Ahwatukee Foothills News - 10.20.2021 by Times Media Group

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Wednesday, October 20, 2021

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TU board starts move to abolish SROs BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor

sharply divided Tempe Union Governing Board last week signaled its intention to do away with school resource officers on its six campuses by next summer. The board also failed to approve a $270,000 contract with Phoenix for SROs at Mountain Pointe and Desert Vista, leaving those schools with what Superintendent Dr. Kevin Mendivil called “a revolving door” of officers that leave no chance for the development of a relationship between police and the school communities. Tempe Union spokeswoman Megan Sterling stressed, “There has been a daily presence on campus since the start of this school year” at both Ahwatukee campuses. “They are off-duty officers, and it is not a consistent person,” she said. “You could have five different people there during the course of the week – hence a ‘revolving door.’” Both votes followed impassioned pleas for and against the presence of uniformed armed officers on campuses as all six high school principals, a representative of the district teachers union, a teen suicide prevention expert, a Tempe City Council member and the top brass in the Tempe Police Department pleaded with the board to postpone a vote. Urging the board to approve the resolution were a collection of parents, a couple teachers and students – mainly from Desert Vista High School – who said cops have no business on

see SRO page 15

The current St. Benedict Catholic Church building (bottom photo) will be radically transformed into a real church edifice (top picture). Parishioners planning that transformation hope to have it ready by Christmas 2022. (Bottom pic:: David Minton/AFN Photographer; Rendering: HDA Architects LLC)

St. Benedict’s overcomes obstacles to a church edifice BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor

he road to a real church edifice has been a long and sometimes heartbreaking journey for the congregation of St. Benedict Catholic Church in Ahwatukee.

It began promising enough. In June 2018, just six weeks after launching a fund drive to cover half the cost of a $7 million, 20,000-square-foot church on 48th Street south of Chandler Boulevard, the building

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see BENEDICT page 4

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | OCTOBER 20, 2021

NEWS

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | OCTOBER 20, 2021

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

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

PUBLISHER Steve T. Strickbine

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ADVERTISING STAFF National Advertising Director Zac Reynolds 480-898-5603 zac@ahwatukee.com

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NEWS STAFF Executive Editor:

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

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

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Phoenix Police Chief Jeri Williams and Executive Assistant Police Chief Michael Kurtenbach laid out the department’s staffing crisis for a City Council subcommittee last week. (YouTube)

‘Alarming’ trends in Phoenix police staffing outlined BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor

ne of the highest-ranking officials in the Phoenix Police Department told a City Council subcommittee last week that there is no end in sight to the downward trend in staffing that he termed “alarming.” Accompanied by Chief Jeri Williams, Executive Assistant Police Chief Michael Kurtenbach told members of Council’s Public Safety and Justice Subcommittee last week that the total complement of patrol officers was already below the minimum needed and detectives are being pulled off a growing backlog of investigations to fill vacancies on a rotating basis. With average salaries for Phoenix officers ranking third from the bottom among the 12 major Valley police departments and other agencies luring Phoenix officers away with attractive perks, new recruits are at an all-time low for Phoenix PD, Kurtenbach said. Together with an accelerating number of departures from the force, he said, the department could soon see a situation where not every call for service will result in a visit by a uniformed officer. He said an Arizona State University research team currently is analyzing the types of calls that uniformed officers answer to determine which types can be handled by the civilians employed in the expanding Community Assistance Program. Kurtenbach said the study “is the way for us to more effectively examine how we deploy.” “You may have seen that there are other jurisdictions that have made the decision to only respond to priority calls for service – what we would call a Priority One,” he told the committee. “We’re not there yet. Neither Chief Williams nor I want to get there and I pray that we don’t. “But to ensure that we don’t – at least to the extent

see POLICE page 12

NEWS

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | OCTOBER 20, 2021

BENEDICT from page 1

committee had raised $2.5 million. Hopes were high that a new building would be open on Christmas Day 2019. But in August 2018, Father Bob Binta – the congregation’s beloved pastor and chief cheerleader for a new building – passed away after a battle with cancer. Then, in May 2019, building campaign General Manager Eamonn Ahearne announced that the committee of dedicated parishioners was dialing back its schedule after some financial soul-searching. But a parish-wide determination to replace the gymnasium-like building that has served about 1,300 families for more than 15 years prevailed. And at 10 a.m. Nov. 6, Phoenix Bishop Thomas Olmstead will be leading the groundbreaking for the redesigned building on S. 48th Street south of Chandler Boulevard. Parishioners aim to open it by Christmas of next year. The groundbreaking will mark a major step in a journey that began nearly seven years ago for a few dozen parishioners who have devoted countless months to raising money, poring over budgets and hashing out design ideas. St. Benedict Building Committee Chairman Bob Prezkop said plans have radically changed over the last three years. Because of costs and some push-back by city planning and zoning officials, Pastor Fr. James Aboyi, V.C., in May 2020 urged the committee to consider making the existing building look like a church. The plans the committee came up with so radically altered the big-box-like structure, Prezkop said, that last February “when we presented it to our parishio-

The redesigned building will include a bell tower that operates on a carillon system as well as a small chapel for up to 100 people and a bride room and a "cry room." (HDA Architects)

Some parishioners were so awed by the renderings by HDA Architects that they asked their colleagues on the building committee what they did with the existing building. (HDA

Architects)

ners, many of them said, ‘Where’s the old building? What did you do with it?’”

Inside, the redesign calls for real pews as well as a new and larger altar inside a bigger sanctuary. (HDA Architects)

“We had a full-blown committee and they worked through all the detailed de-

sign of what I’ll call Plan A, which was the original building," Prezkop said. “Then we had a core team of about three of us who headed the new design for Plan B.” “Once that design was accepted,” he continued, “we then brought on our interior committee and a number of other committees to assist us with going into the detail.” The result of all that work is a radical transformation of the existing building’s exterior and interior that is expected to cost roughly half the estimated $7.3 million that a new building would have cost. Most of the existing building will be redesigned. The west wall will be removed to make way for new transepts, structures that are perpendicular to the nave to form a cross. There will be a new and larger sanctuary, where Mass is held, on the west side, repositioned from its current location on the building’s north side. Two sacristies are planned for priests and deacons to prepare for services and store their vestments and other essentials. A bell tower operating on a carillon system will be built and a 100-seat chapel will be added that may afford almost 24/7 access without access to the main church. Parishioners will be able to gather and socialize in a covered space on the northeast corner of the building or on the grassy area near the north entry. Real pews will replace folding chairs, a new altar will be built and even a choir loft wired for an organ will be added with two staircases and elevator. Plans call for a bride room, a “cry room,” new lighting and upgraded audio-visual and HVAC systems.

see BENEDICT page 14

A choir loft wired for an electric organ will be added, eliminating the gymnasium-like look of the church's nave. (HDA Architects)

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Crippling spending cuts loom over schools in early 2022 And that vote would have to happen soon after lawmakers reconvene in January to help schools avoid having to make up that yrene and other school district offi- 17 percent loss in spending authority with cials are alarmed over the prospect last-minute cuts. of not being able to legally spend Kyrene and Tempe Union officials are some of the money they are receiving. alarmed. And without legislative action, they will “It’s catastrophic and it would be devashave to reduce their spending this school tating to our budget, especially since we’ve year by a cumulative total of more than already committed contracts for the year,’’ $1.2 billion. That translates out to more said Chris Hermann, chief financial officer than $1,300 per student than what they’ve for the Kyrene Elementary School District. already budgeted – a 17 percent drop. And he said if the district has to start Put another way, they will be able to col- altering spending plans in the spring, “it lect the state and local taxes as planned. doesn’t give you hardly any time to make They just won’t be able to spend it all. adjustments.’’ And that has implications for districts Hermann called the issue “super comthat may find themselves unable to pay for plicated” and one that dates back several the teachers they hired and the contracts decades because it involves a debt limit in they’ve already signed. the State Constitution. The only thing that could avert this fis“It’s not new,” he said. “I’ve been here cal train wreck would be the Legislature, about five years and it’s come up before. which could approve an exemption from We’ve hit that threshold a couple times the voter-approved aggregate expendi- since I’ve been here, but I think the severiuxuallrythe gsof~itLand Vithings nyl ~ that ture limit of about $6.6 billion. m Area Ruty factored Co have o t s nter u But that would takes ~ aC two-thirds vote. into it this year make it veryuunique.” BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

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“It’s very concerning,” Hermann added. “We need to have a legislature that is looking out for the interest of our schools.” Tempe Union spokeswoman Megan Sterling said a 17 percent spending cut “would have a huge impact” but declined to get into specifics. Scottsdale Unified Chief Financial Officer Shannon Crosier said, “We find this possible funding reduction to be very alarming. A reduction of this magnitude, especially after the school year has started, would significantly impact our budget and require cuts that would directly impact students, staff and our community. “We will work with our state leaders to find a positive solution to this issue, one that allows us to continue providing worldclass, future-focused education to all students,” Crosier said. “Additionally, we continuously strive to find ways to ensure we utilize tax dollars efficiently and effectively.” Higley Unified CFO Tyler Moore said, the cuts would total $23 million for his district. “A budget cut in this amount would be detrimental to the recent funding in-

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looming fiscal disaster for schools and wanted to learn more. But she pointed out that there was little she or her fellow Democrats could do since Republicans control the Legislature’s agenda. Pima County School Superintendent Dustin Williams said he and his staff have looked for a way around the expenditure limit short of legislative intervention. But they haven’t found one. And absent action at the Capitol, he said there will be a “devastating impact’’ on education. That, he said, leaves it up to lawmakers to come up with a plan. “And, hopefully, the governor can come through and help us all as well,’’ Williams said. But gubernatorial press aide C.J. Karamargin would not commit to Ducey supporting an exemption. “The governor is not going to comment on pending future legislation, if it is pending at all,’’ he said. Instead, Karamargin listed things he said his boss has done to improve overall education funding. But no matter how much more cash the governor says is given to schools, the expenditure limit means they cannot spend it absent an exemption from the limit. State schools chief Kathy Hoffman wants legislative action. “Needless cuts will severely hamper school districts’ ability to serve students and help them recover from the effects of the pandemic,’’ said press aide Morgan Dick. “We need serious leadership and meaningful action from lawmakers so our schools can get on to their critical work of providing safe in-person learning for students in their community.’’ Senate President Karen Fann, RPrescott, said she is personally interested in helping schools avoid a crisis. “The intention is never to do these kind of draconian cuts,’’ she said. “As we know right now, many of the schools are struggling already with the COVID issues,’’ Fann said. “We don’t need to pile more on to them right now.’’ House Majority Leader Ben Toma, RPeoria, agreed for the need to act. “We expect to address the matter in the upcoming session,’’ he said. And Toma said part of the reason an exemption is needed is “because Republicans have funded K-12

education at record levels.’’ But the current problem is more complex than that. It goes back to the aggregate expenditure limit that voters approved in 1980 for all K-12 spending statewide. Based on figures at that time, it is adjusted annually for inflation and student growth. What’s happening this year is largely the convergence of two unusual factors. First, the limit is always based on last year’s student numbers. Chuck Essigs, lobbyist for the Arizona Association of School Business Officials, estimates that the drop in students in public K-12 education last year, much of that due to COVID, will reduce the spending limit by about $300 million. But the bigger problem is one that the Legislature created in seeking to provide financial help. In 2000, voters approved Proposition 301 to levy a 0.6-cent sales tax to fund education, including teacher salaries, for 20 years. And voters made those revenues exempt from the aggregate expenditure limit. With that tax expiring this year, lawmakers in 2018 agreed to a new, identical levy to pick up in July and run until 2041 to keep the money flowing without interruption. But they never exempted what the new levy will raise from the expenditure limit. And that alone accounts for more than $632 million of money now coming in to schools --– money they formerly got to spend but, legally speaking, cannot spend this year absent a legislatively approved exemption. If lawmakers do not act, that starts the process of determining how much each district will lose in spending authority. Essigs said the way the law is written, anything over the expenditure limit is divided up among all schools, with each forced to reduce spending by the percentage set regardless of how much they were spending. There’s something else complicating the problem. To balance the budget in the last decade, lawmakers cut dollars from the “district additional assistance’’ fund, money earmarked for schools to pay for items like books, computers and buses. That account was zeroed out by Ducey during his first year in office. That account is now fully funded. But those additional dollars that were restored to schools also helped to push total statewide expenditures above the constitutional limit. ■

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AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | OCTOBER 20, 2021

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AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | OCTOBER 20, 2021

POLICE from page 3

that we can ensure that we don’t – let’s evaluate some of those call types, which is what ASU is going to do, that drain a significant number of resources and that perhaps could be better suited for other entities.” Kurtenbach warned that the study could lead to “policy decisions that we just don’t go” on some calls. Williams said she and her aides would return to City Council and brief members before any decision would be made on not answering certain types of calls. And Kurtenbach added, “I recognize that this blue suit isn’t coming in certain circumstances, but I also want to make sure that our community understands that if we don’t respond, somebody is going to respond to a call and that’s what ASU is going to help us with.” He said the ASU study was part of the department’s “holistic approach” to addressing its staffing crisis. Besides using trained civilians on certain types of calls, that approach also could involve rehiring retired officers to handle less stressful and less dangerous types of incidents. Still, there was no getting around the crisis the department faces as police ranks dwindle, city population rises and calls for service skyrocket. Council has approved funding for 3,125

As retirements and other separations from Phoenix Police increase, as shown on the table on the left, the number of recruitments has plummeted. (Phoenix Police) sworn positions – lower than the 3,388 sworn positions the department had filled at its peak in 2008. But of that authorized number of 3,125 sworn positions, the department currently has only 2,776 filled – and only 1,054 are filled patrol positions. That number of filled patrol positions is 42 fewer than what the department considers minimal patrol staffing, Kurtenbach said. Furthermore, he explained, “At any one time, we will have in the neighborhood of 90 to 100 officers unavailable in patrol for a variety of reasons. It can be less than 30 days. It can be greater than 30 days due to

Response times have increased as Phoenix Police staff declines. The department is unable to meet its goal of an average 5-minute response time, department officials said. (Phoenix Police)

injuries in throughout the department.” At the same time, the department currently has a mere 39 recruits spread across two Police Academy classes. Compounding the staffing crisis is that there are 791 officers who at this time are eligible for retirement. “You’re going to see that we’re trending toward losing 257 actually filled sworn positions by the end of this year,” Kurtenbach said. “What’s even more alarming is that over the first three months of this fiscal year (July 1-Sept. 30) we had 94 officers separate from the department.” Of those 94 officers, only 32 retired – meaning the rest either quit the profes-

sion or got jobs with other law enforcement agencies, Kurtenbach said. Kurtenbach said he is hoping that recruitment levels will pick up, suggesting that the pandemic has had a major impact on the number of men and women who want to enroll in the academy. After hearing Kurtenbach roll through the staffing data, Councilman Jim Waring said, “I think this rises to the level of a crisis.” “Maybe it’s only a crisis to me but it’s going to be a crisis for all of us in very short order,” Waring said. “I would argue that if you’re retirement-eligible and the job gets harder because you have fewer colleagues to go out and patrol and your caseloads get unmanageable, you’re probably more” likely to retire. “That is disheartening and it’s sad and it’s definitely something that should be at the very least eyebrow-raising for everybody who pays attention to such statistics,” he added, warning, “If we don’t take action soon, we’re really going to regret it.” Kurtenbach said the department overall has had a net loss in the last three years of 119 officers and that projections are “continuing to trend in a very alarming direction.” He said that over the past year, calls for service have increased by 10,000, calling that “a significant increase with fewer officers responding to those calls from our citizens who are in immediate need.” ■

Emergency calls for help to Phoenix Police are skyrocketing at the same time the number of officers available to answer them is falling. (Phoenix Police)

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NEWS

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | OCTOBER 20, 2021

Phoenix makes addressing traffic tickets more convenient AFN NEWS STAFF

ince he took his position at Phoenix Municipal Court, Presiding Judge B. Don Taylor III recalled, he had in his mind the idea of bringing the court to city neighborhoods and curb the hassles of going downtown multiple times for traffic tickets. And while that idea turned out to be too expensive to implement, the pandemic has shown a way for Taylor to achieve his dream. Testifying before a City Council subcommittee last week, Taylor and Presiding Hearing Officer Alisha Villa explained the success of a pilot program that allows people to handle traffic tickets online. “The traditional scheduling module for the court was not designed for the convenience of the parties,” Villa said, walking the Public Safety and Justice Subcommittee through the numerous times someone had to trek downtown for a traffic summons. “Most individuals were under the impression that they had to appear in court in order to indicate to us how they wanted to take care of their charges,” she said. “That resulted in hundreds of people coming to our courthouse every day, even for the simple task of asking for an extension for driving class or a new court date, for a new arraignment date, or for a hearing…. They would come, they would go through security. They would be sent up to a courtroom and they would wait to see a judge and then indicate how they wanted to take care of their case.” Villa said she has witnessed the toll those hassles took on defendants who may have been cited for driving without up-to-date documents or committing a moving violation. “Many people are unable to appear in court because they’re unable to take time off of work. We have many people who

BENEDICT from page 4

The church’s exterior will retain the tan color that also is on the outside walls of adjacent St. John Bosco Catholic School, although some accents are anticipated. Prezkop said the overall design will increase the main part of the church’s capacity from roughly 600 to about 800 congregants.

