living facili ties, Revel Legacy and Revel Scott sdale are nearing completion and already have begun leasing residences. The properties each feature over 150 apartment homes on over 170,000 square feet of land that were acquired by parent Wolff Company in 2018 and have taken a new approach to the world of indepen dent living communities. “We wanted to create an aesthetic that didn’t look like a typical senior property so that anybody can walk into here and not think, ‘Oh, I’m walking into an active adult or senior living facility,’” said Chris tina Johnson, the creative director for Pri vate Label International, which designed the two communities. Wolff paved the way for Revel Scottsdale by buying the Scottsdale Athletic Club for $9 million and razing it, according to data reported by Valley real estate tracked vizzda.com.

Although the design team had a clear image in mind for both communities, they faced an uphill battle bringing them to fruition.First,they were put on hold during the early days of the pandemic. Then, Johnson said, the team had to practice “value engineering” when it got back to work to re-evaluate costs, alter renderings and substitute materials.

Some would-be buyers have decided to sit tight for now to see if they can get a bet ter deal down the line. “You raise rates to this level, and you’re going to have folks who can’t qualify” for mortgages, said Devyn Bachman, senior vice president of research at John Burns Real Estate Consulting. “There is a very large group of buyers who could buy but are choosing not to be cause they’re worried about a recession, inflation, and the national economy. Peo ple are afraid they’re going to buy a home and a year from now it will be worth less than it is today.” In June, there was a roughly 31% de cline in sales in new-home developments compared with the same time a year ago, according to data from John Burns. The number of sales fell even further in July, according to preliminary data. That’s given builders pause. They don’t want to put up the money to construct homes if they’re not confident they can sell them.

“Without a doubt, the first half of 2022 qualifies as a housing recession,” said Rob ert Dietz, chief economist of the National Association of Home Builders. What’s worrisome is that in May, build ers began noticeably pulling back on the number of permits they applied for to put up new homes, according to U.S. Census Bureau and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development data. Housing starts, which are homes builders have be gun construction on but haven’t yet com pleted, also fell in May. “Building had a big drop-off,” said Re altor.com® Chief Economist Danielle Hale. “Unfortunately, with this pullback in building, that shortage is unlikely to be solved anytime soon.” Roughly 87% of builders are now plan ning to slow down their pace of construc tion, according to Zonda. “Builders are saying, ‘We’re going to wait and see how the market progresses,’” saidBachmanWolf. expects builders to take out 5% to 10% fewer permits to put up new homes next year. The largest homebuilder in the nation, D.R. Horton, reported that about 24% of orders for new homes were canceled from April through June, according to its most recent earnings report. Orders for new homes fell 7%. (Last year during the same period, about 17% of all orders werePulteGroup,canceled.)the third-biggest home builder, reported cancellations were up to 15% in the second quarter of the year—compared with 7% a year ear lier. Orders for new homes dropped 23% from a year ago. “We are seeing increased cancellations, which is an early sign of distress in the new-home market,” said Bachman. In a sharp shift from earlier this year, homebuilders are now wooing prospec tive buyers with a slate of incentives. These perks vary by builder, but they can include companies offering to buy down mortgage rates so that their customers have lower rates, shouldering some of the closing costs buyers are traditionally re sponsible for, offering fancier finishes and amenities, and ending the premiums they charge for corner lots and other locations with views. About 20% have cut prices, which many builders view as a last resort. In some cases, they’ll go back to the drawing board and see if they can rework projects to put up more affordably priced homes.That could be erecting smaller homes, scrapping single-family developments in favor of more condos and townhomes, or using less expensive finishes in an effort to get costs down. Smaller homes often cost less in materials, labor, and time to produce.Newhome construction could dip the most in some of the housing markets that got the most overheated during the CO VID-19 pandemic. These are the kinds of places that are already correcting, with home sellers in many of them being forced to cut prices to woo buyers. This report was provided by Realtor. com.  This two-story home on W. Glenhaven Drive in Ahwataukee was among the top sellers in the last two weeks at $1.07 million. The 3,983-square-foot house, built in 1996, has five bedrooms and four bathrooms, boasts 180-degree mountain views and sported numerous upgrades.

“We asked ‘How are they living? How are they taking care of themselves? What causes them stress?' and then we took a look at the independent living space, which is just beautiful apartment living with ad ditional services,” Opaczewski said. “Those services just take the worry out of your life so you can focus and enjoy the things that you want versus the needs of grocery shopping or finding food. So, I think for me, we’re constantly pushing the concept of excellence.”

SHORTAGE from page RE1

(Special to AFN) This two-story house on S. 25th Way in Ahwatukee recently sold for $825,000. Built in 1989, the 3,134-square-foot house has four bedrooms and three bathrooms,, a family room with fireplace, a master bedroom with a sitting area and balcony overlooking the mountains.

REVEL from page RE2

To learn more Revel Scottsdale is located at 8225 E. Indian Bend Road. revelscottsdale. com Revel Legacy is located at 8890 E. Leg acy Boulevard. revellegacy.com  estate consultancy. “The new-home mar ket is struggling right now. Demand has cooled more than you would imagine this time of Manyyear.”buyers were already reeling from record-high home prices. Add in higher mortgage rates, and suddenly many were unable to afford the monthly payments on a new home, which are often more expen sive than older properties.

The facility offers amenities ranging from a fitness and movement center and a movie theater to a pizza kitchen and a hair salon. “I think that our residents are an incred ibly culturally rich, sophisticated group of our society,” Johnson said. “They love to do super social things; they love to dance, sing, play instruments and create art and they’re such cool people.”

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | AUGUST 17, 2022 re3REAL ESTATE

Applicants can choose from plush twobedroom cottages, two-bedroom apart ments, one-bedroom apartments or stu dio apartments that carry large price tags starting at over $3,600 a month for a stu dio to over $6,600. As construction continues to wind down, Revel Communities and Private La bel International hope to have the proper ties completed by the end of the summer and continue building independent living facilities that ease residents in their tran sition into later stages of life.

(Special to AFN)

BY TROY HILL Cronkite News A mid global climate change and a chronic shortage of affordable housing, local construction com panies and nonprofits are taking innova tive steps to make homes more energy efficient and environmentally sustainable. Strata International Group, headquar tered in Phoenix, has made a name by building homes out of foam and concrete, and Habitat for Humanity of Central Ari zona has successfully 3D printed a home for a Tempe family – the first structure printed in Arizona. These energy efficient and afford able materials and techniques arrive at an opportune time. A 2018 study by the National Low Income Housing Coalition reported a shortage of more than 7.2 mil lion rental homes for low-income renters, and a 2019 report by the International Energy Agency and the U.N. Environment Programme found that the construction industry accounts for 39% of energy-re lated carbon emissions. To form the structure of a house, Strata uses a system it calls SABS, which utilizes an expanded polystyrene foam similar to Styrofoam.Thefoam is shaped, the shapes are bonded together into walls, ceilings and floors, then coated inside and out with a layer of the company’s special concrete mix, called Sabscrete. It holds everything together, protects the foam from impact, weather and fire, and allows the surface to be painted and textured. No lumber or steel is used. “These houses are built to last 300, 400, 500 years,” said Amir Saebi, executive op

Foam-and-concrete homes aim for sustainability

re4 AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS AUGUST 17, 2022 AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS AUGUST 17, 2022REAL ESTATE re5REAL ESTATE 4082 sqft 5 bedrooms, 4 baths This home is on 1/3 acre lot in one of the best and most sought after locations in the Foothills at the base of South Mountain.Leading Luxury Home Experts #1 TEAM IN CLOSED VOLUME FOR 2021 IN AHWATUKEE 15013 S. 6th Pl., Phoenix $1,495,000 4649 sqft, 6 bedrooms, 4.5 baths Custom luxury home in Black Rock Canyon with stunning front and back mountain views. BLACK 14222CANYONROCKS.Canyon Dr, Phoenix $1,999,000 5169 sqft, 5 bedrooms, 4.5 baths Custom Home located in the beautiful, gated community of Canyon Reserve, nestled into the mountain and boasts stunning views all around CANYON RESERVE NEW LISTING 3049 W. Cottonwood Ln., Phoenix $1,399,000 4212 SqFt, 4 bedrooms, 3 ½ baths Beautiful custom Forte Home located in the prestigious gated community of Calabrea in Ahwatukee 1245CALABREANBalboa, Mesa 85205 1906 sqft, 3 bedrooms, 2 ½ baths This impeccable home is nestled in the quaint neighborhood of Higley Heights and is simply bursting at the seams with charm HIGLEY HEIGHTS SOLD $499,000 Call for Pricing14210 S. 5th St., Phoenix 4083, 4 (+5) bedrooms, 3.5 baths This incredibly well maintained, and gently lived-in home is located in Whistling Rock, a sought after gated community in the Foothills Clubwest. WHISTLING ROCK COMING SOON 725 W. Wildwood, Phoenix 2850 sqft, 3 bedrooms and 2.5 baths FOOTHILLS CLUB WEST NEW LISTING $899,000 www.LeadingLuxuryExperts.com Each Keller Williams Oﬃce is Independently Owned and Operated.2016 & 2017 BREA Award for Most Sales in Ahwatukee! 3245 sqft, 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths Uniquely Beautiful Mountain Top Home, located in the quaint 12 home gated community of Candlewood View. 1117 E underhill Pl, $1,296,000Phoenix CANDLEWOOD VIEWS 602.369.1085 Bonny@LeadingLuxuryExperts.com BONNY HOLLAND Ahwatukee Resident and Realtor since 1995 Dave Meghann@LeadingLuxuryExperts.comDave@LeadingLuxuryExperts.comCox:509-869-0358TeamLeaderMeghannHolland:480-241-4976Realtor® FAMILY RUN TEAM FEATURED LISTING NEW LISTING This beautiful golf course lot home is in Club West with soaring vaulted ceilings, large bedrooms and a spacious Great Room NEW LISTING see FOAM page RE7 Buyers now getting edge in Phoenix market BY BONNY HOLLAND AFN Guest Writer The real estate market has shifted quickly and dramatically, and sell ers are scrambling to catch up and adjust their expectations. The number of active listings in the Phoenix market has jumped significantly and sellers no longer have the extreme ad vantage they’ve seen over the past couple ofAsyears.oflast week, active listings were at 16,130 compared to 4,865 at the begin ning of the year and 6,299 a year ago. As a result, we are no longer in a seller’s market. The real estate market is quickly becoming balanced. Buyers are now making offers below ListSellersPrice.are being forced to drop prices. Seller concessions are back in play. Homes are staying on the market longer. Buyers are able to pick and choose be tween homes once again. What all this means is that sellers have to make a quick adjustment to the rapidly changing market. Everything sellers have seen and heard in the past two years no longer applies. Throw in inflation and rising mortgage rates and we are left with a lot of confusion. We have been keeping up with all the changes and the ramifications of those changes, so please reach out so we can have a conversation about how all of this affects you and your real estate needs. Ahwatukee Realtor Bonny Holland can be reached at Bonny@leadingluxuryexperts.com or 602-369-1085.  This chart shows how active listings in the Valley have grown significantly. (Courtesy of Bonny Holland) GOT NEWS? Contact Paul Maryniak at @TimesLocalMedia.comor480-898-5647pmaryniak

