Gilbert Sun News - 05.16.2021 by Times Media Group

Housing scene on fire in Gilbert

Gilbert Regal finally reopens

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An edition of the East Valley Tribune

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This Week

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GPS offers jobs to 90 axed teachers BY CECILIA CHAN GSN Managing Editor

NEWS.............................10 Gilbert lawmaker gets curbs on police seizures.

COMMUNITY......... 14 Gilbert doc’s book demystifies medical jargon.

Sunday, May 16, 2021

month after Gilbert Public Schools axed 152 teachers, citing declining student enrollment, the district has offered to rehire 90 of them for the coming school year. So far, 52 have accepted, district spokeswoman Dawn Antestenis said last week. The Governing Board at the May 4 meeting without comment approved contracts on the consent agenda for 45 of the teachers

and is expected to approve more contracts this Tuesday, May 18. “Additional positions for the next school year became available due to resignations and unanticipated retirements,” Antestinis said. She was unable to say how many of the openings were due to retirement and how many due to resignation. “As a school district we receive resignations every year, particularly around this time as the school year comes to an end, and this year has been slightly higher than usu-

Police agencies are blamed in Gilbert man’s fatal shooting

al,” Antestenis said. She said that same trend is playing out across the state and that there have been significantly more teacher resignations than in years previous due to the pandemic. “We are not able to share specific reasons given for resignations as this is confidential information,” she said. “However, we do know that there is a wide range of factors that affect resignations and that this year, with the global pandemic, the teaching pro-

A-maze-ing

see TEACHERS page 8

BY CECILIA CHAN GSN Managing Editor

BUSINESS.................22 Gilbert mom keeps truckin’ with her company.

COMMUNITY....................................... 14 BUSINESS............................................. 22 SPORTS.......................................26 PUZZLE....................................... 31 CLASSIFIED...........................................31

BEST? WHO’S theThe votes are in.

n... e have spoke RT! The peopl OF GILBE It’s the BEST

effrey Shaw was an Eagle Scout with a competitive streak who as a child partook in occasional hijinks that involved water balloons and toilet paper. He met his wife, Lauren, when they were both 14 and the two wrote love letters to each other, which continued during their 18-year marriage. By all accounts, the Gilbert man also was a devoted dad to a son and three daughters – it was not unusual to see his

see SHAW page 6

SECTION COMING MAY 30TH!

Gilbert Fire & Rescue cadets are breaking in the town’s slick new public safety training facility, which includes this maze of rooms that both future firefighters and police use. For details, see page 4. (Tim Sealy/GSN Contributor)

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Chandler Unified reeling from 2nd teen’s death GSN NEWS STAFF

An edition of the East Valley Tribune

NEWS

ne week after a Perry High School sophomore’s life ended by suicide, another local teenager has died from a possible drug overdose. Alex Taylor, a senior at Hamilton High School, died on May 9 – the day after a memorial service had been held for 16-yearold Zyon Anderson, who died by suicide the previous weekend. In a letter to the community, Hamilton’s administrators said they were “heartbroken” over Alex’s death and highlighted the student’s once-promising athletic talent. “He went from being a national-level competitive gymnast to struggling with mental illness and substance abuse,” the school’s letter stated. Hamilton High also urged families to consider Alex’s untimely death as a symptom of a broader, systemic problem plaguing the community. “We must continue to advocate for improved and easier access to mental health care and substance abuse prevention,” the letter added. Alex’s death comes as the Chandler Unified community is still reeling from Zyon’s May 2 death after a months-long struggle with depression that included several suicide attempts. That same weekend, a freshman girl at Chaparral High School in Scottsdale also took her life. Zyon’s death had a resounding impact on his classmates and teachers at Perry High, who memorialized the football player with tributes and a special ceremony outside Ryan Elementary School that ended with dozens of red balloons being released into the sky. Alex’s mother, Lindsay Taylor, is Perry High’s social worker and had been helping the school’s students mourn Zyon’s passing. A couple days before her own son’s death on May 9, Taylor penned a letter to Perry’s families detailing her sorrow over Zyon’s death and her personal frustrations with how mental illness is clinically treated in Arizona. “Being a part of the mental health care system and having to navigate it both on a professional level and with my own son,” Taylor wrote. “I, like many of you, are frus-

from hurting himself. Hendrickson recalled how her son’s mood and demeanor had begun to change shortly after the pandemic began last March and schools closed. Zyon had begun to withdraw from his family, Hendrickson said, and lost interest in activities that used to bring him joy. Once Zyon starting harming himself, his mother knew something drastic had changed in her son’s behavior. “He never cut himself before,” Perry High sophomore Zyon Alexander, 16, took his life May 2 and the day after his May 8 funeral, a se- Zyon’s mother said. “He was alnior at Hamilton died from a possible drug overdose. ways a straight-A student with (Special to GSN) honors classes. He’s always been on the football team.” trated by it. I want you to know I see you. After a couple suicide attempts, Zyon I hear you. I feel you.” underwent an extensive amount of theraShe noted how Zyon’s death had py and counseling while his mother began sparked many meaningful conversations to monitor his daily movements. among Perry High’s student body about The mother lamented over the lack problems experienced by adolescents. of support she felt for her family during His death also impacted students at Zyon’s mental health crisis. Hendrickson Payne Middle School, which Zyon had at- looked for parent groups that could offer tended. At one point, 60 students at one advice on how to handle her son’s illness, time had sought to find solace in Payne’s yet no one could tell where to find them. mindfulness room. “It seems that Arizona is not really set Taylor promised Perry High’s families up for the crisis that happened,” Henshe would fight for a better health care drickson added. “It’s a retirement state system that’s better positioned to bring and so the mental health care for adolesan end to the community’s “suicide ep- cents is not really a robust system.” idemic.” Since 2018, at least 45 East Valley “I continue to be determined to be teenagers have died by suicide. part of the solution and advocate for a School districts and nonprofits have better, more affordable, easier to access been attempting to reverse the troubling system that allows for a variety of thera- trend by adding more on-campus repeutic services that fit the needs of each sources and improving social-emotional individual and family,” Taylor added. education. “The current options are limited, not the Perry High’s senior football quarterhighest quality, unaffordable, and not us- back even appeared in a series of public er-friendly.” service announcements last year, urging Zyon’s mother, Nailah Hendrickson, his classmates to seek help if they’re has also been outspoken about the diffi- contemplating suicide. culties her family experienced while tryExperts say the mental health crisis ing to get help for her son’s illness. that’s been affecting adolescents has “This has been emotionally, financial- only been exacerbated in recent months ly, and mentally devastating,” Hendrick- due to the COVID-19 pandemic. son said last month. “This caught us by Recent national studies show depressurprise and it’s not something we had sion diagnoses increased by 83 percent planned for.” shortly after the pandemic began in Zyon “fought hard” to overcome his de- March 2020 and the rate of self-harm inpression, his mother noted, and the family put up an arduous battle to keep him see SUICIDE page 5

NEWS

GILBERT SUN NEWS | MAY 16, 2021

Fire cadets breaking in new Gilbert facility

BY CECILIA CHAN GSN Managing Editor

Gilbert cadet in 50 pounds of turnout gear sat immobile on a tarp as fellow trainees learned the techniques needed to drag a downed firefighter to safety. Assistant Fire Chief Rob Duggan pointed to the DRD strap attached on the cadet’s protective coat and its importance since the death of Phoenix firefighter Bret Tarver in 2001. Tarver died while battling a supermarket fire. He had become disoriented inside the burning building and when crews finally discovered him, it took them 19 minutes to bring him out, impeded partly by the unconscious firefighter’s physical size. Gilbert Fire and Rescue’s first academy of eight in training learn how to rescue a fallen Tarver was over 6 feet tall, weighing about comrade. They are expected to join the department in July. (Photos by Tim Sealy/GSN contributing photographer) 289 pounds, in addition to his gear. The Drag Rescue Device became mandatory in 2007 following reports of several fatal fires where the lack of appropriate handholds hampered efforts to rescue an incapacitated firefighter from a structure. The eight cadets were half-way through their 16week training program last week and are Gilbert Fire and Rescue’s first class to break in the town’s new 50Each cadet trains in full gear weighing a total 50 pounds. acre Public Safety Training Facility on Power Road. project on paper finally become reality. An invitation-only dedication of the fa- “There’s a big difference from others in cility is scheduled for May 19. the Valley. No one has residential props Residents approved a $65.3 million that look like what we have.” bond in 2018 to help pay for the joint-use There’s a strip mall, a single-story house facility with police, which is scheduled for with a basement, a two-story house with its first academy class in the fall. a garage, a five-story apartment/hotel The five-story burn structure is used for The initial cost of the facility, which also and a big-box store where cadets practice training for hotel/apartment fires. provides on-going training, was $85 mil- their text-book learning hands-on. Police lion but town officials are saying the price use all the props except for the single-sto- doesn’t allow for firefighters to learn flow tag came in lower. The final tally was ex- ry home for their tactical training. path, Duggan said. pected in the summer. The three burn buildings – the strip Flow path is one of the most dangerous The new compound includes a realistic mall, the two-story house and the five-sto- places for a firefighter to be – between the training village that mimics what can be ry structure – all use propane. An instruc- fire and where the fire is going, which is found in town, according to Duggan. tor can adjust the intensity of the fire and toward a lower-pressure, oxygen-rich en“We tried to create a miniature Gilbert,” turn it off with a button on a wall. vironment. he said, noting it was fun to watch the One of the challenges, though, is it That’s where the single-story house

comes in. It’s the only prop building that burns wood, according to Duggan. Burning wood gives off intense heat and heavy smoke that most realistically simulates an actual fire incident. The two prop houses are built next to one another and each has a walled backyard and a side-yard gate. The two-story house is outfitted with clean-burning propane burners with a flashover capability in the hallway on the second floor. A vehicle propane prop also can be staged inside the garage or outside for a simulated car fire. Besides being fueled by wood, the single-story home comes with a basement, which Duggan said is not as uncommon as one would think in Arizona. A basement fire is one of the most dangerous encounters for firefighters due to the limited ingress/egress and a staircase that can act as a chimney, according to Duggan. The department will be documenting the best ways to combat a basement fire and share the scientific data with other agencies in the state and nation, Duggan said. The five-story building on site is set up with one side resembling a hotel and the other side similar to what’s at the Epicenter – apartments above retail, according to Duggan. On the hotel side, there is a lobby with a front desk equipped with propane burners. On the third floor there’s a balcony that can be lit because balcony fires are “common for us,” Duggan said. Over at the strip mall, the three attached buildings looked identical from the outside. “They’re built the same,” said Duggan standing in front of the structure. “But what matters is what is in it.” Each building provides a different scenario. For instance, one building could be a check-cashing business, which means encountering locked doors and another building could be a pool company, where there’re chemicals to deal with and the

see FIRE page 5

GILBERT SUN NEWS | MAY 16, 2021

NEWS

FIRE from page 4

third a restaurant with a commercial kitchen, Duggan said. Cadets also are trained on SCBA or self-contained breathing apparatus competency. Through the dark, on their hands and knees they will learn how to maneuver through a plywood maze filled with obstacles. The purpose is to help them gain confidence with their gear, Duggan said. The obstacles include dangling overhead electrical wires, which happen when an attic falls down during a fire, Duggan said. “It holds onto the gear and traps us,” he said. “The instinct is to push forward but it sinks deeper into the gear.” Instead, cadets learn to use wire cutters to free themselves while making sure not to cut into airline hoses. And though cadets are trained to leave a burning building when their low-air alarm goes off, in actuality they are being pulled out more quickly now in case something goes awry as they leave, according to Duggan. An air tank typically has 30 minutes of air but in reality, it’s 15 minutes under working conditions, Duggan said. The state-of-the-art facility also includes an administration building with classrooms, a tiered auditorium that seats 250 and an innovation lab. There’s an indoor 25-yard and 50-yard shooting range for police, a fenced grass area for police K-9s to train and two driving tracks, an asphalt course for cops and a concrete one for the fire trucks. At the driving tracks, Duggan pointed to the “engineered weed” popping up from

SUICIDE from page 3

cidents among teens nearly doubled. notMykid, a Scottsdale nonprofit that aims to reduce teen suicide, has seen a spike in demand for counseling services throughout the pandemic from adolescents suffering from depression and drug addiction. “The shutdowns in response to COVID-19 created a lot of social disconnection that has amplified the struggles many young people already face with regard to mental health challenges,” said

The department partnered with Union Pacific and SRP to develop an outdoor hazardous materials training site. In the front are SRP meters with pits to the left using compressed air to mimic broken gas lines. In the back is a car from freight train that derailed in Tempe. Assistant Fire Chief Rob Duggan points to Romex wires in a SCBA maze that teaches firefighters confidence with their self-contained breathing apparatus as they learn to negotiate challenges. Wires often fall down when a ceiling collapses and can trap a firefighter.

