Gilbert Sun News 04-14-2019 by Times Media Group

Gilbert prodigy finds online help PAGE 26

An edition of the East Valley Tribune

INSIDE

This Week

NEWS ...................................3 Gilbert's top cop seeks victim center space.

BUSINESS ..................... 32 New Gilbert business has the meats.

SPORTS .......................... 39 Highland High twins run the table in track. COMMUNITY................ 26 BUSINESS ..................... 32 OPINION ....................... 36 SPORTS ......................... 39 GETOUT ........................ 45 CLASSIFIED ................... 51

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Gilbert park is a home run PAGE 11 Sunday, APRIL 14, 2019

GPS OKs new start-end times for all schools BY CECILIA CHAN GSN Managing Editor

arents and students will soon need to adjust their schedules now that the start and end times at all Gilbert Public School campuses are changing for 2 19-2 . The district’s governing board last week unanimously adopted a new bell schedule in an effort to save money and get the 10,000 students who take the bus to school and to home on time. “I vote with some hesitancy on this one,” board President Reed Carr said. “I don’t know if there is a better solution. This is a tough decision be-

cause it does not meet the needs of every group. However we vote someone will be unhappy.” The board’s action came after a consultant found the nine different bell times for the district’s 40 schools were not sustainable and resulted in 66 percent of all elementary school buses arriving late. Community input on two options was solicited through a poll where more than 10,000 households responded. Because of legislation involving instructional time for junior high students, a third option was offered to the board after the poll ended. That third option was adopted. Two parents spoke on the issue at the meeting.

Gilbert homeowners swindled by solar firm

Tracie Nall said she spoke on behalf of parents of high school students and high schoolers in asking the board to push the start time for them to later. She cited two sleep studies that recommended start time for high school students be no earlier than 8 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. “Their biological clocks tell them to go to bed later and it doesn’t matter how tired they are or how much they down in bed and they try to fall asleep,” Nall said. “They fall to sleep when their biology determines them to and they wake up according to society.” Having high school students start so early

see BELLS page

Seeds of a new age

BY CECILIA CHAN GSN Managing Editor

teven Gillies was eager to see his utility bills drop and finally last year pulled the trigger for solar panels for his Gilbert home. He got two bids and decided to go with AEOS Energy for the customized solar system and installation. “I selected AEOS because of timing, how fast they could get it done and the price,” Gillies said. That decision turned into a $21,000 mistake for the mortgage banker. Gillies and six other Valley homeowners got taken to the tune of $204,335 by AEOS, which took their money and ran, according to the Arizona Registrar of Contractors. The agency on April 3 revoked the Tempe company’s electrical license, which takes effect May 14, giving AEOS 40 days to appeal the decision, according

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see SOLAR page 9

These small beakers contain algae grown at Heliae Development's "farm" in Gilbert that are producing stronger and bigger vegetables, as the huge broccoli leaves at the right demonstrate. Heliae's work is bringing a new age to agriculture. For details, see page 32. (Kimberly Carrillo/GSN Staff Photographer)

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GILBERT SUN NEWS AN EDITION OF THE SUNDAY EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE | APRIL 14, 2019

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GILBERT SUN NEWS AN EDITION OF THE SUNDAY EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE | APRIL 14, 2019

NEWS

Town police seek Gilbert family advocacy center

An edition of the East Valley Tribune Gilbert Sun News is published every Sunday and distributed free of charge to homes and in single-copy locations throughout Gilbert. To find out where you can pick up a free copy of Gilbert Sun News, please visit www.EastValleyTribune.com.

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A family advocacy center is needed in town, said Jessica Nicely, CEO and founder of Winged Hope, a victim advocacy group in he Gilbert Police Gilbert. Department is looking for She said her organization a place to house a family recently received a call outside advocacy center that would help of Gilbert from a mother whose victims and increase prosecution daughter disclosed sexual abuse by rates in a variety of sex and abuse the father. cases. The family had to go through Crimes that would be proper channels and report it to investigated through the the police and did not go to a family advocacy center include sexual advocacy center, Nicely said. assault, sexual abuse, child The young girl was interviewed abuse or neglect, strangulation, by a man in uniform with a gun and domestic violence and those she ended up not disclosing to him involving vulnerable adults. the information, she said. “What we are trying to do is Had the girl gone to an minimize the trauma to a victim advocacy center, she likely would whether it be a child or an have disclosed the abuse to a adult,” Chief Michael Soelberg professionally trained interviewer, said. “What happens now when she added. you dissect that case, they make Soelberg said staffing on the the initial report and then they police side is largely in place now go to the hospital and then we for an advocacy center while the come there and then we bring department would need to contract them to the station for a followout for the other components such up interview whether it’s just as victim advocates, Department of a normal interview or forensic Child Services, medical and mental interview. Gilbert Police Chief Michael Soelberg wants to establish a victim advocacy health professionals. Soelberg said “They end up telling the story center like the ones in Chandler and Mesa to help alleviate some of the more work needs to be done on sometimes two, three, four, five, stress violent crime victims have during the court process. [Special to GSN) the project, including identifying six times. Every time you have to relive that incident brings back that the community about preventing these stakeholders. types of crimes. “We are providing the services now,” he trauma.” A number of Valley communities said. “But we need to be more efficient Soelberg proposed a multidisciplinary team that includes law enforcement, already have a family advocacy center, in the way we do it. It will increase our Department of Child Safety, the including Glendale, Chandler and Mesa prosecution levels and we want to make it a better experience for the victims to prosecutor’s office, mental health, victim police. Gilbert detectives currently handle 25 minimize that impact to them and try advocates and counselors, which would percent of these types of cases at the to hopefully reduce the recidivism by work collaboratively on a case. “You minimize the trauma to the victim facilities in Mesa and in Chandler. The getting a prosecution in the first place.” Mayor enn Daniels supported the by just having them go through it once,” rest are handled at the town’s police proposal during the discussion at the said the chief, who presented his proposal station and hospital exam rooms. In 2018, the department received retreat. at a recent Town Council retreat. “I do think we really need to seriously The advocacy center would include 370 sex-crime reports and sent 76 for consider this, especially with the quantity safe, child-friendly surroundings for investigation. Soelberg said the reasons for the low of crime that we see against children,” she interviews, forensic examining rooms with specialized equipment for accurate number are sometimes victims don’t said. “We are seeing more and more of diagnosis, crisis prevention and want to prosecute, there wasn’t enough this. I’ve frankly been a little bit sickened emotional support for the victim and probable cause or it was information by some of the statistics I’ve seen as only. it relates to crime against children in non-offending family member. For domestic violence cases, Gilbert Gilbert. It’s happening far more than we Trained forensic interviewers and a team would be in place to make sure detectives investigated 32 of the 1,252 want it to.” She said an environment tailored to nothing is missing for a successful reported cases in 2018. The chief said the bulk of the domestic violence cases was a victim’s needs would help a child to prosecution. recover quickly and move forward in a Soelberg said benefits included handled by patrol officers. Soelberg said sex and domestic violence positive way. reduced travel time for victims and “This trauma will affect them for an their families and also for investigators cases are best suited for investigation and expedited forensic interviews and in an advocacy center and currently entire lifetime and we can’t assume they detectives are handling about 120 cases will get the resources to work through medical exams. He envisions the center having an that could use some or all the services this,” she said. education component that would teach offered at such a facility. BY CECILIA CHAN GSN Managing Editor

NEWS

BELLS from page 1

means they are losing sleep every day, which results in tardiness, lower grades and students that are tired all the time, Nall said. She referenced a Seattle school district study that found later start times yield happier students, reduced tardiness and increased grades 4.5 percent across the board because students were alert in class to learn. Justalyn Couser pitched a different proposal. “I am the mother of an elementary, a junior high and two high school students as of next year,” she said. “When I look at my children, I feel like the older children should be going to school earlier and the younger children later because of their afternoon schedule. The older the kids get,

GILBERT SUN NEWS AN EDITION OF THE SUNDAY EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE | APRIL 14, 2019

the more busy their afternoons are, the more involved they are, the more homework they have.” She asked the board to consider a schedule that has high schools start first, followed by junior high and then elementary. She said putting high school start times first allows students to have afternoon jobs, do homework and be involved in sports or musical programs. And, having junior high start times follow would allow students time for afternoon extracurricular activities and homework.” “Elementary school students don’t need as much afternoon time because their homework is minimal and their activities are way scaled back compared with teenage kids we are dealing with,” Couser said. She said she recognized the issue was

Justalyn Couser, who has kids in elementary, junior and senior high schools, said older students should start earlier because their afternoons are busier after class. (Kimberly Carrillo/GSN Staff Photographer)

time-sensitive but asked the board to table the issue and look at an option that allows junior high students to have more of an afternoon. Consultant Paul Novak explained in households where parents are already off to work early in the morning, the elementary start time sandwiched between high school and junior high allowed for older siblings to see the younger children off to school and greet them when they come home. Carr said having nine different start times didn’t make sense and reducing it to three would save the district $1 million on top of the savings realized through the cost of replacing buses. The proposal would reduce the number of routes and buses needed. Board members were mindful of a state Auditor General’s report in March that the district’s spending for transportation was “very high” when compared with the averages of its peers and the state. Carr suggested tabling the item for more study, but members Lori Wood and ill Humpherys disagreed. Humpherys said she was concerned if they delayed action, it would not allow the district Parent Tracie Nall told the GPS board that bell times should be later for junior and senior high students because they need their sleep. ample time to suc(Kimberly Carrillo/GSN Staff Photographer) cessfully execute a change.

“I realize a change in the start times will affect every one of us in the community,” Humpherys said, adding if the district didn’t get a handle on its transportation cost, the money comes out of the classrooms. Wood said taking a vote now would allow parents and students more time to adjust to a new schedule. Board member Charles Santa Cruz acknowledged the validity of sleep studies advocating later start times for older students but noted many of the parents in the survey disliked having elementaryage students go to bus stops early in the morning, sometimes in the dark during winter months. “With what has been proposed, at least in my mind, I see equity among starting times at all the levels,” he said. He said board was looking at whatever efficiencies it can implement at this juncture to get students to a learning facility as efficiently, effectively and safely as it can without stretching the district’s budget beyond its capacity. “If we maintain what we currently have, we can’t afford it,” he said. “We need to be mindful of that. That is money that could be better utilized in other areas of the budget. It’s a very difficult decision but one that needs to be made.”

New bell schedule for 2019-20

High school start and end times: 7:30 a.m.- 2:20 p.m. Elementary start and end times: 8:10 a.m.-2:55 p.m. Junior high start and end times: 8:40 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

Higley, GPS schools get A+ awards for excellence BY CECILIA CHAN GSN Managing Editor

hree Gilbert schools just earned bragging rights after being named A+ Schools of Excellence by the Arizona Educational Foundation. The nonprofit organization announced this year’s winning schools are Gateway Pointe Elementary School in the Higley Unified School District and Gilbert Public Schools’ Playa del Rey and Towne Meadows elementary schools. They were recognized for their superior ability to identify and meet the academic and non-academic needs of their student population. “This is an incredible honor for Gateway Pointe,” said Higley District Superinten-

Kids at award-winning Playa del Rey Elementary listen with rapt attention to a Gilbert police officer. [Special to GSN)

dent Mike Thomason. “It is a very significant award and we are very proud of the

Gators and the school principal, Dr. Tim Fountain.”

Gateway Pointe Principal Tim Fountain said, “I am so proud of the work our teachers do, the commitment of our students and the support of our families.” Together we have shown that our students are capable of sustained growth and achievement in a school that nurtures not only academic development, but social and emotional health as well,” he added. “We are grateful to the Arizona Education Foundation for this recognition and for creating the framework to help us assess how we can continue to grow in the future.” Gateway, the only school in the district to apply this year, joins Cortina and Centennial elementary schools and Higley

see PLAN page

NEWS

GILBERT SUN NEWS AN EDITION OF THE SUNDAY EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE | APRIL 14, 2019

PLAN from page

High as three other Higley schools that previously received the recognition. A total of 64 schools statewide applied and 52 received the award, according to Dan Allen, programs and partnerships director for Arizona Educational Foundation. Each school receives $500 and a banner designating them as an A+ School of Excellence winner. The status is valid for three and a half years. Previously recognized schools are eligible to reapply for the award after their status has expired. The applicants were evaluated in the areas of student focus and support, school

culture, active teaching and learning, curriculum, leadership, community and parent involvement and assessment data. These grades are different from the ones the Arizona Department of Education hands out each year to all public schools. The state’s letter grades are based on factors such as student academic growth from year to year, high school graduation rates and AzMERIT scores. Allen said applicants for the A+ School of Excellence recognition must first have an A or B grade from the state. The school’s principal also must have completed at least three full years as leader of the applicant school when the application is submitted. “Schools that receive the A+ designation

have to demonstrate that they go above and beyond those grades,” Allen said. “The application is lengthy and requires a close look at every aspect of a school.” He said the applications are read by current A+ principals, teachers and education leaders in the state. “After that, some schools are selected for a site visit by a group of these experts to verify the information in the application, and based on the recommendation of that team, awards are made,” Allen said. It’s the fourth time that Playa del Rey has won the award. “I can say that with complete confidence, we strive to support all of our students in the areas of academics, social and emotional support and learning experiences that extend beyond the school

day,” said Principal Darrin Praska in a released statement. “This A+ designation validates the commitment and dedication of the entire staff and school community.” It was Towne Meadows’ first win and Principal Chip Pettit said he was proud that outside judges were able to see the school’s attributes. “The hard-working staff and supportive community deserve to be recognized by this prestigious organization with this award,” he said. Currently 13 schools in Gilbert Public Schools have received the A+ School of Excellence award. The program is one of seven offered by Arizona Educational Foundation in an effort to put a spotlight on excellence in public education.

ing Mr. McCord in a defense of his dissertation,” said member Dr. Charles Santa Cruz. “The dissertation committee was impressed and the documentation was well-received. “Mr. McCord put in hours, months, years, and I can relate to that. His final document is quite impressive and is now part of the educational literature that is available for any and all to look at his

findings. I was privileged to be part of his committee.” Board President Reed Carr said he was sitting home thinking about the superintendent’s life now that he’s successfully defended his dissertation. “You know, not much is going to change, things aren’t going to change dramatically,” Carr said. “He’s still going to be out at night, he’s going to attend a high

school baseball game at one of our high schools or he might be over at Nordwood checking out the artwork of our budding elementary artists. “But when he gets home somewhere around 10 o'clock at night, that is when life will change. He won’t sit down to try to edit a page or two or a 157-page dis-

GPS Superintendent Shane McCord earns doctorate GSN NEWS STAFF

Gilbert Public Schools Superintendent Shane McCord is now Dr. Shane McCord. McCord has earned his doctorate degree in educational leadership from Northern Arizona University after nine years. His accomplishment was recognized by the GPS Governing Board last week. “Yesterday I had the privilege of join-

see MCCORD page 23

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NEWS

GILBERT SUN NEWS AN EDITION OF THE SUNDAY EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE | APRIL 14, 2019

Gilbert lawmaker hails Ducey for signing his license bill BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

ilbert lawmaker Warren Petersen was all smiles last Wednesday as a first-of-its-kind bill he sponsored was signed into law by Gov. Doug Ducey. Petersen, the House Majority Leader, praised Ducey for signing HB 2 69 into law. It makes Arizona the first state in the nation to grant licensure to individuals who establish residency in Arizona, hold a comparable license in another state and meet certain criteria. Applicants must be in “good standing” in the state in which they are licensed, pay applicable fees in Arizona to obtain licensure, not have a criminal history and satisfy other standards. The bill received bipartisan support in the legislature. “I’m grateful to Governor Ducey and my colleagues in the legislature for making Arizona the first state in the country to offer universal occupational licensing recognition,” said Petersen. “By getting government out of the way and letting qualified professionals get right to work, HB 2 69 will increase economic opportunity, create jobs and grow Arizona’s economy.” The governor insisted this is different than his decision to allow Uber to test its driverless cars on Arizona roads – halted after one of them hit and killed a pedestrian. And he said it’s not the same as another bill he signed allowing Theranos to sell its novel blood tests to Arizona residents, tests that were subsequently found to be inaccurate. “It’s apples and oranges, Ducey said. If nothing else, he said there needs to be some proof that the qualifications of someone with a medical license from another state must meet Arizona’s minimum standards. And as to other professions, like architects and engineers Ducey dismissed the concerns as irrelevant. “I think you are taking hypothetical ex-

State House Majority Leader Warren Petersen of Gilbert cuts a ceremonial red piece of tape with Gov. Doug Ducey to symbolize the significance of his universal licensing bill that was signed into law last week. (Howard Fischer/Capitol Times Media)

amples in terms of the obstacles that are in front of people that are moving to Arizona and can’t find work, the governor said. He also brushed aside a question of whether allowing anyone with any license from any other state to practice in Arizona will be bad for those already here, potentially driving down wages as there are more people offering the same services. “Not only is our GDP growing but so are our wages, Ducey said. “We have more jobs available than people to fill them. Left unsaid is that the state’s jobless rate is about a full point higher than the national figure. For Ducey and supporters, the argument is that there is no need for Arizona to require new residents to prove to regulators here they can do their jobs. “We know that whether you make your living as a plumber, a barber, a nurse or anything else, you don’t lose your skills simply because you pack up a U-Haul

truck and make the decision to move to Arizona," he said. Some states, including Arizona, already have reciprocity agreements for certain professions: Arizona will honor another state’s licensing if that state does the same for those with Arizona licenses. But this is believed to be the first situation in the nation where a state has unilaterally agreed to allow those licensed in other states to practice here, with no requirement for like treatment of Arizonans. Critics have argued this move will mean that Arizona has to accept whatever other states believe is acceptable to get licensed there, a move they said will effectively make the standards in Arizona the lowest in the nation. Ducey has been at the forefront of deregulatory efforts. In 2015 he inked his approval to legislation to make it easier for companies to market blood-test services to Arizona consumers.

lator has his way. In getting the Senate Appropriations Committee to approve his bill, Republican Rep. ohn Fillmore won a crucial first step in his goal of forcing elementary and high school districts to merge by that time and requiring smaller unified districts to examine mergers.