Testifying recently before a Phoenix City Council subcommittee on the online experiment for traffic citations were Alisha Villa, Phoenix Municipal Court’s presiding hearing officer, and Presiding Judge B. Don Taylor III. (YouTube) are out-of-state residents who receive citations when they’re here,” she said. “We also have students who are unable to miss school. So there’s a lot of different factors that can go into the reasons why people cannot appear personally in court.” On June 15, however, the court began piloting remote contested hearings, making it possible “to fully address a traffic ticket – including contesting the ticket at a hearing before a judge – without ever traveling to the courthouse,” according to a memo Taylor provided Council. Court staff designed simple procedures for the hearings and easy-to-follow instructions in both English and Spanish and interpreters were provided as needed. While the program has started small, “the vision is to be the first large court in Arizona to hold remote video appearances for contested civil traffic hearings at scale,” Taylor wrote. He predicted that if the pilot program continues as successfully as it has, “we anticipate making remote hearings available to all appropriate civil traffic cases in the

The pandemic has proven to be no significant obstacle to the parishioners involved in the whole process as Zoom meetings with architects could be held and “when we did have face-to-face meetings we had masks and stayed six feet apart,” Prezkop said. “One of the benefits of having a small core team was that we could move forward during the pandemic,” he added.

first quarter of 2022” – although defendants could still request an in-person hearing. Taylor also suggested that other types of court matters might lend themselves to online hearings, including those involving requests for protection-from-abuse orders. Along with the online capability, Villa said the court “eliminated unnecessary settings” such as in-person arraignments. Court directives were updated so defendants understand they can use the mail or even their phone to handle some aspects of the judicial process. And if they want to speak to a judge, they can schedule an online appearance to save themselves a trip downtown. “It’s very important that everyone understand that people are not forced to do a video hearing,” Villa stressed. “If they are not comfortable with appearing by video, if they are not technologically savvy or if perhaps they do not have access to the technology or to internet…then by all means they will still be able to have an inperson hearing.” Taylor and Villa both stressed that the

Prezkop anticipates construction will begin soon after the groundbreaking, but added that the Christmas 2022 opening target will depend on how quickly the congregation can get the necessary building permits from the city. Then there are also the supply line hassles that could make getting building materials – and possibly more costly. “We’re always concerned” about rising

new approach does nothing for court personnel. The hearings take just as long online as they do in-person and the same amount of paperwork is required. “This is more efficient for the public,” Villa said. “It is a reasonable alternative for those people who are unable to physically appear in court. People don’t have to take time off of work or they don’t have to take as much time off of work in order to attend their hearings. They don’t have to deal with child care. They don’t have to come downtown, find parking, go through security etc. They can actually hold a hearing from the comfort of their home or their office.” The court even has an “online baliff” who can help defendants resolve any tech problems. That’s been so successful, Villa said, that only one defendant since the pilot began has had a problem that could not be resolved. Council members were impressed by the program and praised Taylor and Villa for thinking about public convenience. “It doesn’t save any time or money for the court,” Councilman Jim Waring noted. “This is really more a constituent-userdriven benefit.” Vice Mayor Carlos Garcia asked court officials to consider residents who don’t have devices or internet service and work with other city departments, such as the library system, to make spaces available in public facilities where people could get online. Taylor said he’d look into that, but added that many of the defendants use their cellphones to join hearings. And that’s why Villa said she has one standing rule for those folks. “I don’t allow people to appear if they’re driving,” she said. “I do tell them to make sure that they pull over. I don’t want anyone getting into an accident while they’re on their video hearing.” ■

materials costs,” Prezkop said, “but we seem to be in decent shape right now.” He said when the team last year realized it would have to drop “Plan A,” I was disappointed, the team was disappointed.” “But we thought out of the box, came up with a great solution and were able to move forward to groundbreaking and, hopefully, our future Mass next year.” ■

NEWS

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | OCTOBER 20, 2021

SRO from page 1

campus and that they reinforced a discipline system that treated students of color more harshly. While teachers union leader Steve Adams said a survey drew a higher-than-usual response favoring SROs on campus, several teachers told the board that officers intimidate students, particularly those of color, and contributed to violence on campus. But one speaker said the resolution cherry-picked outdated data when it states Black students are three times more likely to be referred to law enforcement than their white counterparts. The votes also showed a deep divide on the board as Berdetta Hodge and Andres Barraza – who have been sympathetic to the anti-SRO movement – voted against the resolution to move toward “alternative school safety plans without current usage of SROs” and eliminate officers on campus before the beginning of the 2022-23 school year. Hodge said the board needed more study, noting the board had little idea how the community felt about SROs since most of the speakers against officers last Wednesday were part of the Desert Vista community. She wanted a scientific survey of parents, teachers, students and other community members. Barraza complained that he had been left out of the formulation of the contract with Phoenix Police for SROs at Mountain Pointe and Desert Vista, stating, “I am very deeply hurt that I was not considered.” He also slammed the absence of Phoenix Police representatives at the board meeting, noting that the entire leadership of Tempe Police were in attendance. “To me this is just reflective of the irresponsibility we keep seeing with Phoenix PD,” he said.

All six principals in Tempe Union High School District appeared jointly before the Governing Board last week to urge it not to adopt a resolution that sets the district on course to abolish school resource officers. (YouTube) Voting to wind down the presence of SROs at all Tempe Union campuses were its chief proponent, board President Brian Garcia, and relative newcomers Armando Montero and Sarah James. James was particularly harsh in her criticism of the Phoenix Police Department and cited the federal investigation into its activities. She quoted the president of the National Education Association, who said, “This is no time to look away – police violence against Black people happens.” James also noted that the NEA leader also said violence “is the direct result of how white supremacy culture is the air we breathe in America.” Montero, who was president of the Desert Vista Senior Class of 2019, recalled how he saw an officer break up a fight outside the cafeteria and saw an armed officer with his hand on his gun pinning a student to the ground. “That makes me and many students feel very uncomfortable,” Montero said. “I remember having conversations with many of my friends that day about that incident

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and I know this is not an isolated incident in and of itself.” While stating there are times when a police officer is needed on campus, Montero said, “Does that justify a full-time SRO assigned to a school? I don’t think so.” “Beyond that they are routinely involved in situations that counselors, teachers, social workers are better suited and trained for,” Montero said, “we have to move away from the solutions that have the appearance of safety in place of more effective solutions.” When it came to voting on a $270,000 contract with Phoenix for SROs at Mountain Pointe and Desert Vista high schools until the end of the school year, both Montero and James voted “no.” James said she would not be able to sleep at night if she voted to give district funds to Phoenix Police. Hodge and Barraza voted for the contract but Garcia abstained, claiming a conflict of interest because he and Mendivil had spent many hours working on updating the contract with Phoenix to have the SROs on the two Ahwatukee campuses.

The vote sinking the two campuses’ SROs means officers will be “on call” in case police intervention is needed. Mendivil, who indicated he supported SROs on campuses but wanted them working together as teammates of educators and administrators, said, “We would continue with having on-call officers and I will just say that’s extraordinarily inefficient.” He said there would be a “revolving door” for officers at the two high schools and that without the consistent presence of the same officers, there was little hope for developing any rapport between police and students. Prior to the vote, Mendivil had stressed that the proposed agreement between Tempe Union and Phoenix had been updated and “is in line with what we’re trying to do in terms of changing the tone and moving forward.” Earlier, he indicated his concern for encounters between SROs and students that may have involved excessive physical force. “I am publicly stating that I’m very, very sorry that any of our students in the past have had the experiences that they’ve had with SROs,” saying “negative experiences” students have had with SROs are “not acceptable.” Mendivil offered to hire a consultant with no ties to the district that could objectively study the issue, including surveys of parents, teachers and students. Montero disagreed with Hodge that the broader resolution to discontinue SROs was shutting out any part of the Tempe Union community. But Hodge was adamant about what she termed was the absence of any broad conversations about SROs with teachers, principals and students. “I don’t feel everyone was engaged in it,”

see SRO page 16

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NEWS

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | OCTOBER 20, 2021

City grappling now with lifeguard shortage BY JUDAH MOYA AFN Contributor

he City of Phoenix is already working toward a goal of opening all 29 municipal pools in 2022 – something that hasn’t happened in two years. Pools were closed in 2020 because of COVID-19 restrictions and this year, the city only reopened 12 of its pools. Part of the problem is an acute shortage of lifeguards. There has been an aquaticsindustry-wide shortage of lifeguards for about 10 years and city officials said the pandemic made the situation worse. The city only had 300 lifeguards this year but needs 650 to open all 29 pools according to Becky Hulett, city aquatics supervisor. “Here in the City of Phoenix, we went from hiring 650 lifeguards in 2019 to closing pools in 2020,” Hulett said. “Because we didn’t certify anybody in 2020 in preparation for the season of 2021, we had to start from zero and build back up.” COVID-19 restrictions limited class sizes and the number of people able to be trained, further crippling the city’s re-

SRO from page 15

she said, saying it seemed like the resolution “was presented to us and now we want to go to the stakeholders instead of the other way around.” “You’re talking about African-American students and I’m the only African-American board member and has never been presented in it,” she said. Barraza wondered if the resolution spelled the end of a “first responders academy” he wanted established to develop a sense of mutual respect and cooperation between students and law enforcement. “We have to develop the mindset,” Barraza said. “We have to encourage our students and teach them what community policing is and work together.” Garcia said the resolution involved “a different approach because, as Dr. Mendivil can attest to, we’ve been in discussion for months.” “I’ve been focused on prioritizing physical, social, emotional, psychological safety,” Garcia said at one point. “We’ve done

cruitment effort. The city is trying different techniques to bring in new lifeguards. Hulett said the city hosted a bring-yourfriend-to-work event to encourage current lifeguards to bring people that might be interested in becoming a lifeguard. A challenge the city faces is getting people to register and pay for an initial lifeguard certification class. The city has begun standard classes that normally charge $85, but are now priced at $20 to get more people into a class and get them certified in time for the May 2022 opening of pools. Four classes can be taken at the price of $20. Hulett is currently looking for a longterm solution on the funding aspect of the recruitment process. The lifeguard positions are seasonal so there are no benefits but an additional incentive is that public employees can get 10 percent off their tuition at Arizona State University. Hulett said this is a large incentive for some applicants. “That is something that we’re going to really use as part of our advertisement for those kids right in that college age that

might be thinking about ASU,” Hulett said. The city is also working on a social media campaign and will “utilize current lifeguarding staff to help create content and information for the recruitment,” Hulett said. “We’re looking at it from a fresh view on the social media aspect of it, as well.” The recruitment is aimed at teens typically around the age of 15. Hulett said new lifeguards often start around age 15 or 16 and continue until about their sophomore year of college, when many begin a new job or internship. Andrew Caraway, Deer Valley pool manager said he gets a lot of lifeguards who are about 15 and have sometimes never experienced having a boss or being a part of a team before. In order to create a more casual environment, Caraway does a lot of team-building activities. “Getting them to find out they have a lot in common with each other breaks the ice to make them feel more comfortable,” Caraway said. To create a welcoming environment at his pool, Caraway buys hair ties for all of his employees, not just for the girls, but

anyone who has long hair in case they need one. “It’s small things that build up over time and makes them want to come to work and feel safe and happy,” Caraway said. The city also has tried to encourage this year’s staff to consider returning. “We have to build a climate where these kids want to come back to work and so if we can retain the people that we have, it’s an easier job in the recruitment aspect of it,” Hulett said. For some lifeguards, it’s not hard to come back. Parker Frost, a lifeguard at Pecos Pool said, “It’s the fulfillment of it.” “When you stick in the same pool for years, you get to know all the kids that come every day and you can watch them learn how to swim and that’s just the coolest thing,” Frost said. The city normally begins accepting applications around Nov. 1, but Hulett said they hope to move up that date to at least Oct. 24. She said once applications are in, the city will be constant in communication with the people who apply about next steps. ■

Votes on a resolution to abolish SROs at all Tempe Union campuses and a separate agreement between the school district and Phoenix to keep SROs on the Desert Vista and Mountain Pointe campuses through the rest of this school year showed a division on the board, which voted 3-2 in favor of the resolution and tied on the other when board President Brian Garcia abstained. (YouTube) a lot in this district to prioritize that. We have improved our front offices. We have changed locks on doors so they can be locked from the inside and that’s been a hefty investment. We have added addi-

tional layering of gates.” Garcia insisted that Tempe Union did not have a comprehensive safety program and that the SROs are part of a state grant program.

He said the district needs “a comprehensive plan” with “meaningful updates” and that the resolution was not eliminating continuing dialogue with all facets of the Tempe Union community. ■

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | OCTOBER 20, 2021

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AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | OCTOBER 20, 2021

Backlog of new citizen application swelling BY DIANNIE CHAVEZ Cronkite News

ASHINGTON – Mary has helped hundreds of immigrants gain U.S. citizenship, but she hasn’t had the same luck with her husband’s case, one of more than 11,000 applications currently pending in Arizona. That is nearly double the backlog of 6,307 cases at the end of 2015, according to data from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Nationwide, it said there were 907,424 cases pending as of June 30, the last date for which numbers are available, compared with 388,832 in December 2015. The agency said the backlog comes from delays caused by pandemic service reductions last year, on which it is still catching up. Critics blame Trump administration cutbacks at the agency. Whatever the reason, Mary and her husband are feeling the impact. “The waiting periods the website shows have been a rollercoaster,” said Mary, a Phoenix resident who asked that her last name not be used for fear of jeopardizing her husband’s application. “They’re never consistent.” Since filing his citizenship application in September 2020, Mary’s husband has seen repeated delays in his case. “A few months ago, the website said he would get the interview in October,” she said. “Now that October is here, it says he will get the interview in two months.” Like many applicants, her husband is stuck at the halfway point of the ten-step naturalization process – after all the forms and documents have been filed and an eligibility determination has been made, but before an interview with a USCIS official has been held. That step includes a civics test which has questions about American government and history and, if they pass all those steps, a chance to take an oath of allegiance to the United States. The USCIS field office in Arizona currently has COVID-19 mitigation measures

Got s? New

New citizens take the oath of allegiance during a naturalization ceremony in San Francisco in 2015. More than 900,000 citizenship applications are pending in the U.S., with over 11,000 of those in Arizona, as the pandemic and other issues have caused a backlog at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. (Jetta Disco/Department of Homeland Security) in place, including a mask requirement few months. and a ban on walk-in visits – appoint“There’s really no rhyme or reason to ments have to be scheduled in advance. why some are taking over a year while othMary, who has worked with Catho- ers are only taking a few months,” he said. lic Charities for 13 years helping people According to USCIS, current processing with their citizentimes range from ship applications, 11 to 14.5 months According to USCIS, current in its Phoenix ofsaid getting answers from USCIS processing times range from fice and 5.5 to 14 is a challenge. in Tucson. 11 to 14.5 months in its Phoenix months “No matter what All of that follows office and 5.5 to 14 months in more than seven you’re calling for, Tucson. you’re going to years that a typical have to wait at applicant has spent least an hour before living in the U.S. as someone picks up,” she said of the USCIS a lawful permanent resident before the help line. application process begins. One legal expert said the slowdown is “The fact that the government says not new – just worse. these are normal processing times is “This has been a long-standing prob- truly an abomination,” Goldman said. “I lem,” said Mo Goldman, a Tucson immigra- would be embarrassed if I was working tion attorney. “We’ve noticed over the last for the government and knew that’s how few years a significant slowdown.” long their processing takes.” Goldman said one client filed a “simple The USCIS blames the pandemic. and straightforward” naturalization ap- The agency closed its field offices on plication in April 2020 and has yet to hear March 18, 2020, in response to COVback, while others may only have to wait a ID-19, and did not begin to reopen them

until June 4, 2020. “These office closures account for the significant drop in naturalizations in March, April, and May of FY 2020,” the agency said on its website. Since then, USCIS has returned to “normal year production levels for naturalization applications,” it said. But those months of waiting can weigh on applicants like Autriya Maneshni, a native of Iran who used to fear going through immigration at the airport. Now that she has her citizenship, she looks forward to fulfilling her dream of “slapping” her U.S. passport on the desk and passing through customs with no issues and without question next time she travels. Maneshni was born in Tehran and moved to the United States with her family when she was 8. She, her parents and her brother spent more than a decade in the country as green-card holders before becoming citizens last year. “We were very lucky,” Maneshni said. “We heard back very quickly compared to a lot of our friends.” Her timing also helped: Maneshni filed her application in December 2019, heard back within a month and had her naturalization interview in February, the month before the pandemic shut down offices. “It was definitely a weight lifted off my shoulders,” she said. “It’s unfortunate that not everyone can have the same quick and easy experience that I did.” Despite the current backlog, advocates say people should not be afraid to apply for citizenship. “Even if there is going to be a long waiting period, it’s better to apply sooner rather than later,” said Maria Sesmas, a volunteer with Promise Arizona. People can use the waiting period as an opportunity to study for their interview, she said. “Don’t be afraid to apply,” Sesmas said. “A lot of applicants go through the process in the span of only a few months.” ■

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

NEWS

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | OCTOBER 20, 2021

Vandalism just the tip of kids' social media perils BY TOM SCANLON AFN Staff Writer

wo weeks ago, a data scientistturned-whistleblower blasted Facebook and the kid-friendly Instagram for ignoring its own studies that show teen girls can have more eating disorders, depression and suicidal thoughts after spending time on those sites. Katey McPherson, who works for a company that has a parental app that can monitor social media and speaks at schools around the country, has a message: “All of the scrutiny has been on Facebook, which also owns Instagram, but it’s bigger than that,” the Chandler educator said. Indeed, in Mesa over the last month, the platform most cursed by parents and teachers was TikTok. One “challenge” by a popular TikTok user spurred some students to vandalize bathrooms and other school property. Another challenge to “smack a staff member on the backside” prompted a stern warning from Mesa Police: “No matter how innocent you may think a smack on the backside of a school staff member is…it is not! It is the crime of aggravated assault, a felony.” While agreeing TikTok can be harmful, as well as Facebook and Instagram, McPherson has particular disdain for Snapchat, an app that automatically deletes messages shortly after they are sent. “Snapchat is the devil,” McPherson said. While the great majority of Snap communications are innocuous, the app has been used for “sexting,” bullying and drug trade. And, due to the disappearing messages feature, “It’s an administrators’ nightmare,” McPherson said. A recent Pew Research study found that 69 percent of those 13 to 17 years old use Snapchat. “They don’t text anymore, they Snap,” McPherson said. Snapchat’s quick-gone feature allows for shady uses, McPherson warned. “We’ve had local kids who purchased drugs from Snapchat who died,” McPherson said. “We are on a total rampage to get Snapchat to take responsibility.” At 6 p.m. Thursday, McPherson will be part of a Mesa Prevention Alliance panel on “Snapchat misuse in teens” and risky online behaviors at Skyline High School.

