Cookie monsters have home here
Gilbert native Olympic qualified PAGE 28
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An edition of the East Valley Tribune
INSIDE
This Week BACK TO SCHOOL SECTION
NEWS.................................3 Higley takes on vape king.
COMMUNITY......... 14 Pandemic rattles children’s theaters.
COMMUNITY....................................... 14 BUSINESS..............................................17 OPINION.....................................26 SPORTS.......................................28 PUZZLE.......................................30 CLASSIFIED......................................... 30
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Sunday, July 26, 2020
Higley superintendent retiring, new one named BY CECILIA CHAN GSN Managing Editor
H
igley Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Mike Thomason is retiring next spring, a year before his contract ends, and the Governing Board has already named his successor. The board accepted his request to retire on July 15 and last Tuesday, in a special executive session, voted to promote Associate Superintendent Dr. Dawn Foley to the job after Thomason leaves. Foley is assuming some of Thomason’s
duties in the meantime and will become the acting superintendent after the official end of Thomason’s contract in June 2021, Governing Board Vice President Kristina Reese said. “And then starting July 1, 2021, through June 2023, she will be our superintendent,” Reese said. The board’s decision comes before a contested election of three of its five members in November – Reese, Scott Glover and Greg Wojtovich. Should the board’s make-up change after election and a majority wants a different superintendent, Reese said the district would
Gilbert sales tax revenue beating the pandemic
have to buy out Foley’s contract. Under Foley’s amended contract, she will be paid $169,583 beginning Aug. 1 for the 202021 school year. As acting superintendent, she will be eligible for a performance pay of $6,500 if the board approves it. Foley was Higley’s director of curriculum and instruction from 2008-14 and then became director of teaching and learning at Mesa Public Schools for five years before returning to Higley in 2019. She earned her bachelor’s and master’s de-
COVID-19 claims coach
BY CECILIA CHAN GSN Managing Editor
D
espite ongoing pandemic restrictions in the state, Gilbert’s pocketbook appears so far unscathed. The town’s sales tax revenues, which include retail trade and construction, totaled $9.6 million in May – a 7 percent increase compared with May 2019, Gilbert officials said. Gov. Doug Ducey began shutting down parts of the economy in late March and in mid-May allowed non-essential retailers, salons, gyms, theaters and in-door dining to reopen again. But a surge in COVID-19 cases prompted Ducey to order bars, gyms, tubing, water parks and movie theaters to shut down for a second time June 29 for 30 days. That order was to expire Monday,
see REVENUES page 6
see SUPER page 8
We are ready to educate and support our students. Learn more about 2020/21 school year options at www.gilbertschools.net/families
Chandler High head swim Coach Kerry Croswhite, who coached Highland High’s team earlier in his career, succumbed to COVID-19 last week. He was known throughout Gilbert and the Valley for playing bagpipes at events. Details: page 9. (Courtesy of Laurie Croswhite)
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GILBERT SUN NEWS | JULY 26, 2020
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NEWS
Higley board may join vaping lawsuit
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BY CECILIA CHAN GSN Managing Editor
T
he Higley Unified School District Governing Board is expected this Confiscations of Wednesday to decide if it wants to vaping devices join a lawsuit to recover damages from like these in area school districts electronic-cigarette maker JUUL. are prompting Attorney William Shinoff from the some (Credit) San Diego-based Frantz Law Group pitched the proposal to the board at a meeting earlier this month. Shinoff will not be paid unless the district wins the class-action suit in federal court. “There’s probably around 150 school districts already involved room and seeing parin this litigation and there are ents come to us begsix school districts in Arizona ging for school support already involved,” Shinoff said. and for school resourc“I’m here to offer you the oppores to be utilized to help tunity for Higley to get involved us deal with this issue,” in this litigation that is already Thomason said. on-going.” Shinoff said e-cigKyrene Elementary School Disarette use among trict, Phoenix Union High School William Shinoff high school and midDistrict, Riverside, Tolleson and dle school students inTucson school districts have joined the lawsuit and Tempe Union High creased 900 percent between 2011-15 School District will be voting to join next and that between 2017 and 2018, the number of young people using e-cigamonth, Shinoff said after the meeting. The district has seen a number of stu- rette increased by 1.5 million. The strides schools have made in curdent disciplinary cases related to vaptailing tobacco use among students are ing, according to Superintendent Mike being undone, primarily by JUUL Labs, Thomason. through its “deceptive” marketing tar“For the Higley Unified School District, we know that each of our middle schools geting teenagers and promotion that its and high schools have added administra- products were safer than cigarettes, active personnel to help deal with some of cording to Shinoff. The $32-billion tobacco company enthe disciplinary issues caused by vaping tered the e-cigarette market in 2015 and in our school district,” Thomason said. now controls 82 percent of it and report“We’ve had to put in cameras, we’ve ed sales reaching $942.6 million in June also had to put in extra sensors in the 2018, he said. bathrooms that we’ve been trying out “A big part of their success was beon a basis to see if they are working,” cause of the innovation of their product,” he said. “So, this is where the actual real Shinoff said. “The big issue they knew cost to our school district is taking into with cigarettes and why people were account.” limited in the amount of cigarettes they He said the administrative costs alone used was from the hit that you would and time in dealing with disciplinary get from smoking cigarettes, the throat issues related to vaping have been an burn. issue – “not to mention the harm it has “And so what they did is they’ve indone to our community and to our stuvented what’s called nicotine salts that’s dents.” in their pods. What that did was elimi“We’ve been hearing in the board
nate the hit from the inhalation so there wasn’t that throat burn and so what they’ve now done is (increased) the ability to use their product a lot.” Shinoff said the company intentionally named its pods Crème Brulee, Snow White’s Demise and Fruit Medley to attract teen users and used influencers and social media to promote their products and advertised on Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network. A pod contains 10 times more nicotine than a cigarette and kids don’t realize it, Shinoff said. “When you go and speak to kids about this product, 95 percent of them don’t have a clue what’s in it,” he said. “They have no clue what the effect is. What they don’t understand is the real reason why they are using this product all the time is they are addicted.” Because JUUL’s use has invaded campuses, schools have had to direct resources to combat it, he added. He cited the Truth Initiative, a nonprofit public health organization, which found in 2019 that over 40 percent of all teachers and administrators reported that their school uses camera surveillance near the school’s restroom and 23 percent reported using assigned teachers for restroom surveillance. And, 12 percent reported devices placed inside restrooms to monitor the air and 9 percent reported restroom doors removed to prevent JUUL use.
see VAPING page 11
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NEWS
GILBERT SUN NEWS | JULY 26, 2020
GPS parents overwhelmingly favor the classroom BY CECILIA CHAN GSN Managing Editor
A
n overwhelming number of parents are planning to send their children back into the classroom when in-person learning is allowed at Gilbert Public Schools. The deadline ended last Monday for parents to register their students for one of the district’s three options – online learning, classroom learning or flex, a blend of the two. All students will start school Aug. 5 online and it will be up to GPS officials to decide on when to reopen campuses. “Our goal as a school district is to offer our families flexibility to meet their needs, support to navigate this challenging time, and continued academic excellence,” said district spokeswoman Dawn Antestenis. “We are prepared to deliver high-quality education and support for our students, throughout the entire school year, no matter what circumstances we
find ourselves in and we are extremely grateful to our community for continuing to support us in this mission,” she said. The state’s fifth largest school district reported the breakdown of registration for the three learning models as 24,918, or 75.6 percent, for in-person on campus; 4,543, or 13.7 percent, for the online Global Academy and 3,539, or 10.7, percent for the flex option. The number of parents preferring in-classroom instruction is no surprise. Back in June the district released survey results that showed 66.8 percent of parents favoring a return to campuses for their children while 25.4 percent leaned toward a blended program and 7.8 percent for online instruction. Officials said the poll received 22,405 responses. Since that survey, the number of COVID-19 cases has escalated in the state and there is a mandatory Maricopa County face mask requirement in place in Gilbert.
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To accommodate online learning, the Governing Board expanded the district’s Global Academy to include lower grades and implemented a more rigorous online curriculum that is nothing compared to what students experienced in the spring when Ducey shut down schools. The district also put in safety protocols for those returning to campuses that include daily health checks, staggered bell schedules, virtual assemblies, installation of hand-sanitizer stations and Plexiglass and changes in the cafeterias. Aspects of high school sports remain unclear – particularly for spectators. The Arizona Interscholastic Association has said practices, then games, would begin when campuses are reopened by the state. But that still leaves the districts in charge of determining how social distancing would be enforced in the bleachers. In a social media post, parents dis-
cussed what they chose for their children. “For me it was a no-brainer, my son’s going back,” wrote one mother while another posted, “Sending mine back, too. He did summer school online. We almost died. Awful. He’s a senior. He needs to go back.” Some opted to play it safe and go with online classes or home-schooling. “Doing online until all this blows over,” a dad posted.” Covid damn near killed me once, not risking it again. I’m working from home anyways so I’ll be home to make sure they are getting their work done.” One mother wrote she just got an email stating her daughter’s school is going to require students wear masks all day. “My daughter is 5,” she said. “It’s her first year of school ever. Kindergarten is supposed to be fun and important for her social skills and development. I do
BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services
current location, on Department of Transportation right of way. But the name “Jefferson Davis Highway” hasn’t existed for years. The move, announced late Wednesday by Gov. Doug Ducey, gets him partly out of a sticky political situation. Two other monuments to the Confederacy remain on state property, one at Picacho Peak State Park and the other at the state cemetery in Sierra Vista. And the governor appears in no rush to deal with them. “We haven’t made any determinations on those,’’ said press aide Patrick Ptak. “The owners of those monuments are free to contract the state, as was the case with these two,’’ Ducey has for years resisted any calls to remove them, saying he sees nothing
see GPS page 8
Rebel monument near Mesa to be removed
T
he state is taking the first steps to remove two of the four controversial Confederate monuments on government property – including one near Mesa. The United Daughters of the Confederacy has offered to take back the memorial it had placed across from the Capitol in 1961 at a time of increased activity in the civil rights movement. That organization also will take possession of a stone marker currently located along U.S. 60 east of Mesa which marks the Jefferson Davis Highway. Originally located in 1943 by the same group along what was U.S. 70 at Duncan, near the New Mexico border, the rock and granite market was moved in the 1960s with state approval to its
see DAVIS page 8
GILBERT SUN NEWS | JULY 26, 2020
NEWS
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School districts now in charge of deciding campus reopenings
BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services
G
ilbert and other Arizona schools won’t be required to put kids back into classrooms next month. But they will be required to make some sort of on-site learning available for parents who want it. On Thursday, Gov. Doug Ducey and state schools chief Kathy Hoffman abandoned what had been an Aug. 17 “aspirational’’ date to begin offering in-classroom education. And they did not replace it with any new target. “It’s not reasonable to set a date,’’ Hoffman said, adding that she said she doubts any school would have been ready to actually begin classroom instruction by that original target date. Instead, the new executive order signed by the governor directs school boards and charter school operators to begin some sort of operations – even if just online – on what would have been their regular start date.
Gov. Doug Ducey and state Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman laid out the new plan for reopening campuses, putting districts in charge of the decision with guidelines they’ll release by Aug. 7. (Capitol Media Services)
Higley is scheduled to begin online classes for all students tomorrow, July 27, and Gilbert Public Schools plans to do the same on Aug. 5. In the meantime, the Department of Health Services is supposed to come
up with “public health benchmarks’’ by Aug. 7 that school officials will be required to consider when determining whether to open classrooms. But it will remain up to each entity to determine when they are ready for
in-person learning. That can mean continuing with online and remote instruction for as long as the school officials believe is necessary. But requirements remain. The biggest is that these districts must provide somewhere for students to go. These could be youngsters whose parents work as well as students who do not have access to computers at home. The governor has a particular focus on “at risk’’ children from low-income households, special education students and those who go to school with limited English proficiency. There are other conditions, including requirements for “social distancing’’ and for all adults and most students to wear masks. But there’s also a carrot with all this: a 5 percent boost in state aid.
see DUCEY page 10
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REVENUES
NEWS from page 1
July 27, and Ducey last week adjusted it. Gilbert’s total sales and use tax haul for the first 11 months of the 2019-20 fiscal year, which ended June 30, so far is $98 million – 9 percent higher than the same time period in the 2018-19 fiscal year. “Our citizens have been doing a tremendous job of supporting our local businesses and making a special effort to eat from local restaurants,” Budget Director Kelly Pfost said. “Part of the explanation may also be that because more people are working from home, they are now spending money close to their home rather than close to their work.” Pfost said Gilbert has a large residential population, compared with other communities that have a large daytime population. “I think this is part of the explanation,” she said. “Another part is that Gilbert is still growing and adding new families to our local area.”