The bill not only would force the merger of Tempe Union, Tempe Elementary and Kyrene school districts, but could also pressure Higley Unified and ueen Creek Unified to consider consolidation. Fillmore said consolidation of small districts in Arizona – some that have only one building – could save more than $500

That law, sought by Theranos, removed all the limits on the kinds of blood, urine and other tests that patients can order themselves. In a ceremony at the company’s Scottsdale offices, the governor said he was “proud to sign’’ legislation for “reducing burdensome barriers and red tape." As it turned out, the company later admitted that the tests it was offering – involving just a small sample of blood – were not always accurate. More than one out of every 10 of the test results given to Arizonans by the company were “ultimately voided or corrected." The company agreed to refund more than $4.6 million to Arizonans who got the tests and may have been defrauded. A year later, Ducey welcomed Uber to Arizona, allowing the firm to test its selfdriving vehicles on Arizona roads. That occurred even before the state ever adopted rules for their use. That came after Uber rejected the demand of California transportation officials that these vehicles be specially licensed and registered as test vehicles. Ducey, in making the announcement, said the move shows that Arizona is friendlier for businesses than its neighbor to the west. But the governor on that day sidestepped a question of whether he should be held personally responsible if someone is injured or killed in Arizona as a result of problems with one of those vehicles. Ducey suspended the ability of Uber to continue testing last year in the wake of an accident that showed an Uber test vehicle, with someone behind the wheel but not paying attention, striking and killing a pedestrian in Tempe. The governor’s decision also came a day after the New York Times reported that Uber’s efforts to put autonomous vehicles on the road was having problems even before the accident in Tempe.

Bill could pressure QC/Higley school merger BY PAUL MARYNIAK GSN Executive Editor AND HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Serices

he East Valley’s public-school landscape would be significantly altered by 2024 if an Apache Junction legis-

million in administrative costs that could then be plowed into student support, teacher pay and other expenses. “When people have said to me that schools have more money, I’ve always had the quick comeback (that) they have

see MERGER page

GILBERT SUN NEWS AN EDITION OF THE SUNDAY EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE | APRIL 14, 2019

NEWS

GILBERT SUN NEWS AN EDITION OF THE SUNDAY EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE | APRIL 14, 2019

MERGER from page 6

enough money," he said. “What we need to do is have them spend it a little bit more wisely." As a business owner, Fillmore said it’s time for the state education system to be run like one. “If we did some consolidation, got rid of the redundancy, duplication and excess waste in the districts, we could have the opportunity to save ... I believe hundreds of millions of dollars," he said. He prepared his own study pegging the total savings at $506 million out of about $7.8 billion now spent each year in state and local funds for operation and maintenance. Fillmore said this isn’t just a way of cutting state spending, stressing his legislation would allocate 25 percent of whatever is saved for teacher salaries. The bill, which faces an uncertain future in the full Senate and still must go to the House, would force 19 districts to consolidate by 2024. A merger of Tempe Elementary, Tempe Union and Kyrene would create a district

Rep. John Fillmore

Sen. Sean Bowie

with more than 40,000 students. Merging ueen Creek and Higley would create a district of about 19, . With Republican lawmakers saying too much money is wasted on duplication, the consolidations could occur without voter approval. But HB 2139, approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee on a 6-3 party-line vote, does not stop there.

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It would require every school board in the state to annually determine how much money could be saved by not just unification but also with consolidation with other adjacent districts. In fact, it spells out that in the smaller population counties, those with just three supervisors, there could be no more than three school districts. Most counties with five supervisors could have up to seven

districts; Maricopa County could have no more than 20. Fillmore’s bill provides a carrot for governing boards that can come up with their own consolidation plans without taking it to voters, allowing them to spend more money than would otherwise be allowed for up to three years. But balking appears not to be an option. HB 2139 says if the governing boards don’t come up with a plan by June 30, 2022, to unify and consolidate, then the county school superintendent is directed to come up with a plan. And it spells out that any such plan “shall be executed without an election." What is bothering some of the foes – and even some of the supporters – is the mandate. Ahwatukee Sen. Sean Bowie said voters in his area have made decisions about how they want their schools organized. Bowie, whose district includes Tempe Union and Kyrene but also Chandler and Mesa unified districts, said voters in some

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GILBERT SUN NEWS AN EDITION OF THE SUNDAY EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE | APRIL 14, 2019

CONTRACTOR from page 1

to Registrar of Contractors spokeswoman Breanna Bang. “The agency intends to submit these cases to Arizona Attorney General’s Office for charging review after the investigations are complete,” she said. Bang said for the time, AE S’s license is suspended. The agency issued a suspension March 5 after it investigated the homeowners’ complaints and held an administrative hearing on March 22, which AEOS failed to attend, according to court documents. Attempts to reach AEOS for comment were unsuccessful. The phone number listed for its corporate office in Tempe and at a Yuma address no longer worked. The attorney listed as AEOS’s representative in the court documents did not return a call for comment. Jonathan Payne Kirkland incorporated AE S in December 2 17 and was issued a license on Jan. 11, 2018, according to state documents. Another party associated with the license was listed as Michael Evan Gibson. “I want to believe his intent when he started his business was not to defraud people,” Gillies said of Kirkland. He said he had AEOS sales people

visit his home about five times before he signed the contract and paid. He also had researched the company and the high-efficiency panels AE S wanted to install. Initially there were no red flags. The contract handed to him displayed the company’s contractor license information, Gillies said. Looking back, Gillies said he could kick himself now for handing over the $21,000 up front. The company offered financing but paid the entire amount because he was told he would receive a 10 percent Several Gilbert homeowners were among the victims who lost thousands to a solar panel company that never did the work it was paid to do, according to the discount and a rebate Arizona Registrar of Contractors. (Special to GSN) at the time of installation. They included former state legislator about $10,000 each and one in Glendale “I happen to have a line of credit, I wrote and justice of the peace Lester Pearce lost about $23,000. a check and gave it to them,” he said. of Gilbert, who lost 112, 13 A ueen Of the seven complainants, six paid the Creek man lost about $21,000. Three full amount. Maricopa homeowners got taken for see CONTRACTOR page 1

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GILBERT SUN NEWS AN EDITION OF THE SUNDAY EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE | APRIL 14, 2019

Before you hire a contractor • Review the contractor’s license record at roc.az.gov/contractor-search. • Make certain the contractor’s license class allows for the work listed in the contract. • Request a list of references and check them. • Ask for written estimates from at least three contractors. • Never pay in cash. • Make checks payable to the name of the company/contractor listed in your signed contract. • Never make a check payable to individuals or companies not listed in your contract. • Do not allow payments to get ahead of the work. Source: Arizona Registrar of Contractors

CONTRACTOR from page 9

The Registrar found either no work was done or electrical service panels were installed but no wires were connected to the panels. There could be other victims out there. A person on social media posted, “Jon Kirkland of AEOS Energy took $80,000 for payment of my solar system then disappeared and we can’t find them anywhere.” Gillies said he should have gone with the other bidder who was with a large company. “Their price was considerably higher,” he said. “I ended up taking the lowerprice vendor.” Gillies was told installation would take 9 days, but that time period came and went. “I started inquiring with them and kept inquiring, ‘when are you getting this done?’” Gillies said. Company officials called, apologized and offered him an extra warranty and an upgrade on the solar panels, according to Gillies. They sent him a new contract, which he signed in the spring, and got approval from SRP on the project in October. “They were supposed to install shortly after and the next thing you know, Christmas came around and nothing was installed,” Gillies said. n Dec. 31, the company installed two electrical panel boxes to the side of his house and informed him the solar panels would be installed in mid-January. “That didn’t happen,” Gillies said. “I kept on calling and eventually I talked to the owner. He apologized profusely for not installing it in a timely manner and offered me additional rebates he would

give to me upon installation, an additional 30 percent rebate off the solar system. And so, I thought at least we are on the right path to get it done and then nothing happened. “The next thing you know I get an email from him saying he’s winding down the company and ‘here is my attorney and contact them.’ I contacted them and they said there’s no money to install anything and did not refund me.” The contract with AEOS wasn’t Gillies’ only expense. “I’m the original owner, I’ve been in the house for 2 years and the roof was fine, no leaks,” he said. “But because of solar I went out and put on a new roof last year.” He also paid to have his trees trimmed back from the house. “To have this happen is another cut in the wound that makes me kind of mad,” Gillies said. He complained to the Registrar of Contractors, which sent out an investigator. Because the cases have been adjudicated, Gillies and the other homeowners can file a claim with the Registrar’s Residential Contractor’s Recovery Fund. The Recovery Fund reimburses homeowners for poor workmanship or nonperformance by a licensed residential contractor. Claims paid out cover up to $30,000 per property and claimant, up to $200,000 per license. Although Gillies has nothing but positive things to say about the agency that he said responded quickly and professionally, he’s not too sure about going solar. “I don’t know if I will put in solar,” Gillies said. “I’m still thinking about it but I’m not certain. It kind of left a bad taste in my mouth.”

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GILBERT SUN NEWS AN EDITION OF THE SUNDAY EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE | APRIL 14, 2019

Town hits a home run with Cactus Yards BY CECILIA CHAN GSN Managing Editor

actus Yards is a big hit. The town-owned sports facility that features eight scaled-down replicas of Major League baseball stadiums re-opened in February to much fanfare after closing for 1. years for safety fixes. Previously, Big League Dreams managed the complex for nine years until the town took over the operations with the relaunch. “Whatever Gilbert has done it is amazing,” said ed Chrisman, a coach for MBA Utah Grays, a youth baseball team that played a tournament at Cactus Yards in March. “When I saw we were playing at Cactus Yards my initial impression was ‘Yikes.’ We’ve been to other Big League Dream Parks and we try to avoid them. The concessions are overpriced, staff usually is not friendly and the playing surfaces except for Big League Dreams in Chino Hills have never been close to being worth the time or to spend money to come to.” But Chrisman, who played for the University of Utah’s Ute baseball team, said he noticed almost immediately at the entrance that the atmosphere was different from what he had expected. “Staff was helpful and friendly and the playing surfaces were the best playing surface for youth baseball around,” said Chrisman, who’s been to many stadiums. “It was by far the best playing surface.” The MBA Utah Grays was one of 331 teams from 13 states and two Canadian provinces that played six weekend tournaments at Cactus ards since its Feb. 9 opening, according to John Kennedy, Recreation and Programming manager. Of that number, 145 teams stayed overnight, resulting in 1,044 Gilbert hotel room nights, according to Kennedy. “The thick outfield grass is what people are wowed by,” Kennedy told the Parks and Recreation Board at last week’s update on Cactus Yards from its opening to March 31. The six private tournaments generated for the town $146,060, which came from

What a difference the town made in conditions at the old Big League Dreams - now called Cactus Yards - once it took over. The town refurbished the shoddy fields on the left and renovated the stadium. (Special to GSN)

field rentals, field preps and gate fees. Each tournament used four to seven baseball fields. Gate fees charged during promoter-run tournaments on the weekends is $5 for 16 and older and free for Gilbert residents. There were supposed to be seven weekends of tournaments, but the last weekend of February was rained out, Kennedy said. Nonetheless, the 15 days of play brought in about 43,005 tournament attendees – about 3,000 per tournament, he added. “We think these numbers are good but low,” said Kennedy, adding that staff was working on finding a better counting system. He said 9 percent or of the 6 weekends in 2 19 were already reserved. The facility also is seeing success with its adult and youth programming, according to Dan Wilson, recreation supervisor for Cactus Yards. For adults, there’s softball, kickball and indoor-soccer leagues. So far 70 teams have signed up for softball, 28 for soccer and 18 for kickball, which is a new offering, Wilson said. For youth, there’s sportball, baseball and indoor-soccer, which is super popu-

lar, with 16 kids participating in the first season, he added. “I think that number is just going to keep growing as we go forward,” he said. Miller said there will be four seasons this year and the goal is to get five to six seasons in a year, with each season running six to eight weeks long. But because Cactus ards opened in February, it’s lost two months, he said. There were 106 teams of 784 participants, which generated $131,168 in revenue, according to Wilson. Cactus Yard’s batting cages also are being used, pulling in $4,000. The cost is $1 for 20 pitches. Parks and Recreation Director Robert Carmona said Cactus Yards was right on track for performance numbers. Town officials anticipated Gilbert will spend $2.3 million a year to operate the facility and take in $1.2 million in revenue, leaving a 1.1 million deficit. It took Gilbert more than a year and $15 million in renovations to reach this point. On opening day, more than 3,500 people showed up, lining up an hour before the gates opened. The $40 million taxpayer-funded facility debuted in 2008 but abruptly closed in 2017 after the town cited the immediate

GOT NEWS?

need to address structural deficiencies and construction defects. Gilbert also severed all ties to Big League Dreams, claiming it failed to maintain the park leading to more repairs. The two sides are still embroiled in a lawsuit. The latest action occurred on March 29 with Big League Dreams filing an opposition to the town’s motion for a protective order. Gilbert also sued and won a $13.5 million settlement from M. A. Mortenson Co., the facility’s builder. The settlement was used to help cover the cost of repairs and renovations to the administration building, ballfields, dugout drainage, grandstand graphics and 20,000-square-foot field house. “Concrete was the majority of the work that took place – all were torn out and replaced,” Kennedy said. “Eight hundred cement trucks were brought in.” Cactus Yards’ two restaurants also got a $4 million facelift with Craft Culinary Concepts, contracted to operate Slider’s Sports Grill and Fieldhouse Grill, investing $250,000 into the two. Kennedy showed before and after pictures of the fixes, which included patchwork grass at the field house that was replaced with new turf. Staff said there were still some items they were addressing, including working with Craft Culinary on more consistent restaurant hours, which are currently based on the town’s programming, replacing controllers on some of the scoreboards and adding additional shade structures and more netting. Finding part-time seasonal staffing was also a problem with people not showing up for interviews. Carmona noted it was not just an issue for Cactus Yards but happening all over. Chrisman said he can’t wait to return to Cactus Yards. “We’re definitely coming back in March of next year,” he said. “The hardest part is to get down there. We are in Utah, the northern part, but we’re looking forward to the next tournament at Cactus Yards.”

Contact Cecilia Chan at 480-898-5613 or cchan@timespublications.com

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In her heyday, deposed EVIT Superintendent Sally Downey had many influential friends, including county Supervisor Jack Sellers, left, and former U.S. Sen. John Kyl. (Special to GSN)

EVIT ex-chief sent packing with golden parachute BY JIM WALSH GSN Staff Writer

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he suspended superintendent’s long career at the East Valley Institute of Technology is coming to a rocky end, but at least Sally Downey will enjoy a cushy landing. Downey, 71, who spent 19 years as the face of EVIT, agreed to a lucrative separation agreement approved by the EVIT governing board after months of controversy set into motion by an election that overhauled its makeup. The agreement includes Downey’s resignation, effective April 30, giving the technical school an opportunity for a fresh start – a development welcomed by teachers, other employees and retirees who spoke at a board meeting. But Downey, who signed a three-year extension from the previous governing board that paid her more than $188,000 a year, will not leave penniless, according to the terms of her separation agreement. Downey’s exit deal calls for her to receive her base pay from May 1, 2 19, through Feb. 2 , 2 2 , a sum of 1 7,177. In addition, she is scheduled to receive another $33,333.33 as an annuity payment and to cover taxes during the same period. Downey also is entitled to receive another 133 vacation days and 277 days of accrued sick leave, minus what she has used since she was placed on administrative leave by the new board in January shortly after the election. Her state pension has not been cal-

culated yet. The agreement would appear to relieve EVIT and taxpayers from the burden created by the third year of Downey’s contract extension, which was to run through 2021. The politically well-connected Downey has many fans who have come to her defense, including former Mesa Public Schools governing board president Ben Smith and longtime EVIT supporter Shon Rasmussen. But her impending departure was cheered by those attending the meeting. They broke into applause after the board met in private to confer with an attorney before approving the separation agreement. Another separation agreement for Assistant Superintendent Steve Waldvogel was discussed in executive session. The board voted to authorize attorneys to follow the advice that was discussed in private, but a final agreement has not been reached. “I feel a real shift in the energy. It is a positive change, said Kelley Grantham, a 3D animation teacher. “The atmosphere is more collaborative." “Even me being able to speak to you is unheard of and this is new to EVIT," she said. Kim Foulger, an interior design and fashion teacher, said that she and other teachers feel liberated by Downey’s departure. “There was a lot of fear for your job if you stepped out of line, Foulger said. “There’s been a lot of ongoing suppression of teachers. There wasn’t a lot of freedom." Foulger thanked the new board, which

see EVIT page 1

GILBERT SUN NEWS AN EDITION OF THE SUNDAY EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE | APRIL 14, 2019

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GILBERT SUN NEWS AN EDITION OF THE SUNDAY EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE | APRIL 14, 2019

EVITfrom page 12

has been criticized by Downey’s allies. “Thank you for endeavoring to create a new culture of liberation at E IT, Foulger said. “It is 2 19 and time for a positive change at EVIT." Foulger said the atmosphere created by Downey revolved around fear and retaliation. She said one example was Downey’s insistence that EVIT remain open during the Red for Ed movement last year and her refusal to allow teachers to participate. “No one dared to wear a red shirt, Foulger said. “I am excited to be part of the new EVIT organization." Joyce Hinrichs, a former principal, said she was forced into retirement by Downey. “She would often espouse a plan and we would say, 'you can’t do it,'" Hinrichs said. Downey would respond, “ Well, who says I can’t do it?' Well, the law says you can’t do it." An investigation by Susan Segal, an attorney and expert in education law hired by the new board, found a list of potential violations of contract and procurement laws, along with an pen Meetings Law violation, that are under investigation by the state Attorney General’s ffice. Among the allegations was the failure to bid contracts with consultants properly,

including one with former legislator and Tempe city council member David Schapira. No wrongdoing has been alleged on Schapira’s part and there reportedly is a disagreement between the previous board and Segal over whether his contract had to be bid. The selection of a construction supervisor on the expansion of the East Valley campus also may have been improperly handled and may have to be re-bid. Smith, who attended EVIT, defended Downey by saying any potential infractions were “minor stuff’’ and that she deserved only a reprimand, rather than losing her job. Smith said the board had removed Downey’s picture from a foyer near the meeting room in anticipation of approving the separation agreement. He said her opponents were invited to attend, and that she has been muzzled until her resignation takes effect. nce Downey officially leaves E IT, she plans to tell her side of the story, Smith said. “She has impacted thousands of lives and impacted the quality of life of young adults and working professionals," Smith said. “She understood the value of a technical education and used that to make connections for students."

My Hope Bag plans golf tournament next month GSN NEWS STAFF

Gilbert nonprofit that supports victims of breast cancer is calling all duffers. My Hope Bag is registering players for the annual MHB Golf Tournament at 7 3 a.m. May 2 at Red Mountain Ranch Country Club Golf Course, 6425 E. Teton Circle, Mesa. For more than six years, My Hope Bag has made support for breast cancer victims its top priority. It delivers Bags of Hope to victims that are filled with local resources and other comforting items. Volunteers also maintain regular communication with victims and provide emotional support. “My Hope Bag is committed to making sure no one faces breast cancer alone,” the group said in a release. The four-person golf scramble is $100 per golfer and includes golfing, continental breakfast, lunch and golf goodie bags. There will be a silent auction, raffle drawing, game prizes for golfers and more.