A mock kitchen at one of the burn buildings is outfitted with propane burners with flames that can be turned off by a button on the wall.

Shane Watson, a spokesman for notMykid. A teen’s entire support system was interrupted by the pandemic, Watson added, and many have struggled to find alternative coping mechanisms for their anxiety. Bridget Pitts, one of Zyon’s classmates, hopes the teenager’s death might spur local schools to be more accepting of students struggling with depression and anxiety.

“Chandler has a lot of different students struggling with different health issues,” Pitts said. “I just wish our schools would be more open to talking about mental health every day, rather than when something as horrible as this happens.” CUSD schools have been providing additional counseling services on campus for students struggling with the deaths of Zyon and Alex. Zyon’s family has recently found one positive outcome that’s resulted from the

the surrounding desert soil. The weeds, he explained are designed to prevent soil erosion while growing to a limited height as not to “tip over” police cars during maneuvers. The 32 acres where the tracks are located sit in a retention basin. Cadets and firefighters also can train for hazardous materials incidents at the facility. Through a partnership with Union Pacific Railroad, the department was able to obtain one of the cars from the freight train that derailed on a bridge over Tempe Town Lake in July 2020, that’s used in the training exercises, Duggan said. Southwest Gas donated a number of meter props and there are three pits where compressed air is used to mimic an underground gas leak. The facility also has a number of fire hydrants in varying heights and facing different directions to challenge cadets learning to hook up hoses. Not all training is done on site. Firefighters also practice their skills in pools and in the mountains for rescues. The inaugural class of fire cadets are expected to finish training in July and join the department. Duggan said the department has the ability to hold up to two academies a year at the facility with each class capable of training up to 50 cadets. The eight recruits selected by Gilbert came from the 1,200 applications submitted with the town, Mesa and Queen Creek, Duggan said. He anticipated holding at least one academy a year to fill positions left empty by attrition. teenager’s sudden death. His organs have been donated for life-saving medical procedures to six individuals. Zyon’s heart has been given to a 15-yearold California girl, his lungs have been donated to a 61-year-old Arizona man, a kidney has been given to a 9-year-old Arizona girl, another kidney is going to a 57-year-old Arizona man, and sections of Zyon’s liver will be given to an 1-year-old baby boy in California and a 54-year-old Arizona man.

NEWS

SHAW from page 1

toenails painted. Last June 6, Shaw was shot multiple times by Arizona state troopers and died three weeks later, leaving his loved ones in shock. “I don’t believe anyone has ever loved their brother as much as I loved Jeff,” said Tim Shaw at his younger brother’s funeral in July. “I feel that Jeff was part of my soul and his death has caused a large part of my soul to die.” The family has filed two claims in connection with the shooting against Gilbert totaling $65 million. Representing Shaw’s wife, Attorney Patrick McGroder also filed notices of claim for $60 million each against Mesa and Chandler. Representing Shaw’s mother, attorney Timothy Casey filed a $5 million claim. The Department of Public Safety did not respond to questions from the Gilbert Sun News about claims against it. McGroder said the estate has up to a year after the date of death to file a lawsuit and is waiting for the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office to render an opinion on the legality of the shooting. A spokeswoman for the County Attorney said an investigation of the shooting was conducted by Mesa Police “and submitted it to our office on Aug. 25, 2020. It is in the queue to be reviewed.” The events leading to the death of Shaw – an active member of the Church of Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the owner of two local Bahama Bucks franchises – began on a Saturday night. At 8:30 p.m. June 6, Karen Shaw reached out to Gilbert Police for help in locating her 40-year-old son. She explained that Jeffrey had not slept for days and had just been released from St. Luke’s Behavior Health Center, where he was being treated for depression and anxiety over his recent separation from his wife, according to a $5-million claim filed against the town on her behalf. Karen Shaw did not respond to a request for an interview. A second claim against the town has been filed on behalf of Jeffrey Shaw’s wife and four children asking for $60 million. The claims were deemed denied because Gilbert took no action within 60

GILBERT SUN NEWS | MAY 16, 2021

Chandler Police spotted Jeffrey Shaw’s silver Ford F-150 and gave chase but were unsuccessful in stopping the vehicle. According to a city spokesman, Chandler Police stopped its pursuit after the state Department of Public Safety got involved. At the intersection of Pecos and Ellsworth roads in Mesa, Shaw lost control of his truck at the intersection and crashed, the claims say. “As a result of the crash, Jeffrey was hanging outside of the truck’s driver’s Jeffrey Shaw and his wife of 18 years had four children. He side window” and two DPS troopers “fired multiple owned two Bahama Bucks franchises. (Special to GSN) rounds at Mr. Shaw, striking days after the filings, Town Attorney him,” according to the claims. Chris Payne said. “The shooting was unjustified, exHe added that the town’s outside coun- cessive and objectively unreasonable, sel was investigating both claims, which particularly because at the time of the blame Gilbert Police for “negligence and shooting,” the claims continue. “Jeffrey gross negligence” in the events that ulti- was unarmed, had just crashed his truck, mately led to Shaw’s death. and was hanging out of the driver’s side The claims allege the town failed to window. He posed no immediate threat adequately hire, fire, train and super- of death or serious bodily injury.” vise its police employees and failed to Shortly after the shooting, a Mesa K-9 train, supervise and implement policies officer deployed his police dog “to attack or enforce appropriate policies and pro- and apparently apprehend Jeffrey,” the cedures to protect Shaw’s rights from claims add. “The police dog violently bit excessive and unreasonable use of force. Jeffrey on the arm, ripping and chewing According to the claims, Gilbert of- through Jeffrey’s bicep tendon. ficers were dispatched to meet with “The police dog then also bit into JefKaren Shaw, one of Jeffrey’s brothers, frey’s stomach before attempting to drag Lauren and the four children – Sydney, Jeffrey away from the truck.” Jordyn, Levi and Macie. The claims also alleged DPS “failed to Based on the meeting, the officers timely call for medical care for Jeffrey, “knew that Jeffrey had never been ar- thereby contributing to his injuries.” rested, was non-violent, did not own a Shaw died on June 30, three days afgun, and had no weapons in his truck,” ter his 41st birthday from complications the claims add. of gunshot wounds, according to a MarGilbert Police tracked Shaw on his cell icopa County Medical Examiner report. phone but when officers arrived on the Shaw also was found to have pneumonia scene, he was no longer there. related to COVID-19. They then issued an attempt-to-locate The over 200-pages of documents notification to other law-enforcement released by Mesa Police to the Gilbert agencies. But in doing so, Gilbert failed Sun News through a public records re“to accurately or fulsomely communi- quest paint a different picture of what cate the information it obtained about occurred that night, although investiJeffrey” to other police agencies, the gators’ interviews with the two DPS claims state. troopers involved in the shooting were

not included. According to police reports, Karen Shaw called Gilbert Police to report her son “was suicidal” and Chris, one of Jeffrey Shaw’s brothers, “indicated Jeffrey was about to do something ‘drastic.’” After Chandler Police failed to stop Shaw, who ran red lights and failed to yield, DPS attempted to stop him at the 202 Freeway, including using a spike strip. A Mesa air unit also participated in the pursuit. DPS continued the pursuit in unmarked vehicles as Shaw transitioned from the 202 to State Route 24, traveling at 100 mph. Several witnesses confirmed that Shaw’s truck was traveling at a high rate of speed in a southbound lane on Ellsworth Road. The vehicle was cutting in and out of traffic before crashing at about 8:51 p.m. on the southwest corner of Pecos and Ellsworth roads, surrounded by farmland. According to police investigators, Shaw was driving 88.9 mph at impact and intentionally went off the road, striking a traffic signal pole while at or near full throttle. There were no DPS vehicles seen behind the truck when it crashed, according to traffic safety cameras. The truck rolled over going through several trees and came to a rest on its wheels, incurring significant damage. According to DPS troopers at the crash scene, Shaw exited the driver’s side window and they yelled for him to show them his hands. The shooting was not captured on camera. “The driver yelled back, ‘I’m going to kill you,’” several times, the reports said. “At this time, the driver’s left hand was visible, but his right hand was holding something under his shirt” and “despite repeated commands the driver would not show his right hand and repeatedly yelled he was going to kill them.” A DPS trooper attempted to de-escalate the situation by saying, “we are here for you, “what can we do to help you,” “work with us,” and “how can we help you,” according to the reports.

see SHAW page 7

GILBERT SUN NEWS | MAY 16, 2021

SHAW from page 6

The same trooper, who was about 30 feet from the driver, told investigators that Shaw’s “right hand came out from under his shirt, he was holding a long, black object about 6 to 8 inches long, he was holding the object at the base like someone holds a firearm.” The trooper then said he heard two other troopers fired their weapons at Shaw. He later told Mesa investigators he believed Shaw had a gun under his shirt. Another trooper on the scene gave a similar account stating Shaw refused to show his right hand and that “the driver’s actions were making him nervous and he feared the driver was going to start shooting at them.” Once shot, Shaw fell out of the driver’s side window and onto the ground, landing on his back. He ended up partially in a nearby ravine, his body positioned so officers couldn’t see his hands. Investigators found a total of 15 fired cartridge cases at the scene. Shaw’s gunshot injuries included a wound to

NEWS

the right upper back, rod with an attached the left bicep and the reel. right upper leg. A search warrant Shaw was given of the F-150 found a multiple commands knife with a red subthat he didn’t respond stance on the blade to, prompting an arlocated in the front riving Mesa K-9 offipassenger’s side door cer to use his police storage compartment dog “Ringo” to effect and a kitchen knife an arrest. with a red substance A trooper tended to on it located on the Shaw’s wounds until driver’s side floorJeffrey Shaw a fire crew arrived, board. which then transported Shaw to ChanEight days after Shaw died, his funerdler Regional Medical Center. al service was held at the Greenfield Two Mesa police officers arrived at Stake on Lindsay Road, where famithe hospital with a search warrant for ly members, including his two oldest a blood draw from Shaw for a DUI in- daughters, shared their memories. Tim Shaw said his brother’s entrevestigation. But because Shaw was in surgery and preneurial drive began early in junior was given over 38 pints of blood, there high school where he persuaded their was no blood valid for testing, accord- mother to buy candy in bulk, which Jeffrey than separated into bags and ing to the officers. The object Shaw was seen holding sold to other students from his school when shot was the handle of a fishing locker.

After college, Jeffrey was hired by Pfizer Pharmaceuticals and later when he found he had more time on his hands he took on Bahama Buck’s, which specializes in shaved ice and other frozen non-alcoholic beverages. “Jeff was a people person and if you were to ask him what he loved most about Bahama Buck’s it was the relationships he saw employees have together – employees becoming best friends (and) our relationships with the employees,” said Lauren Shaw at the funeral. She also praised him as a “great father.” “Any spare moment was with the kids even when I knew he was exhausted from a long day,” Lauren Shaw said. “It was let’s play a game, let’s go swimming, let’s do this and anything was with the kids.” A college fund for the four children has been set up on GoFundMe with a goal of raising $50,000. To donate, go to gofundme.com and search “jeff shaw family.”