GILBERT SUN NEWS | JULY 26, 2020
Councilman Bill Spence hailed the news and said that Gilbert residents should take a victory lap for supporting town businesses. “It puts us in a very solid position to try and help businesses that are struggling,” Spence said, noting that Town Council is discussing various strategies, including the use of its $30 million in federal pandemic relief it received two months ago from the state. According to a town document, May’s sales tax figures mean the budget projection for the fiscal year that just ended “has now been met and that any additional monies received for June will be used to offset revenue losses that may be seen in” the current fiscal year. But Pfost noted that because June’s sales tax numbers are still out and the 2019-20 fiscal year is not fully closed, the numbers will change slightly as final revenues and expenditures are recorded. “This is a snapshot in time to help
Council see the trends related to our local economy,” Pfost said. The town is keeping a watchful eye on the sales tax numbers because it makes up the lion share of revenue for its General Fund, which pays for day-to-day operations such as police, fire and parks. Back in May, Pfost reported to the Council the town budgeted $97 million for sales tax and had then received 83 percent of that, which she called “very strong.” At the time, she said the town would need $5.6 million a month for April, May and June collections in order to meet the budget. The town’s share of the state sales tax for May – which is different from the local sales tax – was 13 percent lower than May 2019. But a strong showing in June put Gilbert ahead of its budget projection. The town expected $25.5 million and received $25.7 million, according to documents.
Development Services revenues from business licenses, building permits and other fees also came in higher than projected. The town budgeted $6.6 million for this pot of money and instead yielded $6.9 million. Revenue from the town’s Highway User Revenue Fund and Vehicle License Tax also exceeded budget projections. And its enterprise fund and residential trash collection revenue both met their budget projections while the wastewater revenue from residential and commercial customers met 99 percent of its budget. Parks and Recreation saw the biggest impact from the pandemic. It only met 93 percent of revenue expectations. The budget projected $3.9 million in revenues but the town only realized $3.7 million.
see REVENUES page 7
GILBERT SUN NEWS | JULY 26, 2020
REVENUES
from page 6
NEWS
As a result of closures in April, Gilbert parks and recreation programs and permits generated $101,843 – far less than the $426,251 projected for that month. Although the total revenue for parks and recreation came up shy, expenditures fell below budget expectations, helping make up the difference, according to the town. “Most areas are coming in at or above the original budget,” Pfost said. “We did
revise projections down for a few areas when we built the Fiscal Year 2021 budget – for example, the Highway User Revenue Fund, Vehicle License Tax and parks and recreation. “Gilbert budgets on the low side to begin with so that we always have wiggle room built in for unexpected things to come up during the year,” she explained, adding: “When revenues coming in higher, then
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we are able to use the money for one-time projects in the following year, for example for repair and replacement of infrastructure.” Overall, the town’s total general operating fund revenue was $211 million, $25 million more than the $186 million projected in the 2019-20 budget. Pfost pointed out that the $211 million included $23.6 million the town received in CARES Act money for the pandemic.
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HOW GILBERT COMPARES TO OTHERS
Gilbert saw a 7 percent increase in its sales tax for May, compared with May 2019. Here is how the town compared to surrounding communities for the same time periods. Mesa – 8 percent increase Chandler – 3 percent increase Tempe – 15 percent decrease Scottsdale – 21 percent decrease Queen Creek – 25 percent increase Source: Town of Gilbert.
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NEWS
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SUPER from page 1
GILBERT SUN NEWS | JULY 26, 2020
grees as well as her doctorate from Arizona State University, where she was senior lecturer and early childhood program administrator from 2001-08. Prior to that, she was an elementary teacher in the Kyrene School District from 1997-99 and then in Gilbert Public Schools from 1999-2001. Thomason’s announcement of his retirement came unexpectedly at the July 15 meeting. The board in July 2019 extended his contract to June 30, 2022. “I need to retire in the spring of this school year,” Thomason said. “I am determined that it’s time for me to focus on my family and future endeavors.” Before Thomason assumed the superintendent role in 2015, he served as the district’s assistant superintendent of operations and in several capacities since 2009. “I’ve been blessed to work with a lot of you and our outstanding group of administrators, teachers and staff as well as it has been an honor and a privilege to work with the parents, students and other
When he was hired, he was paid $139,900 for fiscal year 2015-16. Higley Unified is an “A”-rated school district by the state and has over 12,000 students and 15 schools. It boosts a 94 percent graduation rate. The district, like those throughout the country, this year has been wrestling with the fallout of COVID-19 that took away in-person graduation, the prom and in-class teaching for the Mike Thompson Dawn Foley fourth quarter of last school year. members of our community for the betThis academic year, it is figuring terment of our students,” Thomason said. out how to effectively educate students “We’ve accomplished incredible things during the on-going pandemic. along the past 12 years I have worked for Board members at the meeting praised the district,” he added. and thanked Thomason for his work. District spokeswoman Michelle Reese “You’ve guided us through some really last week said Thomason’s retirement rough waters,” Board member Jill Wilson date hasn’t been specified yet and will be said. “And I know that you will lead us announced when it becomes available. this year until your retirement date. Rest Thomason earns an annual salary of assure, you made Higley a better place $185,000 and a $9,000 car allowance. than when you started 12 years ago.”
Board President Amy Kaylor acknowledged Thomason’s dedication and his 25 years in education. “You’ve brought so much kindness and compassion for others, literally changing the climate and the culture of Higley over these past few years,” she said. “While you may be far from Higley, you’ll never be far from our thoughts.” Reese, the only board member who has worked with Thomason the longest at eight years, told him, “You’ve worked really hard to set up our district for success.” Wojtovich said when he sat on the interview committee to select a new superintendent, he knew right then and there after Thomason’s presentation that he was the right person to run the district and take it to the next level. “I can not and will not pretend to be happy about this,” Board member Scott Glover said. “I want to thank you for a few great years. Your presence will be dearly missed.”
for her social skills and development. I do not want to send her anywhere where she is going to have to wear a mask all day. So, I’m currently looking for other options but I just don’t know if there are any.” A woman said she watched her nieces and nephews struggle to finish out their school year online and that it’s “very hard to be a self-learner.”
“The school will take all precaution to protect themselves, their students and their teachers,” she added. And still, another mother wrestled with her decision to keep her children home. “At this point in time, as much as I’m dying to have my kids return to school, I think that it’s irresponsible to send them if you have the option to keep
them home,” she wrote. That said, she added she was not looking forward to home-schooling her 4- and 6-year-old children and keeping a 1-year-old entertained while her husband works from home. “But until we get this virus under control in our state, we’re putting so many people at risk by forcing kids and teachers back into the school system,
which frankly is just not prepared/ equipped to deal with it,” she said. Students are encouraged to stay with their selection for at least a quarter before changing options if they find it’s not working for them. The district also announced it will offer childcare for PreK-8 students during the time schools are closed and students are learning online.
wrong with monuments to the Confederacy and those who fought for it remaining on state land. “It’s not my desire or mission to tear down any monuments or memorials,’’ the governor said three years ago. “It’s important that people know our history,’’ Ducey said. “I don’t think we should try to hide our history.’’ More recently, in the wake of demonstrations over the killing of George Floyd under the knee of a Minneapolis police officer, the governor moderated his position – but only a bit. He said that any decision to remove the monuments should be a “public process.’’
That, however, never materialized. Instead, the removal was facilitated by three chapter presidents of the United Daughters of the Confederacy who reached out to Andy Tobin, head of the state Department of Administration, asking the state to return the items. “These monuments were gifted to the state and are now in need of repair,’’ the letter states. “But due to the current political climate we believe it unwise to repair them where they are located.’’ “It is the wish of the Arizona members of the United Daughters of the
Confederacy and the (organization’s) Monument Restoration Committee that the state facilitate this re-gifting as swiftly as possible to avoid any further damage, vandalization or complete destruction,’’ the letter reads. The marker for the Jefferson Davis Highway was tarred and feathered in 2017 and recently splattered with red paint. The arrangement deal does not end the controversy, with at least two more monuments remaining on state property. One, erected about a decade ago, sits inside the state-run Veteran Cemetery
in Sierra Vista. It’s inscription memorializes “Arizona’s Confederate veterans who sacrificed all in the struggle for independence and the constitutional right of self-government.’’ It was placed by the Confederate Secret Service Camp 1710, Sons of Confederate Veterans. The other is at Picacho Peak State Park, the site of the only Civil War battle in what was then the territory of Arizona which the Confederacy claimed. It is inscribed as “dedicated to those Confederate frontiersmen who occupied Arizona Territory, Confederate States of America.
GPS
from page 4
DAVIS
from page 4
GILBERT SUN NEWS | JULY 26, 2020
NEWS
Beloved swim coach loses life to COVID-19
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kidneys, lungs, heart and brain. According to journal posts from Laurie, her husband had become unerry Croswhite, who spent the 15 responsive as his condition continued years as the head swim coach and to fluctuate. At times, his oxygen and assistant softball coach at Chanother health indicators would remain dler High School, passed away July 21 stable. However, there were also times after nearly a month-long battle with they would fluctuate, and his condition COVID-19. He was 61. would worsen. “This is a hard one,” his wife, Laurie, Laurie and his family were called to wrote in her online Caring Bridge jourthe hospital a second time July 21 and nal, where she kept regular updates. at that time doctors informed them “Kerry lost his battle at 6:01pm this evethere was nothing left they could do ning. He fought so hard. medically. “The song ‘These Are the Days’ “We stayed at his bedside to asby Van Morrison was playing on his sure him he was so brave and has Pandora when he passed. Think of fought so hard and how proud we him whenever you hear it.” are of him,” Laurie wrote. “We were Coach Croswhite had become a staable to share how much we love him, ple in the prep swimming communiand he will always be with us. We ty in Arizona during his 15 years told him again about the amounts leading the Wolves. He coached at of people that have been praying of Highland High School for a number him. He knows he is truly loved.” of years before Chandler and had his A GoFundMe to help with the famown swimming career at Western ily’s medical costs was set up by State University. Laurie’s sister, Megan Jarvis July 9 He was also well-known for his and within hours, thousands of dolbagpipes, which he played before lars had been raised. every competition while leading As of July 21, nearly $50,000 had his team on to the pool deck and at been donated to the family. events across the Valley. “We could not have made it this far But his love and admiration for his without all of you and your prayers,” swimmers endeared them to him. Laurie wrote. “We are so broken, but During a swim practice in 2008, we will be okay. Toast a scotch to Coach Croswhite jumped into the waKerry.” ter to save one of his swimmers that Coach Croswhite is survived by had a seizure and was at the bottom Chandler High School head swim coach Kerry Croswhite lost his life to COVID-19 last week at age 61. His widow Laurie, his widow, Laurie; sons Kassidy of the pool. His quick action saved shown here, is delaying a celebration of his life until large group gatherings are allowed. (Courtesy of Laurie Croswhite) Steele Croswhite and his wife Morher life. gan, Kagan James and his wife Claire “One of the gals had epilepsy and had a fever, chills and body aches on June 22 of being sent home again,” said Laurie, Ann Lunden and Dusten Derek; daugha seizure,” Laurie said in an interview – the day after Father’s Day. Out of pre- who was unaware of where her hus- ters Ky Brittany and Bristyn Steele; on July 13. “He noticed she was at the caution, he isolated himself in the bed- band may have contracted the virus and three grandchildren; bottom and wasn’t playing around. He room of their home and was given Tyle- tested negative herself. “But he knew he sisters Pamela (Dave) Croswhite-Yojumped in and got her out.” needed to go because each day was get- com, Melissa Croswhite, Vanessa (Rannol and vitamins. Students, administrators and those dy) Crosswhite-Keller and DeeDee He received a COVID-19 test from his ting worse.” representing other programs took to doctor shortly after symptoms began. Coach Croswhite showed signs of im- (Dwayne) Croswhite Palmer; and a social media July 21 when word of his The test came back negative. But on June provement up until the morning of July brother, Joddy (Beth) Croswhite. passing spread. He was preceded in death by his par30, he told his wife he could feel the ill- 17, when nurses called Laurie and the Many posted pictures of Coach Cros- ness had moved into his chest and his rest of the family to the hospital as he ents, William D. Croswhite Jr. and Barwhite, all of which he had a smile on cough was becoming worse. was declining quickly. The family rushed bra Steele Croswhite. And brother Wilhis face. Several others posted heartfelt Using a home monitoring device, Lau- to the hospital knowing that might have liam D. (Suzanne) Croswhite III. messages for Laurie and the rest of his rie found her husband’s oxygen levels been their last chance to say goodbye. To make a donation: gofundme. family. However, Coach Croswhite continued c o m / f / medical-expenses-for-kerhad dipped into the 80s. Typically, levels “This is a devastating loss for our com- should remain in the high 90s. fighting despite possible damage to his ry-croswhite.