Kenneth Skinner’s house sits on a hillside in north Phoenix on July 1, 2022. The home is constructed with expanded polystyrene foam and Sabscrete, a concrete mix developed by Strata International Group. (Troy Hill/Cronkite News)

Listed for $1,450,000 SOLD Geno Ross (602) www.GenoRoss.com751-2121SPOOTLIGHT home ONE OF THE MOST AMAZING LOTS AVAILABLE IN AHWATUKEE!! LOCATED IN FOOTHILLS MOUNTAIN RANCH ESTATES!! OVER 5 ACRE HILLSIDE LOT WITH STUNNING MOUNTAIN VIEWS FROM EVERY DIRECTION*BUILD YOUR DREAM CUSTOM ESTATE OR BUILD MULTIPLE HOMES ON THIS SIGHT*ZONED R3*THE POSSIBILITIES ARE ENDLESS ON THIS RARE OPPORTUNITY*THERE IS NOT ANOTHER PIECE OF LAND IN AHWATUKEE THAT OFFERS THIS MANY BUILDABLE ACRES*NO HOA*LOCATED AT THE END OF A CUL-DE-SAC*BE THE KING OF THE HILL WITH VIEWS ALL THE WAY TO FOUR PEAKS*PLANS AVAILABLE AND OTHER CUSTOM HOME OPTIONS AVAILABLE FROM A WELL KNOW AHWATUKEE CUSTOM HOME BUILDER*DO NOT MISS THIS AMAZING HILLSIDE LOT IN AN AMAZING LOCATION!!!! 5 Acre Lot Listed for $499,000

re6 AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | AUGUST 17, 2022 Bonny 1117602.369.1085Holland•www.LeadingLuxuryExperts.comETHUNDERHILLPL,PHOENIX85048CANDLEWOOD VIEWS Featured Listing 3245 sqft, 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths Uniquely Beautiful Mountain Top Home, located in the quaint 12 home gated community of Candlewood Views Offered at $1,296,000 kw® SONORAN LIV ING KELLER WILLIAMS® REALTY Mike 480.706.7234Mendoza•www.MendozaTeam.com kw® SONORAN LIVING KELLER WILLIAMS® REALTY SUMMERHILL ESTATES

Enjoy superb mountain views from custom single-level luxury home in gated Summerhill. Exquisite courtyard entry opens to spectacular foyer and gorgeous travertine flooring throughout. Spacious gourmet kitchen boasts large island with bar top, stainless viking appliances, granite countertops, custom alder cabinetry, walk-in pantry, desk and breakfast room. Stacked-stone fireplace in family room. Theatre room with components and recliner seating. Master suite features two-way fireplace, sitting room with wet bar, patio access and connected office. Meticulously maintained and move-in ready with 2022 interior paint. Trane hvac units replaced in 2018 and 2019. Backyard amenities include extended covered patio with pavers, built-in bbq, fireplace, plus pebble tec pool with waterfall and spa. Floor plan includes both a formal living and dining room. Exquisite touches throughout include 24” polished travertine flooring, plantation shutters, emerson ceiling fans, surround sound speakers, crown molding and solid core 8’ doors. Master bathroom features include granite counters, stone tub and shower surrounds, large walk-in shower with two shower heads including rain head, Jacuzzi tub, raised-panel alder cabinetry and large walk-in closet. Two secondary bedrooms feature ensuite baths. Third secondary bedroom with built-in cabinetry. Fifth bedroom is a den with no closet off of the master suite. Secondary bathrooms all feature stone counters and shower surrounds. Huge laundry room with extra cabinetry, stone counters and sink. Extended outdoor living space from large covered patio with gorgeous pavers throughout. 3-Car-garage with Tesla charging station. Reduced energy costs from existing solar panels.

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | AUGUST 17, 2022 re7REAL ESTATE Ahwatukee’s #1 Team for Over 30 Years480-706-7234 Summerhill Estates Mike Mendoza Crimson Ridge 4BR / 2 BA / 1,824 SQFT Enjoy remodeled kitchen, baths, flooring and much more in the heart of Ahwatukee. Listed $575,000for 3BR / 3 BA / 2,166 SQFT Split master suite plus secondary bedroom could be a separate guest suite. 2015 kitchen remodel and AC. Listed $795,000ForAhwatukee Custom Estates 5 BR / 4.5 BA / 4,405 SQFT Superb mountain views from single-level custom with 2022 interior paint and 2019 HVAC. Listed $1,450,000for Circle G at Riggs Ranch 7BR / 4.5 BA / 8,873 SQFT Estate living with refined tranquility in exquisite setting. Meticulous stonework adorns entire exterior of home. Listed $1,790,000for MendozaTeam.com Ahwatukee Custom Estates 5 BR / 4.5 BA / 4,820 SQFT Custom home in the heart of Ahwatukee with ensuite bathrooms and 2021 exterior paint. Listed $1,395,000for Sanctuary 5 BR / 5 BA / 6,455 SQFT Stunning panoramic views from privately gated luxury retreat with casita on elevated preserve lot. Listed $1,950,000for SOLD!SOLD! SOLD! SOLD! FOAM from page RE5 An executive from Strata International Group in Phoenix demonstrates how foam pieces are assembled into the frame on July 1, 2022.(Troy Hill/Cronkite News) erations manager at Strata, adding that the foam acts as insulation – meaning less energy is required to cool or heat homes. That benefits both homeowners and the environment. Contractor Kenneth Skinner, who’s us ing SABS to build his personal home in north Phoenix, expects the solar panels he’s installing on the roof to meet all his energy needs because of the insulating foam. Because SABS doesn’t use lumber, it’s a big cost savings at a time of supply chain issues and inflation. “It was going to cost me somewhere between $35,000 to $40,000 more … be cause of the lumber prices,” Skinner said. “So that’s right when I got introduced (to) Strata, and so I saved that money.” But it’s not entirely eco-friendly, as Saebi acknowledged. Expanded polysty rene foam is made from petroleum waste products, he said, but that impact is offset because the homes are expected to last centuries – far longer than contemporary homes made of wood. Habitat for Humanity took another ap proach to affordable, sustainable homes: a giant 3D printer. The equipment applies thin layers of concrete, one over the other, until a full wall or frame is erected, then workers pack insulation in the space between the wall layers. Once the exterior and interior walls are complete, the floors, ceilings and installations are completed using tradi tional building techniques. Habitat for Humanity estimates 70% to 80% of the 1,738-square-foot, three bed room house was printed. It’s the first 3D printed home the non profit has built – and the first in Arizona – and the idea came from two ASU gradu ates in sustainability. Habitat officials say they can’t calculate an exact cost for the project because most materials were do nated, but they hope to use this technol ogy to build more at lower costs. 3D printed houses are more energy ef ficient than traditional houses because concrete and the solidly packed insulation sustain internal temperatures. “We’ve heard from the family (who lives in the home) that the AC doesn’t re ally come on much,” said Dusty Parsons, the chief marketing officer for Habitat for Humanity. “When it does, it’s only on for a few minutes, the house … stays very, very cool because it’s a solid double wall of concrete with foam insulation.”

The printer, made by the German com pany Peri and donated by them for use in this project, is supported by metal pillars and moved around the site on sliders con trolled by computer.

GOT NEWS? Contact Paul Maryniak at 480-898-5647 or TimesLocalMedia.compmaryniak@

AFN NEWS STAFF

“I am excited to be back as a part of the Horizon community and to share my love of Spanish with my students.” 

The students seem to have had a bit of an adjustment to her alumni status as well. I told them the first week that I gradu ated from here and let them guess what year,” she said. “Some of the upperclass men knew my little sister who just gradu ated so it has been funny to hear people ask me if I am ‘Isabella’s sister.’

Ahwatukee boy finds early job with the AFN team

35COMMUNITYAHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | AUGUST 17, 2022 @AhwatukeeFN | @AhwatukeeFNCommunity www.ahwatukee.com

“I was originally going to attend law school in the fall and had been accepted to schools,” she explained. “When I saw that a position to teach Spanish was open at Horizon and since I loved my experience teaching at BYU, I decided to apply and subsequently got the job.

Pizorno also took two years off from school to do a volunteer mission trip to Austin, Texas, where she worked with the Spanish-speaking population. She competed her undergraduate stud ies this year and recently came back from Madrid, Spain, where she was an intern with the Fulbright Commission. Since she had some teaching experience during her college years, she is not unfa miliar with the work ahead of her at Ho rizon Honors.

JOY PIZORNO Nate Burnam, flanked by his parents, Scott and Robin Burnam of Ahwatukee, is the youngest carrier for the Ahwatukee Foothills News and will be delivering it to 172 house holds every week. (David Minton/AFN Staff Photographer)

see NEWSBOY page 37 AFN NEWS STAFF If Joy Pizorno ever quotes Yogi Berra’s famous saying about “feeling like it’s déjà vu all over again,” it’s pretty un derstandable.She’sliving itm as a teacher at her alma mater. Six years after she graduated from Horizon Honors Schools, the Ahwatukee resident is back – only this time at the head of the class instead of behind a desk. “It is definitely a little strange being back in my childhood home and going to work where I went to school for 13 years,” said Pizorno, the eldest of three children of Robert and Natasha Pizorno who started her new gig this school year as she earns some money to attend law school. Nor is Pizorno, 24, who is teaching high school Spanish, the only family member who is starting to work at Horizon Honors. Her mother started teaching kindergar ten there this year as well. With next year marking “20 consecu tive years of my family being involved at Horizon” Pizorno and her mom are carry ing on a legacy that also includes her two younger sisters, who also attended grade and high school at Horizon Honors. Joy graduated in 2016, Bianca in 2018 and Is abella earned her diploma this year. Both Bianca and Isabella are attending Brigham Young University, majoring in linguistics and computer science, respectively. Joy graduated from BYU after a double major in family studies and Spanish. Joy said she found her first week at Hori zon Honors somewhat challenging “espe cially with a group of students who have had an unconventional last few years.” “But I have a good bunch and I’m excited to work with them,” she added. “The odd est part was having to call old teachers by their first names.”

“Since I am the oldest child, it has always been the other way around. I occasionally share anecdotes with them like the fact that the principal was my math teacher back in the day and they get a kick out of it.”

A t only 11 years old, Ahwatukee resident Nathan Burnam has be come something of a throwback to another generation. The son of Robin and Scott Burnam, Nate is a paperboy, delivering the Ahwatu kee Foothills News to neighbors. While owner Times Media Group doesn’t normally use youngsters to de liver the paper, Circulation Director Aaron Kolodny said he couldn’t turn Nate down: “He even came over to our offices with his parents.”Asixth grader at the New School For The Arts And Academics, Nate is not only persistent but industrious. “It was always my idea to deliver news papers,” he explained. “When I lived in Ohio I saw something that I wanted to buy with my own money so I decided to try to get a paper route to buy some things I wanted, and to put some in savings. “When I moved to Arizona I really want ed another newspaper route, luckily I have one now.” He has his hands full – literally – as he’ll be delivering AFN to 172 households ev eryIt’sWednesday.notlikehe has nothing else to do, either. He’s on the school swim team and involved in theater productions and musi cals. Even his favorite musical harkens to a bygone era: it’s “Bye Bye Birdie.” It’s déjà vu all over again for Horizon Honors teacher

The P.E.O. Program for Continuing Education was established in 1973 to provide need-based grants to women in the U.S. and Canada whose education has been interrupted and who find it necessary to return to school to support themselves and/or their families.

