Gilbert Sun News - 08-09-2020 by Times Media Group

Cook winning assessor race

Town ambulance session set

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An edition of the East Valley Tribune

INSIDE

This Week

NEWS............................. 13 Experts discuss housing, retail, offices

BUSINESS................20 He finds Gilbert salon complex rewarding.

SPORTS.......................22 AIA releases school sports fall schedule

COMMUNITY....................................... 18 BUSINESS.............................................20 SPORTS....................................... 22 PUZZLE....................................... 23 CLASSIFIED..........................................24

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Sunday, August 9, 2020

Peterson-Nielsen duel likely for mayor BY CECILIA CHAN GSN Managing Editor

ormer Town Council member Brigette Peterson and charter school consultant Matthew Nielsen appear headed for a Nov. 3 ballot duel to be Gilbert’s next mayor. Unofficial results from the Aug. 4 Primary Election on Friday showed Peterson and Nielsen each getting 34 percent of the voted and Peterson leading by 12 votes. Lynne King Smith trailed both of them by more than 1,800 ballots, getting 31 percent of the vote. Meanwhile, the races for two four-year

seats on Town Council appear to have been resolved outright as Councilman Scott Anderson and former Gilbert Chamber CEO Kathy Tilque each getting 29 percent of the vote to local businessman Tyler Hudgins, who got 22 percent and digital consultant Bus Obayomi, who got 20 percent. The race for the two-year seat shows former state Rep. Laurin Hendrix edging out Councilman Bill Spence 51-49 percent, although it was unclear if that race has been resolved or if a runoff will be needed. A majority vote is calculated by dividing the total number of legal votes cast in each candidate’s race by the number of seats to be filled, dividing that number in half and rounding to

Amid reopening uncertainty, Higley ramps up virus fight

the next highest whole number, according to the Town Clerk’s office. The Town Clerk has until Aug. 24 to complete an canvass and issue final results from last week’s vote. Only about a third of Gilbert’s registered voters cast ballots in the council and mayoral races – a turnoput that paled in comparison to the nearly 50 percent turnout in similar races in Apache Junction and Scottsdale and on par roughly to the turnout in Mesa and Chandler’s local elections. Town Clerk Lisa Maxwell declined to say if any Council candidates won their seats out-

see ELECTION page 6

Downtown addition

BY CECILIA CHAN GSN Managing Editor

igley Unified School District is upgrading efforts to create safe environments for students – even testing a machine that purportedly cleans indoor air naturally – as officials prepare for a return to in-class learning when it is safe to do so. The two pilot sites at Cortina and Chaparral elementary schools are using Global Plasma Solution’s patented needlepoint bipolar ionization technology to fight COVID-19. But despite a broad array of efforts that range from better air filters to hiring more custodians, it remained unclear last week whether Higley Unified would reopen classrooms Aug. 17 as originally planned. The Governing Board was to hold a special meeting yesterday, Aug. 8, to discuss the newly released state benchmarks for reopening. Maricopa County health officials last week said that current data suggests it would be unsafe to reopen campuses.

see HUSD page 4

Artist Edgar Fernandez was busy this year adding a new mural idowntown on the back wall of Flashback Antiques. To learn about its significance, see page 18. (Courtesy of Edgar Fernandez)

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GILBERT SUN NEWS | AUGUST 9, 2020

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NEWS

State unveils school reopening guideline BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

tate health officials have laid out a three-part test for when they say it is safe for schools to reopen, in full or in part. In essence, the guidelines say it will be safe to again have kids in the classroom when: • Fewer than 7 percent of area residents tested for COVID-19 test positive for the virus; • The number of people showing up at local hospitals with COVID-like symptoms is less than 10 percent of all visits; • A rate of infection drops below 100 cases for every 100,000 residents. Exceeding even one of those, according to state Health Director Cara Christ, indicates that schools should remain shuttered. But even that last category comes with an escape clause of sorts. Schools could still meet that specific benchmark if there has been a decline in the weekly average in the number of cases for two consecutive weeks, even if the infection rate tops 100 per 100,000. Arizona is not there yet. “We think it’s going to be several weeks before any county meets those benchmarks,’’ said Christ. “But we do see it trending down within the next month.’’ And Marcy Flanagan, executive director of the county Department of Public Health, said it was unlikely campuses could reopen by next week. Flanagan said county health officials have been meeting with a work group of top administrators from public and private schools to discuss data-driven benchmarks rather than a specific date for reopening campuses. “Given the benchmarks discussed with our work group and benchmarks that we believe a DHS may consider,” Flanagan said, “We are not currently meeting those benchmarks to have our schools fully reopen and go back to in-person teacher-led classes. “I wouldn’t provide a date certain” for reopening, she said, but rather would

Kathy Hoffman look at benchmarks – such as the level of reported new virus cases. Christ had no predictions either. She emphasized these decisions generally are going to be made on a county-by-county level, meaning kids could be back in school in one county while those in the adjacent one have only online learning. Flanagan said the county will soon be releasing a new COVID-19 breakdown that will show positive cases by various geographical areas, including ZIP codes and school districts. The question now is whether any of the more than 200 traditional school districts and charter schools actually will follow the guidelines. Nothing in the standards is mandatory. And local school officials are free to reopen even while infections rates are high – or remain closed even past the point when the risk is minimal. Several districts already having announced they don’t intend to have in-person classes until the middle of October – including Chandler Unified and Tempe Union. “There are local circumstances that schools may choose to either open earlier or stay closed longer,’’ Christ said. “It really is left up to that local education agency in consultation with their local public health.’’ But state schools chief Kathy Hoffman is discouraging too much individual choice.

“Schools should adhere to these benchmarks,’’ she said. “And school boards should be held accountable by their community members to follow the public health recommendations.’’ “I fully support these metrics,’’ she said. “It gives us a goalpost of where we need to see the numbers.’’ The standards actually are divided into three categories. First – and most severe – are conditions that the health department say creates conditions for “substantial community spread.’’ Those are the numbers outlined in the basic three-part standard. In those cases, any area unable to meet all three criteria should keep their schools closed and all instruction should be online. A second category involves lower rates of infection and positive test results. In those cases, the standards say that schools can reopen in limited fashion for “hybrid’’ education. That could involve students in school part of the day and online learning the rest of the day, or even having students attend on alternate days. But there still are restrictions, including not just the physical distancing that the health department wants – 6 feet between desks – but also allows for screening individual students for symptoms, closing communal spaces like cafeterias and mandatory face coverings. It is only when the infection rate drops below 10 cases per 100,000 residents, fewer than 5 percent of tests come back positive, and fewer than 5 percent of hospital visits are for COVID-like symptoms that it is considered safe to go back to traditional instruction. But even then, the health department protocols call for enhanced cleaning, working with students on hand hygiene and “proper respiratory etiquette,’’ monitoring absenteeism and proper ventilation of classrooms and school buses. That last category, Christ acknowledged, presents some unique challenges in newer buildings where windows do

see METRICS page 8

HUSD

NEWS

GILBERT SUN NEWS | AUGUST 9, 2020

from page 1

Higley officials hope to have results from the tests of the air-cleaning technology soon. “We are waiting back some data to show the benefits of this,” said Michael Fowler, assistant superintendent told the school board at a recent meeting. Fowler said the district has deployed sensors in the front and nurse’s offices, gym, cafeteria and media room at each campus and to compare with data from other campuses. “If we are able to show what the technology is saying that it does,” he added, the administration would come back with recommendations for board action. The machines retails for $1,200 to $1,500 before installation, he said. But board member Scott Glover expressed doubt with the technology. “Anytime there is a crisis in America and the world, there’s these opportunists and profiteers that come out,” Glover said. “I’m like super skeptical of this particular thing. So whatever results you have, I’m fascinated to find out what this particular one actually does or has any benefits.” Fowler said district administration is cautiously assessing if the technology delivers what the company touts. Besides deep cleaning through the summer, other recent district upgrades include higher quality HVAC air filters. The new filters have a minimum efficiency reporting value, or MERV, of 11 and will cost twice as much, according to Fowler. MERV ratings range from 1 to 20 with 20 offering the highest filtration. Board member Greg Wojtovich asked why the district is not buying filters with a 12 or 13 rating. Fowler explained moving up to a rating of 13 from 8 would be four times the cost, or $400,000, Superintendent Mike Thomason said. “We felt it more prudent and reasonable working with the limited budget we have is to transition this year from an 8 to an 11, considering that most hospitals use a 13 or higher,” Fowler said. “We thought going part of the way was better than not at all.” He added that the district will try to plan for buying the higher quality filters in the future. HVAC filters are changed quarterly but no less than three times a