A Common Sense Media 2019 study showed phone use accelerating in all categories of youth. (Common Sense Media)

The event will livestream on Mesa Prevention Alliance’s Facebook page. Natalia Chimbo-Andrade is director of Community Education and Outreach at Community Bridges-Mesa, which provides a variety of mental health services; her program targets youth. She is concerned about “the trends, dangers and influence social media has on

youth behaviors and how they’re correlating to risky behaviors. Community Bridges and Mesa Public Schools are two of the partners of the Mesa Prevention Alliance, which is sending up warning flares over Snapchat at this week’s meeting. Do parents typically know much about Snapchat?

A Mesa Alliance meeting this week will highlight the potential dangers of Snapchat, a popular app with teenagers. (Special to AFN)

“They don’t,” Chimbo-Andrade said. “We actually do a tutorial where we walk (parents) through Snapchat settings. They’ll say, ‘Oh, it’s OK, I have monitoring. They’ll give me an alert of any risky behavior.’ But that doesn’t work with Snapchat, because of how it’s designed.” Indeed, the Bark app and others are not able to monitor “Snaps.” McPherson, who is the director of Professional Development for Bark, explained the technical way Snap hides from monitoring: “Snapchat will not allow access to open their API (application programming interface) to allow third parties/vendors to access student data…which means parents cannot protect their students or surveil their activity within the app.” She noted other platforms do allow API sharing, such as Pinterest, Discord, Instagram, Reddit, Twitter, Facebook and Google Drive. Though it is not technically impossible for a parent to monitor a child’s Snapchat messages, it is much more difficult to track than other apps; and clever kids can often figure out how to manipulate settings to make them “ghost,” or invisible. And, Chimbo-Andrade noted, “You can make transactions on Snapchat. Teens are savvy.” The nefarious possibilities of the app were spotlighted in February, when a friend of 17-year-old Joe Seibold set up a marijuana buy on Snapchat and got Joe to drive him to the location. As he waited for his friend to make the deal, Seibold was shot dead near South Gilbert and Broadway in central Mesa. Amy Neville, one of the speakers at the Mesa Prevention Alliance event, will share another online tragedy: Her 14-year-old son died after buying pills laced with fentanyl in a deal arranged on social media. “It’s very easy to get drugs on various social media platforms, not just Snap,” Chimbo-Andrade said. “I know the story on a personal level.” She encourages parents to keep a watchful eye on what their kids are saying and doing on their phones: “Any type of security when it comes to apps is good. Whether it’s Bark or Net Nanny, which is

see SOCIAL page 20

NEWS

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | OCTOBER 20, 2021

SOCIAL from page 19

another good one,” Chimbo-Andrade said. Community Bridges-Mesa is seeing a rise in people experiencing depression, suicidal thoughts and other mental health issues – reflecting a national trend. According to a study published in September on Pediatrics, the official publication of the American Academy of Pediatrics, “depression and suicide concerns have increased during the pandemic, especially among female adolescents. Results underscore the importance of consistent depression and suicidality screening.” Indeed, the study reported a 34 percent increase “in reporting recent suicidal thoughts among female adolescents.” Chimbo-Andrade said she believes social media is a factor in the rise of mental health crises – but hardly the lone culprit. “Social media is an influence. It can be a bad influence or a positive one,” she noted. “With everything that happened in the last 20 plus months, a lot of young people tend to go to social media as an escape, a way to connect – whatever you want to call it. I’ve seen a lot of young people using it for good,” Chimbo-Andrade said. “I am very careful to say there are many, many factors that can lead a kid to crisis. Yes, social media can, especially if it is used in a negative way. But it’s not the whole story.” She noted one positive trend on social media: “Influencers and public figures are saying if you’re struggling, get help.” McPherson said Snapchat is a “gotta have it” for many teens.

Chandler educator and teen suicide prevention expert Katey McPherson says parents are making a big mistake if they think school can control their kids’ social media use. (Special to AFN) “Kids are really good at convincing their parents, ‘Everyone has Snapchat. I have to...Without it, I’m excluded,’” McPherson said. “Parents cave because they want their kids to be included.” As for the pressure to have it, McPherson gets it. “I have four daughters; they all have Snapchat,” she said. Rather than constantly looking over their shoulders, she has “ongoing conversations” with her daughters about Snap. “There’s no way of supervising it,” she said. One of the most popular of the monitoring apps, Bark offers plans for parents at $99 per year as well as school districtwide coverage While Bark is working with the Deer Valley School District and several other

Valley districts, it has yet to land contracts with East Valley districts. Basic district coverage is free, though 24/7 monitoring costs $1,000 per student which would be around $60,000 for Mesa Public Schools. “We block and filter websites on the family side as well as the school side. So parents and schools can block websites like pornhub.com, YouTube, etc. and others that kids often like to go to that are not age-appropriate,” McPherson said. “So there is no excuse for kids ‘stumbling’ on things,” she added. “We get alerts weekly on suicide attempts,” McPherson said. “Our No. 1 alert is bullying.” McPherson was an assistant principal with the Scottsdale Unified School District before changing careers. She knows first-

hand how limited schools are in fighting illicit social media use. “If parents are leaning on schools to educate and make children aware of the dangers of social media, that’s not where the responsibility lies. It’s completely out of control,” she said. “There’s nowhere to say to a parent, ‘Get online and have your child take this course and have your kid learn how to be a good digital citizen.’ What’s lacking is awareness and education on parents’ part before they hand a 10-year-old a device.” She rattled off some disturbing stats: “The average age of porn exposure is 8. Average age of sexting is 11. “This has fallen on schools to manage our nightmares,” McPherson said. “In my opinion, it’s parents outsourcing their greatest responsibility to schools.” McPherson is hardly alone in recommending families communicate frequently about and set limits regarding socialmedia use. Shiloh Lundahl, a Mesa counselor, recommends “helping set and enforce limits with kids,” regarding cell phone usage. “I encourage parents to not buy kids cell phones for birthdays or any kind of gift,” he said. Giving a phone as a gift can send a message that the child is the owner of the phone; then, if it’s misused, “They’ll think, you can’t take it, this is mine.” Like McPherson, Lundahl encourages family meetings and clear guidelines: “It’s important for a child to understand the

see SOCIAL page 22

How parents can monitor their kids' social media BY TOM SCANLON AFN Staff Writer

t takes an app to know an app. With that philosophy in mind, there are many phone and computer applications marketed to parents for monitoring their kids’ social media activity. According to Consumers Advocate, “We chose Bark as the best app for social media monitoring because out of all the apps we tested, it monitored by far the largest number of them--more than 30. In fact, Bark’s specialty is social media monitoring, which addresses one of the chief concerns of parents today.” The app offers annual plans from $49-99. Visit bark. us for more information. For best app that combines antivirus software, “We

chose Norton’s Family Premier because of its comprehensive child monitoring features, but also because it can be combined with one of the best antivirus products on the market today.” According to Norton, with the service, “Parents can see their child’s search terms and viewed videos, monitor age-appropriate content, set screen time limits and more.” Plans start at $49. For more information, visit family. norton.com. Other apps receiving praise from Consumers Advocate: • Qustodio (“provides a large variety of control tools that work across a number of browsers and operating systems”). • Life360 (“geotracking is its bread and butter…

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it can provide geolocation information in 140 countries and all seven continents”). OurPact (“offers app, website, and text blocking, location tracking, geo-fencing, time limits on specific apps and allows you to set rules for device use”). Mobicip (“offers full parental control features such as app and website blocking, location tracking, time scheduling/blocking, etc.”). NetNanny (“Its unique feature is the use of artificial intelligence to analyze a website’s content and block inappropriate material before your child gets to see it, even if you haven’t blocked that particular site”). ScreenTime (“all the features you expect from a full parental control app”).

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NEWS

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | OCTOBER 20, 2021

At 106, she credits God, genes and chocolate AFN NEWS STAFF

f Edna Margaret (Peirce) Minger isn’t the oldest woman in Arizona, she’s pretty darn close after turning 106 last week in her Chandler home. Edna, whose sister in California looks to be 102 next March, also might be paying closer attention to this story given that she spent a number of years as a newspaper reporter, according to her daughter, Sarah Auffret. Born Oct. 11, 1915, in Philip, South Dakota, Edna was one of eight children, ranking fifth in the pecking order with five brothers and two sisters. "I was the shy one, my sisters were more outgoing and my five brothers were often loud," she recalled as she reminisced about her childhood in a small town where she walked everywhere and her family grew all their own produce. She went to college one year on a scholarship but then ran out of money and had to quit, but she continued as a pianist and church organist at her local church – an avocation she maintained no matter where she lived. That activity also led to a 52-year marriage as she met her future husband when he was a soloist at church and needed an accompanist. By profession he was a newspaperman and after stints in Kansas and Iowa, Edna and her husband wound up in Oklahoma, where they owned a small-town weekly newspaper called The Tipton Tribune. "I wrote about ordinary people and

SOCIAL from page 20

phone isn’t completely theirs. “I’ve met with several families where kids tend to isolate themselves and spend all day in their room with a phone,” he said. “A lot of these kids over time develop symptoms of depression. It can get so bad

t o G ws? Ne

Sarah Auffret and her mother Edna Minger marked a special occasion in Chandler last week: Edna turned 106, which might make her the oldest woman in Arizona. (Courtesy of Sarah Auffret )

their activities,” she said. “When newcomers moved to the community, I'd call them and write a story about them.” "Working at a newspaper got me out of my shyness,” she added. “It was one of the best things for me, because I had to get to know people." She remembers seeing both Teddy Roosevelt and Calvin Coolidge come through town on their way to vacation in the Black Hills in Custer, South Dakota, and saw both presidents wave from the train platform. One of the historical events that she

...to the point of saying, ‘I’m going to kill myself if I can’t have my phone.’” He urges parents to wait out emotional rollercoasters rather than angrily taking phones away. “I know one parent who said (to a child), ‘Give me your phone!’ She grabbed it and threw it out the window on the freeway,”

especially remembers is the explosion of the Hindenburg in May 1937 because she had just seen it up close the week before during a visit to New Jersey. She said her husband Allan “wrote the more important stories” but she got a big thrill after retiring and the editor of a paper in the larger neighboring town of Altus, Oklahoma, approached with a request. “I got to take a trip to Israel, which was a highlight of my life since I got to see so many places I had read about in the Bible,” Edna explained. “The Altus

Lundahl said. He empathized with parents struggling to keep up with technology – So are kids, he noted. “This is something new for us and for them. It is important to have patience and you learn along the way,” he said. As Chimbo-Andrade of Community

editor asked me to write a story about it and they featured it in the Mother's Day issue with my byline and a picture of me with a camel." Newspapering wasn’t her only passion or occupation. She also was the local church’s organist, president of the garden club and Methodist Women and worked at Altus Air Force Base as a secretary for 10 years before she retired. When she moved to Arizona in 2007, she lived in a Chandler retirement home where she quickly took over the community flower gardens. “She took pride in her roses, as she had all her life,” he daughter recalled. Edna’s husband, Allan Minger, died in 1990. They had two children, Auffret and John. Edna has three grandchildren and nine great grandchildren. Though her eyesight isn’t as good as it was in her days in the newsroom, she still tries to read a newspaper every day. "I was really into the presidential election stories,” she said. “I like to read feature stories about people who are doing interesting things." As for her longevity, she attributes it partly to genes – “I never expected to live this long, however,” she added – and “dark chocolate almost every day.” “I've always walked a lot and I did a lot of gardening until I was 102,” she added. But Edna also gives God the most credit for her long and happy life. "I pray every day and He watches over me,” she explained. “So I don't worry." ■

Bridges put it, “One thing we talk about is having proactive family communication by creating contracts, whether it’s social media contracts or technology contracts,” she said. “Kids are like, ‘I want my freedom.’ But if you start these contracts when they’re young, it’s just going to be their norm.” ■

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

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | OCTOBER 20, 2021

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AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | OCTOBER 20, 2021

State’s teacher shortage may be worsening HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

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rizona continues to have a shortage of teachers for the classroom – and the problem may be getting

worse. A new survey by the Arizona School Personnel Administrators Association found that schools were able to fill fewer than one out of every five vacancies they had for this school year. And 55 percent of those they did manage to fill were with people who are not certified educators. Kyrene School District knows all too well the problem: It needs 200 people to fill existing full-time and aprt-time job vacancies ranging from substitute teachers to instructional aides to crossing guards and bus drivers. "We are going to start pulling some groups together to start problem, solving the short-term solution for us. And then, of course, I believe this is a longer-term situation as well after how we're looking at staffing and substitutes," Kyrene Superintendent Laura Toenjes said. This is the sixth year the personnel administrators organization has found a similar pattern. But Gov. Doug Ducey rejected the idea that things are the same as when they were when he took office in 2015. “There’s a lot that’s changed since I’ve been governor,’’ he said. “The focus on education has been in every state budget,’’ Ducey continued. And he specifically cited the average 20 percent pay hike given teachers. But state schools chief Kathy Hoffman said it’s no surprise that the vacancy problem has remained relatively unchanged. “One of the factors that has also remained consistent is that Arizona continues to rank 50th for teacher pay,’’ she said. Hoffman said that 20 percent pay hike “did not go far enough.’’ Hoffman said that could have been addressed in part by voter approval in November of Proposition 208. That 3.5 percent surcharge on individual incomes above $250,000 a year – $500,000 for couples – would have raised an estimated $827 in additional dollars, with half of that to hire teachers and

classroom support personnel and to raise teacher salaries. But the Arizona Supreme Court, ruling on legal challenges from some Republican lawmakers and business interests, have thrown the future of the levy into doubt. And that financial issue, Hoffman said, is “overshadowing all of our efforts’’ to keep teachers in the classroom. Justin Wing, past president of the association that conducted the survey, said alternate pathways did help. But he said they make up only a portion of that 55 percent of non-certified people leading classrooms. That category includes everything from people who are simply awaiting certification, teachers brought to Arizona from other countries through special visa programs, teachers brought into the state from foreign countries, and even college and university students who are being put in front of a classroom, alone, even before they have graduated. There also were teachers brought in under a special visa program from other countries. Yet the vacancy problem remains. Even after bringing in people through alternate means, schools this year said 28 percent of the vacancies – 6,560 in the 145 school districts and charter schools that responded – are being dealt with through a combination of long-term substitutes, contracting out for certain services like special education, and even combining classes to the point where the number of students exceeds the class size limit. Ducey said none of this is unique to Arizona. “There could be 48 other governors standing here that have a teacher shortage as well,’’ he said. “That’s something that is challenging the country.’’ Ducey insistedthat “Arizona is leading the country in addressing them.’’ Wing said the long-term solution remains getting more high school graduates interested in making teaching a career. Ducey said that is happening with the Arizona Teachers Academy, a program where students who go into education get one or more year’s worth of free tuition. Wing said the problem with that is its marketing -- or lack thereof. ■

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REAL ESTATE

Real Estate Guide Market cooling a bit, but it’s still very warm AFN NEWS STAFF

he Valley’s housing market is cooling a bit, but buyers might not be ready to uncork the champagne. The Cromford Report, which closely tracks the housing market in Maricopa and Pinal counties, reported last week that listings have risen above 8,000 for the first time in more than nine months. But it warned, “The cooling trend is very weak compared with the second quarter, but it’s there.” And in a somewhat cautious word for

sellers, Cromford noted the average closing price was only .26 percent above the listing price – a far cry from the 1.82 percent above list that closings averaged in June. “There is no guarantee that the current trend will hold, of course,” it added. And that also offers no great comfort to buyers, judging by the market index Cromford developed in which scores of 100 indicate a balance between sellers and buyers and anything above that number swings toward a sellers market.

see MARKET page RE2

SPO OTLIGHT home Just Listed

A true Custom Home located in the beautiful gated community of Canyon Reserve.

Bonny Holland

Offered at $1,199,000

See Page 6

SOLD! Geno Ross

One of the most amazing lots available in Ahwatukee! Foothills Mountain Ranch Estates. 5-Acre Lot Listed for $499,000 SeeSeePage Page6 6

Estate living with refined tranquility in this exquisite setting. Meticulous stonework adorns entire exterior of this luxury home.

Mike Mendoza

Listed for $1,790,000

See Page Page 66 See

Ahwatukee’s #1 Team for Over 30 Years 480-706-7234

www.MendozaTeam.com

Mike Mendoza

L SO

SO Sanctuary - Front

Sanctuary - Back

Tapestry Canyon - Front

Tapestry Canyon - Back

Stunning panoramic views from privately gated luxury retreat adorned with vibrant imported Montana stone accents. Prime elevated preserve lot with casita. 5 br, 5 ba with 6,455 sq. ft. Resort-style backyard with negative edge pool, custom artwork, fireplace and built-in DCS bbq.

Majestic Southwest contemporary estate on elevated 1.24-acre hillside lot with stunning mountain and city light views. 5 br, 4.5 ba with 4,924 sq. ft. Resort-style backyard with slate patio, built-in Viking grill, pool, spa, koi pond and ultimate privacy.