Information: peointernational.org Children’s grief-counseling nonprofit seeking volunteers to help families A Phoenix group that offers a comforting activity for families with children who have experienced a sig nificant death among their relatives needs volunteers.

Chapter DV has been a part of the Ahwatukee com munity since 1992. P.E.O. (Philanthropic Educational Organization) has been celebrating women and helping women reach for the stars for more than 150 years. Since its inception in 1869, the nonprofit organization has helped more than 119,000 women pursue educational goals by providing over $398 million in grants, scholarships, awards and loans.Inaddition to the educational philanthropies, the P.E.O. Sisterhood provides a framework of support and community for all members.

As NFPA chair, Leavitt will work with the association as it delivers information, knowledge and training nationwide.

Audition times for girls ages 3-5, 9-10 a.m.; ages 6-9, 10-11 a.m.; ages 10-13, 11 a.m.-noon and ages 13 to 20, 12:30-2 p.m. All boys should show up noon-12:30 p.m.

Information: thearizonanutcracker.com

Babytimes Babies ages birth to 23 months, accompanied by a favorite adult, will enjoy songs, rhymes, books, and interactive fun every Tuesday, 10:30-11:10 a.m. Space is limited to 10 families. Toddlertimes Toddlers ages 24-36 months, accompanied by a fa

Ahwatukee company leader to head fire safety group

36 COMMUNITY AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | AUGUST 17, 2022 see AROUND page 37

The New Song Center for Grieving Children, 1510 E. Flower St., is holding facilitator trainings 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Aug. 20 and 5:30-9 p.m. Aug. 23 and Aug. 25. Volunteers learn how to help grieving families learn to live emotionally healthy lives in the wake of a dev astatingOpportunitiesloss. are available for both English and Spanish speakers. Call 480-951-8985 or go to newson gcenter.org. Festival of Lights seeking support from local businesses, residents A group of residents and board members of the Foothills Community Association are fundraising for the annual display of lights in the medians of Chandler Boulevard between 24th Street and Desert Foothills Parkway.Theannual cost of setting up and tearing down the display – along, of course, with the cost of electricity – exceeds $110,000 and even though both the Foot hills and Club West homeowners associations have supported this in the past with annual contributions –usually $50,000 and $25,000 respectively – the holiday effort requires the support of individuals, groups and businesses.Thereare several ways to help: people can make a donation at gofundme.com (search by “foothills festi val of lights”); or they can send a check with “Foothills Holiday Lights Donation” in the memo field to Premier, attention Jatana Wylie, 3930 S. Alma School Road, Chandler AZ 85248. Information: cmcneish@cox.net or 480-221-9090. Ironwood Library resumes regular and special programming Ironwood Library, 4333 E Chandler Blvd., Ahwatukee, is offering regular and special programs. Unless other wise noted, free tickets are required and available 30 minutes before programs’ start times at the library’s information desk. For more information: phoenixpub liclibrary.org.

“I know he will continue to bring for ward his deep expertise, drive, and pas sion for the mission of the NFPA,” said the woman he succeeds in the position, AmyWithActon.almost four decades of experi ence, Leavitt has long been recognized as an expert in the industry for his expertise. He is a senior instructor for the NFPA, American Fire Sprinkler Association and Fire Smarts and conducts fire and life safety seminars both nationally and in ternationally on a variety of related sub jects.He also authored numerous industry training materials and informational ar ticles and was the recipient of several in dustry awards .

Ahwatukee P.E.O. Chapter sponsors area nursing student Rachael Guyant, a student at both Chandler-Gil bert Community College and Ottawa University, was awarded a P.E.O. Program for Continuing Education Grant from the P.E.O. Sisterhood by being sponsored by P.E.O. Chapter DV of Ahwatukee. Guyant is pursuing associates and bachelor of sci ence degrees in nursing. She is interning at Banner Chil dren’s Hospital with her ultimate career goal of being a registered nurse in pediatrics.

Auditions this Saturday for rebranded ‘Arizona Nutcracker’ at Studio 111 Anyone 18 and under can prepare for its debut per formances this December by signing up for one of the audition times Aug. 20 at Dance Studio 111. Dance Studio 111 owner and “Nutcracker” producer Kimberly Lewis said that her production is still the only presentation of the Christmas classic in the state to feature cast that exclusively comprises teens and chil dren.Formerly called the “Ahwatukee Foothills Nut cracker” for the last 22 years, Dance Studio 111 owner Kimberly Lewis rebranded as “Arizona Nutcracker” so that children from outside Ahwatukee would know they can audition. This year, “Arizona Nutcracker” – complete with a visit from Santa during the afternoon matinees – will be presented at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. Dec 17 and 1 p.m. Dec. 18 at Madison Center for the Performing Arts, 5601 N. 16th St., Phoenix. For the auditions, girls are asked to wear a black leo tard, pink tights, ballet or pointe shoes. If on pointe, they should pull back their hair in a ballerina bun. Boys should wear black shorts and white T-shirt. Prospective cast members do not have to be danc ers as there are other parts to play in the production.

Corpus Christi Church Knights slates annual memorial golf tourney Golfers are encouraged to mark 7:30 a.m. Sept. 10 on their calendar for the annual Corpus Christi Knights of Columbus Council 10062 Memorial Golf Tournament. This year’s tournament is in honor of Jim McGrath. This is the tourney’s 31st year and proceeds benefit Knights’ Charities, the K of C Ukraine Solidarity Fund and Arizona Firefighters via the 100 Club of Arizona. Tickets are $100 for a full round of golf, beverages, cart prizes and lunch at the Foothills Golf Club in Ahwatukee. Sponsors are also needed. Three sponsorship levels are available with each carrying a variety of benefits. Knights of Columbus 10062 Charities, Inc. is a registered nonprofit. Download registration and sponsorship forms at: www.kofc10062.org.

RUSSELL B. LEAVITT AROUND AHWATUKEE

Families can get ready to rocket into Cub Scouts with Horizon Pack The Horizon Cub Scout Pack 278 is holding a re cruitment event for families with boys in kindergarten through fifth grade. The event is 9-11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 20, at Gilbert Freestone District Park, 1045 E Juniper Ave, Gilbert and will include basic rocket building, rocket launching and cold ICEE treats. Rockets, ICEEs and drinks will be pro vided. No experience is needed for the rocket launch. Parents are urged to bring a chair and canopy for shade. Information: tinyurl.com/Pack278info. RSVP by emailing AzPack278@gmail.com.

Telgian Fire Safety provides fire life safety systems testing, inspections and repair of fire sprinkler systems, fire alarm systems, fire extinguishers, kitchen hood suppression systems, emergency/exit lights, special hazards, and clean agent systems, as well as fire alarm and eleva torTelgianmonitoring.Engineering & Consulting spe cializes in complex, multi-discipline pub lic and private sector projects related to the protection of people, property, in formation, and organizational mission against preventable losses. NFPA board members are selected based on business industry experience, as well as the respect of peers in the safe ty“Itcommunity.isanhonor to serve with my fellow board members, the executive leadership team, and all of the associates of NFPA,” says Leavitt. “There are no individuals anywhere who have more passion or a greater commitment to making the world a safer place to live and work.”

AFN STAFF

NEWS

The National Fire Protection Associ ation has named Russell B. Leavitt, executive chairman of Ahwatu kee-based Telgian Holdings, Inc. its new board chairman for the next two years. NFPA is a global, nonprofit devoted to eliminating death, injury, property and economic loss due to fire, electrical and related hazards. The organization focuses on fire codes and standards, as well as public education for fire safety, outreach and advocacy, training and es sentialTelgianresearch.isbasically devoted to the same mission.Itstwo business units, Telgian Fire Safety and Telgian Engineering & Con sulting, combine to offer comprehensive fire, security, life safety consulting and engineering/design services, partnering with clients to produce innovative solu tions that reduce exposure to loss from fire and disasters.

Information: Americanlegionpost64.com or 480326-4656. Arizona attorneys offering free legal clinic for family law

Ahwatukee Kiwanis lists speakers at its meetings, all invited

This inclusive community-based book club is de signed for people ages 12+ with intellectual and de velopmental disabilities who have a desire to make friends, explore their community, and read (regardless of current reading ability). This weekly gathering, be ginning Sept. 7 from 3-4 p.m. Space is limited to eight participants. Online registration is required and avail able in the Calendar section of the library’s website. Backyard Gardening Using Master Gardener techniques, adults ages 18+ can learn the basics of gardening, watering, reading a planting calendar specifically for the Valley, and about additional desert landscaping resources from Keep Phoenix Beautiful on 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Sept. 10.

Next Chapter Book Club

The Ahwatukee Kiwanis Club is always looking for new members and invites interested people to attend one of their weekly meetings at 7:30 a.m. Thursdays at Biscuits restaurant, 4623 E. Elliott Road in the Safeway plaza. People also are invited to hear the speakers. The speaker who will appear tomorrow, Aug 25 is Kyle Ross, Kyrene Digital Academy principal. Local American Legion Post always seeking new members

Nate is the youngest of three children, trailing behind a sister who is 23 and a 19-year-old brother whom he said were both excited for his new endeavor. “My brother also had a paper route when he was my age,” he pointed out. While he’ll be delivering papers, though, journalism isn’t on his radar as far as the career he wants to pursue. “I love 2D art and would love to become an animator for Walt Disney Animation Studios,” he said. “I also want to work in a haunted house as a scare actor.” Does he read the paper? “Only when I see an interesting headline or a cool photo,” he replied. 

* Sunday 8:30am Mass is live-streamed to our website, Facebook, and YouTube pages.

Men and women who served in the Armed Forces are always invited to join Ahwatukee American Legion Post 64, which meets 4-5 p.m. every third Wednesday of the month at the Ahwatukee Rec Center, 5001 E. Cheyenne Drive, Ahwatukee. The post’s mission is to “enhance the well-being of America’s veterans, their families, our military and our communities by devotion to mutual helpfulness.”

Adult readers 18+ can meet up with fellow adven turesome bibliophiles to share their thoughts about each month’s selection the first Wednesday of each month, 5:00-5:45 p.m.

Daily Mass | Mon-Sat • 8:15am Tuesday Mass | 6:00pm Saturday Mass | 4:00pm Sunday Mass 7:00, 8:30, 10:30am, 5:00pm SERVING AHWATUKEE, MOUNTAIN PARK RANCH, LAKEWOOD, THE FOOTHILLS AND SURROUNDING AREAS

37COMMUNITYAHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | AUGUST 17, 2022 AROUND from page 36 A welcoming community proclaiming the love of God and fostering a personal relationship with Jesus Christ through Scripture, Sacraments and Service. 3550 E. Knox Rd., Phoenix AZ 85044 www.corpuschristiphx.org480.893.8770

The State Bar of Arizona is holding a free legal clinic 4-7 p.m. Aug. 30. Volunteer attorneys will provide free legal consultations. People can sign up to speak with a lawyer in person or make a Zoom appointment. Span ish speaking lawyers will be available. People must preregister by emailing FindALawyer@staff.azbar.org.

