Ahwatukee Foothills News - 9.29.2021 by Times Media Group

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17 years after boy’s death, no resolution in sight BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor

ROAD RUNNER

. 18

RENAISSANCE RESIDENT

eventeen years and one month ago today, paramedics arrived at an Ahwatukee home and found the lifeless body of 5-year-old Joshua Eberle-Martinson in a bunk bed in a spare bedroom. In the master bedroom on that Sunday, Aug. 29, 2004, they found his father, Jeffrey R. Martinson, partially unconscious with a garbage bag over his head, his wrists bearing cuts. Following a four-hour interrogation, Phoenix detectives arrested Martinson, then 43, on homicide in the death of a boy who only five weeks earlier had celebrated his birthday. That arrest started a 17-year legal battle that has cost Maricopa County taxpayers more than $5.3 million just on Martinson’s legal defense. And to this day, Martinson’s guilt or innocence in the death of his son as a result of an overdose of a muscle relaxer has yet to be de-

Jeffrey R. Martinson is shown during his 2011 trial on charges he killed his son Joshua Eberle-Martinson, by giving him an overdose of a muscle relaxer in Martinson's Ahwatukee home in 2004. Joshua's photo was taken a day or two before he died. (AFN file photos) termined. Martinson was convicted of first degree murder in November 2011 by a jury that a month later could not unanimously agree to a pros-

ecution request for a death sentence. Three months later, Superior Court Judge

sures Republicans had tacked onto the state budget bill with no hearings in the waning days of the session. The ruling means that – at least as of the Ahwatukee Foothills News’ print deadline of Monday afternoon – Kyrene and Tempe Union school districts can continue their mask mandates. “In light of today’s ruling, Kyrene School District will continue its current mitigation strategies, as outlined in the leveled mitigation plan, which includes a requirement for face coverings indoors, when community transmission is ‘substantial’ or ‘high,’” Kyrene spokeswoman Erin Helm said. “If this case

advances through the courts, the District will be following closely. Kyrene remains committed to following all state and federal laws and orders as we navigate the constantly evolving landscape of this global pandemic.” Tempe Union officials were conferring with the district’s lawyer – who also is Kyrene’s counsel. While Tempe Union had no official statement by the AFN’s deadline, it was likely it would adopt a position similar to Kyrene’s While it is likely the state will appeal the ruling, there was no immediate reaction Monday from the Ducey administration or

see MARTINSON page 12

Ruling likely to extend mask mandates here

. 23

ZOMBIE INVASION

. 38

BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor and HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

ne of the most polarizing issues in Tempe Union, Kyrene and most other school districts likely won’t be going away any time soon after a judge ruled the ban on mask mandates and a slew of other measures passed by Republican legislators unconstitutional. In a blistering opinion Monday, Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Katherine Cooper voided the ban on mask and vaccine mandates along with a number of other mea-

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AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | SEPTEMBER 29, 2021

NEWS

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | SEPTEMBER 29, 2021

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

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The key participants in round one of the video contempt hearing involving the Ahwatukee Lakes Golf Course reconstruction Sept. 23 were, clockwise from top right, attorney Daniel Maynard, Superior Court Judge Sara Agne, golf course owner Wilson Gee and attorney Tim Barnes. (Special to AFN)

Lawyers give conflicting views of Lakes Course restoration progress BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor

hearing on two homeowners’ request that Ahwatukee Lakes Golf Course owner Wilson Gee’s company pay at least $500,000 in penalties was to resume today. During three hours of opening statements and testimony in an online hearing before Superior Court Judge Sara Agne last week, Attorney Tim Barnes, representing homeowners Linda Swain and Eileen Breslin, began taking Gee through a painstaking examination of the work he has done so far to restore the course. Barnes used photos and drone video of the course taken in July by Ahwatukee resident Tom Sanfilippo, owner of Inside Out Aerial, making Gee explain why some work did not appear finished and why other scenes seemed to contradict parts of his testimony. Gee’s company, ALCR, is under the order of another Superior Court judge to have the 18-hole executive course open for business by fall of 2022 – nine years after he closed the course after what he said was a constant money-loser since he bought it in 2006. Judge Theodore Campagnolo last year said Gee must pay $500,000 if he didn’t complete design by June 1, 2021; another $1 million if he didn’t start work by Aug. 31, 2021; and another $2 million if the course isn’t open by September 2022. But Gee asserts he not only has started work, but intends to have the course open for play before the end of this year.

see LAKES page 4

NEWS

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | SEPTEMBER 29, 2021

Club West HOA suggests it holds course’s land rights AFN NEWS STAFF

he Foothills Club West Association board hit back hard at The Edge’s claim that it has been holding up a resolution of the golf course suit and contended it has not lost the declarant rights to the course. In a filing last week, the HOA board said, “All of the allegations made by The Edge that the Association is somehow being uncooperative in final judgment being entered in this case are absurd.” As owners of the Club West Golf Course, The Edge wants Superior Court Judge Joan Sinclair to let it into the lawsuit that the Club West Conservancy

LAKES from page 3

He said he has been repairing the irrigation system, performing extensive remedial work, partially filled some of the lakes, and is poised to sow $50,000 worth of grass seed. But in his opening statement to the judge, Barnes said, “It’s what ALCR has not done over which we have our concerns.” He said that since filing the contempt action, Gee has corrected one of the violations of Campagnolo’s order but three remain – including “the primary one,” which he said is to restore an 18-hole course. “ALCR is intending to restore all 18 holes, but only operate on nine of those 18 holes for the public,” Barnes said, stating that Gee is under orders to comply with “the full scope” of the covenants, conditions & restrictions governing the 105-acre site. And those CC&Rs, he argued, means the “benefited persons” or residents “are entitled to play on all 18 holes.” Barnes also cited “the lack of a formal and coherent plan that ALCR has not provided” for the course’s restoration. “They have provided helter skelter written descriptions” of the work, he said. “Not all of those have been consistent and some of those have changed and not all of them really give us a full understanding of what it is they’re intending to do.” The third issue, he added, involves the lakes themselves, which he said have “aesthetic, economic and safety reasons” for being part of the course. Barnes charged that Gee doesn’t plan to fill all the lakes, which retired land planner Wayne Smith later testified serve a criti-

filed in March 2020 against the old HOA board over the declarant rights to the 164-acre site. A Superior Court commissioner last November ruled that the old board violated state law and the association’s own by-laws by acquiring the rights from Shea Homes, though the HOA maintains it remains unclear whether Shea Homes still holds those rights. Shea Homes now is negotiating with The Edge to either buy the course or sell those rights to The Edge. The Conservancy has obtained three extensions of Sinclair’s deadline for filing a proposed final order that would settle the case and The Edge claims it is “colluding”

with the HOA board since both oppose houses being built on the barren course. But in its response to The Edge’s latest salvo, the HOA took a swipe at the course owners, declaring, “The Association has no obligation to work with a non-party to create a proposed form of judgment.” It also said that whenever a final judgment is entered, the HOA “will evaluate whether it is necessary for it to again object to Plaintiff’s (the Conservancy) proposed form of judgment.” The HOA also insists that Superior Court Commissioner Andrew Russell never said Shea Homes owns the declarant rights and is asserting it controls the golf course. “The Edge has acknowledged the As-

sociation’s “control, jurisdiction and authority” over the Golf Course Property by paying assessments to the Association on behalf of the Golf Course,” the HOA said. “Because The Edge has sat on the sidelines throughout this litigation, they have a fundamental misconception of the Court’s rulings in this case and the parties’ various positions.” The negotiations with Shea Homes to buy the course are at a standstill pending a resolution of the lawsuit, said Matt Shearer, one of the four men who comprise The Edge. A 100-day due diligence period Shea has to inspect the land and consider other aspects of the sale is basically suspended for now. ■

“We’re building an 18-hole golf course,” he continued. “He just has a concern about how we’re going to run it.” He said Barnes was “premature” in bringing most of his complaints to a judge, stating the refilling of the lakes and other work do not have to be completed until next August. He told Agne that Barnes will be showing This is part of the Ahwatukee Lakes Golf Course captured by Ahwatukee resident Tom Sanfilippo, owner of Inside Out “pictures of places that Aerial, in a flyover in July. The video was introduced at the hearing by Tim Barnes, the lawyer for two homeowners suing don’t necessarily look course owner Wilson Gee. (Special to AFN) that good, that they apcal flood control function during severe they were building a different course were pear to be overgrown and they are." “But you’re going to hear the testimoSouth Mountain runoff. Smith laid out the not necessary here.” “Did they need plans and designs? No,” ny that we’ve gone out there and we’ve fundamental design for Ahwatukee when Presley Homes was first developing the he continued. “I have kept Mr. Barnes ap- sprayed twice to kill all the weeds. We prised all along, every step of the way, of will spray again. They are in the process community. Finally, Barnes told Agne, Gee and ALCR what’s going on…The cohesive plan is of putting chemicals into the lakes to kill are “under-budgeting” the work, cutting they’re going to rebuild the golf course algae that’s in there and to kill the plants corners so that the finished product won’t and within a year it should look pretty that are in there. One of the lakes they’re actually draining because some of the be anywhere near what the course used to much like it did back in 2013.” He noted that Gee has paid $1.5 million trees are so large, they’re going to have to be. All those arguments drew an extensive in previously unpaid back taxes and pen- drain it.” “If the golf course looks like it does rebuttal from attorney Daniel Maynard, alties on the course. Noting his client has had to reconstruct today on August 31 of 2022,” Maynard who reminded Agne “this hearing is about whether or not we’re in violation of Judge water wells and the pumping stations, said, “he’d have a right to come in here Maynard said, “Does that make it look and be complaining. That’s not going to Campagnolo’s order – and we’re not. happen. ALCR is in the business of try“He wants to go back through all of the pretty? No, but it will eventually.” litigation,” Maynard complained “All 18 holes are being rebuilt,” Maynard ing to make money and it’s losing about “What ALCR determined to do was they said, stating, “For the time being they were $30,000 a month that it could be making were going to reconstruct the original golf planning to open up nine holes for the if the golf course was open. It is very incourse that was there,” Maynard said.” So, public and use the other nine holes for a centivized to get out there and get that golf course open.” ■ things that might have been necessary if teaching facility for high school kids.”

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AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | SEPTEMBER 29, 2021

Wagons, ho! About 20 wagons festively colored by preschool and middle school students at Summit School in Ahwatukee rolled in a parade last week to mark the beginning of fall. They included, from top left going clockwise: Ethan Underhill and Brenden Hayes, both 5; Andrew Zuran, also 5; Halo Paramore, 3, who was queen for a day; and proud parents providing the fire power for moving those wagons. (Pablo Robles/AFN Staff Photographer)

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AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | SEPTEMBER 29, 2021

Record monsoon season ending tomorrow BY EVAN LIS Cronkite News

rizona’s monsoon season officially ends Sept. 30, and this year’s rains already have made 2021 among the highest on record. The season, which begins June 15, started off fairly dry, but once the monsoon rains arrived, they broke records in some areas of the state, Arizona State Climatologist Erinanne Saffell said. By the end of July, 84 percent more monsoonal rain had fallen in Phoenix than all of last summer, she said, and drought conditions improved in parts of the state. The Salt and Verde rivers watershed, which stretches across 12,500 square

miles of central Arizona, had its wettest July and August in 1921, but 2021 wasn’t far behind. The 2014 season produced 6.34 inches of rain in Phoenix and spawned a Sept. 8 deluge dubbed the “storm of the century.” It was the seventh wettest monsoon on record. So far this monsoon, 3.88 inches have fallen in Phoenix, according to the National Weather Service. “There was a period of time in July where we literally didn’t turn on our irrigation system for about 12 or 13 days consecutively,” said Dana Parish, DC Ranch golf course superintendent. “In our water budget we’ve probably saved close to $26,000 in water costs with the rain we’ve gotten over the last couple months.”

In addition to helping golf courses and other outdoor businesses, this year’s rains replenished reservoirs serving metro Phoenix. “We’ve actually been able to moderate our drought with the summer precipitation, which is exceptional and amazing,” Saffell said. “We’ve actually had enough precipitation where we can put water into our reservoirs, which is unheard of in summer, typically.” Roosevelt Lake, east of Mesa and among the largest reservoirs in the state, is 69% full, up 4 percentage points since July, according to Watershed Connection. Normally, she said, the Valley has to wait for winter precipitation to help with drought conditions, as winter

rain and snow is more consistent, and snowpack melting on higher ground helps replenish soil moisture with enough left to flow downstream. But this year’s summer rains helped, with the U.S. Drought Monitor improving by three levels out of five. Despite the improvements, however, much of the state remains in long-term drought. And forecasters are predicting, with increasing confidence, a La Niña this winter. Statistically, La Niña events bring drier-than-normal conditions to much of the southern U.S., including Arizona. The Salt River Project, one of the state’s largest utilities, advises residents to continue to practice water conservation despite the summer rains. ■

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AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | SEPTEMBER 29, 2021

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NEWS

MARTINSON from page 1

Sandy Duncan found the jury so tainted by irregularities that she overturned that conviction. Martinson has been behind bars for over half the time since his arrest but today he is free on a $250,000 bond that Superior Court Judge Jay Adleman a year ago cut from $1 million as he awaits a new trial that could be set at a hearing this November. The 17 years of legal wrangling that have marked the State of Arizona vs. Jeffrey R. Martinson unfolds in thousands of pages of attorney pleadings, judicial opinions and transcripts of hours of courtroom hearings. They bear testament to bitter fights between prosecutors and at least five different defense teams that have represented Martinson at various times. There also has been acrimonious battles between some defense lawyers over who was entitled to represent him and collect hourly fees that at times were twice what court-appointed lawyers in criminal cases normally were paid. At one point, the case also was snarled in open political warfare between former County Attorney Andrew Thomas and Maricopa County Superior Court until Thomas ultimately resigned in disgrace, only to be disbarred. In the past two years, every scintilla of evidence against Martinson has been challenged by his lawyers as prosecutors try to preserve their theory of the case – that he allegedly killed Joshua because he was upset over impending changes to his visitation schedule and that he had an overall hostile relationship with the boy’s mother, to whom he was not married. Defense lawyers have accused prosecutors of misconduct, partly by trying to change their theories of the case to better fit the evidence and “leaving the defendant with no valid conviction and in custody for more than nine years.” Martinson’s case has been before a special three-judge panel in Maricopa County Superior Court, the Arizona Court of Appeals, the state Supreme Court and the U.S. Supreme Court – primarily on whether double jeopardy rules prevented the County Attorney from retrying him. He lost all those appeals. Rearrested in 2018 in his native Wisconsin and sent back to jail until his release in October 2020, Martinson through his law-

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | SEPTEMBER 29, 2021

yers wages a relentless fight to block some of the witnesses in the 2011 trial from testifying again – or limiting what they will be allowed to say. One fight zeroed in on literally just two words that Martinson’s latest team of defense lawyers, Robyn Varcoe and Jennifer Willmott, don’t want uttered before jurors in his next trial when it came to custody arrangements. Some of the defense efforts also have drawn legal protests by the Scottsdalebased Arizona Voice for Crime Victims, a nonprofit formed in 1996 to “preserve and protect victims’ rights to justice and due process.” During Martinson’s bail hearing last year, the nonprofit supported an effort by Joshua’s mother to not only keep him from being near her Chandler home but also prevent him from visiting the cemetery where the boy was laid to rest. The judge limited the times of those visits instead. Lost amid all the arguments, challenges and rulings is the memory of a little boy who liked to fill his backpack with crystals and LEGO creations, draw rainbows and sing in the backseat of his mother’s car.