Plexi-glass shields have been installed in all school front offices in Higley Unified. (Special to GSN)

Cleaning and disinfecting supplies have been stacked on pallets in Higley Unified storage areas as officials prepare for reopening campuses. Special to GSN)

year, Fowler said. The district also has installed at all its schools a new water-treatment service that feeds the HVAC system to generate cleaner air and has installed Plexi-glass barriers at all the front offices. Fowler said the district also is looking to install more protective barriers at each campus but is running into problems with supply, comparing the Plexi-glass shortage to the toilet paper scarcity of a few months ago. The district also is hiring 13 part-time custodians needed to provide heightened disinfecting of all high-touch services at all schools, Fowler said. He said they initially will work 5.5 hours a day but that some custodial po-

sitions may become full time at high schools because of their size. Glover preferred hiring full-time custodians. “The idea and the notion that we would pay somebody part time to be on the very front lines and not give them healthcare, if I had my way, I would say hire five full time,” Glover said. “They’ll be around. But when you have someone who’s working 20 hours a week, they probably have a job somewhere else because you can’t live in Gilbert on 20 hours a week at $12 an hour.” He said as a teacher, he would have taken less than the 5 percent pay increase approved in this year’s budget in order to hire more janitors.

Wojtovich agreed, stating, “Of all the things we are asking to maintain these buildings to make sure our staff and our students are healthy and to bring a person in part time is ridiculous. Things are not going to get done.” He noted prisoners are being released early due to COVID-19 concerns, yet school officials are expected to bring students back into buildings. Wojtovich also wondered who would be cleaning the rooms in between classes. Fowler said each teacher will be provided a bottle of peroxide-based disinfectant for voluntary use, which is recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The chemical doesn’t require personal protective equipment for use and kills 99.999 percent of germs in three to five minutes and kills norovirus in 45 seconds, according to Fowler. “I’m not pleased at all that you’re expecting the teachers to clean their classrooms between classes,” Wojtovich responded. “First of all, these chemicals you’re going to be spraying between classes, it takes 10-15 minutes for these chemicals to dry. So, these children are going to be walking into these classrooms with chemical spray.” Fowler said teachers have requested the additional cleaning supplies when campuses reopen. He said he agreed it was not realistic for teachers to be cleaning between classes, so that might be done during their prep hour, before recess or during their lunch period. Classrooms will be sanitized each night and the bottled chemicals were just an additional offering for teachers’ voluntary use, Fowler said. Vice President Kristina Reese said she understands Wojtovich’s viewpoint but envisions everyone at a school to pitch in with the cleaning. “I feel we all are responsible to keep our campuses clean and safe,” she said. Thomason added that district office personnel are responsible for spraying down a restroom after they’ve used it. “If we don’t have extra support and help when 2,000 kids at the high school change classes, we better not open,”

see HUSD page 8

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NEWS

GILBERT SUN NEWS | AUGUST 9, 2020

ELECTION from page 1

right until she had official results. But in the two four-year Council seat races, the two leaders were already expressing cautious optimism about the outcome while Hudgins and Obayomi appeared resigned over the results. Anderson on social media thanked supporters for their votes and said he looked forward to continued service to Gilbert. Tilque in her messages said she was waiting for official notification but added, “It appears Scott and I have been elected to Town Council and there will be no need for a runoff.” And, Hudgins announced that he’s already begun removing his campaign signs around town and personally reached out to Anderson and Tilque. “It was important to me to communicate my sincere congratulations on their victory for Gilbert Town Council,” Hudgins said. Obayomi thanked his supporters and said, “Unfortunately, I did not make it to the Gilbert Town Council this time.” He also congratulated Tilque and Anderson on winning and Hudgins for a well-run campaign. Anderson will be serving a second term while Tilque is filling the seat of Councilman Jared Taylor, who opted not to seek re-election.

Matt Nielsen

Brigette Peterson

Spence was appointed in March to fill the seat of Eddie Cook, who was named Maricopa County Assessor the month prior and appeared to have won the Republican nomination to seek a full term in November. What is certain from last week’s election is the ratification of the town’s General Plan, which received approval from an overwhelming 80 percent of voters. The plan is a blueprint that guides the town’s growth for the next decade. Peterson has campaigned on her long involvement in the community that included 14 years on the town Planning

Commission and over five years on Town Council. She left council to run for mayor after incumbent Jenn Daniels decided not to seek another term. But she touted her similarity to Daniels, telling the Gilbert Sun News that she and the outgoing mayor “are community minded and love to talk about all things Gilbert” and that they “both value input from stakeholders.” She said if elected, her top priority “will be working with local business leaders to ensure our economic recovery and stability” and that she wants to continue work on improving the town’s transportation

infrastructure and its diversity and inclusiveness. Nielsen made it a point of highlighting his differences from Daniels, stating, “I tend to rely much more on hard data to make significant decisions, certainly, for instance, relative to taxes and proposals for the addition of new lines of service.” He also has been critical of the current council, saying, “I’ve been disappointed to witness how often important decisions are made with insufficient research and data. If a proposal is important enough to bring before the Town Council for a vote, it ought to be properly and thoroughly researched.” He said his top priority if elected will be “to keep intact all of the great things that we love about our town” and that he values Gilbert’s “sense of community and the family-friendly feel.” He also has cast himself as a fiscal hawk, vowing to “right-size government to reflect the actual needs of our town.” Tilque touted her extensive ties to local and regional leaders that she’s developed through 24 years of leading and growing the Gilbert Chamber while Anderson campaigned partly on his 25 years of work in town government as planning director and executive director of the Riparian Institute.

for” residents. Funding for the service is included in the budget adopted in June as a placeholder until Council decides if it wants to keep or cut ties with private provider American Medical Response or AMR. Not everyone favored the idea during a Council discussion of the plan that month. Some residents expressed skepticism about local government taking over the operation from a private business, arguing that costs would increase and become a taxpayer burden. The town’s problems with private providers dates back to 2014, when Southwest Ambulance refused to extend an existing contract and instead canceled it in order to negotiate a new agreement that

was less favorable to Gilbert, according to Fire Chief Jim Jobusch. Parent company Rural/Metro the previous year filed for bankruptcy protection and when it failed to meet contractual obligations, the town was forced to take legal action, Jobusch said, “Before this occurred, I wasn’t interested in entering the ambulance business,” Jobusch told Town Council in June. “But as soon as we saw the vulnerability occur and start to surface, we not only had to take immediate action but we took some long-term planning as well to safeguard what we were faced with in Gilbert.” The town was awarded a certificate of necessity for ambulance service in 2016 by the state health department. The town last year rolled out its only ambulance,

stationed at a fire house in north Gilbert. AMR purchased Rural/Metro in 2015 and became the town’s provider. The town doesn’t pay AMR to provide service because AMR bills the patient. AMR pays the town $300,000 annually for leasing space at the fire stations. Jobusch said AMR has been through numerous leadership changes and communications between the town and company have deteriorated. He said it has became increasingly more difficult to negotiate contracts with AMR to meet the needs of residents. Some council members were skeptical as well about the proposal, with Aimee Yentes calling it “half-baked.” She also questioned the town’s liability for taking the service on.