Book Club

NEWSBOY from page 35 vorite adult, will enjoy songs, rhymes, books, and in teractive fun every Thursday, 10:30-11:10 a.m. Space is limited to 10 families. Full STEAM ahead for kids Children ages 5-11 explore hands-on creative ways to design, experiment, and invent every Saturday, 2:003:00 p.m., in this weekly Science, Technology, Engineer ing, Art and Math (STEAM) program. Space is limited to 10 families.

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Flanking Calvin are Taylor Zipay, left and her mother Tracy Zipay of The Pawsitive Pets Sitter. Tracy started Pawsitive a year ago to provide fear free pet sitting services in Ahwatukee and Tay lor joined her in March to extend that service to Chandler. (David Minton/AFN Staff Photographer)

A hwatukee resident Tracy Zipay’s business is as much about people as it is about dogs. She enjoys them both. As she reflected on the first anniversa ry of the pet sitting business she started a year ago in the community she’s called home for more than two decades, Zipay waxes enthusiastically about the people she’s“Wemet.have been blown away by all the goodness in this community,” she said. “First, by the trust that has been given us by those who hire us to care for their furry family members; and second, by the good will of those who promote us through nominating, voting, and sharing their ex periences.”Thatdogs bring her as much joy is hard to miss, as anyone can see on facebook. com/yesspet, her business’ Facebook page. With an extensive history of fostering dogs and working with American Kennel Club Labrador Retrievers, she also be came Ahwatukee’s first pet sitter certified in fear free pet sitting before she started The Pawsitive Pets Sitter LLC. The philosophy of fear free pet treatment and sitting is rooted in just what it says: al leviating and preventing anxiety, fear and/ or discomfort among cats and dogs.

Robertson and DiFiore say their goal is to provide a straightforward, friendly neighborhood sports bar with no gim micks and great service.

Dr. Marty Becker, an Idaho veterinary behaviorist who is called “America’s Veter inarian,” claims to have invented the con cept in the mid-1980s, though there are other clinics and people who take credit asRegardlessoriginators.of its origin, fear free has been a dominant theme in animal care –both in clinics and, where Zipay is involved, someone’s home and even her own. see PAWSITIVE page 40

BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor

Robertson, Assistant Manager Mar gie DiFiore and the entire staff from the Apache location—except for the security, which they say isn’t needed in Ahwatu kee—came to the new location. They’re also hiring more servers, food runners, hostesses and bussers.

Manager Trent Robertson and Assistant Manager Margie DiFiore are running the new Vine Tavern & Eatery in Ahwatukee Foothills. (Geri Koeppel/AFN Contributor) see

39BUSINESS Business www.ahwatukee.com @AhwatukeeFN | @AhwatukeeFN AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | AUGUST 17, 2022

The Vine re-opens here with lots of wings, screens

BY GERI KOEPPEL AFN EContributorveryonewho had a connection with the Vine Tavern & Eatery on Apache Boulevard said their farewells to the popular watering hole near Arizona State University’s Tempe campus that poured its last drinks on July 23. But now, Ahwatukee Foothills is wel coming a new, more grownup version of the college favorite at 3820 E. Ray Road, Suite 30. It opened Friday, Aug. 12, and a grand reopening is planned for this Friday, Aug. 19, with free swag from beer reps and a one-time-only special. “We’ll do our famous apple pie shooter for $1 for that day and that day only,” said Trent Robertson of Mesa, general manag er for the Vine in Ahwatukee. They’ll still be on the drink menu after that, he added, but for $2. The days of $1 drinks for which The Vine on Apache was known have been left behind in fuzzy memories only.

“By the end of the first month, we’ll be calling people by their first names,” Rob ertson said. The menu is the same at both locations of the Vine, featuring their popular wings in 18 flavors (on special every Wednes day for $12.99 a dozen) as well as salads, sandwiches/wraps, burgers, pasta and entrees like grilled salmon, street tacos and hot roast beef. There’s also a low-carb platter and a kids’ menu. Most prices are in the teens, with nothing over $18.99.

VINE page 40

Ahwatukee pet sitter grateful for community support

Moreover, she noted, “We provide the added benefit of pet enrichment.”

As for The Pawsitive Pets Sitter, Zipay stresses that her mission is to “keep that good will and trust” she has earned in Ah watukee by “providing the best pet care possible” and offering “several services not readily available by other sitters.”

40 BUSINESS AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | AUGUST 17, 2022

Among those services are pet sitting in the owners’ home for durations ranging from daily visits that include play time to overnight and even extended-stays. She offers special puppy sitting and even takes a dog to her home if a client has a special need for that. Zipay began her business after what she calls an apprenticeship with Kate McPike, another Ahwatukee pet sitter who over time rebranded her business K8’s Cats to care strictly for felines. “Kate is not part of my business, but we are unofficial ‘partners,’” Zipay ex plained. “I refer cat-only clients to her, and she sends me the ‘mixed’ clients she gets – dogs and cats. Kate is an invaluable resource for me, though, she is my men tor and helps me immeasurably. Her catonly business is going gangbusters, too.”

Over the past year, Zipay also expand ed her services into Chandler because her daughter Taylor joined her in the business. Besides offering the same services in Chandler that her mother offers in Ah watukee, Taylor is also fine-tuning a pet treat that will be available soon through the company website. Taylor went to Horizon Honors from kindergarten through her sophomore year, when she transferred to Desert Vista largely for its science programs, Zipay said.She earned a full ride scholarship to Arizona State University’s Barrett, The Honors College and graduated summa cum laude with her bachelor’s in molec ular biology/biotechnology and a minor in chemistry in 2017. “Her scientific mindset, along with her compassion give her a unique approach to working with our anxious and fear ful clients,” Zipay said, citing her family’s lifelong pet ownership and pet fostering for the Humane Society. Added Taylor: “I have a lot of fun de termining which toys and games each of our clients would best enjoy, and it’s so uplifting to see them engage on a differ entIt’slevel.”not a one-way street where The Pawsitive Pets Sitter and the community is concerned, either. For all that support Zipay says she gets from the community, her business also gives“Weback.sponsor activities and events when we can, like the Ahwatukee Easter Parade/Spring Fling, and contribute to a variety of pet-related causes. We’ve been given so much, we want to give back.”

The Vine in Ahwatukee has an extensive bar selection, including 24 taps with a va riety of domestic and craft brews along with an assortment of bottled beers, selt zers, wine and cocktails. Also, it carries local products from places like PHX Beer Co., San Tan Brewing Company and State 48 Brewery. Pints will runSports$4–$6.are a main focus as well, with 34 screens indoors and out. “Football Sunday’s going to rock and roll here, that’s for sure,” Robertson said. They might also add breakfast only on Sundays and a trivia night, though they’re not sure which day of the week. A happy hour will run 3-7 p.m. daily with discount ed drinks and select appetizers. The space has room for more than 200, including an expansive patio, which is sure to draw crowds when it cools off. Sorry; no dogs are allowed right now be cause they don’t have the permits. “We will revisit that issue later on,” Robertson said. The interior includes new tables and a rebuilt center U-shaped bar that’s always been there since the time it was Teakwood Tavern & Grill. They also removed the ad ditional bar from the former Angry Crab Shack, and custom booths will be installed along one Longtimewall.Ahwatukee residents might recall the Vine Tavern & Eatery had a loca tion years ago at 4855 E. Warner Road, but it closed in 2005. It’s now home to Philly’s Sports Grill. The original Vine opened in Iowa City in 1970 as an Irish pub, according to the history on the website for the location in southCurrentTempe.owner Joe Kennedy bought it in 1983, and he opened the first Arizona location near ASU in 1986. The one on El liot Road opened in 1992. A fourth Vine in Coralville, Iowa, opened in 1998. Robertson said Kennedy sold the Apache location for development, but he wasn’t sure what will go on the site. A City of Tempe spokesperson said no plans have been filed yet. 

PAWSITIVE from page 39 VINE from page 39

The interior of the new Vine Tavern & Eatery in Ahwatukee features 34 screens inside and out. (Geri Koeppel/AFN Contributor) If You Go... What: The Vine Tavern & Eatery, a neighborhood bar/restaurant with 34 screens and patio. Where: 3820 E. Ray Road, Ahwatukee. Hours: Hours: 11 a.m.–11 p.m. SundayThursday, 11 a.m.–midnight FridaySaturday; will open at 10 a.m. during football season until Daylight Saving Time. Info: 480-759-4341 YOUR BUSINESS PMARYNIAK@TIMESLOCALMEDIA.COMTO

“It’s science based, and heavily relies on continuing animal behavior educa tion to update how we care for pets,” Zipay said. “I’ve seen firsthand how it can completely shift a pet from pure fear and anxiety to calm acceptance and comfort.”

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To learn more about The Pawsitive Pets sitter, see yesspet.com.  DiFiore added that the Ahwatukee Vine will have more of a family feel, similar to the other location of the Vine on Elliot and RuralAlso,roads.thedrink selections cater to a more adult demographic than the one near Ari zona State University, “which is exciting for us, because all college kids wants to drink is PBR and vodka tonic,” DiFiore said.

AIA

The Arizona Interscholastic Association on Friday announced a new proposal for state track that would crown a true state champion, much like in the Open Division for football and bas ketball, which will take place for the first time this year. (Dave Minton/AFN Staff)

us out and like the Ahwatukee Foothills News on Facebook@AhwatukeeFN | @AhwatukeeFN SPORTS

Sports

BY ZACH ALVIRA AFN Sports Editor The Arizona Interscholastic Asso ciation Executive Board on Mon day approved an extra state track division and a true state championship format.Theproposal was announced Aug. 12 during the first annual AIA media day held at the association’s offices in Phoe nix. Executive Director David Hines also had updates on other sports, including football, basketball and girls flag football. “We will run a true state championship with a trophy and a banner,” Hines said. “We are going to have a California-style state meet where the elite of the elite get to go against each other.” State track will now have a fifth divi sion. Currently, there are four divisions, with the fourth designated for schools in the 1A, 2A and 3A conferences. Division V will be for 1A and 2A schools and leave Division IV for 3A teams. The other divisions — I, II and III — would remain unchanged, servicing 6A through 4ATheschools.proposal also included a new for mat for the state championship meet, which typically kicks off in the second week of May. The meet will now begin a week ear lier and crown division state champions. Divisions IV and V would compete at one location over the course of two days. Divisions II and III would compete the same day at a separate site, and Division I on its own elsewhere. From there, the top 18 athletes and teams for all events in all divisions will be merged and move on to compete in preliminaries of the overall state cham pionship meet. The top nine from each event would move on to the second day of the state meet. There, state championships for in dividuals and teams will be crowned.