Sarah Ellery founded My Hope Bag after fighting breast cancer herself and realizing victims need all the support and comfort they can find. (Special to GSN)

“I started My Hope Bag after my own journey with breast cancer,” founder Sarah Ellery says on the group’s website. “While going through my journey, I thought they needed to have a bag of HOPE for women going through this. It is

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my heartfelt desire to help answer questions, comfort and encourage others and help lighten their load while facing the fight of their life.” Ellery said the group has so far delivered more than 2, Bags of Hope and that with each one, “one more person knows that she is loved and cared about by someone who understands what she is going through.” Her husband Brian concurs. “Helping other breast cancer survivors find knowledge and comfort during an uncertain time is our main goal,” he said. “It was a hard time for Sarah and myself during her treatment time. For myself, I anxiously sought answers to the multitude of questions to provide comfort for my bride. “I looked at our journey as I had with past experiences; trying to solve a problem or develop a plan of action, added Brian, who has sat on the boards of the Gilbert Chamber of Commerce, Gilbert Small Business Alliance and Gilbert ptimist International. Tournament and other information: myHopeBag.org

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GILBERT SUN NEWS AN EDITION OF THE SUNDAY EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE | APRIL 14, 2019

Couple’s Mesa center first in state for drug babies BY JORDAN HOUSTON GSN Staff Writer

medical facility designed to care for newborns suffering from drug withdrawals is now open in Mesa, making it the first of its kind in the state and the fourth of its kind in the country. Jacob’s Hope, 1150 N. Country Club Drive, is a new interim care center specifically for babies born to moms who are or have been on addicting drugs. Founded by o ones and operated by her and her husband Brian, the facility provides an alternative to a hospital newborn intensive care unit, where drug-addicted babies are generally treated. Every year, hundreds of babies in Arizona are born exposed to opioids, according to the Arizona Statewide Task Force on Preventing Prenatal Exposure to Alcohol and ther Drugs. From 2 to 2 1 , more than half a million newborns were exposed to some type of drug during pregnancy, while neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) – in which newborns experience withdrawal symptoms – increased from 145 cases to 470, or 224 percent. NAS can cause low birth weight, body shakes, excessive crying and physical and mental challenges later in life. Hospital units are “not really equipped for this because we’ve learned, from doctors out there, that drug babies are typically healthy but they’re suffering from symptoms that cause bedlam,” said Brian, who is executive director of the facility. “Oftentimes, they get put into a corner of a NICU and they’re given fairly massive not big – doses of morphine.” “What we’re trying to say to the medical profession out here is, as politely as we can, we know that you really don’t have a facility that’s equipped for these babies. That’s what we’re here for. That’s what we’re made for.” The couple dedicated the sanctuary to their son Jacob, who was adopted as a drug-exposed newborn in 19 and later died during a drug-related incident in his mid-20’s. Jacob’s Hope is licensed as a behavioral healthcare facility under the Arizona Department of Health Services and offers immediate short-term care, a detailed plan for withdrawal and therapeutic nurturing techniques. The nonprofit will serve six infants per month before ramping up to 10 a month for a year – eventually catering up to 12 newborns at a time.

Jo and Brian Jones have opened Arizona's first - and the nation's fourth - facility for treating newborns who suffered from drug withdrawal caused by their mothers' addiction. (Kimberly Carrillo/GSN Staff Photographer)

Unlike the high-paced atmosphere of the NICU, the care center will provide a quiet, calm environment, which is key for babies struggling through withdrawals, the Joneses said. “This looks like a nursery, and yet when you see the oxygen and feeding tubes and all those types of things that we have, you quickly realize that the level of care we’re equipped to give is significantly higher than just a nursery,” said Brian. Each of the six rooms can house up to two newborns, complete with a rocking chair, cribs and pastel colored walls. A bathing room sits down the hall, stacked with diapers, onesies, warm towels and washcloths, while a small kitchen is available for the nursing staff to prepare bottles and meals for themselves. The ultimate purpose of the center, Jo explained, is to prevent what happened to their son from happening to other drug exposed newborns. acob was 3 days old when o and Brian took him in. Medical officials warned he may have been exposed to drugs during his mother’s pregnancy, but other than that, no resources or information regarding the possible long-term side effects were provided. He was charismatic, charming and brilliant, with a photographic memory. “We used to say to him, ‘You should have been an attorney. You can convince people that the sky is yellow,’” said Jo. “I mean, he just was incredible, smart and all of those things.” But looking back, the mother said she now recognizes the warning signs of pre-

natal substance exposure. When Jacob approached his teens, he started exhibiting behavioral and emotional problems. At some point, Jacob was introduced to drugs and alcohol, beginning a lifelong

battle with addiction. He went on to serve in the military for four years before he died at the age of 25 after consuming a bad batch of cocaine. Devastated by her son’s death, o found solace in a book that changed her life – Barbara Drennen’s “Caring for Drug-Exposed Infants.” The book details the crippling side effects drug-exposed newborns face and highlights the author’s original care facility, the Pediatric Interim Care Center in Washington – which soon became the model for Jacob’s Hope. It was in this moment that Jo realized her son met the criteria of those newborns. With Barbara’s work as her inspiration, Jacob’s Hope was born about a year and a half later. But the road to success wasn’t easy. The two parents quickly realized the difficulties of starting a nonprofit, especially one that has never existed in the state of Arizona before. “We have had countless situations

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JACOB from page 17

where a door was closed and God was out there saying, ‘Just keep going, keep going because this is going to happen,’” said Brian, adding “Imagine what it’s like creating an entity in the state that doesn’t exist. There’s no map. There is no list, there is no blueprint. There is nobody out there to tell you this is what we did. That’s what this team for Jacob’s hope has done.”

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areas prefer smaller districts versus huge unified districts. “I would be concerned about circumventing voters and circumventing the taxpayers when they’ve clearly made decisions of whether they want to be unified or not unified, Bowie said. Sen. Heather Carter, R-Cave Creek, said she has no problem with the idea of having school boards study the benefits of consolidation. But Carter, who agreed to support the measure, said she won’t vote for it when it gets to the floor if the mandates remain. Fillmore said that mandate is only partly true. “In my bill, I’ve given them the opportunity to go out for a vote if they want to," he said. But Fillmore said that it’s going to take more than a simple nudge to get the desired results, saying that dealing with some districts is like “dealing with my employees or children.” He pointed out there already are opportunities for school districts to unify and consolidate. And there even are some financial incentives for those who pursue that path. “But they don’t, he said. ueen Creek officials declined comment and Higley did not return a request for comment. But Kyrene board President Michael Myrick and board member John King, both Republicans, said that while consolidation made sense for some districts, it didn’t make sense for Kyrene and Tempe Union. “While district consolidation may sound appealing on the surface,” Myrick said, “bigger isn’t necessarily better, and the potential savings are overstated when you begin to consider the costs of consolidation.” King said there are too many little districts in Arizona that consist of three and even fewer schools, but that they are required by law to maintain an adminis-

After two and a half years of renovating, retrofitting, inspection and licensing reviews, acob’s Hope finally secured a license from the Arizona Department of Health Services. The final step of gaining its Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System insurance provider information is in the works and will be completed soon. They attribute the facility’s success to its dedicated team as well as donations from supporters across the state. They estimate they have received up to $160,000 in donations and products so far.

Arizona school districts

Elementary districts 97 with 3 schools. High school districts: 15 with 70 schools. Unified districts 9 with 7 7 elementary schools, 143 high schools and 73 combined schools. Accommodation districts: 8 with elementary schools, 9 high schools and 7 combined schools. - Source: Arizona Department of Education

trative infrastructure that is as costly as some districts with more schools. “To some degree, consolidation needs to happen,” King said. “For a school district like ours – with the number of students we have – it doesn’t make sense. It would be disastrous.” During the Senate hearing, Bowie noted that Arizona’s per pupil administrative costs were well below the national average of about $1,300. The latest Arizona Auditor General’s report on school per-pupil spending said the statewide average per pupil cost of administration is $860. The per-pupil administrative cost in Higley is $875 and in ueen Creek. Efforts to force consolidation have been discussed for more than a decade. In 2001, a Senate panel approved a measure creating an independent commission to consolidate the more than 200 school districts in the state to no more than 9 . Those that refused would be denied state aid. It died after drawing fire from officials from some smaller districts, who argued with the presumption that small is bad and wasteful. Five years later, a special School District Redistricting Commission created by the legislature proposed at least forcing a vote in each district on consolidation. But that failed to produce the desired results.

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GILBERT SUN NEWS AN EDITION OF THE SUNDAY EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE | APRIL 14, 2019

Hairy deregulation bill gets Dems’ dander up BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

rizonans who are having a bad hair day could soon get relief from people who are not licensed by the

state. On a 31-26 margin, the House on Tuesday gave final approval to legislation that says people can wash, dry and style someone else’s hair without being licensed as a cosmetologist. That includes the use of curling irons and hair dryers, but no chemicals or scissors. More to the point, these stylists would legally be able to charge for their services despite the lack of a state license. Within minutes of that final approval, Gov. Doug Ducey sent out a Twitter message calling SB 1 1 a “big win for freedom and Arizona workers," saying 43” he is “looking forward to signing this bill!" Last week’s 43” vote came over multiple objections from Democrats, who pointed out there are diseases that can be spread from customer to customer. They said that a fully trained cosmetologist gets extensive training on not just identifying disease but safe practices.

Instead, SB 1 1 would require only that stylists take a course on safety. But Republicans called the concerns overblown. “You would think we were talking about operating a nuclear reactor here," complained Rep. ohn Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills. He said that hundreds of millions of Americans manage to shampoo and dry their own hair daily without any training “beyond reading the label." “This is like a total no-brainer," Kavanagh said. But Kavanagh, under questioning from Rep. Pamela Powers Hannley, D-Tucson, conceded he never had his hair blown dry or styled with a curling iron. She and others talked about the chances of being burned by someone without training. Other foes mentioned diseases like Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, also known as MRSA, which they said can be spread by using the same styling tools on customers. But Rep. Randy Friese, D-Tucson, who is a doctor, conceded he has never treated anyone who caught MRSA from a hair stylist. The legislation is the latest move to carve out exceptions to state laws that

Escape to Your Backyard

can require upwards of 1,000 hours of training at a state-licensed school to be a cosmetologist. Lawmakers already decided more than a decade ago that people who do nothing but braid hair for a living do not need state-mandated training and licensing. And the Board of Cosmetology, facing a lawsuit, has stopped trying to enforce training requirements on those whose total practice consists of plucking eyebrows. This, however, goes too far for some Democrats. Powers Hannley said people who go to a hair salon expect that everyone working there is both trained and regulated by the state. This legislation, she said, would require only that any salon employing a hair stylist post a sign informing consumers that isn’t the case. “The idea that a sign on the wall saying, ‘This activity is unregulated,’ they’re not going to understand that," she said. Powers Hannley said if her Republican colleagues are determined to go this route, the sign should read, “This person has not been trained to do your hair, so buyer beware." That, she said, customers would under-

stand. “This puts the public at an unnecessary risk," Powers Hannley said. Others, however, didn’t see the danger. Rep. David Cook, R-Globe, pointed out that nearly every hotel provides shampoo, conditioner and hair dryers for guests. “Maybe we should look at removing those for safety," he said. For Rep. Noel Campbell, R-Prescott, the issue was more basic than who is qualified to style hair. “What we’re really talking about is the right to work," he said, without being regulated. Campbell said he has talked with cosmetologists and does understand their belief that only those with proper training should be doing this kind of work. And he said that there are arguments to be made for training. But he said that is not enough to overcome his philosophical objections to regulation. “I’m going to choose the side of free enterprise, workers’ rights to work without being encumbered," Campbell said. That philosophy did not sit well with Rep. Isela Blanc, D-Tempe.

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GILBERT SUN NEWS AN EDITION OF THE SUNDAY EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE | APRIL 14, 2019

College hosting 7th annual conference on genocide BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY GSN Staff Writer

ctivists, artists and other speakers from around the world will come to Scottsdale this week for Scottsdale Community College’s seventh Genocide Awareness Week – dedicated to educating guests on past and ongoing threats throughout the world. The event, which attracts thousands of people a year, is free to the public and features professional talks, documentary and film showings and interactive exhibits. “It’s now become the largest conference in the world on genocide, and it all started here eight years ago,” said ohn Liffiton, SCC faculty and director of the Genocide Conference. Liffiton said visitors have come from as far away as Papua New Guinea to attend the conference in the past. The event originated as an educators’ workshop in une eight years ago. Despite taking place when many instructors were out of town, Liffiton said 13 teachers showed up. Today, the conference spans many days

People from around Arizona and the nation will be visiting Scottsdale Community College this week for presentations and reflection on genocide.

and includes a diverse range of presentations, from those directed towards educators and students to talks directed towards law enforcement professionals on the importance of protecting human rights. The enthusiasm for the week has only grown over the years, and Liffiton credits retired SCC President Jan Gehler for

embracing his idea to expanding it into a weeklong conference in the spring. At the first week-long conference, Liffiton said, about 1,2 people showed up. “Now it’s close to 3,000 people per year just for the presentations,” Liffiton said. “The educational exhibits are 8,000 to 10,000.”

Despite being nearly a decade into the project, Liffiton said he is focused on providing new content and presenters for visitors. “My responsibility as the founder and director is I have to make it different every year,” Liffiton said, noting that while some speakers return after a few years, every year’s agenda is unique. Last year’s event focused on the return of artwork looted by the Nazis. This year, the event will look at the ewish Diaspora in Asia. Liffiton said many ewish refugees fled to places like Manila and Shanghai during the Holocaust. Liffiton said the only speaker who comes back every year is Oskar Knoublaugh, a Holocaust survivor. “Oscar is a survivor from World War II, and there are very few survivors … he has made a curriculum that is a very good curriculum for teachers to teach about the Holocaust,” Liffiton said. “He can give a very articulate message that is inspiring to people … to be aware of what’s going on and to be an upstander (sic) as opposed to a bystander.”

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GILBERT SUN NEWS AN EDITION OF THE SUNDAY EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE | APRIL 14, 2019

GENOCIDE from page 21

The week includes one day dedicated to the Holocaust and also features talks and presentations on other genocides that have taken place throughout the world in places like Ukraine, Armenia and other countries. “We cover Guatemala, Cambodia, Darfur, Rwanda and Native Americans, because we are on tribal land,” Liffiton said. This year’s event also features an exhibit on the film “Filming the Camps From Hollywood to Nuremberg,” which chronicles famed US filmmakers ohn Ford, George Stevens and Samuel Fuller’s documenta-

MCCORD from page

tion of the realities of war and Nazi concentration camps during their service in the US military and secret service during World War II. The exhibit, presented by Paris-based Memorial de la Shoah in the Student Center Lobby, will remain until April 3 . The week will feature a showing and discussion of the film on April 1 . It will begin in earnest on April 15 and run through April 20. Each day features a variety of talks, documentaries and plays presented by survivors, educators, law enforcement professionals, artists and activists. The event will officially wrap up April

sertation but instead take a little time to spend with his wife and family.” Carr praised McCord’s service to the district and read a poem he wrote for the occasion. He also presented McCord with letters from the Gilbert mayor and Mesa mayor congratulating him for his achievement. And, Carr noted the importance of family support and presented McCord’s wife, Kristin, with a vase of flowers. He also presented a gift to McCord, a desk nameplate reflecting his new title.

Shane McCord

24 with a memorial service held at SCC’s genocide memorial monument. The service will feature a diverse lineup of religious and secular leaders, including Scottsdale Mayor im Lane. Liffiton said the overall conference is important for a number of reasons. “The importance is understanding history, so we can recognize certain trends and certain things that are happening,” Liffiton said. He said the topics and issues brought up at the conference give context to the decisions individuals make every day. “So you look at it from a practical point of view and people need to know what’s

The board in 2017 hired McCord, who was an assistant superintendent of Mesa Public Schools and a former employee of Gilbert Public Schools. McCord, had worked at the Gilbert school district for 19 years as a fourth-grade teacher, sixth-grade teacher, assistant principal of Gilbert High School, principal of Houston Elementary, director of Community Education, executive director of human resources and assistant superintendent. He left the district for Mesa Public Schools in 2014. Gilbert Public Schools is the fourth largest school district in the state with 35,000 students and 40 campuses.

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going on, so they know what to vote for, who to vote for … what to buy, what not to buy and what you think about certain issues,” Liffiton said. Beyond that, he said it is a way to honor the victims. “It’s important to honor the people who lost their lives, because otherwise, if you don’t honor those people and remember that these people were not allowed to live and have normal lives … then by not honoring them, by not remembering them like this, is like (saying) their lives weren’t important, and they were,” Liffiton said. Information: scottsdalecc.edu/genocide

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GILBERT SUN NEWS AN EDITION OF THE SUNDAY EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE | APRIL 14, 2019

Farnsworth objects to repeal of ‘no promo homo’ law BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

he state’s controversial “no promo homo’’ law is on its way out – but Gilbert Sen. Eddie Farnsworth thinks it’s a bad idea. Gov. Doug Ducey last week signed legislation repealing sections of state sex-education laws that prohibit teachers from promoting homosexuality as a positive lifestyle. Those same laws also spell out that if schools teach about “safe sex’’ they cannot say there is any such possibility when it involves homosexual conduct. His action came less than an hour after a 19-11 vote by the Senate The House gave its approval on Wednesday. Sen. Tony Navarrete, D-Phoenix, said he wished that law, adopted in 1991, had not been on the books when he was going to school. “Things could have been a lot different and I could have come out sooner," he told colleagues. And Sen. ictoria Steele, D-Tucson, discussed the problems that her son, also gay, faced while he was going to school. But Republican Farnsworth said there’s

a good reason the law is on the books: medical evidence. He said 67 percent of new AIDS cases are among gay men. “This was not in 1991, nor is it for those of us who are voting ‘no,’ intended to be discriminatory," he said. “It’s intended to reflect that a certain lifestyle actually lead to certain spread of this particular disease." Sen. Sylvia Allen, R-Snowflake, said she doesn’t believe that schools are a proper venue to discuss sex education and AIDS, no matter whether homosexual or heterosexual. The law officially will come off the books 9 days after the end of the legislative session, meaning likely sometime this summer. Lawmakers moved to repeal provisions of the bill rather than try to defend it in court. On a 55-5 margin, the House of Representatives voted to strip making illegal any course that “promotes a homosexual lifestyle," a second forbidding anything that “portrays homosexuality as a positive alternative life-style,” and one banning teachers from suggesting that “some

methods of sex are safe methods of homosexual sex." There is no similar bar on teaching “safe" heterosexual sex. The action came less than 24 hours after Attorney General Mark Brnovich told lawmakers he did not intend to mount a defense to the lawsuit filed in federal court last month by Lambda Legal and Educational Foundation on behalf of Equality Arizona and two students who are gay. That lawsuit charged the state statute “facially discriminates against non-heterosexual students on the basis of sexual orientation and places them in an expressly disfavored class." State schools chief Kathy Hoffman, who called for repeal of the law earlier this year in her State of Education speech, said she had no interest in trying to defend it. And the state Board of Education, also named as a defendant, had been set to meet Monday to choose whether its members wanted to try to defend the law. Brnovich, in his letter to legislative leaders Tuesday, told them they are free to take on the legal fight. Instead, the decision was made to repeal it.