Premeditated or accidental?

Few facts surrounding the discovery of Joshua’s body have been agreed to in the case. Prosecutors contend he was deliberately killed while the defense contends evidence supports Martinson’s trial testimony that he found the boy apparently drowned in the bathtub. During Martinson’s 2011 trial, a nextdoor neighbor testified that she spent many hours with him and Joshua when the youngster visited every Wednesday and every other weekend. She testified that the evening before the boy’s body was found, Martinson had texted her, “We love you and will miss you.” Some time later she said she called Jeffrey and talked to him for over an hour. The next night, the boy’s mother and two officers showed up and told her Martinson had not returned Joshua and was not answering the door. The neighbor found the back door to his home unlocked and found Martinson in his bedroom. While Martinson appeared to be unconscious, a paramedic said he did not believe him to be fully out of it. That testimony is being challenged by defense lawyers, who call it inadmissable. Testimony showed that on the kitchen

counter were numerous legal papers, including orders of protection the boy’s mother had secured against Martinson. Defense lawyers have been waging a fight over what the toxicologist and the medical examiner who performed the autopsy can be allowed to testify to – or even if they should be allowed on the witness stand at all. Dr. John Hu, who performed the autopsy, ruled the death a homicide and that it was caused by acute carisoprodol toxicity. While a detective said the bathtub was dry, defense lawyers pointed out that photos taken the night of the boy's discovery show a bathroom rug was sopping wet. But Judge Adleman noted that Hu has said “a conclusion of drowning was not supported by the carisoprodol levels present.” The drug is also known by the brand name Soma, and witnesses testified an empty bottle of Soma with a child-proof cap was on the top shelf of a medicine cabinet. Under cross examination, Hu conceded his findings could be consistent with other causes and that tests were never conducted to rule out some of them. Defense lawyers also tried to prevent or limit Hu's testimony about a small abrasion inside the boy’s lip, which he intimated could have been caused by an effort to force the drug into his mouth. Under cross examination at Martinson's trial, Hu also testified it could have been caused by an attempt to resuscitate him. Adleman rejected efforts to disqualify Hu from testifying at Martinson's new trial. The judge stated, “Dr. Hu did not give a specific opinion regarding the precise cause of injury” since he had testified that while it likely resulted from blunt force, it could have been caused by CPR attempts. Likewise, he rejected efforts to block all testimony about marks on the boy’s neck, saying they could legitimately be viewed as showing "that the child was 'manipulated' by the defendant as opposed to remaining in a stationary position in the bedroom.

‘Long and tortuous litigation’

Throughout the years, the words ‘long and tortuous litigation” have been used several times by lawyers and judges in Martinson’s case. Some of that litigation has produced stunning revelations along the way.

Testimony by jurors prompted Judge Duncan in March 2012 to throw out Martinson’s conviction. That testimony showed that a woman hid facts that could have disqualified her as a juror and that once deliberations began, she bullied her way into being elected the panel’s foreperson. Other jurors testified that during deliberations, she repeatedly bullied them, denigrated the defendant and defense lawyers, and even rewrote a question one juror wanted the judge to answer. One juror testified he felt pressured to find Martinson guilty of the most serious kind of child abuse – which opened the way for a death penalty hearing. Duncan’s action triggered a series of legal maneuvers by the prosecution that ultimately prompted her to throw out the case entirely with prejudice. The County Attorney appealed and won but the fighting continued in several appeals. Last October, Martinson’s lawyers again asked Judge Adleman to dismiss the case – again on grounds of double jeopardy, contending “the prosecutors have engaged in pervasive prosecutorial misconduct throughout the life of the case that warrants dismissal with prejudice.” But Adleman rejected the allegations, noting the state Court of Appeals vacated Duncan’s dismissal in 2016 and again in January 2019. The Court of Appeals also has ruled in March 2021 and again last August. “The Court of Appeals has repeatedly addressed issues pertaining to the state’s ability to continue its murder prosecution against the defendant,” Adleman wrote. “Indeed, that court has made it abundantly clear that the state retains the authority to do so.” “This is a hard-fought case, exacerbated by the tragic death of a child and further compounded by a tortuous procedural history,” he also wrote. “In spite of those circumstances, the court does not believe that the current record provides any evidence of prosecutorial misconduct.” The trial will now be assigned to Judge Justin Beresky as Adleman has been transferred to new Superior Court division as part of a routine, regular rotation of judges. And even before he starts his first hearing later next month, Beresky will have three defense motions that Adleman has not ruled on, saying it was better for the next judge to address them. ■

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | SEPTEMBER 29, 2021

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AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | SEPTEMBER 29, 2021

Giles urges D.C. to focus on homelessness BY GENESIS SANDOVAL Cronkite News

ASHINGTON – Mesa Mayor John Giles said the problem of homelessness has only increased as governments have grappled with COVID-19, and that it’s time for a new focus on the problem that leverages pandemic relief funding. Giles was one of a number of state and local leaders from around the country Monday who joined Housing and Urban Development Secretary Marcia Fudge to kick off House America, a new federal plan that will focus on creating more affordable housing and finding permanent housing for those experiencing homelessness. Under the initiative, HUD plans to work with local and tribal governments to create at least 20,000 new affordable housing units and get at least 100,000 households into permanent housing. It comes as the number of homeless on a given night in 2020 stood at 580,000 people, according to a HUD report, a number that the agency said has only grown during the pandemic.

“I started saying housing and homelessness is not ‘an’ issue, but ‘the’ issue in my community,” Giles said during the livestreamed event to announce the project. “Sadly, over the period of time that we have been dealing with the pandemic, that problem and the significance of it has only really increased.” A main focus of the initiative will be a “housing first” approach, which prioritizes finding permanent housing for people experiencing homelessness. That approach was welcomed by one Valley housing advocate. “The housing-first approach is widely used right now and I believe it is an incredibly efficient way to remove a person from crisis as soon as possible,” said Jordan Moreno, vice president of marketing and development at Homeward Bound, an Arizona organization that fights poverty and homelessness. She said that getting people into housing first allows them “to make the necessary life changes to put them on a path toward self-sufficiency and a plan that is clearly laid out so the individual knows what to expect and their options for permanent housing.”

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So far, 26 state and local leaders have signed on to the initiative, including Giles and Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego. Participating governments will be expected to set – and achieve – specific goals on getting people into permanent housing and creating new, affordable housing units in their regions. Giles said the initiative’s goals are not new to Phoenix-area governments. “As mayor of Mesa, I am committed to housing and adding permanent housing in our region, but I’m also fortunate enough to be the chair of the regional council and have the opportunity to help develop policies and plans on this as well,” Giles said. “I’m proud to tell you that our region’s goal is to create at least 1,225 new units throughout Maricopa County,” he said at the kickoff event. “The discussion on that goal is still in process and changes might occur, but if this is done, that will solve 25 percent of our region’s overall demand.” He said local governments have spent more than $26 million on rental, mortgage and utility assistance during the pandemic in order to keep people in their homes. The pandemic challenges to housing

come as Arizona is facing an affordable housing crunch. Moreno said there are “24 affordable housing units for every 100 families in need in Phoenix,” leaving those near or below the poverty line with no options. “It is no secret that the housing market is unparalleled right now. It is hard for anyone to get into a home, let alone someone with perhaps a record of homelessness, a single mother, a criminal record, etc. Even the rental market outweighs minimum wage,” she said. Besides working with state and local governments, the House America program also hopes to involve non-governmental organizations fighting to end homelessness, in what HUD is calling an “all-handson-deck” approach to the problem. Moreno welcomed that move. “I believe they are looking to the organizations serving homeless individuals to provide the programs and resources, so it is encouraging to see city entities and nonprofits coming together to provide the solutions,” she said. “The more people advocating for affordable housing and support of our most vulnerable neighbors the better.” ■

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AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | SEPTEMBER 29, 2021

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NEWS

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | SEPTEMBER 29, 2021

Vehicle owners getting back ‘illegal’ ADOT fee BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

id you just get a check for $32 from the state? It’s not a gift from the Department of Transportation to you and about 200,000 other motor vehicle owners. It’s the last step in an inquiry originally started by Capitol Media Services that came to the attention of Scottsdale Republic Senator Michelle Ugenti-Rita. The money, totaling about $6.6 million, is going out to people whose sent in vehicle registration renewals for the period beginning July 1. But ADOT charged them a $32 "public safety fee" even though the law said that fee was supposed to end on June 30. And when lawmakers found out, they ordered a refund. The fee was enacted in 2018 as part of a move to raise more money for the state for road construction and repair. Those projects are supposed to be funded by gasoline taxes and vehicle registra-

tion fees. But lawmakers in prior efforts to balance the budget siphoned off some of what was raised to finance the Highway Patrol. So, Noel Campbell, then a Republican state representative from Prescott, came up with a plan: Fund the Highway Patrol with this separate public safety fee – with the amount determined by ADOT – added to other registration costs. That, in turn, freed up revenues for roads. But the $32 price tag ADOT put on it resulted in an outcry, not only from residents who saw it as a hidden tax hike but from lawmakers who were told it would not be anywhere near that much. Ugenti-Rita pushed to rescind it immediately. But with Ducey’s budget dependent on the revenues, she had to settle for a self-destruct date at July 1 of this year. Simple enough. But here’s the thing. ADOT tacked the fee on the registration renewals that went out in June, even though those were actually for the period that began July 1 – after the fee expired.

Agency spokesman Doug Pacey said his agency read the statute as allowing for that. Capitol Media Services brought that to the attention of Ugenti-Rita. She said that assessing the fee on registrations that take effect in the new fiscal year that began July 1 was never her intent. “I cannot even believe that’s their interpretation,’’ she said. “You’ve already paid through the 30th.’’ And she was not shy in her displeasure. “It’s like dealing with a snake-oil salesman,’’ Ugenti-Rita said, dealing not just with ADOT but other state agencies. “There’s no support for their very advantageous interpretation.’’ So with ADOT refusing to budge, the senator brought out a bigger hammer. She got language inserted into the new state budget to say that anyone whose vehicle registration expired on June 30 is not legally required to pay that $32 fee. And that law, which took effect on July 1, in turn forced ADOT to start writing out checks to all the people who already had paid for their renewals.

The senator said she was not willing to simply let the issue slide. “It’s a ton of money,’’ Ugenti-Rita said, both from the individual perspective of the Arizonans who she said were improperly charged the $32 fee as well as the cash being funneled into state coffers. Anyway, Ugenti-Rita said, with the state now flush with cash, there was no reason for ADOT to take another $6.6 million out of the pockets of vehicle owners who renewed their registrations that expire at the end of this month. Pacey said anyone who had a June 30 registration expiration who has not received a check by the middle of October can call his agency at 602-255-0072. ■

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AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | SEPTEMBER 29, 2021

Alarms raised over Lake Mead, Powell levels BY ULYSSE BEX AND EMMA VANDENEINDE Cronkite News

ASHINGTON – New projections show that Lake Mead and Lake Powell could reach “critically low reservoir elevations” sooner than expected, spurring experts to say that “bold actions” will be needed to change course. The Bureau of Reclamation report released Thursday shows an 88 percent chance that Lake Powell could fall below 3,525 feet by next August, a level that would endanger hydropower production, with chances Lake Mead will hit critical levels in the next few years. The five-year projection is grimmer than estimates released just two months ago, and shows that a drought contingency plan triggered earlier this year by low reservoir levels, while it was aggressive, may not be enough, one official said. “We need to take more actions in both Lake Powell and Lake Mead,” said Thomas Buschatzke, director of the Arizona Department of Water Resources. “More actions mean finding a way to get people to conserve their water, or more mandatory reductions to stabilize the lake.” That was echoed Thursday by Sarah Porter, director of the Kyl Center for Water Policy as Arizona State University’s Morrison Institute. “We need to take additional bold steps

MASKS from page 1

Republican lawmakers. Cooper also said if lawmakers try to enforce the provisions she declared unconstitutional, she will issue further orders. That means only a stay by an appellate court can stop school districts from keeping mask requirements in place. Kyrene Governing Board already was scheduled to meet last night, Sept. 28, and had an executive session planned to discuss “school safety operations or school safety plans,” which presumably included the mask mandate. Both Kyrene and Tempe Union reinstituted mask bans after a different judge in a different case ruled that the ban could not take effect until Sept. 29. Both districts will be on break next week. The continuation of the mask mandate

to keep Lake Mead from declining precipitously,” Porter said. The Bureau of Reclamation report estimates river levels in the lower Colorado River basin over the next five years, particularly the levels needed for the two main reservoirs in the basin to keep functioning – 3,525 feet above sea level in Lake Powell and 1,025 feet in Lake Mead. The latest estimates say there is an 88 percent chance Lake Powell will fall below the critical level by next August, with odds falling to 53 percent in 2023 and falling to 41 percent by 2026. For Lake Mead, the chance of falling below the critical level is 12 percent in 2024, rising to 22 percent in each of the next two years. Both estimates are several percentage points grimmer than a five-year forecast released in June, when analysts included water releases that were expected from upper basin dams would help the downriver reservoirs. Because those releases are still being worked out, they were removed from the latest forecast. That makes sense, said Porter, who said planners could no longer assume water would “magically appear” from upriver, which had low precipitation this year, in a region going through a decades-long drought. “When you’re in a prolonged drought, you have to get real and say let’s get rid of that part of the model … because we

drew more than 90 minutes of pro and con comments from parents at Kyrene Governing Board’s last meeting earlier this month and it’s likely that Cooper’s ruling will continue to stir the pot not only here but at many other governing boards’ meetings. In addition to the mandate ban, Cooper also voided a host of other laws approved by the Legislature that ranged from requirements for anti-fraud measures for ballots and prohibitions against cities and town from requiring face coverings or imposing curfews to banning proof of vaccination to attend universities or community colleges and limits on teaching what lawmakers have incorrectly referred to as “critical race theory.’’ Cooper did not find that any of these provisions by themselves is illegal. What is illegal, she said, was piling them into just four separate so-called “budget reconciliation’’ bills, each with what she

shouldn’t be betting on wet years,” she said. The immediate threat is to Lake Powell and its ability to generate hydropower. Thomas Meixner, the head of the University of Arizona’s Department of Hydrology and Atmospheric Sciences, said that poses the rise of “dead pool, no power generation and the ability to meet users’ request and demands.” That was echoed by Buschatzke, who said the “critical elevations of Lake Powell are more, at this point at least, about power production,” “We saw higher risks of falling below minimum power pool elevation of 3,490 feet, but also higher risks of falling below elevation 3,525, at which there might be some concern about somewhat of a reduction of power production below the 100 percent threshold,” he said. A two-year projection of water levels by the Bureau of Reclamation shows the “potential for going below the 3,525-foot elevation, and in 2023 it’s worse” for Lake Powell, Buschatzke said. “There are several months in 2023 where it falls below the elevation of 3,490 feet.” But in the short term, at least, more water will be coming from upstream. “Between July and December, 181 acrefeet of water is being moved out of the upper basin reservoir above Lake Powell, into Lake Powell,” Buschatzke said. “The reason for that is to protect the ability to

said are broad, generic titles that fail to inform voters of the changes they enact. Cooper said there are separate constitutional requirements that legislation deal with only a single subject. “Together these requirements promote transparency and the public’s access to information about legislative action,’’ she wrote. The judge also brushed aside claims by the state that the issue of how legislation is crafted is a “non-justiciable political question’’ beyond the reach of the courts. “The issue here is not what the legislature decided but how it decided what it did,’’ she wrote. “Whether the legislature complied with the requirements of (the Arizona Constitution) and whether a provision is reasonably related to ‘budget reconciliation’ are questions property before the court.’’ Monday’s ruling does more than void the challenged sections of the laws.