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GILBERT SUN NEWS | MAY 16, 2021

CUSD trying to win back students it lost handler Unified School District is hoping a new marketing strategy will help attract enough new students to replace the 2,000 pupils that left the district during the pandemic. Since schools started closing down last spring, CUSD and most other school districts have been gradually seeing their enrollment decline as parents sought alternative learning environments for their children. Even as schools started to reopen in October, district officials worried enough students had already left to make a ma-

jor impact on Chandler Unified’s revenue and budget. CUSD is now promoting a message aimed at better positioning the district to compete against charter schools or homeschooling options. “We’re hoping to attract those students back to Chandler by focusing on the marketing of (CUSD) and what makes Chandler a district of choice,” said Larry Rother, district’s executive director of educational services. CUSD has recently begun partnering with First Strategic, a Phoenix-based public relations firm, to launch a campaign aimed at local families with young children.

Rother said CUSD has identified 3,200 families with preschool-aged children who could potentially enroll in the district. If the district can attract these younger students in the early years of their education, Rother said they’ll be more likely to stay in CUSD all the way through high school. In addition to sending these families mailers with information about CUSD, the district is executing some strategies to get their attention online and through social media. “We’re looking at ways to really hone in and target our families and provide them information,” Rother said.

One of those strategies includes using geographical data to find out when parents are physically passing by a CUSD campus and then sending them alerts, reminding them about the district’s programs. “When families are around our buildings geographically, (they’ll) see one of those pop-up ads or targeted advertisements,” Rother said. CUSD has been attempting to spread a message that communicates its mission to educate the “whole child,” meaning a focus that values social-emotional intelligence as much as academics.

fession has faced a large number of challenges that may be a factor. This past year has been unprecedented for all of our employees and we are committed to continuing to create and build supportive working environments as we move forward.” Angela Philpot, who teaches at Desert Ridge Junior High and received her layoff notice, accepted a contract to come back to work. However, it won’t be as an English Language Learner teacher but as a fifthgrade teacher at Mesquite Elementary. “I’ve been ELL for 16 years,” Philpot said. “I have not taught this grade. It will be a little bit of a change.” Philpot, the treasurer for the Arizona Education Association, said she feels fortunate to get her job back but “that doesn’t mean we’re going to stop advocating for the teachers who were unfairly let go based off of this rubric or to put processes in place to allow for more transparency in the future when the livelihoods and reputations of educators are at stake.” The district in January behind closed doors developed a rubric that principals then used to secretly rate their teachers on their effectiveness. The number of positions that had to be eliminated determined the cut-off in scoring. Elementary teachers scoring 13

points and below out of 27 points were put on the reduction in force list. For secondary teachers, it was 16 and below out of a total score of 33. The Governing Board, which was alerted to the possibility of layoffs in January, on March 30 voted 5-0 to lay off the teachers. According to Antestenis, the district referred back to the rubric scores in determining who to ask back. Some teachers, however, questioned if that was so. A teacher, who wanted to remain anonymous, said she received an 8 in her rubric score, yet she was offered a contract to come back. “I know teachers with higher rubrics that were not offered their jobs back,” she said, adding her low score didn’t match with her performance evaluations. “If we were so bad, why are we being offered our jobs back?” she said. She said she rejected the offer because the location and position changed. “I never taught high school before,” said the special-education teacher. A longtime science teacher with multiple certifications who taught at the district for seven years said she decided not to accept the offer to return. She didn’t want her name used because she said she feared retaliation.

She said she had always had “very good evaluations,” so her rubric score came as a shock when she was laid off. “I was angry but decided to take it as a sign and move on,” she said. “GPS clearly did not value me as a teacher. I decided that when my contract was over, I would start my own business and change life directions.” She said on May 3 she received an email from Superintendent Shane McCord offering her a contract to teach science at a different location. “There was no explanation or apology, just a directive to sign it within 48 hours,” she said. The teacher said she had already cleaned out her classroom and moved three truckloads of teaching resources to her garage. “If I did want to continue teaching, it would never be for GPS,” she said. “The way this entire process was handled was horrible and degrading, from beginning to end.” Another teacher, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said she decided to accept the district’s offer to come back to work because she is close to retirement. She had an offer from another school district but the pay was lower, she said. However, she noted, her new position in GPS is at a different campus and dif-

ferent grade level. That seemed to be the case for a bulk of the returning teachers approved May 4. Only six of the teachers remained at their same campus, according to district documents. The teachers interviewed were not only critical with the rubrics used but that the district didn’t do a better job assessing staffing needs before the March 30 vote. A couple of teachers suggested there were legal forces in play in the district’s move to rehire the teachers they discarded. The board held an executive session April 27 to discuss with its attorney “Reduction in Force matters.” “I wouldn’t say it was so much the AEA attorneys,” said Faith Risolo, an organizational consultant with the state teachers union. “It was the work our members did on behalf of themselves with the assistance of our AEA attorneys and with the GEA leadership team that certainly led them to believing that the RIF, the complete number, the 152 was probably too high,” Risolo continued. “When folks got their RIF notices they decided they would work on their own behalf and fight to keep their jobs and to serve the students they dearly love.”

BY KEVIN REAGAN GSN Staff Writer

TEACHERS from page 1

see SCHOOLS page 9

GILBERT SUN NEWS | MAY 16, 2021

SCHOOLS from page 8

Whether or not that messaging rings true will probably vary depending on the audience who hears it. The district has often been regularly criticized this past year for making decisions during the pandemic that some parents viewed as not being in the best interest of students. Many parents have repeatedly urged district officials to “put students first” above all other stakeholders regarding controversial subjects involving mask mandates or school closures. Interim Superintendent Frank Narducci has recently said that moving forward, the district’s mission and strategic plans will attempt to reflect and reiterate a student-focused message. Online platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are where CUSD has been directing its “whole-child” messaging by publishing plenty of positive, uplifting news items about the district. The district’s Facebook page currently racks up about 10,000 impressions on a weekly basis. CUSD is hoping its partner-

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ship with First Strategic will generate up to 10 million impressions throughout the community. On a daily basis, CUSD is posting pictures of notable students and celebrating their academic achievements -- in the hopes that it might garner the attention of some families considering enrolling in the district. “We certainly need to get the good word out about what we’re doing in our schools,” Rother added. Districts all over Arizona are having to be more creative with its marketing efforts as they attempt to return to the pre-pandemic enrollment numbers they had been operating under. According to the Arizona Department of Education, more than 38,500 students have disappeared from the state’s classrooms during the pandemic. Preschoolers and kindergartners have accounted for nearly 42 percent of the enrollment loss throughout Arizona. CUSD Chief Financial Officer Lana Berry said student enrollment has become

one of the Chandler Unified’s biggest priorities because it is the district’s biggest revenue generator. “If they don’t come, the money doesn’t flow in,” she noted. The enrollment issue will likely remain a dominant topic even after the pandemic ends, Berry added, since national birth rates have been declining in recent years and Chandler is getting closer to running out of land to develop into new housing. Not only is CUSD concerned about attracting enough new students, but it’s worried about preventing the pupils it already has from dropping out. Recent data suggests absenteeism rates have increased throughout CUSD during the pandemic and students are completing fewer credits than in previous years. In a normal year, CUSD may have about 8 percent of its students categorized as experiencing “chronic absenteeism,” meaning they have missed at least 10 percent of their total instructional time. But the ongoing pandemic has caused

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Chandler’s absenteeism rate to jump to 15.6 percent, according to Amber Stouard, the district’s research director. It’s important to keep absenteeism rates low, she explained, because chronic absenteeism is often an early indicator of students on the verge of dropping out. “We don’t want students to drop out,” Stouard said. “We know if they’re engaged in school, we’ll continue to have them come to class and we can lower our dropout rate.” The district is blaming the pandemic for a declining rate in the number of credits students are finishing in a semester. According to CUSD data, about 84 percent of the district’s ninth graders earned at least 5.5 credits during the current school year. In 2020, the district’s completion rate was 92 percent. CUSD is hoping students who fell behind academically during the pandemic may be able to catch up during summer school and get back on track by the next school year.

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GILBERT SUN NEWS | MAY 16, 2021

Gilbert lawmaker’s forfeiture curb becomes law BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

ov. Doug Ducey is cutting off what some say has been an easy and unethical source of money for police and prosecutors. The governor has signed legislation – introduced by Gilbert Republican Rep. Travis Grantham – saying that property ranging from cash and homes to cars and cell phones can be seized in an arrest and sold off only after the owner actually has been convicted of a crime. The bill put Grantham on a collision course with Gilbert Chief Michael Soelberg, who pleaded with lawmakers not to pass it. The new law is a far cry from what it replaced. The old law required only that they convince a judge in a civil proceeding that the property is tied to criminal activity. And that has a lower burden of proof than “beyond a reasonable doubt,’’ the standard to convict. The law was used to seize close to $27 million in cash and property in 2019, Grantham said. He said police and prosecutors love the law because they use the proceeds to supplement their own budgets. “Some of these departments have used these seizures and this type of practice to fund their agencies,’’ he told colleagues during legislative hearings. “To me it’s terrifying to think that, here we are, the ones that should be appropriating money to these folks to do their job, to do the good job of law enforcement, and we’ve created a system that incentives them, oftentimes, with regards to when they may take property from somebody, sell it and get to keep the proceeds.’’ Soelberg, testifying before the House Committee on Criminal Justice Reform on behalf of the Arizona Association of Chiefs of Police, ripped the measure. “This is an invitation to criminal enterprises and trans-national criminal operations to operate in the state of Arizona,’’ he said. “Depriving criminals and criminal organizations of their ill-gotten gains is a

“Sadly, it is a tremendous win for smuggling organizations, dramatically limiting law enforcement’s ability to prevent criminals from obtaining their ultimate prize – money.’’ There also were concerns that criminal operations would dispose of their assets in the time it takes to get a criminal case into court and get a conviction. Ducey pointed out that the measure Rep. Travis Grantham, R-Gilbert, chats with House Speaker Rusty does allow police to Bowers, R-Mesa. (Capitol Media Services) hang on to property even before a convicmechanism to disrupt and dismantle tion if it is evidence of a crime. They just and deter those who prey on individuals can’t sell it unless there’s a conviction. for financial gain,’’ Soelberg said. Grantham said he does not doubt that Ducey pointed out that the Arizona police and prosecutors do use the law to Constitution, unlike its federal counter- go after major criminals. part which protects against unreasonBut he said that of the nearly $27 milable search and seizure, has a specific lion seized in 2019, more than half of right to privacy. that was made up of items worth less “I have a constitutional responsibil- than $1,000. ity to provide a balance between those “They took cash, cars, guns, cell rights and ensuring that law enforce- phones, three glass pie dishes, an $18 ment has the tools necessary to protect Best Buy gift card,’’ he told colleagues. our state,’’ Ducey wrote in explaining his “Some poor sap pulled over for whatdecision to sign the bill. “HB 2810 pro- ever reason and has committed a crime vides this balance.’’ and the next thing you know their The decision to sign the measure came $1,000 van is taken from them or the over the objections from other prosecu- trailer they’re towing or whatever items tors and police who insisted that it will they have in their possession,’’ he said. hamper their efforts to go after criminal Grantham said it even can occur just enterprises, particularly those smug- because someone was a witness to a gling drugs into Arizona and cash to crime, “which, believe it or not, hapMexico. pens.’’ In a letter to the governor, Yavapai “While it definitely captures some bad County Attorney Sheila Polk and Sheriff people, it destroys a lot of good people,’’ David Rhodes say these organizations he said. “And I’ve always been of the set up their operations so that it is virtu- opinion that in our country, if we’re goally impossible to link cash seized to the ing to do something that hurts one innodrugs that are separately transported. cent person just because it gets 10 bad “As written, HB 2810 is a free pass to ones, we’re doing it wrong.’’ transnational multi-billion dollar smugAdding insult to injury, he said, is that gling organizations to prey on American the system is set up to make it next to citizens by simply keeping the money impossible for people to get their propaway from crime,’’ they wrote. “ erty back.