Listed for $1,950,000

Listed for $1,325,00

REAL ESTATE

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AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | OCTOBER 20, 2021

Six seven-figure home sales have occurred in Ahwatukee in recent weeks. Some of them included: 1) A S. Tuzigoot Court that sold for $1.4 million; the 4,465-square-foot home, built in 1988, has four bedrooms and baths and boasts an entertainment room with wet bar, a backyard with a pool and waterfall and numerous fruit trees, and a lavish gourmet kitchen. 2) This 4,456-square-foot home on W. Windsong Drive sold for just over $1 million. The five-bedroom, four-bath house was built in 2006 and includes a finished basement.; 3) A fourbedroom, four-bath house on S. 5th Street sold for $1.2 million. The 3,768-square-foot home, built in 2000, boasts mountain views and a “luxurious en-suite with a soak tub you’ll never want to leave.” 4) This 5,129-square-foot home on S. Tusayan Court sold for $1.5 million. Built in 1992, the six-bedroom, 5 ½-bath house has an open floor plan with quartzite gourmet kitchen and sits on a half-acre on a cul de sac. (Special to AFN)

MARKET from page re1

As of last week, the 17 communities in the Valley that are tracked by the Cromford Market Index showed the lowest score was 214 in Maricopa – twice the number indicating a balanced market. The highest was 634 in Fountain Hills.

Phoenix came in ninth among the 17 cities with a score of 333. One of the more startling finds by Cromford in recent weeks shows how iBuyers have surged as a market force, commanding more than a third of the Valley’s inventory of homes for sale. Entities like Zillow, Opendoor and Of-

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ferpad paid a median price of $435,396 in September, compared to a median price of $276,000 a year ago. They also are selling at prices comparable to the overall market, Cromford’s data indicated, with a median sale price of $412,000 in September compared to $287,000 a year earlier. “If it were not for investors and iBuyers the market would be cooling much more quickly than it is,” Cromford said. Cromford also indicated that investors have found a version of “flipping” with new builds. “We are seeing many examples of brandnew homes being re-sold at much higher prices shortly after their initial purchase,” it reported. “One specialist investor has

resold a dozen new homes for a profit of more than $600,000. We can expect more developers imposing contract terms to try to prevent this in future.” For now, though, “the fact that developer prices are usually fixed at contract signing is limiting their ability to sell at market price.” While the median sale price for re-sale homes was $415,000 in September – up 26 percent from a year ago – the new home median price was $412,000 – only 11 percent higher than September 2020. Cromford attributed that to “supply chain problems and chronic labor shortages” that it said “are limiting the developer’s ability to capitalize on the market strength.” ■

GOT NEWS?

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

OCTOBER 20, 2021 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS

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While our home is in Ahwatukee, our knowledge and experience carry over S o u t h M o u n t a i n t o w o n d e r f u l c o m m u n i t i e s t h r o u g h o u t T h e Va l l e y . Where ever your real estate needs might take you, we’re here to help.

YOUR HOUSE IS

R·HOUSE we value your home as if it were our own FEATURED LISTING

$1,250,000

480.576.4411

1823 E WINDROSE DR, PHOENIX, AZ, 85022 18 3bed+3.5bath • 4,260 sq ft • 16,390 sq ft lot • MLS#6295035

RHouseRealty.com

1345 E. Chandler Blvd., Suite 119 Phoenix, AZ 85048

C O N TA C T U S T O D AY.

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | OCTOBER 20, 2021

• Don’t forget the outside – curb appeal is the first impression that will set the tone for how a buyer perceives your home. Attend to the out-of-control landscape and give it a chance to grow back and fill in. Trees should be thinned out, dead leaves and branches removed, and add fresh plants and flowers. Look for wood rot areas that need to be painted and get that done ahead of time. Our team here at Leading Luxury Experts would love to consult with you to create a road map to help you prioritize what needs to be done before your home is ready to hit the market. Doing this early will guide you to the right choices and make the whole process more manageable. In the end, a higher sales price and a quick sale are what you can expect.

BY J. GRABER AFN Staff Writer

or sale: Professionally decorated and furnished, 1,463-square-foot penthouse with amazing views within walking distance to Fashion Square and Old Town. Features: hardwood floors, ceiling-tofloor windows, gourmet kitchen with marble counter tops and quiet balcony. Cost: Not necessarily one red cent of hard currency. Instead of cold hard cash, it can set you back roughly 47 bitcoins, or about 683 ethereum. The ultra-luxurious unit is one of four condos for sale in the Optima Camelview Village by Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty with an option for paying in cryptocurrency. “The seller realizes bitcoin, ethereum and digital assets, in general, are becoming a mainstream asset class,” said Johna-

Contact Bonny Holland for a conversation about what is right for you and your family in this market. bonny@leadingluxuryexperts.com 602-369-1085. ■

Leading Luxury Home Experts CANYON RESERVE

14625 S Presario Trl, Phoenix

This true Custom Home located in the beautiful gated community of Canyon Reserve is a must see!

BONNY HOLLAND Ahwatukee Resident and Realtor since 1995

602.369.1085

Bonny@LeadingLuxuryExperts.com

2016 & 2017 BREA Award for Most Sales in Ahwatukee!

Call for Pricing 1519 E Desert Willow Dr, Phoenix

$2,399,000

14616 S 1st St, Phoenix 7209 sqft, 6 bedrooms and 5.5 baths

Exclusive custom home offering picturesque sunsets and captivating mountain views on over 1.7 acres in Tapestry Canyon!

Located in the Hillside gated community of Summerhill, this custom luxury estate has it all!

15634 S 6th Pl, Phoenix

$1,674,900 4897 E Hazeltine Ct, Chandler

$579,000

CORDOVA

3909 E Cherry Hill Dr, Queen Creek

2127 sqft, 3 bedrooms and 2.5 baths

5137 sqft. 4 (+6) bedrooms, 3.5 baths

Gorgeous Home with magnificent views on 2/3 acre overlooking the Valley.

STUNNING Cul-De-Sac Home in Beautiful Sun Groves! 3 Bed/2.5 Bath w/3 Car Tandem Garage on HUGE 17,000+sf Lot!

Old World elegance and modern amenities join in this gated Cordova custom home with fine finishes throughout.

Each Keller Williams Office is Independently Owned and Operated.

Dave@LeadingLuxuryExperts.com 509-869-0358 Team Leader

Meghann Holland:

Meghann@LeadingLuxuryExperts.com 480-241-4976 Transaction Coordinator

$1,610,000

4525 sqft. 5 (+7) bedrooms, 4.5 baths

www.LeadingLuxuryExperts.com

see CONDO page RE7

$2,499,000

Elegant single level custom estate in the Ahwatukee Foothills hillside gated community of Summerhill.

SUN GROVES

vide,” he explained. “These are properties that are highly sought after and will attract a wide range of buyers locally, nationally, and even internationally.” The four units have had his phone ringing, De Young said. “Inventory is very lean and there is a tremendous amount of demand right now for this type of product,” he said. “When you combine the quality and desirability of these particular condos, along with the walkability, shopping, dining, ease to the airports, it is very well possible we could see our first real estate transaction in Scottsdale using a digital asset.” But maybe more appropriately, the real interest in the properties is coming in from the internet. “They’re getting a tremendous number of clicks,” he said. There are nuances to a cryptocurrency

Dave Cox:

4068 sqft, 4 (+7) bedrooms, 3.5 baths

14261 S Canyon Dr, Phoenix

$1,199,000

SUMMERHILL

6377 sqft, 6 bedrooms and 5.5 baths

EAGLE RIDGE

3439 sqft, 3 (+5) bedrooms, 3 baths

TAPESTRY CANYON

JUST LISTED

T JUSED LIST

nymity in transactions – something much valued by buyers of high-end real estate, who often purchase property through limited liability corporations for privacy reasons. Aside from privacy, such buyers also are looking for properties with contemporary decor that are move-in ready. “They don’t want to do a lot of work,” De Young said. The Hudye Group is selling the four homes, which range in price from about $1.6 million to just over $2 million each. “At Hudye Group, we realize that digital assets and cryptocurrencies are becoming more and more commonplace for investors and buyers around the world,” said Ben Hudye. “We want to help facilitate a transaction that is mutually beneficial to all parties involved so we are extremely pleased that we can offer some of the finest in luxury high-rise condominiums for sale, with the flexibility that bitcoin and ethereum pro-

#1 AGENT IN AHWATUKEE CLOSED VOLUME 2020

COMING SOON

SUMMERHILL

thon De Young, a Realtor with Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty. “And it seems only appropriate for a substantial investment group to begin dipping its toes in what is likely some of the greatest financial innovation of our lifetime,” he added. Bitcoin and ethereum are two of the most prevalent forms of cryptocurrency. Cryptocurrency can be thought of as digital dollars. It only exists virtually with no central issuing or regulating agency backing it. Its value is not based on anything other than its scarcity, which is protected solely by cryptography. Of course, you can pay with traditional money, if you insist on living in the dark ages, but that route will cost you $2,048,200 for the penthouse model. No one really knows how many real estate transactions around the world have used cryptocurrency but it’s exceedingly rare, De Young said. Cryptocurrency offers a level of ano-

JUST LISTED

place or Ahwatukee 411 Buy and Sell. Start boxing up some of the items you intend to keep, making your move easier when the time comes. • Begin attending to minor repairs and improvements or they will come back to haunt you. Home inspectors will find those pesky repairs that you’ve been putting off. Buyers want updates, so if you’ve been thinking of doing some minor updating, now is the time. Things like updating light fixtures, word outdoor hardware, faucets that won’t clean up, worn out appliances and more should be done before you list your home. • Freshen and update your style – sometimes a fresh coat of paint will go a long way in terms of helping buyers to picture themselves in a home. It can also make a big difference to begin purchasing things for your new home and using these to give your space a fresh appeal. New towels, bedding, rugs and pillows are all items that will make a big impression on buyers.

SALE PENDING

ypically in Arizona, the best season to sell your home begins in spring and runs through early summer. Our market differs due to our weather. Since the weather is at its best in the spring, there are more potential buyers visiting and looking for a home to purchase in our sunny and beautiful state. That being said, we have been in a pretty unique market for the last year and a half with really low inventory, dramatic price increases and very low mortgage rates. The market is cooling right now, but it is far from cold. Home prices will continue to rise in 2022, just at a slower rate. We will continue to be in a seller’s market in spring, but buyers will have more homes to choose from and less competition for them.

If you’ve made the decision to sell in the spring of 2022, this is the perfect time to start readying your home for the market. We consult with Ahwatukee resident and owner of Agave Staging, Sandy Salazar. Sandy works on our team by offering a complimentary consultation for all our sellers when they list with us. Here are some of her best tips to be sure you house is show ready before it goes to market: • Be prepared. Now is the time to decide what will be going with you and what it is time to part with. • Begin with the end in mind – when you are ready to list your home, you will want it to be sparkling clean, light, bright, open and spacious, but also homey and inviting. • Start with closets, garage and storage areas. There are likely to store items that you haven’t seen in a while. This should be the time to throw away and give away items. Plan your next garage sale or post your items of value on Facebook Market-

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High-end Scottsdale penthouse can cost a bit of coin

Selling next year? Start getting ready now BY BONNY HOLLAND AFN Guest Writer

REAL ESTATE

OCTOBER 20, 2021 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS

JUST LISTED

REAL ESTATE

NEW LISTING

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FAMILY RUN TEAM

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AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | OCTOBER 20, 2021

SPO OTLIGHT home AHWATUKEE

14261 S. Canyon Drive Just Listed

3439 sqft, 3 (+5) bedrooms, 3 baths This true Custom Home located in the beautiful gated community of Canyon Reserve is a must see!

Offered at $1,199,000 Bonny Holland 602.369.1085 www.LeadingLuxuryExperts.com

SONORAN LIVING

KELLER WILLIAMS® REALTY

CIRCLE G AT RIGGS RANCH Estate living with refined tranquility in this exquisite setting. Meticulous stonework adorns entire exterior of this luxury home. Inviting entry opens to diagonally laid tile with granite inlays and dramatic wooden staircase. Formal dining room with stacked stone fireplace. Gourmet kitchen features granite countertops, large island, Subzero refrigerator, and Wolf gas cooktop with double ovens. Fireplace and wet bar in great room. Floor plan boasts seven bedrooms, playroom and large game room. Expansive master suite includes large sitting area with two-way fireplace, crown molding, separate walk-in closets and spacious bathroom. Three custom iron doors lead to massive covered patio with pavers, built-in barbeque, heated pool with waterfall and slide, gorgeous landscaping with fruit trees and koi pond. Large secondary bedrooms. Oversized laundry room with sink, granite countertops, cabinetry and room for a refrigerator. Additional upgrades throughout include 8’ solid core doors, speakers, surround sound in numerous locations, designer paint and exterior security cameras. Three masonry fireplaces. Anderson windows installed six years ago on entire first level. Four Trane a/c units with variable speed. Over-sized side entry four car garage. Availability to park an RV in the back as long as a garage is built for it. Over 7,000 square feet of stone on exterior. Almost acre-sized lot affords complete privacy.

Listed for $1,790,000

Mike Mendoza

LOCATED IN FOOTHILLS MOUNTAIN RANCH ESTATES!! OVER 5 ACRE HILLSIDE LOT WITH STUNNING MOUNTAIN VIEWS FROM EVERY DIRECTION•BUILD YOUR DREAM CUSTOM ESTATE OR BUILD MULTIPLE HOMES ON THIS SIGHT•ZONED R3*THE POSSIBILITIES ARE ENDLESS ON THIS RARE OPPORTUNITY•THERE IS NOT ANOTHER PIECE OF LAND IN AHWATUKEE THAT OFFERS THIS MANY BUILDABLE ACRES•NO HOA•LOCATED AT THE END OF A CUL-DE-SAC•BE THE KING OF THE HILL WITH VIEWS ALL THE WAY TO FOUR PEAKS•PLANS AVAILABLE AND OTHER CUSTOM HOME OPTIONS AVAILABLE FROM A WELL KNOW AHWATUKEE CUSTOM HOME BUILDER*DO NOT MISS THIS AMAZING HILLSIDE LOT IN AN AMAZING LOCATION!!!!

SONORAN LIVING

KELLER WILLIAMS® REALTY

480.706.7234 • www.MendozaTeam.com

SOLD!

ONE OF THE MOST AMAZING LOTS AVAILABLE IN AHWATUKEE!!

Geno Ross (602) 751-2121 www.GenoRoss.com

REAL ESTATE

OCTOBER 20, 2021 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS

Real estate law firm marking fifth anniversary AFN NEWS STAFF

hwatukee resident Patrick MacQueen and his law partner Benjamin Gottlieb of Chandler are marking the fifth anniversary of their real estate law firm. MacQueen & Gottlieb PLC, or what they often call M&G, credit their strong roots with their success and growth into one of Arizona’s top real estate law firms. With more than 15 years of experience, MacQueen has been recognized locally and nationally with various industry awards and is a highly requested and real estate instructor for the Arizona Department of Real Estate. Gottlieb is often described as one of the most passionate attorneys in Arizona, with over a decade of legal practice. He currently holds an undefeated jury trial record and has also received top recognition in the legal industry. “I’ve been fortunate to work with many great attorneys throughout my career, but I’ve never been part of a team like the one Pat and Ben have built at M&G. We’ve accomplished a lot over the last 5 years, despite the pandemic,” said Pam Molnar,

480-706-7234 ! LD O S

M&G’s director of firm administration. The firm refers often to its employees as “M&G’ers,” signaling a unified team of attorneys and professionals who are working together toward the same goal. “I enjoy working at M&G because I love the wide variety of real estate matters that we handle at M&G. I also enjoy having a sense of camaraderie with my co-workers even though we work remotely, and I know I can lean on the M&G team and draw from the diverse background of experience that each team member at M&G brings to the table,” said M&G’er attorney Devin Tarwater. The firm describes its culture as “advertising agency meets law firm.” “It is quite common to see fun banter on our weekly team building ZOOM meetings along with fun ‘quizzes’ where an M&G’er can win a gift card, receive lunch on the firm or show off their new M&G socks, bobblehead or caricature sticker or even enjoy the fresh air by participating in a scavenger hunt or golf lesson,” spokeswoman Jennifer MacQueen said. She also stressed, “We devote personal attention that creates lasting relationships and often have clients return for additional assistance. We’d like to thank our

Estate living with refined tranquility in exquisite setting. Meticulous stonework adorns entire exterior of home.

! LD O S

! W NE

GOT NEWS?

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

4 BR / 2.5 BA / 3,008 SQFT

D! L SO

Stunning panoramic views from privately gated luxury retreat with casita on elevated preserve lot.

Listed For $650,000

Sanctuary

Fox Crossing ! W E N

4BR / 2 BA / 2,036 SQFT Updated single level with pool plus 2020 AC, water heater, dishwasher and flooring.

UDC build on oversized cul-de-sac lot with newer AC units and hardwood flooring.

! LD O S

San Tan Ranch

Listed for $1,950,000

4 BR / 3.5 BA / 3,860 SQFT Superb single level with travertine patio and fenced Pebble Tec pool with water feature.

Listed for $1,250,000

Listed for $563,000

Listed for $675,000

Mike Mendoza MendozaTeam.com 5 BR / 5 BA / 6,455 SQFT

Beautiful remodel with pebble pool and spa in ideal Chandler location.

Listed for $1,790,000

5 BR / 2.5 BA / 3,156 SQFT

Sierra Canyon

transaction involving real estate, such as having a title company well versed in how to process the deal. Stewart Title, which has experience in Bitcoin transactions, will serve as the escrow company. To date there’s been one real estate transaction that involved cryptocurrency in Arizona, and Stewart Title handled that transaction. No matter how luxurious the condominiums are or how novel the currency used to purchase them is, keep in mind that they are adjacent Old Town which means parking is at a premium. It shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise that $2 million, whether in cryptocurrency or cash, only gets the buyer one parking space. ■

Ahwatukee’s #1 Team for Over 30 Years 7BR / 4.5 BA / 8,873 SQFT

Circle G at Riggs Ranch

clients for the last five years and the years to come.” The firm also boasts it is “fueled.” “We are fueled by research. We are fueled by industry trends. We are fueled by the desire to continue learning and be the best resource for our clients,” Jennifer MacQueen said. Attorney Joshua Perlman added, “What fuels me every morning so far as working with our clients is the opportunity to help them on a legal matter with which they interact every day but is surprisingly complex. Real estate represents security, a tangible, valuable asset, and perhaps even generational wealth – a legacy. “Helping them unravel, understand, and deal with these complexities so that, most importantly, their sense of security in that investment is restored is extremely meaningful to me.” The law firm handles a variety of real estate matters, specifically business law, litigation, transactional law, and estate planning, in both the commercial and residential environments. M&G is located at 2 N. Central Ave., Suite 1800, Phoenix, AZ 85004. Contact 602533-2840 or at MandGLawGroup.com. ■

CONDO from page RE5

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Monte Vista

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | OCTOBER 20, 2021

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Ahwatukee Custom Estates

$1,350,000

PENDING!