BY ZACH ALVIRA GSN Sports Editor
K
munity,” Arizona Interscholastic Association Executive Director David Hines tweeted. “Kerry Croswhite, an incredible husband, father, friend, teacher, coach and mentor passed away this evening,” the official Twitter account for Chandler High athletics tweeted. “The Chandler High community will truly miss a man who truly impacted so many and was always willing to go out of his way to help others. RIP Kerry Croswhite.” Coach Croswhite began feeling ill with
Coach Croswhite first went to a Valley hospital on July 1 but was released 45 minutes later after his oxygen level rose. Laurie chose to keep the name of the first hospital they went to private. On July 3, his oxygen dipped again, and he was admitted into Banner Desert where he received a positive test for the virus. He was placed on a BiPap machine before being moved to the ICU on July 7 and put on a ventilator the next day. “He was reluctant to go to the hospital the second time because he was afraid
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Under normal circumstances, the state pays only 95 percent of normal aid for students who are being taught only online. That means only about $5,000 per student versus $5,300, the average figure for traditional public schools. This plan erases that gap. But it also would provide an identical bonus to qualifying school districts who agree to actually put youngsters into seats. They will get 105 percent of state aid, or an extra $265. Aides to the governor pegged the cost to the state at about $370 million if all school districts meet the qualifications. Those dollars would come from the state’s share of federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act. The decision to allow schools to operate online indefinitely comes against the backdrop of a push by President Trump to force schools to start in-classroom teaching. Ducey said that sentiment is not necessarily a bad thing. “I think that having a kid in a classroom is a great thing,’’ he said. What this policy does, the gover-
GILBERT SUN NEWS | JULY 26, 2020
nor said, is leave the decisions to local elected officials and, ultimately, to parents who may decide that, even in places where schools are open, that’s not the right choice. “In this situation, somebody that’s got an underlying health condition or weakened immunity, we would never force them to do something that would be against their safety,’’ Ducey said. “And we would want to provide options for them.’’ There’s something else, though. State Health Director Cara Christ said that having hundreds of thousands of children who have been sheltering at home now for months suddenly put back into classrooms is likely to result in an increase in COVID-19 cases. But she said that’s not as alarming as it might seem – at least for children in lower grades. “What the data is currently showing is that kids under 10 don’t transmit COVID as effectively as adults do,’’ Christ said. “But we will continue to monitor and there will be benchmarks
that we will look at to determine if it does look like it’s increasing.’’ And the option remains with school officials who have opened up for in-classroom instruction to drop that and go back to online and remote learning. The governor’s other big announcement is that Arizonans will not be going back to bars, gyms, fitness centers, water parks, tubing and movie theaters on Monday. That is the day the governor’s latest closure order on these businesses was set to expire. Instead, Ducey is extending it indefinitely, with a promise to review the situation every two weeks. The move comes as there are indications that the rate of infection in Arizona is beginning to decrease. But the situation still remains critical. And the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in its latest report that Arizona remains “in the red zone for cases.’’ That means there were more than 100 new cases for every 100,000 resi-
dents last week and the percent of tests coming back positive remains above 10 percent. And what that also means, the CDC said, is the state should keep bars and gyms closed in “hot spot’’ counties, which is most of the state. Ducey cited that CDC report in justifying his decision to keep these businesses shuttered. He said that makes moves like these “guided by public health and not politics or what’s popular.’’ But that same CDC report also said that restaurants in Arizona should be limited to no more than 25 percent of capacity for indoor dining and that crowd size should be limited to 10. Ducey, however, said he does not plan to follow those recommendations, keeping restaurants at 50 percent and crowds to no more than 50. The governor said he saw no need to implement those, saying if things take a turn for the worse “we have options if we need to change.’’
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VAPING
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Shinoff said the lawsuit would hold JUUL and other companies accountable and help the district recoup past and future costs related to vaping. The law firm also would provide districts with free educational workshops to students and parents on the harms of e-cigarettes and how to find support for students who are trying to kick the habit. Under the proposed contract, if the lawsuit settles on or before Dec. 31, the district would pay 20 percent of its money settlement for attorney fees. If the suit continues after Jan. 1, 2021, the district would fork over 25 percent of its recovery for attorney fees. The district pays nothing if there is no monetary recovery.
Shinoff added that his firm’s normal attorney fee is 40 percent of the award. Shinoff said if there is no resolution, the judge has indicated he wanted a trial by next summer. He added the maximum amount of time requested of district staff would be eight to 10 hours total. Thomason said his office has worked on the contract with Frantz for the past three to four months. Thomason said the district has been approached by other law firms to join their vaping lawsuits but he picked Frantz because of various factors – including the cost, what’s best for students and the firm’s ability to come in and immediately work on a prevention
program. Board Vice President Kristina Reese asked for the likelihood the suit would be resolved before the end of the year. Shinoff said the case has been going on for quite some time there was a chance for a resolution before Dec. 31 but he couldn’t guarantee it. “Because of budgetary constraints of the district, we’ve had a lot more things that we wanted to do that we couldn’t afford,” Thomason told Shinoff. “Will that be taken into account and will we be able to put some of those measures in place?” Shinoff responded yes. “We would go in and look at the needs; what does this specific district
While Ducey said Arizona appears to have a downward trend in COVID-19 cases, there is one big caveat: A delay in reporting test results. Christ said the average turnaround is 5.2 days, at least for the labs that report electronically to her agency. But
she said there are those that are taking more than a week. That not only affects the numbers being reported. Christ said it also complicates efforts to get a handle on the spread. “We want to be able to connect with
the people,’’ she said. “We want to give them instruction on how to prevent transmitting COVID-19 to others,’’ Christ continued. “And we want to get in touch with their contacts so we can break that transmission chain.’’
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need,” Shinoff said. “Why this particular case is unique is that it’s not a class action where we just look at everyone as the same. We look at each one of our districts individually and look at their specific situation and their needs.” Board member Greg Wojtovich asked if there was anything in the lawsuit that enable the district to financially duplicate a program that is being used successfully elsewhere. Shinoff responded his firm would put the district in touch with organizations offering grants. “I’m totally in support of this,” board member Scott Glover said. “I hope we can vote as a board to move forward on this as soon as possible.”
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YOUR GUIDE TO VOTING INFORMED. Read candidate statements and find out when and where to vote with the Citizens Clean Elections Commission Voter Education Guide. The physical guide was mailed out in early July, and you can find a digital version at AZCleanElections.gov/voter-education-guide. The guide is also available in Navajo, ASL (American Sign Language), large print, HTML/screen reader and as an audio version. For more information, call 877-631-8891.
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GILBERT SUN NEWS | JULY 26, 2020
Parents slate protest for open campuses BY ZACH ALVIRA GSN Sports Editor
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isappointed in Gov. Doug Ducey’s decision to give school districts most of the control in reopening campuses, some Mesa parents are moving forward with plans to hold a demonstration this week outside the State Capitol. Becca Clarkson, a mother of four who taught in the Mesa school district for eight years, has been part of the team organizing a petition to reopen schools that has gained traction in recent weeks and has received nearly 6,000 signatures. Clarkson and Laura Crandell, a mother of Mesa Public Schools students, organized the AZ Open our Schools Demonstration earlier last week – before Ducey’s Thursday press conference in which he announced certain health benchmarks will be released Aug. 7 as a guide for district officials in deciding when to allow classroom instruction. Clarkson said she and the other parents had hoped Ducey wouldn’t push a reopening date beyond the original
Apply for opening on town Planning Commission
Volunteers can now apply to serve on Gilbert’s Planning Commission. Positions include three regular full-term positions, two regular partial-term positions and two alternate positions. There are incumbents who plan to reapply. The regular term is for four years and the term for an alternate member is one. The selected applicants may be appointed for full-term, partial-term, or alternate positions. The Planning Commission also acts as the Design Review Board. The Commission reviews and advises the Council on a variety of planning issues, including long-range community planning goals and policies, immediate planning problems, design review (site plans, landscape, architecture), and spe-
Clarkson said, still doesn’t give parents an option to have their children return to classrooms as quickly as they would like. “We are going to move forward with our plans at the State Capitol,” Clarkson said. “While Gov. Ducey isn’t necessarily pushing things back, we know there will be some benchmarks that we are still unaware of. “Until we see what those look like,” she said, “we want to let those who are making decisions on our behalf know that we are comfortable and able to assess the risk and assume Laura Crandall, a Mesa mother of two, organized the AZ Open our the risk.” Schools Demonstration for parents and teachers to voice their opinions Crandell has marketed on not to further delay the start of in-person school in Arizona. (Photo the demonstration on both courtesy Laura Crandell) Facebook and through text Aug. 17 deadline he had set earlier this message. The event, which is scheduled month. to take place on Tuesday, July 28 from His decision to let districts decide, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., has piqued the inter-
est of nearly 600 people on Facebook alone. Crandell, with help from Clarkson and others, initially launched her petition after Gov. Doug Ducey delayed in-classroom learning until at least Aug. 17. Crandell, whose 5-year-old daughter is set to attend Sousa Elementary School in the fall, shares the same sentiment that parents should be able to decide whether or not to send their kids to schools without any further delays. Both Crandell and Clarkson said while highlighting the negative effects on one’s health the virus can cause, it’s also important to acknowledge the psychological effects it has had on families and children who haven’t been affected. Clarkson said her own kids have experienced anxiety since the initial shutdown of schools last March, mostly in part due to the online learning atmosphere she believes was not up to par compared to in-person learning. Even though districts have vowed a smoother remote learning environment
cific development proposals. Serving on the Planning Commission involves a significant time commitment to attend monthly meetings and review agenda packets. Applicants must live in Gilbert. To apply, go to commissions.gilbertaz. gov/apply/ Deadline to submit an application is 11:59 p.m. Aug. 2. Information: 480-503-6791.
presence. USS Constitution, is the world’s oldest commissioned warship afloat, and played a crucial role in the Barbary Wars and the War of 1812, actively defending sea lanes from 1797 to 1855.