generate power.” But the longer-term solution could require more sacrifice by users in Arizona and other state in the lower basin. Farmers in central Arizona are already slated to give up some of their Colorado River water rights starting next year, under the first phase of the drought contingency plan that was triggered by this year’s low water levels. Porter noted that agriculture is the biggest user of Colorado River water, with municipal users accounting for only 11 percent of consumption. She said cities are already doing a good job at water conservation, despite booming growth in the state, but that cuts could eventually reach them. “We could be seeing cuts to users who have higher priority on the Colorado system,” Porter said. “In the coming years we could get to the point where cities begin to have cutbacks.” Buschatzke said one option would be to use a drought mitigation fund authorized by the state Legislature that he could use an incentive, paying entities to reduce their water use. “What we will be looking at doing is going to stakeholders who have water rights to Colorado River water, and to see if they will voluntarily reduce their use so that water can be kept in the lake,” he said. “Voluntarily could include paying them.” ■

It also sends a message to lawmakers that they can no longer use the practice of piling apparently unrelated issues into bills in an effort to corral the votes for the entire package. And that could result in difficulty in getting approval of future controversial measures. For more than a month, there has been an ongoing debate between Ducey on one hand and some school districts, including Tempe Union and Kyrene, on the other over whether that ban has been in effect since he signed it into law in June. Sept. 28 was the date that Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Randall Warner in August determined was the effective date for the ban. Ducey vowed to withhold $162 million in pandemic relief money for school districts that took advantage of Warner’s rul-

see MASKS page 19

NEWS

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | SEPTEMBER 29, 2021

Ahwatukee woman heading to grueling road rally AFN NEWS STAFF

ike an astronaut preparing for takeoff, Kristie Levy of Ahwatukee is checking her gear and limbering up for a ride next week into the unknown. Only instead of outer space, Levy and Rachael Ridenour of Albuquerque, New Mexico, will be riding through mountains, valleys, lake beds and other unknown parts from the Hoover Dam to the Imperial Sand Dunes in Glamis, California, as they participate in the Rebelle Rally. At eight days and 2,500 km, the Rebelle is the longest off-road navigational rally in the country – and it’s a women-only endurance test. It starts Oct. 8 and runs through Oct. 15 with an awards celebration the following day. “It is not a race for speed, but a unique and demanding hunt for checkpoints using no GPS,” Levy explained. “A compass and map are your only tools, as you manage time and distance to outmaneuver and outscore your opponents. “We live out of our vehicles carrying everything we need to sleep and repair/ maintain our vehicles with us. Each night we set up and sleep in our tent under the stars.” Kristie Levy, now a federal agent, retired as a master sergeant from the U.S. Army with 25 years of service and combat deployments to Afghanistan, Iraq and Bosnia and Ridenour, now in IT, is a 32-year U.S. Army veteran with combat deployments in Afghanistan and Iraq. If the Rebelle sounds grueling – it is – it’s also not exactly out of the ordinary for both women, who enjoy tests of endurance that stretch their mental and physical capabilities. In July 2019, Levy decided she wanted to run a 100K Ultra-Marathon in May 2020. She and her running partner Chrissie, trained through the brutal Phoenix summer, running by 3 a.m. to beat the heat. And while the pandemic canceled that marathon, Levy and her partner found 62 miles of unmarked trail in northern Arizona and – with friends at stations five to seven miles apart cheering them on – finished 100 kilometers in just under 20 hours. A world taekwondo champion who once was named Army athlete of the year, Ridenour is no couch potato either. She has driven the Khyber Pass, run a 5k in the

Kristie Levy of Ahwatukee, right, and Rachael Ridenour of New Mexico are preparing for the challenging no-internet-allowed Rebelle Rally next week. (AFN file photo) Pyramids of Giza and snorkeled the Great Barrier Reef. She is the founder and CEO of Record The Journey, a non-profit organization that provides outdoor photography adventures and training to military veterans and their families to help with transitioning to civilian life. This is Levy’s second Rebelle and Ridenour’s sixth. They earned third place in last year’s rally in a Mitsubishi Outlander electric hybrid SUV. With Levy at the wheel and Ridenour as the navigator, the pair – who describe themselves as “fueled by freedom and caf-

feine” – will be driving a 2020 ocean-blue Jeep Wrangler Rubicon they have christened Atropia. It has been modified in a head-spinning number of ways – with an equally headspinning array of sponsors – to withstand the rally’s rigors. Ridenour and Levy, who are competing in the 4x4 class, also have been training since December. They’ve been meeting at various places in Arizona and California “to work together on our map, driving and communication skills,” Levy said. “Individually Rachael focuses on the

The dude with the beard is Mark Stallings, right, the owner of LV8 Design Group, and an unidentified man donated the wrap for the modified 2020 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon that Levy and Ridenour will be driving. (Courtesy of Kristie Levy)

maps, while I focus on the vehicle,” she explained. “We have video conferences to discuss everything and make sure we are accomplishing all the mini-goals and timehacks we set for ourselves.” “Training together and in person is difficult, as we live in different states. But we have video conferences and practice plotting latitude and longitude, doing all the conversion math, talk about equipment and revisit our checklists,” Levy said. “We talk about what we could have done better last year and how to improve on that.” “Individually, Rachael does a lot of reading maps and plotting,” she added. “I do some driving, but mostly familiarizing myself with the vehicle and all the tools and how to fix whatever might happen during the rally, because we have to repair our own vehicles.” While they are not allowed to have internet access and can’t use GPS, participants will be searching for checkpoints in along the rally route and people can observe their progress by downloading the YB app for either Apple or android. The rally also will be broadcast live at rebellerally.com and can be viewed on YouTube and Facebook. Their local sponsors include A++ Window Cleaning, BFGoodrich Tires, Apex Chassis, RPM, LV8DG, Nextbase Dash Cams, Taco Santo, Pure Luxury Tint and Detail, RangeTime, Jon Rodriguez Insurance, Sommer Decker Realty and Project RR. Modern Off-road, Iron Rock Off-Road, RPM Steering, Apex Chassis, LV8DG and BFGoodrich Tires have provided approximately $7,500 in parts to upgrade Atropia’s suspension, steering and ride capabilities along with her rally-style appearance. Modern-Off Road also donated some man hours towards installation of the donated items. The pair are still seeking donations to cover food, drink and most of all a 12V refrigerator/freezer “to keep our water and fruits and vegetables reasonably chilled and edible during the event,” Levy said. “Ice in a cooler does not last long at all and we cannot stop anywhere to get more ice.” For how to donate and more information on the vets’ journey, follow them on Facebook at CWG: Fueled by Freedom and Caffeine, and on Instagram at cwg._.freedom.and.caffeine. ■

NEWS

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | SEPTEMBER 29, 2021

Buffalo hunting appears likely at Grand Canyon

BY ULYSSE BEX Cronkite News

planned hunt of bison on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon appeared likely to move forward despite last-minute pleas by lawmakers in Colorado to move the animals there instead. The hunt, which has been in the works for months, is just one way the National Park Service hopes to reduce the size of the herd, from about 600 bison now to 200 by 2025, a number that wildlife officials say could live in the park without causing environmental damage. More than 45,000 people applied to be one of the 12 sharpshooters who will be selected for the hunt, a pilot program that will mark the first time that hunting is allowed within the confines of the park. Environmentalists agree that there are too many bison for the health of the park, but they question the value of killing just 12. Instead, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said that the animals should be moved to his state, where they can “live and roam free at the Southern Plains Land Trust in Bent County.” “I urge Interior and the National Park Service to consider this practical Colorado situation,” Polis said. His statement followed a letter to Interior Secretary Deb Haaland from Rep. Joe Neguse, D-Colo., and four other House members urging the department to consider “non-lethal methods to manage the bison population, such as the use of live capture, a fertility control vaccine, etc.” Calls to federal and state officials over-

MASKS from page 17

ing and imposed mask mandates at least until today. If Ducey follows through on his threat, it could cost Kyrene $5.2 million and Tempe Union $2.8 million. The Biden administration has promised to fund districts in other states that have been financially penalized for imposing mask mandates but has not made much of Arizona’s ban beyond some initial threats weeks ago. The case before Cooper involved a challenge filed by a coalition of educators, school board members, child welfare ad-

Bison congregate around water next to State Route 67 in Little Park in the Grand Canyon. There are about 600 bison across the North Rim now, but experts fear the herd could grow to 1,500 in 10 years if it is not managed. (Courtesy Grand Canyon National Park) seeing the hunt were not returned. But in previous documents on the herd management plan, the National Park Service rejected bison birth control, citing the need to quickly reduce the size of the herd. “Fertility control can take a long time and requires expensive, frequently repeated applications to achieve significant population reductions,” said the service, adding that other methods, including “lethal removal” will get the herd to the desired size in the next few years. Critics of the lethal removal plan, who said that they had gotten no indications that the hunt was being delayed, said the pilot program is not only wrong but the wrong way for the park service to achieve its goal. “The idea that killing 12 of them (bison) is going to get you close to bringing it down to 200 is ridiculous,” said Joe Trudeau, a Southwest conservation advocate at the Center for Biological Diversity. He said the center “absolutely supports the request of Gov. Polis – it’s humane, it’s logical and it’s realistic.” vocates to the way the ban on mandates was passed by the Legislature. “Unless the laws challenged in this case are declared unconstitutional and enjoined, a great many children in Arizona will get COVID-19, they will get sick, they will suffer from long COVID, they will be hospitalized, and they may die,’’ Roopali Desai told Cooper. She said that’s backed by evidence that shows not just an increasing number of cases among children – now one out of every four in Maricopa County – but also that schools with mask mandates have a lower rate of infection than those without.

The hunt is part of an agreement reached last year between the Arizona Game and Fish Department and the National Park Service, to reduce the bison herd on the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. Without management, officials estimate that the herd could grow from about 600 animals today to as many as 1,500 in 10 years. In addition to lethal removal, the plan calls for hazing bison in the park and for live capture of bison that can then be transferred to Native American tribes to manage. As of this month, a total of 124 bison had been removed from the park over the last two years and transferred to six tribes, in four states, that are part of the InterTribal Buffalo Council. But the hunt has drawn the most attention. From the more than 45,000 applications received, the Arizona Game and Fish was to select a final 12 “skilled volunteers” for the lethal removal of 12 bison. Applicants had to pass a shooting test, putting three of five bullets in a 4-inch target from 100 yards. They also had to have Her argument has the support of state Superintendent of Public Schools Kathy Hoffman, who on Friday cited a new Centers for Disease Control study that showed the efficacy of masks in curbing COVID-19 infections in schools. The CDC on Friday said it had studied case data from July and August from school districts in Pima and Maricopa counties and found, “the odds of a schoolassociated COVID-19 outbreak were 3.5 times higher in schools with no mask requirement than in those with a mask

see MASKS page 20

a support team, be willing to field-dress and haul out their kill, provide their own camping and hunting gear, and complete a number of safety and training programs, among other requirements. Selected hunters will be allowed to “take up to a single bison including head, hide and meat in exchange for removing the carcass from Grand Canyon National Park,” according to Game and Fish documents. Trudeau acknowledges that the herd in the park, protected from hunting, has been “growing dramatically with significant environmental impact … on some fairly sensitive environments.” But he worries that this first hunt, billed as a pilot project, will be ramped up in the future, and the hunt will be expanded. “It would be the first-time hunting has been allowed within the national park,” he said. “There is bison hunting on the neighboring national forests, but to allow it to happen in the park is really uncharted territory that is a really bad precedent for how we’re managing our national parks.” ■

ANSWERS TO PUZZLES AND SUDOKU from Page 39

NEWS

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | SEPTEMBER 29, 2021

TU pleads for parents’ help with discipline problems AFN NEWS STAFF

s if online-driven vandalism isn’t enough of a challenge, Tempe Union High School District is struggling to curb increasing discipline issues at its high schools. Superintendent Kevin Mendivil pleaded with parents to help the district counter “a higher number of discipline issues on campuses that are rooted in disrespect.” “We are also seeing a fundamental lack of respect for our teachers and staff,” he said in his online message, suggesting the misbehavior is related to problems “that students are having challenges and complications with returning to a regular schedule. “We know that there are long-term social and emotional effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the overall disruption to our lives,” Mendivil wrote in the unusual message. “It is taking longer for students to become acclimated to being in school every day with all of their peers. Behaving with integrity and treating others with kindness and dignity are important core values for Tempe Union.” Like scores of other districts around the country, Tempe Union has been dealing with vandalism committed by students responding to a challenge on the

MASKS from page 19

requirement implemented at the time school started.” Hoffman on Monday hailed the judge's ruling, stating, "passing overwhelmingly complex laws in the eleventh hour without public comment is an assault on the democratic process." Last Friday Hoffman noted, “New data from Arizona schools shows what public health experts have been telling our Governor for months: universal masking keeps students learning in person. “It is irresponsible of the state government to stand in the way of local leaders making decisions that protect the health and safety of their students and staff.” Desai told Cooper that the larger and legally binding reason she should declare the provision banning mask mandates illegal is that it was tucked into a bill simply labeled a “budget reconciliation’’ measure.