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

Calabrea

Ahwatukee Custom Estates

SOLD!

$1,339,000

$1,750,000

Pristine & Classy Gated Estate On A Premium 2/3 Acre Hillside Lot, Private Cul-De-Sac, 6 Bedrooms, 4.5 Baths, 5200 Sqft Of Pure Luxury Finishes, Stunning Views In Every Direction, Iron Door, Butted Glass Windows In Entry & Kitchen, Custom Window Treatments, Decorator Paint, Dome Ceiling Foyer & Groin Vaulted Ceilings In Living Room, Travertine & Hardwood Floors Throughout, 7-Inch Baseboards, Media Room, Dream Kitchen Includes S/S Appliances, Slab Granite Counters, Alder Cabinets, Huge Island, Walk In Pantry, Large Master Suite W/Stone Fireplace, Master Bath W/Jacuzzi Tub, 3 Vanities & Snail Shower, Paradise Backyard W/Travertine In Versailles Pattern, Turf Grass, Pebbletec Pool/Jacuzzi, 4 Water Features, Large Covered Patio, Stacked Stone Bbq, 4 Car Garage W/Epoxy & Storage! Your Dream Estate Awaits!!

SOLD! Foothills Club West $799,000

Mountain Park Ranch $679,000

Canyon Verde $899,000

5 bedroom / 3 bath, 3,506 SqFt, Cul-de-sac location with huge backyard, sports court, built-in BBQ, mature shade trees, very private backing to wash. Good size SOLD! bedrooms, master downstai5. Features a large office with balcony, plus office/loft with built-in bookcase and 3 full baths. Th� home is perfect for family gatherings one is a show stopper!!! over 4200sqft of luxury on a preserve hillside lot in a cul-de-sac, 5 bedroom, 3.5 bath with andThis previewed with 24family hourroom notice andkitchen appointment only. aentertaining. bonus room, formalCan living &be dining room w/soaring ceilings, w/fireplace, includes:s/s appliances,

SOLD! The best view lot in all of club west!!! this stunning custom gated estate in canyon verde has the best privacy & views you will find in ahwatukee*grand foyer*formal living & dining room*executive office*kitchen includes: custom cabinets w/ antiquing, s/s appliances, cooktop, island, breakfast bar, pendant lighting, & walk-in pantry*butler’s pantry w/wine fridge*family room w/fireplace*upgraded fixtures throughout*large master suite w/sitting area*master bath w/jetted tub, snail shower, & spacious closet*guest suite w/separate entrance*all secondary bedrooms are large*paradise perfect backyard w/covered patio, pebbletec pool & spa, firepit, built-in bbq, flagstone, and putting green*oversized garage w/epoxy & built-in cabinets*this custom estate is a dream opportunity! welcome to paradise!!

slab granite, island, & recessed led lights, breakfast nook, gigantic master bedroom with the most amazing preserve views, custom master bath w/walk-in shower, freestanding tub, his/her vanities, & large walk-in closet, all bedrooms are extremely large with walk-in closets, views from every room, laundry room w/built-in cabinets & sink, extended length 3 car garage w/ epoxy, guest bedroom downstairs, paradise backyard w/covered patio, grassy play area, firepit, & custom new pool & jacuzzi 2020, this amazing home is truly stunning and checks all of the boxes!!

www.GenoRoss.com Donna Leeds TOP GRI, ABR REALTOR

�

949.310.5673

lf"fl!

Amazing Remodeled Custom Estate with mountain views located at the end of a cul-de-sac.Over 8000sqft of pure luxury finishes.6 Bedroom,5.5 Baths.Custom Kitchen.Elevator.Executive Office.Basement Media Room.Dance Studio.Huge Backyard with Pool, Jacuzzi, Turf, BBQ, Sportcourt.This Spectacular Estate has it all!!! Immaculate single level home located in club west on a premium lot, paradise views of south mountain, 3 bed, 2.5 bath, plus executive office and loaded with upgrades, formal living room, formal dining room, family room w/wetbar, builtin media center, & fireplace, kitchen includes:s/s appliances, corian counters, large island, gas cooktop, 42’cabinets, recessed & pendant lighting, breakfast nook, neutral paint & carpet, stone look tile flooring, plantation shutters, large master suite with views, master bath w/dual vanities,glass block walk-in shower w/travertine & mosaics, new exterior paint, paradise oasis backyard with pebbletec pool,waterfall, palm trees, covered patio,extensive decking, built-in bbq, grassy play area, & endless views, patio furniture included, this is the home you have been waiting for!

Ahwatukee Agent 2020

Geno Ross

602.751.2121

wwwBestAgentWUSA.com

Making Ahwatukee

Home Dreams Come True Since 1986 www.WestUSA.com I 480.893.0600

4505 E. Chandler Boulevard, Suite 170, Phoenix, AZ 85048

Ahwatukee Country Club

Lakewood

SOLD!

$635,000

2,498 Sq Ft. EXCEPTIONAL HOME Which Has One of the LARGEST LOTS in the Premier Lakewood Community! PEBBLETEC POOL and SPA in your own Oasis backyard! 4 bedrooms 3 baths with Lakewood Parks, Greenbelts & 2 Fishing Lakes, Playgrounds and More.

Fantastic 2 bed- 2bath + Bonus Room, Great location near restaurants, shopping spots, & ON Ahwatukee Golf Club. Cozy front porch perfect to enjoy your morning coffee. Inside you will find an inviting living room, wood-look floors, carpet in all the right places, an impressive brick fireplace in family room, & vaulted ceilings. Kitchen fully equipped w/granite counters, pendant lighting, SS appliances, & breakfast bar. Spacious primary bedroom comes w/large closets, patio access, & private bathroom. Amazing Arizona room & screened-in patio are excellent for your gatherings. Relax under the covered patio & enjoy the easy-care backyard w/large shade tree. A deal like this won’t last long. New Roof + 55K in upgra

SOLD! Pristine Curb appeal in desirable Adult 55+ Golf Community of Ahwatukee. Open concept split floor plan with Vaulted ceilings. Many upgrades include remodeled and updated kitchen, tile floors, master bath, murphy bed, travertine deck and patio with misting system and a putting green. updated duel pane windows, Plantation shutters throughout, pebble-tech heated pool with a water feature, North South exposure and mountain views. Enjoy all the benefits that the ARC has to offer.

Troy Royston 480-435-3461 troyston61@gmail.com

SOLD!

$600,000

2,438 sq ft. Beautiful 4 bed, 2.5 bath. Master Down ! Great curb appeal with easy-care desert landscape and a two-car garage. New Carpeting discover formal dining and living areas, plantation shutters, and a soothing palette throughout. The charming kitchen offers ample oak cabinetry, tile counters, recessed lighting, & an island complete with a breakfast bar. The primary bedroom boasts its own ensuite filled with natural light & a sizable walk-in closet. Spacious bedrooms offer plush carpets and ceiling fans. Interior laundry with shelving. Backyard offers the best of both worlds with a covered patio and sparkling pool to cool off in.

Marty Griffin 602-692-7653 martygriffin@q.com

Foothills Reserve

Maricopa

Jenifer Bulfer 480-297-6968 jbulfer@westusa.com

Ahwatukee

PENDING IN TWO DAYS!

$400,000

Coventry Tempe

$599,900

UNDER CONTRACT UCB

DESIRABLE 5 BEDROOM 3 BATH HOME IN THE VISTAS IN FOOTHILLS RESERVE. New Front Door. Soaring Ceilings in Entry & Living Areas. Lovely Kitchen W/ Cherry Staggered Cabinets, Beautiful Granite Counter tops & Nice-size Island. Open Kitchen to Family W/ Warm & Inviting Stone Fireplace. 1 Bedroom & 1 Full Bath Downstairs. Travertine Tile, 2’’ Wood Blinds, Bidet in Master Bath, Classy Closets in Master Closet. Balcony Off of Master. Custom Floor to Ceiling Garage Cabinets. Relaxing Backyard W/ Mountain Views, Diving Pool, Large Covered Patio and Cool Deck that was Recently Redone. Community Walking Path & Close to South Mountain Hiking Trails!

Geri Thompson 480-239-7589 thompson_geralyn@yahoo.com

$399,000

Overgaard Land

$59,900 For sale by owner/agent. Highly sought after Mogollon Estates corner lot with plenty of trees and across from National Forest. All underground utilities including water, power, telephone/DSL, paved streets AND SEPTIC are in. Build your dream cabin retreat or a year round home located a quiet cul-de-sac with existing custom homes on level easy build lot. Super Low HOA fees! Located near 7000’ it’s the perfect escape from the summer heat or enjoy all four seasons!

Jill Ostendorp 480-678-7308 jillo@homesbyjillo.com

Mountain Park Ranch

PENDING!

This amazing single level 3 bed, 2 bath, plus den home sits on a lrg. Corner Golf lot w/ lots of privacy, 8.5’ deep salt water pool & 3 car garage. Enjoy spacious living/dining room, cozy family room & chefs kitchen w/ Corian counters, stainless appliances, pantry, butlers area & island. Primary bedroom is a full retreat w/ lrg. Walk-in closet, ensuite tiled shower/ tub, dual sinks, custom cabinetry, & storage loft above bath w/ backyard access. Oversized Backyard has covered patio, gated pool, custom pool shed & view fencing to 16th green (no balls). Newer HVAC (17), Exterior Paint (21), Solar Screens, Attic Insulation are just some of the many extras. Great home and walking distance to school and parks.

Jill Ostendorp 480-678-7308 jillo@homesbyjillo.com

SOLD!

$495,000

3,250 sq ft. 5 bedroom, 3 baths! 3 car garage, short walk to the huge HOA pool and top-rated Kyrene Monte Vista. Large kitchen with multiple living areas, nice front/ afternoonshaded patio, in a family-friendly cul-de-sac. Plantation shutters, new plumbing, one newer AC on a split-system, newer interior paint and flooring.

Link Paffenbarger 602-989-7221 linkpaff@gmail.com

OCTOBER 20, 2021 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS

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Fundraiser for Ahwatukee man killed in airport collision AFN NEWS STAFF

riends, relatives and a local pizzeria are rallying to the side of an Ahwatukee widow of one of the people killed in a mid-air collision between a plane and a helicopter at Chandler Municipal Airport. Helicopter flight student Michael Papendick, 34, of Ahwatukee, and his instructor, Jessica Brandal, 26, of Kansas, lost their lives in the fiery collision Oct. 1. A flight instructor and a student who were in the plane survived. Mr. Papendick, who had only started taking lessons four weeks earlier, left behind his wife Rebecca and his daughter Aubrey, who marked her first birthday 17 days after her father’s death. A gofundme.com account has been set up in his name and Zzeeks Pizza & Wings, at 4825 E. Warner Road, the southeast corner of Warner and 48th Street, is holding a raffle, selling single tickets for $5 or

Michael Papendick, who died in the Oct. 1 crash between a helicopter and a plane near Chandler Airport, left behind his widow Rebecca and their year-old daughter Aubrey. (Special to AFN) five tickets for $20 to win pizza for a year. The drawing is Oct. 25. Sara Richard Lima, the widow’s mother, said her daughter and Michael met in

massage therapy school and hit it off after working together. They married in December 2019. They had recently moved to Ahwatukee

after he completed a 7-year stint with the Navy and were deciding their next steps. He had enrolled in the two-year flight training program with Quantum Helicopter in the hope of becoming a paramedic or rescue chopper pilot and eventually fly tours in Hawaii. “Mike was one of the most genuine, honest, loving, and supportive people we’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing,” said his sister-in-law Rachel Lima, who organized the gofundme fundraiser. “His sense of humor was unmatched, and he was one of the rare individuals that always brought light and joy to everyone he crossed paths with. “He made a tremendous impact on our lives and will leave an even larger hole in our hearts, but we find comfort in knowing that he passed doing what he loved most – flying.” He is survived by his wonderful wife, Becca and their precious infant baby girl

see CRASH page 28

Annual Chili Cook-off will be spicing up the weekend BY GERI KOEPPEL Special to the AFN

ove over, pumpkin lattes: A different kind of spice flavor will take center stage this month at the 17th annual Ahwatukee Chili Cook-off and Carnival Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 23-24, at Ahwatukee Park. About 800 to 1,000 attendees are expected, and it’ll feature about 20 to 25 chili booths with cooks competing and offering samples. Tasting tokens are $6 for seven, so you might want to get two tasting kits or share with a friend. The carnival will include rides, a kids zone, live bands both days, beer and wine sales, and other food vendors and will be held rain or shine. Carnival hours are 5-9 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday; the chili tasting runs from 11:30

The annual Ahwatukee Chili Cook-Off and Carnival draws cooks from around the west who look for a chance to win and qualify for the international contest to determine the world’s best chili. (AFN file photo) a.m.-3:30 p.m. Saturday and 10:30 a.m.2:30 p.m. Sunday. Admission and parking

are free. Officially called the Copper State Re-

gional Chili Cook-off (Saturday) and Valley of the Sun Cook-off (Sunday), this is a sanctioned event of the International Chili Society (ICS). “The cooks will either compete in red chili, chili verde, homestyle chili or salsa,” said Susan Rasts, director of the Ahwatukee Community Swim, Tennis and Event Center at 4700 E. Warner Road. “They can enter all of them, or some of them specialize in one type of chili.” All cooks also make a People’s Choice chili for the public to sample and vote on. It doesn’t have to adhere to the same rules for sanctioned categories of the ICS, which have certain requirements and no-nos. For example, cooks can’t use beans in traditional red and green chili, and they must include meat. People’s Choice can include beans or other filler such as pasta,

see CHILI page 28

COMMUNITY

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | OCTOBER 20, 2021

Help sought for wreaths on veterans’ graves AFN NEWS STAFF

he tradition started in 1992 in Maine when a family that owned a tree farm had a surplus of Christmas wreaths and donated the extras to the Arlington National Cemetery to put on its graves. And over the years, that thoughtful act blossomed into a nationwide movement in which anyone can honor deceased veterans by contributing to local organizations that place wreaths on their graves. This year, the Exchange Club of Chandler and its counterpart in Ahwatukee are working with Valley of the Sun Mortuary and Cemetery in Chandler for the sixth annual Chandler Wreaths Across America Day event on Dec. 18. Over time, the event has drawn other organizations, including Chandler Elks Lodge #2429 and the Ahwatukee-based Exchange Club of Phoenix. Their goal is to raise enough money to place wreaths on approximately 2,800 veterans’ graves at Valley of the Sun Cemetery. Last year, approximately 1,800 wreaths

CRASH from page 27

Aubrey, who will grow up having never known her father and how much he loved her. She was only two weeks shy of her first birthday. Becca Papendick, who declined to be interviewed for this story, said she still doesn’t know what happened but was told “he and Jess were about to land” when the accident occurred. Both victims were part of the Dodge City, Kansas Community College DC3 Flight Instructor Program, which operates out of Chandler Airport. The Federal Aviation Administration released a statement after the incident that said the single-engine Piper PA-28 and a Robinson R22 helicopter “collided in the vicinity of Chandler Municipal Airport” and that “the helicopter crashed near the airport and the airplane landed safely on the runway with damaged landing gear.” The National Transportation Safety Board is in charge of the investigation and it is unknown when it might have a preliminary report on the mishap. ■

Last year, donations supported placing wreaths on 1,800 of the 2,800 veterans’ graves at Valley of the Sun Mortuary and Cemetery in Chandler. (Courtesy of Mark Whitaker) were sponsored and organizer Mark Whitaker said, “We will need help from the community to achieve the goal of sponsoring 2,800 wreaths.” According to the U.S. Department of Defense, the Maine family that started this tradition got an eager reception to their

CHILI from page 27

and it can be vegetarian. Entries will run the gamut from a little to a lot of spice, Rast said. “You’ll have some that are real spicy, but again, it’s so subjective,” she added. “What’s spicy to me might not be spicy to you. I’m a wimp. I can’t take a whole lot of spicy foods.” Rast continued: “Most of the time, People’s Choice, the cooks don’t try to make it like steam’s going to come out of your ears.” If you’re concerned, she noted, ask the cook. If contestants have competition chili left over after the judging, they bring it out for the attendees. All ICS events raise money for nonprofits; these will benefit Kiwanis Club of Ahwatukee and Ahwatukee Little League. The title sponsor for the cook-off and carnival this year is Spiced Bros, a locally

proposal. “Several volunteers stepped up to help, including veterans from American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars posts and a truck company owner who transported the wreaths to Arlington, Virginia, where a small ceremony was held at the cemetery’s Tomb of the Unknown Soldier,” according to department. This remained a small yearly tradition for nearly 15 years until a photo taken at the 2005 ceremony went viral. “Almost immediately, thousands of people wanted to know how to help or how they could begin a similar tradition in their states,” the Defense Department said. By 2008, it had become a traditional at dozens of cemeteries across the country and has continued to grow, with more than 2.2 million graves across the country now decorated with a wreath at more than 2,100 cemeteries. Chandler’s annual event consists of laying out the wreaths and a memorial ceremony. Volunteers will begin gathering around 8 a.m. for light refreshments and the laying of the wreaths will begin at 9 a.m., Whitaker said.

based producer of prepared foods including hot sauces and guacamole. Co-founder Peter Jurado of Ahwatukee said they’ll offer tastes of three types of hot sauce: Sriracha-style made with jalapeños, salsa verde with roasted jalapeños, and spicy barbecue. They’ll be paired with quesadillas and wings. “The hottest one is the salsa verde; the sriracha is classic,” Jurado said. “They’re spicy.” The sauces are $6 for a 16-ounce bottle and will be sold on site; they’re also available online at SpicedBros.com. The guacamole won’t be featured at the cook-off, but Jurado said to keep an eye out for it at local grocers. He spent two years perfecting the recipe using chiltepin peppers, and they make it in Michoacán in west central Mexico, where 92 percent of that country’s avocados are grown. The last time the Chili Cook-off and Carnival was held was March 7-8, 2020.