“Individuals have to prove that their property wasn’t involved in a crime,’’ Grantham said. “And I think we all know, it’s very difficult to prove a negative, in our business especially,’’ he continued. “Well, that’s not how the system is supposed to work.’’ On top of that, Grantham said the process of going to court often involves having to hire an attorney. “Oftentimes, the cost of hiring that lawyer may exceed the value of the property,’’ he said. “And you might be taking something from somebody that’s their only means of transportation or communication.’’ Polk and Rhodes said they offered to put some limits into the existing laws. That included adding a provision requiring a minimum $10,000 threshold for the state to seize and forfeit currency. Grantham, however, said that misses the point: It still would have allowed someone’s property to be taken without having to go to court and get a criminal conviction. “That’s great for somebody whose asset is worth less than $10,000,’’ he said. But that still leaves the door open to seizure of cars and homes and cash. “Their offerings, while they sound maybe reasonable on the surface ... they wanted no conviction requirement,’’ Grantham said. “And that was the heart and the meat of the bill.’’ This isn’t the first whack Ducey and lawmakers have taken at the forfeiture process. A 2017 measure signed by the governor said prosecutors must provide “clear and convincing evidence’’ to a judge that property they want to seize is connected to criminal activity before they can seize it. That means either it was used as part of a crime or that it was acquired with proceeds from criminal activity. Prior to that, the law allowed seizure based on “preponderance of the evidence.’’ That is the lowest of all standards and means only that it is more likely than not the property is linked to a crime.

GILBERT SUN NEWS | MAY 16, 2021

NEWS

Neighbors ratchet up adventure park fight

BY CECILIA CHAN GSN Managing Editor

esidents in two Gilbert neighborhoods are seeking to overturn a town design review board’s approval of a site plan for Santan Adventure Park, which will include a miniature golf course, splash pad and a gas-powered go-karts racing track. The residents have hired attorney Tim La Sota to present their appeal to Town Council on June 15. La Sota did not respond to a request for comment. “We have go-kart noise and that seems to be the focus,” said Sandra Avery, who lives in the Cottonwood Crossing community across the street from Crossroads District Park, the site of the outdoor family entertainment project. “But the miniature-golf section is a huge concern because they propose sound effects.” Avery said she also doubts the project’s representative’s claim that there would be no loud speakers. “How are they going to have music playing? How are they going to announce the park is closing? And how are you going to find a missing child, heaven forbid?” asked Avery, who has lived in her neighborhood for almost 20 years. “There’s just no way. You’re going to have to have speakers.” As it is, Avery said she already can hear the noise coming from the baseball fields and music from the bar at AZ Ice, located next to the project. Residents joined forces with those living in the Greenfield Lakes and a GoFundMe has been set up to raise $8,000 to help cover attorney fees and filing costs for the appeal. As of last Wednesday morning, the site raised $1,510. Santan Adventure Park has been in the works since 2017, when Town Council approved a lease agreement with SAP Holdings to build the project in two phases on 4 acres at Santan Village Parkway and Knox Road. Phase 2 amenities haven’t been announced yet. Media reports at the time noted the 18-hole golf course, an outdoor maze and the splash pad but there was no

mention of go-karts. Residents said they were blindsided by the project’s 22 go-karts but developer Ben Cooper has said that under the lease agreement the Town always anticipated that as an amenity. The entertainment venue didn’t open in fall 2018 as originally intended and in 2019 Council gave the developer an extension to build its project. Cooper has said plans are to open by end of the year, provided there are no hiccups. Residents also voiced concerns with the project’s approval given Cooper’s previous stint as a town councilman. His dad, Kent Cooper served as Gilbert’s town manger for 18 years. Ben Cooper did not respond to emailed questions by deadline. Avery said residents plan to show up in force June 15 for the appeal. Until then, they have been speaking at every Council meeting during the public comments. At the last meeting on May 4, Nicki Reber begged Council to stop the project. “At 5 in the morning, the ambient noise from the traffic alone wakes me up,” said Reber who lives a half mile west of Greenfield Road and half mile north of Ray Road. “If just the ambient noise coming off the roadways a half mile from me can wake me, I ask you to please consider what’s going to happen if you allow the go-kart track to be built. “The peace and quiet of my property will be ruined forever. I’ll guarantee you, not a single one of you if you were going to be living 250 feet from this that you would have ever allowed it.” Charlie Girard questioned the validity of the developer’s sound study on the go-karts, noting that no ambient noise was included in the consultant’s report. The developer has said the noise from the vehicles won’t violate the town’s noise ordinance. “It was hypothetical. It was one engine simulated by the manufacturer,” he said. “The noise study was a façade.” Sue Donovan did not live near the project site but she and her dogs have regularly used the dog park at Cross-

roads for nearly 20 years. The dog park would butt up against the project. “Crossroads is my park,” she said. “It’s the place where my dogs and I have had the most satisfactory experience. The dogs and I are comfortable there because of the well-socialized dogs and their responsible owners. “With the impending STAP project and particularly the go-kart track, what do we have to look forward to – a deplorable parking situation, which is challenging at best during the weekends and any athletic event and a cacophony of sounds radiating 15 to 16 hours a day, seven days a week right next to the dog park to say nothing of how this will affect the neighboring residents. “How the go-kart track was ever approved at this site is beyond comprehension. Just because something can be done doesn’t’ mean it should be done.” The developer has indicated a screening fence was planned to shield the dog park from the project.

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GILBERT SUN NEWS | MAY 16, 2021

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Everything is peachy keen at Schnepf Farms

After almost two years of picking their own peaches, Schnepf Farms owners Carrie and Mark Schnepf are opening up their Queen Creek farm for people who want to pick their own fruit. While the farm’s UPICK program has been a family tradition for three generations, Mark Schnepf said, “Last year, due to COVID, we couldn’t take the chance of opening up for UPICK, so we did something completely different: we picked, the public ordered and it was a steady drive thru Peach Service.” The Schnepfs said it was a good alternative, but it also was difficult to pick all the ripe peaches when needed. So this year, as things open back up a little, the farm is offering both. “My crew picks in the morning for online orders, and as the peaches ripen, we will open the orchards to a reservation only UPICK.” It doesn’t cost anything to pick, but the Schnepfs are having customers sign up for a car reservation for a certain time period. UPICK reservations are scheduled from 7:30 - 9a.m., 9:30-11 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. Schnepf Farms also will be selling its peachy cinnamon rolls, peach pies and vegetables from the garden. They can be ordered for curbside pickup or visitors can come into the bakery or pick their own in the garden. Every Thursday thru Sunday evening, Schnepf’s Agritainment Park opens from 5-10 p.m. for family foam parties,

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grad night parties and more, 26 different rides, peach funnel cakes, peach lemonade, peach pies, peach ice cream. Family four packs and discount days will be available throughout the month. Schnepf Farms is the largest peach grower Arizona and it uses no pesticides or fertilizer. The season lasts all May into possibly the first week of June. Information: Schnepffarms.com.

Behavior center in Gilbert slates job fair May 18

Action Behavior Centers, a leading provider of support for children on the autism spectrum, will host a job fair 5-8 p.m. Tuesday, May 18, at 2730 S Val Vista Drive, Building 4, Gilbert. Action Behavior Centers is hiring all behavior technicians, registered behavior technicians and board-certified behavior analysts. Drinks and appetizers will be served. Information: sharon.alpizar@actionbehavior.com.

Red Cross slates drives for much-needed blood

The American Red Cross needs help to avoid a summer donation slump. It’s urging people to donate blood, platelets or plasma. Donors who give this month will be automatically entered for a chance to win a travel trailer camper, powered Suburban Propane. Visit RedCrossBlood.org/SummerFullOfLife for more information. The Red Cross is also thanking those who come to donate May 28-June 13 with a limited-edition T-shirt, while supplies last. All blood is screened for COVID-19. Here are drives scheduled in Gilbert this month: 8 a.m.-2 p.m. May 18, American Furniture, 4700 S. Power Road; 8 a.m.-2 p.m. May 25, LDS Chandler East Stake, 4346 S. Val Vista Drive; 8 a.m.-1 p.m. May 27, San Tan Hyundai, 3252 S Auto Way; 8 a.m.-1 p.m. May 27, Mission Community Church, 4450 E. Elliot Road; and 9 a.m.-3 p.m. May 27, Vineyard Gilbert, 601 S. Cooper Road.

GILBERT SUN NEWS | MAY 16, 2021

NEWS

Regal Gilbert reopens after 14-month closure

cup or bucket for a new container., the theater also said. While auditorium capacity is being reduced only where there is a state or county mandate, the chain’s reservation system will maintain two empty seats between groups to maintain social dis-

tancing. Regal also announced it is increasing its fresh air intake by 50 to 100 percent. Regal employees will undergo daily health screenings and will be required to wash hands at minimum every 30 to 60 minutes, depending on their job. Natural-

ly, they all will be required to wear masks. And anyone who feels sick is asked to stay home or, if they get sick after buying a ticket, get a refund online. Cineworld Group, the parent company to Regal and the second largest movie house chain in the world, in March reported an operating loss of $2.26 billion for 2020 after revenue fell by 80 percent – from $4.37 billion in 2019 to only $852 million in 2020. That was not nearly as bad as AMC, the world’s largest movie chain, which claimed a loss of $4.6 billion in 2020. In a conversation with investors via The Hollywood Reporter last fall, CEO Moshe Greidinger expressed hope that the company can rebound. Greidinger said theater reopenings show “people are missing the cinema.” Regal operates 7,211 screens in 549 theatres in 42 states. North American box office dollars were down 80 percent and ticket sales down 81 percent in 2020, according to a study by the Motion Picture Association. It found that 54 percent of respondents didn’t enter a movie theater once the entire calendar year. In a typical year, that figure is under 25 percent, according to the Washington Post.

his gun violence agenda, said that would be to repeal the law. And Nguyen said he wants something in place in Arizona should that happen. Ducey echoed that theme. “With efforts currently underway in Washington to erode Second Amendment rights, Arizona is taking action to protect those rights,’’ he said. “Bad actors need to be held accountable, and we will work to make sure they are.” In fact, after stiff opposition from gunrights groups, Ducey years ago abandoned the one gun violence bill he proposed years ago: Allow judges to issue orders requiring people who own firearms to submit to mental evaluations and to have police take their weapons pending

such examinations if they appear to be a threat to those around them. Rep. Diego Rodriguez, D-Phoenix, chided Republican colleagues for approving this measure, which has no immediate effect, rather than dealing with the underlying issues of gun violence. “People want us to talk about that,’’ he said. Instead, Rodriguez said, the Legislature is dealing with “these bogeyman stories of people coming into your homes, trying to take your guns.’’ Rep. Jennifer Longdon decried “unfettered access to firearms.’’ Longdon is in a wheelchair, having been paralyzed in a 2004 incident where an unknown gunman fired at her and her fiancé. He was left blind and with brain

damage. “I, too, support the Second Amendment,’’ she said, asking “So why bother’’ passing new laws like this. “We bother because we have an administration that’s made it clear they want to infringe on our Second Amendment,’’ said Rep. Leo Biasiucci, R-Lake Havasu. Nguyen said he has a particularly unique perspective on the right to bear arms, having been born in Vietnam in 1962 and emigrating to the United States after the war. “I know what it’s like to live in a country with no Second Amendment,’’ he said. “I’ve seen people killed. I’ve seen people die without the ability to defend themselves.’’