BY ZACH ALVIRA AFN Sports Editor

& Recreation

Check

For two years Matty Braun made the drive from his Ahwatukee home to Higley High School, where he was dead set on becoming the next best kick er for the GrowingKnights.up,hehad played other posi tions. He was a good safety and receiver in youth football. But he always thought being a kicker was his true calling. When the 30-minute drive became too much of a hassle, he transferred to Mountain Pointe. He sat out the first five games of his junior season for the Pride, and when eligible immediately stepped in and filled a void the team had at kicker. But it was around that same time he started to get the itch to try another po sition: wide receiver. “The first tackle football team I ever played with I started kicking and fell in love with it, so that was the only thing I wanted to do,” Braun said. “But as I’ve gotten older and stronger, I realized I wanted to play receiver. I’ve worked hard and have gotten the reps to get bet ter and better every day.” Braun started getting reps at wide re ceiver the summer before his junior year. He started to showcase his speed and strong hands, snatching hard-thrown passes from quarterback Chris Arviso out of the air with ease. He also became a deep threat and was constantly on the receiving end of long passes against other schools from across the state. Along with his athleticism, Braun had the chance to show off how dedicated he was to the team and the newThisposition.summer, he continued that pro gression. At the University of Arizona 7s tournament against Chandler, Braun went all out for a ball, diving toward the

42 AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | AUGUST 17, 2022 www.ahwatukee.com

Matty Braun found opportunities in football at Mountain Pointe introduces big school sports changes

see BRAUN page 43 see AIA page 44

Mountain Pointe senior Matty Braun trans ferred to the program as a kicker before his junior season. Now, he’s preparing to make a difference as a kicker, receiver and return specialist. (Dave Minton/AFN Staff)

“As he got acclimated to the group and program, I think he realized he can do a few more things,” Lauer said. “He did some of that last year but he didn’t start until Week 6 so we just needed him to kick. It’s

DV star runner Lauren Ping transfers to Valley Christian

Now he’s got it. And he plans to make the most of it.

Braun began to open the eyes of coach es. They began to give him more oppor tunities in practices and other showcase events.Butone problem remained: He was Mountain Pointe’s only kicker and head coach Eric Lauer was hesitant to risk his health on offense. But the first week of offi cial practices began to ease those concerns. On Thursday, Aug. 11, Lauer brought up junior varsity kicker Ben Briggs. He matched Braun’s kicks at every distance. He fell just short of a 45-yarder, but that was enough for Lauer. Immediately, Lauer acknowledged Braun’s chance to have an extended role in the offense, something he has wanted to do.

now evolved into something bigger where he’s prob ably going to return kicks for us as well as“Wereceiver.added a player without the numbers changing.”

With another vi able option, Braun is likely to now get his chance. Along with wideout, he may find himself as Mountain Pointe’s return anBraunspecialist.wantedopportunityat Mountain Pointe. He wanted to be come a viable op tion at slot for the Pride, much like Isaiah Ice-Robinson was last year along with Mason Hill, a good friend of Braun’s who played his first sea son of football as a senior and earned col lege opportunities.

“I want to be the guy,” Braun said. “Ob viously the ball is going to spread around, we’ve got all these weapons. I want to con tribute to the maximum capability that I can, that I know I can. I want to be a bigtime playmaker for this team.”

SPORTS 43AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | AUGUST 17, 2022

For now, Braun still plans to pursue a college scholarship in kicking. But he’s opened the door for a future as a wideout.He’sput on 25 pounds of muscle this offseason to prepare for a much more physi cal outing as a senior. He’s bought into the culture of this year’s Pride team, which centers around getting the program back to where it was when Lauer was an assis tant under Norris Vaughan and they were one of the best teams in the nation. They have the talent to catch several teams off guard this year, and Braun now adds another element to that arsenal.

“Seeing all the hard work and seeing it all come together, as Gary (Tucker) said, the sky is the limit,” Braun said. “That pretty much sums it up. We can knock the top off of every team.”  Braun transferred from Higley after making the drive from his Ahwatu kee home to Gilbert every day. Now with the Pride, he’s excited for the direction of the team as the roster is filled to the brim with talent and expectations are high. (Dave Minton/AFN Staff)

“Matty is just one of those, like, a tool box,” Arviso said. “He can be used for anything. He’s a good kicker, he’s a good punter, he’s a good receiver, I don’t think people know how good Matty really is. He was just waiting for his opportunity.”

BY ZACH ALVIRA AFN Sports Editor L auren Ping, who was named the Gatorade Arizona Cross Country Runner of the Year the last three years while competing for Desert Vista, has transferred to Valley Christian. Megan Ping, Lauren’s mother and for mer head Desert Vista girls’ cross coun try coach, confirmed the move Monday morning to the Ahwatukee Foothills News. She said the decision stemmed from a conversation she had with Desert Vista Athletic Director David Klecka in the spring about an interim cross coun try coach for the summer while she trav eled with Lauren to national events. “It happened during track. I was try ing to figure out someone to coach for the summer because I was going to be taking Lauren to some national meets on behalf of Desert Vista,” Megan said. “She had qualified for some and then we had a couple family trips. Basically, Klec ka pulled me into his office and said if I can’t be in Phoenix everyday this sum mer he was going to post that job. “That kind of made the decision forKleckaus.” did not respond to text mes sages requesting comment. Lauren has been electric since she stepped foot on campus at Desert Vista as a freshman after moving from Minne sota. She ran alongside her older sister, Grace, who went on to continue her ca reer at Oklahoma State Lauren won the cross country state title as a freshman for Desert Vista in 2019. She followed that up with another state title a year later. She was a part of the 4x800-meter Thunder relay track team that won gold in 2021. She also won individual titles in the 1600- and 3200-meter runs that same year as Des ert Vista placed third as a team. As a junior, she won her third-straight cross country championship last fall and helped the Thunder place second. Nag ging injuries limited her to just one race at the track state championships this Lauren Ping, who was named the Gatorade Arizona Cross Country Runner of the Year the last three years while competing for Desert Vista, has transferred to Valley Christian. (AFN File Photo) past May. She placed third in the 3200. She will now help boost the Valley Christian girls’ cross country program into a state title contender this fall. Later in the spring, she will join a program that is already a dynasty with multiple top-three finishes as a team since 2011 and a state title in 2021. Overall, the Lady Trojans have 19 state championships dating back to 1992. Megan said having come from a pri vate school in Minnesota before Desert Vista, Valley Christian seemed like the best fit for Lauren. “We came from a private Catholic high school in Minnesota, and we re ally miss that atmosphere a lot,” Megan said. “We’re just excited to be on a car ing, committed team who cares about its athletes. They pray before practice and we’re Christian, so it feels good to be on a Christian team. We’re excited.” 

BRAUN from page 42 ground in order to make the catch. His teammates recognized him for his effort.

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The Open Division for football was in troduced in 2019 to bring together the 6A-4A conferences and to crown a true state football champion. At the time, Saguaro was dominating at the 4A level. The Sabercats were moved up to the 5A level two years ago and again to 6A with the most recent update to the football classifications. That change also brought up teams like Cactus and Ameri can Leadership Academy - Queen Creek, two 4A schools that made the Open Divi sion last season. Hines said a vote in May by the 4A Con ference committee to continue includ ing the conference in the Open Division finished in a tie. But to offset that, new multipliers were introduced. All 6A teams will receive a multiplier of 10 after the regular season. Teams in the 5A Conference will have a multiplier of nine and 4A teams a multiplier of eight. Hines said this will even the playing field, to a certain degree. In retrospect, it will reward teams that play a tougher schedule in the higher conferences. And while it doesn’t fully eliminate 4A teams from contention, it makes their path to the Open harder. “Our process of reclassification has made a huge difference in the parity of high school football,” Hines said. “Even with the multiplier, if they’re good enough, a 4A team can still make the Open.”

“We have done a lot of data on that,” Hines said. “At one point we would’ve had a 1A kid win the state championship, it was a girl that ran the 100. We had multiple kids at 2A and 3A that would be state champions and then of course four, five and six. It will be fun to watch.”

Girls flag football Girls flag football has grown exponen tially in the last few years. The Chandler district crowned its first-ever champion after district-play between the six high schools last spring. With Chandler leading the way, other districts have now started recruiting student-athletes for programs at their high schools. Mountain Pointe, all Mesa schools and others have jumped on board this year. With that, the AIA has identified girls flag football as an emerging sport. If it continues to grow, it could officially be come a sanctioned sport under the asso ciation as soon as next year. “We are going to have a committee to gether and start talking about that,” Hines said. “We are hoping to tie that to state football. The culminating event for that would be tied to our state football.”  Hi Everyone, Just a friendly reminder that if your toilet water supply has a thin white plastic nut, you should consider changing it to a steel braided, steel-tipped supply line. We have been seeing these plastic ones crack at the ﬁtting and they can do a large amount of ﬂood damage to your house, especially if you’re not home when it happens. If you are unsure if yours should be changed, please give us a call.

Basketball Open Division

44 AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | AUGUST 17, 2022SPORTS

New for Open Division football

Hines said the AIA will also introduce 335-second shot clocks for 3A-6A con ferences this season. The 1A and 2A vot ed against them. During the regular season, shot clocks will be used if schools have technology in place. If they don’t, games will be played without them. In the playoffs, however, shot clocks are mandatory for all games. If a host school does not have the technology, the games will be moved to a different venue. “All state games, 3A through 6A, will use a shot clock,” Hines said.

The AIA will host an Open Division basketball tournament for boys and girls to conclude the winter sports sea son this year. It will feature the top eight teams from the 6A-4A conferences and the next best rated eight teams from thoseThoseconferences.32willbe put into a bracket, with the first round taking place before other conference tournaments. The sec ond round of the Open tournament will coincide with conference play-in games, which feature an additional 16 teams. Those who are eliminated from the Open Division will be placed back into the conference playoffs with teams that win play-in games. Those teams from the Open will main tain their original ranking before being taken to the Open tournament. The eight who remain in the Open will then play for a true state championship, much like the football format. Conference champi ons will still be crowned for 1A-6A. From the start of basketball playoffs through the first few days of March, the AIA will host 275 tournament games. All championship games will take place at Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix. “It’s a humongous job but we’ve worked with the coaches and our schools, and we think we are going to have, basically, 30 days of state basketball,” Hines said.

AIA from page 42

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46 AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | AUGUST 17, 2022 PHX EAST VALLEY PARTNERSHIP APS STATESPERSONS’ LUNCHEON Keynote Speaker Ron Brownstein: All About the Midterms: A Look at Arizona’s Political Landscape 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 14 Doubletree by Hilton Phoenix-Mesa • (1011 W. Holmes, Mesa) Register today. Tables of 8: $1,000/Individual Tickets: $125 480.532.0641 or jhubbard@phxeastvalley.com A Zoom option may be available. PRESENTED BY: The Midterms are approaching and Arizona is a state to watch. At this event, you’ll get unfiltered and nonpartisan insights on the state of politics in Arizona from Ron Brownstein, senior editor of The Atlantic, contributing editor for National Journal and a senior political analyst for CNN. Part jour nalist, part historian, and all shrewd political observer, Brownstein will de liver sharp analysis on politics, policy, the electorate, media and the range of issues informed by his strong sense of American political and national history. Following the keynote address, you’ll hear from candidates in key races share their plans for building on Arizona’s economic momentum while addressing our communities’ most pressing issues.