Virtual ‘open house’ on town ambulance plan GSN NEWS STAFF

ilbert officials will hold a virtual open house this week on a proposed plan to create a $6.7 million town-run ambulance service. The open house, at 5 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 13, is at glbrt.is/AmbulanceOpenHouse. Town officials also are asking Gilbert residents for their opinion on the issue at glbrt.is/AmbulanceSurvey. Information about the plan is at glbrt.is/AmbulanceProposal. Gilbert Fire and Rescue wants to expand its ambulance division to include six ambulances that would cover the entire town that the Town said would secure “a critical line of service and providing the best possible care and protection

GILBERT SUN NEWS | AUGUST 9, 2020

NEWS

Cook, Ray appear to win assessor, JP races BY CECILIA CHAN GSN Managing Editor

he two former Gilbert councilmen who left the dais earlier this year for county offices appeared headed for victory. Eddie Cook said he was cautiously optimistic on nabbing the GOP nomination for the Maricopa County assessor’s job. Should his lead hold, Cook, who was appointed assessor in February, will face Democrat Aaron Connor in November. The County Recorder’s Office reported an unofficial count of 53 percent of the votes for Cook with his opponent Rodney Glassman garnering 47 percent. Meanwhile, Jordan Ray appeared to have come out ahead in a four-man race for Justice of the Peace in Gilbert’s Highland Justice Court. Although he was outspent in the election by Glassman – who bought TV and radio ads – Cook said he focused his message that he was the right man for

Eddie Cook the job. “Well I always say to folks, that when I applied to the appointment process, there were a total of 11 candidates,” Cook said. “My Republican candidate also applied and the Board of Supervisors went through a very thorough vetting process of the 11 candidates who applied. “They were looking for the next business leader that was the most qualified.

got skin?

They knew that the office had a scandal and a lot of understanding the business was not going well in the assessor’s office. They were looking for a business leader that was someone like me who has been Jordan Ray part of corporate America for over 30-plus years in a leadership role and nine years as a public servant on Gilbert Council and helped lead Gilbert in its wonderful growth.” The previous assessor, Paul Petersen, pleaded guilty in June to felony charges over an adoption fraud scheme. Petersen served in the office from 2013 until January, when he resigned. Cooks said he is busy modernizing an

antiquated system that does complex calculations on 1.8 million taxable properties in Maricopa County. The vendor that sold the system in 1992 to the county no longer offers support for it. “If there is a hiccup in this environment, our office is going to be shut down,” Cook said. Petersen spent $20 million for a new system from a company with no track record and with no finish line on when it will be delivered, according to Cook. That project has been in the works for over five years. “There were reasons why they selected me over my opponent,” said Cook, who added supervisors told him he was “the most qualified” for the job. “I know that role very well,” Cook said. “I’ve lived it since February and being on Town Council I understand the role of the board of supervisors and assessor.” Ray said he was optimistic his lead

see COOK page 8

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NEWS

HUSD from page 4

GILBERT SUN NEWS | AUGUST 9, 2020

Thomason said. “That’s just the way it has to be because I don’t believe without the extra help and support and everyone kicking in to help out it is possible (to open). We can’t have a custodian or five custodians to clean 80 classrooms in five minutes. It’s just impossible.” Fowler said custodians are receiving ongoing training for proper cleaning and review on the new chemicals and their proper uses. Still, Wojtovich voiced safety concerns with bringing all the different chemicals onto a school campus with kids and that there need to be procedures in place. President Amy Kaylor countered, “What do we do? We cannot not clean.” Reese said she was more afraid of kids coming to school with their own wipes or chemicals to clean their desks, not

knowing what they are using. Thomason said the district was spending extra money to ensure the purchased chemicals are the least toxic possible. “It is costing us more money and they are very difficult to get a hold of,” Thomason said. “As a matter of fact, we were very afraid that we wouldn’t have enough spray bottles for when school may open back up and they just came in this week.” Along with the 3,000 spray bottles, the district went beyond buying the typical annual cleaning supplies with additional purchases that included pallets of refillable hand sanitizer and hand soap, certified disinfectants, face shields, gloves, masks, spray bottles, thermometers, paper towels, according to spokeswoman Michelle Reese.

The print shop also has been busy creating posters and directional sign markers. The district is currently using CARES funds for the protective gear, cleaning supplies and personnel expenses, Reese said. She added the expense anticipated for this fiscal year totals about $568,000, which not only includes the cleaning supplies, equipment, payroll expenses for additional custodians and expected long-term substitute needs but the technology needed for students to participate in remote learning. Higley’s reopening, however, remains uncertain. State Superintendent of Public Schools Kathy Hoffman last week announced that it was unlikely that any classrooms will

be able to reopen safety by Aug. 17, the date that Gov. Doug Ducey set as the earliest for reopening campuses when he gave the final decision to individual school districts. According to McKinstry, a construction engineering company that the district reached out to, Higley Unified is way ahead of the curve when it comes to its readiness for students and teachers to return to the classroom. McKinstry evaluated the campuses’ indoor air qualities, building controls and mechanical and plumbing systems. “I can tell you, this incredible rock-star team has called our neighboring school districts and peers and we are leaps and bounds ahead of them on some of this safety and some of this cleaning processes,” Thomason said.

not open. But she said there are ways of tweaking the ventilation system to get more fresh air into the system. One big issue is that the executive order issued by Gov. Doug Ducey requires schools to open their doors by Aug. 17 for students who need somewhere to go. Hoffman said that’s mainly designed as a “safety net’’ for students with special needs, things like special education students and counseling services with

kids with mental health needs. She also said some districts intend to offer space for children of “essential workers.’’ But she conceded that, under federal laws, schools which are not yet offering full-time or hybrid classes will not be able to turn away any child who shows up at their door – even if they do not fall into one of the eligible categories. Hoffman said, though, that schools need not provide that space in traditional classrooms. She said some districts

are working with local Y’s and Boys and Girls Clubs to provide somewhere safe, complete with computers so that these students still can participate in online learning. “It will not be babysitting,’’ she said. Christ said, “We know that some parents are not going to be comfortable sending their kids back until there’s a vaccine or until there’s minimal spread.” “We do feel it’s important to get kids back into the classroom,’’ she added.

There is a potential complicating factor. “Despite schools’ best efforts to retain their teachers and find ways for them to feel comfortable for them to teach in this incredibly challenging environment and challenging times, there are increased rates of teachers resigning,’’ Hoffman said. And all this, Hoffman said, comes on top of what’s already a “very severe shortage’’ of qualified teachers in the classroom.

will hold in the JP race. “The numbers look good,” Ray said. But “with some of the unknowns with the County Recorder Office, how many ballots are left and where they are from, its’ premature to call it.” Ray took the lead early and unofficially on Friday had 37 percent of the vote, followed by Ken Sampson with 31 percent; Aaron Burroughs, 19 percent; and Gregory Kelly, with 13 percent. Judge Steven Urie is retiring from the position. Ray said he already received calls of congratulations from Burroughs and Kelly. Whoever wins the primary is unopposed in November because no Democrat is running for the position.