“Each wreath symbolizes the commitment to remember and honor our nation’s veterans and teach our children about freedom and the sacrifice required to maintain our freedom,” Whitaker said. There will be an educational activity for children to help them learn about veterans. “As wreaths are laid, we ask that the volunteers respectfully remember the veteran by saying the veteran’s name aloud,” Whitaker said. The formal ceremony will start at 10 a.m. and will be streamed on Facebook Live on the Valley of the Sun Cemetery, Chandler Elks, and the Exchange Clubs of Chandler and Phoenix Facebook pages. Valley of the Sun Mortuary and Cemetery has been serving Chandler and the East Valley since 1963. Between now and Nov. 30, people can sponsor a wreath for $15. They can also sponsor a family pack of four wreaths for $60. Small business sponsorships of $150 support 10 wreaths. To help: wreathsacrossamerica.org/ AZ0144P. ■

Ahwatukee Chili Cook-off and Carnival What: A chili and salsa competition and tasting along with carnival rides, kids zone, live bands, beer and wine, and additional food vendors. Held rain or shine. Where: Ahwatukee Park, 4700 E. Warner Road, Phoenix. When: Carnival, 5-9 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday; chili tasting, 11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Saturday, 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Sunday. Information: 480-893-3431; accinfo@ ahwatukeehoa.com

“We usually have it in March,” Rast said, “but the vaccine had just come out (this year), so we thought it’d be safer to push it back.” ■

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OCTOBER 20, 2021 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS

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Prepare now for Ahwatukee’s annual Walk to End Alzheimer’s

It’s time to get ready for the annual Walk to End Alzheimers co-sponsored by the Ahwatukee Foothills Chamber of Commerce and Visiting Angels Owners Joe and Holly Miller at 7:30 a.m. Nov. 6, which parallels a similar event in downtown Phoenix the same day. More than six million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s and Arizona is the fastest growing state for the disease. A few Phoenix Rising players will be in attendance for the walk, which starts at Visiting Angels S. Phoenix/Ahwatukee Foothills, 16815 S. Desert Foothills Pkwy. #123. Sign up at Phoenix. AZ. 85048. More information and Sign-up: act.alz. org/goto/PHXVisitingAngels.

Cactus Jack’s to hold annual Halloween dance next week

Cactus Jacks in the Safeway Plaza on the southwest corner of 48th Street and Elliot Road is hosting its annual at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 2 7. There will be line dancing lessons and open dancing as well as treats and raffles. Attendees are encouraged to wear costumes. There is a $5 cover at the door. Information: Carrie and at dancemeetsfitness.net.

Desert Point Garden Club schedules monthly meeting

Desert Point Garden Club members invites prospective members to join their meeting at 1 p.m. Nov. 1 at the Ahwatukee Recreation Center, 5001 E. Cheyenne Drive. The speaker will be veteran Arizona gardener Leta Searcy,

who will discuss the challenges and rewards of vegetable gardening in the Valley. The club will also host a topicrelated field trip later in the month. Info: 480-759-4407 or visit Desert Pointe Garden Club – Arizona Federation of Garden Clubs (azgar-denclubs.com).

Mountain Pointe thespians ready to scare up some fun

A tradition at Mountain Pointe High School that got interrupted by the pandemic last year is back, better than ever. “Hell House,” the Mountain Pointe Theatre Company’s Halloween gift to the community will be offered 6-9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Oct. 22-23 and Oct. 29-30 at the school, 4201 E. Knox Road, Ahwatukee. Admission is $10 for adults and $7 for students. The students’ scare-a-thon is particularly noteworthy this year because it’s the only haunted house in Ahwatukee, as the Ahwatukee Swim, Tennis and Event Center has terminated its weekend-long Halloween hayride and festival, stating it was becoming too much of a hassle to organize and find volunteers. One of the highpoints of the Mountain Pointe show is the trip up to the catwalk, where they learn the story of Eldridge, the ghost that purportedly haunts the auditorium. Said to be the spirit of a construction worker who died when Mountain Pointe High was being built, the ghost has become such an urban legend that seat E-13 is taped off during any production.

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.

Saturday. 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 have achieved 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.

Women’s social club in Ahwatukee holding fashion show Saturday

Ahwatukee Women’s Social Club is a casual group driven by Facebook only. It accepts members who live in 85044, 85045 and 85048. The 780-member group will hold its popular fashion show noon-3 p.m. Oct. 23 at the Tuk Urban Café, 15815 S. 50th St., Ahwatukee. Tickets are at eventbrite.com and can be found searching by the club’s name. Proceeds benefit The Armer Foundation of Ahwatukee, a nonprofit that financially assists critically ill children and

families. Committee members can be reached by contacting Carrie Scales Chipman 602-885-1431 or Jean Moore 480-7061200. Monthly events include bunco, coffee groups, book club, and happy hours. To learn more and join, go to facebook.com and search “Ahwatukee Women’s Social Club.”

Tempe gives arts awards to eight Kyrene teachers

The City of Tempe has given arts grants to eight Kyrene teachers for projects at four Kyrene schools. The grants will help Kyrene del Norte music teacher R. Scott Harnisch put on a winter musical production and Kyrene de la Mariposa music teacher Angie Marshall purchase ukuleles. C.I. Waggoner art teacher Brooke Warwick will use hers to buy supplies for art classes and clubs and music teacher JulieAnne Weissberg to get additional instruments for the Waggoner Orff music program. Kyrene Middle School chorus teacher Hannah Kimball will be able to hire a professional accompanist for student concerts while KMS orchestra teacher Julio Contreras is adding accordions to his popular mariachi program. KMS art teachers Kimberly Schneider and Chiu-Chu Ting collaborated on their grant submissions and will each use the funds to pay for art supplies for classes and clubs. Information: kyrene.org/finearts.

Last Concerts in the Park of the season is this Sunday

Concerts in the Park winds up its fall run 5-8 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 24, at Desert Foothills Park, 1010 E Marketplace SE. The free concert will feature the Classic Example Band. ■

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Ahwatukee weight loss clinic owners author book AFN NEWS STAFF

o one knows how many people are confronting the unintended consequence of trying to stay safe amid the pandemic by staying home. But Ahwatukee resident Dan LeMoine believes it’s a lot, pointing to a recent Harris Poll survey that found 61 percent of the adults in the country reported fluctuating weight in the past year. Of those who reported gaining weight, Harris said, their scale tipped by an extra 29 pounds. LeMoine is no stranger to helping people like that. Since 2017, he and his business partner, Dr. Noel Abood of Queen Creek, have been helping people shed pounds at their Ahwatukee clinic, re:vitalize weight loss & wellness center at 15905 S. 46th St. Now LeMoine and Abood have written a book that incorporates the fundamental principles that have helped re:vitalize’s clients shed unwanted pounds and keep them off.

Dan LeMoine, left, and Dr. Noel Abood, who own the re:vitalize weight loss and wellness center in Ahwatukee, have co-authored a book that incorporates the principles of their successful clinic. (AFN file photo) Though the two men started writing “Fear No Food: The Last Weight Loss Program You’ll Ever Need” before COVID-19 grabbed the nation by the throat, LeMoine says it hit bookstores and amazon.com at the right time when it was published ear-

lier this month. “We wanted to continue to scale our impact and the life change we’re seeing in our clinics,” LeMoine told AFN. “We felt like a book is a great starting point for folks who might not be at a place where

they’re ready to jump fully into our program just yet, or who want to find out more about our approach and lose a few pounds in the process. “The book outlines the foundational pillars we’ve built the re:vitalize program on, it inspires people to take action and do something through the use of inspirational real life stories and easy-to-implement habits, and provides scientifically proven advice on things like inflammation, detoxification, the metabolism and weight loss.” The authors say the book “addresses the complex reasons otherwise hardworking and disciplined people struggle losing weight and keeping it off,” diving into internal biochemistry, the metabolism, inﬂammation and psychology and their effects on weight loss and what you can do about it.” Both men speak from personal experience that has deepened with the development of their business.

see LEMOINE page 33

Global café-bakery picks Chandler for 1st state foray AFN NEWS STAFF

café-bakery chain with more than 1,000 locations worldwide has picked Chandler for its first foray into Arizona. After eyeing the market for the past year, 85° C Bakery & Café has selected the growing Chandler Ranch at 1920 W. Chandler Blvd. near Dobson Road with the help of NewQuest Properties. A NewQuest spokesperson said the café signed a long-term lease for 3,555 sf in Chandler Ranch “after witnessing firsthand the strong attendance at 99 Ranch Market’s recent grand opening.” “85° C Bakery & Café knows the type of redevelopment we’re doing. The 99 Ranch opening was a shining example of the high demand in the Chandler market,” said Naoyuki Kondo, an associate with New-

Quest Properties’ Asia-Pacific Retail team. The sweet shop will open in spring 2022. Another NewQuest tenant in Texas, Somisomi Soft Serve & Taiyaki, also has jumped on board at Chandler Ranch. It will open in early 2022, backfilling 1,470 square feet previously occupied by Tao Healing. NewQuest’s Asia-Pacific Retail team is focused on assembling a destination mix of Asian, Mexican, Mediterranean and American restaurants and eclectic shopping experiences. Other businesses opening by year’s end include Kura Revolving Sushi Bar, Uncle Lee’s Kitchen, Meet Fresh and Ramen Hood. “These are new-to-market brands, in many cases, that are well-known to people who’ve relocated or are visiting from

see BAKERY page 33

85° C Bakery & Café is bringing its world famous operation to Chandler early next year. (Special to AFN)

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OCTOBER 20, 2021 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS

Pandemic has unleashed a legion of scammers BY ANGELICA BAEZA AFN Guest Writer

he pandemic has sparked a new chain of financial fraud activity, and Americans have lost more than $530 million from COVID-related scams. Arizonans alone have reported more than 12,000 fraud cases and have lost more than $11 million. Types of recent scams range from fraudulent government checks related to the Coronavirus stimulus, to cryptocurrency scams, travel scams, and phone call-based identity scams. Corporate check scams have become increasingly more frequent. Individuals receive payment for a new job, an overpayment for something sold online, or prize money. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the government issued checks to many

LEMOINE from page 32

For Abood, it was a heart attack at age 49 more than a decade ago. “I had battled weight issues most of my adult life and know many others share in this battle,” he said. “A common misconception is that if overweight people just ate less and exercised more they will lose weight. This is simply not true. “With our program, and now this book, we’ve set out to demystify and remove the guesswork on how to begin ﬁxing your metabolism and lose weight once and for all.” LeMoine said he has “always been very

BAKERY from page 32

California and Texas,” Kondo said. Heather Nguyen, development partner of the specialized group, is partnering with Kondo on Chandler Ranch’s leasing. They have been targeting new-to-market internationally recognized brands for the 117,565-square-foot redevelopment. “Chandler Ranch, like our centers in Dallas and Houston, lets consumers ex-

individuals. This occurrence presented a new opportunity for scammers to mislead people. The goal of the defrauder is to convince the recipient to deposit the fraudulent check and later send some of the money back. How to protect yourself: If you are suspicious about a check, ask yourself, did you expect it? Did you receive specific instructions on how to deposit it? Were you asked to return the money using a money order, gift card, or wire transfer? These are all signs of suspicious activity, and the check should be destroyed. If it looks like a government-issued COVID-19 related check, check the IRS website to verify its authenticity. Identity theft is another popular way to con someone. The objective of this type of fraud is to steal directly from an individual’s bank account, access their

dialed into health and nutrition from my past as a high school and collegiate athlete and seeing close family members struggle with their weight for most of my life.” LeMoine, who holds two board certifications in holistic nutrition, calls “Fear No Food” “a roadmap of proven methods for the reader to begin understanding their body and food, and begin losing weight and restoring health.” “Our target reader is the person who suspects their metabolism has slowed and the typical cookie cutter approaches to weight loss are no longer effective,” he said. “They want to learn about food, their metabolism and how to fix it and lose

plore and experience the best of the best of international cuisines,” Nguyen said. “In the near future, we’re hoping we’ll have leases in hand with several new-toArizona retailers as well.” “Chandler boasts the largest Asian population in Arizona, making it a natural fit demographically for Houston-based NewQuest’s innovative development/redevelopment concept,” she added. 85° C Bakery & Café opened its first

credit cards, apply for mortgages or act in another fraudulent way using someone else’s identity. If you feel that you are a victim of identity theft, there are several resources available to assist you. Identitytheft. gov and idtheftcenter.org are two reliable websites that can provide information on a personalized recovery plan as well as other valuable information. In general, being aware of suspicious activity, checking bank and credit card accounts regularly, and knowing what to look for is crucial to protecting your finances, credit cards, and overall identity. A few recommendations and best practices for avoiding scams include: Never share personal or financial information via email, text message, or over the phone. Regularly update your passwords and make them strong using unique symbols

weight without having to restrict themselves from fun foods like pizza or bread forever. Too many diets are so effective while you’re restricting yourself, but the moment it seems you daydream about a carb you gain the weight back. “Our book – and our program – aim to fix this to help people keep the weight off and live normal lives. And while the book contains the information re:vitalize’s clients get, it doesn’t have at least one thing the authors’ clinics offer: “the full customization aspect using our unique bioscan technology.” “So this book is really for the person who has not become a member – yet,” he said.

store in the U.S. in 2008 in Irvine, Calif. Today, it has 67 shops in five states. According to the cafe’s website, founder Cheng-Hsueh Wu visited a cafe in a fivestar hotel and “realized that the prices were set way too high for people to enjoy on a whim.” He decided to open “a cafe that provides premium coffee, bread, and cake at affordable prices” and his business has been featured in numerous major TV

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and words. Keep computer programs updated. Be cautious when online shopping. It is best to use a credit card versus a debit card when making online purchases and only shop at a company’s site directly. Avoid clicking on links that may have been manipulated. Be cautious when giving to online charities, and beware of imposter calls such as people posing to be grandchildren or other family members. While some of these things seem like common knowledge, people still get fooled and taken advantage of. Having this information top-of-mind helps. If in doubt, seek advice from a trusted financial institution or advisor. Angelica Baeza is manager of digital marketing for TruWest Credit Union in Tempe. Information: truwest.org. ■

Small wonder why the pandemic hasn’t had much of an adverse impact on their business. “We continued to grow throughout the pandemic and the demand is unprecedented since we’ve started returning to normal this year,” LeMoine said. “Now, more than ever, people are wanting to take control of their health and are realizing the implications of being overweight — particularly with COVID comorbidity.” “Fear No Food” is available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Information: fearnofood.com and revitalizeweightloss. com ■

shows and magazines. “The name 85ºC comes from the idea that the perfect brewing temperature for espresso coffee is 85º Celsius,” it adds. “Each cup of coffee is individually brewed with Guatemalan coffee beans for a smooth, rich taste. … Each store features an in-shop bakery with over 50 varieties of pastries baked fresh hourly. Our gourmet cakes are uniquely crafted by our award-winning master chefs.”

SEND YOUR BUSINESS NEWS TO PMARYNIAK@ TIMESPUBLICATIONS.COM

BUSINESS

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | OCTOBER 20, 2021

Plan now for your caregiver needs later BY JOSEPH ORTIZ AFN Guest Writer

nce you’re retired and your children are grown, they are likely “off the books,” as far as your financial responsibility for them is concerned. Yet, you’re probably still prepared to do anything to help them – but are they ready to take care of you if the need arises? Almost half of retirees say that the ideal role in retirement is providing support to family and other loved ones, according to the Edward Jones/Age Wave study titled Four Pillars of the New Retirement: What a Difference a Year Makes. A slightly earlier version of the same study found that 72 percent of retirees say one of their biggest fears is becoming a burden on their family members. So, if you are recently retired or plan

to retire in the next few years, you may need to reconcile your desire to help your adult children or other close relatives with your concern that you could become dependent on them. You’ll need to consider whether your loved ones can handle caregiving responsibilities, which frequently include financial assistance. If they did have to provide some caregiving services for you, could they afford it? About 80 percent of caregivers now pay for some caregiving costs out of their own pockets – and one in five caregivers experience significant financial strain because of caregiving, according to a recent AARP report. One way to help your family members is to protect yourself from the enormous expense of long-term care. The average cost for a private room in a nursing home is now over $100,000 a year, according to the insurance company Genworth. Medicare won’t pay much,

if any, of these costs, so you may want to consult with a financial advisor, who can suggest possible ways of addressing long-term care expenses. Even if you don’t require a long stay in a nursing home, you still might need some assistance in the future, especially if your health or mental capacities decline. So, start talking to your loved ones about their possible roles if you should ever need caregiving. You may want to create a caregiving arrangement that specifies payment for caregiving services and outlines the expenses to be reimbursed if paid out of pocket by a caregiver. Also, you may want to create the appropriate legal documents, such as a durable power of attorney for health care, which enables someone to make medical decisions on your behalf should you become incapacitated, and a durable power of attorney for finances, which

allows you to name someone to make your financial decisions if you become unable to do so yourself. A legal professional can help you make these arrangements and incorporate them into your overall estate plan. A financial advisor can suggest ways of preparing for the costs involved with caregiving and can direct you to relevant resources, such as social services provided by your city or county. Clearly, there’s much you can do to help shield your family from the financial strain of caregiving. But you are not alone: By drawing on other resources and outside help, you can ease the burden on your loved ones. And everyone will feel more secure when you have your arrangements in place. Joseph Ortiz is a financial planner for Edward Jones. Reach him at 480753-7664 or joseph.ortiz@edwardjones.com. ■

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Kyrene school override fills critical needs BY THE KEEP KYRENE STRONG PAC

oters in the Kyrene School District will have the opportunity to continue the existing Maintenance and Operations (M & O) budget override this coming November, with no tax rate increase. M & O Override dollars represent approximately $13.8 million in the District’s current budget. These critical dollars are used to reduce class sizes by funding the equivalent of 200 additional teacher positions, to fund special area instruction in art, music foreign language, and PE, and to provide student support services such as counselors, psychologists, occupational and physical therapy, academic and behavior support, speech, vision and hearing services. In 2017, voters approved continuation of the override by a vote of 63 percent to 37 percent. This existing budget override expires in 2024, however, if not renewed, the funding is incrementally reduced starting in 2023.