popular social media platform TikTok. Students are encouraged to steal school property, then post pictures and videos on the site in an effort to draw “likes” and views that in some cases have numbered in the thousands. Desert Vista specifically has fallen victim to the vandalism, though Tempe Union officials – like their counterparts in other neighboring districts – have declined to elaborate on the damage. In some districts around the country, students have taken projectors, bathroom fixtures including urinals and other fixed items for online bragging rights. Tempe Union spokeswoman Megan Sterling said she had no data to share on the discipline issue, but added, “The TikTok incidents definitely played a role. “As the letter mentioned, we are seeing/hearing lots of incidents on campuses that point to a fundamental lack of respect for rules and authority,” she said. “Not all of this results in formal discipline but it is a disturbing trend and we wanted to take the opportunity to remind our community of the expectations and norms for the school year.” Mendivil’s plea did not mention TikTok but instead outlined an apparently broader issue. Noting the district is on the eve of fall break and had already gone through eight weeks of full five-day in-classroom

And that, she said, means it violates a constitutional requirement that the title of a bill must reflect what’s in it. Ditto, Desai said, of provisions she is challenging that were tucked into various measures, like one that bars colleges and universities from imposing vaccine requirements as a condition to attend classes, prohibits the establishment of a “vaccine passport,’’ and bars the teaching of anything in public schools “that presents any form of blame or judgment on the basis of race, ethnicity or sex.’’ “The challenged provisions ... have nothing to do with budget reconciliation,’’ she said, which are supposed to be provisions designed to put into effect the changes made in spending bills. In defending the laws, attorney Patrick Irvine argued that the Legislature has used this procedure for years and that there really is no definition of what is a “reconciliation’’ bill.

instruction, he said, “I know there have been bumps along the way but I am so pleased that our school year has progressed largely uninterrupted and that we have our students back on campus to learn.” “I need your help,” he told parents. “It is so important that we all come together and practice kindness and respect towards others, and remember the social and behavioral norms that are expected of all of us.” Urging parents to have their children reexamine the district handbook on behavior, Mendivil said, “Our number one expectation for our students is respectful behavior and to treat others with dignity, consideration and kindness.” He urged parents and guardians to “please let your children see you upholding these behaviors and core values. Our students look to the adults in their life to set a positive example and that includes all of us.’ He also noted that the Tempe Community Council has scheduled a series of community workshops – open to all district parents – and asked them to fill out a questionnaire about whether they would participate in person or online. The first round of workshops will deal with issues titled “getting teenagers to cooperate,” “coping with teenagers’ emotions,” “building teachers’ survival skills”

“It is not strictly applied,’’ he argued. “The Legislature is given a lot of discretion, a lot of wiggle room.’’ While the mask mandate and vaccine bans don’t have specific penalties for government entities that disobey it, state Attorney General Mark Brnovich has told Tucson it could lose out in $120 million in state share revenue if it tries to enforce a vaccine mandate for city employees. What is clear – and Cooper could void – is has been practice of lawmakers to pile various issues into various end-of-session “reconciliation’’ bills for years. And it’s been done for political reasons. Consider the bill to prohibit what has incorrectly been called “critical race theory’’ having to do with how teachers can deal with issues of race, sex or ethnicity. It failed to get the necessary votes when it was considered as a separate measure. But then it was inserted into a reconciliation bill along with other items

and “reducing family conflict.” “When we demonstrate the expectations we have for our students, these challenging times will pass,” Mendivil wrote. “I know we can achieve this when we work together. I know these have been, and continue to be, difficult times. We are all in this together.” Education experts for nearly a year have been studying the impact of pandemic disruptions on students’ emotional and mental health as well as their academic abilities. Discipline issues themselves have not been the subject of much scholarly study, however, according to The Discipline Lab, an online site started by a New York University professor. That site, says founder Dr. Richard Welsh tries “to share ideas on school discipline and connect research to policy and practice.” In March, Welsh wrote, “There are dueling hypotheses on how COVID-19 may affect school discipline. On the one hand, suspensions may increase due to stress, difficulties managing the virtual classroom, and the like. “On the other hand, suspensions may decrease as educators become more emphatic. It is an open empirical question that I’m sure researchers like myself are designing and conducting studies to better understand.” ■

on the wish lists of various other legislators to cobble together the necessary Republican votes. What makes all that illegal, Desai argued, is that tucking those changes into “reconciliation’’ bills or bills simply labeled “budget procedures’’ does not meet the constitutional requirement that the public be informed of what is included. It’s also illegal, she said, because it forces a legislator “to make a Hobson’s choice between accepting the entire bill, including measures she opposes, or voting ‘no’ on the entire measure, including measures she supports.’’ Data released last week by the county health department shows a continuing high transmission level of COVID-19 within both Kyrene and Tempe Union school districts. Cases per 100,000 people were at 235 and positive new test results remain around 11 percent. ■

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Renaissance woman acts, paints, writes – for starters BY COTY DOLORES MIRANDA AFN Contributor

t 78, Ahwatukee resident Marlene V. Saens says she has never “had a boring moment in my life.” She does her best to make sure area seniors, especially those at Ahwatukee’s Mountain Park Senior Living, keep as motivated and active as she likes to be. To that end, Saens, who moved to Ahwatukee from the Los Angeles area in 1988, hosts two classes weekly for residents there. She gathers residents for “Prose and Poetry” on Tuesday afternoons, and Thursday she directs their “Locals Vocals Chorus.” Her Thursday music class tomorrow, Sept. 30, will feature “Wild West and Frontier Songs” performed by her Locals Vocals Chorus in costume. On the program will be tunes like “Arizona,” “Buttons and Bows,” “I’m an Old Cowhand,” “Red River Valley,” “Yellow Rose of

Marlene V. Saens gathers members of the Locals Vocals Chorus at Mountain Park Senior Living for a rehearsal in anticipation of a western music chorale Sept. 30. (Pablo Robles./AFN

Staff Photographer)

Texas” and others. Saens, who will augment the recital with her own cowboy narratives, has amassed

a plethora of experiences and talents that she catalogues in her official biography: “Accomplishments include writing poet-

ry, ballads, skits, plays, composing music, writing memoirs for others, history, sewing, costuming, piano, creating Japanese dolls, sumi-e brush painting, oil painting, home decorating, gardening, dogs, teaching tai chi, traveling to Europe, (and) hosting Sherlock Holmes study group.” Even that list doesn’t include everything. For instance, in the past month she crocheted four shawls for a local charity. “I love people, I love doing things, I love to give to others. That’s what keeps us going, keeps the wheels turning,” she said. She said she is especially taken with helping inspire seniors in the community. “I don’t cause wars, I can’t influence peace, but I can create unique and useful things to share with others for a momentary respite from the cares of the day, especially for the seniors in my community,” she said. “I’m ever impressed with the vast collec-

�ee SAENS page 24

Concerts in the Park return Sunday in Ahwatukee AFN NEWS STAFF

ne of Ahwatukee’s most cherished semiannual traditions will return Sunday, Oct. 3, when Realtor Randy Fitch, aided by a number of local sponsors, presents Concerts in the Park. Scheduled 5-8 p.m. the first four Sundays in October at Desert Foothills Park, 1010 E Marketplace SE, the free concerts not only give people a chance to relax with friends and family but also an opportunity to be entertained by some first-rate musicians in the outdoors. “If you haven’t attended one of Ahwatukee’s own Concerts in the Park and you’re looking for a relaxing way to spend a Sunday evening this fall, it may be time to add this event to your calendar,” Fitch waxed enthusiastically. “Newcomers, you’re in for a treat.” “The local event is hosted semi-annually

Realtor Randy Fitch said the friendly vibe during the Concerts in the Park at Desert Foothills Park has made the four-week semiannual event one of Ahwatukee’s most popular traditions. (Facebook) and is nestled in, quite frankly, one of the most picturesque backdrops that the Ahwatukee Foothills has to offer,” said Finch, owner of The Fitch Group real estate firm. With food truck and what Fitch calls

“Desert Foothills Park and its sprawling amenities,” the concerts draw families, couples and others of all ages. Fitch said typical of each event, are “the faint chatter of friends catching up

on their week, families tossing a frisbee or enjoying a game of catch, children on the playground while other kiddos kick around a soccer ball. “Some play tailgate toss while others are perfectly content relaxing with a cool beverage on their beach chairs and blankets. Sounds like a pretty cool gig, right?” The concerts have been community staple every spring and gall since 1996, when Fitch’s realty group and the city Department of Parks and Recreation partnered to bring live music to the park. Fitch said he got involved because he wanted to give back to the community and “wanted to provide an outdoor entertainment venue that was free and accessible to all.” A year later after the first set, “I was asked to start coordinating the dates with

�ee CONCERTS page 24

COMMUNITY

SAENS from page 23

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | SEPTEMBER 29, 2021

“Many people have said they wish they’d discovered tive intelligence of these dear people,” she poetry before,” she said. “I continued. “They are true to the wisdom don’t hold classes per se at of the ages that learning is the one pasMountain Park, rather a readsion that lasts; and they are eager to make ing circle. We have composed discoveries, whether it be learning about items drawing from their perprose and poetry or performing.” sonal histories.” Performing on stage has been a big She explains the reading part of Saen’s life. She has held leading materials are varied, running roles in a vast number of stage plays prethe gamut from Tennyson sented in Southern California as well as to Lewis Carroll; Thurber to the Phoenix area. Churchill, a selection of limAnd yet, her heart is with entertaining ericks and folk tales and most seniors – and leading them in entertainrecently, a three-character, ing others. one-act play Saens wrote “We’ve entertained through the years about the “eccentricities of a with patriotic and holiday themes, both genius inventor” entitled “My in-house and out,” she said. “When these Crazy Uncle Gus.” dear folks were locked down for such a “We also delight very much long time, I brought them hand-made in the writings of children items and cards from time to time to with their innocent vision of let them know we remain connected in the world around them,” she hearts and thoughts even though we could said, smiling. not meet face to face. “Together we recite sections “A small spark, perhaps, but important at a time, either individually or for them to know I care,” she said. “Also, At 78 and with a long list of accomplishments, Marlene in unison so that their voices V. Saens of Ahwatukee says she has never had a boring at my Ahwatukee Recreation Center, we moment in her life.” (Pablo Robles./AFN Staff Photographer) are not strained, especially will begin our theatre and singing activiwith longer ballads and such.” ties and our pocket shows that we take to while employed full-time was a gift she reSaens’s visits are much appreciated by other communities. Folks are eager to remains thankful for. residents and staff at Mountain Park Se“I love the constant state of learning. nior Living. ignite their neglected activities.” Though she retired from Solitude Moun- I like to make beautiful things that make Linda Paskell, a 31-year Ahwatukee resitain Resorts in 2017, she continued do- people happy,” she said. dent who is director of entertainment and You won’t find Saen’s art or accomplish- programming, lauded the enthusiasm and ing occasional freelance work for the ski ments online. Not care Saens brings to the seniors. resort southeast of her traditional JapaSalt Lake City. “Mountain Park is fortunate to have “Bleakness of Afghanistan” nese dolls, her oil Marlene share her talents with our resiShe had been emIt’s hard to keep from crying. paintings, her ori- dents. She’s enthusiastic, creative, and ployed as a satellite Our administration lying. gami creations, her passionate about what she does,” said office while living in Our freedoms slowly dying. plays. She has never Paskell, whose own mother moved into Upland, California, Our treasurer troops keep trying. hosted a website. commuting to Los the community when it opened in 2012. Human suffering intensifying. “I have no interest Angeles for more “It’s obvious she loves the residents, End results – all terrifying. in social media at and during COVID, when we couldn’t than 40 years. -Marlene V. Saens all,” she proclaimed have volunteers in the community, she It was in L.A. that emphatically. “What dropped off beautiful notes and cards for Saens discovered ‘Little Tokyo” and became enchanted with I do is personal; it’s more of a one-on- them,” she added. various Japanese arts including doll mak- one thing.” Saens encourages others to volunteer Poetry is another matter. Though not whenever and wherever they can in the ing, origami and sumi-e brush painting. She enrolled in classes, and these many published online, she shares her work community. She said it is a practice that with many other poets. years later, remains proficient. enables more growth and learning in the “I have a plethora of friends here volunteer as well as those they assist. Many of those classes were not taught by English-speaking teachers, she said, so and abroad with whom I correspond “Volunteering presents a place where and share my poetry such as world-re- creativity can blossom within myself and you learned by doing. “For instance, my sumi-e teacher would nowned-writer Jimmy McGovern, Alison in others. When folks witness something put his hand over mine and show me how Weir, and Angela Kelly, the Queen’s long- that pleases them, they welcome the opto create a butterfly, a tree. It was great for serving friend and Personal Assistant,” portunity to explore new possibilities, and meditation, focusing on something that’s Saens revealed. we learn from and inspire one another,” Poetry has proven to be popular with she said. “Learning is the one passion that beautiful.” Being able to pursue her varied interests her Tuesday Prose and Poetry group. lasts long and faithfully.” ■

CONCERT from page 23

the city and local musical talent,” Fitch recalled. “I ran with it.” “I began involving other members of the community who signed on to sponsoring the event, helping cover out of pocket costs,” he said. Back when the concerts started, the bands just played on the grass. Over time, the stage evolved into a portable wood platform that had to be manually assembled and now, the performers use the city’s Showmobile. A wide array of genres performs across the four weeks of concerts, which often attracted hundreds of people, Fitch said. And both bands and music lovers have long gone on to Ahwatukee’s little secret. “People head over from all across the Valley to enjoy the evening,” Fitch said. “We’ve had bands that have come from as far away as Washington state, California and Chicago play and we’ve also hosted the local high school orchestras and asked the School of Rock students to perform. “It’s been wonderful seeing the event evolve over the years, especially as it’s grown in popularity,” he added. “We’ll commonly have young adults who attend the event because their parents used to bring them when they were in grade school. It really did start as a catalyst to get people together in the community and here we are, years later and folks still love it as their escape to enjoy the fresh air with their friends and family.” “We’ll oftentimes see groups that plan birthday parties, workplace outings and other celebrations as well,” Fitch said. Small wonder he says, “it certainly feels like a part of the fabric of life in the Ahwatukee Foothills.” “Bringing families and friends together – what could be better?” The lineup this fall is: Oct. 3, Nineball featuring Mike Krill; Oct. 10, Joey Gutos; Oct. 17, Tripwire; and Oct. 24, Classic Example Band. Sponsors include: Wohland Mortgage, Brewer’s Air Conditioning and Heating, Foothills Pet Resort, Barefoot Pools, Keystone Montessori, Inspection Training of Arizona, United Brokers Group, Tukee Lifestyles Chiropratic, Comprehensive Property Inspections, Body Firm Ahwatukee, the city rec department, Arizona Mortgage Specialists, American Title, and Realtor Multilist Service. ■

COMMUNITY

SEPTEMBER 29, 2021 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS

AROUND AHWATUKEE

Ahwatukee Scout troop seeks rummage sale donations

Ahwatukee Boy Scout Troop 78 is seeking large and small donations for a rummage sale it will hold 7 a.m.11:30 a.m. Oct. 23 at 560 W. Southern Ave., Tempe. Gently used items and even larger items are sought and donors can contact Melissa Blodgett at jacknbijou@aol.com or 480-650-4403 to arrange for pickup or drop-off. Since its formation in 1992, Troop 78 has had 96 Boy Scouts achieve Eagle rank, the highest in Scouting. In the last five years alone, the troop has performed 2,500 hours of community service for Ahwatukee. In that time it also has been cleaning up 32nd Street and Chandler Boulevard through the City of Phoenix.