It wasn’t just legislative leaders who backed the repeal. Cathi Herrod, president of the Center for Arizona Policy, said she agreed with the decision by lawmakers that repeal is probably the way to go. “There’s no purpose in the state going through years of litigation over these contested provisions," she told Capitol Media Services. That is a major departure for Herrod, whose organization lobbies on behalf of what it says are “family values" and marriage, and which unsuccessfully fought against allowing same-sex marriage. After the lawsuit was filed last month, Herrod said the challenged provisions were important for “the safety of our children." So what changed? “I had not reviewed the lawsuit," said Herrod, who is an attorney. Anyway, Herrod said, it’s not like the legislation will leave those teaching about HI and AIDS free to tell students whatever they want. “The intent of the law can be carried out without the contested provisions," she said.

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Gilbert boy, 8, thrives with online school

BY CECILIA CHAN GSN Managing Editor

icholas Pulczinski showed off his model of a human body for a science project that he crafted out of clay, straws and leftover pleather upholstery he used for its skin. The Gilbert boy flipped over the body that he named “Bob” to reveal handmade organs, including the heart, liver, gallbladder and esophagus. He wanted to make a working digestive system, but his dad bought the wrong-size tube, he explained. Nicholas is 8 and what he’s able to do comes as no surprise to his parents, who saw hints of his intellect early on. At 15 months, Nicholas not only could recite the alphabet but he could name all the planets in the solar system. He could spell his name out loud at 2 and was reading full sentences by 3. “He can articulate at a 6th-7th grade level,” said mom Ann. “He reads at an 8th-9th grade level.” But he can’t tie his shoes and he sometimes puts his pants on backwards, she said.

Nicholas Pulczinski, 8, of Gilbert, is gifted but challenged by neurological disorders but is thriving in online classes with Arizona Virtual Academy. (Kimberly Carrillo/GSN Staff Photographer)

Nicholas is “gifted non-neurotypical,” which means he lives with certain neurological disorders and has an extremely high IQ. “He’s not delayed at all from a school standpoint,” Ann said. “But he can’t sit well and can’t focus. For him to follow a schedule and structure is very difficult.”

For Nicholas, late onset traits such as chewing, anxiety, highpitched tantrums that would last hours on end and getting up and leaving the classroom began in kindergarten and got worst by first grade. He has developmental and auditory processing delay and severe ADHD. “I kept getting calls from

school,” Ann said. Online learning was suggested, which she and her husband initially vehemently opposed. “I said, ‘I would never home-school my kids,’” Ann said. “I took a 180 from that perspective. So did my husband.” Nicholas has been enrolled since the

second semester of first grade in the gifted-learner program at Arizona Virtual Academy, where he is thriving. The K-12 charter school boasts an enrollment of about 4,000 students statewide and has ranked two years in a row as one of the top 50 high schools in the state based on SAT scores by the Phoenix Business Journal. Online learning is evolving and growing and is not just for higher education anymore. It’s become one of the fastest growing education opportunities in the K-12 sector, according to a report by Research and Markets. The market research firm forecast the virtual schools market in North America to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 12.82 percent during 2017-21. Online schools offer a diverse course curriculum at a fee that is relatively lesser when compared with traditional institutions, the report said. Students attend online schools full-time for a number of reasons such as medi-

see NICHOLAS page 27

Raising Special Kids celebrates 40 years BY COTY DOLORES MIRANDA GSN Contributor

hristopher Tiffany is having a momentous year. Not only is he marking his first full year as executive director of the nonprofit Raising Special Kids, but he is at the helm as the organization marks its 40th Anniversary this month. With the motto “Families Helping Families,” Raising Special Kids is Arizona’s family-to-family parent-training and information center and a founding member of Parent-to-Parent USA. Tiffany said Raising Special Kids, founded in 1979 as a grassroots effort, offers information about health care, resources available to parents and their families. The group, whose board includes a Gilbert resident, also provides support services to help them make informed decisions about their children’s care. “This began as a small group of parents

Special needs children are the heart of the mission of Raising Special Kids, a nonprofit marking 40 years of service this year. (Special to GSN)

gathering around a kitchen table. In 1979, Raising Special Kids served under 100 families; in 2018 we touched the lives of

more than 9,000 families,” said Tiffany. “We’re a ‘teach-to-fish model,’” he ex-

plained. “We build parents’ capacity to get what they need for their kids.” And that is personally impactful to him and wife Paulina whose son, Jeremy, 12, was diagnosed with autism a decade ago. It helped him understand what families of special needs kids go through to find help for their children’s progress. “When my son was diagnosed, my perspective shifted quickly. I was able to understand why parents advocated so strenuously for their children,” he said. Raising Special Kids provides their services in English and Spanish at no cost. The nonprofit is funded through federal and state grants and private donations. “We’re non-disability-specific,” said Tiffany. “We serve parents and families who have children with the full range of disabilities.” Raising Special Kids is Arizona’s Parent Training and Information Center. Estab-

see FAMILY page 29

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GILBERT SUN NEWS AN EDITION OF THE SUNDAY EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE | APRIL 14, 2019

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ANSWERS TO PUZZLES AND SUDOKU from Page 49 Kylie Knox, young Nicholas’ learning coach, left, and his mom, Ann Pulczinski, check out his model of a human skeleton. (Kimberly Carrillo/GSN Staff Photographer)

NICHOLAS from page 26

cal or behavioral issues, are engaged in a time-consuming pursuit such as arts or sports, or have not been academically successful in a brick-and-mortar school and are seeking a different mode of instruction, according to Evergreen Education Group, a K-12 education online learning research and advisory company. Most full-time online schools are charter schools that enroll students from across entire states, but a growing number are being run by districts or regional service agencies that enroll students from within a defined boundary, Evergreen reported. Gilbert Public Schools offers Gilbert Global Academy High School for students in grades 7-12. Students can enroll in the academy full-time or take online courses to supplement their normal class load. “Originally when we started online school we did it out of necessity,” Ann said. “He was leaving school and that was a safety hazard.” Nicholas currently goes for occupational therapy and is being treated for his brain imbalance by a doctor specializing in the autonomic nervous system. Ann’s original intention was to put Nicholas back into a brick-and-mortar classroom when he reached third grade, but that’s no longer the case. Ann said she has seen more interaction between Nicholas and his teachers at Arizona Virtual Academy then when he was in a regular classroom. And he was allowed to compete in a science fair as a third-grader instead of waiting until he was in the fifth grade in a traditional classroom setting, she said. “He gets a set of assignments he can work

at his own pace,” she said, adding Nicholas will finish his grade level this month. Ann, who is a project director for a food service company, is able to stay home with Nicholas, who was adopted as a newborn and is the couple’s only child. Ann said one of her initial concerns was lack of socialization by having Nicholas enrolled in distance learning. But she learned the academy offers academic and social outings such as clubs, student government and field trips. Nicholas would occasionally play with two neighborhood boys, but he would always gravitate back to something involving learning. He’s just now teaching himself how to code for fun. “Anything he does in play is educational,” Ann said. His most recent project was trying to determine the best color of light under which to grow plants, which he believed could lead to space colonization. “I really want to go to Mars,” said Nicholas, who’s built himself a spaceship out of a cardboard box. His bedroom is done up with a space theme with the solar system painted on the walls. His favorite planet, however, is Jupiter because of its Great Red Spot, which is really orange, explained Nicholas who’s a walking encyclopedia when it comes to the cosmos. One day, he hopes to be an astronaut, he said. He’s also wanted to be a doctor, scientist or computer programmer, his mom added. Ann said although she and her husband, Scott, both have master’s degrees, they still have to keep up with Nicholas. “He just educates us all the time,” she said.

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Philanthropic women’s group keeps on growing

WWC Valley of the Sun has three groups: one in Scottsdale, one in Ahwatukee and an East Valley branch. The East Valley branch will meet 5:307:30 p.m. April 18 at JC’s Steakhouse, 25 East Ray Road, Gilbert. Guests are welcome and more information is at 100WWCValleyOfTheSun.org. Tarnopolski makes it clear that WWC Valley of the Sun isn’t a charity. Nor is it a nonprofit. “We, simply, are a philanthropic group of women,” Tarnopolski said. “Our members write their checks directly to the charity.” Tarnopolski formed the Valley of the

boards.” And so WWC Valley of the Sun was formed. As the name of the group suggests, each group has more than 100 women, with the exception of East Valley, which was recently formed in 2018 but continues to grow. Tarnopolski describes the Valley of the Sun chapter’s women as 35 to 70 years of age, both retirees and working women. But the common denominator is all the women have a big heart and want to give back. “Yes, it’s about giving and supporting a charity, but it’s also about just learning

about charities,” Tarnopolski said. “That’s the great thing about this.” During the giving circles, three nominated and approved charities are randomly drawn. The WWC members who nominated the charities then make an informal presentation, stating why they believe the charity is deserving of the members’ vote and check. After a Q&A, anonymous ballets are then cast, and the charity with the most votes receives the members’ donations. Each member writes a $100 check made directly to the charity, no exceptions. Those who are not in attendance at the giving circle can send a blank check to the chapter or donate directly to the charity via their website or other preferred method. It’s not necessarily $100 per person, either. The Valley of the Sun chapter allows teams, so the $100 can be split two, three, four different ways, depending on the size of the team. The final step of the quarterly giving circle is the executive committee collects all of the checks and gives the money to the charity within one month of the giving circle. In total, WWC Valley of the Sun has raised and donated $375,325 to 46 local charities. Tarnopolski said the group welcomes new members. “We’re always looking for opportunities,” Tarnopolski added, “whether it’s foundations here in the Valley who would be interested in what we’re doing and we want to do some matching donations with us.”

Running for over 20 years, Gilbert Fire’s car seat clinic aims to help educate new parents on how to properly install car seats, said Jean Sperke, the community programs coordinator for the department. “When they hired for my position, this was one of the things we wanted to revamp and make it bigger and better,” Sperke said. “Gilbert is a young community, we have a ton of babies, so we just kept growing it.” Sperke has been with the department for 16 years and helps put on their various community programs, including a check of smoke detectors in the homes of seniors and others who may not be able to and educating families about drowning prevention. The Car Seat 101 clinics take place the first Thursday of every month and parents can check times and locations at gilbertaz.gov/departments/fire-and-rescue/

community-programs. Both firefighters and volunteers can become car seat technicians, but they have to go through extensive training first, she said. “In order to become a tech, it’s a 32-hour class and certification, Larry and I are instructors, they’re in house, we teach it here and we teach it in other cities to help them get techs,” Sperke said. “It’s handson, a lot of it is test taking and when they leave that, we do an event and have people come in and test their skills.” For those certified, like firefighter Nate Lanzon, the ability to be able to confidently help parents appealed to him, he said. “This opportunity became available and there were four of us working together and we jumped in,” Lanzon said “Plus, we all have little kids, I was expecting, our other buddy was going on his second kid, it helped.”

The program not only ensures seats are properly installed but teaches parents how to do it, Sperke said. The program also encourages parents to come in ahead of the time their baby is due so that their cars are ready for the big day, but that doesn’t always work out that way, MacDonald said. “Just last week there was a woman who gave birth early, so she was in the hospital and they won’t let her go unless she has a car seat properly installed, so I got to go to the hospital and meet them there,” MacDonald said, adding: “I went up to her room and went through the instructions in there, helped them put it in the car.” Sperke continues to be passionate about the program because “it’s just seeing those babies and keeping them safe.”

BY KRISTINE CANNON GSN Staff Writer

arlier this year, around 60 women, checks in hand, gathered at the Scottsdale Hilton Resort & Villas. For one hour, from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., three women addressed the room, speaking about the charity of their choosing – a charity they hope will be on the receiving end of a multi-thousand-dollar check. That night, the group – 100+ Women Who Care (WWC) Valley of the Sun – chose Phoenix-based nonprofit Gabriel’s Angels. Later, WWC Valley of the Sun Chief Community Builder Kim Tarnopolski and cofounder Jacqueline Destremps presented a check to Gabriel’s Angels for $9,050. Said Nan Ater, board chair of Gabriel’s Angels executive committee: “It is wonderful to share our mission of inspiring confidence, compassion and best behaviors in at risk children through pet therapy.” Ater said the nonprofit plans to use the money to support its 190 pet therapy teams. “These Pet Therapy teams deliver healing pet therapy to Arizona’s at-risk children, nurturing their emotional development and enhancing the quality of the lives forever at over 125 child serving agencies and visit 15,200 children annually,” she said. WWC has groups around the U.S., Canada and worldwide; two WWC chapters are located in the Valley: WWC Phoenix and WWC Valley of the Sun.

Kim Tarnopolski, left, of Ahwatukee and fellow Ahwatukee resident and Realtor Christie Ellis are big supporters of, and evangelists for, 100+ Women Who Care Valley of the Sun. (Special to GSN)

Sun WWC chapter five years ago, in 2015, after attending one of the WWC Phoenix chapters’ giving circles. “I thought, you know what, I’m going to do this on my own,” she said. “I called up some friends and said, ‘Hey, I think I’ve found our next thing.’” Tarnopolski was looking for a new venture. She had recently retired as an HR executive and consultant for over 18 years, and her daughter was going into middle school. “I decided it was time to take a hiatus and just be really present for [my daughter],” she said. “And I’ve always been involved with the charitable world and sat on

Gilbert car seat program helps keep kids safe BY JAMES CARR GSN Contributor

he Gilbert Fire Department helps over 400 families annually learn how to properly install car seats at their Car Seat 101 clinics, the community programs coordinator said. In order to take a newborn baby home from the hospital, parents must have a properly installed car seat – a task that’s easier said than done, according to Larry MacDonald, a Gilbert volunteer for over 10 years. Safe Kids Worldwide says 75 percent of all car seats are installed improperly, putting the child’s safety at risk. “I’ve seen that statistic as well. About 75 percent? I think that’s on the low side, it all depends on what you view as being incorrect,” MacDonald said.

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GILBERT SUN NEWS AN EDITION OF THE SUNDAY EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE | APRIL 14, 2019

FAMILY from page 26

lished under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and with a grant from the United States Department of Education, each state has at least one PTI. As an award-winning PTI Center, Raising Special Kids works with and for kids ages birth to 26 years across the state. Disabilities of all types are served, whether physical, developmental, intellectual, behavioral, emotional or those with learning disabilities. Parents throughout the state are offered workshops to help their children. Gilbert resident Karin Smith, a Raising Special Kids board member for the past six years, has actually been involved with the nonprofit for more than three decades. “My family first became involved with the organization when my younger sister Courtney was born with severe mental and physical disabilities,” she said. “I was 10 years old when Courtney and her twin were born, and didn’t always understand all the circumstances of Courtney’s unique needs,” said Smith, who is a partner at HeinfeldMeech, an accounting, auditing and consulting firm. “Raising Special Kids provided my parents with the resources to help navigate the exceptional needs of Courtney so that

their time was not limited with me and all my siblings, and there were eight of us,” Smith said, adding: “My father has always said he isn’t the father of a child with special needs, he is the father of eight children with special needs.” But Smith said it wasn’t only her younger sister affected by services provided by Raising Special Kids. “As I entered into my young adult life, I was diagnosed with a learning disability in college and Raising Special Kids was able to help me better understand my own needs and how to best access education resources at University of Arizona,” said Smith, who holds three masters degrees. They include an MBA from the University of Arizona, public administration from Arizona State and educational leadership from Northern Arizona University. “I’m proud to serve as a board member for this amazing organization,” she added. “Raising Special Kids has had a very profound and personal impact on my family and so many families across the state of Arizona.” Of the 15 Raising Special Kids board members, three are from the East Valley, including Chandler residents Maya Rao and Mallory Lee. Information: RaisingSpecialKids.org

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Community College salutes Northrup Grumman exec GSN NEWS STAFF

Northrup Grumman executive has been named a Hero of Education by Chandler-Gilbert Community College. Rick Kettner, senior director of engineering, was saluted for helping to facilitate an engineering aide program that gives college students real-world experience. “The program here has given me further insight into the world of rocketry, as well as help guide me into a career that I want for myself, providing even more motivation to complete this degree,” said Thomas Johnson, a student and co-op participant. “Overall, it’s been the best experience of my time in college and I guarantee I’ll be a much better engineer because of it,” he added. Student Robert Kohl Klepinger said the program gave him a chance to work with engineers on projects “that

were meaningful and very interesting.” “The knowledge that I gained while at Chandler-Gilbert allowed me to offer extra help to the Northrop team as I got heavily involved in different code writing tasks. The experiences I gained while at Northrop Grumman have only excited me to pursue my education further,” he said. CGCC President Dr. Greg Peterson praises Kettner’s efforts to engage with students interested in engineering. “Rick embraces CGCC’s mission of creating learning experiences and growth opportunities for students in our communities,” said Peterson. “The Northrop Grumman partnership provides students the possibility to gain real-world engineering training here in the south East Valley.” Heroes of Education events have raised over $1.5 million in scholarships for Maricopa Community Colleges students.

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GILBERT SUN NEWS AN EDITION OF THE SUNDAY EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE | APRIL 14, 2019

HIGLEY HAPPENINGS BY MICHELLE REESE GSN Guest Writer

Black Hawks earn national computing awards

Williams Field High School seniors Fernanda Villafana Benitez and Anna Roux recently received recognition and awards from the National Center for Women and Information Technology (NCWIT). Fernanda Villafana Benitez is the president of RoboHawks, the school’s award-winning robotics team. Anna is the president Williams Field High seniors Fernanda Villafana Benitez and Anna Roux are of the school’s Engineerbudding engineers. (Higley Unified) ing Club and instrumental in promoting the engineering program, which has grown from 50 students year one to over 100 the second year. Anna is an honorable mention winner for the NCWIT’s Aspirations in Computing awards. She plans to attend Northern Arizona University in the fall to study electrical engineering. Fernanda is a scholarship winner. She plans to attend Embry Riddle Aeronautical University to study software engineering with an emphasis in cyber security.

Cooley winter guard teams win championships

Cooley Middle School competed at the WGAZ State Championships at ASU Wells Fargo Arena in March and brought home three state championships. The Cooley Color Guard earned their sixth consecutive State Championship! The Cooley Guard split into two guards for the first time this season and both the seventh grade and eighth grade Cooley Guards won champion titles. The Percussion Ensemble competed in their first season and brought home a state championship.