“I think voters want somebody who talks about themselves, who talks about their qualifications and why they are the best,” Ray said. “I focused on a positive campaign and why I was the best candidate. And there were other good candidates as well. I hope if the numbers stay the way they are and voters agree with me and think I am the best candidate, assuming I pull this off I look forward to serving Gilbert, Chandler and Mesa for the next four years.” Meanwhile, candidates in the primary for the state Senate and House seats for Legislative Districts 12 and 17, which includes Gilbert, ran uncontested for their party’s nomination on Tuesday and most will move on to face opponents in November.

In the LD 12 senate race, GOP candidate Warren Petersen, who’s in a House seat, will battle Democrat Lynsey Robinson Nov. 3. State Sen. Eddie Farnsworth is retiring from this seat at the end of the year. For the two House seats in LD 12, Republicans Travis Grantham, an incumbent, and Jake Hoffman are outright winners with no Democratic challenges in November. The LD 17 senate race pits Republican and incumbent J.D. Messnard against Democrat Ajlan Kurdoglu in the general election and for the two House seats in LD 17, incumbent Democrat Jennifer Pawlik faces Republicans Liz Harris and Jeff Weninger, an incumbent.

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GILBERT SUN NEWS | AUGUST 9, 2020

GPS board may discuss virus-related insurance issue BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY GSN Staff Writer

eeks after announcing it would not provide coverage, the largest school insurance provider in Arizona said it will offer options to cover claims related to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Now, the issue could come up soon before the Gilbert Public Schools Governing Board – possibly as soon as Tuesday. At issue is whether parents who send their kids back to classrooms should be asked to either sign an acknowledgement of the risks of COIVD-19 infections and agree to certain safety protocols or whether they’ll have to agree not to sue the district if their child gets infected. While the Trust said districts cannot force parents to sign either the form or waiver, Scottsdale Unified’s board voted to make the acknowledgement form part of a student’s enrollment process. The Arizona Schools Risk Retention

Trust provides insurance coverage to 247 districts, schools and community colleges throughout the state – including GPS. On Aug. 4, the Trust’s board of directors approved a plan to allow member districts to opt in to Covid-19 coverage for an additional premium. The amount of that premium charge will be based on the size of the district, according to a statement from the Trust. The Aug. 4 decision came just weeks after Trust board member Ken Hicks told radio station KTAR on July 27 that it would not provide liability coverage for claims related to Covid-19. Hicks said the exclusion was due to the fact that the Trust’s reinsurance partners did not provide coverage for claims related to pathogens like the coronavirus, according to KTAR. On July 28, the possibility of waivers was brought up briefly at the GPS Governing Board meeting and members decided to defer discussion to a later

meeting. But on July 29, the Trust stated that it was exploring options to provide Covid-19 coverage without support from reinsurers and its board on Aug. 4 approved a plan to do that. In order to qualify for the coverage, a school district must implement a reopening plan consistent with health and safety guidance issued by the Arizona Department of Education. Districts that would like coverage must also ask parents to sign a liability waiver or an “acknowledgment of risks” form that informs parents about the risks of in-person education during the pandemic, safety protocols they will be expected to take, and encourages behavior to reduce transmission of the virus. The Trust sent districts optional waiver and acknowledgment forms weeks ago in anticipation of the start of the school year but said they were not required. Districts cannot require parents to

sign the forms, according to the Trust. The acknowledgment form differs from the liability waiver some districts like Queen Creek Unified School District have sent home to parents in recent weeks. “The Trust understands that there is not a ‘one size fits all’ approach for districts,” Trust spokesperson L’Ecuyer said in an email. “Accordingly, districts should discuss which (if any) of the resources below are appropriate for them.” The acknowledgment form asks parents to commit to 11 different procedures and precautions aimed at stemming the spread of the virus, including taking temperatures every day before sending kids to school and not sending children to school if they exhibit symptoms of Covid-19, according to a sample copy obtained by the Gilbert Sun News. The waiver also asks parents to affirm they will not send sick kids to school but

see TRUST page 17

GILBERT SUN NEWS | AUGUST 9, 2020

Gilbert food bank collecting items

Midwestern Food Bank in Gilbert is holding a Drive-by Food Drive 9-11 a.m., Saturday, Aug. 15, at the back parking lot of the Stewardship office building, 1094 S. Gilbert Road. Volunteers will help unload non-perishable food donations from people’s cars. Items requested include flip-top canned foods, protein bars, plastic containers of peanut butter, almond butter or sunflower butter and jelly or jam, multi-packs of juice boxes, granola bars, mixed nuts, water bottles, corn chips, pretzels, small boxes of cereal, instant hot cereal cups, granola and healthy items that can withstand the heat for the homeless. Donations also can be dropped off from 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m., Monday to Friday and 8:45-11:30 a.m., Saturday at Midwestern Food Bank, 725 E. Baseline Road or in the donation box outside the Stewardship office 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday to Friday.

Higley Unified slates meal pickup times for students

Higley Unified School District is offering breakfast and lunch pickup for enrolled students from 7 a.m.-1 p.m. Monday-Friday at every school. Food also will be available for a limited time each day at select Higley bus stops. Information about the food service locations is available at husd.org/ schoolmealstogo. Only currently enrolled Higley families may participate at this time. People who pick up from a school site will

ANSWERS TO PUZZLE AND SUDOKU on Page 23

follow signs to an assigned foodservice entrance. Meals will be charged to the student’s meal account, based to the student’s free/reduced/paid status. Students or families picking up meals must have student ID or the recently mailed food service ID. No cash will be accepted. Meal applications need to be filled out every school year. Applications from last school year will expire on Sept. 4. Income eligibility requirements have changed for this year. To fill out a meal application form, go to mymealtime. com. Information: email food.services@ husd.org

NEWS

Get them care, while still being careful.

New tenants announce at Towne Center

A locally owned business that offers full-body wax services for men and women has opened at Gilbert Gateway Towne Center at 4900 W. Power Road. Gilbert Wax Bar will be joined by Spirit Halloween opening this month and two other tenants by the end of this year – The Beauty District and Apple Xchange. Gilbert Wax Bar, also offers lash and eyebrow tinting and a skincare line free of parabens, sulfates and abrasive chemicals. To schedule an appointment or learn more: gilbertwaxbar.com. Spirit Halloween is a seasonal operation that generally opens in late August through early November and sells things all Halloween. To learn more, visit spirithalloween.com. Apple Xchange, which resells Apple products, and The Beauty District, a group of suites offering services in hair, nails, tanning and skincare,

see AROUND page 17

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Vaccines. Scheduled surgeries. Specialist visits. Visit phoenixchildrens.org or call 602-933-KIDS to schedule an appointment.