Gilbert Sailor Richard Hagerty receives honor
Master-at-Arms 1st Class Richard Hagerty, a native of Gilbert, was awarded Senior Sailor of the Quarter aboard USS Constitution. Senior Sailor of the Quarter is awarded to a sailor who exemplifies outstanding leadership and superior perfor-
mance by going above and beyond their assigned job. “Being awarded Senior Sailor of the Quarter is an honor I do not take lightly,” said Hagerty in a news release. Hagerty is a 2005 graduate of Mesquite High School. He has served in the Navy for 11 years and his previous duty stations include USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70), Naval Base Kitsap Harbor, Washinton, Harbor Patrol Unit, Bahrain, and Strategic Weapons Facility Pacific-Bangor Harbor Patrol Unit, Washington. The active-duty sailors stationed aboard USS Constitution normally provide free tours and offer public visitation to more than 600,000 people each year as they support the ship’s mission of promoting the Navy’s history, maritime heritage, and raising awareness of the importance of a sustained naval
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Gilbert’s ISA Foundation awards over $838K in grants
With projects ranging from nourishing people in Kenya to providing emergency medical assistance to Navajo Nation residents, 33 U.S. nonprofits received ISA Foundation grants totaling $838,527. Operated by global health and wellness company Isagenix International of Gilbert, the ISA Foundation focuses on healthy nutrition and support for underserved children, wellness education,
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GILBERT SUN NEWS | JULY 26, 2020
DEMO
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for all grade levels, she feels those negative effects aren’t being addressed. “Public schools have been a safe place for many of our kids and families for centuries,” Clarkson said. “Parents from all demographics feel safer knowing their kids are at schools. I feel like how the school shutdowns affect people negatively isn’t being discussed as much as
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those affected by natural disasters and racial equality. “There are so many people who need the assistance our amazing grant partners provide, so it’s an honor to help these nonprofits fulfill their missions,” said Justin Powell, Isagenix chief legal officer and ISA Foundation board member. Since its inception in 2018, the ISA Foundation has awarded grants totaling $3.4 million to 79 nonprofit partners in the United States and Canada. Those grants have provided over 5 million meals, funded over 30,000 educational events, and served over 225,000 children and families worldwide. Awards to Valley nonprofits included Make-A-Wish® Arizona, $25,000; Dignity Health Foundation East Valley, $15,000; Delia Foundation: $15,000; AZCEND, $10,000; Creighton Community Foundation, $10,000; Future Forward Foundation, $10,000; Homeless Engagement Life Partnership, $10,000; Homeward Bound, $10,000; House of Refuge, $10,000; Maggie’s Place, $10,000; Esperanca, $5,000; Feeding Matters, $5,000; Florence Crittenton,
ANSWERS TO PUZZLE AND SUDOKU on Page 30
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it should be.” “I understand COVID is a concern for all of us,” Crandell said earlier this month. “But I feel like the decisions that are being made are out of an abundance of fear. Anyone who has been around kids knows they are going to benefit from being in person.” Attendees at the demonstration can
expect speeches from educators and parents in support of not delaying the start of in-person school. Crandell also said there will be music to entertain attendees. She expects several to come-and-go throughout the event. “It’s a way for us all to express a difference in opinion,” Crandell said. “This
isn’t a parent versus teacher thing. Having different options only works if there are teachers that feel comfortable in the workplace.” To learn more about the AZ Open our Schools Demonstration or to attend, visit the event Facebook page at facebook. com/events/s/az-open-our-schoolsdemonstrat/288758255778999.
$5,000; and ICAN, $5,000.
tion and device such as a smartphone, tablet or computer to use the videoconferencing app Zoom. For more information or assistance, call 602-636-6363, email DementiaCare@ hov.org or visit hov.org/our-care/dementia-care/dementia-education.
July 2019 as director of human resources. During this time, she overhauled the company’s performance management program to focus more on employee strengths and talents instead of their weaknesses. She also instituted a novel recruitment and selection practice that evaluates a candidate’s personal qualities that enhance a company’s culture. Prior to joining Delta Dental of Arizona, Fleck was the chief talent officer and human resources director for the Town of Gilbert.
Gilbert students earn higher education recognition
Student Thomas Riedo was named to McDaniel College Dean’s List for the spring. University of Alabama also recognized five Gilbert students for their academic achievements for the spring semester. Jacob Beene, Kai Fujita were named to the Dean’s List and Matthew Duffy, Patrick Schaffer, Anthony Valente and Emily Weir were named to the President’s List. Online support group for dementia caregivers Hospice of the Valley is providing a free virtual support group for dementia care partners every Wednesday, from noon to 1 p.m. Join other care partners while remaining in the comfort of your home to discuss the stresses, challenges and rewards of caring for a person living with dementia. This support group is facilitated by a Hospice of Valley medical social worker who specializes in dementia. Caregivers will need an Internet connec-
Former town official is now the VP of Delta Dental
Delta Dental of Arizona, the state’s top dental insurance company, has named Jolean Fleck vice president of people and organizational development. “Fleck will help the dental insurer navigate ever-changing workplace and societal challenges, with a focus on leadership development, employer branding and enriching the employee experience,” the company said in a release. Delta Dental President Allan Allford called Fleck “a highly effective and experienced HR leader who has already implemented new innovative ideas and capabilities, and she has driven change and improvement across many of our legacy Fleck joined Delta Dental of Arizona in
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Pandemic a struggle for area children’s theaters BY SRIANTHI PERERA GSN Contributor
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resenting theater doesn’t work in tandem with social distancing and the dilemma gets worse when the actors are children. “I like the theater because I like performing in front of audiences and with quarantining it’s hard to do that. For me it’s hard because I like performing and being with my friends,” said 14-year-old Kaitlyn Woodward, a student of Gilbert Christian School who has attended Studio Three Performing Arts in Gilbert for three years. Sadly, with the pandemic situation not showing signs of waning any time soon, Kaitlyn, and hun-
Studio 3 Performing Arts students Mckenna Henry, Ava Wright and Zoe Hatziathanassiou (top row) and Shayla Forero, Kaitlyn Woodward and Peyton Shoffner (bottom row) perform via Zoom in “The Social Diva Game.” (Special to GSN)
dreds of others like her, will have to bide their time. “Theater kids are by nature huggers and ‘in your face’ kinds of kids,” said Karen Rolston, producing artistic director of East Valley Children’s Theatre in Mesa. “Some are doing better than others.” With cancellations and postponements of scheduled concerts and classes, new methods of performance, smaller purses and larger expenses and dozens of new rules to carefully adhere to, children’s theater in the East Valley is walking a tightrope. “It’s frustrating, sad, discouraging, scary, and heartbreaking on
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Gilbert author looks at children and friendship BY SRIANTHI PERERA GSN Contributor
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he bonds for lifelong friendships are often created during childhood. Publicist Staci Hauk’s debut children’s book, “Sawyer’s Two Cents,” focuses on those valuable, nurturing companionships young people make as they take their first faltering steps toward maturity. The story is set in Gilbert, where Hauk resides, and features illustrations with the town’s iconic water tower and mountains, among others. The spark for the story began in college when Hauk wrote a story for class that was based on an inanimate object holding a message and greater meaning; in this case, a penny that was passed around town, bringing luck wherever it landed.
Gilbert author Staci Hauk has published her first children’s book. (Special to GSN)
“After years of watching my children navigate friendship and the ebb and flow of that process, I realized my story could evolve to being about a child who collects pennies for each friend she makes,” Hauk said. “But, at the end of the day, were many pennies better then fewer, ‘shinier’ pennies? Therein lies the moral of ‘Sawyer’s Two Cents.’” Hauk’s two kids – daughter Sawyer, 12, who attends South Valley Jr. High, and son Garrett, 9, who attends Quartz Hill Elementary – are featured in the story along with their dog Angus, that has since passed. Angus is a human in the story because he was indeed the children’s best friend. The main character in the story is Sawyer, who has two close friends, Garrett and Angus, who are always
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GILBERT SUN NEWS | JULY 26, 2020
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there for her. Children ultimately learn to look for qualities that make for solid relationships, Hauk feels, and that it’s important to learn those qualities early because they carry that into adulthood. “Shallow friendships are all too prevalent and trusting that those around you care deeply for you is so important,” she said. “Starting children off with the mentality of true friendship will lead to stronger self-worth as they grow, and will help them choose relationships wisely later on.” The book is aimed at children 9-11, largely fourth graders. However, it has a universal message and is much like “The Giving Tree” in that it is a great gift for any age, Hauk said. “My feedback has been that even adults had a takeaway from it,” she said. In the book, as Sawyer “goes about difficulties that kids face each day, she realizes these two particular friends are always there for her,” Hauk explained. “She has a jarful of pennies collected for each friend she has. However, a shift happens as the story unfolds and Sawyer realizes that fewer friends who are true friends might be a better collection,” she added. To create a series, Hauk is planning to release two additional books by next spring. “Garrett’s Good Fortune” discusses luck in its many forms, and “Angus Deals with Anguish” takes kids through the emotions of losing a pet.
They, too, will use inanimate objects – fortune cookies and photographs – to drive home the message. She also plans to write a book of whimsical poetry for children, along the lines of her literary idol, Dr. Seuss. Hauk has been a lifelong writer. In high school in her native Chicago, she won several awards for a column in the school newspaper and was inducted into the Quill and Scroll Journalism
Honors Society. After attending University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where she studied for a degree in corporate communications, she worked as the youngest copywriter at a prestigious advertising agency in Las Vegas. Her work included print, radio and billboards for local hotels and malls. In Arizona for the past 15 years, her work has included a magazine editor
many levels,” said Karli Kemper, co-artistic director and music director of State 48 Theatre Company of Mesa. “We also, however, feel a huge sense of commitment to our community and families to be supportive of safety precautions so that we can actually see an end to this awful time we are all experiencing. “We want nothing more than to get back to our ‘normal’ and we are trying to stay positive and be creative in order to survive until that happens,” she added. Emma England, who runs Studio 3 Performing Arts Academy and Limelight
Performing Arts, said, “This is the hardest hurdle I have ever had to jump over, but I am growing every day.” “I have put in more work the last few months than I ever would have imagined, but seeing the way we are making a difference for these kids and families is worth every second,” England said. Undeterred by the challenge, Studio 3 Performing Arts Academy launched an online academy and may have set standards for the local industry. After canceling “Wizard of Oz,” the children’s theater finished the last sea-
son with “Wonderland” – its original musical based on the story of Alice in Wonderland – via film. Students were brought to the recording studio in small groups to record the audio and the theater did a professional film shoot for the visuals. The movie is being edited and will be shown as a drive-in movie in September. The process was socially distanced and provided a safe environment. Studio 3 also ventured into doing a virtual show called “The Isolation Project,” featuring two original plays by Colleen
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Staci Hauk’s children’s book features characters named after her daughter Sawyer, 12,, and son Garrett, 9. (Special to GSN))
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role in Scottsdale. Currently, she is a publicist for Chandler-based Pitch Public Relations. While she enjoys her career, Hauk also finds fulfillment as a mom and doing activities with her kids, which includes crafting, attending theater performances, hiking with the family’s two rescue pups and “being a soccer mom” to Garrett. Writing for children is the icing on the cake. Her publishing journey was greatly helped by a chance introduction to an illustrator, Rebecca Steward, via a social media post. It turned out that Steward is also a resident of Shamrock Estates, a housing development in southeast Gilbert, where Hauk lives. Steward, who has published a children’s book of her own, introduced her to Author Services Company, which edited and printed Hauk’s book in five months. “Rebecca and I met and then spoke often about every illustration; that is why they are so detailed, down to my kids’ appearances and the backdrops we mirrored around Gilbert,” she said. When the pandemic retreats, Hauk plans to visit schools, daycares and bookstores for author presentations. “That has always been my dream,” she said. “Sawyer’s Two Cents” by Staci Hauk is available for $12.99 on barnesandnoble.com and amazon.com. Details: stacihauk.com.