Higley colorguard wins WGAZ title

Higley Knights participated in the Winter Guard Arizona Championships in March at the ASU downtown campus. Competing from The Higley Knights Color Guard percussion unit placed fifth in the state Higley High was the championships last month at ASU’s downtown campus. Higley Indoor Per(Higley Unified) cussion Ensemble, and both the Silver and Navy Winter Guards. It was a strong showing from all three Higley groups. “A lot of hard work and practice was put in by the students to get ready for finals,” said Ches Sharp, Higley High band director. Percussion finished in fifth place in their division after being moved up to the higher division just the week before. Navy colorguard finished in fourth place. Silver colorguard finished with the championship banner in the Scholastic Region-

The Higley Knights Color Guard percussion unit placed fifth in the state championships last month at ASU’s downtown campus.

al A Mirage Division. “Congratulations to all the students and staff for their successes this season,” Sharp said. In addition, senior Kaelee Brewer from the Navy guard was named one of five Winter Guard Arizona scholarship recipients.

(Higley Unified)

Higley High students earn language honors

Three students from Higley High will represent their schools this summer during foreign language studies camps aboard. Dane Shillingburg, Ashley Nichols and Kevan Beckstead earned the honors in the National Security Language Initiative for Youth national competition. Nearly 6,000 students nationwide this year submitted written applications for the first round of the selection process. Semi-finalists were chosen to go through a interview process prior to the final selection of students chosen to represent the United States. The three students are all taught Higley High students who earned honors in a national security language contest are Dane Shillingburg, Ashley by Higley High’s Mandarin teacher, Nichols and Kevan Beckstead. (Higley Unified) Panna Leatherby. Ashley and Kevin will travel to China to study Mandarin while Shillingburg will travel to South Korea for Korean studies.

Higley kindergarten registration event is April 25

Higley Unified School District will offer an additional Kindergarten Round-Up night for families interested in enrolling their children for the 2019-20 school year. It will be held 6 p.m. April 25 at all Higley elementary schools. Kindergarten is open to all children who turn five years old by August 31. There are nine neighborhood schools in the district. Each school offers a rigorous curriculum with specialized programs at various sites. Some of the featured programs include Spanish Immersion, Mandarin Immersion, Project Based Learning and a Traditional Academy. For additional information, visit husd.org/kru.

Registration for summer camp has begun

Discovery Summer Camp: Passport to the World will be held May 28-July 12 at San Tan Elementary and Coronado Elementary in the Higley Unified School District. Camp is offered 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays for children ages 3 through 12. Cost is $40 daily, and includes a snack. Join us as we take a trip around the world and explore new cultures. Register today so you don’t miss out on all the fun around the world! To register: husd.org/communityed

GILBERT SUN NEWS AN EDITION OF THE SUNDAY EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE | APRIL 14, 2019

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New butcher shop opens in Gilbert BY JAMES CARR GSN Contributor

Gilbert residents have access to fresh local and exotic meats, thanks to a new butcher shop opening in town. Owners Krista and Dan Roosevelt are bringing both small business and some meaty experience to the Gilbert Butchery, which opened last Monday and has a grand opening the day after Easter. “That’s one thing I want to do here is make sure it’s all fresh, fresh ground turkey, ground chicken, all-fresh,” Dan Roosevelt said. “Fresh grind: you don’t get fresh grind in stores anymore.” Gilbert Butchery is bringing locallysourced, Arizona grass-fed beef along with natural meats from smaller farms, unlike the commodity meat sold in most grocery stores, Dan Roosevelt said. Krista Roosevelt said the decision to

set up shop in Gilbert was easy because they live in the town. “We live right across the street, it’s one of the reasons why we looked here,” Krista Roosevelt said. “I love it, we can walk to work.” They plan to bring more than just fresh meats and in-house carving down the road, Dan Roosevelt said. They also plan on working with local breweries to make beer brats and will offer exotic meats such as alligator, beaver and zebra, he said. Dan Roosevelt said he is bringing a passion for his craft with him to the workplace. “It’s fun cutting. There’s an art to it especially if you bring in the whole side,” Dan Roosevelt said. Running a successful butcher shop is no small feat, said Danny Johnson of Taylor’s Market in Pasadena, California,

see BUTCHER page 33

Gilbert Butchery owners Dan and Krista Roosevelt have opened a butcher shop in Gilbert . (Kimberly Carrillo/GSN Staff Photographer)

Gilbert firm pioneering a new age in agriculture BY CECILIA CHAN GSN Managing Editor

rower Enrique Garcia has seen robust improvements with his crops – higher yields and improved quality – thanks to microscopic algae grown in Gilbert. Garcia, who has farm land in Yuma and California, used a product called PhycoTerra, a proprietary whole-cell pasteurized liquid containing algal-based solids produced from microalgae. “By using PhycoTerra on our foliar applications on broccoli, our yields and quality improved dramatically,” he said. “By using the organic blend our snow peas, instead of two passes per harvest our fields yielded thee to four passes extra.” PhycoTerra promises to naturally boost soil microbiome, which results in healthier dirt that yields bigger and bet-

see SOIL page 3

The staff at Heliae Development in Gilbert includes, from left: Michael Miller, field sales agronomy; Doug Ranno, vice president of sales and marketing; Matthew Olson, technical sales account manager; and Amy Rial, greenhouse supervisor. . (Kimberly Carrillo/GSN Staff Photographer)

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GILBERT SUN NEWS AN EDITION OF THE SUNDAY EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE | APRIL 14, 2019

BUTCHER from page 32

a 36-year veteran of the business. “It’s kind of an oxymoron. ou need to have no fear and lots of fear,” Johnson said. “No fear of failing but a fear of failing, that phone not ringing and that door not opening.” Johnson said that running a butcher shop can be challenging without the proper attention to detail. Johnson said if a shop he walks into doesn’t have either a good smell or no smell, he leaves quicker than he entered. Johnson said it’s also important to have the right kind of service. “When I say ‘service,’ it’s not only knowing how to cut it and display it properly but knowing how to cook it,” Johnson said. “Share some value with the customer, do classes if you have the ability.” And it’s not just cutting that’s important. Spending time washing dishes and cleaning the cutting areas take priority quickly in a small-business environment, he said. Johnson said the Roosevelts are getting off on the right foot. “It’s starting small, you start with one guy and go from there,” Johnson said. “Too many new butcher shops are

Gilbert Butchery on the southeast corner of Val Vista Drive and Warner Road offers traditional and exotic meats. (Kimberly Carrillo/GSN Staff Photographer)

starting with too many guys and it looks good aesthetically but leads to disaster.” Dan Roosevelt started his career as a butcher at Safeway for 15 years, hanging beef. After that, he worked and eventually managed an Albertson’s meat area. Besides a variety of fresh cut and

ground meats and sausages, Gilbert Butchery also will have all-natural dog food and marrow bones, the Roosevelts said. Gilbert Butchery is located on the southeast corner at 96 S. al ista Drive in Gilbert, Suite 101.

GILBERT BUTCHERY: 965 S. Val Vista Drive Gilbert info@gilbertbutchery.com

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GILBERT SUN NEWS AN EDITION OF THE SUNDAY EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE | APRIL 14, 2019

The plants fed by Heliiae Development’s PhycoTerra tend to have a more robust root system, which allows for greater stability.

The green houses at Heliae Development in Gilbert are loaded with plants, some grown with PhycoTerra and some without for purposes of study. (Kimberly Carrillo/GSN Staff Photographer)

(Kimberly Carrillo/GSN Staff Photographer)

SOIL from page 32

ter tasting vegetables and fruit with a longer shelf life. The company behind this product is Heliae Development, which runs a stateof-the-art facility and a greenhouse for all research, testing and production on about 2 acres in southeast Gilbert. Heliae, which has about 6 employees, is all about soil. “We naturally stimulate the biological population in the soil so it creates healthier plants similar to probiotics for soil,” said Doug Ranno, vice president of sales and marketing. “This technology is the future of ag.” Microalgae found in the wild in fresh and salt water is brought back to the facility’s in-house laboratory for testing to see which works best for the company’s sustainability goals, according to Matthew Olson, technical sales account manager. Ranno calculated Heliae has 500-plus strains in its inventory. “Once we identify those strains, we grow them, propagate them,” Ranno said. “And after we propagate them and bring them out and farm them in large, completely contained growing areas…

we harvest them and we extract the goodness, the biomass and turn it into product like PhycoTerra.” Ranno said the product, registered as a soil amendment, is being tested or used on different crops. PhycoTerra has been on the market for less than two years. The company ships out thousands of gallons each week all around the country with each order batch-tested. It is currently establishing relationships in Latin America and other countries to bring the product there, according to Ranno. Although PhycoTerra might cost a bit more, it’s a wash at the end because growers find they may be able to eliminate other products, Ranno said. “So many of the growers have experienced from a few hundred dollars an acre to a few thousand” in savings on top of lower water bills, Ranno added. The product makes plants more resilient to common stressors, such as stem rot, and produce cleaner water runoff. It also helps the soil retain water – important for Arizona, which is currently experiencing a drought since 2 . “This helps growers grow with less water,” Ranno said. “You can save a lot of water with the right soil health and

right soil aggregation. Where water is a premium, growers are very receptive to implement this program.” He pointed to a farm trial that showed the product increased the capacity of the soil to hold onto 2 , more gallons of water per acre. “There’s a lot of next generational microalgae products coming down the pike right now,” Ranno said. “PhycoTerra conventional and PhycoTerra organic is what everyone is excited about. “We have demonstrated multiple times and with multiple crops and multiple examples the return to growers for an investment in this product.” He said the company also is working a dry form of PhycoTerra. eremy anderzyl, technical services director, said Duncan Family Farms in Buckeye was still testing PhycoTerra before using it commercially. The farm produces more than 8,000 acres of organic greens. “We’ve done some small-plot trial experiments with potted plants and we saw a noticeable difference there,” he said. The plants overall were larger and had a more established root system in the two rounds of small-plot testing last winter, he said.

In a much larger field trial, however, they didn’t see a noticeable difference between the plants with PhycoTerra and those without, according to anderzyl. “But it needs further trials and investigation,” he said. “It’s a unique product using algae and looking at how its ability to really super-charge the carbon cycle of soil is what peaked our interest in looking at it. We look forward in the future to do additional trials and learn more about it.” PhycoTerra has drawn raves from David Miller, of Nutrien Ag Solutions in Willcox, a distributor to feed growers. “We’ve had great success with it especially with water efficiency with crops,” Miller said, adding growers saw 10 percent savings in water cost. “I think there could be a real benefit for using the product especially for guys who don’t have a lot of water to deal with in growing crops.” He said there really are no negatives with the product, which is easy to use and is worker safe. The only reason why it’s probably not more widely used is because growers haven’t heard about it yet or don’t understand microalgae, he said. “It’s a newer technology in a growing market,” he said.

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Good news for both sellers and buyers in latest data GSN NEWS STAFF

pring has brought some good news for both sellers and buyers in the Phoenix housing market, according to a leading website that monitors trends in the alley. In its latest daily and semi-monthly looks at the alley housing market, the Cromford Report said recent sales and listings data show that supply of affordable homes is increasing slightly while demand also is creeping up. “Almost all the gloomy statements you may have seen about the Phoenix housing market outside the Cromford Report have proven to be wildly overblown,” it said. “It is in good shape and, thanks to lower interest rates and higher loan limits, we are seeing demand headed back to normal.” Looking at the rate of monthly sales, the report also said there is more supply in 2 19 than in 2 1 , though inventory remains lower than in 2 16 and 2 17 and “has dropped from its peak on Feb. 1 at a faster rate than the other three years.” “This is due to a fairly subdued rate of

incoming new listings and a rapid increase in demand due to more attractive interest rates,” the report said. Adding that “sellers should be pretty happy with the current situation,” the Cromford Report also said, “Buyers can be pleased that they have more choice than last year, at least between 2 , and 6 , , and can lock in lower rates for the time being. “There is something for everyone to be happy about,” it said. Realtor.com also had some good news for buyers looking for new homes. It listed Phoenix as number among the 10 cities in the nation that are seeing the most home construction. Ahead of Phoenix, starting with number 1, were Dallas, Houston, New York City and Atlanta. The 10 cities it said are “dominating new home construction” stand in sharp contrast to the country as a whole, where Realtor.com reported new home construction is slowing down. “The country is already at its lowest point in a decade for housing affordability, due largely to the shortage of homes on

State House OKs ban on large companies’ boycotts of Israel BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

laiming the boycotts are anti-Semitic, the state House voted Monday to deny public contracts to firms that refuse to do business with other companies that do business in Israel. The 37-21 vote came over often-tearful Rep. Athena Salman, D-Tempe told her colleagues of how her family members – some now here, some still in the living in occupied territories – have been treated. She said the movement, formally known as BDS -- for boycott, divest, sanction -- is designed to put pressure on Israel to end what she said are “Israeli human rights abuses’’ and illegal settlements in the West Bank. “People have a right to boycott,’’ said House Speaker Rusty Bowers, R-Mesa. And he said he did not doubt that there have been “immoral acts’’ on both sides of the conflict. But he said these were decisions taken in the heat of battle and in the heat of self-preservation. And Bowers said that

the state has a legitimate interest in using its economic power to deny public contracts to keep people from boycotting Israel. SB 1167 still needs final Senate approval of some minor House-made changes before going to Gov. Doug Ducey who signed a virtually identical bill in 2 16. Last year, however, U.S. District Court Judge Diane Humetewa enjoined the state from enforcing the law. She said the state cannot use its economy power to deny people their right to speak out. A federal appeals court is set to hear arguments in June. This new version is virtually identical to the law Humetewa found flawed -- but with one key difference: It applies only to companies with 10 or more employees with public contracts worth at least $100,000. That would mean that Flagstaff attorney Mik ordahl, who filed the original lawsuit with the aid of the American Civil Liberties Union, no longer has a case because his firm and his contract with the Coconino County Jail are too small.

the market,” Realtor.com said. “In February this year, according to U.S. Census Bureau data, 9.9 percent fewer homes than a year ago had been started but not yet completed. The lack of newly constructed homes is only exacerbating the crisis.” But the alley is an exception to that trend. Realtor.com said that with a median price of 337, , new home construction is perking along, with more than 31, building permits issued so far this year – a .7 percent increase from a year ago. “More people are moving into Phoenix than anywhere else in the nation," the website stated. “The biggest group of these newcomers are coming from highpriced Southern California and are willing to pay top dollar for newly constructed homes.” Those California transplants generally can sell for a sizable equity and buy something bigger in Phoenix,” according to Ali Wolf, director of economic research for Meyers Research, a real estate consulting firm that specializes in new-home data. “Often they’re buying sprawling, spanking-new, 3, -square-foot four-bedroom homes that can sell for over 6 , . But the influx of California transplants is mak-

ing affordability one of the biggest challenges for potential buyers here,” he said. The Cromford Report stated that active listings were up slightly over last year at this time, though sales in March were down 12 percent from March 2 1 while up 3 percent over February of this year. “The housing market across Greater Phoenix improved significantly during March but has yet to catch up with 2 1 ,” it said. “What we experienced starting in September 2 1 was a minor but noticeable drop in demand,” it added. “That declining trend is now being replaced by growth in demand … If this improvement keeps up then under contract listing counts could even overtake 2 1 during April. We will have to wait and see.” Though buyers may be chagrined by the fact that “prices continue to rise,” according to the Cromford Report, they’re not as quickly rising as they were a year ago. It put the overall median sales price at 27 ,711 up percent with the new home median price at just over 3 , and existing home median price at 26 , .

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Forget the tip. Pay workers a decent wage BY DAVID LEIBOWITZ GSN Columnist

aving recently endured another in a long line of lunches with my friend Bad Tipper Guy, I feel compelled to wonder aloud if it isn’t about time that we as a nation phased out the archaic custom of tipping service workers like restaurant servers and valet parkers. For one thing, tipping creates a business model that screws customers and employees in favor of increasing employer profits. And don’t we all have enough guilt and shame in our lives without piling on still more every time we dine out, visit a coffee shop, ride in an Uber or have a pizza delivered? Me, I’ve had enough guilt tripping – and guilt tipping – for three lifetimes. Take the aforementioned lunch. Because I know Bad Tipper Guy will do one

of two things when the lunch check arrives – deliver a dissertation on the 1938 federal Fair Labor Standards Act and subminimum wages or simply leave a single crumpled dollar bill on the table – I feel duty bound to offer to pay for lunch. Sometimes, BTG loudly insists that it’s his turn to buy. Him winning that argument means I have to lag behind as we leave the restaurant, usually by lying about needing to use the restroom. Then I have to double back to our table and add enough cash to his buck to get us to a 20 percent tip, minimum. Why go to all that trouble? Partially it’s my fear of bad karma. But mostly it’s the years I spent waiting tables for more Bad Tipper Guys and Gals than I care to remember. I earned $2.13 an hour in those days and was obligated to “tip out” a percentage of each check to the host staff and busboys. If a diner stiffed me or left behind a buck, that meant I actually paid for the privilege of waiting on their table.

A quarter century later, I still go out of my way to tip well, even though I strongly dislike the concept – and the way “tip creep” seems to be impacting more areas of society. Nowadays, there’s a tip jar on every counter: the bakery, the ice cream shop, the pet groomer, the car wash. That often leads to customers standing register-side, 53 cents in hand, waiting for the barista to return for the ceremonial dropping of the coins. Because if a tip falls in a Starbucks and no employee sees it or hears it jingle, was it really a tip at all? Then there’s the newfound popularity of Square, the app that allows anyone with a dongle and an iPad to take credit cards. Each Square transaction comes with a gratuity opportunity and suggested amounts – no tip, 15%, 20%, 25% – helpfully pre-calculated. Talk about a chance to feel like a grinch.

Now I find myself tipping people for labor-intensive acts like handing over an empty self-serve coffee cup or stuffing a wienie in a hot dog bun. The latest weird tip request As of an. 1, cheapo airline Frontier has started encouraging tips for flight attendants who sell travelers a pre-packaged sandwich or a can of soda. What’s next? Maybe a dental hygienist with a tip jar next to the tool tray. Or it’ll become customary to start slipping the minister a folded twenty after a particularly moving eulogy. Or, better yet, maybe we will move away from the gratuity model and instead pay people what they’re worth – even if that means a price hike. I’d rather hear Bad Tipper Guy complain about paying an extra two bucks for his stromboli than listen to him whine one more time about how tipping encourages indentured servitude in 21st century America.

answers. When Sarah turned nine, she was diagnosed with pervasive developmental and attention deficit disorder. The doctors added Asperger’s and anxiety to the diagnosis later that year. After a bit of research, we discovered the Southwest Autism Center of Excellence. They threw us a lifeline and we gladly grabbed it. SACE’s philosophy of serving Autism Spectrum Disorder members throughout their life span promotes high quality community-based services that are tailored to each member and family, delivering services in the most appropriate setting, in a timely fashion and while respecting the member’s and family’s cultural heritage. Individualized treatment plans are developed for each individual and their family, adapted to fit their particular strengths, needs and goals. SACE also offers comprehensive services that include medical, developmental and mental health providers in one setting – something we really needed.