Foothills Golf Course Ladies League ready to hit the links

The Foothills Golf Course Ladies League is open for play. Participants play 18 holes of handicap golf every

Tuesday morning now through May. Play includes weekly games, prizes and friendly competition. Interested women can email Lucille Heid at lpheid@ outlook.com for details.

Desert Point Garden Club welcomes new members to next meeting

Desert Point Garden Club invites prospective members to join their meeting at 1 p.m. Oct. 4 at the Ahwatukee Recreation Center, 5001 E. Cheyenne Drive. Oliver Ncube will share his expertise in gardening in desert conditions. The club will also host a topicrelated field trip later in the month. Information: 480759-4407 or visit Desert Pointe Garden Club – Arizona Federation of Garden Clubs at azgardenclubs.com.

Memorial pavers honor veterans and current service people

An engraved commemorative paver placed at Ahwatukee’s Blue Star Memorial is the perfect way to

honor a family member or friend who served or is currently serving in the U. S. military. Pavers ordered before Oct. 1 will be placed at the memorial in time for Veterans Day. The Blue Star Memorial is a joint project of Desert Pointe Garden Club and the Ahwatukee Board of Management. It is located on the north side of Warner Road just west of 48th Street. Parking is available in the ABM lot. Pavers cost $50 each without a military logo or $60 with the logo. Pick up an order form at the Ahwatukee Board of Management office, 4700 E. Warner Road.

Golf tournament will support Tempe Union students

The nonprofit Tempe Union High School Education Foundation is taking reservations for a Nov. 18 golf tournament with proceeds supporting district students. The tournament at Arizona Grand Golf Course, 8000 S. Arizona Grand Parkway, Ahwatukee, will begin at 8

a.m. with a shotgun start and will include a long drive contest for men and women, closest to the pin and longest putt competition as well as and raffle prizes. Last year’s tournament that raised over $40,000. Individual carts are available if requested. To register and learn about sponsorship opportunities, go to OnParForAPurpose.com.

Women’s social club in Ahwatukee seeking new members

Ahwatukee Women’s Social Club is a casual group driven by Facebook only. It accepts members who live in 85044, 85045 and 85048. Monthly events include bunco, coffee groups, book club, and happy hours. To learn more and join, go to facebook.com and search by “Ahwatukee Women’s Social Club.” The group’s signature event, “Falling into Fashion,” will be on Oct. 23. Tickets are available at Eventbrite. com beginning Sept. 23. ■

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‘COVID pill’ study has launched in Mesa BY TOM SCANLON AFN Staff Writer

magine taking a pill that – even if you’re not vaccinated and even if someone you share space with has COVID-19 – would protect you from the coronavirus. As one of 43 sites around the country in a clinical trial, a Mesa center is a key player in what many are dreaming about: The hypothetical “COVID pill.” Arizona Clinical Trials is looking for people who live with someone who has COVID-19 and want to be – potentially, at least – part of history. In a modest south-central Mesa office surrounded by insurance, weight loss and arthritis treatment providers, Dr. Anita Kohli meets potential volunteers to discuss a trial she hopes will be groundbreaking. “As an individual citizen, I’m rooting for it like you wouldn’t believe,” said the upbeat, energetic Kohli. “As a scientist, I am always cautious, just look at the data.” But when she sets her “just the facts” professional microscope aside, for the moment, she steps back to view a big picture that is almost staggering. “We hope for all of humanity this works,” she said. “We hope to develop a simpler drug that can be in every pharmacy in America. And the world.” Last year, Kohli and Arizona Clinical Trials took part in a crucial trial that found Regeneron to be an effective treatment for COVID-19. According to the New England Journal of Medicine, Regeneron’s “combination of the monoclonal antibodies casirivimab and imdevimab, has been shown to markedly reduce the risk of hospitalization or death among high-risk persons with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).” The Regeneron “cocktail,” according to the medical journal, “prevented symptomatic COVID-19 and asymptomatic SARS-

percent a month ago.” As the Post article notes, Regeneron is administered via infusions at hospitals, urgent-care centers and some other medical facilities. That’s the problem, noted Kohli, a Delaware native who trained under Dr. Anthony Fauci – now the leading spokesman on COVID, as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases before moving to Gilbert six years ago. “We’ve been running clinical trials for the treatment of Arizona Clinical Trials in Mesa is one of 43 national locations COVID for around a year; we for a trial of a “COVID pill” that is being studied to prevent started July 1, 2020,” she said. After three phases of monoCOVID-19. Dr. Anita Kohli meets potential volunteers to discuss a trial they hope will be groundbreaking. (Special to AFN) clonal antibodies testing, she was pleased to see RegenerCoV-2 infection in previously uninfected on’s path to being widely available. While household contacts of infected persons. she said the effectiveness of the drug is Among the participants who became in- not challenged, “the biggest question is, fected, REGEN-COV reduced the duration ‘Is there a way to simplify treatment?’ Inof symptomatic disease and the duration stead of intravenous therapy, if we could of a high viral load.” develop a pill.” Though joyous over the positive clinical Enter the new trial for molnupiravir, results that paved the way for FDA fast- launched two weeks ago. tracking of Regeneron, Kohli and others Volunteers who live with someone with have been frustrated over its limited use. COVID will get doses of either the molnuThen-President Donald Trump, after be- piravir pill or a placebo, with results from ing diagnosed with COVID and having his both groups tabulated to see how effective oxygen levels drop to dangerous levels, molnupiravir is. received the Regeneron “cocktail” that he The trial lasts 29 days, with the first five credited for his stunning bounce-back to days of four pills taken every 12 hours, good health. followed by a tracking period to report Nine months later, according to a recent symptoms. Washington Post story, “Monoclonal antiThe trial is only open to those who have bodies are free to patients and there have not been vaccinated against COVID-19. been almost no side effects…But Regen“We have not enrolled anyone yet,” Kohli eron Pharmaceuticals, maker of the only said Monday. authorized, free monoclonal antibodies, While this trial excludes those who cursaid it is reaching fewer than 30 percent rently have COVID-19, Kohli noted Arizoof eligible patients, up from fewer than 5 na Clinical Trials has several studies going

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on, including treatments for those with active COVID. “People are looking for options and solutions,” she said. “We hope to help the community.” “We have to use what we know works. Right now, we do have a great (COVID treatment) option, people should utilize it more.” Regeneron’s approval was, in a small way, assisted by the trials Kohli and company did in Mesa. The national effort behind that trial “shows how well we can push this field forward and really bring incredible, innovative and cutting edge (treatment) in a year.” But, again, she is pained by the idea that the treatment is still relatively limited. “Some of these deaths are absolutely avoidable,” she said. Monoclonal antibody treatment is a narrow window: It works best when someone is sick with COVID, but not to the point where the patient is hospitalized with respiratory distress and other conditions caused by the disease. Regeneron, she said, “reduces hospitalization and death (from COVID). We need to be more aggressive about treating people before they get that sick. We have to give it to people early in their disease.” “I did not get COVID. We take a lot of precautions to keep our staff safe,” the doctor added. “I commend my team all the time. They worked with COVID from the very beginning; they worked side by side with people with COVID.” For those who are not able to avoid COVID, Kohli said: “Call us early in your disease. We’re happy to talk through options.” Arizona Clinical Trials is also known as Arizona Liver Health, and provides free scanning for fatty liver disease (which 1 in 3 Americans have). For information, call 480-360-4000 or visit azclinicaltrials.com. ■

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AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | SEPTEMBER 29, 2021

Trust companies aid financial administration BY JOSEPH ORTIZ AFN Guest Writer

f you’re extremely busy with your career and family and you’ve accumulated a fair amount of assets, you might be concerned about a variety of issues related to financial management and legacy planning. Specifically, you might think you don’t have the time or expertise to deal with these matters effectively. If this is the case, you might want to consider using a trust company. You might think you need to have a large estate or millions of dollars to benefit from working with a trust company, but that’s not the case. And if you’re not familiar with what a trust company can do, you might be surprised at all the services it can provide, including the following: Wealth management. Typically, when working with a trust company, you’ll receive investment management designed

to help you achieve various goals, such as a comfortable retirement and college for your children. The company can manage retirement accounts, monitor investments and disburse funds, make changes as needed and ensure compliance with government reporting for contributions, withdrawals and rollovers. While different companies operate in different ways, you may have an arrangement in which you work with a personal financial advisor and a separate portfolio manager. Financial management during incapacity. If you were to become incapacitated and couldn’t make financial decisions, a trust company can step in, giving you peace of mind from knowing that your financial assets will be managed by a team of professionals, helping protect you and your family from potentially dire consequences. Trust administration. A trust company can perform several essential tasks re-

lated to administering your trust. The company can act as trustee for a trust you’ve established, such as a revocable living trust, which can allow your estate to avoid probate while providing you with great control over how your assets will be distributed at your passing. Alternatively, the trust company can work alongside an individual you’ve designated to execute the terms of a trust. If your selected trustee resigns or becomes unable to make decisions, the trust company can serve as successor trustee. When it’s time to settle your estate, the trust company can handle the valuation, dispersion and re-titling of assets, pay off any debts and expenses, and complete any tax returns related to your estate. Bill payment and recordkeeping. A trust company can keep up with all the trust’s bills (household maintenance, medical bills, etc.) and provide statements summarizing receipts, disbursements and the value of assets within the trust. In addition to providing these practi-

cal services, a trust company may benefit you in a more intangible way. It’s unfortunate but true that, in many families, dividing up assets can cause conflict and bitter feelings. But when a trust company serves as trustee, it impartially administers distribution of the assets based on the instructions you’ve provided in the trust – helping minimize family disputes over inheritances. If you ever feel like the complexities of wealth management and trust administration are getting to be more than you can handle – or perhaps more than you want to handle – consider contacting a trust company. You might find that it can make your life a lot easier.

Joseph Ortiz is a financial planner for Edward Jones. Reach him at 480-7537664 or joseph.ortiz@edwardjones. com. Joe will resume his coffee clubs on the last Thursday of every month at the Four Points Sheraton Inn 10831 S. 51st St., Ahwatukee. ■

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Congress must protect Arizona’s local news BY RICHARD GOTTLIEB AFN Guest Writer

en. Kyrsten Sinema has long understood the important role that local news plays in Arizona. She knows that, over the years, far too many Copper State newspapers and radio stations have ceased their operations, leading to many critical pieces of local community news getting glossed over or not receiving any coverage at all. That’s why she co-sponsored the bipartisan Local News and Emergency Information Act — to help save local news by making Arizona’s newspapers, radio, and television broadcasters eligible for coronavirus relief under the Paycheck Protection Program during this pandemic. In announcing her support for the bill, Sinema said that, “Arizona’s local newspapers, radio, and television broadcasters provide important information, emergency alerts, and more to Arizonans during the coronavirus pandemic and they need

access to critical resources to continue these services.” Now, some of her Arizona colleagues in the House are taking her campaign to protect local news a step further with a resolution to safeguard local radio stations from new �inancial threats. The resolution, called the Local Radio Freedom Act, states that Congress won’t support any new proposals to increase the operating costs of local stations. Members understand the COVID-related troubles they face and want to protect their vitality. These representatives know that, without these broadcasters, the American people will lose access to critical emergency alerts, public health and safety news, and community care and support and that they must do everything in their power to keep them running smoothly and ef�iciently. Local broadcasters serve many indispensable functions in Arizona; however, none of them are more bene�icial than their service to the state’s emergency

operations. Natural disasters frequently abound in our state, from �lash �looding to landslides to earthquakes. TVs and telephone signals often go out during emergencies, but radio signal has always remained resilient in Arizona thanks to the sturdy Emergency Operations Center Network that Emergency Management built in the state. The connection, powered by repeaters on nine mountain-top sites and checked weekly for functionality, can withstand just about anything. These local broadcasting stations are the most dependable and, in some cases, the only medium that residents have to hear critical public safety warnings and updates. The last thing politicians should do is make it even harder for them to continue operating in today’s unsteady economic climate. Hurricane Ida has shown the American people how essential local radio is. A recent article in The Washington Post discussed how they were a “source of hope”

during the natural disaster. Arizonans didn’t need Hurricane Ida to remind them of radio’s importance; current events have already made them well aware. Broadcasters have proven instrumental in alerting the public about the 500,000 acres of land burned in the more than 1,000 forest �ires this year. With so much of rural Arizona still lacking broadband access and reliable cell service, local stations have without questioned play a vital, indispensable role in keeping the public informed. Imposing new licensing fees on these broadcasters that are part of the fabric of the local community would lead to all loss and no gain. Let’s hope that the number of members standing up for local news continues to grow.

workers covered? Who pays for testing? Can employers require employees pay for testing? How should employers handle requests for exemptions on medical or religious grounds? Can employers require workers to use PTO for vaccination and recovery time? Which vaccines or tests will be acceptable? How do employers prove compliance? How will the penalties of up to $14,000 per violation be applied? What if a worker refuses to get vaccinated or tested? One of the biggest questions is whether or not the emergency rule will survive anticipated legal challenges. Although it is clear that the federal government has the authority to require vaccinations for federal workers and contractors, when it comes to federal requirements applied at the state level and to private sector businesses, the law is unsettled. OSHA was created by Congress in

1970 to establish and enforce workplace safety rules protecting workers from dangerous hazards. It usually takes a long time for OSHA to develop and publish rules according to its lengthy process, including time for public comment. But OSHA does have power to issue Emergency Temporary Standards (“ETS”) to expedite the process when it is acting to protect workers from a “grave danger.” The ETS process is seldom-used, which means there is little precedent in this area. Many legal commentators argue the President is on �irm legal footing acting under direct authority from Congress by the law creating OSHA to protect workers from hazardous conditions. Here, the “hazard” is de�ined as the unvaccinated worker. Opponents claim this is an overreach and outside of OSHA’s authority. Congress

intended OSHA to regulate workplace conditions, not infectious disease. Some also argue that a “grave danger” does not exist on a national level because the current spike in COVID cases is regional. Other opponents take a broader view and argue states usually have the authority to regulate the health and safety of their citizens. The rule is effective when published in the Federal Register. For states like Arizona with OSHA-approved state plans, they will have up to 30 days to adopt the federal rule or implement equivalent measures. The OSHA ETS lasts for six months, after which it needs to be replaced by a permanent measure. The ETS is expected in the next two to eight weeks. Impacted employers should