Porter that are performed online. One is a drama dealing with the emotions and situations that arose from the sudden stay-at-home order and the other is a comedy in which teens try to win an online social media contest. East Valley Children’s Theatre also recorded “Alice in Wonderland” via the online program Zoom, a radio play and a cabaret with live filming of the host and adding the kids’ pre-recorded videos. State 48 Theatre Company is present-
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ing “The (Possibly) True Tales of Little Red Riding Hood” and “Romeo and Juliet” as films as well. The theater plans to do a live stream of the movies with the actors in small groups in the theatre answering questions and providing commentary on their experience during the stream. Viewers are expected to donate. As expected, earning the dollars to keep operating has been a challenge across the organizations. Studio 3 Performing Arts Academy, which offers sold-out summer camps that provide an outlet for 40-70 kids each summer, found its earnings dropped drastically because the camps are much smaller to incorporate social distancing. Its sister organization, Limelight Performing Arts, has no earnings because it’s temporarily closed. At East Valley Children’s Theatre, the impact has been huge despite a successful virtual silent auction in lieu of its spring fundraiser. Attendance dropped in just the one summer camp it offered. Even
GILBERT SUN NEWS | JULY 26, 2020
when the rest of the classes went online, there aren’t as many children enrolled. The group performs at Mesa Arts Center, which is closed until Oct. 1 or beyond. This meant no performances in the spring or summer while fall is “up in the air.” “We are not bringing in as much revenue, and we have had to reduce the number of teaching artists that normally work for us,” Rolston said. “In the long term, we worry about keeping the theatre solvent while we wait to get back into the theatre space to perform.” State 48 is hurting similarly and is hoping to boost donations with the film release of “The (Possibly) True Tales of Little Red Riding Hood.” “Our ticket sales are everything,” Kemper said. “We are both a youth and a community theatre, so when we cannot sell tickets, we are in real financial straits. Currently we have been able to raise enough through donations to cover a few months of rent and bills, but we are most definitely concerned for the future.” Not everyone has found success with
using Zoom either. Studio 3 has found it unsuitable for children ages 3-5, and those children have left the school. State 48 finds the challenge comes in many forms. “It has removed the actors’ ability for on-stage chemistry and rapport with each other, the physical movement itself and contact in person, and then of course the timing—to be able to deliver a back-andforth with impact and tension,” Kemper said. “There is a lot of lag and awkwardness over the internet.” Still, acting on Zoom is better than nothing. Kempe said managed three weeks of online rehearsals from home using Zoom, then came in person to the theatre in small groups by scene. Safety protocols included masks, hand sanitizing and cleaning after each rehearsal. “They have been remarkably patient and respectful and have worked through the hardships of the new protocols. So many of them were so anxious to be a part of something that they are more than willing to respect the safety measures,”
she added. And always, a silver lining shines through the direst situations. For the children’s theater, it’s the support it receives from parents and the extended community. “They donate, they show up to work and wear a mask, they paint with us and sew costumes, and they bring their kids to rehearsals prepared and respectful of all of our policies—which has made this tough time both bearable and rewarding,” Kemper said. “It’s truly humbling to be surrounded by so much love and support in this current climate.” Rolston has a similar experience. “People seem to be more receptive to helping each other and wanting everyone to be successful. It has been heartwarming too, to see our teaching artists step up and just figure out how to be successful teaching classes on line,” she said. Details: East Valley Children’s Theatre at evct.org; Studio 3 Performing Arts Academy: va.studio3arts.com; State 48 Theatre Company: state48theatre.com
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BUSINESS
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Local couple finds success scooping dog doo GSN NEWS STAFF
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s the CEO of an artificial intelligence software company, it’s not uncommon for Bob Dailey to be on a conference call with customers or his India team. It’s what else the Gilbert man might be doing when he’s on those calls that’s unusual. He could be driving to someone’s home to pick up dog poop. Dailey and his wife Janet own a franchise called Pet Butler, a nationwide company that provides services like pet sitting, walking and chauffeuring – and removing pet waste and disinfecting backyards for homes and residential complexes throughout the Valley. Though they both have fulltime jobs – Janet is a curriculum counselor for homeschooling families across the country – they added another revenue stream to their household after their
Though Bob and Janet Dailey of Gilbert have successful careers in the corporate world, they also have found success running a Pet Butler franchise that, among other things, rids pet owners’ yards of dog doo. (Special to GSN)
adult daughters relocated to Gilbert from California, inspiring them to make a bold move of their own. “I wasn’t ready to fully retire,” Bob said. “I wanted a ‘guy in a truck’ business – something that was hyper-local, small and had a subscription component to it. This was a perfect fit in a burgeoning industry, pet supplies and services.” Bob says he and his wife handle dual responsibilities with ease, even though it requires a balancing act sometimes with their other job responsibilities – and even though their side gig raises a few eyebrows among their colleagues. “I’ve been on conference calls with our India team, or with customers, while driving my Pet Butler truck to a customer’s house to scoop dog poop,” Bob said. “The people I work with from both companies get a kick out of knowing that I’m involved in both companies.
Cookie monsters have a home in Gilbert BY MONIQUE SELEEN GSN Contributor
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hat started as a late-night craving for something sweet has boomed into a thriving cookie business for Kurtis Toolson of Gilbert. Chunk Cookies originally opened in 2018, but at the time operated exclusively as a delivery service. In the two years that it’s been open, the company has gained over 13,000 followers on Instagram and now has two storefronts, including the Gilbert store that opened in June. Toolson, who said he always wanted to be an entrepreneur, got the idea to start Chunk Cookies after hearing about cookie-delivery businesses in other states.
“I’ve never been a baker,” Toolson said, “My wife and I loved having late night cookies but whenever we’d try to make them at home we’d run out of an ingredient and it just became a hassle.” The thought of having warm cookies delivered directly to people’s doorsteps was exactly the business idea Toolson was after. “Cookies are a staple dessert,” he said. “The delivery service makes it so convenient. I knew I’d have a passion for it and decided to just start.” Toolson knew the owners of Rise Up Bakery in Gilbert, who baked cookies sold at The Soda Shop, where he was working at the time. After sharing his business idea with the owners, they agreed to let him use their facility and equipment when they
had closed for the day so he could experiment with his own cookie recipes. “I had to go into the science of how the ingredients work together to create different textures,” said Toolson. “I was trying to find a happy medium of creating a thick cookie and figuring out the right measurements. Making a batch of 12 cookies is a lot different than making 300 cookies.” Once the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe was created – getting the stamp of approval from Toolson’s friends and family after several taste tests – he began working on spreading the word about Chunk Cookies through social media. “I didn’t want to pay for followers,” he said. “So, I switched my personal Instagram account to the Chunk Cookies
see
PET page 18
account so that we’d have some followers. I took off all my pictures and added cookie pictures.” Toolson also reached out to local social media influencers offering them free boxes of cookies and encouraged them to share their feedback with him. “I didn’t ask them to post about the cookies but about 90 percent of them did,” said Toolson. “The hype grew very fast because of it. It was a huge benefit and positive reaction.” Toolson said he had no idea what to expect when he opened. He had hired 10 drivers and was still operating out of Rise Up Bakery. As the demand soared opening night, Toolson ended up having to deliver
see
COOKIES page 18
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BUSINESS
PET page 17
“It’s definitely an interesting span between the two. The funny thing is that the fundamentals of sound management, treating employees and customers right and building a company for growth and scalability are the same – even if the details are different.” The Daileys, who are in their early 50s, purchased their Pet Butler franchise in January 2016 when the then-9year-old franchise had four trucks and 370 active customers. Since then, the Daileys have doubled the number of their trucks and almost have doubled their active customers, about 95 percent of whom are residential. “When we first started, we’d tell
COOKIES
page 17
cookies himself and recruited his parents to help out as well. After a few months, he began searching for a location to open their first storefront. Having established a large following for deliveries in Gilbert, Toolson turned to Tempe to start his first brick-andmortar shop. “Part of the concept is late-night deliveries and college students love that,” said Toolson. “We didn’t know how different Tempe would be. It was a huge wakeup call but we came out learning new marketing tactics and techniques.” After opening the Tempe location, Toolson decided Gilbert deserved a brick-and-mortar store as well. Once plans were established to open at Greenfield and Baseline roads, he was delayed by a month due to the outbreak of COVID-19. Toolson used the extra time to figure out the safest way to operate for both employees and customers amidst the pandemic. Employees were all provided masks
GILBERT SUN NEWS | JULY 26, 2020
people about our service and most people had never heard of such a thing,” Bob said. “Nowadays, we get that reaction about 10 to 15 percent of the time. Notwithstanding the pandemic situation, people are generally super busy, so the convenience of a service like ours is compelling for them.” Bob worked as an internal auditor and transitioned to healthcare information systems before becoming a divisional COO for a global financial services firm. He joined the artificial intelligence company Axis A.I. Innovations – a cloud-based software service that extracts document data and serves the mortgage, medical shipping and oil/gas industries.
Janet also worked as an internal auditor and programmer/analyst for two large corporations before leaving to homeschool their two daughters. They were attracted to Pet Butler because they liked its modernized business model with protected territories that foster growth and recurring revenue. And they felt the potential for growth was strong, given that roughly 85 million U.S. families, or 67 percent of households, own a pet, according to a recent survey by the American Pet Products Association. In the United States, pets include 90 million dogs and 94 million cats. In 2018, pet services accounted for $72.56
Chunk Cookies offers a variety of treats, such as chocolate chip, Nutella, lemon and other flavors. (Special to GSN)
and protocols were implemented for hand washing and switching out gloves every 30 minutes. In the meantime, an email and Instagram post went out promoting the grand opening, which included a free chocolate
chip cookie just for stopping by. The Gilbert storefront finally opened its doors on June 10, with lines wrapped around the parking lot. More than 2,000 free cookies were given out that day.
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billion spent and was estimated to grow to $75.38 billion in 2019. Three of the four employees who were with Pet Butler the day the Daileys took over are still with the company and the couple attribute their success to following their belief in treating customers and employees right. “This is a people-centric service business,” Bob said. “The only way to grow the business is by having passionate and reliable people on your team who can grow with you. Your organization must become a place where people want to work and want to stay. You are serving them as much or more than you are serving your customers.” Information: petbutler.com. Toolson attributes much of the success of the new location to the Gilbert’s small-town feel. “I didn’t think the grand opening would be huge,” said Toolson. “But everyone in Gilbert is close knit and it just goes to show how people were talking to each other about it. I was shocked by the turnout.” Despite the economic struggles many businesses have faced due to COVID19, Toolson said Chunk Cookies has continued to thrive. “Because delivery is our signature thing and people were unable to see someone, we found that they were sending boxes of cookies as gifts or just as a way to say hi to their friends or family,” said Toolson. Toolson said he plans to continue expanding. “We are definitely looking to grow,” he said. “I have a few locations that I’ve looked into and we are constantly working on developing new flavors and are hoping to offer more of a wide variety.” Information: chunkcookies.com
Send your business news to pmaryniak@timespublications.com
BACK TO SCHOOL
GILBERT SUN NEWS | JULY 26, 2020
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Rod Huston
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JULY 26, 2020
Brian Winter
Jim Leeper
Tyler Dumas
Christopher Stroud
GPS starts year with 5 new principals GSN NEWS STAFF
F
ive campuses in the Gilbert Public Schools district will be starting the 2020-21 school year with new principals. Here’s a look at who they are. Rod Huston Mesquite High Rod Huston is the interim principal of Mesquite High School. He has worked for Gilbert Public Schools since 2000, starting as a special education teacher and coach at Gilbert High School. He has been an administrator for the past 15 years as an assistant principal at Desert Ridge, Highland and, most recently, Mesquite high schools. His wife Lori teaches third grade at Settlers Point Elementary School and their children – Colton and Brenlie – both attended Gilbert Public Schools from kindergarten through high school graduation. Before entering education, Huston was a U.S. Army paratrooper and ran youth sports programs, health and fit-
ness programs as well as teen and family programs for the YMCA. He has twice been named the region athletic director of the year and is currently finishing a term as the president of the Arizona Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association. His family has served Gilbert Public Schools continuously for over 50 years. His father Paul Huston, was once the principal of Gilbert High School. “He is extremely excited to be the new interim principal of Mesquite High School,” the district said in a release. Brian Winter Gilbert High Brian Winter “is both honored and humbled to serve as the principal at Gilbert High and to be part of a culture built on rich tradition as well as academic excellence,” district spokeswoman Dawn Antestenis said. Gilbert High School has been serving the town community for over 100 years and was named an A+ School of Excel-
lence in 2017. Born and raised in Minnesota, Winter is beginning his 34th year as an educator. He taught for 18 years before moving into administration and served in a variety of different administrative roles during the past 15 years. He is married and has three adult children. “Brian Winter is passionate about equity, fairness and opportunity for all students and looks forward to working with the Gilbert High faculty, staff and administration to provide a quality learning experience for all students,” Antestenis said.