A comprehensive evaluation provided the much-needed insight that allowed a team to put an action plan together for our daughter. Traditional cognitive behavioral therapy wasn’t working and SACE suggested and offered an alternative applied behavior analysis therapy in our home. We learned the motivation, questions and “why” behind Sarah’s behaviors. Our ABA therapist showed and taught us how to gain Sarah’s cooperation and design behavior modification strategies. Victoria also taught us how to parent without having emotional reactions to Sarah’s behaviors, which has created a much calmer home environment. It allows us to expect the behaviors and then work to modify them – parenting the child you have, not the one you were expecting. We still have hurdles with creating schedules, hygiene, time management and working independently, but we’re

making great strides. Sarah has also shown incredible progress in managing aggression, defiance and the need to harm herself. SACE’s psychiatric and nursing care has been amazing. Parenting classes and support groups provide a much-needed community for sharing challenges and wins with a group of people that really understand what you’re going through. I wish that people could understand that autism doesn’t take away a child’s humanity, dignity or desire for relationships. Individuals with autism have unique talents and gifts. They may need accommodations and parents may need extra patience, but every goal accomplished is precious.

Go beyond autism awareness this month BY REBEKAH MCCONNELL GSN Guest Writer

he month of April is very special to me. April is Autism Awareness Month. As with most “awareness” months, it’s an opportunity to create awareness for something that affects so many. Rather than just making people aware of the fact that autism exists, I’d like to see everyone take the extra step and promote acceptance and inclusion in schools and communities. Fourteen years ago, my husband and I were blessed with twins, a boy and a girl. Sarah and osiah were like most kids. They liked cartoons and animals and steered clear of activities deemed “no fun,” like brushing their teeth. But something about Sarah was different and it would be years of doctor appointments before we came up with any

- Rebecca McConnell lives in Mesa. The Southwest Autism Center of Excellence is a collaborative effort of Southwest Behavioral & Health Services and Southwest Human Development. Information: sbhservices.org or saceaz.org

Send your letters to Paul Maryniak at pmaryniak@timespublications.com

OPINION

GILBERT SUN NEWS AN EDITION OF THE SUNDAY EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE | APRIL 14, 2019

Kids, teens need a sturdy fence of prevention BY KATIE MCPHERSON GSN Guest Writer

new study out of the United States Centers for Disease Control looked at data from the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey and found there were 1.12 million emergency room visits for suicide attempts or suicidal thoughts by children ages 5 to 18 years in 2015. That number had risen sharply from 580,000 in 2007. Of those visits, 43 percent were ages 5 to 11 with the average patient age of 13. Statistics in most college mental health clinics across the country are reporting help seeking is up 168 percent. Our Pre-K-12 population is trending the same need. Spring is the time of year that we see a spike in the need for crisis supports. ur local nonprofit Teen Lifeline logs an uptick in 23 percent more calls and texts for support from our teens.

While the finality of prom, graduation and “becoming an adult” sounds fun, for many it marks the end of a journey, and an unknown step to a new beginning. State testing, final exams and the loss of connection to friends can also provoke feelings of anxiety as summer looms. As a consultant to schools and nonprofit agencies, I travel regionally and nationally almost weekly. There is not a zip code that I have visited that is not facing this crisis. Last week, a young man at one of my presentations in Lake Havasu City waited until the very last question was asked and then stood up asking where the administration was from his high school? How had he been encouraged to come to share solutions to stop the mental health crisis yet the adults had not? The room was eerily silent as the adults looked to each other with no response for this young man.

We have to show up, stand up and speak up to save lives. A coalition of thoughtful and civicminded children as part of Arizona March For Our Lives have drafted with bipartisan support a Student Bill of Rights as part of HB 295. School districts would be required to create a school-safety plan, which would outline how each school will respond to students in mental-health crises. It would also mandate that schools develop partnerships with outside community organizations or agencies that students can be referred to when counselors cannot provide long-term care. The alarm has been sounding in the alley of the Sun for a while, specifically in the zip codes through which we in the East Valley drive. A verse in a song written by oseph Malins and performed by ohn Denver says: “Let us stop at its source all this hurt,” cried he.

Come, neighbors and friends, let us rally. If the cliff we will fence, we might almost dispense With the ambulance down in the valley. Mayors are mobilizing, Superintendents are acting. Church leaders are calling for prayers of immediate healing. Kids are asking for help. The building of the fence is long overdue. As we enter May, Mental Health Awareness month, I hope you will join forces with me in your own communities by building a sturdy fence of prevention resources to protect our most important assets so there won’t be a need for ambulances or 14-year-old funerals. Arizona Teen Lifeline phone or text 602-248-8336. -Katie McPherson is an East Valley educator and advocate for improved mental and emotional support for young people.

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Sports & Recreation GILBERT SUN NEWS AN EDITION OF THE SUNDAY EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE | APRIL 14, 2019

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SPORTS

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Highland High twins a successful ‘couple of characters’ BY ERIC NEWMAN GSN Staff Writer

t does not appear a few late arrivals to track and field practice are too much of a hinderance for Highland juniors Sam and Ernest Green. The boys began running later than the rest of the team in an early-April training session after working on metal welding after school. But in the end, they wind up on various medal stands. “Sometimes it’s hard to find them to get started,” Highland track coach David Montgomery said, “but look how well they’ve done.” ver midway through the season, the twin brothers are among the state leaders in the -meter event, and will contend for the state championship in May. Sam boasted the best time in division I by finishing in 1 minute, 6.1 seconds.

Sam (left) and Ernest (right) Green, twin juniors at Highland High, are among the state’s top 800-meter runners. (Eric Newman/GSN Staff)

Ernest was just over a second behind at 1 7.3 to take third. The two have been running together since they were little, always racing

and participating in other activities together. The races are not always friendly, though. Part of what makes both runners spe-

cial athletes is due to their competitive spirit and will to put in the work to win. “I hate losing to him,” Sam said, looking over his shoulder at his brother. “ eah, and I hate losing to him, too,” Ernest added, laughing. “We’re competitive about everything, even like grades or stuff that’s not sports.” That competitive spirit fades quickly, though, as they take part in many activities together. Many include welding battle ships and maintaining a small garden growing corn outside their family’s Gilbert home. The brothers spend nearly all of their free time together. They are each other’s biggest fan on the track. “I’m always yelling encouragement to him when I watch him race,” Ernest said, “and, I know he’s doing the same for me.”

see HIGHLAND page 1

Gilbert’s MyKala Skinner springboards Utah to the top BY BRITTANY BOWYER GSN Contributing Writer

he University of Utah is known for its history of success in gymnastics. The school often draws in some of the top gymnasts in the country. For Gilbert native and Higley alum MyKayla Skinner, that was a key factor in her decision to commit to Utah over other powerhouse programs. “ ust being able to come to Utah, I was so excited. I was hoping that I could help lead the team and try to win another national championship,” said Skinner, now a junior at Utah. “ ust being here and being able to help out as much as I have has been incredible.” Skinner trained at Desert Lights Gymnastics in Chandler, one of the premier clubs in the state. Her success as a collegiate gymnast is just part of the long list

Utah’s MyKayla Skinner impressed at the Pac-12 Championships on March 23. The junior from Gilbert scored a perfect 10 on floor and finished the top-three in two other events. (University of Utah photo)

of accolades in her career. Skinner has competed around the globe since a young age, participating in and winning a number of international titles. She was selected as a 2 16 Rio lympics alternate after placing 2nd on vault behind eventual gold medalist Simone Biles, and fourth overall at the lympic Trials. Lisa Spini, Skinner’s former coach at Desert Lights, has witnessed firsthand how hard she’s worked and all that she’s sacrificed on her journey. “I’ve always enjoyed watching my gymnasts succeed in the NCAA. So watching MyKayla break all kinds of records is very exciting,” Spini said. “She will definitely go down as one of the top NCAA gymnasts ever.” At Pac-12 Championships last month, Skinner nailed her floor routine and

see SKINNER page 1

GILBERT SUN NEWS AN EDITION OF THE SUNDAY EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE | APRIL 14, 2019

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GILBERT SUN NEWS AN EDITION OF THE SUNDAY EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE | APRIL 14, 2019

SKINNER from page 39

scored a perfect 1 . It’s something she’s been working toward all season. But being able to accomplish it at the PAC12 Championships made it that much sweeter. “Anywhere to get a 1 , I think getting it at Pac-12’s is definitely a moment that I’ll never forget,” Skinner said. “ ust having the crowd there and all of our fans, and obviously the rivalry with UCLA, literally there is no feeling like it.” Skinner is known for the level of difficulty in her routines when she takes the floor. When her music begins and she starts to perform, she’s exciting to watch. Not only is it her explosive tumbling that captures everyone’s attention, it’s the way she is able to put on a show with her dance. “We kind of just thought of some different ways that I could draw in the judges and make them feel more like a part of my routine and to just go out there and enjoy it, and have them feel like they’re enjoying it, as well,” Skinner said. Skinner focused on her floor routine during the last few competitions of the season. She believes her constant preparation made a difference at the conference championship. There was a moment of anticipation as she and her teammates waited for the judges to score her routine. But when the score was finally revealed, the Utah faithful in the arena erupted in excitement.

HIGHLAND from page 39

While they are always working at improving their running technique, the two do not just add points to Highland track’s overall score at meets. The Greens are two of the most-beloved athletes on the team. Montgomery often laughs recalling some of the pair’s antics during long practice runs. He calls them a “couple of characters.” Among Montgomery’s favorite stories are Sam and Ernest eating bugs on the track, and laying prone on the ground at the top of a nearby hill pretending to shoot muskets at each other in an impromptu Civil War reenactment. All the while, they’re consistently leading the Hawks to track and field success. “The workouts can sometimes be a grind, and they just make it fun and not so intense, so that everyone’s working

“I couldn’t thank our fans enough,” Skinner said. “For them to give me a standing ovation and having them cheer and be just excited with me by my side the whole time, I’m so glad that it finally happened.” She claimed the floor title at the competition in a three-way tie with two athletes from UCLA. But she wasn’t done. Skinner also competed on vault, one of the hardest events in gymnastics, let alone the NCAA. She used her power to pull off a near-flawless routine. When she went to stick her landing, she moved slightly. Skinner knew that kept her from a perfect score. But she still had something to celebrate. “Being able to compete a double full, I think it’s one of the best feelings in the world because I like doing big skills and not very many people in college get to do the big skills,” Skinner said. Skinner scored a 9.9 to take home a share of the vault title. She was also in a four-way tie for second on bars. She called it a “dream come true” to be able to hit the high scores and keep accomplishing goals she’s set for herself on the competition floor. Utah came in second overall as a team with a score of 19 . 2 . The team qualified for regionals in Baton Rouge, where they were able to secure a spot in the NCAA Women’s Gymnastics Championships April 19 and 2 in Fort Worth, Texas. Skinner believes her and the rest of the Utes are peaking at just the right time. hard and enjoying themselves while they’re doing it,” Montgomery said. The two have already found success together on some of the biggest stages in Arizona. As sophomores, the Greens were contributors to the Highland x meter relay team that took gold at the 2 1 AIA State track and field championship last May. They hope to repeat that success. With their current times in the individual races, it is possible they could also don those medals at the 2 19 state meet. “They have a chance to be great, and they’re still just juniors,” Montgomery said. “They are going to get even better.” The Greens expect nothing less. “It’s been so cool the other times we’ve won races together. We’re hoping it can happen again for the championship,” Sam said.

Gilbert native MyKayla Skinner, who graduated from Higley High, has emerged as one of the top gymnasts in the country for the University of Utah. (University of Utah photo)

“This is the hardest part of season,” Skinner said. “This is where everything matters and everything counts.” Despite representing Utah on the floor during competitions, Skinner never forgets where she came from. She attributes much of her success to her time growing up and training in Arizona.

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“It’s been such an honor to accomplish so much in the past couple years that I have,” Skinner said. “I love it there, there’s where I grew up, that’s my home town. “I’m just grateful that I can still represent it. That will stick with me forever.”

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How many steps should I take? Setting goals BY CHUCK CORBIN GSN Guest Writer

n December of last year, the US Department of Health and Human Services issued new physical activity guidelines for Americans. Most people are now aware that the “key physical activity guidelines” for adults recommended 1 to 3 minutes of moderate-intensity equal in intensity to brisk walking or 7 to 1 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity each week and muscle and bone strengthening activities on two or more days per week e.g. exercise bands, weight training . Each of these types of physical activity are recommended in addition to your activities of normal daily living. The guidelines document offers the “talk test” as a way of determining the intensity of your exercise. When you’re being active, just try talking If you’re breathing hard but can still have a conversation easily, it’s moderateintensity activity, and if you can only say a few words before you have to take a breath, it’s vigorous-intensity activity.

Research indicates that as exercise intensity increases, enjoyment decreases for many people. For this reason, for most people regular moderate-intensity activity is the preferred option. Research also suggests that self-monitoring keeping track of what you do helps you to adhere to your activity goals. Wearing a pedometer, wearing a smart watch or tracking steps with your smart phone are ways to self-monitor moderateintensity activity. But how many steps should I take each day Most people have heard 1 , steps per day is a goal, but it assumes that “one size fits all” when it comes to setting step goals. The new guidelines include several

steps that will help you personalize your step goals. Step 1. Using your step counting device, determine your typical daily step count on days when you do no added bouts of walking. This is best done over several days. Step 2. Using the same step counter, measure the number of steps taken in a 1 -minute walk using your typical walking speed. If you take 1, steps during the 1 -minute walk, you can use the 1 step amount to help you set your step goal. Step 3. As a beginning point, set your daily step goal by adding your typical steps per day see Step 1 and steps required for walking 1 minutes see Step 2 . For example, if your typical daily step count is , you would add 1, steps. our starting goal would be to take 6, steps a day. Step 4. Add steps each week. A step count of 7, steps a day would equal 2 minutes and a step count of , would equal 3 minutes of walking in addition to typical activity each day. It is important to note that many people

take more or less than the , steps in typical daily activity. Also, some people take more or less than 1, steps when walking. Using the steps to determine your typical activity and your steps per 1 minutes of walking will help you set personalized goals. Starting progressively and gradually increasing activity is best. Step goals based on 1 -3 steps per week are good for achieving optimal health goals while increasing adherence to your exercise plan. Those who do not plan to be active seven days per week will need to add steps per day to achieve weekly step goals compared to those who exercise daily . The authors of the 2 1 Physical Activity Guidelines make it clear that “something is better than nothing.” Every step counts. When you start your walking plan and establish your step goals, be careful not to set goals too high. Finding a goal that you will adhere to is critical. If your goal makes your exercise seem too difficult, reset your goals. -Chuck Corbin is an ASU professor emeritus and 30-year resident of Ahwatukee.

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GET OUT

GILBERT SUN NEWS AN EDITION OF THE SUNDAY EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE | APRIL 14, 2019

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Hale rolls out 2019-20 season productions GET OUT STAFF

ale Centre Theatre in Gilbert has unveiled its 2019-2020 season of eight musicals and three comedies starting this August. Season tickets are available at the Hale Centre Theatre box office by calling 97-11 1, or by visiting HaleTheatreArizona.com. The theater is at 50 W. Page Ave. in Old Town Gilbert, across from the historic Gilbert Water Tower Park. The lineup includes: Bright Star. First up is this Broadway musical, a sweeping tale of family, love and redemption set against the backdrop of the American South in the 1920s and ‘ s. “The story unfolds as a rich tapestry of deep emotion, beautiful melodies and moving performances,” Hale said of the production, which runs Aug. 23- ct. . John Loves Mary. This charming and romantic 19 s comedy revolves around Mary, who has waited faithfully two years for her fianc ohn to return home from the war, only to discover that he has taken a wartime bride … or has he? The movie

The Hale Theater is currently undergoing a massive renovation, although shows are still going on, as it looks forward to the 2019-20 season. (Special for Get Out)

starred Ronald Reagan and Patricia Neal. Will run Sept. 2 through Nov. 19. Hello, Dolly! The show is about Dolly Levi, a New ork based matchmaker who merrily arranges things like furniture, daffodils and lives. A widow, Dolly finds herself in love with a “half-a-millionaire” and weaves a web of romantic complica-

tions involving him, his clerks, a pretty shopkeeper and her assistant. Playing ct. 1 -Nov. 23. A Christmas Carol. This Hale holiday classic for 17 years includes traditional carols, stunning costumes and magical special effects. Begins Nov. 29 and concludes on Christmas Eve.