NEWS

GILBERT SUN NEWS | AUGUST 9, 2020

Chandler Unified sets Oct. 13 for campus reopening BY KEVIN REAGAN GSN Staff Writer

handler Unified School District has decided not to risk potentially exposing students to COVID-19 and is delaying the reopening of its campuses until October. Thousands of the district’s students had been expecting to return to their schools by Aug. 17, but Chandler Unified will now forgo in-person teaching until the second quarter, which starts Oct. 13. The district will wait until late September, however, before signing off on that reopening date. Superintendent Camille Casteel said the decision to delay reopening was a difficult one that she knows will surely distress many parents. “It came down to the risks for our children,” she said. The district’s Governing Board unanimously approved a resolution on Wednesday that only allows in-person instruction to resume if COVID-19 data

meets specific benchmarks set by Arizona’s public health officials. Even before the state Department of Health Services released its benchmarks, the Maricopa County Public Health Department released a set of metrics to help districts decide when they can safely allow in-person teaching again. And in a press conference hours before the Chandler Unified Governing Board met, Marcy Flanagan, executive director of the county Department of Public Health, said it was unlikely campuses could reopen by next week. Flanagan said county health officials have been meeting with a work group of top administrators from public and private schools to discuss data-driven benchmarks rather than a specific date for reopening campuses. “Given the benchmarks discussed with our work group and benchmarks that we believe a DHS may consider,” Flanagan said, “We are not currently meeting those benchmarks to have

our schools fully reopen and go back to in-person teacher-led classes. “I wouldn’t provide a date certain” for reopening, she said, but rather would look at benchmarks – such as the level of reported new virus cases. In order to safely open classrooms, the county health agency recommends waiting until there’s a decline in the percentage of positive tests in proportion to the total number of people tested. Flanagan said last week’s statewide infection rate of 12.6 percent was still too high. Chandler Unified said it will decide on Sept. 23 whether the state and county health metrics have been satisfied enough to allow for in-person teaching to start during the second quarter. Though CUSD chose to delay reopening before even seeing the state’s metric guidelines, district leaders felt families were owed a decision sooner rather than later. Board member David Evans said Chandler Unified couldn’t afford to wait

any longer for the state to offer guidelines for reopening. “We have to move forward now and allow people the time to prepare,” Evans added. His colleagues echoed a similar sentiment, saying they wanted to offer parents and students some stability in a chaotic situation. There are still too many unknowns about the pandemic, said board member Lindsay Love that could put Chandler Unified’s 47,000 students at risk – 10,000 of whom live in Gilbert. “We do want children back but we want children to be back safe,” she said. “One loss is too many at this point.” The board acknowledged the psychological impact on students by not learning in a familiar environment among their peers. But members said the physical safety of student and staff must be the district’s first priority when deciding how and when to reopen schools.

see CHANDLER page 17

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NEWS

Experts: Area housing market like ‘the wild west’ BY PAUL MARYNIAK GSN Executive Editor

he Chandler Arizonan recently visited virtually with five experts to discuss the residential and commercial real estate market amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The experts included: Attorney Benjamin Gottlieb, of the real estate law firm MacQueen & Gottlieb; Kellie James, of Prime Lending Chandler; Lance Brace, of Bennett Property Management; Mary Nollenberger, a commercial real estate specialist for SVN/Desert Commercial Advisors and Angela Tauscher, a Realtor with West USA Real Estate Chandler. A related discussion is in today’s business section. We still seem to be in a very strong seller’s market. How long do you think it will continue? Angela Tauscher: We’re putting consistently under contract every seven days 7,000 and 8,000 homes …and we’re closing between, I’d say, about 2,000 and 4,000. I think the highest I’ve seen honestly is the 4,000 and I’ve been tracking it every single week since COVID started. ….As you know, a full-time Realtor sells maybe 20 residential houses a year. I think our team has sold 30 in the last three months. It has been crazy out there. It’s literally the Wild West. Anything that we’re putting in under the $500,000 price point, we’re having anywhere from 10 to 30 showings in 24 hours. It doesn’t matter if it looks like a dog or if it’s the most beautiful home on the block. …More commonly, I’d say if it’s anything under probably $450,000, we’re getting 10 to 15 offers on every single house. We put in a cash offer for a $750,000 listing last week. We were outbid by a $775,000 loan that waved the appraisal. “We have a million-dollar home right now that we had multiple offers on and they had tons of activity. So, it is challenging on the buyer’s side. We’re having buyers that are getting discouraged –especially if they need any concessions in any way shape or form, they just aren’t getting them.”

afford the house, it’s not a free pass. It’s giving you time to sell it without damaging your credit if you are not going to get your income back. Then the question becomes where are you going to go. But we don’t think that interest rates are going to go up. For some reason, they’re not following the Angela Tauscher Mary Nollenberger really Benjamin Gottlieb normal trend. As the now, then we stock market goes up and gets improved, don’t do refi. our interest rates should go up a little bit. We get this That’s not happening, maybe because of incredible in- all this liquidity the government is injectterest rate and ing into the market. Once we get a vaccine or some light at we get a step up for the ex- the end of the tunnel, that is when we act same pay- expect that the rates will go up. But who ment of what knows when that will be? Lance, you’re on the property manwe were already working agement side. How would you assess the current state of the rental apartwith.” I t h i n k ment and housing market right now? Lance Brace: The prices are going up there’s a massive urge to pretty quickly even through the last couLance Brace Kellie James move out ple of months. A lot of my clients have there right opted to be more cautious, trying to keep Do you see this continuing indefi- now. We just don’t have the inventory, their existing tenants in place. So, we hawhich is creating the stoppage. However, ven’t been asking for big rental increases nitely? Tauscher: I think we have a serious is- I think the whole (mortgage) forbearance on existing rentals. But with new leases put on the market, sue with our shortage of inventory. A lot thing that went out there early on, there we’re seeing increases upwards of about was a lot of miscommunication and I of people are scared to put their homes on the market because they don’t want peo- think when those catch up – in 18 months 10 percent on single-family houses. I have ple in their homes. I think what happened or two years – I think we’re going to start houses that 10 years ago I was leasing for is as people got a little more comfortable seeing some situations with those peo- $600 and are now leasing for $1,500. So when things were opening up, they were ple. Maybe Kellie can speak to this whole that’s a huge increase, obviously, since the recession. more willing to maybe put some stuff on (mortgage) deferment thing. How about forbearance on the rentKellie James: I was on a market update the market. But when the numbers spiked, now call and 435,000 people that were taking al scene? Have you seen a lot of people we’re seeing some people withdraw and advantage of forbearance caught their asking for some time to catch up on get scared again. So, there’s a real chal- mortgages up in just the last week. …I did their rent? Brace: I have seen an increase in tentalk to clients that had money that chose lenge there. From what I’m seeing, people are stuck a forbearance option even though they ants asking for payment arrangements to pay the rent for the month. We’re not at home. They’re bored. There’s nothing didn’t need to. My caution is, you’re going to have to charging late fees right now because of better to do but talk about “what should we do?” “Should we add this gold-plat- catch up on these payments and so those the governor’s executive order. When this ed wall just because interest rates are so that cannot, it’s really more giving the clilow?” “Maybe we should just sell and right ent time to sell their house. If you can’t see ROUNDTABLE page 14

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ROUNDTABLE

GILBERT SUN NEWS | AUGUST 9, 2020

from page 13

all started, we made the decision that we didn’t want to participate in an eviction crisis, seeing as how many people were going to be out of work and especially in the lower-income rentals… I manage about 140 properties. I have had an increase in the number of tenants asking for payment arrangements, but so far, I’ve only had one go into the following month before they had made the full payment…. We’re not seeing a huge increase in delinquency where tenants are not paying other than just making payment arrangements.” Ben, with the feeding frenzy out there to buy homes, do you have clients who buy a house sight unseen and then have buyer’s remorse once they walk in? Ben Gottlieb: As a law firm we tend to see things when they go bad. We don’t get the cases on the front end where they’re seeking our advice. We typically get it on the back end when there’s a seller non-disclosure issue. We are seeing a reasonably constant flow of non-disclosure cases. Even prior to the pandemic though,

that’s normal. What about on the rental side as far as nonpayment of rent is concerned? Gottlieb: A lot of landlords and tenants have entered into payment plan agreements, whether it’s a partial payment plan or some other payment arrangement. Even though landlords technically have the legal right to file an eviction lawsuit during this period that the executive order is effective, many landlords are opting not to because they know that they cannot forcibly dispossess the tenant…. We’re seeing landlords wanting to be strategic on this, like Lance alluded to, and avoiding filing eviction lawsuits if they can try to work something out and not throw someone on the street during this difficult time.” What about for the landlords, what’s their protection? Gottlieb: On the federal level, the suspension of foreclosures in federal mortgages has been extended to Aug. 31. …On a statewide level, I think one of the big issues is that there is a $5 million rental assistance fund that the landlord could have