GSN NEWS STAFF

fter going dark 14 months ago, the Regal Gilbert movie theater at 1012 S. Gilbert Road was scheduled to reopen this weekend, but under safety protocols commissioned by the National Association of Theatre Owners in collaboration with leading epidemiologists. With a full slate of new movies, Regal Gilbert will require patrons to wear masks at all times except when snacking in their seats. The theater will provide masks for people who forgot theirs. “Where socially unacceptable behavior is observed, including the non-wearing of a mask, this will be addressed with the patron,” the chain said on its website. Along with the ability to purchase tickets in advance on the Regal mobile app, guests now have the ability to purchase concession items from the app when in the theatre. Every other register will be closed to maintain social distancing and a reduced menu offering will be temporarily available and self-service condiment stands will be closed. “When refilling large soft drinks or popcorns, we will exchange your prior

The Gilbert Regal reopened this weekend after a 14-month shutdown with some safety protocols in place. Part of the world’s second largest movie chain, the theater is sporting a lineup of new releases. (GSN file photo)

New law protects gun makers from lawsuits

BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

ov. Doug Ducey has signed legislation to declare gun shops as “essential’’ and protect them, firearms manufacturers and even trade associations like the National Rifle Association from being sued by those who are killed or injured by their products. The federal Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, approved by Congress in 2005, ahields manufacturers and dealers from being held liable when crimes are committed with their products. But Rep. Quang Nguyen, R-Prescott Valley, pointed out that President Joe Biden, asked what would be his top priority in

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GILBERT SUN NEWS | MAY 16, 2021

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Upcoming speaker ‘addicted’ to family history BY SRIANTHI PERERA GSN Contributor

uane Roen has an addiction he wants everyone to know about. The dean of the College of Integrative Sciences and Arts at Arizona State University, he heads its Project for Writing and Recording Family History – and loves to impart his interest to others by presenting workshops on the topic. “I think it’s important to learn about our individual heritage,” said the Tempe resident. “I think it’s important to remember who our ancestors were and not forget them.” The public may attend one of his free workshops titled “Making Your Own Family History” 10:30-noon May 22 at HD SOUTH Home of the Gilbert Historical Museum in downtown Gilbert. Roen will discuss keeping a diary to record and reflect on daily activities.

On May 22 at HD SOUTH, Duane Roen will show people how to learn about their ancestors. He discovered information about his maternal great-grandparents, pictured on the right on their wedding day, and how they got to America from Sweden. (Special to GSN)

The seeds of his passion were sown when he was a teenager and he found in his grandparents’ attic in River Falls, Wisconsin, the Norwegian family’s Bible. He saw that the inside cover listed his grandfather, his great grandparents and their siblings. The Norwegian spelling of his name is Raaen, a farm name meaning “rapidly running water.” (The name became Americanized to Roen in the late 19th century.) His curiosity was sparked by the Bible, which he still has,

see ROEN page 15

Gilbert doc’s book breaks down medical jargon BY ASHLYN ROBINETTE GSN Staff Writer

hen at the doctor’s office, chances are you don’t understand all of the medical lingo thrown at you. A new book by Gilbert physician Dr. Maxine Morris Stewart helps to decipher that jargon. “Making Sense of Doctor Talk: How To Get The Most Out Of The Healthcare System” decodes medical terminology to bridge the knowledge gap between patients and healthcare providers, said Stewart, a Redirect Health primary care provider. Stewart said she wanted to create a resource that would end the language barrier between patients and doctors because miscommunication can cause

Dr. Maxine Morris Stewart

confusion and poor health outcomes. The book is designed to help people understand their condition and achieve healthcare goals “in a simple enough way that even if you’re starting at ground zero and don’t understand much, you’ll easily learn the doctor lingo and what it means for your health,” Stewart said. During her second year of working as a nurse practitioner, Stewart went into people’s homes to conduct health assessments and discovered that most individuals who had multiple comorbid conditions and were taking up to 20 medications didn’t understand what they had and why they were taking the meds. Even though of them were under a specialist’s care, they just followed their

see DOCTOR page 15

GILBERT SUN NEWS | MAY 16, 2021

ROEN from page 14

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and sparked a lifetime attachment to searching out information about his ancestors. But his interest is not limited just to his family. Roen wants to listen to others’ stories as well. “One of the things I love about these workshops is that I get to hear so many fantastic stories about people and their families because, in most of these workshops, we talk a little bit about writing and we write and we hear what we wrote,” he said. “I’m so lucky to be able to hear all these wonderful stories.” In the 1660s, British civil servant Samuel Pepys kept a daily diary for a decade. Today, along with his letters, it is one of the best sources of information about the people, places and things of that time. But Roen went even further. Along with his wife Maureen Roen, a publicist at Arizona State University, he began a daily journal in the 1970s and continues to the day. “If you do family history research, you’ve got lots of names, lots of dates and lots of places but you don’t have any stories oftentimes,” he noted. “My wife and I, we were determined we would leave stories. We’ve written in our family journal every day since October of 1978 and we’ve not yet missed a day.” Together, they have written more than 16,000 pages as they have captured family stories to pass down to future generations. “The biggest thing is to do something

every single day of your life,” he said. “If you set a goal of writing 250 words a day about your family and its history, if you do that, pretty soon you’re going to have a lot of material. “The other thing is to share what you write about family with other family members so that they can learn from it, they can add to it,” he said. “You get a richer story that way,” he added. Roen’s personal family database lists about 33,000 ancestors. These databases may be kept personal or shared with other families. Some create family trees, where information about living individuals is kept confidential. Part detective and part researcher, Roen’s long delving into his family’s history has not been without surprises. Some of his ancestors were known well enough to have books written about them: an ancestor, artist Jasper Cropsey, was an artist in the Hudson River area; Duryea Brothers were automobile makers who lived around 1900; and a fourth cousin three times removed named Nel Cropsey was the subject of a book on her mysterious death in 1900 in Elizabeth City, North Carolina. Another factor of family history research is the discovery of rich cultural material. Hence, one of his workshops pertains to how to weave cultural history into writing so people get a better understanding of what their ancestors experienced.

An example is his great-grandfather’s cousin, who fought in the U.S. Civil War on the Union flag and got captured in 1863 at the Battle Chickamauga. He was jailed in Andersonville prison camp in Georgia, where he died on June 30, 1864. An internet search of the prison camp yields many books and websites, Roen said. “I can find his grave online, so I know pretty well what his daily life was like in Andersonville, even though he didn’t leave a journal or letters or diary. I think it’s a great tool for learning about history in general to study your family history,” Roen said. To those interested in starting out recording their stories, Roen’s first bit of advice is to start early for best results. “Start today,” he said. “The ideal is to start young in your life as you possibly can. If you start when you’re 10 years old, it’s more likely that your grandparents or even your great-grandparents are alive.” “Talk to your grandparents and great-grandparents a lot. If you want to make it easier, do an audio recording or video recording. Do a Zoom session and record it. Those things will be absolutely priceless to you later in life.” Sadly, most people wait until they are retired to dig into their family history, he said, because later in life, they have time to devote to it and are also more curious about their ancestors. But by that time, Roen said, their grandparents, parents and even siblings may not be around.

“Most people say ‘I wish that I had got interested in this earlier, I wish that I had asked my grandparents to tell stories when they were still alive,’” he said. “In some cases, they knew their great-grandparents when they were alive. In some cases, they really regret not asking them to tell those stories.” Anyone in that situation may do well by attending the Gilbert workshop. Roen shares tips on how to begin leaving something for their descendants and it’s a good starting point. “There are hundreds and thousands of different ways to write about the daily events in our lives and the lives of our family members,” he said. “If we picked up one of them every day and wrote about it, it wouldn’t take long to have a book’s worth of stories to share.” The project that Roen heads at ASU offers courses on family history. The program started at ASU Polytechnic in Mesa, where Roen is a vice provost, and works to strengthen the sense of community. But almost all of his presentations are out in the community; at libraries, family history societies, genealogy clubs and similar other places. He has worked extensively with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and its family research libraries. Roen points out that researching family history is a lifelong journey. “It’s never done, and the earlier you start in life, the more you can get,” he said. “But it’s never too late.” Details: hdsouth.org/programs.

doctor’s directives without really understanding what was going on, Stewart said. “I discovered that not only did I really enjoy educating them about the process, but that they were actually picking up on the concepts when I found analogies and things to help them,” Stewart said. “I think that it made a difference on whether or not they were taking their meds like they were supposed to and achieving their healthcare goals.” Stewart wondered how many other people were out there with the same issues and what she could do about it.

Motivated to provide comprehensive healthcare to all, Stewart wrote her book to give patients with low “health literacy” the knowledge and ability to take charge of their health and achieve better treatment results. “If patients understand the terminology and more about what’s happening with their body and can describe how they’re feeling, then they can move closer to the middle ground where their healthcare provider’s language is,” Stewart said. “Then they will see better health outcomes.” To help patients keep track of their

healthcare information and history, “Making Sense of Doctor Talk” includes 16 fill-in tables to chart things like medications, supplements, dosages, providers, allergies, vaccinations, lab test results, and dates of appointments, surgeries and procedures. Stewart said her book is lightweight and easily transportable so that patients can take it to doctors’ offices and use it to review what they’re going to tell and show their healthcare providers. They also can review their medications and history and easily find their condition in the book along with expla-

nations for terms that may be used in conversations with their doctor. “Patients need to understand that they know their bodies best so if they know the symptoms and what doctors and nurses are looking for when they go into the office, then they are in a better position to answer their questions,” Stewart said. “You are helping them help you.” Ultimately, Stewart hopes her book will help individuals understand medical lingo and that patients will utilize its features to help them be better consumers of health.

DOCTOR from page 14

COMMUNITY

GILBERT SUN NEWS | MAY 16, 2021

Special chickens spice up downtown yoga class

BY IVORY WARD Cronkite News

eows, barks and bleats have been common at yoga sessions in recent years, as animal therapy became a trend to soothe participants as they work out. Recently, a downtown Phoenix business added clucks into the mix. Yes, chickens. But not your average Rhode Island reds. These were Silkies, an ancient breed generally considered calm and friendly – at least compared to other chickens. Missy Pruitt and Carrie Seay, co-owners of La Gattara Cat Café & Boutique, have opened a coffee shop that eventually will feature cats lounging among customers. Right now, there are cat motifs everywhere – on mugs, on walls, statues – all things cats. The live cats haven’t arrived yet, so Pruitt and Seay decided to host animal yoga in the meantime.

the room so far, but the business brought in puppies one week and Silkie chickens the next week. Pruitt, who founded the business, which is being transferred from Tempe, said chicken yoga was just a funny idea for a onetime experiment. The cafe hosted a class with Silkie chickens making their way around the room as yogis practiced their downward dog, cobra and warrior poses. At one point, one of the six Silkies flew onto a Silkie chickens, known for their fluffiness and mostly friendly ways, wander a yoga room at a downtown customer’s head but were peeled Phoenix coffee shop last month. (Ivory Ward/Cronkite off peacefully. Yoga practitioner Emily News) Wilkinson said animals help “Animals are healers,” Seay said. “Ani- humans feel more connected to the mals just kind of have this way about world around them and disconnect them that they are attracted to any from stress. person that needs them the most. They Silkies are known for their soft just have that ability to know and be feathers and relatively calm, friendly there for people.” temperament. No cats or goats have made it into The National Center for Health

Adam Lowe, MD, FACG

Research says animals help people in many ways, such as dampening anxiety, depression and loneliness. Seay worked with the US Doodles dog breeder and animal farm to bring in the Silkies. Andrew Lawver, owner and founder of US Doodles, lavished care to incubate the eggs and raise the chicks to adulthood. He wanted to make sure they have a nice home. “I raised the chickens from birth. They are perfect pets for anyone that has time for them, if you just want something to hold and cuddle. They’re very friendly and love playing and being held,” he said. There was a bit of downside to the class. Pruitt took care of that, taking a wide broom and mop to clean up the small mess the Silkies left behind. “I had a great time. I couldn’t stop laughing. My cheeks hurt. I would definitely do it again and I recommend everyone to try it,” Wilkinson said.