Barefoot in the Park. Fresh off a honeymoon at the Plaza Hotel, free-spirited Corie and her buttoned-down husband Paul find themselves struggling to adjust to married life in their run-down New ork apartment. pens New ear’s Eve and plays through Feb. , 2 2 . Always...Patsy Cline. Based on a true story about Cline’s friendship with a fan from Houston named Louise Seger, who befriended the star in a Texas honkytonk in 1961. The musical, complete with down home country humor and even some audience participation, includes many of Patsy’s unforgettable hits. Runs an. 1 -April 1 . Guys and Dolls. Set against New ork City in the 19 s, this Broadway musical returns with classic songs like “Luck Be a Lady,” “Take Back our Mink” and “Sit Down, ou’re Rockin’ the Boat.” Playing Feb. 13 through March 2 . Brigadoon is a major Broadway musical hit with one of the most romantic scores ever written. The story revolves around

see HALE page 7

Cajun Fest to offer taste, sound of the bayou GET OUT STAFF

eople can get a taste of Louisiana and bayou treats like crawfish boil, jambalaya, po-boys and other Cajun food at a festival in downtown Chandler later this month. Southwest Cajun Fest brought to the public by sponsor Abita Brewing will jazz up the culinary scene noon-9 p.m. April 2 at Dr. A. . Chandler Park, 17 E. Commonwealth Ave. HDE Agency is producing the festival. Many different vendors will sell food inspired by the passion of New rleans mixed with Arizona fusion and flavors while the festival will also feature live musical performances. Hoodoo Casters, Bluesman Mike, N LA Band, D. on Darox the Melody oy Bakers and headliner Souled ut azz Band will hit the stage. Ticket holders can also participate in eating competitions, a kids’ zone and other interactive experiences.

sell crawfish boil, shrimp boil, crawfish roll, turkey legs, gumbo and cornbread, as well as Cajun bowls and Bayou Bistro, which will offer crawfish, etouffee, jambalaya, shrimp, po-boys and other Cajun treats. Other vendors at the festival include Cantaguas, which will sell handcraftBayou favorites like crawfish boil, etouffee, jambalaya and other Cajun food will abound at the Southwest Cajun Fest. (HDE Agency) ed aguas frescas in horchata, mangoA new highlight this year will be an ex- pineapple, lavender watermelon and panded, family-friendly Big Easy Lounge other flavors and Delicious Beverage A , where people can relax and get out of the a company that sells custom-made sweet tea and lemonade. sun. Family Squeezed Lemonade will sell its Some of the food vendors this year include Angry Crab Shack, which will fresh, fruit-infused drinks and Farmboy

American Fare will bring corn dogs and give those with a sweet tooth choices in desserts ice cream, funnel cakes and deep-fried Oreos. Hogg Doggs will sell andouille, gumbo, dirty rice, pulled pork and brats while Honey Bear’s BB will offer shrimp etouffee, jambalaya, fried catfish, fried chicken, spicy hot links, as well as red beans and rice, cornbread and other food. asperz Island Fusion Cuisine will add to the Cajun selection with jerk Cajun crawfish boil, jambalaya, Caribbean curry chicken and rice, as well as jerk chicken, catfish and beignets. ’s Louisiana BB will provide pulled pork, brisket, turkey legs, chicken, hot links, rib tips, beans and potato salad. Pearson’s Catering will sell catfish, shrimp, frog legs, gator, jambalaya, hush puppies, po-boys, Cajun fries and oysters.

see CAJUN page 7

GET OUT

GILBERT SUN NEWS AN EDITION OF THE SUNDAY EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE | APRIL 14, 2019

Dance raising teen-suicide awareness, funds GET OUT STAFF

“

ou Are Not Alone,” a new fulllength spring production, draws upon experiences from its dancers and artistic director Bridgette Borzillo to create an emotionally charged show with themes high school students often experience. “I have been working in high schools for about three years now and I cannot believe how much it has changed due to cell-phone use, social media and the rise in teen suicide,” Borzillo said, adding “My hope is that this show will create dialogue between parents, teens and everyone in between to let them know that they are not alone in their emotions and experiences, that all we need to do is look up, reach out and know that there are many people that care.” “ ou Are Not Alone,” performed by the Ca o Dance Company, premieres at 7 3 p.m. April 19 and at 2 p.m. and 7 3 p.m. April 20 at the Mesa Arts Center NesbittElliot Playhouse. Portions of all proceeds will be donated to Chandler-based EM Foundation to provide services to those in need. Heart Spoke Clothing will be selling items from

“You Are Not Alone” draws upon experiences from its dancers and its artistic director to create an emotionally charged show with themes that high school students often experience. (Stephanie Tippi Hart/Dragonfly Studio Photography)

its line, with proceeds donated to NAMISouthern Arizona. The production is geared toward anyone who has ever felt alone in a crowd or wondered if they would be missed if they didn’t show up some place. According to a 2 1 loneliness index prepared by Cigna, 6 percent of Americans, mostly younger individuals, feel lonely, isolated or left out. Whether dealing with bullies, peer pressure, com-

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ing out, thoughts of suicide or wearing a mask to fit in, everyone has struggled to find their place. “I was involved in countless activities in high school softball, soccer, cheerleading, dance team, Black Student Union, but I never felt like I truly belonged anywhere,” Borzillo said. “I was always the friend everyone asked for help, and many times it was never reciprocated. It felt very lonely at times.”

The struggles of being a teenager in the age of social media are revisited with this emotional journey that Borzillo hopes leads to discussions among loved ones and friends about those personal battles. Borzillo’s decision to use her dancers’ and her own experiences came after hearing a few of their personal stories. “It was amazing to find out how closely related to one another we all were based solely on the experiences we all had in high school,” Borzillo said. “The moment I heard some of these stories I knew I wanted to find a way to perform them onstage to create dialogue.”

IF YOU GO

What: ‘You Are Not Alone’ When: Friday, April 19, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, April 20, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Where: Mesa Arts Center Nesbitt-Elliott Playhouse, 1 E. Main St., Mesa Tickets: $26 general, $21 students, $45 VIP (quantities limited) Infor: www.cazodance.com, thejemfoundation.com

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GILBERT SUN NEWS AN EDITION OF THE SUNDAY EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE | APRIL 14, 2019

mar s

C Get Out Editor

years wit Mesa fest

he jokes start the minute guests enter KUPD’s studio, helmed by program director Larry McFeelie and morning show host ohn Holmberg. “If you want to sell a magazine, you want to find a male model,” Holmberg says with his dry sense of humor. “Not me.” McFeelie and marketing/promotions director Mark Randall show pity. But it’s that humor, along with KUPD’s knack for chasing trends, that has kept the “Big Red Radio” afloat for years. McFeelie and Holmberg are feeling it. McFeelie has been with the station since 199 , and Holmberg, since the early 2000s. “We don’t have turnover here,” Holmberg says frankly. “We’ve been a family as long as the station has been around. The cool part of it is we’ve been here for a good majority of it together.” KUPD is bringing the -year celebration to Mesa Riverview Park for U Fest with Limp Bizkit, Killswitch Engage, Parkway Drive, P. .D., Fever 333 and Ded on Saturday, April 2 . “It’s been pretty cool that we all get to celebrate the th and really feel like we’ve put in our piece,” McFeelie says. “Like ohn had mentioned, it feels like we’ve grown up with the radio station.” In some sense, that’s true. Listeners frequently tell the jocks they’ve been listening to them since they were kids. “That just makes me say, ‘God, no. ou did not just say that,’” McFeelie said. “But it’s great,” he added. “It’s really neat because you don’t get that in a lot of markets. Arizona loves KUPD. We have this great relationship with our listeners.” Holmberg is a longtime Arizona resident, whose father brought the family to

HALE

from page

a mythical Scottish town that appears once every hundred years and an American tourist who becomes mesmerized by the town’s charms. Runs April 9-May 9. The 39 Steps. A spellbinding Hitchcock murder mystery and spy novel, this includes a generous dash of Monty Python zaniness. A cast of four actors portray more than 150 characters in this madcap, entertaining adventure. April 2 une 16. Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. This captivating and amazing production of

KUPD morning show host John Holmberg, left, and program director Larry McFeelie have been at KUPD for more than 15 years and are preparing to help the station with its upcoming festival in Mesa. (Special for Get Out)

the Grand Canyon State while working as a stadium contractor when Phoenix was a “Podunk town.” “When we were little, we moved a lot,” says the Dobson High School graduate. “Larry was born here, but I grew up here, for the most part, since I was in the fifth grade. Up until then, I didn’t really have a home. Phoenix became our base. I

Disney’s magical classic, in the intimate setting of Hale’s in-the-round staging, comes alive with stunning costumes, staging, special effects and an awardwinning score May 1 through une 27. Matilda. Hale’s 2 19-2 2 season concludes with the Tony Award-winning story of a precocious young girl who through her astonishing wit, intelligence and magical gifts overcomes numerous obstacles leading to a better life. This Hale premiere is packed with high-energy dance numbers and catchy songs. Runs uly 2-Aug. 1 .

watched it grow from 19 3 to today. It’s a totally different place.” Holmberg calls it “Podunk,” but it’s more of an affectionate term. He’s fallen in love with the alley, the same way its rockers have taken to him. “It’s a big city and it plays like a big city now, which is kind of neat,” Holmberg explained.

CAJUN from page

egan diners can check out Maya’s Cajun Kitchen, which will sell vegan Cajun po-boys, jambalaya and bread pudding. General admission tickets for the Southwest Cajun Fest online are each for anyone over 12. Children 12 and younger will get free general admission. For military and first responders, discount tickets are 1 each at the gate only, limited to four tickets per each qualified customer. For anyone 13 and older, access to the Big Easy Lounge is for presale online

McFeelie and Holmberg toss around the term “family,” and that extends to their friends as well. Their tenure at KUPD has afforded them experiences their 13-year-old selves would be crying over. “There’s a sports analogy,” Holmberg says. “It’s like getting drafted by your favorite team. That’s the cool part. I’m a Cubs fan. It would be great, if I ever got into baseball, to play for the Cubs. That would be a dream.” Like all radio stations, KUPD has seen technology change. What was solely terrestrial is now streaming as well. Playlists have changed, too. Radio stations aren’t hyper-focused on one particular genre. “When we first started, I think referencing pop music was like, ‘ h, don’t do it ’” Holmberg says with mock anger. “Now, everybody gets a taste of everything. ou have your preference, but everybody bites off something.” As much as KUPD has grown, Phoenix has, too. “There’s some really great stuff coming from Phoenix,” McFeelie says. “With all the rock Phoenix has going on, we should have our own sound. We’ve never really put our feet in cement on that as much as we probably should at this point. “We have watched the birth and growth of the coolest stuff, as we do at this radio station.” Throughout the years, there’s been a key to KUPD’s success. “Everybody is kind of fly by the seat of their pants,” Holmberg says with a laugh. “We’re all easy going. We really don’t have a someone who’s an ‘anchor,’ so to speak. The whole crew can play.” Information 9 kupd.com only and each the day of the event at the gate. People can upgrade any ticket to the Big Easy Lounge for . The Big Easy Lounge admission allows the ticket-holder to get general admission into the event plus four alcoholic beverages, a large lounge area with shaded seats, snacks, private restrooms and unlimited water and soft drinks. Access to the Big Easy Lounge for people 12 and younger is 2 presale online and 3 on the day of the event. Information southwestcajunfest.com

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GILBERT SUN NEWS AN EDITION OF THE SUNDAY EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE | APRIL 14, 2019

Illusionist uses a psychological twist C Get Out Editor

van Amodei prides himself on being a “different” sort of illusionist. It’s interactive, without awkward pauses, and the setting is dramatic. Set on the dark and deserted streets of Paris, Amodei’s show is based in the Louvre, where a musical muse escorts guests through galleries. During the virtual trip, Amodei uncovers life’s mysteries, one illusion at a time. Amodei brings his show to the Herberger Theater Center at 7 3 p.m. Thursday, May 2. He said guests will face their greatest fears, while others track down love in unexpected places. “My show is built around my experiences going to the Louvre in Paris and seeing the paintings,” Amodei said. “I started to build the show around the meaning of the paintings, and destiny and purpose. Everybody has a purpose. We find out what each person’s purpose is through the illusions I create.” ther illusionists’ shows may be preachy, but Amodei said his have tense

an modei moments, when guests actually run off the stage crying. “That’s women or men,” he said with a laugh. “They say, ‘I’m not participating in

this. See ya.’ Ultimately, people really love how I convey my message. It’s like facing their fears and making the right choices.” The Sicilian-born Amodei has known he wanted to be a illusionist since he was years old, when he saw a family member killing time with card tricks. He obsessed over magic through college, working at restaurants, corporate events and graduations. “I never really had goals,” said Amodei, who also runs his production company. “I didn’t need to be famous or on T . I just wanted to do this.” Amodei found his niche as a resident performer at The Beverly Wilshire in Beverly Hills, California, where “Pretty Woman” and “Entourage” were filmed. His show ran for 1 years. “It was almost 2, shows,” he said.

Cheeto Chili

With JAN D’ATRI GetOut Contributor

Cheeto Chili is one hot taste treat

Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 large sweet yellow onion, diced 4 large cloves garlic, minced 2 pounds lean ground beef 2 teaspoons chili powder 1 teaspoon smoked paprika Pinch of red pepper flakes 1 tablespoon (7 oz.) Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce, chopped fine 1 (15 oz.) can crushed or petite diced tomatoes 1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 (8.5 oz.) bag Flamin’ Hot Crunchy Cheetos, fried or baked variety 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese 2 avocados, diced

“After the third year, people were contacting me saying they wanted to see the show, but they don’t live in Los Angeles. I decided to take the show on the road, just once a month.” It worked. “Fans love seeing my brand and style,” he said. “There’s a lot of audience participation. ou don’t just sit and watch the performer. ou have to talk to me, participate, give me feedback and make suggestions.” Amodei stresses his show is familyfriendly. “I never say a bad word,” he said. “ ou can bring a 3-year-old or a 9 -year-old. Nobody is ever offended by anything. It’s not a children’s magic show, though. It’s more of a psychological show.”

IF YOU GO

What: “Secrets & Illusions” Where: Herberger Theater Center, 222 E. Monroe St., Phoenix When: 7:30 p.m. May 2 Tickets: $43-$79 Info: 602-252-8497, herbergertheater.org

1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped Directions: In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until soft and translucent. Add the beef and cook until browned. Add chili powder, smoked paprika and red pepper flakes, stirring to combine. Add chipotles in adobo sauce, diced or crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce, stirring to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. (If chili is too mild, add more adobo sauce or chili powder.) Simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring often. In a serving bowl, add 1 cup of Flamin’ Hot Crunchy Cheetos. Sprinkle about 2 tablespoons of cheese on top of Cheetos. Spoon chili over top of cheese. Sprinkle more cheese on top of the chili. Dot with avocado cubes and fresh cilantro. Serve immediately.

Watch my how-to video: jandatri.com/recipe/cheeto-chili-pie

ould you mind if I changed the name of this recipe from Cheeto Chili to Cheeto Chili Crack? I’m gonna tell you, it’s that

good. Now, I’m not a huge Cheetos fan, and I had never tried the flamin’ hot crunchy version. But I know that

for many of you, Cheetos is a guilty pleasure, especially the spicy varieties. So, I approached this recipe with the attitude that this is just going to be fun, and since it’s homemade chili, cheese and avocado, how bad can it be? I was so wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong.

I loved this dish so much that it shot right to the top of my go-to recipes list for just about any occasion; pot luck, game watching, kid’s cooking night, pool parties, picnics, etc. I’m sure you’re familiar with Frito Pie. It’s a combination of chili, cheese and corn chips. Well, move over Frito Pie. You have just met your flamin’ hot match. Let me paint the delicious picture for you. In a bowl, you pour some flamin’ hot crunchy

cheetos. (The cheetos flamin’ hot baked version is just as tasty.) Make up some homemade chili or choose your favorite store-bought brand. Pour the chili over the Cheetos. Sprinkle liberally with cheddar cheese, dot with avocado and finish with chopped cilantro. The description doesn’t do this dish justice. You have to just trust me and give it a try. Because I have a pretty good idea that Cheeto Chili is going to be one of your new favorites, too.

. e a e , f t r s t m,

p o d f -

25 GILBERT SUN NEWS AN EDITION OF THE THE SUNDAY EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE ||MARCH 14, 2019 EAST TRIBUNE |NEWS 24, 2019 THESUNDAY SUNDAY EASTVALLEY VALLEY TRIBUNE MARCH 31, 2019 GET OUT GET OUT GET OUT AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | APRIL MARCH 20, 2019 AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS | APRIL 10,45 2019 45

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GILBERT SUN NEWS AN EDITION OF THE SUNDAY EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE | APRIL 14, 2019

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In Memoriam In Loving Memory of Peter Alexander Price Born in Christ April 16, 1991 Returned to God Sept. 26, 2007 Sadly missed along life's way, quietly remembered every day. No longer in our lives to share, but in our hearts you're always there. Happy 28th Birthday, Peter Man! Love, Gram Lani & Gramps Keith Myers

Obituaries Emma Jean Montgomery

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June 24, 1928 – April 3, 2019 Emma “Jean” Montgomery, 90, beloved wife, mother of two, grandmother to two, and greatgrandmother to five, passed away from pulmonary failure brought on by pneumonia on April 3, 2019 in Mesa, Arizona. She had been living with her daughter in Mesa since May of 2017. She was greatly loved by all who knew her as a sweet, kind, fun, and loving person. She and her husband, Monte “Joe” Montgomery, were both born and raised in Oklahoma, but moved out to California after his discharge from the Army Air Corps in 1947. They remained in California for 56 years. But in 2003, they moved to the Las Palmas mobile home resort in Mesa, AZ, to be closer to their daughter, who lived in nearby Gilbert. While there, they became members of the Velda Rose United Methodist Church, and the local VFW chapter. Joe also purchased season tickets every year for the SF Giants’ spring training games in Scottsdale, which they thoroughly enjoyed. In 2007, they were joined by their daughter in a move out to the Atlanta, GA area to be closer to their son, Stephen, and his family. In 2013, Marilyn purchased a retirement/vacation home in The Wells mobile home community in Mesa, AZ, and in 2017, at the age of 88, Jean and her daughter decided to return to Mesa, AZ permanently so that she could enjoy warm weather, the spring training games, her old friends, community potlucks, and bingo “to her heart’s content”. The world is a much darker place without her. A memorial service and reception will be held at the Apache Wells Community Church to celebrate her life on April 12, 2019 at 2115 N. Gayridge Rd, Mesa, AZ, 85215 starting at 2:00 pm. A second service and reception will follow approximately two weeks later at the Buford First United Methodist Church at 285 E Main St. NE, in Buford, GA 30518. Following that service, her ashes will be interred at Broadlawn Memorial Gardens, 5979 New Bethany Rd, Buford, GA, next to Joe’s.

Obituaries Emma Jean Montgomery June 24, 1928 – April 3, 2019 Emma “Jean” Montgomery, 90, beloved wife, mother of two, grandmother to two, and great-grandmother to five, passed away from pulmonary failure brought on by pneumonia on April 3, 2019 in Mesa, Arizona. She had been living with her daughter in Mesa since May of 2017. She was greatly loved by all who knew her as a sweet, kind, fun, and loving person. She and her husband, Monte “Joe” Montgomery, were both born and raised in Oklahoma, but moved out to California after his discharge from the Army Air Corps in 1947. They remained in California for 56 years. But in 2003, they moved to the Las Palmas mobile home resort in Mesa, AZ, to be closer to their daughter, who lived in nearby Gilbert. While there, they became members of the Velda Rose United Methodist Church, and the local VFW chapter. Joe also purchased season tickets every year for the SF Giants’ spring training games in Scottsdale, which they thoroughly enjoyed. In 2007, they were joined by their daughter in a move out to the Atlanta, GA area to be closer to their son, Stephen, and his family. In 2013, Marilyn purchased a retirement/vacation home in The Wells mobile home community in Mesa, AZ, and in 2017, at the age of 88, Jean and her daughter decided to return to Mesa, AZ permanently so that she could enjoy warm weather, the spring training games, her old friends, community potlucks, and bingo “to her heart’s content”. The world is a much darker place without her. A memorial service and reception will be held at the Apache Wells Community Church to celebrate her life on April 12, 2019 at 2115 N. Gayridge Rd, Mesa, AZ, 85215 starting at 2:00 pm. A second service and reception will follow approximately two weeks later at the Buford First United Methodist Church at 285 E Main St. NE, in Buford, GA 30518. Following that service, her ashes will be interred at Broadlawn Memorial Gardens, 5979 New Bethany Rd, Buford, GA, next to Joe’s.

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Employment General

Chef, Chinese ood, ft, req. 2 yrs e perien e. Apply at Kawaii apanese & Asian Cuisine n . 6 0 . appy alley Rd 112, Glendale, A 10

ntry level data pro ce ing po ition avail a le in Me a med ical illing office Benefits available. Send resume to m p medstata . om.