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gone back to get some assistance but that money has been slow to get out. One of the issues is that the stimulus money is not getting out to both landlords and tenants quick enough. What about commercial tenants? Gottlieb: On the commercial side, things are a lot different when it comes to evictions. The Legislature enacted a landlord-tenant statutory scheme that applies only to residential tenants and is designed to provide some extra legal protections for tenants. On the commercial side in most cases, a court eviction action is not even required. Typically, commercial landlords will execute on what’s called ‘a lockout remedy,’ where they merely just change the locks. The only time a landlord commercial landlord would be hesitant to do that is if they’re concerned that the tenant may sue or have certain claims against the landlord for wrongful lockout or if the lease prohibits such a remedy. Furthermore, you had the commercial eviction executive order that expired back in May and that is now been expired for a while. But while that executive order was in place, a lot of commercial landlords and tenants worked out forbearance agreements and other types of arrangements that are still in effect as of today, even though they were worked out a couple of months ago. Mary, with commercial properties, have businesses been able to stay alive? Mary Nollenberger: What we found in at least the first quarterly earnings call is that they were collecting somewhere between 50 and 75 percent of rent at that time. A lot of the restaurants that have had to pivot very quickly to take-out and delivery-only were affected but we also saw in what’s called “the triple net investment category,” which are the quickserve and drive-through restaurants – a lot of them were posting year-over-year increases of somewhere between 27 and 32 percent. Then a lot of the sit-down restaurants put that into place very, very quickly and even began to develop family meal takeout packages and those that implemented strategies very quickly have actually survived the reopening quite well.

What we also see in the domino effect as the landlords were provided forbearance on their mortgage arrangements with their lenders, they very quickly shared that without even being approached by tenants and offering to help them through at least that first 90-day window. We’ve helped implement strategies with landlords to say there can be a benefit to both sides here and we’ve negotiated blend-and-extend kind of situations where the landlord can add a forbearance onto the back end of the lease or can negotiate reducing base rent in exchange for an extension or a lengthening of the lease term by a couple of years and offering kind of a menu. Conversely what we’re seeing in some of these large-scale property owners is that there’s been a lot of opportunistic behavior on a part of some large national tenants that are just in a position where a Starbucks would say, “We’re just not going to pay rent” and walk and because they can. So, landlords are struggling with opportunistic tenants who really don’t need forbearance and then strategizing with tenants that really do need the help them to be able to help them through this time. Obviously, the fitness industry has been front-and-center in the media over the past month couple of weeks. And a lot of the smaller fitness users are finding ways to continue either online or in outdoor situations. Then, with PPP funding, I have a number of landlords who put tenants on special arrangements and when that funding arrived, they came back and said, “I don’t need the arrangements that we made any longer.” How do you see the market for commercial and office space in this region? Nollenberger: The East Valley for me is home, where I live and I do my work. The vacancy rate is just under 7 percent in those areas as opposed to other areas of Metro Phoenix that are in the 20 percent and 30 percent vacancy rates. Chandler and Gilbert are rising communities that are experiencing a ton of influx from California businesses. For example, State Farm in Chandler – they are recruiting from 42 markets to

see ROUNDTABLE page 15

GILBERT SUN NEWS | AUGUST 9, 2020

ROUNDTABLE

from page 14

bring employees just into that tech corridor in Chandler. Chandler and Gilbert are experiencing growth at a rate that another municipality can’t compare to. Why is that? A lot of the tech business placement and then housing follows those jobs. The Tempe Town Lake has huge employment expansion; Chandler has huge expansion. Chandler’s population is slightly larger than Gilbert’s but Gilbert has been voted one of the nation’s friendliest cities to move to. There’s so much positive press for the East Valley. There’s housing and that follows job. When people from out-of-state talk about what’s happening in Arizona specific to COVID, our East Valley cities are really in a different category because of the bulk of business and people wanting to escape the California tax situation. There’s incredible commercial tech and new jobs in the Apple Command Center and Far East Mesa in the Gateway District There’s tons of jobs. And then Eastmark has provided a great option for affordable housing but in a community that is so vibrant. Queen Creek used to be the option for people that didn’t mind driving as far but wanted more affordable housing. Now, every restaurant, every commercial retailer that that wasn’t there before is there now. So you’ve got dining options, you’ve got shopping options. You’ve got entertainment options. The entire East Valley is just vibrant in a different way than any other area. Tauscher: I agree with Mary completely. I live in Queen Creek myself and have been there for the last 12 years and we used to be basically the redheaded stepchild and now it’s the place to be. I mean we have everything – from our own Harkins now. They’re building a Fat Cats. Trader Joe’s is going in the same parking lot right next to Target and Barrio Queen. I think the thing about the Queen Creek-Mesa corridor is that there’s so much newness. It just feels fresh. It’s close to an airport for a lot of people that don’t mind taking going into one of the smaller airports. The 202 is right there. There’s just a lot of navigational options there. You go to Maricopa, which is also growing at a rapid rate but you’re trapped

NEWS

– one way in and one way out. Nollenberger: From the commercial landscape view, we’ve had a lot of conversations about the future of retail jobs. And of course, it used to be recession-proof, and then it was internet proof and now it’s COVID-proof. We’re looking at how Target spends. Target spends millions implementing inventory and digital control systems and put them in place before they needed them so that people could order online and could choose either in-store pickup or delivery. Walmart jumped on that strategy with pickup and delivery options. Those companies are going to be rewarded for having that technology in place. So we have to take a look at the grocers who have not implemented those strategies and how that might in long-term affect their viability….We’re looking at retailers and how they are changing strategies to not only survive but be competitive in the future with all those factors affecting their future. Would you say that restaurants took a greater hit than small retail businesses? Nollenberger: Absolutely. I think that restaurants are following the protocol and requiring masks and distancing, I look at numbers occupancy numbers with clients of mine. Lease rate occupancy cost can’t be more than 8 percent and now with the decrease in their volume and having to comply with distancing and close every other table, they’re having to look at strategies to increase their monthly cash flow opportunities, and how are we going to navigate this. When you look at that business owner that is complying and then a bar that has no social distancing protocol going on, a survivability factor can’t be equal when the conditions are so different. How about office space? Nollenberger: Office space is going to go one way or the other – it’s not going to be static. Either office space is going to go larger to provide different spacing and cubicles are going to have to be sequestered to provide privacy or they’re going to downsize because people are going to continue working remotely.