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REAL ESTATE

GILBERT SUN NEWS | MAY 16, 2021

re1

On fence about buying or selling? Get off it now BY MINDY JONES NEVAREZ GSN Guest Writer

ypically our busiest season in real estate, not a day goes by in May that we don’t get a text or email asking us if now is a good time to buy a home. It’s not surprising that many people are unsure about what the market has to offer them after seeing post after post on social media about the difficulty of finding a home in the Gilbert area, let alone one with a pool, one within walking dis-

Melanie Nemetz

tance to a specific school district, or one with enough bedrooms for the whole family. With just 86 active single-family homes in all of Gilbert – 39 with a pool and 32 of those with at least four bedrooms - I can understand the fear. But when I look at that those numbers, I can also feel the opportunity in my bones. You don’t have to go any farther than the newest residents of your neighborhood to confirm that yes, it is a good time to buy. Annual appreciation based on monthly average price per square foot topped 35 percent this week – meaning that your neighbor who thought she was overpaying at $525K is looking at a $183K gain

The sign you want, the Realtor you need. See Page 3

in value. You don’t have to ask more than one renter who has been told their lease is not getting renewed or worse, their lease is going up 15 percent a month on renewal before being assured that yes, it is a good time to buy. Stability in your monthly payment and your ability to choose when you make a move are significant reasons why starting your home ownership journey in THIS market can help to end the cycle of uncertainty in your housing situation. Homes will never be more affordable

than they are today as prices rise, interest rates rise, and appreciation hits an all-time high (at least so far) – meaning that whether you are buying your first home, building your second or starting your rental portfolio, yes, it is a good time to buy. In an attempt to offset the challenges our profitable market has created for us, we have become ground zero for wall street backed companies with a lot of

see MINDY page RE2

SPO OTLIGHT home

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See Page 4

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REAL ESTATE

MINDY from page re3

money and a treasure trove of technologies to help cash strapped Arizonans take advantage of the market when much of their funds are trapped in the very same commodity that they are trying to get into, housing. There are lending solutions, and lease back options, some on the open market and others through relationships skilled real estate agents have built, developed or created. There are home swap programs, ways to buy before selling, and literally everything in between IF you have a home to sell first. We’re entering the eighth week of an increasing number of listings on the market – still too few to satiate the demand, but it is definitely a trend worth watching. And after several quarters of a continued increase in inventory, we may just start to finally see appreciation slow down a bit which is a healthy sign that we are letting some steam out of the market and that sellers trying to time their market opportunity are ready to bite the bullet and join the ranks of their peers who are selling for, on average, 5 percent over list price.

GILBERT SUN NEWS | MAY 16, 2021

So, what other trends are we watching? Sales counts are down meaning that there are less people transacting week over week and month over month (although still significantly more than just a year ago) – another sign that some people are pulling out of the market because they can’t or don’t want to compete. But even these modest fluctuations in demand don’t seem too make much difference on price at this point as inventory has reached such a low level that any changes in demand remain virtually unnoticeable to the consumer. We’re watching the percentage of primary owners versus investors or vacation home owners and the number of buyers coming from out of state versus the lateral, local moves that don’t do much to impact supply. We’re still seeing buyers of resale properties experience a faster rate of appreciation than their new build counterparts but have seen significant increases in base prices from our local builders. If you’ve been lucky enough to get called for the opportunity to build before the wait-

ing list is exhausted, you’ve certainly seen this. Gilbert isn’t showing any signs of a reversal in our trends with monthly sales counts on pace with two years ago when we had six times the active listings that we do today, a third of the days on market that we were enjoying just two years ago and about nine times fewer days inventory than we had just two years ago. Our annual dollar-per-square-foot has risen 40 percent in the last two years and annual appreciation is inching towards 30 percent – on pace with our peer cities despite demand slightly lower than where it was just a month ago. Still unsure whether you should buy or sell in this market? Whip out a calculator and start with the numbers. As buyers, you’ll need to know just two things: what do you want to pay a month for your living expenses and how much money do you have to help you with the process. On the selling side, you’ll want to know how much you owe (in a mortgage), how much you could sell your house for depending on the listing system you want

@AmyJonesGroup Each office is independently owned and operated

to follow, what money from that equation you want to take off the top for school or debt expenses and what’s left is your house money. Evaluating when to move is a very personal decision and maybe you’ve decided that it’s not space you need but upgrades or cash to improve your financial situation from the current real estate market. If you own a home, you have options. If you don’t, now’s the time to find one. So pick up a latte at Top Cup, find a quiet spot to mull it over the Riparian Preserve, grab a notebook from Studio223 to write down your plan, and then shout it from the top of the playground at the new Gilbert Regional Park because Gilbert, my friends, is on the growth fast track and our housing prices are going to keep pace with our growing reputation. The time is now.

Mindy Jones, a Gilbert Realtor and owner of the Amy Jones Group at Keller Williams Integrity First, can be reached at 480-2503857, Mindy@AmyJonesGroup.com or AmyJonesGroup.com

...a Tradition of Trust

REAL ESTATE

GILBERT SUN NEWS | MAY 16, 2021

SOLD

THE TOP 3 THINGS BUYERS WANT IN GILBERT Buyers looking to purchase a home in Gilbert, AZ have typically already been drawn to Gilbert because the town is often featured positively in the news. WalletHub ranked Gilbert as #20 in the country for happiest places to live and Niche said it’s the safest place to raise a family in Arizona. The town is also known for the Gilbert Public School District’s strong reputation over the years with the district ranking #5 in all of Arizona, according to Niche. That said, Buyers want the full package when it comes to looking for their new home. Here are three things buyers are looking for in their Gilbert home: 1. Buyers prefer homes to be less than 20 years old. 2. They want quick access to freeways as well as local amenities including shopping and restaurants. 3. Buyers enjoy communities that have multiple amenities within, including parks, walking trails, and preferably a community pool. Many of the Gilbert communities built within the last 20 years offer a place a buyer can call their own slice of heaven, including their own backyard, a community park, and nearby amenities. Access to freeways remains important to buyers, even as more people work from home. The Loop 202 has been a welcomed addition for many years now and provides connections to the other major freeways. No article about Gilbert would be complete without touching on Downtown Gilbert and how refreshing it is to have a vast variety of restaurants in the area. Whether dining during the day or the evening, Downtown Gilbert has so much to offer. The Gilbert Farmer’s Market has drawn large crowds on Saturday mornings over the years as well. Overall, Gilbert continues to be a wonderful place to live and call home.

Melanie Nemetz

SEL

E AV S R

! 000 , 8 1 D$

Sold above asking price, multiple offers, sold above appraisal and the seller saved over $18,000. Call me TODAY and let me show you how I save you THOUSANDS, and sell your home fast. You won’t be disappointed! Need to lease back? No problem. Sell on your terms!

Janet Rogers

480.221.3034 • www.fosteringre.com

602-565-0192

Each ofﬁce is independently owned and operated

Gilbert Real Estate Snapshot Provided by the Amy Jones Group Your Local Real Estate Team

(480) 250-3857 | www.amyjonesgroup.com

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7 YEARS BEST OF OUR VALLEY

$700M+ SOLD REAL ESTATE

2,300+ SOLD HOMES

• Average Days on Market: 16 days Down from 21 Days Last Month

• Active Listings: 96 Down from 110 Listings Last Month

• Monthly Sales: 423 Up from 372 Sales Last Month

• Listings Under Contract: 524 Up from 448 Listings Under Contract Last Month

• Average Sales Price: $534,109 Down from $538,499 Last Month

• Monthly Supply of Inventory: 0.2 Down from 0.3 Monthly Supply Last Month

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REAL ESTATE

GILBERT SUN NEWS | MAY 16, 2021

Don’t wait to check your roof till last minute BY MIKE SMYTH GSN Guest Writer

he summer months are an especially rough time for your roof. Here are a few tips to ensure your roof is ready for the hot months ahead. Check your tile, shingle roofs. A tile roof usually last 40 to 50 years but not in Arizona, where the heat in the Valley significantly decreases a roofs longevity. The

Arizona heat will shorten tile roof’s lifespan to 20-25 years. High temperatures burn out the felt tar paper under the tiles of the roof like it is an easy bake oven. Shingle roofs have an even shorter life span in the heat. This is because the sealant around the tar and the plastic flashings will wear out a lot quicker in the Arizona sun. Flashings are a thin material used to direct water away from critical areas of the

roof. Plastic flashings will only last about five years before they become so brittle a bird could step on it and break it and rubberized flashings crack in the heat. I personally recommend using galvanized metal flashings, which have a much longer lifespan. When inspecting your roof, be on the lookout for sliding tiles. If you notice any tiles that are out of position they will need to be reinstalled and fastened

down. Improperly fastened tiles can blow up during the monsoon winds and cause serious damage. Other areas to examine closely are around air conditioners, solar installations and sky lights. Sky lights are typically made out of plastic and the plastic wears out after about 10 to 15 years. Cracks are a surefire sign they need to be

see ROOF page RE5

ARE YOU LOOKING TO SELL YOUR HOME? And Keep Money In Your Pocket? Our Listing Fee Can Help You Do That!

JANET ROGERS

1355 S. Higley Rd., Suite 111, Gilbert, 85295

602-565-0192

Fax: 888-892-6490

janetrogersgroup.com janet@janetrogersgroup.com

R LLE

Marbella Vineyards in Gilbert!

Welcome to the highly sought after community of Marbella Vineyards in Gilbert. This single level, 4 bedroom, 2.5 bathroom Shea Renew model sits on a premium North facing lot with beautiful pavered drive, 3 car garage, modern interior & a professionally landscaped backyard with pool, water feature, built-in BBQ, and artificial turf for endless weekend fun. Inside you’ll find no detail spared in the building of this nearly new home with a large greatroom floorplan, feature kitchen with white cabinetry, oversized wrap around island, and formal eating area. Relax under the extended covered patio, enjoy the neighborhood amenities including basketball courts, playgrounds, and walking distance to the Gilbert Regional Park all situated in the A+ Rated Chandler school district - you are not going to want to miss this one!

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REAL ESTATE

GILBERT SUN NEWS | MAY 16, 2021

ROOF from page re4

Mike Smyth is the general manager at Overson Roofing in Mesa, which has served the Valley for over 30 years.

Miss a previous Real Estate section? Check out our digital copies at www.GilbertSunNews.com

replaced. When preparing for the monsoon season you want to examine your roof for bird debris and leaves in the valleys of your roof. Cleaning your roof from debris will ensure it drains properly during a monsoon storm. Waiting for a monsoon to damage your roof before calling a professional can cause a delay in getting your roof repaired. Everyone calls for roof repairs after a storm so you and 200 other people could be competing for a roofer’s time. Any roof older than 15 years needs to be inspected yearly. A newer roof should be inspected once every couple of years.

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Serving the Valley, for over 15 Years!