Chef, Chinese Speialty ood, ft, req. 2 yrs e perien e Apply at M LLC ade ala e Chinese Cuisine 76 . inna le ea Road, 10 , S ottsdale, A 2

I I H IMM IA P I for wor throughout Mari opa County. Must have a valid driver's liense, own transportation and be able to bend and lift. e are loo ing for highly motivated individuals that en oy teamwor . n the ob training, paid time off with a ompetitive rate. Plea e email re me to M Merrett aol com or give a call at 8 .

OUR JOB BOARD HAS THE TALENT YOU’RE LOOKING FOR.

Sushi Chef, ft, req. 2 yrs e perien e. Apply at oori n , en Sushi 170 7 N. rd Ave., A , Glendale, A 0 Crimshield n ., see s to employ a full time ir. f rogramming. Requires a Ba helor s in nfo. e hnology or related field. 2 years e perien e with database, designers, business system analysts, program design, oding, testing, and development. Mail resume to Crimshield n ., . . Bo . . Bo 960, Mesa, Ari ona 211

Auto motive

Auto - All Makes 0 onda A ord L, 1 owner, 91 mi, auto, old air, . L eng., dr. 100 20 2-2 1 or L R7 BR N GMA L.C M

Boats & Marine

FIND THE BEST TALENT. EASILY POST JOBS. COMPETITIVE PRICING AND EXPOSURE

Boat for ale

Selling as is 1990 Chaparral 2000 SL Sport in GB 096 191 Best ffer

More info: 480-898-6465 or email jobposting@evtrib.com

J BS. EASTVALLEY TRIBUNE.COM

Most jobs also appear on Indeed.com

480.898.6465

GILBERT SUN NEWS AN EDITION OF THE SUNDAY EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE | APRIL 14, 2019

Merch

Miscellaneous For Sale

Auctions & Estate Sales

ILL B B ! Buy arris Bed Bug Sprays, Kits, Mattress Covers Available ardware Stores, he ome epot, homedepot. om

andise LA M ri

A AL at 2 am pm Co a-Cola & lvis Colle tables, Golf Cart, urniture, Bur h China ut h, Mat hing ub able & 6 Chairs, own ield Living Room Sofa, Leather Loveseat, atio urniture, ousehold & e or tems, Linens & Bedding, Kithenware, Art, le troni s n ird olf rt igg ooper 8 Peachtree r I

Garage Sales/ Bazaars

Gilbert Seville Golf & Country Club uge Community ide Garage Sale btwn Riggs N & S. of Chandler eights. . of ower & . & . of igley. Sat April. 1 th & Sun the 1 th am-

Miscellaneous For Sale IA A

MA H A HA I IA M A A H A M I Listed- or rgani se Available ardware Stores, he ome epot, homedepot. om

ILL PI ! Buy arris S orpion Spray Kit dorless, Non-Staining ffe tive Results Begin, After Spray ries Available he ome epot, homedepot. om, ardware Stores ILL A H A A ! B y Harri oach a let , pray , oncentrate Available ardware Stores, he ome epot, homedepot. om

Wanted to Buy Dia etic est Stri s y the o unused Any ty e or rand Will ay to dollar Call at A B LL ant to buy older model original 22 rimfire rifles & pistols. Consider others. Call with what you have. N S LL G NS. Call Lee 2 8 8

A B ld guitars, basses, amplifiers, ban os, & mandoline. Call or te t 2

Real Estate

For Sale For Rent Manufactured Homes B A LI I 2B 2 BA H H M ,900 inan ing Available. Al o Availa le Affordable omes Between K - 1 K Mobile ome ar in Great Chandler Lo ation. all im 8 2 2 YOUR CLASSIFIED SOURCE

Air Conditioning/Heating

Apartments ALMA H MAI artially urnished 1bd 1 ba. Bad Credit K. No eposit. Starting at 600 mo. n ludes utilities 2

ROC156315, ROC285317

AC-HEAT-PLUMBING FREE ESTIMATES! FREE DIAGNOSIS!

If It’s Broken, We Can Fix It!

THE LINKS ESTATES

480-659-1400 Licensed & Insured

Carpet Cleaning Best Cleaning You Will Ever Have!

FROM THE UPPER 100’S

ASK US HOW YOUR $105,000 CASH INVESTMENT AND OUR SENIOR LOAN PROGRAM ENABLES QUALIFIED 62+ SENIORS MAKING THE LINKS THEIR PRIMARY RESIDENCE HAVE NO MORTGAGE PAYMENT & NO LOT RENT AS LONG AS YOU LIVE IN HOME.

Gawthorp & Associates Realty 40667 N Wedge Dr • San Tan Valley, AZ 85140

602-402-2213

Service Directory

SPECIAL! 3 Rooms for

99!

Broken Springs Replaced Nights/Weekends Bonded/Insured 480-251-8610

Not a licensed contractor

Appliance Repairs

Appliance Repair Now

YOU CAN OWN THE LAND And Own Your New Home

East Valley/ Ahwatukee

Call us to place your ad online!

We Also Buy, Sell & Trade Used Appliances Working or Not

Why Rent The Lot When

GARAGE DOOR SERVICE

MISSED THE DEADLINE?

Manufactured Homes

CLASS@TIMESPUBLICATIONS.COM

ila s ouse Cleaning Residential Co ercial Weekly/ onthly/Bi Weekly E erienced and Re erence s A aila le

(480) 524-1950

• Same Day Service • On-Site Repairs • Servicing All Major Brands • Quality Guaranteed

480.898.6465

Garage/Doors

OPEN 24/7/365

Commerical/ Industrial/Retail tdoor commercial per onal torage ard for lea e Se ure, gated 2 hour a ess, and mu h more. all 8 2 for detail

Cleaning Services

*(a room is up to 200 sq. ft.)

Call or Text

• 25 years Cleaning Our Gilbert Neighbors’ homes • Family Owned and Operated • Truck Mounted Steam Cleaning for Fast Drying • Carpet, Tile & Grout, Upholstery, Rugs • Pet Stain Specialists

480-635-8605

allstarcleaning3@gmail.com The All Stars of Cleaning!

Drywall

JOSE DOMINGUEZ DRYWALL & PAINTING

480-898-6465 Electrical Services HONESTY • INTEGRITY • QUALITY

- Ahw Resident Since 1987 -

• Panel Changes and Repairs • Installation of Ceiling Fans • Switches/Outlets • Home Remodel

ALL RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL ELECTRICAL Call Jim Endres 480.282.7932 Over 28 Years Experience • ROC #246019 Bonded/Insured

Fencing/Gates

Block Fence * Gates

602-789-6929 Roc #057163 Lowest Prices * 30 Yrs Exp Serving Entire Valley

YOU’LL LIKE US - THE BEST!

Accounting

House Painting, Drywall, Reliable, Dependable, Honest!

Garage/Doors

Mobile Tax $ervices

QUICK RESPONSE TO YOUR CALL! 15 Years Experience • Free Estimates

GARAGE DOORS

We come to you!

Personal • Business • LLC • Rental Estate & Other States Returns

Average cost for a 1040 is only

179

Call today for a FIRM price quote

Peteris Berzins, EA, MBA, CLDP

(Enrolled Agent preparing taxes for over 30 years)

480-232-9645 WE RESOLVE IRS ISSUES

480.266.4589 josedominguez0224@gmail.com Not a licensed contractor.

See MORE Ads Online! www.GilbertSunNews.com

Unbeatable Customer Service & Lowest Prices Guaranteed!

10%

Discount for Seniors &Veterans

FREE

Opener & Door Lubrication with Repair

480-626-4497

www.lifetimegaragedoorsaz.com

GILBERT SUN NEWS AN EDITION OF THE SUNDAY EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE | APRIL 14, 2019

Handyman

ACTION CONTRACTING INC. WE DO IT ALL! Bath & Kitchen Remodels • Drywall & Stucco Repairs Plumbing • Electrical • Can Lights Windows • Doors • Cabinets • Painting Block Fences • Wrought Iron Gates Remodeling • Additions • Patios • Tenant Improvements

A+

East Valley 480-430-7737

-S

8 97

LIC/BONDED/INSURED Res/Comm’l ROC#218802

Small Man!”

“No Job Too Work Since 1999 Quality le,Small 2010, 2011 Affordab Man!” 2010, 2011 2010, 2011 2012, 2013, 2012, 2013, 2014 2014

Call Bruce at 602.670.7038 9 Quality Work Since 199 Affordable,Ahwatukee 2010, 2011 Resident/ References/ Insured/ Not a Licensed Contractor

Advertise It Here!

Call 480.898.6465

uan ernande

S RIN ER

Dri /Install/Re air Not a licensed contractor

ears e

years e Now

CLASS@TIMESPUBLICATIONS.COM

REASONABLE HANDYMAN • Painting • Plumbing • Carpentry • Drywall • Roofing • Block

- Free Estimates -

480-276-6600 *Not a Licensed Contractor

Landscape Maintenance

Landscape Maintenance uan ernande

Handyman

2010, 2011 2012, 2013, 2014

2012, 2013, 2010, 2011 2014 2012, 2013, Ahwatukee Resident/ References/ Insured/ Not a Licensed Contractor 2014

“No Job Call Bruce at 602.670.7038 7038 “No Man!” Job Too Work Since 1999 Too Small 8tortyd Contractor Small Man!”

02.670.7038 nsured/ Not a Licensed Contractor

AND AN years e erience Drywall ra ing lu ing ainting electrical roo ing and ore Stan

our Handyman Needs! aaaActionContractingInc.com ndyman Needs! ing • Electrical Electrical wall • Carpentry Marks the Spot for ALL Carpentry e • More! Marks the Spot for ALL Your Handyman Needs! Your Needs! ore! PaintingHandyman • Flooring • Electrical e Spot for ALL Your Handyman Needs! • Drywall • Carpentry Plumbing Painting • Flooring • Electrical • Plumbing Marks the Spot for ALL Your Handyman ting • Flooring • Electrical • Tile More! Needs! DrywallDecks • Carpentry • •Decks • Tile • More! bing • Drywall • Carpentry Painting • Flooring • Electrical Decks • Tile • More! “No Job Too Plumbing • Drywall • Carpentry “No JobSmall Too Man!” Decks • Tile • More! “No Job Too Small Man!”

999

Car for Sale?

Handyman

Call

“When there are days that you can’t depend on them, you can depend on us!” LLC

Services

ROC# 317949

Garbage Disposals Door Installs & Repairs Toilets / Sinks Kitchen & Bath Faucets Most Drywall Repairs

Bathroom Remodeling All Estimates are Free • Call: 520.508.1420 www.husbands2go.com

Ask me about FREE water testing!

Your Ad can go A Y a! Call to lace our ad online!! Classifieds 480-898-6465

Irrigation

ee Resident/ References/ Insured/ Not a Licensed Contractor

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

Home Improvement

Why re-do when you can RE-NEW?

NTY

5-YEAR WARRA

YOUR #1 CABINET REFACING COMPANY IN THE VALLEY 39 Years of Masterful Craftsmanship

480.654.5600

azirrigation.com Cutting Edge LLC • ROC 21671

WE DO ALL THE WORK

Call Lance White

480.721.4146 www.irsaz.com

ROC# 256752

A-Z Tauveli Prof LANDSCAPING LLC We will give you totally new landscaping or revamp your current landscaping! Tree/Palm Tree Trimming Storm Cleanups Sprinkler Systems

Desertscape • Concrete Work Gardening • Block Wall Real & Imitation Flagstone

Free Estimates

602-471-3490 or 480-289-1673 ROC#276019 • Licensed Bonded Insured

2012, 2013, 2014

l Bruce at 602.670.7038

Licensed • Bonded • Insured Technician

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

Handyman

Irrigation Repair Services Inc.

Landscape Design/Installation

INCLUDED IN EVERY PACKAGE: • New custom doors • New dovetail drawers • Soft-close hinges, tracks and more

Insured/Bonded Free Estimates

ALL Pro

T R E E

S E R V I C E

L L C

Prepare for Monsoon Season! LANDSCAPING, TREES & MAINTENANCE

Tree Trimming • Tree Removal Stump Grinding Storm Damage • Bushes/Shrubs Yard Clean-up Commercial and Residential PMB 435 • 2733 N. Power Rd. • Suite 102 • Mesa dennis@allprotrees.com

ALL OUR PRODUCTS ARE PROUDLY MADE IN THE USA!

480-354-5802

0% DOWN (OAC) Credit Union West

FREE HARDWARE

with any cabinet replacing project

FREE SINK & FAUCET

with purchase of a granite or quartz countertop Minimum required. Must present ad. Expires 6-30-19

WE WILL BEAT ANY WRITTEN ESTIMATE FREE In-Home Estimates

480-361-3121

Re-NewCabinets.com Visit Our Showroom!

6503 W Frye Rd, Suite 1 Chandler, AZ 85228 Licensed, Bonded, Insured - ROC#293053

SHARE WITH THE WORLD!

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

Serving the Valley for over 28 years

The Possibilities are Endless

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

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

480-730-1074

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

You never know what you’ll find inside

Bonded/Insured/Licensed • ROC #225923

480.898.6465

class@timespublications.com

GILBERT SUN NEWS AN EDITION OF THE SUNDAY EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE | APRIL 14, 2019

Painting

Plumbing

Pool Service / Repair What we do…

HOME IMPROVEMENT & PAINTING Interior/Exterior Painting 30 YEARS EXPERIENCE Dunn Edwards Quality Paint Small Stucco/Drywall Repairs

We Are State Licensed and Reliable!

Free Estimates • Senior Discounts

480-338-4011

☛ Never a service call fee

10 YEARS FAMILY OWNED & OPERATED LICENSED, BONDED, INSURED • ROC242432

SPECIAL! $30 OFF 480.888.0484

www.ezflowplumbingaz.com

Interior/Exterior Painting RESIDENTIAL/COMMERCIAL

☛ Up-front pricing ☛ Tank water heaters

☛ Tank-less water heaters

☛ Fixture

Replacements drain repairs

We accept all major credit cards and PayPal • Financing Available ET01

Treatment

Juan Hernandez

POOL REPAIR

Pebble cracking, Plaster peeling, Rebar showing, Pool Light out?

I CAN HELP!

25 Years Experience • Dependable & Reliable

Call Juan at

480-720-3840 Not a licensed contractor.

Affinity Plumbing LLC 480-487-5541

• Free Estimates • Drywall • Senior discounts

Remodeling

Pavers • Concrete • Water Features • Sprinkler Repair

☛ Plumbing & ☛ Water

ROC#309706

Publishing

Roofing

affinityplumber@gmail.com

www.affinityplumbingaz.com

References Available Not a licensed contractor

CALL JASON:

Your Ahwatukee Plumber & East Valley Neighbor Anything Plumbing Same Day Service

East Valley PAINTERS

Water Heaters

24/7

Inside & Out Leaks

Bonded

Toilets

Insured

Faucets

Estimates Availabler

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

480-706-1453

Disposals

Licensed/Bonded/Insured • ROC #236099

$35 off

Any Service

Voted #1

Remodeling

Not a licensed contractor

Pool Service / Repair

Window Cleaning

General Contacting, Inc.

APPEARANCE

Licensed • Bonded • Insured • ROC118198

Professional service since 1995

One Call, We Do It All! 602-339-4766

10% OFF

Window Cleaning $100 - One Story $140 - Two Story

Owner Does All Work • All Honey-Do Lists

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

480-688-4770

• Pointing • Drywall • Roo ng Re airs • Painting • All Plumbing • All Electrical • Concrete • Block • Stucco

• r all Roo ng Re airs • Stack Stone • All Flooring • Wood • Tile • Car et • Welding • Gates & Fences • Tractor Services

Free Estimates with Pride & Prompt Service!

Includes in & out up to 30 Panes Sun Screens Cleaned $3 each Attention to detail and tidy in your home.

(480) 584-1643

Bonded & Insured

LLC

• All Remodeling • Additions • Kitchen • Bath • Patio Covers • Garage • Sheds • Windows • Doors

COUNTS

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

ACCREDITED BUSINESS ®

www.eastvalleypainters.com Family Owned & Operated Bonded/Insured • ROC#153131

Roofing

Now Accepting all major credit cards

Medical Services/Equipment

The Most Detailed Roofer in the State

Tim KLINE Roofing, LLC $

100 Off!

See store for details.

Roofs Done Right...The FIRST Time! Arizona Mobility Scooters 9420 W. Bell Rd., #103, Sun City, AZ 85351

Mobility Scooter Center 3929 E. Main St., #33, Mesa, AZ 85205

480-250-3378 480-621-8170 www.arizonamobilityscooters.com

15-Year Workmanship Warranty on All Complete Roof Systems

www.timklineroofing.com

480-357-2463

FREE Estim at and written e proposal

R.O.C. #156979 K-42 • Licensed, Bonded and Insured

GILBERT SUN NEWS AN EDITION OF THE SUNDAY EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE | APRIL 14, 2019

SPRING SALE!!! Be Smart. Buy Thrifty. We Will beat ANY dealers Price!

Over 650 Vehicles

Must have Arizona Drivers License Multiple Repos OK 1 Open Auto Loan OK

to choose from! All makes & models.

GOOD CREDIT, BAD CREDIT, NO CREDIT? YOU’RE APPROVED! Low, Low Miles

2016 Dodge Caravan SE

$12,653

2016 GMC Terrain SLE

$14,995

2010 Ford F-150 XL Crew Cab

2014 Toyota Camry SE Sport

2013 Volkswagen Golf

2015 Ford Taurus SE

2017 Nissan Sentra

2013 Volkswagen Beetle

$16,608

$14,399

$10,499

Very Clean

2015 Kia Soul

$14,195

2017 Hyundai Accent SE

$11,880

Call For Price

$12,499

$11,599

Low, Low Miles

2012 Hyundai Tucson GLS PZEV

2014 Ford Mustang V6

2017 Toyota Carolla IM

2017 Jeep Compass

2015 Jeep Patriot Sport

2013 Ford Explorer Sport

2012 Chevy Equinox LS

2017 Chevrolet Cruz LT

2017 Jeep Renegade Sport

2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport

$10,743

$19,528

$12,953

$10,243

All Cars Come With Roadside Assistance and Limited Warranty For Peace of Mind.

$14,473

$14,488

$13,595

NATIONAL & LOCAL LENDERS AVAILABLE

$16,695

$11,243

$13,995

If We Don’t Have It, We’ll Get It For You and Save You Thousands!

(NE corner of Arizona & Guadalupe)

W Baseline Rd Arizona Ave

FULL SERVICE DEPARTMENT

Sales - 480.494.8842 Service - 480.347.9874 881 North Arizona Avenue

W Guadalupe Rd