With the increase in remote working, do you see a change in the demand for office space in the region? Nollenberger: Buildings are pretty committed before they ever go vertical. There’s very little office space that’s built speculatively. There are a lot of people that want to reach out to their office setting…There are people who can’t wait for that – for office to be office and home to be home. What is the state of strip malls in your experience? Nollenberger: With every crisis comes an opportunity. There are a number of investors that thrive in a down market and that’s where all of their purchases occurred and they are not in their most driven mode when the market is where it’s been with contraction. … There was a time when being a grocery-anchored or big box-anchored was just preferential and honestly now for many investors, part of being internet-proof is having smaller spaces and not about the anchor and junior anchor space being vacant. We just sold an unanchored Scottsdale site. It was under contract within two weeks of our listing and it closed 30 days early. I was on a conference call with an investor yesterday who said, “When I saw this post card and that this property was sold, I realized that I missed this opportunity.” New home construction: I’ve read that that’s not keeping up with demand. Is that still going to pose a struggle for people looking to buy a home? Tauscher: We just put two different clients in a new build in a Fulton Queen Creek. The sales guys were telling me they’d been open like six weeks and they’d already sold a hundred homes. We’re seeing the same thing everywhere. with the builds. It is unbelievable….If they start out with five lots available, they’re probably not going to have five lots available by 3 in the afternoon. It truly is a problem. I think part of it is that we don’t have enough and I think part of it is, again, people are bored and they figure well, they have nothing better to do because they’re all working from home. So, they’ll just go take a lunch hour and

they just want to go see a model because it’s fun and they literally can make a field trip of it. …They go in there thinking “I’m not going to do a new build” and they fall in love with the staging and the next thing you know, they’re signing a contract and they’re buying a new-build. …Now, there’s that weird timing issue where we are having a lot of people needing shortterm rentals because the builder wants that house sold within the next week or two of going under contract and the home’s not going to be ready for six or seven months. There’s not a lot of great viable options for people to go to so there’s been that a disconnect for short term rental situation. It seems though from both the commercial and the housing side that at least the East Valley region is a little bit better positioned even during this pandemic than a good bit of the country. Is that safe to say? James: Absolutely I can work 24 hours a day. Brace: What I’m seeing a lot is increased demand for four-bedroom houses in a rental whereas before it was three bedrooms. …I’m having people calling me asking if they can install secure phone lines and things like that so they can take credit-card payments. I’m really seeing that across the board and I think that moving forward, we’re going to see increased demand for bigger houses in rentals because of that: people needing office space. Does the uncertainty surrounding this virus concern you long-term? Brace: I don’t have any fear about that, largely because people always need a place to live…At the end of the day, there’s always going to be demand for rentals. That’s why I personally invest in rentals myself. Tauscher: I feel the same way. …I spoke with one of my investors yesterday who owns a small Chinese-food restaurant. He said he made that conversion very quickly to get the food out in a different way and he was terrified that first couple of weeks, but he said ‘I’ve had more banner days in the last two months’ than he had in the last 10 years of being in business.

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NEWS

The district said it will be offering free on-site learning opportunities and support services to students who absolutely need a place to go during the school day. No specific details on who qualifies for these services were immediately available. The decision to delay reopening schools was made the same day CUSD students officially started the 2020-21 school year by logging online into their virtual classrooms. But the reaction from parents to Chandler’s first day of digital school was mixed. Some felt their child moved through their online classes smoothly, some reported a few technological hiccups and others were outright frustrated. Jennifer Valencia, whose daughter is enrolled in the district’s Chandler Online Academy, said the first day was rough due to several technological glitches. “Classes weren’t all uploaded in the system, some classes have no teacher assigned yet, and things would randomly disappear from the platform while she was trying to complete them,” she said.

CUSD said it is attempting to resolve these technological issues quickly and has set up a special call center where families can ask questions or report problems they’re having with the online platforms. What makes the predicament even more confusing is that the online experience for each CUSD student is not the same. The pupils who had elected to return to in-person learning on Aug. 17 will receive what the district calls “virtual learning,” which is separate from what students enrolled in the Online Academy is experiencing. Virtual learning would be like taking the schedule and coursework of any Chandler High School student and putting it online, said Larry Rother, the district’s senior executive director of K-12 services. These virtual students are assigned teachers they expect to have back at their homesite and teachers correspond directly through Google Classrooms to teach lessons and hand out assignments. The Online Academy is different be-

cause it operates with a specific curriculum developed by Florida Virtual School and students interact with teachers assigned specifically to the Academy, Rother added. Before CUSD decided to delay in-person learning, it had about 13,000 students electing to stay enrolled in online school for the first quarter and 2,500 were planning to continue learning online for the whole school year. Online Academy secondary students work at their own pace to get through six assigned courses and can virtually chat with online instructors. The Academy’s elementary students are given a more structured schedule with times set out for when they’re expected to start and finish a lesson. Students are guaranteed to have at least three live interactions with an Academy instructor each day. If a student wants to switch to in-person learning for the second quarter, Rother said they would return to their respective campus and be assigned new teachers. “Our hope is to make the transition

as seamless as we can for students who leave Chandler Online Academy and come back to the homesite,” Rother said. The district is trying to ensure that online learning the semester will be an improvement over the last quarter of 2019-20, Rother added. Besides the need to pull an online program together quickly back then, he said the district had not even known how many students had access to a computer at home, forcing some families to rely on paper assignments they’d have to regularly pick up from their school site. Chandler Unified has since spent millions purchasing hundreds of extra laptops for the school year and officials said they are trying to avoid the need for paper packets. Last week, CUSD handed out more than 5,000 laptops to families who had requested one and more devices should become available in the near future. Casteel encouraged parents not to withdraw their children out of enrollment and promised CUSD would resolve any issue arising from online learning.

will be joining the strip malls 45 tenants by the end of the year.

ernment’s performance, and increase civic engagement.” Gilbert’s Office of Digital Government was selected on the basis of a number of accomplishments, including its video updates on COVID-19, the Digital State of the Town address, the Government Gone Digital and its launching of Alex, an avatar that helps residents explore data sets from Gilbert’s open data portal. “Through storytelling we have the ability to showcase how government works and to engage our community. Amplifying our messaging by using all of our outreach channels to tell meaningful stories impacts lives and builds trust in our government when our community needs it most. I’m so proud to be a part of a team that’s focused on doing exactly that,” said Dana Berchman, chief digital officer in Gilbert. The office includes: Jessica Bautista, Zara Bish, Melissa Cannon, Brenda Carrasco, Deputy Director Jennifer Harrison, Eva Kirschbaum, Derek Konofal-

ski, Lauren Oxford, Kelsey Perry, Kiley Phillips, Elizabeth Rohe and Jennifer Snyder.

also releases the district from liability in the event a child gets sick. “To the fullest extent permitted by law, I hereby agree to waive, release, and discharge any and all claims, causes of action, damages, and rights of any kind against the school, the District,” according to the copy of the waiver provided by the Trust. The acknowledgement form produced by the Trust does not dismiss districts from liability in the event a student gets sick. According to at least one school district lawyer, Scottsdale Unified General Counsel Michelle Marshall, districts that opt for the waiver have the opportunity for a lower deductible.

AROUND from page 11

Town’s digital government office wins award

Results for America has given the Town of Gilbert’s Office of Digital Government the second annual Sharman Stein Award for Storytelling Changemakers. The award recognizes a city team or official who uses public communication to cultivate trust and collaboration between local government and residents. “The Sharman Stein Award honors cities that use public communication not only to share information, but to build trust with residents and engage them in addressing shared challenges,” said Michele Jolin, CEO and co-founder of Results for America. “Gilbert’s robust and innovative digital communications strategy has helped the city connect with residents, share data on the gov-

Gilbert student graduates with BA in religion

Wartburg College awarded diplomas to 276 students, including one from Gilbert. Daniel Volkmann graduated Cum Laude with a bachelor of arts in religion. He is the son of Bradley A. and Melody Volkmann. Wartburg, a four-year liberal arts college internationally recognized for community engagement, is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