Jim Leeper Boulder Creek Elementary For the past six years, Jim Leeper has been the proud principal of Meridian Elementary in Gilbert Public Schools. Prior to Meridian, he worked in the Mesa school district for 20 years as a teacher, dean of students and assistant principal. Leeper grew up in Mesa, went
to Arizona State University and took his first job in education teaching junior high PE. He coached track for 13 years, freshman tennis for seven years and high school cross country for two seasons. He is married and lives in Gilbert with his wife and kids. “Mr. Leeper is very much looking forward to working with the Boulder Creek families and community,” Astestenis said.
Tyler Dumas South Valley Junior High Tyler Dumas says he is excited for the opportunity to lead and serve as the South Valley Junior High School. The majority of his 22-year career as an educator has been spent as a classroom teacher and coach. Most recently, he was an assistant principal in academics at Campo Verde High School and “quickly fell in love with the community
see
PRINCIPALS page 21
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GPS ready to ‘Connect, Create, and Care’ s we prepare for the new school year, please let me start by thanking you for the trust you place in us every day. We take our role as educators, supporters, community leaders and role models very seriously. To that end, we remain deeply rooted in our values of being a family, while positioning students first in all we do. These are challenging times for us all, and as we prepare for a new school year, things may feel different, but we remain
true to our mission at Gilbert Public Schools. We are here to educate, inspire, and support your children, and that is absolutely what we intend to do. We have everything in place for an excellent beginning to the new school year, learning online, and there are three learning models to choose from for the 2020/21 school year, to fit the needs of your family. Right now, our school teams are working with each other – and our students and families – to ensure we are all ready for a positive start Aug. 5. Ultimately, our goal is to offer our families the following: flexibility to meet their needs; support to navigate this challenging time; and
academic excellence. This year our motto of Connect, Create, and Care is even more important than usual. As we begin the school year, I will ask our teachers, support staff and administrators to Connect, Create and Care with every student and every colleague. Ours is a collective mission and one we will continue this year as we strive to inspire excellence in every learner. As we prepare for our 35,000 PreK12 students to return in August, we are committed to ensuring the 2020/21 school year builds off the momentum we created last year. Our district and school websites continue to be updated, providing access to
all of the information and resources you need. Please visit gilbertschools.net for back to school information including the usual school supply lists, and annual update requests and specific information for this school year regarding online learning, the three learning model options, and more. On behalf of the district, we remain grateful for all of your ongoing support that enables us, among other things, to create the most optimal learning environment possible for our students. To that end, the first day of school is Aug. 5 and we can’t wait to connect and learn with you all! Thank you for being part of our GPS family!
in which he lives,” Astestenis said. His four children have been educated in Gilbert Public Schools. Before transitioning to Gilbert Public Schools, Dumas spent three years in a
leadership role at Dobson High School as an assistant principal. He also was a classroom teacher and coach for 20 years in the Dobson community at the elementary, junior high and high school
levels. Before relocating to Arizona, he taught at the junior high and coached high school basketball for two years in Kansas.
His “primary focus is serving students and the community while empowering student success,” Astestenis said. “He is
BY DR. SHANE MCCORD GPS Superintendent
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PRINCIPALS from page 19
see
PRINCIPALS page 24
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PRINCIPALS from page 21
looking forward to working alongside the South Valley staff and with the entire community in continuing the tradition of excellence and the culture of student success.”
Christopher Stroud Meridian Elementary Christopher Stroud “is excited to be coming to such a proud community and one so involved in the success of their community school,” Astestinis said. For the past eight years, he has been
the principal of Gilbert High and prior to that, was a high school assistant principal and a junior high school social studies teacher. Stroud is a “proud Army brat,” having been raised by a career Army officer and aviator. “He is incredibly excited to learn from the existing Meridian faculty, staff and families as he makes this move and is looking forward to meeting everyone and serving the entire campus and community,” Astestinis said.
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OPINION
Opinion
@Gilber tSunNews
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Teachers should refuse to return to classrooms I have a long history of refusing. I’ve refused job offers, marriage proposals, desserts while on a diet, dates and countless servings of vegetables as a child. As I look back, my life has been more defined by what I have refused than what I have accepted. In the midst of a global pandemic, educators are now being faced with the ultimate choice to enter a classroom, and this time, the consequences of our decisions will far exceed seeing a disappointing number on a scale or having a bad date. This time, the lives of faculty, staff, students and their families are hanging in the balance. School administrators, from K12 classrooms to universities, are struggling with the decision of whether to open their institutions to an in-person or all-online campus, or creating a
GILBERT SUN NEWS | JULY 26, 2020
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hybrid scenario. Urgent streams of emails are circulating, describing how students could be distanced from each other, mitigating the spread of the virus. Block scheduling, partitions between desks, mandatory masks, and staggered lunch breaks have all been considered. The consensus seemed to be that no amount of distancing or precautions were likely to stop COVID-19 from infecting classrooms, teachers, staff and students. In my home state of Arizona, we have already lost a dedicated educator who was teaching summer school and reportedly did everything in her power to prevent the spread of the disease. The other two teachers in the classroom contracted COVID-19 as well. Administrators and government officials alike acknowledge that despite our best preventative efforts, illness, disability and deaths are likely to occur. It is time for educators to refuse to enter the classroom this fall.
INTRODUCING
We must not bow to the immense financial, administrational, and political pressure to open our classrooms. States such as Arizona, Florida, and Texas have seen the unyielding consequences of resuming normal operations prematurely. This decision will carry tremendous hardships. There are students who do not learn optimally in an online environment. Others would suffer from the loss of support that a school or university may provide. We must not leave these populations behind; instead, we must find ways to accommodate them while keeping most students at home safely. Educators will suffer from a loss of employment as well. We will be forced to deplete our sick-leave banks, deny contracts and simply refuse to return. Faculty and staff bank accounts will go from being stretch thin to breaking, resulting in countless hardships. Adjunct professors, who teach the majority of college courses and do not receive health insurance benefits or paid
sick leave, will absorb many of these sacrifices. As an adjunct faculty member, I have had to decline some contracts that have required me to return to the classroom. Other colleges have converted to online platforms. Still, like most of us, we have lost a tremendous amount of work, salary, and opportunity. I will be moving into my parent’s empty home as a result of this salary loss. This is not a decision that will come lightly for any of us and, for some, it will carry heavy consequences. Nevertheless, now is the time to refuse to lead ourselves, our staff, and our students to slaughter for economic and political gain. Educators have a long history of placing our students, their families and our communities ahead of our own self-interest and we must not suspend these ideals during this crisis. However, we must refuse to return to the classroom and stand for our students and communities. -Jennifer Kady Stanton
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Gilbert cyclist named to Olympic team BY ZACH ALVIRA GSN Sports Editor
A
Gilbert native is one step closer to achieving her dream of competing in the Olympics after she was officially named to the United States Track Cycling Olympic Long Team for the Tokyo games. Christina Birch, 33, a 2004 graduate of Gilbert High School, automatically qualified for the Long Team after earning a World Gold Cup Medal in Team Pursuit in November in Belarus, followed by a World Cup Bronze Medal in the Madison in Canada in December. She will now wait until May 2021 to see whether she makes the final cut to compete in the Tokyo Olympics, which had originally been scheduled for this summer but were pushed back due to the coronavirus pandemic. “Making the Long Team is one important step before making the team that actually goes to Tokyo,” Birch said. “It took a ton of repetition to get to this point. I didn’t know what my path would look like. I kind of went in blind.” Birch, compared to other Olympic cyclists she competes alongside and against, got a late start to her cycling career. An avid cross country athlete in high school, she didn’t begin to dabble in cycling until she began competing in triathlon while attending the University of Arizona, where she obtained two Bachelor of Science degrees in math and biochemistry. She went on to pursue her PhD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). It was there she began competing on the club cycling team and realized she
Christina Birch, a Gilbert native, was officially named to the United States Track Cycling Olympic Long Team for the Tokyo games. (Courtesy Christina Birch)
had the ability to pursue the sport in a more competitive fashion. “There’s a really big cyclocross scene in New England,” Birch said. “It’s these people basically doing a cross country running race with their bikes and barriers they have to hop over. It’s muddy, it’s icy and in the worst possible conditions but when I saw it, I knew it was for me.” She continued to compete for the cyclocross team while also experimenting with the veledrome, a type of track. Birch said the one in New England wasn’t at all comparable to a professional veledrome seen in the Olympics, but she used it as a way to learn how to ride a fixture bike and interval training for cyclocross.
However, as she won more and more races on the veledrome, her club director encouraged her to pursue the sport in a more professional setting. “It was mostly a side thing until I was finishing up my PhD and the director for a row team I was riding for who had rode on a track encouraged me to keep doing it,” Birch said. “Literally the next month I put everything in my car, and I drove to L.A., which is the only veledrome we have in the U.S. with a 45-degree banking that is wooden and made for competition.” Birch began teaching at the University of California, Riverside once in Los Angeles. She taught bioengineering there while training with the 6 a.m. veledrome group.
After a year, she realized she wanted to take her training to another level. But in order to do that, it required a more flexible position that was closer to the track. She left UC Riverside and began teaching at California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, where she remained for two years before deciding to pursue riding full time. “I think the most good I’ve done in my life came from being a teacher. I really poured myself into it,” Birch said. “I think the pursuit of sport is a luxury. To be this good, you have to be selfish with your time. I know there is a biological limit to this. I’m going to hit my peak in the next couple of years and I can’t chase an Olympic spot when I’m 50.” Track cycling isn’t for everyday riders. Birch finds herself training at least 15 hours a week, lifting weights or going on endurance rides that average nearly 20 miles per hour. She said the pure speed for which they race at is one of the most misunderstood aspects of the sport. She compared it to holding a hand out of the car window while driving. At 10 miles per hour, it seems calm. At 20 miles per hour, the speed she is able to maintain for hours on end, there is some wind resistance. But once at 40 miles per hour, which is the speed Birch reaches during races, the wind is powerful enough to knock one off of a bike. “We get up to that speed from a dead stop. It’s so much wind we have to push, and we fight, it’s why we are in those tucked positions. It’s also why we stick in
see
CLYCLIST
page 29
GILBERT SUN NEWS | JULY 26, 2020
CYCLIST page 28
that line and tuck behind each other when we aren’t in front.” Birch said she never imagined being in this position when she first began cycling at the University of Arizona. Including her gold and bronze medals, the latter of which she won in front of her dad, Birch has also won several national titles and a silver in London last year. She credited her family for pushing her to find her path in athletics, as well as her former teachers and coaches at Gilbert High School. In April, when she was home visiting her family and training, she rode by her old high school nearly every day. She said she was overcome with a feeling of nostalgia each time. But more importantly, it led her to be even more determined to keep pushing for more in her cycling career and to represent Gilbert on a global stage. “It feels so special because in many ways I started my athletic career at Gilbert High School,” Birch said. “I feel really proud to have come from that community and to be doing what I’m doing.”