BY ALEX GALLAGHER Progress Staff Writer A fter SugarJam The Southern Kitch en left its former Scottsdale home in January 2021, the restaurant has grown into much more at its new home near Hayden Road and Raintree Drive.SugarJam opened The Market by Sugar Jam as well as an ice cream trailer on July 23 and the two locations have served as unique extensions of a growing concept. “We’re still growing,” said SugarJam owner/CEO Dana Dumas. “This is a nice sized space but for the amount of volume that we receive during the weekend, we’re almost outpacing the size of the space now.”

“I had chairs and other things from my first restaurant and with that being said,” she explained, “I said to myself, ‘OK, I need to get rid of this stuff and I need to move forward with something.’ And then I real ized I always wanted a retail store. “We get a lot of out-of-towners from Texas and Atlanta to New York and Chi cago and we get so many people asking us, ‘Hey, do you have anything that we can get that says SugarJam on it or something I can have as a memory?’” Dumas got to work clearing out the space and converting it into a boutique in spired by the shops that can be frequented in southern cities like Savannah, Georgia, and Charleston, South Carolina, stocked full of SugarJam-branded merchandise SugarJam The Southern Kitchen owner/CEO Dana Dumas is expanding her operation as the pop ularity of her restaurant/bakery and ice cream trailer grows. (David Minton AFN Staff Photographer) see

Hall of Flame runs on passion for fire history ZAKKARY BROG GetOut

SugarJam’s

SUGAR page 48

As crowds began waiting outside her doors to get a table and diners anxiously awaited a hot meal, Dumas had an idea of how to utilize a space she had been stor ing items in from her first restaurant.

shut the world down in 2020, mere months into Chuck Montgomery’s ten ure as executive director of the Hall of Flame Museum of Firefighting, he didn’t panic. In fact, he viewed it as a chance to do something special. “It ended up being an awesome oppor tunity,” Montgomery said. “In the three months I evaluated this place before my arrival, I really felt like there was a need for a number of things to be addressed. Those items, by incorporat ing the employees and volunteers, we did everything possible to essentially gut the museum and start all over from the A/C down to the plumbing to the flooring. We just decided to rebuild this place entirely. We spent 90 days making it a better ver sion of itself.” Montgomery’s passion for firefighting fueled his dedication to shine a light on the occupation at the museum. “For me, it’s meaningful on two fronts,” said Montgomery, who retired as Glendale Fire Department’s deputy chief. “It’s meaningful for me to see fire his tory preserved, having done it for most of my life. On a second note, the opportunity for us to educate the public—and I’m talk ing about youth—about fire safety is re ally paramount. It’s now difficult for fire departments and cities to deliver because ofTheCOVID.”museum gives the staff the chance to bring that information to kids, added Montgomery, who was a firefighter for 37Recently,years. Montgomery and his staff trained 1,600 second-grade students from the Cartwright School District. He said it wasTherewarding.museum’s education curator, Mark Moorhead, never worked as a firefighter. His resume includes stints as a journalist and stage actor. “I never really knew much about it or had all that keen of an interest on it,” Moorhead said. “I grew up in my small town, three doors down from the fire hall. Friends of mine from high school became firefighters. I never even really thought about it. I came to work here, because a friend of mine that’d I’d worked with in the theater had this job before I did. He hooked me up to get the job. I had no museum experience and no firefighting experience. They gave me the job anyway.”

In his 16 years with the museum, Moor head has turned into a self-proclaimed “fire buff.” “I’m really fascinated by this history, and it just turns out to be like the history of a hundred other things you never thought about,” he said. “It’s more complex and more interest ing than you realize. Without organized firefighting, you really don’t have civiliza Ian Seivwright tries his hand behind the wheel of an antique fire truck. (Special to GetOut) see page

FLAME

47AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | AUGUST 17, 2022 GET OUT @AhwatukeeFN@AhwatukeeFN www.ahwatukee.comwww.ahwatukee.com

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BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFNExecutiveEditor The Nov. General Election for the three legislative seats representing Ah watukee appears to be battle of the sexes of sorts as an all-male Republican slate will vie with three Democratic women. The two Ahwatukee women running in five-wayracefortwoDemocraticHousenomi nations in Legislative District 12 topped the field and the all-Ahwatukee contest for the Republican Senate nomination appeared won

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49AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | AUGUST 17, 2022 480-725-3511Some restrictions apply. See website for additional information. O ers expire 12/31/2022. www.BrewersAC.com Service Call (with repair) • Second OpinionFREEFREE We offer Big Savings and Great Financing! BESTOF 2021 40 Serving the Central Valley Years SINCE 1982 ROC #C39-312643 DOG DAYS OF SUMMER ARE HERE! We are offering $40 OFF our Brewer’s Deluxe 20 point Tune up REG. $119 Ask about our INDOOR REME HALO ® IN-DUCT AIR PURIFIER! Just in time for Haboob Season Subscribe Here www.ahwatukee.com Receive your digital ﬂip-thru edition every week in your e-mail box! www.ahwatukee.com @AhwatukeeFN @AhwatukeeFN INSIDE: COMMUNITY P.X AROUND AF P.X OPINION P.X BUSINESS X |HEALTH & WELLNESS P.X GETOUT P.X SPORTS P.X CLASSIFIED P.X PAUL MARYNIAK AFNExecutiveEditor

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The Phoenix Planning Commission on Aug. dealt 30-day setback to the de velopers’ timetable for the massive Up per Canyon development in Ahwatukee after expressing confusion over their request and questioning city staff’s analysis of related trafficstudy. Blandford Homes and subsidiary Reserve 100 LLC have the zoning to build 1,050 mostly single-story houses, 150 build-to-rent town houses and 329 apartments on the 373-acre former State Trust Land parcel along Chandler Boulevard between 19th and 27th avenues. ButtheyneedCityCouncilapprovalofapro posal to leave South Chandler Boulevard at three lanes and downgrade the classification of 27th Avenue between the Boulevard and South Mountain Freeway from “arterial” to “collector” street. TheyhadhopedtogetPlanningCommission approval during last week’s virtual hearing in timeforCityCounciltoactonitatitsfirstpostsummer-vacation meeting Sept. 7. Blandford andReserve100aimtostartsellinghousesby 2024.But their timetable was thrown off by at least 30 days after the Commission directed them to more clearly explain the impact of so many homes on traffic and road safety in light of their opposition to widening South Chan dlerSomeBoulevard.commission members also com plained Blandford’s reasoning confused themwhile residents who opposed the plan said Blandford wants to avoid the cost of road wid eningandhavemorelandformorehouses. Residents fear for the ability of emergency vehicles to access not only Upper Canyon but the three communities west of there Foot hillsReserve,PromontoryandCalabria. Among those expressing concern was John Barton, one of the developers of those three communities.Stressingthat he supported the Upper Can yon development, Barton nevertheless ripped Blandford’s request, noting that the nearest fire station is six miles away and the city has no immediate plans to build one in western Ahwatukee. Upper Canyon’s 33 DV frosh Everest Leydecker 29 Local man’s pet supply

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The mechanism on all sizes is very smooth and easy to operate with the king size version offering a unique split sleeping area allowing only one side to be opened if needed.

2899$

Monika full size shown in silver fabric. The Monika series can be special ordered in a wide assortment of fabrics to suit your specific needs and style. Our Lena sofa sleeper is a pleasure to operate and has no cumbersome loose cushions to store as they automatically tuck away under the sleeping mechanism. Available from stock in a durable and soft forest grey or dark brown fabric. 3998$ Throw pillows not included. King Queen 2599 sofa

sleeper & receive a copenhagen gif t card valued at $125 for ever y 1000 you spend. $ Please note: $125 Copenhagen gift card for every full $1000 purchased is available on any in-stock or special order sleeper sofa purchase. Gift card will be mailed after payment in full and delivery has been accepted. This offer is strictly limited to sofa sleeper purchases and is not available on any other product category. Cannot be combined with any other in-store or factory sponsored offer or discounts. Not valid on previous purchase. Bedding and throw pillows shown are not included. please see the location nearest you for full offer details. Offer ends August 28, 2022. furniturecontemporary&accessories www.copenhagenliving.comShop online at HOURS: PHOENIX Mon-Sat: 9am-6pm, Sundays: Noon-5pm SCOTTSDALE & GILBERT Mon-Fri: 10am-7pm, Saturdays: 10am-6pm, Sundays: Noon-5pm PHOENIX 1701 E. Camelback 602-266-8060 SCOTTSDALE 15804 N. Scottsdale Rd. (South of Bell) 480-367-6401 GILBERT 2000 S. Santan Village Pkwy. 480-838-3080

Monika king size sofa sleeper is made in Finland and shown here in charcoal fabric Monika king shown with split sleeping surface.

Our sofa beds offer all the functionality of a sleeper, but without having the appearance of one. Sleek designs that sit as well as they look and offer surprising comfort in a fold-away bed. Choose from our in-stock collection or special order in a number of different fabrics and leathers. looks like a sofa, sits like a sofa, sleeps like a bed.

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50 AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | AUGUST 17, 2022

The Monika series has been a best seller for some time and is available as a king, queen, full or single sleeper. All four sizes are stocked In a very nice charcoal fabric with our most popular full size version also stocked in silver.

• Vanilla ice cream

• 6 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut in half

2. Unfold the sheets of puff pastry and cut each sheet into quarters. Place the pastry pieces on the prepared sheet pans and refrigerate while you prepare the apples.

4. Bake for 40 minutes, until the pastry is browned and the edges of the apples start to brown. Rotate the pan once during cooking. If the pastry puffs up in one area, cut a little slit with a knife to let the air out.

7. In a pot of boiling water, blanch the walnuts in a pot of boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain walnuts.

• Candied walnuts

9. Toss the walnuts in the confectioner’s sugar with a pinch of salt until well coated.

• 8 oz. powdered sugar • 8 oz. walnuts

8. Heat the frying oil to 300 degrees.

3. Peel and core the apples. Slice the apples in half (from the top of the apple), then slice crosswise in 1/4- inch-thick slices. (8 slices per ½ apple). Place 6 overlapping slices of apples diagonally across each piece of pastry and place a slice of apple on each side. Sprinkle the sugar over all the pastry pieces and dot with the butter.

• 7 oz balsamic vinegar

• 8 oz. real maple syrup

6. Make the Balsamic Syrup. In a deep saucepan over medium low heat, bring the balsamic vinegar and maple syrup to a boil and cook until it reaches 230 degrees. Set aside and allow the mixture to cool to room temperature. (When cooled, it should be the consistency of honey.)

10. Heat a skillet with 1 TBSP oil. Over medium high heat, fry the sugar coated walnuts until a deep golden brown, stirring often. Do not burn walnuts. Allow to cool on a silicone sheet.

• 8 TBSP cold butter, diced small • 1 cup apricot jelly

• 1 TBSP vegetable oil for frying

• Pinch of salt

11. Place one scoop of ice cream on each apple galette. Sprinkle candied nuts over ice cream and drizzle with balsamic syrup. Serves 8. 

• 1 cup sugar

5. When the galettes are done, heat the apricot jelly together with the rum and brush the apples and pastry completely with the jelly mixture. Loosen the galettes with a metal spatula so they don’t stick to the paper. Serve warm or at room temperature with a scoop of ice cream, walnuts and Maple Balsamic Syrup over top.