Kyrene’s budget, like other districts across Arizona and the United States, has been significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Federal relief dollars are intended for very specific use, and are limited in their availability, that is, those dollars cannot be counted upon in future years to fund key academic services. In spite of budget challenges, Kyrene continues to rank as one of the highest in the state for directing funds to the classroom, (75.1 percent according to the FY20 Auditor General’s Classroom Spending Report), and consistently outperforms peer districts. In administrative costs, Kyrene is consistently among the lowest in administrative costs per pupil in the state. “Kyrene has been providing excellence in education for more than a century, and excellence can only be achieved through the support of the entire community. Override dollars help Kyrene retain the very best educators, offer a wide variety of programming, and provide the support services that sustain our District’s reputa-

tion for excellence,” said Kyrene Superintendent, Laura Toenjes. Kyrene voters have demonstrated that they value quality education as critical to economic development and in maintaining high property values. Local real estate agents report that many families move to Kyrene because of the District’s reputation as a high-performing district. This override campaign has already received endorsements from Tempe and Chandler Mayors Corey Woods and Kevin Hartke; all three legislators from LD18 – Sen. Sean Bowie, Rep. Mitzi Epstein, and Rep. Jennifer Jermaine; Congressman Greg Stanton and former Kyrene Superintendent, Dr. Ben Furlong. Kyrene parents Triné Nelson and Ivan Alfaro are co-chairs for the Keep Kyrene Strong political action committee that has supported bond and override elections for the past two elections. Nelson stated, “Strong community support is a key driver in the success of the Kyrene School District. I know that ensur-

ing we maintain quality educators and critical support services is something we can all support.” Kyrene is one of the few districts on the ballot this election cycle. Tempe Elementary and Tempe Union High School District don’t have override or bond measures on the ballot, and voters in Chandler Unified’s boundaries have a continuation of their M & O budget override on the ballot. The election will be an all “mail-in” ballot election, and information for returning ballots can be found at recorder.maricopa.gov. Information and updates about the override can be found by following Keep Kyrene Strong on Facebook at facebook. com/KeepKyreneStrong ■

bocalls cost Americans $3 billion annually in wasted time and another $10 billion annually in fraud. Illegal robocallers will pretty much do anything to get you to pick up or return the call. However, robocall scammers can’t scam if they don’t talk to you. Here are 10 tips to reduce robocalls and protect yourself from scams: • Register your phone number to block unwanted calls via the federal Do Not Call list at www.donotcall.gov or by calling 1-888-382-1222. • Don’t be fooled by what the caller ID says. Scammers can still spoof numbers to look like it’s a local call or coming from a known business. • If you do pick up the phone and realize it’s an illegal robocall, hang up. Pressing any button confirms a live person was reached and you are likely to receive more robocalls.

• Don’t be tricked if a caller knows your name, address, family members’ names or your Social Security number. Half of the U.S. adult population had personal information exposed in the Equifax data breach. • Never confirm or provide personal information – not even your name -- to any caller you weren’t expecting. If you think the call could be legitimate, call the company back at a number you independently look up. • Don’t provide your full name on your outbound voicemail message. Avoid giving a scammer more information than they may already have. • Call someone you know and trust before you act if you get a call that you’re supposedly a victim of fraud, behind on taxes, or your grandchild is in jail. • Don’t pay bills with gift cards. No legitimate operation accepts gift cards to

pay for a financial obligation. • Report illegal robocalls at donotcall. gov or by calling the Federal Trade Commission at 1-877-FTC-HELP. • Check out arizonapirgedfund.org/ blogs/blog/usp/18-tips-reduce-robocalls-and-protect-yourself-scams Robocalls will decline significantly when more phone companies block illegal calls and more consumers don’t answer calls identified as unverified or potential spam. Learn more by reading the Arizona PIRG Education Fund’s recent report “Make The Ringing Stop: The FCC Is Finally Fighting Back Against Robocalls.” Teresa Murray is the consumer watchdog for the Arizona PIRG Education Fund. The Arizona PIRG Education Fund conducts research and education on issues in the public interest. More information can be found at ArizonaPIRGEdFund.org. ■

Mail ballots soon

Registered voters in Kyrene School District are urged to send their override ballots in no later than next Tuesday, Oct. 26, to ensure that they are counted in the Nov. 2 election.

Fed up with robo calls? Here’s what to do BY TERESA MURRAY| AFN Guest Writer

y now, many of us have learned to glance at our phones before picking up to see whether we recognize the caller or whether it might be spam or a scam. And in case we forget to glance, recent federal legislation is now in effect to help stop illegal robocalls. The federal action requires phone providers to block calls from companies that fail to report what they’re doing to fight robocalls to the Federal Communications Commission. While scam robocalls have already declined by 37 percent since June, regulators need to move up the deadline for smaller companies who have an extension to upgrade their technology. In addition to being annoying, illegal ro-

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Pride finds silver lining in loss to Basha BY ZACH ALVIRA AFN Sports Editor

his year’s Mountain Pointe team has, like in the past, dealt with plenty of adversity already throughout the season. The Pride were without starting quarterback for two games Chris Arviso due to injury. Both of those ended in losses after starting the season 2-0 for the first time since 2016. But the team managed to right the ship with big wins over Buena and Cesar Chavez. Then came a Basha team that many believe to be a shoe-in for the Open Division playoffs as one of the top five seeds. While Mountain Pointe’s 48-21 loss to the Bears last Thursday appears lopsided on the scoreboard, there were plenty of positive takeaways. Pride head coach Eric Lauer made that clear to his team in the postgame huddle. “Not to take anything away from Basha,

Mountain Pointe quarterback Chris Arviso (12) and running back Jay’len Rushing (33) helped lead the Pride offense against a Basha defense that figures to be one of the best in the state last Thursday. (Dave Minton/AFN Staff) that’s a great team, but we shot ourselves capture the moments where we played rein the foot,” Lauer said. “We want them to ally well tonight.”

Mountain Pointe’s first offensive drive against Basha was arguably its best of the season against a defense that may very well rank among the best in the state and nation give the amount of talent. The Pride went immediately to the run with bruising backs Amire Williams and Jay’len Rushing. Both over 200 pounds, they punished would-be tacklers on the way down the field. When Mountain Pointe went to the air, Arviso sliced and diced Basha’s talented secondary. The 80-yard drive shaved nearly 3 minutes off the clock and ended with a 9-yard touchdown run from Rushing. It caught the Bears off guard and was a blatant sign that this year’s Mountain Pointe team was vastly improved from year’s past. “That offensive line … that team is much improved,” Basha coach Chris McDonald said. “Coach Lauer has them getting back

see PRIDE page 39

Desert Vista loses big to one of Arizona’s best in Hamilton BY JAKE HEDEBY AFN Staff Writer

esert Vista came into Friday’s matchup against Hamilton on a two-game skid, and it was certain they would need to put together one of the best performances of the year to leave victorious. The Huskies are undefeated and seem like a lock to make the Open Division playoff. The Thunder knew what they would have to do against a high-powered Hamilton team in order to have a chance at an upset. Unfortunately, it didn’t go their way as Hamilton routed the Thunder 63-17. Senior quarterback Nicco Marchiol and fellow senior wide receiver Christian Anaya did most of the heavy work for Hamilton on the night. After a first drive fumble that resulted in Noah Perez giving the Thunder a 3-0 lead, it was all Huskies. Immediately following, Marchiol drove

the offense down the field and found the end zone, running it in himself. From then on, the passing attack was lethal to the Thunder defense, unable to stop it for most of the game. After getting the ball back just two minutes after their first score, Anaya scored his first touchdown of the evening on a jet sweep. A play call used often by head coach Mike Zdebski. When asked about the game plan, Zdebski pointed to his offensive coordinator who described it as “taking what the defense gives us.” The offensive line controlled the line of scrimmage, and Marchiol took care of the rest. Coming up with big plays when the pocket collapsed or running the ball himself, he is always a threat. “He gets us out of jams pretty well, that’s

see THUNDER page 40

Desert Vista senior quarterback Xavier Castillo made his season debut against Hamilton last Friday after sitting five games due to the AIA transfer rules. (Andy Silvas/AFN Contributor)

SPORTS

OCTOBER 20, 2021 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS

Ahwatukee swimmer shines at Senior Olympics BY ZACH ALVIRA AFN Sports Editor

teve Hammond’s journey to becoming a competitive swimmer is vastly different from the status quo. Growing up in Ohio, he found a love for it while swimming in Lake Erie. He would join his brothers in the lake often, but never thought of it as something he would be able to do in a competitive setting. His lust for the sport continued as he grew older and made his way through high school and college. It wasn’t until he took his first professional job in Cleveland that he joined a local YMCA and the U.S. Masters swim team, which held local competitions. He learned different strokes and competed with the team but put swimming to the side when he and his wife, Kathleen, began raising their children in his 30s. About 25 years later he returned to the sport. In 2019 when he retired and moved to Ahwatukee, he took it a step further. “I swam a lot right out of college then

PRIDE from page 38

to that physical style of play.” The first drive gave Mountain Pointe the confidence it needed against a team of Basha’s caliber. But it quickly – about 10 seconds to be exact – faded. On the ensuing kick, star defensive back and one of the most electrifying return specialists in the state Cole Martin returned it 98 yards for a Basha touchdown. Momentum quickly swung in favor of Basha, and the Bears took advantage. After forcing two consecutive Mountain Pointe punts, Basha sophomore quarterback Demond Williams went to work. He led the Bears down a short field which set up junior running back Deshaun Buchanan for a 7-yard touchdown. It was the first of two scores on the night for Buchanan, with the second coming early in the second quarter to make it a two-score game. He finished the night with 14 carries for 71 yards. It wasn’t, in his opinion, his best performance. But it set up the offense on several occasions for scores, especially in the second half when Basha went back to its style of play. “They came out and just ran, ran, ran,” Buchanan said. “We cleaned up a lot of

Steve Hammond, a 64-year-old Ahwatukee resident, recently competed in and won two gold medals in swimming at the Huntsman World Senior Games in St. George, Utah. (Courtesy Steve Hammond)

took that hiatus and got back into it pretty seriously,” Hammond said. “In the last 10

or 15 years, I’ve competed in state competitions, mostly in Ohio, and a couple out here in Arizona since moving out here. If you finish in the top three in your event at the state level, you can compete at the national level. I’ve been able to compete in nationals five times and the best outing I’ve had was a third-place finish in the breaststroke.” The 64-year-old recently competed at the Huntsman World Senior Games in St. George, Utah. It was there in an official Senior Olympic setting that he shined. Hammond won gold in the 400-meter Individual Medley for his age group. He also took first in 200-meter Butterfly. He also won silver medals in the 200 breaststroke and backstroke, and bronze in the 200 and 400 freestyle. Hammond has competed in numerous state-level events through U.S. Masters, a swimming organization in Arizona. This was his first time competing at the Huntsman Games, where several thousand athletes competed. What makes Hammond’s accomplish-

fundamentals. Offensively, we just fixed the small things that we were beating ourselves on. As long as we don’t do that and just play our game, we can beat anybody.” After a 20-yard strike from Mountain Pointe running back Amire Williams led the Pride in rushing with 114 Williams to yards on 17 carries. (Dave Minton/AFN Staff) Dorae Scott before the half to make a three-posses- with 17 carries for 114 yards. “We can just do so many things,” Rushsion game, Arviso drove the Pride down the field for the first time since the start ing said. “Amire can beat up on defenses of the game. He found wideout Isaiah Ice- and make long runs. Devon can catch the Robinson for a 27-yard gain to the Basha ball out of the backfield and make long one-yard line. That set up Rushing’s sec- runs. Me, I can punish defenses. We are special and that’s what makes us one of ond touchdown before the half. While he only had 33 yards on the night, the best backfields, I think.” Basha quickly put the game out of reach Rushing, Williams and Sparks combined for well-over 100 total. Williams, who had in the second half. A 5-yard run by Willead back responsibilities, led the team liams capped off Basha’s first drive of the

ments in the pool special is how he was able to do it. He didn’t start swimming competitively until he was already in his 30s. Most swimmers at that caliber start from a young age on a competitive club team. He credited his ability to be active and successful to his training regimens at the local Ahwatukee YMCA and Unify, a local destination that focuses on whole-body strength, conditioning and balance. Both Hammond and Kathleen, who is an avid hiker, workout at Unify. Hammond said he also believes switching to a Whole Foods plant-based diet has helped him recover at a faster rate than before. When the two retired in Ahwatukee in 2019, they began their new lifestyle and have reaped the benefits since. “We don’t eat any processed foods,” Hammond said. “Our health has improved, my ability to recover is so much faster now than I would say in the last 15 years. It’s really contributed to helping me push

see SWIMMER page 40

second half. On their next possession, Williams connected with sophomore Miles Lockhart for a 15-yard touchdown. The final score of the game for Basha came on an 18-yard touchdown pass from Williams to senior wideout Logan Fuller. Mountain Pointe coach Eric Lauer felt his team never was truly out of the game. Penalties dropped passes and defensive miscommunications plagued the Pride throughout the night. They did, however, manage to pull off some trickery late in the third when Arviso pitched it to Amier Boyd who then found wideout Jordan Huff 44 yards down field for the touchdown. Arviso finished 19 of 33 for 154 yards. He and the running backs have been widely responsible for Mountain Pointe’s ranking as one of the best offenses in 6A for yards this season. Mountain Pointe, now 4-3, will play next against Mountain View. Lauer figures one to two more wins on the year will secure the Pride’s spot in the 6A playoffs. “We want them to capture the moments where we played really well tonight,” Mountain Pointe coach Eric Lauer said. “We continued to get better tonight, even after a loss. We’ve got some tough games but shoot, we are pretty tough, too.” ■

SPORTS

THUNDER from page 38

just him being an athletic kid, that’s why he is a power-five kid going off to West Virginia,” said Zdebski. Junior Gavin Chavez was a bright spot on defense for the Thunder, making big plays when given the opportunity – which were far and few between with the execution by Hamilton’s quarterback. “He’s legit, he can make any throw, deep balls on the run, and can use his feet. I have a lot of respect for him,” said Chavez. Anaya, the other factor to Hamilton’s success, had 71 receiving yards with three

SWIMMER from page 39

harder every day.” While Kathleen doesn’t swim Hammond said she is his biggest supporter. There isn’t a day that goes by she isn’t training by his side or at the YMCA with him working out herself. They are their biggest motivators in everything they do, and he said he

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | OCTOBER 20, 2021

touchdowns. Marchiol also found running backs in the passing game for scores. A 49-yard screen pass to Breylon Blount, who also took a 23-yard pass play to the house. And finally, Nick Switzer took a pass into the endzone from 11 yards out. Switzer would make his own mark on the final score, as he also put up more than 100 all-purpose yards, with one rush breaking open for an 81-yard touchdown. Desert Vista has shown the ability to put up points but coming into Friday’s game with a slew of injuries made it tough. With their top two weapons on offense missing in Devon Grubbs and Me-

appreciates her for that. Hammond’s success is something he never imagined would happen when he began swimming competitively. But he also never imagined he would end up being a part-time model on the side. That started when Kathleen had him fill out a casting form at Chandler Fashion Center when the two first moved to the Valley.

khi Hibbler, it forced head coach Ty Wisdom to put players in a place where they could help when needed. “You got to have guys step up with injuries, and I thought some guys did some good stuff in the first half, but we just didn’t maintain any consistency,” Wisdom said. The Thunder were able to get a few explosive plays to connect with Xavier Castillo making his first start. In the second half, the senior connected on an 87-yard touchdown on the final drive of the game. There only other score was a 15-yard touchdown run by Christian Clark, who got a lot of touches in place of Grubbs.

He’s now had over two dozen modeling gigs. “Once I got into this, I really liked it,” Hammond said. “It’s a fun retirement career where if they want me then I get it and if I don’t want it then I pass on it.” Hammond now has his sights set on competing at nationals next year in Florida. Like he has all of the other competi-

“Right now, it’s mental errors, I don’t care who you are playing, the good teams will make you pay, and Hamilton did that tonight,” said Wisdom. One of the visuals on the field all night was Desert Vista losing the battle at the line of scrimmage. Getting pushed back on either side of the ball is a recipe for disaster. Chavez kept his answer short and sweet on how to fix that problem. “Be physical right back,” said Chavez. The Thunder return home next week to host Higley, where they’ll look to impose their physicality to attempt a comeback in the rankings. ■

tions, he plans to tackle it headfirst and compete to the best of his ability. “I can’t put into words how blessed I think I’ve been,” Hammond said. “The time I’ve put in and the medals I’ve won, it makes it all worthwhile. Those competitions are the next challenge that keeps me in the pool. “Competitions are what motivates me.” ■

Have an interesting sports story? Contact Zach Alvira at zalvira@timespublications.com and follow him on Twitter @ZachAlvira.