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BUSINESS

GilbertSunNews.com

GILBERT SUN NEWS | MAY 16, 2021

@Gilber tSunNews

/Gilber tSunNews

Gilbert mom’s company keeps on truckin’ BY CASEY FLANAGAN GSN Staff Writer

ilbert mother and business owner Ebony McKinley keeps on trucking in partnership with Amazon, juggling business leadership with raising her four children. McKinley owns and operates Seven Strong Trucking, which she started in 2015. McKinley said she named the company after her own seven-strong family, which includes herself, her husband and coworker Alvin McKinley, their four kids and the family dog. “We consider all of our employees an extension of our family,” she added. “We try to create a caring culture,” with an open-door policy and an accommo-

dating and flexible attitude, McKinley said. One employee, Evan Davis, confirmed McKinley’s leadership, explaining, “there’s a wonderful understanding from management that we’re all human.” McKinley is “incredible with understanding that family comes first and has made a brilliant effort to keep everyone happy,” Davis said. Another employee, Bree Davis, also praised the “family feel” at Seven Strong Trucking. “Each month there’s a contest or incentive program to keep drivers having fun and motivated,” she said. Seven Strong Trucking partnered with Gilbert mom Ebony McKinley has her hands full every day as both a mother to four kids Amazon in 2019 and the business has and the owner-operator of a trucking company (GSN)

see

TRUCKING page 25

Gilbert couple start Kona Ice franchise GSN NEWS STAFF

local couple has become part of Kona Ice’s expansion in Arizona by launching their franchise in northeast Gilbert. Shannon and Pete Calabria of Gilbert say their blend of tropical music and gourmet frozen treats offer a unique experience. “The community’s first taste of our cool treats and colorful truck will keep them coming back for more,” said Shannon, who said her goal is having “our Kona truck capture the hearts, minds and taste buds of the neighborhoods we serve.” The truck allows customers to fill their cups of freshly shaved ice with any of the 10 tastes on the truck’s Flavorwave, an interactive dispensing system enabling people to select from one or more flavors. There also is the option

“Service is just part of who we are,” said Pete. “Kona allows us to serve the community in a fun and unique way, and we are excited to partner with local schools and help them succeed through fundraising.” The Calabrias are continuing the franchise’s of Shannon and Pete Calabria of Gilbert now operate a Kona Ice truck. tradition donating thou(Special to GSN) sands of dollars to try one or more of the additional each year to local school groups, teams 20-plus flavors and 500 different com- and community organizations. binations available. As they book events with these

groups, the they’ve pledged to give back a percentage of the proceeds from each stop. Nationwide, Kona Ice has donated more than $82 million to community-based organizations since 2007. “Shannon and Pete share our commitment to giving back,” said Tony Lamb, founder and president of Kentucky-based Kona Ice. “They want to have a positive influence on the people in their community, whether it’s new text books, sports uniforms or, simply, a smile. We are proud to have them on-board.” Beyond fundraisers, popular spots for the food truck franchise include stops throughout Northeast Gilbert at fairs, festivals, corporate events, neighborhood socials, church events and birthday parties. To book them for an event: calabria@ kona-ice.com or 833-879-5662.

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GILBERT SUN NEWS | MAY 16, 2021

BUSINESS

GILBERT SUN NEWS | MAY 16, 2021

TRUCKING from page 22

grown from six employees to almost 50, McKinley said. She praised Amazon’s leadership principles, customer-centric attitude and fast delivery times, calling it “a phenomenal organization to work closely with.” “If you have any questions or you need any support in any area, they’re always willing to listen, they’re always willing to make themselves available,” McKinley said. McKinley explained that when owning a trucking company, “every day is different,” and joked “it goes from birds chirping to fires blazing in a matter of seconds.” McKinley said despite the chaotic nature of the job, “I wouldn’t have it any other way.” She added that after years of experience, “I know how to manage the chaos a little bit differently, a little bit better.” Other team members cover different aspects of the company, McKinley said, but “I’m still very much involved in all the day-to-day” for everything from human resources to dispatch to payroll. McKinley said she also provides unofficial “trucking therapy,” because she’s

ready to answer calls when drivers “just need to get something off their chest.” She said she focuses on the “day-to-day, people facing operations,” of the company, while her husband is “more behind the scenes,” helping with things like fleet maintenance. “He’s just a support to me, because really, this is like my baby, and something I’m just loving on and growing,” McKinley said. McKinley’s husband also started a delivery service provider partner company, SS Legacy Logistics, which delivers on a smaller scale than Seven Strong Trucking, McKinley said. McKinley said the idea for SS Legacy Logistics came when her workers asked whether they offer positions that do not require a commercial driver’s license, which are required to drive larger trucks. According to McKinley, her drivers’ questions “kind of sparked this passion in us to want to be able to offer opportunities in all aspects of transportation,” which led to the birth of SS Legacy Logistics. The farthest Seven Strong Trucking

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currently delivers is Tucson, but “we’re always thinking about expansion,” McKinley said. According to McKinley, many drivers appreciate the shorter delivery distance because “they love being home every night,” Conversely, some newer drivers are “looking forward to going coast-to-coast,” and driving for longer stretches of time, McKinley said. McKinley said she is looking into “getting more accounts or dedicated lanes to send the drivers over the road,” in the next few months. McKinley has “worked in corporate America ever since I graduated from UC Berkeley,” exploring various industries from telecommunications to oil and gas, she said. Wherever she worked, McKinley said, “it was all sales and marketing, managing large and small accounts, doing some traveling.” “So, in a sense, I was managing a small business, it just wasn’t for my own family,” McKinley said.

Even before her husband reached the end of his career as a NFL player, McKinley said they talked about “what our next steps would look like and what industry we wanted to continue to grow and build our legacy.” McKinley’s and her husband’s fathers were both in the transportation industry, so it was already in their minds before they “started putting it into action” when her husband’s NFL career was nearing an end. McKinley said being a mother and business owner is “not always glamorous, not always easy,” but “it’s so incredibly rewarding that I would not want to do anything different.” Running the business has allowed McKinley’s children to “see what it’s like to grow,” McKinley said. She explained that “they were there when we had our first truck,” and now they get to see an entire fleet. “We encourage them to work hard, so I’m trying to lead by example,” she added, “and it’s nice for them to be able to see that happen through the business.”

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Seton Catholic to create eSports team beginning next school year BY ZACH ALVIRA GSN Sports Editor

eton Catholic Prep announced Tuesday, May 4 its plan to create an eSports team beginning next school

year. The team will compete in the eSports league hosted by the Arizona Interscholastic Association, which hosted its inaugural season in 2020 and continues to grow. “We have a rich history at Seton Catholic of providing these opportunities for our students and them rising up to participate in multiple things,” Seton Catholic Principal Victor Serna said. “No matter your interest, you can find something at Seton for you. This is a wonderful opportunity to invest in our students and give them a well-rounded Catholic education.” The start of the eSports program is in response to a questionnaire sent out to current students and those at local middle schools that feed into Seton Catholic. Serna said the demand was overwhelming, with over 70 percent of the students who responded saying they would be interested in joining if it were offered. Along with Serna, Terry Licht, Seton Catholic’s assistant athletic director, has been a driving force in the implementation of the eSports program at the school. A gamer himself, Licht recognizes most students get involved in some sort of video game, no matter the genre. In an effort to have as many students as possible involved in an extracurricular activity, eSports will present a new opportunity for those interested to play games they enjoy while representing the school. “We see it as a new opportunity to reach a different kid,” Licht said. “We just want to give kids the opportunity to

currently plans to offer the same games sponsored by the AIA, including Rocket League, League of Legends, Madden ’21 and FIFA ’21. Licht said students will also have the opportunity to compete in other games such as Overwatch, Halo and more to particSeton Catholic plans to offer a variety of games to its eSports ath- ipate in online tourletes, including titles already sanctioned by the AIA and those that will allow them to compete in independent online tournaments. naments. “This sport is (GSN File Photos) growing so fast,” participate in an extracurLicht said. “We alricular that is kind of out of most don’t want to the box. They game at home miss the boat in reso why not give them an opgard to that. We can portunity to represent the cater to what the school and compete for a kids are interested state title.” in. I comfortably Seton Catholic prides itthink we will have self on student involvement. a good 20 to 25 kids Serna said it isn’t uncomin the fall and I can mon to see athletes play in a see it growing fairly sporting event one day and quickly.” appear in a music concert While still in the another. Administration and development stage, coaches don’t encourage a plans are already student to limit themselves in the works to to just one sport or activity. provide adequate The more a student does, Seton Catholic announced on gaming computers the better they get to know Tuesday, May 4 it would begin to for students. Setheir peers and create a offer an eSports program begin- ton Catholic hopes comfortable environment ning in the 2021-22 school year.. to use existing in the school. on-campus hardBoth Serna and Licht hope the new eS- ware and update its internal compoports program will offer those same op- nents to handle eSports games, but Serportunities. Kids who stick to a certain na and Licht said the school is also open genre of game will have the opportunity to purchasing necessary hardware with to experiment with others. The program the help of boosters and grants.

Overall, they hope to create a one-ofa-kind experience for their students in the form of eSports. The popularity of eSports has grown to great lengths both at the high school and professional level in recent years. Tournaments take place all over the world in various games with cash prizes soaring into the hundreds of thousands. Some colleges have also started offering scholarships to high school students who compete in eSports at a high level. Overall, more than 50 schools expressed interest in 2019 when the AIA announced it would sponsor and eSports league. The number has since grown to include several Gilbert and East Valley programs, including Basha, Campo Verde, Chandler, Desert Ridge, Higley and several others. The AIA has also partnered with Dave & Buster’s in Tempe to host the eSports championships inside of its large conference hall. The same venue has been used the past two years for the football bracket and championship shows livestreamed on the AIA website and YouTube. Overall, eSports presents new opportunities for students wanting to get involved not only in extracurricular activities in high school, but as a way to potentially shape their college future as well. Serna said that alone is worth the added cost it will take to upgrade hardware and provide other necessities needed for the program. “It’s an investment we are making as we do with other school-sponsored AIA sports or clubs,” Serna said. “Just like in other sports, we want to make sure we equip our students to be as successful as possible. Hardware is a big component of that. We want them to have a great experience.”

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new swim school is officially debuting next month in southeast Gilbert with the mission of ensuring children are safer in and around the water. Goldfish Swim School opens June 15 for business at 4588 S. Higley Road in the Higley Pavilion shopping center. Husband-and-wife owners Dana Christ and Alex Schuchardt relocated to Gilbert from Chicago to open the franchise. When opened, Goldfish will provide swim lessons and water safety instruction to infants and children ages 4 months to 12 years. Classes are offered by specially trained instructors using their research-based philosophy called The Science of SwimPlay, which builds life skills both in and out of the water using play-based learning in a fun and safe environment. Goldfish Swim School also has launched a Safer Swimmer Pledge campaign to bring greater awareness to water safety and drowning prevention. The school is encouraging families throughout May to take the pledge and promote parent-child conversations around water safety. Those who take the pledge will be entered in a drawing to win one year of free swim lessons. Additionally, for each pledge, Goldfish Swim School will donate $1 to the USA Swimming Foundation, the philanthropic arm of USA Swimming, which supports swim-lesson providers with resources, materials and grant funding to allow the opportunity for every child across the country to learn to swim. “This campaign gets us one step closer to achieving our goal of reducing the number of accidental childhood drownings,” Christ said. From Jan. 1 to April 30, two children under 5 have drowned, one in Phoenix and the other in Queen Creek, according to the Drowning Prevention

Coalition of Arizona. The Coalition reported seven drowning deaths of children in 2020, all under 4 years old. The American Academy of Pediatrics has warned that due to restrictions brought on by the pandemic, many children have been out of swim lessons for some time, making it critical to brush up on water safety tips before their first experience back in the water. “Drowning can happen anywhere at any time, to anyone, and with this pandemic-gap in swim lessons, there’s greater risk,” said Dr. Molly O’Shea of Birmingham Pediatrics and Wellness Center and the official pediatrician of Goldfish Swim School. The pledge is at goldfishswimschool. com/safer-swimmer-pledge. Once families have taken the pledge, they will receive a promo code for 25 percent off any Speedo USA purchase with 10 percent of that purchase also donated to the USA Swimming Foundation. World Champion swimmer Ryan Murphy also is pushing this cause by supporting the initiative. Murphy, an ambassador for the USA Swimming Foundation, said, “I have a deep love for the sport of swimming, but sadly drowning remains the No. 1 cause of unintentional injury-related death among children ages 1 to 4.” Murphy added that getting swim lessons at a young age can have a positive effect on kids and their ability to feel comfortable in and around the water, while also giving parents peace of mind at the pool or beach. Throughout the campaign, Goldfish Swim School will be announcing various pledge prizes on social media along with the grand-prize winner of a year of free swim lessons on June 4. The winning family will be contacted directly to begin the onboarding process and gear up for lessons just in time for the summer season ahead. Information: goldfishswimschool. com/gilbert.