Richard Gottlieb, Arizona, is the former chairman and CEO of Lee Enterprises and chairman of the Newspaper Association of America. ■

Business should prepare now for vaccine mandate BY ANDREA MARCONI AFN Guest Writer

resident Biden tasked the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration to prepare an emergency rule requiring employers with at least 100 workers to require employees to get vaccinated or produce weekly negative test results. Businesses will also be required to give workers paid time off to get vaccinated and to recover from any side effects. This requirement will impact more than 80 million workers – nearly two-thirds of the private sector workforce. Businesses presently have more questions than answers while everyone awaits the �inal OSHA rule. Common questions include: Are remote

�� MANDATES �� 32

OPINION

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | SEPTEMBER 29, 2021

MANDATES �� 31

communicate with employees now that this rule is coming and more details will be provided. Employers can also encourage employee vaccinations begin now to ease compliance later. Employers should also start preparing systems and procedures to use when the rule is adopted such as (i) determining and collecting proof of employee vaccination status, (ii) handling accommodation requests, (iii) determining whether they will mandate vaccines or also allow weekly tests, and (iv) a plan for tracking test results. Employers who have questions should consult legal and human resources experts. Attorney Andrea Marconi is vice chair of business litigation at Fennemore. Her areas of practice include business litigation, banking law, health care, and real estate. ■

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Mountain Pointe stopped in its tracks in loss to Casteel BY JAKE HEDEBY AFN Staff Writer

he matchup between Mountain Pointe (2-1) and Casteel (1-1) looked to be a competitive one on paper. Both teams had close losses and impressive wins so far in the young 2021 season. Mountain Pointe spent most of the 2010’s dominating Arizona football. Now, with its best start since the 2017 season, the Pride are trying to reestablish their place as one of the better program’s year in and year out. However, that process did not continue Friday night in its 35-6 loss to a Casteel team that had Mountain Pointe’s number the entire game. Mountain Pointe senior Amier Boyd made his second consecutive start at quarterback for the Pride in the absence of junior starter Chris Arviso, who was dressed out for the game but didn’t play

“Tonight, I just tried to go through the RPO’s, my reads,” Boyd said. “This week was about trying to read the defense.” Arviso was unable to play last week against Perry with a “persistent injury,” head coach Eric Lauer said. He only saw a few snaps when the game was already decided in the fourth quarter. Mountain Pointe’s offense, led by senior Amier Boyd for the second The quarterback poconsecutive week, was limited by Casteel’s stingy defensive play Frisition will be decided day night in the Pride’s second straight loss. (Pablo Robles/AFN Staff) week-to-week going until the final minutes. forward into the rest of the season. Boyd’s main focus was to make the It took a while for either team to break right reads. through on the scoreboard. Through the

first quarter both teams had promising drives derailed by penalties. The Pride drove to mid field quickly to start the game, a 10-yard plus gain for running back Jay’len Rushing, and a first down pass to wide receiver Jordan Huff showed promise. Then the Casteel defense settled in, for good, and forced the first of several pooch punts from Devon Sparks. Casteel had the running game going all night, but the only time the Colts failed to execute a drive for points was the first. Long successful runs for both quarterback Landon Jury and running back A.J. Murphy were all for nothing, as a holding penalty brought them back and played a part in a missed 45-yard field goal. The first quarter ended with the score tied 0-0. After that point it was all Casteel. The Colts’ next drive saw their complicated offense explode. A mix of the run-

�ee PRIDE page 36

Thunder cruise to blowout win over Corona del Sol BY ZACH ALVIRA AFN Sports Editor

he Desert Vista football program entered the 2021 season with a chip on its shoulder after it went winless last year. That chip grew after its Week 1 loss to Perry by a touchdown, caused by costly turnovers and penalties late in the game. But an early bye week allowed the Thunder to regroup and dominate Mesa for its first win in two years on Sept. 17. It was clear early on Thursday night the momentum from that win carried over into the new week, as all facets of the game seemed to click for Desert Vista in its 52-7 rout of district-rival Corona del Sol. “We don’t feel respected,” Desert Vista junior quarterback Jackson Akins said. “We went 0-6 last year. We feel like every team looks past us. We wanted to come out here and make a statement. We played

as a team and got a great win.” Desert Vista’s first two drives of the game showed hints of some of the same miscues it had earlier in the season. Still, the Thunder drove 80 yards down the field on their first possession before senior wideout Mekhi Hibbler was stripped from behind while going into the end zone. On Desert Vista’s next drive, which began inside the Corona del Sol 30 after a fumble, the Thunder settled for a 37-yard field goal from Noah Perez. But from there, everything seemed to work. Akins led the Thunder up and down the field, often times starting in good field position thanks to Desert Vista’s defense. Akins wasted little time securing the Thunder’s first touchdown, a 4-yard pass to tight end Hayden Engel. Just a few plays later after recovering a pooch kick, Akins connected with Engel again, this time from 9 yards out. The tight end caught three passes on the night for 12 yards but had Desert

Vista’s first two touchdowns of the game. “Hayden Engel played a great game at tight end, he’s like an unsung hero for us,” Desert Vista coach Ty Wisdom said. “But calling plays is easy with guys like him and Devon Grubbs and Mekhi Hibbler. Michael Allison had a good game and out O-line kept their blocks. “We talked about playing confident and fast all week. The kids came out and executed.” Senior running back Desert Vista junior quarterback Jackson Akins’ 210 passing yards and Devon Grubbs, deter- four total touchdowns helped the Thunder cruise to a convincing mined to have a break- win over Corona del Sol Thursday night. (Pablo Robles/AFN Staff) out year after injuries hampered his performance the last two seasons, was once �ee THUNDER page 35

SEPTEMBER 29, 2021 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS

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Youth lacrosse team seeking new players for upcoming season BY ZACH ALVIRA AFN Sports Editor

youth lacrosse club in Ahwatukee is hoping to add to its roster ahead of the upcoming season by providing an opportunity for kids to learn the game and receive free equipment. Ahwatukee Lacrosse, a club team for both boys’ and girls’ ages kindergarten to eighth grade, has started hosting clinics for prospective players to get into the sport. For many, it is their first time. That’s why the club has also gone as far as donating a lacrosse stick to the youth players who attend and pay the $100 fee, which also gives you two sessions per week. According to Michelle Wasielewski, a volunteer parent who also oversees registration and marketing for the club, they want players to have adequate equipment, so they play the game in a safe manner. “We’re working with vendors to give us package deals on starter kits that include helmets, gloves and pads,” Wasielewski said. “We are trying to bulk buy to keep the cost down.” Wasielewski has only been with the club for less than a year after moving to Ahwatukee from Illinois. But even in the short amount of time, she has

THUNDER from page 34

again electric for the Thunder. He rushed for 50 yards and a touchdown — a 1-yard run in the second quarter — in the first half but began to find running lanes in the last two quarters. His second touchdown of the night, a 17-yard run, came in the final quarter with Desert Vista already on cruise control. He ended the night with 20 carries for 124 yards. It was the third time this season Grubbs rushed for at least 100 yards. “I couldn’t do it without my O-line,” Grubbs said. “I’ve got some dogs blocking for me. But not only that, it’s the offensive play calling. Coach (Wisdom), he’s very strategic with it and he knows how to set up plays.” Akins, who struggled as a sophomore in 2020, has poured it on for Desert Vista in three games this season. In the first half Thursday he completed 13 of his 16 pass attempts for 172 yards and had three total touchdowns — the third a 6-yard rush of his own.

you ask him to do anything and he’s like, ‘Ugh!’ But you tell him it’s time to go to lacrosse practice and he is in the car before me. They laugh, they smile and it’s an instant bond that they can take with them to high school.” The club’s season is set to take place Oct. 13 and last through the middle of December. But before then, more clinics will be hosted at local parks for current and new players to join. Overall, the club’s main goal is to motivate more people in the community to join. Word of mouth has been key for the club’s growth, now they hope to Ahwatukee Lacrosse, a youth club league that feeds into Desert Vista’s high school program, is hosting take it to another level. clinics for current and new players to receive a free lacrosse stick and pads to join the team for the up“We are keeping the clinics coming fall season. (Courtesy Michelle Wasielewski) open until the last day before the season just in case somebody seen the impact it has had on her son, a ships while the girls are fresh off a title comes in and wants to get that good la13-year-old who will be attending Desert win last spring. Players from the high school team coach crosse stick versus getting the wrong type Vista next year. The team is the feeder program for the the younger members of the club. Mi- of stick,” Wasielewski said. Thunder squad, which is comprised of stu- chelle said that is a unique experience for For those interested in attending an dents from both Desert Vista and Moun- the youth players they thoroughly enjoy. “I love it provides another sport for the Ahwatukee Lacrosse clinic or joining tain Pointe high schools. It’s a program that has seen success in recent years. The boys,” Wasielewski said. “This is a wonder- the club, visit www.facebook.com/ahboys regularly compete for champion- ful bonding experience for them. My kid, watukeelax/. ■

in the second half on just two attempts. He finished the night 14 of 18 for 210 yards and one interception. He connected with six different wideouts. Allison had 102 receiving yards, Hibbler had 55. Even some of the younger players on Desert Vista’s roster contributed Thursday against Corona del Sol. Christian Clark, a sophomore running back, made plays on defense for the Thunder. He also saw a bulk of the workload in the final minutes of the game, finishDesert Vista senior running back Devon Grubbs for the third ing with 45 yards on the time this season surpassed 100 yards rushing. He scored two ground and a touchdown. touchdowns in the Thunder’s big win over Corona del Sol last Akins credited the deThursday. (Pablo Robles/AFN Staff) fense for its ability to put He connected with junior wide receiver the ball back in the hands of the offense on Michael Allison on a 38-yard score in the a consistent basis Thursday night. Along third quarter for his fourth touchdown. with two turnovers, Corona del Sol was It was the only pass completion he had held to just 73 yards of total offense. The

only score for the Aztecs came on a long kick return by junior Owen Janssen in the second quarter. “We have a fire under us,” Akins said. “I think for us, it’s our preparation. We have a bond on this team that makes us all brothers. We all play for each other.” The convincing win further builds momentum for a Desert Vista team that had for so long craved that feeling. Now, for the first time since 2019, the Thunder are on a two-game win streak heading into its toughest opponent to date in a Highland team that made it to the 6A title game last season. Just like it did with Corona del Sol, Desert Vista will enter the game with a chip on its shoulder from last season. And unlike in 2020, the 2-1 Thunder will enter the contest against the Hawks with confidence. “This gives us a lot of momentum and confidence, which is what we needed,” Grubbs said. “We lost to them last year, so we have a chip on our shoulder. That’s going to push us to keep going and try to get better and better every week.” ■

SPORTS

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | SEPTEMBER 29, 2021

PRIDE from page 34

pass option between Jury and Murphy set up a perfect play-action pass to tight end Bear Tenney, who caught the 25-yard pass to break open the scoring. “We’ve got a multidimensional system,” said Casteel head coach Bobby Newcombe. “It allows us to do many different things and use a lot of different athletes.” Following the first touchdown of the game, Mountain Pointe seemed to shoot itself in the foot every chance it had. Its next drive started with a first down but then was set because of a facemask penalty. Penalties hampered the Pride’s offense all night. The Pride got the ball back after a Casteel punt and drove it down to the 20yard line. Penalties turned a first and 5 for Mountain Pointe into third and 10. Which then led to a turnover on downs as they were desperate to put up seven. Like almost every other drive, the Colts ran the ball consistently and marched all the way down to the red zone, handing the ball to Murphy who punched it in from 12 yards out. Down 14-0 at halftime, Mountain Pointe coach Eric Lauer talked about what adjustments were made on defense, as the

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Mountain Pointe coach Eric Lauer said the team has to go back to the drawing board to ﬁx its mistakes ahead of its next matchup with Buena Friday in Sierra Vista. (Pablo Robles/AFN Staff) unit struggled all night. “The quarterback run, he was setting the tone on the option. And we had to adjust, who has quarterback, who has pitch, and we weren’t able to,” said Lauer. The second half saw the scoreboard lean even further in one direction, as Casteel’s defense clamped down on anything that the Pride ran on offense, “They blitzed a lot, showed pressure all night. It was difficult to find the holes,”

Boyd said, who was adamant after his 100-plus-yard rushing game that they will regroup and figure out what went wrong Friday night. After a few possessions that ended in punts for both teams, Casteel started its second drive of the half on Mountain Pointe’s 40-yard line. Jeremiah Newcombe took it from there. The sophomore entered the game as a wildcat quarterback and kept it on the op-

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tion play and juked out at least three Pride defenders before he was off to the end zone with a 40-yard touchdown run. Once Casteel’s lead was large enough, the Colts went to the ground. “It’s usually a focal point, but we stuck with the run game because we had some early success,” Newcombe said. Even with other players chiming in with their own chunk plays, the duo of Jury and Murphy gained over 200 yards. Murphy had 160 on 26 carries while Jury added 46 of his own on 9 attempts. He also completed 10 of his 13 pass attempts for 65 yards and a touchdown. The 35 points scored by Casteel was the most Mountain Pointe had given up all season. The silver lining came as the game was winding down, when Sparks scored from 4 yards out to avoid the shutout. Arviso was in for that drive and led the Pride down the field. Mountain Pointe, now 2-2 on the year, will look to regroup for its long roadtrip to Sierra Vista next Friday to take on Buena High School. “We’re back to the drawing board tomorrow morning, it’s tell the truth Saturday,” Lauer said. “They have to pay for those penalties.” ■

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SEPTEMBER 29, 2021 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS

PAD: The Silent Killer PHOENIX – “PAD is often called the silent killer because you may have it and not even know,” says Dr. Joel Rainwater, chief medical officer of Comprehensive Integrated Care (CiC). The reason it’s sometimes missed is because people dismiss the symptoms of this dangerous disease as ‘just a sign of getting older’. But it’s not. “It’s not normal to have difficulty walking to your mailbox, it’s not normal to have constant leg pain or cramping,” says Rainwater, “That’s not normal aging, it could be a sign of PAD.” Peripheral artery disease (PAD) restricts blow flow to the legs and feet. It’s often confused with neuropathy as the symptoms are very similar and include difficulty walking without taking a break, burning, tingling, numbness, or pain. “When I see a patient, who has been told they have neuropathy and they’ve been maximized on medication that’s not working, I know there may be some-

PAD is caused by the buildup of fatty material inside the arteries, limiting blood flow.

thing else causing it and one of the notorious offenders in that scenario is PAD,” says Rainwater. PAD is caused by the buildup of fatty material inside the arteries. This build-up occurs gradually and hardens into plaque inside the artery restricting blood flow. Without an adequate blood supply, the body can’t get the oxygen and nutrients it needs to maintain healthy legs and feet. “This is something we can fix,” explains Rainwater. “There is treat-

ment and it’s excellent.” Patients are able to get back to their everyday lifestyle with almost no downtime, no stitches and no hospital stay. Medicare as well as most insurances cover treatment. “I’m here to tell patients there are options, all they have to do is ask. They might have to ask a different doctor, but they don’t have to live with the idea that they’re going to suffer for the rest of their life,” says Rainwater. His best advice, “Go look for answers.”