OCTOBER 20, 2021 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS

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Scottsdale woman levels the polo playing field BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI GetOut Editor

olo and horses have gifted Airpark resident Natalie Grancharov Camacho with the best things in life. Camacho met her husband, Andres, on the polo field, and she and her family bond over horses. “I love it,” Camacho said. “I met my husband playing polo. My sister plays polo. My husband’s family plays polo. For us, it’s a lifestyle. We have horses that are offthe-track racehorses who we rehabbed to teach polo.” She loves it for its physicality. Like football, hockey and soccer, polo is a contact sport, she said. “You get to bump a little bit. It is really fun. It’s a total adrenaline rush to full speed gallop on a horse. It’s hard to describe how fun it is,” Camacho said. Camacho has been with the Arizona Polo Club for 15 years and serves as the player coordinator for The Bentley Scott-

sdale Polo Championships: Presented by Talking Stick Resort set for Saturday, Oct. 23, at WestWorld of Scottsdale. Its 10th anniversary event will see polo star Nic Roldan suiting up for the Aspen Valley Club, owned by Marc and Melissa Ganzi. The club will face off against La Mariposa Argentina Polo Team, which is making its event debut. Among the additional teams scheduled to play in 2021 are Jet Set Women’s AllStar Polo Team, Bogota Polo Team, Arizona Polo Club, Grand Champions Polo Club and Wales Polo Team. Camacho admires the organizer, Jason Rose, for bringing the event to Scottsdale. “When you see clubs that put on a huge polo event and concert, Scottsdale did it first,” she explains. “He has some of the best polo players in the world, and the highest-rated female and male players. “There are a lot of other amazing things – opera, a senior ladies cheerleading

see POLO page 43

Natalie Grancharov Camacho has been with the Arizona Polo Club for 15 years and serves as the player coordinator for The Bentley Scottsdale Polo Championships: Presented by Talking Stick Resort set for Saturday, Oct. 23, at WestWorld of Scottsdale. (Facebook)

Cuban jazz star plays at Lakeshore Music’s new venue BY LEE SHAPPELL GetOut Guest Writer

F Havana-based jazz pianist and composer Harold López-Nussa captures that stirring sensation with an exhilarating marriage of jazz and Cuban pop music. (Special to GetOut)

or more than a half century, Cuba and the U.S. have performed an odd dance of politics, including a still-standing embargo. Nevertheless, their bond is deep and strong, expressed most forcefully through culture, especially music. Walk the streets of Havana on any day and you’ll hear the soul of Cuba: music pouring from private homes and bustling restaurants, windows rattling from the parties inside, nightclubs pulsing with throngs of people dancing. Havana-based jazz pianist and composer Harold López-Nussa captures that stirring sensation with an exhilarating marriage of jazz and Cuban pop music, defiantly standing up to the doubters who failed to share his radical vision.

The title track on his “Te Lo Dije” makes this point with playful braggadocio: Doubt if you will, scoff if you must, but LópezNussa will play his music, his way. And on Oct. 30, he will play it in Scottsdale. López-Nussa comes to Ravenscroft Hall, the beautiful new venue in exciting, culture-appreciative Scottsdale, to perform this special 7:30 p.m. cultural exchange concert for Lakeshore Music. A combustible blend of Afro-Cuban and modern jazz enlivens López-Nussa’s work, thrilling audiences from the iconic Montreux Jazz Festival on the shores of Lake Geneva, Switzerland, to the worldacclaimed Blue Note jazz club in New York City. Audiences from Cuba to Europe to North America, where he currently is on tour, embrace his capture of the pulse that

see LAKESHORE page 43

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OCTOBER 20, 2021 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS

Chance of lifetime to see Mesa Arizona Temple GETOUT STAFF

embers of the general public will not likely have another chance to see the interior of the

Mesa Arizona Temple in their lifetime – or possibly even their grandchildren may never once it is rededicated on Dec. 12. So between now and Nov. 20 – except on Sundays – people can tour Mesa’s signature

landmark, which has been closed since May 2018 for a major renovation. It’s the second since the temple was dedicated in 1927 and was extensive. The Mesa Arizona Temple is one of seven Church of Jesus

Christ of Latter-Day Saints temples in the state and Arizona’s first. Tour reservations: mesatemple.org/ open-house. Some of the tour stops are shown here. ■

2 1) This is one of several Instruction Rooms, where worshippers learn about God’s creation and the purpose of life. Unique to the Mesa Arizona Temple, patrons advance room to room. Each instruction room is slightly elevated above the previous, sym-

bolizing progression to heaven. 2) The baptistery is used to perform proxy baptisms for deceased ancestors who passed on without the ordinance of baptism. The font in the Mesa Arizona Temple is clad with rare terracotta tiles and rests on

12 terracotta oxen representing the 12 tribes of Israel. 3) The sealing room is where families are joined together for time and eternity. A replica crystalline chandelier, fluted pilasters and inlaid wood-backed chairs are in the

Colonial Revival style popular in the 1920s. The Mesa Arizona Temple has six sealing rooms of different sizes that can accommodate 17 to 90 guests.

POLO from page 42

dale. Women (attendees) love this event, too. Some plan their hats and outfits six months in advance.” Born and raised in Silicon Valley, Camacho has been fascinated with horses since she was young. In her hometown, barns were not readily available. “I just thought they were cool animals, but I love all animals,” she said. Camacho learned to play polo 20 years ago, when she was attending UC Davis. Camacho connected with polo. She rides six days a week during the season – October to December, and then February to April. Mondays are off days for the horse and riders. Tuesdays to Fridays are reserved for workouts and conditioning. Scrimmages or tournaments are sched-

uled on Saturdays and Sundays. She often sees people who are addicted like her. “People come out and take one lesson and they are just hooked. They’re dropping all their money for polo. It’s one horse, and then a truck and trailer, and traveling on the weekends. There are people who really love their golf. I really love polo.” Sir Winston Churchill once said, “A polo handicap is a passport to the world.” That’s been the case for Camacho. Camacho is a 0 goal handicap and has played and watched polo clubs and matches in the United States, Colombia and Europe. “It’s not as many places as I would like, if I was being honest,” she said. Camacho met Andres eight years ago

and married seven years ago. Andres is a fifth-generation polo player, and the sport has been part of his family for more than 100 years. As a young child in Colombia, he and his brother accompanied their father to polo matches at the Polo Club of Bogota on weekends. He continued playing the sport after moving to Arizona in 2010 to pursue his MBA at the Thunderbird School of Global Management. Andres and Natalie enjoy the friendly competition around the field. “Polo is a great sport where men and women can compete on the same field,” she said. “It’s one of the few sports that is truly equal. I encourage anyone to come out and take a polo lesson.” ■

group and rugby at halftime. The Arabian Horse Association of Arizona is there. There’s an art auction, a dog fashion show and a car show as well. It’s a really well-rounded event. It is like a circus, but not really.” Rose held the event last year during the pandemic, although it was scaled down. On-site testing was available. Organizers begin planning the event 10 months in advance. “What is surprising is the players love Scottsdale,” Camacho said. “Guys from England have been here multiple times. This is their thing. Pretty famous players love coming back, and they love Scotts-

LAKESHORE from page 42

runs through the streets of Havana. Lopéz-Nussa’s work reflects the range and richness of Cuban music and its embrace of jazz improvisation and interaction with a distinctive combination of classical, folkloric and popular elements. The ease and invention with which López-Nussa improvises at the piano make it hard to believe that he did not take up jazz until age 18. Initially, he was emboldened by Her-

bie Hancock’s The New Standard. LópezNussa later found inspiration from Cuba’s great jazz pianists — the reigning master Chucho Valdés, and recordings of Chucho’s father, the late Bebo Valdés. The Spanish phrase “Te lo dije,” much like its near equivalent in English, “I told you so,” can be deployed as a boast or a put-down – often both at once. LópezNussa throws down that gauntlet on his “Te Lo Dije.” López-Nussa is among a star-packed

lineup that Lakeshore Music has assembled for its debut season at Ravenscroft as the long wait for the return of live music ends. The nine-concert season runs monthly through May 2022. Tickets, with a variety of packages and pricing, are on sale at lakeshoremusic.org. “It’s an exciting new beginning for us in an area thirsting for cultural activity and live music,” said Woody Wilson, Lakeshore Music founder and president. “It has been a long and painful ordeal since February

(Courtesy of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints )

of 2020 when we were forced into shutdown by the COVID-19 pandemic.” Ravenscroft, at 8445 E. Hartford Drive in the Scottsdale Perimeter Complex, is just off Loop 101 at Princess Drive. “The new venue, our great lineup and moving to Scottsdale: It’s the ticket,” Wilson said. “We’ve really stacked our lineup for our debut season at Ravenscroft. We are thrilled to get back to doing what we do best in this beautiful state-of-the-arts performance space.” ■

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | OCTOBER 20, 2021

Yesterday was 103º and with plenty of hot days left, it’s the perfect time to get your AC unit serviced!

$89.99

OCTOBER 20, 2021 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS

King Crossword ACROSS

1 Request 4 Lawyers’ org. 7 Jab 11 Grub 13 Sinbad’s bird 14 Way out 15 Spanish greeting 16 Somewhat (Suff.) 17 Memorandum 18 You’ll get a rise out of it 20 Iowa crop 22 Owned 24 Beginnings 28 Pudding variety 32 Lebanon’s neighbor 33 Press 34 Rage 36 Joyful tune 37 Plaintive poem 39 Sees the world 41 Country singer West 43 “Caught ya!” 44 Frank 46 Gold mold 50 Writer Didion 53 Flushed 55 Fascinated by 56 Byron or Tennyson 57 Nest-egg acronym 58 Car 59 Oil cartel 60 Many millennia 61 Drunkard

With JAN D’ATRI GetOut Contributor

T 42 Haunting 45 Sleuth Wolfe 47 Wildebeests 48 “Beetle Bailey” dog 49 Horn sound

50 “The Wedding Planner” actress, to fans 51 “Alley --” 52 Exist 54 Dapper fellow

Sudoku

DOWN

1 Needing liniment 2 Oxford, for one 3 Caffeine source 4 “Entourage” character 5 Pear type 6 Sneeze sound 7 The White House’s “Avenue” 8 Kitchen gadget brand 9 Tool set 10 Tours season 12 U.S. capital on the Potomac 19 Eastern “way” 21 ER workers 23 601, to Nero 25 Canal of song 26 Cash drawer 27 Pre-college exams 28 Even 29 Woody’s son 30 Bard 31 Illustrations 35 Historic time 38 Shrill bark 40 Sushi fish

PUZZLES ANSWERS on page 37

Pork tenderloin homage to the Crock-pot

hank you, Irving Naxon, for inventing the crock-pot. Your cooking wonder found a place in our kitchens in 1940 when you won the patent for it, and we’ve never given it up. In fact, slow cooking is as popular as ever, especially when it produces such delicious meals like the crock-pot glazed pork tenderloin with apple-bacon slaw. (Perfect for next day pork sandwiches!) Also, if you ever wanted to know a bit about the iconic Crock-pot, here’s an excerpt from a Huffington Post article: “Naxon called his devise the Naxon Beanery. He said his mother, Tamara Nachumsohn, inspired him. She had told him stories about a beanbased stew she used to make in her village bakery at home in Lithuania. The stew, known as cholent, is a traditional Jewish dish that cooks all day. It’s rooted in the Jewish Sabbath, the day of rest in which observant Jews aren’t supposed to work. “The stew goes on the heat before sundown Friday night, when the Sabbath begins, and cooks all the way until the end of Saturday services the next day. As the ovens were turned off for the Sabbath, the pot of cholent would be put in the oven, and that slow residual Ingredients for the pork tenderloin 1 (2-3 lb) Pork tenderloin or pork roast Olive oil for coating 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1-2 cloves garlic, chopped fine Sprig of fresh rosemary For glaze: 1/2 cup water 1/2 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup Balsamic vinegar 2 tablespoons soy sauce 2 teaspoons honey Directions: Brush olive oil over tenderloin. Season with garlic, salt, pepper and a few leaves of rosemary. Place in slow cooker with 1/2 cup water. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. About 1 hour before roast is done, combine ingredients for glaze in small sauce pan. Heat and stir until mixture thickens, about 4-5 min-

heat over the course of the 24 hours would be enough to cook the cholent.” Naxon sold his design to Rival Mfg. in the 70’s, which rebranded his Beanery as the Crock-pot. It was marketed toward working mothers with the slogan, “Cooks all day while the cook’s away,” ■ utes. Brush roast with glaze 2 or 3 times during the last hour of cooking. Ingredients for apple-bacon slaw 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons plain yogurt 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 teaspoon hot sauce 1 tablespoon brown sugar 1 teaspoon salt 1 (16-ounce) package coleslaw mix 1 large apple, matchstick cut (Julienned) 1 stalk of celery, matchstick cut 4 slices cooked bacon, crumbled Directions: In a large bowl, whisk together olive oil, yogurt, mustard, lemon juice, hot sauce, sugar, and salt. Add coleslaw mix, apple, celery and bacon, tossing to coat. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. ■

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Inside & Out Leaks

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Faucets

Estimates Availabler

$35 off

Any Service

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

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

279-4155

Licensed • Bonded • Insured • ROC 189848

Juan Hernandez

PPebbleOcracking, O L Plaster R Epeeling, P ARebar IR showing, Pool Light out? I CAN HELP!

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

Call Juan at

480-720-3840 Not a licensed contractor.

MARK’S POOL SERVICE Owner Operated - 20 Years

Play Pools start at

$85/month Ask About Filter Cleaning Specials!

Mark

PLUMBING

602-799-0147 CPO#85-185793

Roofing

$35.00 Off Any Service Call Today!

A+ RATED

ROC # 272721

• • • •

FREE ESTIMATES

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

602-471-2346

TILE ROOFING SPECIALISTS

10% OFF COMPLETE UNDERLAYMENT Commercial & Residential Family Owned & Operated AZROC #283571 | CONTRACTOR LIC. AZROC #312804 CLASS CR4 | FULLY INSURED

FREE ESTIMATES 602-736-3019

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

Spencer 4 HIRE ROOFING Valley Wide Service

480-446-7663

with chemicals

Plumbing

We Repair or Install

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

Flat and Foam Roof Experts!

Pool Service / Repair Pavers • Concrete • Water Features • Sprinkler Repair

SERVICE • REPAIR • REPLACEMENT

Roofing

Filter Cleaning!

www.barefootpoolman.com

Plumbing

(480)

$25 OFF

602-546-POOL 7 6 6 5

Water Heaters

Bonded/Insured • ROC #223709

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

Drain Cleaning Experts, water heaters, disposals, water & sewer lines repaired/replaced & remodels. Rapid Response. If water runs through it we do it! 602-663-8432

Anything Plumbing Same Day Service

Disposals

480-405-7099

Pool Service / Repair

Monthly Service & Repairs Available

Not a licensed contractor

PLUMBERS CHARGE TOO MUCH!

Affinity Plumbing LLC 480-487-5541

Plumbing

AHWATUKEE’S #1 PLUMBER Licensed • Bonded • Insured

704.5422

(480)

10% OFF with this ad

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

480-699-2754 • info@monsoonroofinginc.com

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

MonsoonRooﬁngInc.com Licensed – Bonded – Insured – ROC187561

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

480-898-6465

CLASSIFIEDS

OCTOBER 20, 2021 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS

Roofing

Family Owned & Operated for over 30 years

ROC #152111

Quality Repairs & Re-Roofs Complimentary & Honest Estimates

Call our office today!

LICENSED | BONDED | INSURED | ROC #269218

Your leaks stop here!

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

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

FREE ESTIMATES & MONSOON SPECIALS

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

u Th

e IN

Call

-EX D i ﬀe r e n

602-938-7575

for your FREE Roof Evaluation Today! www.InExRo

oﬁn

g.c o m

480-706-1453 Window Cleaning

www.porterroofinginc.com

Ahwatukee Based Family Owned and Operated Insured • Free Estimates Licensed, Bonded, Insured

See our reviews and schedule at:

www.cousinswindowcleaning.com

Licensed Bonded Insured ROC 286561

Let Us Show Yo

Over 30 yrs. Experience

Licensed/Bonded/Insured • ROC #236099

SAME DAY SERVICE 30 Years Experience References Available

Tiles, shingles, flat, repairs & new work Free Estimates • Ahwatukee Resident

480-330-2649

Senior & Military Discounts

623-522-9322

PHILLIPS

ROOFING LLC COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL

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

SHARE WITH THE WORLD!

Family Owned and Operated 43 Years Experience in Arizona

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

PhillipsRoofing.org PhillipsRoofing@cox.net

480-446-7663

Place a Birth, Anniversary, Wedding Announcement, In Memoriam, Obituary or any life event in this paper today! Call us for details.

Ahwatukee’s Premier Tile, Shingle & Foam Roofer!

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

class@timespublications.com or call 480-898-6465

CLASSIFIEDS

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | OCTOBER 20, 2021

Sa Fa $ vi ll To In ng w st s ar a n M

tC tio A N re d n th ew it is ad U ni

BESTOF

2021

40 Years Serving the Central Valley

FALL TUNE-UP SPECIAL!

REG. $99.

Includes a 16-Points Inspection. LIMITED TIME ONLY. RESIDENTIAL ONLY

FREE INDOOR REME HALO® IN-DUCT AIR PURIFIER* • Reduces common allergens from pollen, mold dander & dust • Eliminates pet, cooking and musty odors • Reduces airborne and surface bacteria & viruses, such as MRSA, e-coli, and Norwalk 99+%, *With a qualified ac system purchase

YOUR HOMETOWN AIR CONDITIONING SPECIALIST

FREE 480-725-7303 www.BrewersAC.com SINCE 1982 ROC #C39-312643

Service Call (with repair) Second Opinion A + Rating

We offer Big Savings and Great Financing!

Some restrictions apply. See website for additional information. Special rebates and financing offers are valid on qualifying equipment and pre-approved credit. Offers expire 12/31/2021.