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31 AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | MAY 12, 2021

GILBERT SUN NEWS | MAY 16, 2021 44

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Employment

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91, of Scottsdale, Arizona passed away on April 21, 2021. Survived by husband Fred, daughter and son in law Deborah and Hank Luedy, step daughter and son in law Sandra and Charles Brunk, step children Rick Work and Jeanette Rogers, 24 grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren. A native Arizonian, Bert was born in Phoenix and lived in Scottsdale most of her life. She worked for the Scottsdale School District for over 32 years. Roberta enjoyed a second home in Prescott, Arizona, spending time with family and golf. She will be remembered as a loving wife, a beloved mother and treasured grandmother. The funeral will be held at The Franciscan Renewal Center at The Casa (5802 E. Lincoln Drive, Paradise Valley, AZ 85253) on May 21, 2021 starting at 10:30am. Donations can be made to the Alzheimer's Foundation of America (alzfdn.org). Sign the Guestbook at: obituaries.EastValleyTribune.com

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GARAGE DOOR SERVICE

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

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Not a licensed contractor

Glass/Mirror

GLASS, MIRRORS, SHOWER DOORS

Family Owned with 50 years' EXPERIENCE. Shower and tub enclosures, Framed, Frameless or Custom Doors, We also install insulated glass, mirrored closet doors, window glass, mirrors, patio doors, glass table protectors. If it’s glass, we can help you. QUALITY SERVICE at Competitive Prices. FREE Estimates

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

Appliance Repairs

• Serving Arizona Since 2005 •

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

Fire/Water Damage/Restoration

ACTION CONTRACTING INC. SPECIALIZING IN

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Home Improvement

Landscape/ Maintenance

HOME REMODELING REPAIRS & CUSTOM INTERIOR PAINTING Move a wall; turn a door into a window. From small jobs and repairs to room additions, I do it all. Precision interior painting, carpentry, drywall, tile, windows, doors, skylights, electrical, fans, plumbing and more. All trades done by hands-on General Contractor. Friendly, artistic, intelligent, honest and affordable. 40 years' experience. Call Ron Wolfgang Pleas text or leave message Cell 602-628-9653 Wolfgang Construction Inc. Licensed & Bonded ROC 124934

Juan Hernandez

TREE

TRIMMING 25 Years exp (480) 720-3840

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Irrigation

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NTY 5-YEAR WARRA

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Not a licensed contractor

azirrigation.com

HIRING? If One Needs a Job, They Look Every day!

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Hauling

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the Spot for ALL•Your Handyman Needs! ✔ Painting Painting Flooring • Electrical If It’s Broken, We Can Marks Fix It! “No Job Too • Same Day Service • On-Site Repairs • Servicing All Major Brands • Quality Guaranteed

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

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• Furniture • Appliances • Mattresses • Televisions • Garage Clean-Out • Construction Debris

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Concrete & Masonry

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YOU’LL LIKE US - THE BEST!

LLC

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GENERAL CONTRACTOR / HANDYMAN SERVICES

Home Improvement

Licensed • Bonded • Insured • ROC118198

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Irrigation Repair Services Inc. Licensed • Bonded • Insured

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Landscape/Maintenance

General Contracting, Inc.

All Remodeling, Additions, Kitchen, Bath, Patio Covers, Garage, Sheds, Windows, Doors, Drywall & Roofing Repairs, Painting, All Plumbing, Electrical, Concrete, Block, Stucco, Stack Stone, All Flooring, Wood, Tile, Carpet, Welding, Gates, Fences, All Repairs.

SERVING THE ENTIRE VALLEY

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Ahwatukee Resident/ References/ Insured/ Not a Licensed Contractor

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• 20 Years Experience • 6 Year Warranty

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ROC# 256752

GILBERT SUN NEWS | MAY 16, 2021

Landscape/Maintenance

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Rooﬁng

Plumbing

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Dunn Edwards Quality Paint Small Stucco/Drywall Repairs

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PLUMBERS CHARGE TOO MUCH! 10% OFF

HOME IMPROVEMENT & PAINTING

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GILBERT SUN NEWS | MAY 16, 2021

Notice of Public Scoping for an Environmental Assessment for Hunt Highway Improvement Project – Phase 5 The U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Pima Agency and the Gila River Indian Community (Community) are releasing this notice in support of an environmental assessment for the proposed Hunt Highway Improvement Project – Phase 5 (project) in District One of the Community. The project would include roadway improvements along portions of Hunt Highway and Arizona Farms Road. The project proponent, Pinal County Public Works Department, has submitted a right-of-way (ROW) application to the BIA for roadway improvements on Hunt Highway and Arizona Farms Road, which would constitute the final phase of the Hunt Highway Improvement Project. Primary project components would include acquiring approximately 19 acres of new permanent roadway ROW, realigning the western terminus of the existing Arizona Farms Road, widening approximately 4,200 feet of existing Hunt Highway to match the newly reconstructed roadway dimensions both north and south of the project area, and installing a new light-controlled intersection at Hunt Highway and the realigned Arizona Farms Road. Project construction is anticipated to begin in January 2022 to January 2023 and will be completed in approximately 8 months. No traffic detours would be required. Traffic delays would be short-term and temporary. The grant of easement for ROW, if approved by BIA, would formalize the alignments for both Hunt Highway and Arizona Farms Road within the Community. The purpose of the project is for Pinal County to complete the final phase of their planned improvements along the Hunt Highway corridor, through the widening of the existing Hunt Highway alignment and the realignment of Arizona Farms Road. Hunt Highway both north and south of the project area have been improved and widened to four lanes; however, the older roadway within the project area is only two lanes. The lane reduction in the project area presents a potential safety concern for existing vehicle traffic on Hunt Highway. The project would widen Hunt Highway through the project area to match the new roadway and lane configurations to both the north and south. Additionally, the Hunt Highway and Arizona Farms Road intersection currently presents line-of-sight safety concerns for drivers on Arizona Farms Road. The project would realign this traffic intersection and replace the stop-controlled intersection with a traffic light to improve traffic flow and safety. As part of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), federal agencies are required to consider the potential social and environmental impacts of proposed actions. This letter serves as the BIA’s invitation for comments, concerns, or suggestions regarding the proposed action. All comments received become part of the public record associated with this proposed action. Accordingly, your comments (including your name and address) will be available for review by any person that wishes to view the record. At your request, we will withhold your contact information to the extent allowed by the Freedom of Information Act. Please submit comments to: Cecilia Baker, Superintendent Bureau of Indian Affairs, Pima Agency P.O. Box 8 Sacaton, Arizona 85147 Telephone: (520) 562-3326 Email: Cecilia.Baker@bia.gov Published: East Valley Tribune May 9, 16, 23, 30, 2021 / 37928

Sell Your Stuff! Call Classifieds Today! 480.898.6465

CLASS@TIMESPUBLICATIONS.COM

Public Notices

Public Notices Application to U.S. EPA for the Salt River PimaMaricopa Indian Community to Administer Federal Clean Water Act Programs

TO: Xavier Martinez, M.D. 2323 E. Flower #124-B Phoenix, AZ 85016 The State Medical Board of Ohio 30 E. Broad Street, 3rd Floor Columbus, OH 43215-6127 In the Matter of: Xavier Martinez, M.D. Case No. 21-CRF-0045 On March 11, 2021, the State Medical Board of Ohio mailed a Notice of Opportunity for Hearing to Xavier Martinez, M.D. via certified mail, return receipt requested, at his last known address of record, 2323 E. Flower #124-B, Phoenix, AZ 85016. The Notice was returned to the Board from the postal service marked “return to sender, not deliverable as addressed, unable to forward.” The notice states that the State Medical Board of Ohio intends to consider disciplinary action against Dr. Martinez’s license to practice medicine and surgery in Ohio based on the Arizona Medical Board’s order which revoked his license in that state. The Arizona order was based upon his plea agreement to an amended charge of Attempted Sexual Abuse. In addition, the State Medical Board of Ohio found that Dr. Martinez was impaired and diverted medicines for patient use. Dr. Martinez is entitled to a hearing in this matter if such hearing is requested within thirty (30) days of the last date of publication of this notice. Dr. Martinez may appear at such hearing in person, by his attorney, or by such other representative permitted to practice before this agency, or he may present his position, arguments or contentions in writing. At the hearing, Dr. Martinez may present evidence and examine witnesses appearing for or against him. Please contact the undersigned to ascertain the last date of publication. Any questions or correspondence should be addressed to: Jackie Moore Case Control Office 30 E. Broad Street, 3rd Floor Columbus, OH 43215-6127 Jackie.Moore@med.ohio.gov Published: East Valley Tribune, May 16, 23, 30, 2021 / 38484

EPA is inviting comments from “all appropriate governmental entities” (AGE) on Salt River PimaMaricopa Indian Community’s (the Tribe’s) application for “treatment in a similar manner as a State” under Section 518 of the Federal Clean Water Act (CWA) to administer Water Quality Standards and Certification Programs on their Reservation (located in Maricopa County, Arizona). “AGE” are states, tribes and federal agencies located contiguous to the Reservation. EPA Region IX is requesting AGEs, other tribes, cities, counties and individuals with information or comments relevant to the Tribe’s assertion of authority to regulate surface water quality within the Reservation to provide it directly to EPA Region IX’s program contact, Kelli Williams, via email at williams.kelli.m@epa.gov. Commenters without access to email may call Kelli Williams at 415-9723434 to make other arrangements. Approval of the Tribe’s application would not establish a program or set water quality standards, but would authorize the Tribe to adopt, review, and revise standards for subsequent EPA approval under CWA Section 303(c), and to certify that discharges comply with those standards under CWA Section 401 for all surface waters within the Reservation. Comments must be received within 30 days of this notice. Published: East Valley Tribune, May 16, 2021 / 37763

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.

class@timespublications.com or call 480-898-6465 See MORE Ads Online! www.GilbertSunNews.com

Word Cross: The DIY Project Manager Across: 1. Devices usually held in the hand to perform a DIY task 3. Brush a coat of this on your house 6. Keeps sheets of paper together and acts as a strong writing surface 8. Some people are afraid of walking under one of these. 9. A straight edged item for measuring

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ANSWERS - Across: 1. Tools, 3. Paint, 6. Clipboard, 8. Ladder, 9. Ruler Down: 2. Screwdriver, 3. Putty, 4. Nails, 5. Hammer, 7. Drill

Public Notices

GILBERT SUN NEWS | MAY 16, 2021

Two great events at two great communities!

Stop by for a tour and pick up a beautiful bouquet of flowers any day in May! Please RSVP to Sheri 480-800-7304, at least 24 hours in advance.

GET ENTERED TO WIN A SPA PACKAGE! Schedule a tour any day in the month of May to be entered into our spring raffle! tm

*We will be practicing social distancing, masks are required, and temp checks at the door.

We are giving away a $500 gift certificate to Aji Spa, located inside Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass Resort. Reserve your tour today! 480.485.3000 *We will be practicing social distancing, masks are required, and temp checks at the door.

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