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Local Physician Talks About Veins If you notice a feeling of heaviness in your legs; fatigue or aching in your leg muscles; swelling, skin discoloration, soreness; wounds that don’t heal; or leg cramps at night, you may have Chronic Venous Insufficiency (CVI). A common symptom of CVI is varicose veins. “These symptoms can have an impact on your quality of life,” says Dr. Jeffrey Braxton, Director of Venous Intervention at CiC Vein. “I want people to know they shouldn’t have to limit doing what they enjoy.” CVI develops when excessive pressure builds up in your leg veins and the veins are unable to bring the blood back to the heart. “Vein disease is surprisingly common, but the good news is, it’s manageable,” says Braxton, who is board certified in venous and lymphatic medicine. Innovative techniques involve closing or sealing the diseased vein. You are awake and alert during the procedure, with minimal discomfort, and are able to walk out after. The vein shuts down and disappears after treatment. “Your body has plenty of veins so there’s no cause for concern when unhealthy veins are treated,” explains Braxton. Your body reroutes the blood to healthier veins. “Don’t dismiss the symptoms of CVI, pay attention to the subtle signs,” says Braxton. “The sooner you’re seen, the better your chances are for reducing or avoiding serious complications.”

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Zombies make their way to equestrian center BY MALLORY GLEICH Get Out Contributor

emember back when the pandemic �irst hit Arizona, and some were convinced that this catastrophic event could result in, well, zombies? Well, while that hasn’t happened, October is the perfect month to pretend that zombies are real and you can �ind them at the KOLI Equestrian Center, 6940 W. Broken Ear Road, Chandler. KOLI provides year-round horseback riding for anyone looking to enjoy beautiful views. But on weekends between Oct. 8 and Nov. 7, the scenery takes a turn for the worse as a zombie outbreak occurs at various times Fridays through Sundays. And because the point of �inding zombies is to get rid of them, KOLI is holding “The Hunt: Arizona Zombie Assault.” Organizers of the hunt have provided the back story “There was a viral outbreak in 2019. A rare virus spread across the country. This virus has been reawakening dead people into zombies after their vaccine wore off. “This reaction was unknown to the masses and needs to be stopped. We need you to help us conduct a hunt of these infected zombies before they re-infect the population. Send these zombies back to the grave!” Guests board a military-style vehicle (also known as a zombie assault vehicle) and head to a double-decker trailer. The �irst station is where they receive ammo, which comes in the form of paintballs. After a mission brie�ing, guests head out into the desert in search of the undead. Arizona Zombie Assault was once known as Zombie Warz and was the brainchild of Utah-based Wayne Park. Park had the idea for a zombie hunt back in 2015 and decided that the desert landscape of our state would be better suited than his home. He headed to Wild Horse Pass and eventually Maricopa Wells, where the hunt was open for three years until it shut

Zombies were hired several months in advance of the coming zombie hunt at KOLI Equestrian Center in Chandler. (Special to the Tribune) down in 2018. Zombie Assault General Manager TroyScott Farrar and owner Chuck Pablo said that the concept of the hunt is the same as Zombie Warz, with a few changes to �it the venue. “It’s the perfect time of year for an event like this – and it doesn’t require a lot of physical activity,” Farrar said. “Piggie-backing on the pandemic makes for a great storyline that is intriguing guests to come out and hunt. Who doesn’t want a chance to shoot a zombie?” T h e creepy monsters are hired by the staff at KOLI a few months in advance. Their primary purpose, other than to avoid getting taken out, is to

have fun. “Actors must �ill out an application online, but one of the things we look for is a

great zombie leg drag or grunt,” Farrar said. “Their looks and movements might be intimidating, but the zombies do not come within 20 feet of the trucks.” The mission lasts around 20 minutes and either individuals or groups can participate. Paintball experience isn’t necessary, but Farrar said shooting the zombies is more complicated than it looks because not only are they moving slowly, so is the zombie assault vehicle. Once the ride is over, guests will have a chance to take photos with zombies for proof that they survived the hunt. One important thing that Farrar and Pablo want guests to know is that they are not allowed to bring anything with them on the hunt. Tickets start at $25 and more information and ticket purchasing are at koliequestrian.com or thehuntaz.com. ■

SEPTEMBER 29, 2021 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS

King Crossword ACROSS 1 5 8 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 20 22 23 24 27 32 33 34 35

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Homemade chicken nuggets great almost any time

he kids are finally back in the classroom, and when they come home from school or sports they are generally ravenous, right? It’s a pretty good bet that if given a choice between chicken nuggets and anything else, my guess is it’s going to be the nuggets. So, why not make them delicious and perhaps healthier than the fast food version? Plus, kids love to cook these days, and if your young ones are old enough to be safe around the cook top and oven, this might be a great meal that they can make themselves. Studies show that when kids take the initiative to cook a meal, they enjoy not only eating the food, but are more apt to want to learn how to prepare meals more often. I discovered that on a field trip a few years ago to a Boys & Girls Club where I was teaching a cooking class. About 50 kids huddled around as I taught a handson cooking demonstration. They were mesmerized. Many shared their at-home cooking experiences with Mom and Dad. I was, quite frankly, stunned at their

Ingredients: 2 large egg whites, slightly beaten 2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce 1/4 cup flour 2 tablespoons cornstarch 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon pepper 1 cup vegetable oil (if frying in pan) Directions: If baking chicken nuggets in the oven, pre-heat to 375 degrees. If cooking nuggets in frying pan, add oil to pan and turn heat to medium high. In a bowl stir Worcestershire sauce into beaten egg whites and mix well. In another shallow bowl or baking dish, mix together flour, cornstarch, salt and pepper. Dip each piece of chicken in egg white mixture, then into the flour mixture.

PUZZLES ANSWERS on page 19

interest in every aspect of cooking, whether chopping and dicing, sautéing and of course, sharing what they had prepared. Back to the chicken nuggets. This recipe is fairly simple and super delicious, and it’s the kind of recipe that may flesh out whether you have a budding Jacques Pepin or Julia Child just waiting to cook up something fun for the family. ■

1/4 cup olive oil (if baking in oven) 2 large chicken breasts or 3 skinless boneless thighs, cut into 1-1/2 to 2 inch pieces. Dipping sauces of your choice If baking nuggets in the oven, place chicken pieces on a baking sheet. Lightly brush nuggets with olive oil. Bake for about 20 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked. If frying nuggets, place chicken pieces in pan with hot vegetable oil and cook on each side until golden brown and cooked through, about 7-10 minutes. Serve hot and dip in your favorite sauces.

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AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | SEPTEMBER 29, 2021

Employ ment Employment General VHL Technologies, Inc. seeks a Software Engineer for Phoenix, AZ office. Duties incl. design, develop and configure computer software systems, write program specs, forms and interfaces, test new interfaces, generate end-user feedback and implement changes, test to ensure integration. Must have Master's Degree in Software Engineering or related. Must be authorized to work in the U.S. Mail resumes to 13615 N 35th Avenue, Suite 3, Phoenix, AZ 85029

Employment General VHL Technologies, Inc. seeks a Systems Analyst for Phoenix, AZ office. Duties incl. build, support and administer warehouse management systems. Configure, analyze, set up, navigate, modify the system. Must have Bachelor's in Computer Information Systems or Related field. Will accept foreign equiv. 3/4 year degree or any equiv based on comb of degrees. Must be authorized to work in the U.S. Mail resumes to 13615 N 35th Avenue, Suite 3, Phoenix, AZ 85029

MISSED THE DEADLINE? Place your ad online! Call 480-898-6465

Sales Force Application Lead (Chandler, AZ) Develop custom code for complex use cases using Triggers, Apex Classes, Visualforce pages, Lightning Web Components, SOQL/SOSL, etc.; Configure & customize Salesforce apps & solutions per biz reqmnts; Dvlp custom app enhancements; Coord user access & permissions; integrate Salesforce apps & solutions using natively avail integration techniques like REST, SOAP, etc. Reqs Mstr's in Comp Info Systems, or foreign equiv, & 3 yrs of relevant professional exp. Mail resumes to CHRO, Array Technologies, Inc., 3901 Midway Pl. NE, Albuquerque, NM 87109. RECEPTION / OFFICE ASSISTANT JOB SUMMARY: Local accounting firm located in Ahwatukee, Arizona, is seeking a motivated individual for an assistant position. HOURS: Flexible, 20-30 hours per week. Ideally, we would like 30-40 hours per week from February 1st to April 15th. Start Date: October 2021 Pay: $16.50 per hour DUTIES • Answering phones • Greeting Clients • Assembling Tax Returns (including printing envelopes, scanning documents, stapling documents, etc.) • Emailing information to clients • Making reminder calls to clients • Other administrative tasks REQUIREMENTS: • Must be able to operate multi-line phone system • Customer service experience. • Proficient with Microsoft Word and Excel • Have good organization skills • Must be able to communicate with clients well as well as handle client requests and issues • Must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 Background check required! Contact Candace - candace@hhcpasaz.com

Employment General SVB Financial Group has openings for the following positions (various types/levels) in Tempe, AZ. Positions may require telecommuting. Software Engineer (#781.504). Design, develop and enhance regulatory reports based on technical design specifications/functional requirements, using Axiom CV. Senior API Platform Engineer (#781.505). Responsible for the installation, network & security configuration (firewalls, load balancers, certificates, routing) of Apigee. Senior Data Reporting Analyst (#781.498). Responsible for supporting Credit reporting and data initiatives. Mail in your resume to S.M. at Staffing Operations Team, Silicon Valley Bank, 80 E Rio Salado Pkwy Ste. 600, Tempe, AZ 85281. Must reference title & job#.

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✔ Painting ✔ Gate Restoration ✔ Lighting ✔ Plumbing Repairs ✔ Replace Cracked ✔ Sheetrock Roof Tiles Texturing Repairs ✔ & MUCH MORE! Marks the Spot for ALL Your Handyman Needs! Painting • Flooring • Electrical Ahwatukee Resident, References Available, Insured Plumbing • Drywall *Not• ACarpentry Licensed Contractor Decks • Tile • More!

“No Job Too Small Man!”

Ahwatukee Resident/ References/ Insured/ Not a Licensed Contractor

✔ Carpentry

Job Too Marks the Spot for“No ALL Your Handyman Needs! ✔ Decks Painting • Flooring • Electrical Small “No Job Too Man!” ✔ Tile Plumbing • Drywall • Carpentry Small Man!” Decks • Tile • More!

rk Since 1999 C. READ & SON ELECTRIC Affordable, Quality Wo BSMALLMAN@Q.COM 1999 ce Sin rk Wo y alit Qu Affordable,Resident Ahwatukee

2010, 2011 Call Bruce at 602.670.7038 Call Bruce at 602.670.7038 2012, 2013, 2014 References/ Insured/ NotResident a Licensed Contractor Ahwatukee / References Call Ahwatukee BruceResident/ at 602.670.7038

✔ Kitchens ✔ Bathrooms 2010, 2011 2012, “No 2013, Job Too And More! Small Man!” 2014

Since 1999 Affordable, Quality Work

Ahwatukee Resident/ References/ Insured/ Not a Licensed Contractor Insured / Not aCall Licensed Contractor Bruce at 602.670.7038

 Electric Car Chargers for ALL your  Fans electrical needs  Lighting 41 years  Troubleshooting  And much more experience

2010, 2011 2012, 2013, 2014

Ahwatukee Resident/ References/ Insured/ Not a Licensed Contractor

LLC

2008 through 2019

ROC #158440 Bond/Insured

www.readelectricaz.com

480-940-6400

JOSE DOMINGUEZ DRYWALL & PAINTING House Painting, Drywall, Intall Doors, Baseboards, Crown Molding Reliable, Dependable, Honest! QUICK RESPONSE TO YOUR CALL!

Repairs • Drywall • Painting • BINSR Items Trash Removal • HOA Compliance

• Panel Changes and Repairs • Installation of Ceiling Fans • Switches/Outlets Marks the Spot for ALL Your Handyman Needs! Remodel • Serving Arizona Since 2005 • • Home Marks the Spot for ALL•Your Handyman Needs! ✔ Painting Painting Flooring • Electrical “No Job Too ✔Small Flooring Painting • Flooring • Electrical Plumbing • Drywall • Carpentry Man!” ALL RESIDENTIAL &Plumbing • Drywall • Carpentry ✔ Electrical Decks • Tile • More! 1999 e Quality Work Sinc • More! COMMERCIAL ELECTRICAL Decks •AffoTile rdable, ✔ Plumbing 2010, 2011 2012, 2013, 2014 Call Bruce at 602.670.7038 ✔ Drywall Over 28 Years Experience • ROC #246019 Bonded/Insured

Quality Professional Cleaning

Visit our website! Landlord and Homeowner Property Services

THE HANDYMAN THAT HANDLES SMALL JOBS THAT OTHERS DECLINE

HONESTY • INTEGRITY • QUALITY

Not Enough Time in the Day? Call

Jaden Sydney Associates.com

WESLEY'S GLASS & MIRROR wesleysglass.com SERVICING THE ENTIRE VALLEY Call 480-306-5113

Electrical Services

Cleaning Services

Handyman

• Drywall Repair • Bathroom Remodeling • Home Renovations

• Electrical Repair • Plumbing Repair • Dry rot and termite damage repair

GENERAL CONTRACTOR / HANDYMAN SERVICES SERVING THE ENTIRE VALLEY

All Estimates are Free • Call:

520.508.1420

www.husbands2go.com

Licensed, Bonded & Insured • ROC#317949 Ask me about FREE water testing!

Residential Electrician

Call Sean Haley 602-574-3354 ROC#277978 • Licensed/Bonded/Insured

ALL YOU NEED IS A PU

480.898.6465 CLASS@TIMESPUBLICATIONS.COM

CLASSIFIEDS

SEPTEMBER 29, 2021 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS

Home Improvement

Insurance

Home Remodeling No Job Too Small! Senior Discounts!

AUTO INSURANCE NOT A LICENSED CONTRACTOR

• BASE BOARDS • DRYWALL • ELECTRICAL • PAINTING • PLUMBING • BATHROOMS • WOOD FLOORING • FRAMING WALLS • FREE ESTIMATES • GRANITE FABRICATION & INSTALLATION • CARPET INSTALLATION • LANDSCAPING

David Hernandez (602) 802 3600

daveshomerepair@yahoo.com • Se Habla Español

Shadetree Dreams Remodeling Custom design and renovations turning old into NEW!