Cutline. (Courtesy Christina Birch)
SPORTS
29
30 JULY 22, 2020 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS
GILBERT SUN NEWS | JULY 26, 2020 35
King Crossword King Crossword
Employ ment Employment General
Obituaries "Steve" Wagner
1942 - 2020 Walter Stephen Wagner, age 77, most recently of Queen Creek, previously a resident of Mesa, Arizona, passed away, June 30th, at the Wellsprings Therapy Center in Gilbert, Arizona. He was born July 15th, 1942 in the borough of Manhattan, NYC, NY. The eldest son of Walter Sullivan Wagner and Rosalie DeSimone Wagner. Raised in Pelham Manor, NY, until leaving for boarding at The Judson School in Scottsdale, he would remain thereafter a life-long resident of Arizona, graduating from Judson ‘60 and Arizona State University. Steve’s career spanned decades in the entertainment industry, specifically movie and television on-location support services. He counted many A-list actors as good friends. His schoolmate at Judson would introduce him to hunting and fishing in Montana, a lifelong en jo y men t. H e owned and bre d dachshund hounds, with many champions to his credit. Stephen was born into a theatrical Broadway family. His father, Walter Wagner, was a Broadway actor, stage manager and television news director. Stephen’s great-uncle was Howard Lindsay, American theatrical producer, Pulitzer Prize winning playwright, librettist, director, and actor. Stephen never married. He was preceded in death by his parents Walter and Rosalie Wagner of Juno Beach, Florida. He is survived by his brother Michael L Wagner (Louise), of Redding Connecticut, nephew and godchild Michael W Wagner (Kate O) of Texas, niece and godchild Kate RL Wagner of Connecticut, cousins in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Colorado. Stephen was held in high esteem, respected, and loved by his family who grieve their loss. Words of condolences to his family would be most appreciated via mikelsg@optonline.net
OBITUARIES - DEATH NOTICES IN MEMORIAM We are here to make this difficult time easier for you. Our 24 hour online service is easy to use and will walk you through the steps of placing a paid obituary in the East Valley Tribune, or a free death notice online. Visit: obituaries.EastValleyTribune.com
Investment Analyst Analyze investment risk w/knowledge of finance,currency exchange, various tea products for co.expansion franchise DaYung tea stores. Differentiate tea quality skills req.BS in Finance req. mail to Job Loc: DaYung's Tea Phoenix, LLC 3126 S. Mill Ave Tempe AZ 85282 MetaSoftTech Solutions has openings for Software Engineers in Chandler, AZ area. Reqs US Masters degree/foreign equiv or Bach degree + 5 yrs experience w/ skills in Java/Salesforce/HTML/ Oracle/SQL to analyze/design/develop/ implement/test systems & applications. Email resume to applymst@gmail.com with ref # 2020-19 & ref EVT ad
Obituaries H E A D STO N E S
EVERLASTING MONUMENT Co.
“Memories cut in Stone” • MONUMENTS • GRANITE & BRONZE • CEMETERY LETTERING • CUSTOM DESIGNS
480-969-0788 75 W. Baseline Rd. Ste. A-8 Gilbert, AZ 85233
www.everlastingmonumentco.com info@everlastingmonument.phxcoxmail.com
Make your choice Everlasting
ACROSS 1 5 8 12 14 15 16 17 18 20 23 24 25 28 29 30 32
34 35 36 37 40 41 42 47 48 49 50 51
Fleet from faraway? “-- Impossible” Get a look at Strict disciplinarian Small grimace Geometric curve Former European capital Can metal “Gracias” Orbital point Affair of honor Coalition New Jersey borough Coquettish Parking lot structure Bigwig, for short “Semper --” (Coast Guard motto) Toy block name Thing Angle Destroyer Pod occupant Chimney grime Irrational fear Lip Fluidless barometers Act Siesta Feed the hogs
33 34 36 37 38 39
Disturbed the peace Argentine grasslands Burn somewhat Secondhand Protuberance Venetian magistrate
40 43 44 45 46
Sudoku
DOWN 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 13 19 20 21 22 23 25 26 27 29 31
Get ready, for short Literary collection Lubricate Wedding utterance Venomous viper
Ref Sky safety org. Bobby of hockey Radio interference A party to Aviv lead-in Heights Mummify, maybe Any time now Play a prank on (Sl.) Longings Sacred wading bird Listen to Kimmel’s network Fall into a beanbag chair Sauce source Piece of information Jif rival Eye layer Portent Partner Cauldron
PUZZLE PUZZLEANSWERS ANSWERSon onpage page2813
31
GILBERT SUN NEWS | JULY 26, 2020
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(W of Gilbert on N side of University)
480.833.9942
www.TRUVALUEDENTAL.com
25820 S. Arizona Ave. • Sun Lakes, AZ 85248
480.895.2000 www.A1GolfCarts.com
32
GILBERT SUN NEWS | JULY 26, 2020
Gilbert Sun News
1620 W. Fountainhead Parkway #219 • Tempe, AZ 85282 480.898.6465 class@timespublications.com
Deadlines
Classifieds: Thursday 11am for Sunday Life Events: Thursday 10am for Sunday
The Place “To Find” Everything You Need | GilbertSunNews.com Employment General Training & Development Specialist Develop & Conduct training,develop.prog. w/knowledge of DaYung's Franchise tea stores operational procedure.Differentiate tea quality skill+ BS in any mangmt field. req. Mail to Job Loc: DaYung's Tea Phoenix LLC 3126 S. Mill Ave Tempe AZ 85282 Sr Design Eng’r. Analog Devices, Chandler, AZ. Multiple positions avail. Prdct dvlpmt; ID tech risks, fixes, milestones; tech guidance; design/prdct flows; lab eval/debug; dsgn/verify circuits. MS+2 yrs exp. More info/apply: https://careers.analog.co m, click Search Jobs at top, enter 17926. EOE M/F/D/V
Announce
Manufactured Homes
Merch
ments andise Cemetery Lots
Wanted to Buy
St. Francis Cemetery Plots (48th St/Oak) 3 companion plots, section STA, plot 74, row 2, spaces 2, 3, 4 $5500 each o.b.o. easy to find. Lydia (619) 996-6147
Diabetic Test Strips by the box, unused. Any type or brand. Will pay top dollar. Call Pat 480-323-8846 Cash 4 Diabetic Strips! Best Prices in Town. Sealed and Unexpired. 480-652-1317
Brand New 2019 Cavco
Motorcycles/ Scooters '99 Harley Davidson Ultra Classic For Sale New Motor with 517 Miles, New Tires. Works Great. No Leaks. $5,500 OBO Bill 970-640-8685
COLLECTOR BUYING
European & American Classic Cars
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(All Models, Any Condition, Including Barn Finds)
Homes For Sale
CALL ROY 602-810-2179
3 BR, 2 BA, Manufacture home in golf community of Queen Valley, AZ. $192,000 obo. Mountain Vista views. Call today! Joey 602-618-5054
Please recycle me.
Employment General
PROMOTERS WANTED!! AVG. PAY PER HOUR $17.89 - $35.73 Large Home Improvement Company Looking For Promoters to Work in the Following Locations. * ARROWHEAD MALL (Glendale) * ARIZONA MILLS (Tempe) * SUPERSTITION SPRINGS MALL (Mesa) * CHANDLER FIESTA MALL (Chandler)
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BRAND NEW NEVER LIVED IN 2 BED / 2 BATH HOMES $58,900 Financing Available 55+ Mobile Home Park in Great Chandler Loc. Call Kim 480-233-2035
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MH 16X56, 2B/2B, 3 Ton Cent A/C, Concrete Drive W/Awning, Landscaped, Steps, W/D Hkups, 18 CF Fridge, Gas Range, Dishwasher Ready, Walk in Shower in a 55+ Resort Community in Apache Junction. Starting at $52,900 Does not include furniture. Call Sandy at 480-228-7786
Manufactured Homes AUSTIN HEALEY’S • 50’s-60’s •
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THE LINKS ESTATES Why Rent The Lot When
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• 40’s-70’s • 190SL, 230SL,280SL Early Cabriolet
Call to Schedule An interview 480-298-3688 Ask for Steve
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Do You Have or Know of a Classic Car? Finder’s Fee Paid! Cash Buyer
602-810-2179
Kellyutaz@msn.com
6x60, 2B/2B, 3T A/C, W/D Hkups, 2 awnings, cement drive and patio, blk appliances, dishwasher, MW oven, in an active 55+ community with tons of activities and amenities. Walking distance to shopping $72,195. Call Sandy 480-228-7786
Real Estate
For Rent
FROM THE UPPER 100’S
ASK US HOW YOUR $105,000 CASH INVESTMENT AND OUR SENIOR LOAN PROGRAM ENABLES QUALIFIED 62+ SENIORS MAKING THE LINKS THEIR PRIMARY RESIDENCE HAVE NO MORTGAGE PAYMENT & NO LOT RENT AS LONG AS YOU LIVE IN HOME.
Gawthorp & Associates Realty 40667 N Wedge Dr • San Tan Valley, AZ 85140
602-402-2213
www.linksestates.net
Add a Background Color to Your Ad! Classifieds 480-898-6465
Air Conditioning/Heating
FREE Service Call ($50 Service Call* Waived with any repair)
Bob B AC, LLC
480-330-5117 (Over 40 Years Experience)
ROC 318210
Licensed-Bonded-Insured
Apartments Crismon/Apache Trl Cottage Cozy 2br 1ba Bad Credit ok. $800 No Deposit. Water/trash incl'd (602) 339-1555 ALMA SCH & MAIN Income verified UTILITIES INCLUDED Bad Credit OK. No Deposit Close to Lightrail $700 (602) 339-1555
Commerical/ Industrial/Retail
WE OFFER * FULL TIME OR PART TIME * SALARY PLUS COMMISSION * HEALTH AND DENTAL BENEFITS * PAID TRAINING * FLEX SCHEDULE * RETIREES & VETS WELCOME * GREAT FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS
Manufactured Homes
Outdoor commercial/personal Storage Yards for lease. Secure, gated 24 hour access, and much more. Call 480-926-5957 for details For Sale Arizona Historic Hotel Clifton, AZ Breathe fresh air and take long quiet walks again? View at arizonahistoric hotel.com 520-508-3321
Family Owned & Operated
Three Phase Mechanical
480-671-0833
www.3phasemech.com Sales, Service & Installation
NO TRIP CHARGE • NOT COMMISSION BASED ACCREDITED BUSINESS
ROC# 247803 Bonded • Insured
HEATING & AIR CONDITIONING
QUALITY, VALUE and a GREAT PRICE!
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33
GILBERT SUN NEWS | JULY 26, 2020
Appliance Repairs
Concrete & Masonry
Handyman
Appliance Repair Now
DESERT ROCK
HANDYMAN 37 years experience. Drywall, framing, plumbing, painting, electrical, roofing and more. Stan, 602-434-6057
If It’s Broken, We Can Fix It! • Same Day Service • On-Site Repairs • Servicing All Major Brands • Quality Guaranteed
We Also Buy, Sell & Trade Used Appliances Working or Not
480-659-1400 Licensed & Insured Cleaning Services
RESIDENTIAL & SMALL BUSINESS CLEANING SPECIALISTS SINCE 2007 Weekly, biweekly, tri-weekly, or monthly; same talented crew each visit Flexible, customized services to meet individual needs of each client GREEN eco-friendly products used to clean and sanitize Move-in/move-out and seasonal deep cleans Small, family-owned company with GUARANTEED high quality services Always dependable, excellent references, bonded, and insured
C ON CRETE & MASONRY CONCRETE BLOCKWALL RETAINING WALL BLOCK FENCE PLANTER BBQ
FOUNDATION DRIVEWAY SIDEWALK PATIO
602-789-6929 Roc #057163 Lowest Prices * 30 Yrs Exp Serving Entire Valley
Small Man!” Decks • Tile • More! ✔ Kitchens rk Since 1999 Affordable, Quality Wo ✔ Bathrooms BSMALLMAN@Q.COM 2010, 2011 9 199 ce Sin rk 2012, “No 2013, Job Too Affordable, Quality Wo And More! 2010, 2011 Small Man!” 2014 Call Bruce at 602.670.7038 2012, 2013, 2014 Ahwatukee Resident/ References/ Insured/ NotResident a Licensed Contractor 1999 Since Ahwatukee / References Work ty Affordable, Quali 2010, 2011 2012, 2013, Ahwatukee Resident/ References/ Insured/ Not a Licensed Contractor Insured / Not aCall Licensed Contractor 2014 Bruce at 602.670.7038
Call Bruce at 602.670.7038 Call Bruce at 602.670.7038
Ahwatukee Resident/ References/ Insured/ Not a Licensed Contractor
HONESTY • INTEGRITY • QUALITY
• Panel Changes and Repairs • Installation of Ceiling Fans • Switches/Outlets • Home Remodel
Get Free notices in the Classifieds!