Directions: 1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper.

51GET OUTAHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | AUGUST 17, 2022 ACROSS 1 Felines 5 Discoverer’s call 8 Brewer’s kiln 12 Owl call 13 Massage 14 Leg joint 15 protagonistNot-so-noble 17 Rat- -18 Green sauce 19 Realm 21 Penny 24 Help 25 Persian leader 28 Knitter’s need 30 Assoc. 33 Bit of wit 34 Rehab process 35 -- chi 36 Even so 37 Slanted type (Abbr.) 38 Darned 39 Hollywood’s Lupino 41 Take five 43 Burning 46 Leslie of “Gigi” 50 Songs for one 51 Daughter of Oedipus 54 Mon. follower 55 Half of XIV 56 Send forth 57 Teeny 58 Ecol. watchdog 59 Pixels DOWN 1 Bloke 2 First-rate 3 Youngsters 4 Do needlework 5 Raw mineral 6 “Ben- --” 7 Slender woodwind 8 Giraffe’s kin 9 Poison remedy 10 Char 11 Head, to Henri 16 Weeding tool 20 Tailless cat 22 Russian refusal 23 Early Mongolian 25 Covert agent 26 Coloration 27 Cuba, Jamaica, etc. 29 Actor’s quest 31 Cold and damp 32 Tonic’s mixer 34 Actress Cameron 38 Put on, as a play 40 Dagwood’s dog 42 High school subj. 43 Wine region 44 Boxing match 45 Roof overhang 47 Former Dallas QB Tony 48 Taking action 49 Tennis barriers 52 Wee bite 53 Spanish aunt Sudoku King Crossword PUZZLES ANSWERS on page 52 With JAN D’ATRI GetOut Contributor This go-to dessert will have guests saying ‘more, please’ L ooking for a “go-to” des sert recipe? You can’t go wrong with this delicious combination of apple pastry, candied walnuts, a drizzle of homemade balsamic reduc tion served with vanilla ice It’s a scrumptious culinary puzzle that fits perfectly together. Make it once, and you’ll go to it time and time again, guaranteed.  Ingredients: • 2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed in the refrigerator

• Maple balsamic syrup

• 3TBSP rum

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The number of people working from home soared as pandemic-related restrictions were put in place. That gave many people a glimpse of the freedom and flexibility that on-demand workers have long enjoyed. Freelancers remain in high demand. They quickly introduce specialized skills to a workforce, and can be hired faster since employers avoid the lengthy interview process involved with hiring full-time personnel. At the same time, freelancers gain valuable experience in a variety of work situations. Ondemand workers enjoy broadly expanded networking opportunities, while working on a much more personalized schedule. They don’t get stuck in a work-related rut either. GETTING STARTED On-demand work requires an online presence, since you won’t be taking part in a traditional interview process or typically even work at a job site. You’ll need to provide a comprehensive landing spot for prospective employers to learn more about your job history, special skills,and work product. Your portfolio can be posted on professional job sites like LinkedIn, or consider launching a personal site. Accept that you might have to take low-paying gigs to begin with, since you’re just getting started. Follow prospective companies on social media, in order to learn more about the kind of employee they’re interested in. Consider tailoring some of your early pursuits toward the kind of jobs that they’re already offering.

MAKING YOUR PITCH TARGETED AND SHORT Make an honest assessment of your particular experience and skillset before applying for a freelance gig. Casting a net that’s too wide will only lead to unhappy clients. Hiring managers who are looking for freelance help typically need to fill the jobs quickly, so your pitch needs to be targeted, short and sweet. Make it easy for them to skim through your query to find key points, and provide a link to your online portfolio to find out more. And don’t forget to craft every pitch for each unique opportunity. Generic queries will often be ignored.

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Frustrated with your current job? Become your own boss. Freelancing offers a number of perks that everyday employment can’t, beginning with the opportunity to make your own schedule. Becoming an on-demand worker also allows you to dabble in a variety of things, rather than focusing in on one particular job or career path.

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We Accept: Irrigation ROC 304267 • Licensed & Bonded 480.345.1800 Sprinkler & Drip Systems • Modifications • Installs • 20+ Years Experience • 6 Year Warranty 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 Call for a FREE consultation and Estimate To learn more about us, view our photo gallery at: ShadeTreeLandscapes.com 480-730-1074 Bonded/Insured/Licensed • ROC #225923 Garage/Doors GARAGE DOOR SERVICE East Valley/ Ahwatukee Broken Springs Replaced Nights/WeekendsBonded/Insured 480 251 8610 Not a licensed contractor ImprovementHome REMODEL CONTRACTOR Plans / Additions Patios New Doors, Windows Lowest Price in Town! R Child Lic#216115 Class BO3 Bonded Insured Ref s 480 215 3373 Glass/Mirror GLASS, MIRRORS, SHOWER DOORS Family Owned w th 50 years EXPERIENCE Shower and tub enclosures, Framed, Frame ess or Custom Doors, We a so instal insulated glass, m rrored closet doors, window glass, m rrors, pat o doors, glass table protectors If it’s glass, we can help you QUALITY SERVICE at Competitive Prices FREE Estimates WESLEY'S GLASS & MIRROR Call 480-306-5113 wesleysglass.com SERVICING THE ENTIRE VALLEY Garage/Doors GARAGE DOOR SPRINGS REPLACED Licensed • Bonded • Insured SERVICE | INSTALLATIONS | REPAIRS 623-853-3311 ROC # 336907 Handyman ✔ Painting ✔ HeatersWater ✔ Electrical ✔ Plumbing ✔ Drywall ✔ Carpentry ✔ Decks ✔ Tile ✔ Kitchens ✔ Bathrooms And More! Marks the Spot for ALL Your Handyman Needs! “No Job Too Small Man!” Call Bruce at 602.670.7038 Ahwatukee Resident/ References/ Insured/ Not a Licensed Contractor Affordable, Quality Work Since 1999 2010, 2011 2012,20142013, Painting • Flooring • Electrical Plumbing • Drywall • Carpentry Decks • Tile • More! Marks the Spot for ALL Your Handyman Needs! “No Job Too Small Man!” Call Bruce at 602.670.7038 Ahwatukee Resident/ References/ Insured/ Not a Licensed Contractor Affordable, Quality Work Since 1999 2010, 2011 2012,20142013, Painting Flooring Electrical Plumbing Drywall Carpentry Decks • Tile • More! Marks the Spot for ALL Your Handyman Needs! “No Job Too Small Man!” at References/602.670.7038Insured/NotaLicensedContractor Quality Work Since 1999 2010, 2011 2012,20142013, Painting • Flooring • Electrical Plumbing • Drywall • Carpentry Decks • Tile • More! Marks the Spot for ALL Your Handyman Needs! “No Job Too Small Man!” Bruce at 602.670.7038 Resident/ References/ Insured/ Not a Licensed Contractor Affordable, Quality Work Since 1999 2010, 2011 2012,20142013, Painting • Flooring • Electrical Plumbing • Drywall • Carpentry Decks • Tile • More! “No Job TooMan!”Small BSMALLMAN@Q.COM Call Bruce at 602.670.7038 Ahwatukee Resident / References Insured / Not a Licensed Contractor Handyman Jaden Associates.comSydney Visit our website! Landlord and Homeowner Property Services Repairs • Drywall • Painting • BINSR Items Plumbing • Electrical • HOA Compliance AND so much more! Ahwatukee Resident 480.335.4180 Not a licensed contractor. MALDONADOHOMEREPAIRSERVICES480.201.5013CALLDOUG THE HANDYMAN THAT HANDLES SMALL JOBS THAT OTHERS DECLINE ✔ Painting ✔ Lighting ✔ Replace Cracked Roof Tiles ✔ Gate Restoration ✔ Plumbing Repairs ✔ TexturingSheetrockRepairs Ahwatukee Resident, References Available, Insured *Not A Licensed Contractor ✔ & MUCH MORE! Hauling • Furniture • Appliances • Mattresses • Televisions • Garage Clean-Out • Construction Debris • Old Paint & Chems. • Yard Waste • Concrete Slab • Remodeling Debris • Old Tires Home Improvement • BASE BOARDS • DRYWALL • ELECTRICAL • PAINTING • PLUMBING • BATHROOMS • WOOD FLOORING • FRAMING WALLS • FREE ESTIMATES • GRANITE FABRICATION & INSTALLATION • CARPET INSTALLATION • LANDSCAPING Home Remodeling No Job Too Discounts!SeniorSmall! David Hernandez (602) 802 3600 daveshomerepair@yahoo.com • Se Habla Español CONTRACTORLICENSEDANOT Home Improvement KHOMESERVICES “For all your Home Exterior Needs” • Leaky Roof Repairs • Tile Repairs • Painting • Flat Roof Coating • Wood Repair • Doors & Windows Roger rogerkretz@yahoo.com480.233.0336Kretz 25+ Years of Customer Services Irrigation • RepairsSprinkler/Drip • NewPoly/PVCInstalls • Same Day Service 5 -YEAR PART WARRANTY 480.654.5600 azirrigation.com Cutting Edge LLC • ROC 281671 WORKMANSHIP GUARANTEED! MD’S LANDSCAPING Drip Systems Installed, Valves/Timer Repairs Let’s get your Watering System working again! System Checks • Drip Checks FREE ESTIMATES! CALL 24 HOURS 25 Yrs Exp. I Do All My Own Work! Call Mark 480.295.2279 Referred out of Ewing Irrigation Not a licensed contractor. Landscape Design/Installation JOSE’S LANDSCAPING Not a licensed contractor. Call Today For A Quote 480-690-0081 • Synthetic Turf for your Home • Front Yards • Back Yards • Golfing Greens SpecializinginArtificialGrass

58 AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | AUGUST 17, 2022CLASSIFIEDS Roofing LICENSED | BONDED | INSURED | ROC #269218 $1000 OFF when you show this ad *on qualifying complete roof replacements Let Us Show You The IN-EX Difference! www.InExRoofing. c om 602-938-7575CallforyourFREE Roof Evaluation Today!Over 30 Years of Experience Family Operated by 3 Generations of Roofers! FREE Estimates • Credit Cards OK www.spencer4hireroofing.com ROC#244850 | Insured | Bonded Spencer4HIREROOFING Valley Wide Service 10% OFF with this ad Ahwatukee’s Premier Tile, Shingle & Foam Roofer! 480-446-7663 Plumbing PLUMBING (480)704.5422 AHWATUKEE’S#1PLUMBER Licensed • Bonded • Insured A+ RATED We RepairorInstall $35.00 Off Any Service Call Today! ROC 272721# Affinity Plumbing LLC affi480-487-5541nityplumber@gmail.com $35 off AnyYourServiceAhwatukee Plumber & East Valley Neighbor DisposalsFaucetsToiletsInsideWaterAnythingwww.affinityplumbingaz.comPlumbingHeaters&OutLeaksSameDayService24/7BondedInsuredEstimatesAvailablerNotalicensedcontractor Plumbing Pool Service / Repair Call Juan 480-720-3840at Not a licensed contractor. 25 Years Experience • Dependable & Reliable POOL REPAIR Pebble cracking, Plaster peeling, Rebar showing, Pool Light out? I CAN HELP! Juan Hernandez Pavers • Concrete • Water Features • Sprinkler Repair SPECIAL! $500 OFF COMPLETE REMODEL! MARK’S POOL SERVICE Mark 602-799-0147 Owner Operated - 20 Years Ask About Filter Cleaning Specials! CPO#85-185793 Play Pools start at $95/month with chemicals Remodeling 602-363-2655https://www.rrdelacruzshowerandmore.com/|fredydelacruzluis@icloud.comFREEESTIMATES•COMPETITIVERATES Your best choice for shower walls & floor installation with all kind of materials like wood, laminate & more. 10 YEARS EXPERIENCE | RESPONSIBLE | QUICK RESPONSE *NOT A LICENSED CONTRACTOR Roofing Plumbing Drain Cleaning Experts, water heaters, disposals, water & sewer lines re Rpaired/replaced&remodelsapidResponse If water runs through it we do it! 602 663 8432 Pool Service / Repair Ahwatukee! 2019 Monthly Service & Repairs Available Licensed, Bonded & www.barefootpoolman.comROC#272001InsuredSeeourBeforesandAftersonFacebook7665 Pool Service / Repair MORE CLASSIFIED ADS ONLINE! www Ahwatukee com CASH OUT!

59AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | AUGUST 17, 2022 CLASSIFIEDS Puzzle PhillipsRoofing@cox.netPhillipsRoofing.org ROOFINGPHILLIPSLLC Family Owned and Operated 43 Years Experience in Arizona COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL Licensed 2006 ROC InsuredBonded223367 623-873-1626 Free Estimates Monday through Saturday Roofing Quality Repairs & Re-Roofs Call our office today! 480-460-7602 Family Owned & Operated for over 30 years Complimentary & Honest Estimates ROC #152111 Ask us about our discount for all Military and First Responders! Licensed,www.porterroofinginc.comBonded,Insured ROC152111 Roofing Family Operated by 3 Generations of Roofers! We have a “Spencer” on every job and every step of the way. FREE Estimates • Credit Cards OK www.spencer4hireroofing.com ROC#244850 | Insured | Bonded Ahwatukee’s Premier Tile, Shingle & Foam Roofer! 480-446-7663 AZROC #283571 | CONTRACTOR LIC. AZROC #312804 CLASS CR4 FULLY INSURED TILESPECIALISTSROOFING 10% OFF UNDERLAYMENTCOMPLETE desertsandscontracting.comFlatandFoamRoofExperts! FREE ESTIMATES 602-736-3019 FLAT ROOFS | SHINGLES | TEAR OFFS | NEW ROOFS | REPAIRS TILE UNDERLAYMENT | TILE REPAIR | LEADERS | COPPER ALUMINUM COATINGS | GUTTERS | SKYLIGHTS Commercial & Residential Family Owned & Operated Serving All Types of Roofing: • Tiles & Shingles • Installation • Repair • Re-Roofing FREE ESTIMATES sunlandroofingllc@gmail.com 602-471-2346 Clean, Prompt, Friendly and Professional Service Not a contractorlicensed MonsoonRoofingInc.com Licensed – Bonded – Insured – ROC187561 10% Discount for Ahwatukee Residents 100% NO Leak Guarantee Re-Roof & Roofing Repairs Tile, Shingles & Flat Roof 480-699-2754 • info@monsoonroofinginc.com Roofing Tiles, shingles, flat, repairs & new work Free Estimates • Ahwatukee Resident Over 30 yrs. Experience 480-706-1453 Licensed/Bonded/Insured • ROC #236099 pliSh SplaSh SSongS Name these songs that have “Rain” in the title. BAND OR SINGER SONG TITLE ThePrinceGeneEurythmicsKellyWeather Girls The GunsBobNeilAdeleBarbraU2BlindCarpentersMelonStreisandSedakaDylanN’Roses AnswersToptoBottom:HereComestheRainAgain;Singin’intheRain;PurpleRain;It’s RainingMen;RainyDaysandMondays;NoRain;SummerRain;Don’tRainonMyParade;Set FiretotheRain;LaughterintheRain;AHardRain’sA-GonnaFall;NovemberRain CB HEATCANKILL. Bring your pets indoors summerduringheat. Your Ad can go ONLINE ANY Day! Call to place your ad online! Classifieds 480-898-6465 480-898-6465CLASSIFIEDSclass@ Times LocalMedia.com

60 AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | AUGUST 17, 2022CLASSIFIEDS AVAILABLEDELIVERYNEXTDAY NO GUARANTEEDWHEREMATTERYOUSEEIT,READIT,ORHEARABOUTIT,SPENCERSISTOBEALOWERPRICE! 58” 4K UHD SMART TV UN58TU7000•2HDMIInputs•Airplay2Built-In $ 219 • 1.8 Cu. Ft. Capacity • 2 Speed 300 CFM Exhaust • Digital Display • FFMV1846VWTimer CLOSEOUT Arizona’s independentlargestdealer! “It’s Like Having A Friend In The Business” MESA SHOWROOM & CLEARANCE CENTER 4601 E. Ray Rd. | Phoenix | 480-777-7103 ARROWHEAD RANCH 7346 W. Bell Road | 623-487-7700 GILBERT Santan Village | 2711 S. Santan Village Pkwy | 480-366-3900 GLENDALE 10220 N. 43rd Ave | (602) 504-2122 GOODYEAR 1707 N. Litchfield Rd | 623-930-0770 RECONDITION CENTER 160 EAST BROADWAY | 480-615-1763 SCOTTSDALE 14202 N. Scottsdale Rd. | 480-991-7200 SCOTTSDALE/PHOENIX 13820 N. Tatum Blvd. | (602) 494-0100 NOW OPEN - MESA 5141 S. Power Rd. | 480-988-1917 OPEN DAILY 9AM-9PM | SATURDAY 9AM-6PM | SUNDAY 11AM-5PM some items may be out of stock. NO NEEDED,CREDITOPTIONSAVAILABLE 319 WASHERDISHWASHER • 3.4 Cu. Ft. Capacity • 3 Temperature Settings • Dual Action Agitator NTW450IXQ CLOSEOUT DRYER $47999 58” *See store for details. *** NO INTEREST IF PAID IN FULL IN 12 MONTHS. $799.00 Minimum Purchase Required Minimum Payments Required 30.79% APR If the promotional balance is not paid in full by the end for the promotional period or, to the extent permitted by law, if you make a late payment, interest will be imposed from the date of purchase at the APR noted above. This APR is as of 2/26/22 and will vary with the market based on the Prime Rate. Your card agreement, the terms of the offer and applicable law govern this transaction including increasing APRs and fees and terminating the promotional period. MICROWAVEOVER-THE-RANGEREFRIGERATOR • 25 Cubic Foot Capacity • Spill Proof Glass Shelves • Humidity Controlled Drawers WRS325SDHZ DISHWASHER • ControlIntegratedStyling • Premium Nylon Racks • In SilverwareDoor Basket • Energy Star Qualified WDF520PADM CLOSEOUT RANGE • 4.8 Cubic Foot Capacity • Self Cleaning Oven • Smooth Top • Proudly Made in USA WFE505W0HS CLOSEOUT BUYS ALL 3 PIECES429$2410 FRONT WASHERLOAD 4.5 Cu. Ft. Capacity 10 Wash Cycles Smart •••WF45T6200AWCare $ 699 $ 1299 12 MONTHS INTEREST**NO Spencers has been a family owned, and operated business for over 50 years. A business you can count on for better prices, better selection, knowledgeable sales people and extraordinary service. At Spencers you get the products you need, at the prices you desire. 1000’s of people have made the wise choice by buying at Spencers - It’s like having a friend in the business! END OF MONTH FRENCH DOOR REFRIGERATOR •28.2 Cu. Ft. •5 Glass Shelves •Crisper Drawer Gallon Door Bin •RF28T5001SRStainlessResistantFingerprintSteel “It’s Like Having a Friend In The Business” OPEN DAILY 9AM - 9PM • SATURDAY 9AM - 6PM • SUNDAY 11AM - 5PM www.spencerstv.com MESA SHOWROOM | 115 W. First Ave. | 480-833-3072 AHWATUKEE | 4601 E. Ray Rd. | Phoenix | 480-777-7103 ARROWHEAD RANCH | 7346 W. Bell Road | 623-487-7700 GILBERT Santan Village | 2711 S. Santan Village Pkwy | 480-366-3900 GLENDALE | 10220 N. 43rd Ave | 602 504-2122 GOODYEAR | 1707 N. Litchfield Rd | 623-930-0770 RECONDITION CENTER | 160 East Broadway | 480-615-1763 SCOTTSDALE | 14202 N. Scottsdale Rd. | 480-991-7200 SCOTTSDALE/PHOENIX | 13820 N. Tatum Blvd. | 602 494-0100 MESA CLEARANCE CENTER | 115 W. First Ave. | 480-833-3072 NOW OPEN - MESA | 5141 S. Power Rd. | 480-988-1917 WE ARE OVERSTOCKED… CLEARANCE Spencers has been saving you money for over 50 Years. We provide the Best Products, at the Lowest Prices and Our Customer Service is Terrific! We are locally owned and operated. When you shop Spencers your hard earned cash stays in OUR COMMUNITY! By The Leading Consumer Magazine 91% of Consumers Would Rather BUY From An Independent Dealer.* *According to the leading Consumer Magazine. • 2InputsHDMI •UN58TU70002AirplayBuilt-In 58” 4K UHD SMART TV $449 DISHWASHER • Normal Wash Cycle • Heated Dry On/Off • Standard Upper Rack HDA1100FWH $299 12 MONTHSNOINTEREST WASHER58" •3.4 Cu. Ft. Capacity •8 Wash Cycles •3 Temperature Settings •Dual Action Agitator NTW4501XQCLOSEOUT DRYER •Super •MultipleCapacityDrying Cycles •Automatic Dryness CLOSEOUTNED4500VQControl EACH $649 $1599 •2 Glass •5•HumidityShelvesCrispersDoorBinsART318FFDM •LED Lighting •5 Shelves •2 Crisper Bins Glass RF28T5001SRShelves 18.2 CU. STAINLESSREFRIGERATORFT.STEEL 28 CU. REFRIGERATORFRENCHFT.DOOR SIDE23STEELSTAINLESSCU.FT.BYSIDE •Deli •LED•CrisperDrawerShelvesLightingFFSS2314QSCLOSEOUT $949 30” RANGEELECTRIC •Even Baking Technology • High/Low Broil Options FCRC3005AW DISHWASHER • 12 Place Setting Capacity FDPC4221AW 18 CU. FT. FROST FREE REFRIGERATOR • Store-More™ Crisper Drawers CLOSEOUTFFTR1814TW ALL 3 PAYMENTMONTHLY$60**BUYS ALL 3 PIECES $1698$429Ifyou hasSpencersthinkthelowerprices... Spencers has been saving you money for over 50 Years. We provide the Best Products, at the Lowest Prices and Our Customer Service is Terrific! We are locally owned and operated. When you shop Spencers your hard earned cash stays in OUR COMMUNITY!