EVENINGS & WEEKENDS NO PROBLEM

480-698-9818

FREE INSURANCE ANALYSIS Irrigation

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

THE POSSIBILITIES

ARE ENDLESS... Specializing in: • Cabinets - Granite • Plumbing - Electrical • Drywall/Texturing, Crown Molding, Painting, Tile, Carpet • Natural Stones • Roof repair and installation

480-730-1074

ROC# 225923 Licensed, Bonded & Insured

House Sitting Services

Out & Back House Sitting Services Coach Broze is a local homeowner, a former Desert Vista Security Guard and Track/Cross Country Assistant Coach.

“An honest, trustworthy and reliable neighbor.”

■ Twice Daily Home & Property Checks ■ Mail Pick-Up ■ Plant Care ■ Pet Care & Pool Service Available

■ Great Rates ■ Sole Proprietor ■ Only Person In Your Home ■ Contact For A Quote ■ Taking Reservations Now For Fall & Winter Breaks

DAVID Broze

I’ve got your back while you’re out! Text or call

480-278-1355 dbroze@hotmail.com

480.654.5600 azirrigation.com

YOUR CLASSIFIED SOURCE

TREE

TRIMMING 25 Years exp (480) 720-3840

Phone Quotes Welcome • Low Deposit • Immediate ID Cards • Homeowners & Renters Insurance Too!

Landscape/Maintenance Juan Hernandez

WHY PAY MORE? LOW RATES!

NTY 5-YEAR WARRA

Call for a FREE Consultation and Estimate!

Landscape Design/Installation

Serving the Valley for over 28 years

Starting @ $60/Month!

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

• One Month Free Service • Licensed, Bonded Insured for your protection. • Call or Text for a Free Quote

kjelandscape.com • ROC#281191

480-586-8445

Call for a FREE consultation and Estimate To learn more about us, view our photo gallery at: ShadeTreeLandscapes.com

480-730-1074

480.898.6465 CLASS@TIMESPUBLICATIONS.COM

Complete Lawn Service & Weed Control

The Possibilities are Endless

Specials

Bonded/Insured/Licensed • ROC #225923

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

Landscape/Maintenance

15 + Yrs Exp! All English Speaking Crew

SONORAN LAWN

480-745-5230

Cutting Edge LLC • ROC 281671

MD’S LANDSCAPING

Get Your Lawn Ready For Fall!

Drip Systems Installed, Valves/Timer Repairs

RAMON LANDSCAPING SERVICES

Let’s get your Watering System working again! System Checks • Drip Checks

I could help you have your palm trees and other trees trimmed by giving you a reasonable and better price than the others.

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.

WORKMANSHIP GUARANTEED!

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

LANDSCAPING

Maintenance

• 6am - 7pm Monday - Saturday • You Pay Labor & Materials Only • FREE ESTIMATES • ROC#312942 • David R Smith Phone, Text or Email

480-580-4419

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

Arizona Specialty Landscape

New & Re-Do Design and Installation Affordable | Paver Specialists All phases of landscape installation. Plants, cacti, sod, sprinklers, granite, concrete, brick, Kool-deck, lighting and more!

Free Estimates 7 Days a Week! ROC# 186443 • BONDED

480.844.9765 CLASSIFIEDS 480-898-6465 class@times publications.com

Irrigation Repair & New Installation Yard Clean-ups • Storm Damage • Palm & Tree Trimming Tree Removal • Landscape Lighting Installation & Repair Landscape Design

Responsible • 100% Guaranteed Ask for Ramon

Not a Licensed Contractor

480-217-0407

INSTALLING A WINTER LAWN?

480-940-8196 theplugman.com

IMPROVE GRASS SEED GERMINATION AND REDUCE SOIL COMPACTION FERTILIZATION

• SOIL AMENDMENTS • SOIL TESTING

ROC 282663 * BONDED * INSURED YOUR LAWN EXPERT SINCE 1995

CLASSIFIEDS

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | SEPTEMBER 29, 2021

Landscape/Maintenance

Irrigation Repair Services Inc. Licensed • Bonded • Insured

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

CALL US TODAY!

480.721.4146 www.irsaz.com

ROC# 256752

SPRINKLER DOCTOR Repairs - Installs - Modifications Timers/Valves/Sprinklers DRIP-PVC-COPPER Backflows & Regulators LANDSCAPE LIGHTING

25 years Experience & Insured Not a licensed contractor.

Painting

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

Painting

Plumbing

Painting

SUN TECH

PAINTING INC.

Serving Ahwatukee Since 1987 Interior / Exterior

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

602.625.0599 ROC #155380

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

Family Owned • Free Estimates

SPEND A LITTLE…

MAKE A LOT!

Free Estimate & Color Consultation

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

480-888-5895 ConklinPainting.com Lic/Bond/Ins ROC# 270450

East Valley PAINTERS

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

Looking To Freshen Up Your Home? WE CAN HELP!

★ Small Job Specialist

Scott Mewborn, Owner 480-818-1789

Residential & Commercial Painting

www.affinityplumbingaz.com

• Interior & Exterior • Professional Cabinet Reﬁnishing • Epoxy Floors & Concrete Coatings • In-Home Color Consultations “Professional, Punctual & Clean”

License #ROC 298736

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

— Call Jason —

(602) 502-1655

Anything Plumbing Same Day Service

(480)785-6323

480-688-4770

Submit to ecota@timespublications.com

Toilets

Insured

Faucets

Estimates Availabler

$35 off

Any Service

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

www.eastvalleypainters.com

Get Free notices in the Classifieds!

Bonded

Plumbing

Free Estimates! Home of the 10-Year Warranty!

Meetings/Events?

24/7

Inside & Out Leaks

Disposals

Licensed - Bonded - Insured ROC 290242

We Beat Competitors Prices & Quality

Bonded/Insured • ROC#153131

Water Heaters

FREE ESTIMATES • CALL TODAY!

10% OFF

Family Owned & Operated

affinityplumber@gmail.com

Your Ahwatukee Plumber & East Valley Neighbor

www.ACP www.A CPpaintingllc.com paintingllc.com

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

480-405-7099 Affinity Plumbing LLC 480-487-5541

Veteran Owned

Voted #1

Bonded/Insured • ROC #223709

Proudly Serving Ahwatukee for 15 Years! Family Owned & Operated

★ Elastomaric Roof Coating ★ Epoxy Floors

FREE Service Calls + FREE Estimates Water Heaters Installed - $999 Unclog Drains - $49

10% OFF

Painting

CONKLIN PAINTING

PLUMBERS CHARGE TOO MUCH!

Not a licensed contractor

Now Accepting all major credit cards

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

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

(480)

279-4155

Licensed • Bonded • Insured • ROC 189848

CLASSIFIEDS

SEPTEMBER 29, 2021 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS

Pool Service / Repair

Plumbing

Watch for Garage Sales in Classifieds!

AHWATUKEE SPECIAL $

Roofing

Off 40work done

$25 OFF

*Any

Filter Cleaning!

You will find them easy with their yellow background.

602-546-POOL 7 6 6 5

www.barefootpoolman.com See our Before’s and After’s on Facebook

Pool Service / Repair

Juan Hernandez Pavers • Concrete • Water Features • Sprinkler Repair

Licensed, Bonded & Insured ROC# 272001

PPebbleOcracking, O L Plaster R Epeeling, P ARebar IR

and every step of the way.

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

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

Pool Service / Repair

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

Call Juan at

480-720-3840 Not a licensed contractor.

$85/month

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

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

with chemicals

CPO#85-185793

Family Owned and Operated 43 Years Experience in Arizona Your leaks stop here!

Plumbing

New Roofs, Repairs, Coatings, Flat Roof, Hot Mopping & Patching & Total Rubber Roof Systems

PLUMBING We Repair or Install ROC # 272721

$35.00 Off Any Service Call Today!

AHWATUKEE’S #1 PLUMBER Licensed • Bonded • Insured

704.5422

(480)

PHILLIPS COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL

602-799-0147

MORE CLASSIFIED ADS ONLINE! www.Ahwatukee.com

A+ RATED

480-706-1453

Licensed/Bonded/Insured • ROC #236099

ROOFING LLC

Ask About Filter Cleaning Specials!

Mark

602-471-2346

Ahwatukee’s Premier Tile, Shingle & Foam Roofer!

Owner Operated - 20 Years

Play Pools start at

FREE ESTIMATES

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

480-446-7663

MARK’S POOL SERVICE

showing, Pool Light out? I CAN HELP!

Roofing

Family Operated by 3 Generations of Roofers! We have a “Spencer” on every job

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

Monthly Service & Repairs Available

FREE ESTIMATES & MONSOON SPECIALS

SAME DAY SERVICE 30 Years Experience References Available

Licensed Bonded Insured ROC 286561

Senior & Military Discounts

623-522-9322

623-873-1626 Free Estimates Monday through Saturday Licensed 2006 ROC 223367 Bonded Insured

PhillipsRoofing.org PhillipsRoofing@cox.net

Your newspaper. Your community. Your planet. Please recycle me.

CLASSIFIEDS

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | SEPTEMBER 29, 2021

Roofing

Window Cleaning

Over 30 Years of Experience Family Operated by 3 Generations of Roofers! 480-699-2754 • info@monsoonroofinginc.com

LICENSED | BONDED | INSURED | ROC #269218

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

MonsoonRooﬁngInc.com

$1000 OFF when you show this ad

Licensed – Bonded – Insured – ROC187561

*on qualifying complete roof replacements

Spencer 4 HIRE ROOFING Valley Wide Service

480-446-7663

TILE ROOFING SPECIALISTS

10% OFF COMPLETE UNDERLAYMENT

See our reviews and schedule at:

www.cousinswindowcleaning.com

480-330-2649

Oooh, MORE ads online!

10% OFF

Ahwatukee Based Family Owned and Operated Insured • Free Estimates

Check Our Online Classifieds Too!

with this ad

Ahwatukee’s Premier Tile, Shingle & Foam Roofer!

Commercial & Residential Family Owned & Operated

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

AZROC #283571 | CONTRACTOR LIC. AZROC #312804 CLASS CR4 | FULLY INSURED

FREE ESTIMATES 602-736-3019 e IN

Call

-EX D i ﬀe r e n c e

u Th

SpliSh SplaSh SongS ong

ROC #152111

602-938-7575

for your FREE Roof Evaluation Today! www.InExRo

www.Ahwatukee.com

Family Owned & Operated for over 30 years

oﬁn

g.c o m

Name these songs that have “Rain” in the title.

Quality Repairs & Re-Roofs Complimentary & Honest Estimates

BAND OR SINGER

Call our office today!

480-460-7602 Ask us about our discount for all Military and First Responders!

www.porterroofinginc.com

Licensed, Bonded, Insured

MISSED THE DEADLINE? Call us to place your ad online!

480-898-6465

SONG TITLE

Eurythmics

____________________________

Gene Kelly

____________________________

Prince

____________________________

The Weather Girls

____________________________

The Carpenters

____________________________

Blind Melon

____________________________

Barbra Streisand

____________________________

Adele

____________________________

Neil Sedaka

____________________________

Bob Dylan

____________________________

Guns N’ Roses

____________________________

Answers Top to Bottom: Here Comes the Rain Again; Singin’ in the Rain; Purple Rain; It’s Raining Men; Rainy Days and Mondays; No Rain; Summer Rain; Don’t Rain on My Parade; Set Fire to the Rain; Laughter in the Rain; A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall; November Rain

Let Us Show Yo

CLASSIFIEDS

SEPTEMBER 29, 2021 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS

palmabrisa.com

NOW SELLING

A new gated resort community is now selling in the Ahwatukee Foothills with a dramatically different style. It feels exclusive, but also lively and exciting — and it's called Palma Brisa. • Modern resort-style gated community with stately palms

• Diverse architecture: Modern Bungalow, Urban Farmhouse, Italian Cottage, Andalusian, Modern Craftsman, French Country, and Spanish Mission • Four amenity areas connected by expansive lawns

• Homes from 1,700 sq. ft. to 4,000 sq. ft. from the low $600’s

ERIC WILLIAMS

480-641-1800

TERRY LENTS

© Copyright 2021 Blandford Homes, LLC. No offer to sell or lease may be made prior to issuance of Final Arizona Subdivision Public Report. Offer, terms, and availability subject to change without prior notice. Renderings are artist’s conceptions and remain subject to modification without notice.

CLASSIFIEDS

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | SEPTEMBER 29, 2021

STOREWIDE LOWER PRICES12 EVERYDAY MONTHS NO INTERE ST **

WASHER

• 3.5 Cu. Ft. • Porcelain Tub • 700 RPM Spin Speed

NTW4500XQ CLOSEOUT

58” 4K UHD SMART TV

58”

• 2 HDMI Inputs • Airplay2 Built-In

569

429

UN58TU7000

TOP MOUNT REFRIGERATOR

• Large Crisper Drawer

• 2 Glass Adjustable Shelves • LED Lighting • Independent Temperature Controls

99 $

299

HDA2000TWW CLOSEOUT

1000’s OF ITEMS IN STOCK FOR FAST DELIVERY NO INTEREST**

DRYER

• Auto Dry • 3.8 Cu. Ft. Capacity Cycle • 11 Dry Cycles • 2 Temperature Options

WED7500VW CLOSEOUT

RANGE • 4.8 Cubic Foot Capacity • Self Cleaning Oven • Smooth Top • Proudly Made in USA WFE505W0HS CLOSEOUT

269

DISHWASHER • Integrated Control Styling • Premium Nylon Racks • In Door Silverware Basket • Energy Star Qualified WDF520PADM

2350

12 MONTHS

BFTF2716SS

STAINLESS STEEL 23 CU. FT. SIDE BY SIDE

DISHWASHER

• Normal Wash Cycle • Heated Dry On/Off • Standard Upper Rack

429

CRH10SW

REFRIGERATOR

• Deli Drawer • Crisper Shelves

• LED Lighting FFSS2314QS CLOSEOUT

949

• 25 Cubic Foot Capacity • Spill Proof Glass Shelves • Humidity Controlled Drawers WRS325SDHZ

BUYS ALL 3 PIECES

NO MATTER WHERE YOU SEE IT, READ IT, OR HEAR ABOUT IT, SPENCERS IS GUARANTEED TO BE A LOWER PRICE!

** 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 7/4/2019 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.

Arizona’s largest independent dealer! “It’s Like Having A Friend In The Business” Check Out Our Website

WWW.SPENCERSTV.COM OPEN DAILY 9AM-9PM | SATURDAY 9AM-6PM | SUNDAY 11AM-5PM

IN HOUSE S R E C N SPE PLANS PAYMENT BLE AVAILA Due to current circumstances, some items may be out of stock.