Submit to ecota@timespublications.com
One Call, We Do It All! 602-339-4766 Owner Does All Work, All Honey-Do Lists 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.
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Irrigation
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NTY
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azirrigation.com Cutting Edge LLC • ROC 281671
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- Free Estimates -
480-276-6600 *Not a Licensed Contractor
ALL RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL ELECTRICAL Call Jim Endres 480.282.7932
Sprinkler & Drip Systems Repairs • Modifications • Installs
Home Improvement
ACTION CONTRACTING INC.
Over 28 Years Experience • ROC #246019 Bonded/Insured
WE DO IT ALL!
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Handyman
LLC
480.266.4589
Meetings/Events?
Nights/Weekends Bonded/Insured 480-251-8610
Block Fence * Gates
15 Years Experience • Free Estimates
Not a licensed contractor.
Broken Springs Replaced
“No Job Too ✔Small Flooring Man!”
QUICK RESPONSE TO YOUR CALL!
josedominguez0224@gmail.com
Licensed • Bonded • Insured • ROC118198
Painting • Flooring • Electrical Plumbing • Drywall • Carpentry Plumbing • Drywall • Carpentry ✔ Electrical Decks • Tile • More! Quality Work Since 1999 Decks •Affo Tile • More! rdable, ✔ Plumbing 2010, 2011 2012, 2013, 2014 Call Bruce at 602.670.7038 ✔ Drywall Ahwatukee Resident/ References/ Insured/ Not a Licensed Contractor “No Job ✔ Carpentry Too Small Marks the Spot for“No Job Too ALL Your Handyman Needs! ✔ Decks Painting • Flooring • Electrical Small Man!” “No Job Too Man!” ✔ Tile Plumbing • Drywall • Carpentry
- Ahw Resident Since 1987 -
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East Valley/ Ahwatukee
Not a licensed contractor
YOU’LL LIKE US - THE BEST!
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Garage/Doors
• Drywall Repair • Bathroom Remodeling • Home Renovations
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All Estimates are Free • Call:
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Licensed, Bonded & Insured • ROC#317949 Ask me about FREE water testing!
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-S
IN
1 CE
97
8-
LIC/BONDED/INSURED Res/Comm’l ROC#218802
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• 20 Years Experience • 6 Year Warranty
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34
GILBERT SUN NEWS | JULY 26, 2020
Painting
Irrigation Repair Services Inc.
Jose Dominguez Painting & Drywall SEE OUR AD IN DRYWALL! Quick Response to your Call! 15 Years Exp 480-266-4589
Licensed • Bonded • Insured Technician
Specializing in Controllers, Valves, Sprinklers, Landscape Lighting, P.V.C. & Poly Drip Systems
Not a licensed contractor
www.irsaz.com
ROC# 256752 Insured/Bonded Free Estimates
ALL Pro
T R E E
S E R V I C E
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Call Juan at
480-720-3840 Not a licensed contractor.
WORD SEARCH: Summer Gardening
We Are State Licensed and Reliable!
Free Estimates • Senior Discounts
480-338-4011
PPebbleOcracking, O L Plaster R Epeeling, P ARebar IR showing, Pool Light out? I CAN HELP!
SEWER CABLE
COMPREHENSIVE DRAIN CLEANING, SEWER SCOPING, AND MINOR PLUMBING REPAIR SERVICE
Find the 11 items on the list.
ROC#309706
Plumbing
PLUMBERS CHARGE TOO MUCH!
DIRT FERTILIZER
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We Beat Competitors Prices & Quality Free Estimates! Home of the 10-Year Warranty!
480-688-4770
www.eastvalleypainters.com Bonded/Insured • ROC#153131
HYDROJETTING
RAKE
East Valley PAINTERS
Family Owned & Operated
Juan Hernandez
Pavers • Concrete • Water Features • Sprinkler Repair
480-477-8842
Call Lance White
480.721.4146
Pool Service / Repair
Plumbing
Landscape/Maintenance
Now Accepting all major credit cards
Affinity Plumbing LLC 480-487-5541
SHOVEL WATERING CAN
CB
affinityplumber@gmail.com
www.affinityplumbingaz.com
Your Ahwatukee Plumber & East Valley Neighbor Anything Plumbing Same Day Service Water Heaters
24/7
Inside & Out Leaks
Bonded
Toilets
Insured
Faucets
Estimates Availabler
YOUR CHILD
Disposals
$35 off
Any Service
LIFEGUARD
ACCREDITED BUSINESS ®
Not a licensed contractor
The more layers of protection you have around water, the safer your child is.
35
GILBERT SUN NEWS | JULY 26, 2020
HIRING?
Roofing
Public Notices
People are looking in the Classifieds Every Day! Tiles, shingles, flat, repairs & new work Free Estimates • Ahwatukee Resident Over 30 yrs. Experience
480-706-1453
Licensed/Bonded/Insured • ROC #236099
Email Your
Job Post to: class@times publications.com
or Call 480-898-6465
AT&T Mobility, LLC is proposing to construct a 35foot overall height small cell pole telecommunications structure located at 739 W. Frye Rd., Chandler, Maricopa County, Arizona, (N33° 17’ 55.4” and W111° 51’ 16”). AT&T Mobility, LLC invites comments from any interested party on the impact the proposed undertaking may have on any districts, sites, buildings, structures, or objects significant in American history, archaeology, engineering, or culture that are listed or determined eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places under National Historic Preservation Act Section 106. Comments may be sent to Environmental Corporation of America, ATTN: Megan Gomez, 1375 Union Hill Industrial Court, Suite A, Alpharetta, GA 30004 or via email to publicnotice@eca-usa.com. Ms. Gomez can be reached at (770) 667-2040 x 405 during normal business hours. Comments must be received within 30 days of the date of this notice. W2981/ LJB
Public Notices
Your leaks stop here! New Roofs, Repairs, Coatings, Flat Roof, Hot Mopping & Patching & Total Rubber Roof Systems
FREE ESTIMATES & MONSOON SPECIALS
SAME DAY SERVICE 30 Years Experience References Available
Licensed Bonded Insured ROC 286561
Senior & Military Discounts
480-280-0390
Important Notice for Patients of National Cardiovascular Partners, Cardiac Cath Lab of Phoenix, Arizona Cardiovascular Institute, Cardiovascular Center of Mesa, and Cardiovascular Therapeutics of Mesa July 17, 2020 At National Cardiovascular Partners (NCP) and our partnering clinics, we take the privacy and security of our patients’ information seriously. NCP is a managing partner of Cardiac Cath Lab of Phoenix, Arizona Cardiovascular Institute, Cardiovascular Center of Mesa, and Cardiovascular Therapeutics of Mesa in Mesa, Arizona (the clinics). We are providing the following information to inform our patients that a third party may have had unauthorized access to information about some patients who were seen at the clinics. On April 27, 2020, an unauthorized individual obtained access to an NCP employee’s email account. NCP became aware of the unauthorized access on May 19, 2020 and took immediate steps to contain the incident. We terminated the unauthorized access to the email account the same day it was discovered and worked with a leading cybersecurity forensics firm to investigate this matter. As part of our investigation, NCP conducted an extensive review of the employee’s email account to determine if any emails contained personal information. As a result of that review, beginning on June 18 NCP identified emails containing the names, addresses, dates of birth, dates relating to the provision of medical services or the payment for services, medical history and diagnosis information, prescription information, health provider information, insurance numbers, email addresses, and medical record numbers for some of our patients. We also identified emails containing the Social Security numbers of two individuals and the financial account information of one individual for whom we do not have current contact information to send a personalized notification letter. At this time, we are not aware of any unauthorized viewing or misuse of our patients’ information. All available evidence suggests that the unauthorized individual’s purpose was to attempt to commit financial fraud against NCP—not to seek and obtain any personal information of patients. NCP sent notification letters by first class mail to all potentially affected individuals for whom we have up-to-date contact information and have arranged to provide them with 12 months of identity protection and fraud resolution services through Experian. Any individuals who receive a notification letter from NCP or who might otherwise be concerned about identity theft are encouraged to regularly review statements from their accounts and to periodically obtain their credit report from one or more of the national credit reporting companies. Individuals may obtain a copy of their credit report once every 12 months by either visiting http://www.annualcreditreport.com, calling toll free at 1-877-322-8228, or completing an Annual Credit Report Request Form (found at https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/ 0155-free-credit-reports) and mailing it to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281. For questions about identity theft, credit monitoring, and how to keep information secure, patients can visit this website: http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/topics/identity-theft. Individuals who received care at one of the clinics and have not received a notification letter may call (833) 281-4826 toll-free to determine whether their information has been identified as being involved. Published: East Valley Tribune, July 26, Aug 2, 12, 2020 / 32042
Public Notices INVITATION TO BID (ITB) INFORMATION AND INSTRUCTIONS Subcontractors and suppliers are encouraged to read the entirety of these instructions. For questions about the process, project or proposal submission, please contact the Bid Manager directly. Supplement and sample documents are for information only. Standard industry procurement procedures and negotiations will proceed bid day. Thank you for the interest in StreetLights Residential Date: July 16, 2020 Bid Deadline for Submittal: August 7, 2020, 2:00 PM Local Arizona Time Location: 1530 S. Higley Road, Gilbert, AZ 85296 (Project Construction Trailer Parking Lot NW Corner of Higley and Ray) Solicitation number: 409125-001 Project: Agritopia Epicenter Offsite Improvements Bid Manager: Courtney W. Dunlap SLR Construction Dept., cdunlap@streetlightsres.com Tel: (480) 407-2900 Contract Documents available at: https://streetlightsres.box.com/s/1qung0rya8nqem60kew3c0xjq qb9dtzu these files are available at no charge. Date and Location for Submittal of Sealed Bids: Sealed bids will be received at StreetLights Residential’s Construction Trailer parking lot for Agritopia Epicenter located at 1530 S. Higley Road, Gilbert, AZ 85296 (NW corner of Higley and Ray) until 2:00 p.m. August 7, 2020, for the above project. Bids must be submitted in a sealed envelope clearly marked on the outside with the name of the Project and the solicitation number. Any bid received after the time specified will be returned unopened. It is the bidder’s responsibility to assure bids are received at the above location on or before the specified time. Bids will be opened at 2:05 p.m. in the parking lot of the Construction Trailer Offices, and publicly read aloud immediately after the time for receiving bids. In the case of extensive price listings, only the bidder’s names will be read aloud, and the determination of the highest bid will be made after further StreetLights Residential’s review. Pre-Bid Conference: A pre-bid conference will not be held. Right to Reject Bids: StreetLights Residential reserves the right to reject any or all bids, waive any informality in a bid or to withhold the Award for any reason StreetLights determines. Equal Opportunity: StreetLights Residential is an equal opportunity employer. Minority and women’s business enterprises are encouraged to submit bids on this solicitation. Published: East Valley Tribune / Gilbert Sun News, July 19, 26, 2020 / 31949
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We invite you to experience what your life could look like at our community. At Verena at Gilbert, our residents are still enjoying the same signature lifestyle – with a socially distant twist. We are taking precautionary measures to help keep our residents safe, healthy, and entertained during this era of COVID19, and we don’t want you to miss out. We invite you to experience what your life could look like at our community.
GILBERT SUN NEWS | JULY 26, 2020
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