TRUST from page 10

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Downtown mural celebrates Latinas, diversity BY SRIANTHI PERERA GSN Contributor

new mural in downtown Gilbert is turning heads. Located on a back wall of Flashback Antiques and visible from East Page Avenue, “Gema” depicts a row of local Latinas and a raven. The 13’x30’ colorful mural by Edgar Fernandez was commissioned by Mary Ellen Fresquez, who owns the building that houses the antiques store. “My desire was to have art that would inspire young girls,” said Fresquez, who originally wanted the mural to depict well-known women in Arizona, but decided to instead highlight Latinas after conversations with the artist and her female relatives. “I feel that it is important to celebrate diversity, and the mural certainly accomplishes this,” she added. Fernandez, a Chicano artist who moved to Arizona from Los Angeles, decided to use female figures that are important to his life and would represent diversity in facial features and lifestyles. This is his first attempt at creating a realistic portrait mural. “With this series of portraits, I am trying to convey diversity among women of color and representing their resilience and the empowering role they play in our society,” he said. “All of these female models for this mural play a special part in my journey,” he said. “The diversity of all of these women have different backgrounds and lifestyles and can still gather together and respect each other’s uniqueness.” Fresquez said the women represent strength, serenity, resilience, creativity, character and youth. The raven symbolically adds to the concept of strength. “Their eyes and strong chin-lines

Realistic portraits of five Latina create a bold statement in downtown Gilbert. Portrayed, from left, are of artist Edgar Fernandez’s friend Sam Fresquez, (Mary Ellen Fresquez’s grand-daughter), cousin Ruby, fiancé Elida, cousin Esmeralda and friend Gloria Martinez-Granados. (Srianthi Perera/Contributor)

reflect an almost fierce spirit,” she said. “Latinas are an important component of Arizona’s and our country’s future and the mural depicts them as strong and forward-looking.” Fernandez, who lives in Tolleson, made 23 trips to Gilbert during late spring and early summer to complete the project. He painted in the early mornings to avoid the burgeoning heat. “I feel confident and proud of the finished product of this mural. Knowing and accepting the challenges of the heat, drive and realistic opportunity to express myself have brought my creativity and patience to a whole new level,” he said. Fernandez, who graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in painting from Arizona State University last year, said

it’s one of the best, or even the best mural he has created so far. His past mural work has been in private properties, while public murals may be viewed in the multicultural Miracle Mile neighborhood on 16th Street and McDowell Road in Phoenix and in Shaw Elementary School on 13th Street and Washington Avenue, also in Phoenix. A lot of Fernandez’s art so far has been modern ancestral art. For nearly a decade, he has displayed his work and shared his knowledge in solo and group shows, mural projects and youth art workshops. In each work, he seeks to embrace the ancestral spirit that flows though his heart and project it to the community.

In the Gilbert mural, he celebrates his ancestral spirit by embracing the power that women played in keeping the Latino culture strong. “Embracing my ancestral spirit is also being played in the fierce facial features within each female portrait and the powerful organic designs in the background are tied to natural movements and vibrations that connect me to my ancestors,” he said. Gema depicts Spanish text from an old Mexican song of the same name that translates to: “You are the gem that God converted into a woman.” The text was painted by Sam Fresquez, who is also an artist. “These lyrics come from a Mexican

see

MURAL page 19

COMMUNITY

GILBERT SUN NEWS | AUGUST 9, 2020

MURAL from page 18

song, Gema, that my mother used to sing when I was a child growing up in Las Vegas, New Mexico,” Mary Ellen Fresquez said. “She wasn’t a singer, but when my Uncle Benny would visit us from Los Angeles, she seemed transformed into one. “They would spend hours harmonizing and matching lyrics to chords he would play on his guitar. They had a short, but well-rehearsed repertoire. These are also the words that appear on her gravestone. Whenever we hear this song, my brother, my sister and I instantaneously tear up,” Fresquez said. With the completion of the mural, Fresquez completes a long-held wish for her property. “I had wanted to commission a mural for this wall for a very long time – for years, actually,” she said. “Being so involved with the Heritage District, as a business owner, a Redevelopment Commissioner, and a member of various merchants’ associations, I always believed that murals add to the vitality

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Artist Edgar Fernandez’s mural on a back wall of Flashback Antiques can be viewed from East Page Avenue. (Special to

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of urban life.” Fresquez hopes the project will inspire other public art for downtown Gilbert. “I hope that my community en-

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joys and appreciates the mural,” she said. “Downtown Gilbert has a special place in my heart, and I believe this artwork enhances the vibrancy, the ethos and the sense of place.”

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Gilbert salon complex fulfilling for owner BY CECILIA CHAN GSN Managing Editor

mit Sharma comes from a technology background but he’s finding the beauty business may be more rewarding in more ways than one. That’s when he became a franchise owner of My Salon Suite at the Crossroads Towne Center, leasing space to beauty professionals offering services in skin care, teeth whitening and nails – but mostly in hair. “One thing that attracted me to this was it not only empowered small businesses but the aspects of the hair-styling business itself,” said Sharma, who has an MBA from the Thunderbird School of Global Management. “I’m actually very happy I’ve gotten

Amit Sharma has a technology background but he finds owning and operating My Salon Suite in Gilbert a rewarding endeavor. (Pablo Robles/GSN Staff Photographer)

into this business because it’s fulfilling,” he explained. “I’m helping people start businesses and make money.” Sharma said he’s also got into the business because salons are recession-proof. “Even when there’s a pandemic and people are scared and don’t want to go out, people are still coming to salons,” he said. “When things go bad, people still need to get their hair cut and they still need to look good – even in a depression. In the 1920s, the hair-styling industry survived through those times. “It’s a business that keeps going whether the economy is good or not because people have to look good to feel good.” During the Great Depression from 1929-39, women continued to pay for hair-care services even if they had to sac-

see

SALON page 21

3 Gilbert teens in Bank of America leader program GSN NEWS STAFF

wo recent Gilbert high school graduates and a senior are among five Valley students picked by Bank of America for its annual Student Leaders program. Bushra Karim, who graduated from Williams Field High School in May, and Zachary Whalley, a member of Campo Verde High’s Class of 2020, were joined by Mesquite High senior Gabriela Rodriguez in the program. Both Bushra and Zac are heading to Arizona State University this fall. The paid summer internship is aimed at giving students experience in leadership, civic engagement and workforce skills-building with local nonprofit Boys and Girls Club of the Valley. But in light of the pandemic, the program was adapted to a virtual format. Bushra, the daughter of Ashraf and

Gabriela Rodriguez

Bushra Karim

Zachary Whalley

Sharmin Karim of Gilbert, and the four other student leaders worked the Metro Phoenix branch of the Boys and Girls Club to help them develop a “story bank” to collect and share the experiences of volunteers, staff and donors at the club.

“Our role is to develop an efficient and explicit methodology for story-banking that can be applied to all clubs,” Bushra explained. “In addition, we have taken the initiative to interview students in the Boys and Girls Club to personally gain their perspectives.”

Originally, the program entailed a Student Leaders Summit in Washington D.C., “where we could meet student leaders across the nation,” she said. “The Student Leaders Summit is now

see

PROGRAM

page 21

GILBERT SUN NEWS | AUGUST 9, 2020

SALON from page 20

rifice other things, according to Victoria Sherrow in her book “Encyclopedia of Hair: A Cultural History.” “American women spent $6 million on hair-care services in 1936” and more schools to train cosmetologists opened around the country during the 1930s and 1940s, Sherrow wrote. Under COVID-19, Sharma found he was dealing with a different animal. During the pandemic, Gov. Doug Ducey in early April ordered barber shops, hair salons and businesses that provided personal services to shut their doors in an effort to flatten the cases of COVID-19. “We tried to explain to our legislators and our senators the difference in our business verses a salon, which is a gathering place to chat and mingle,” Sharma said. “This is different, this is an individualized business.” Sharma said his building, which has no receptionist, includes 30 private, enclosed suites leased by 36 businesses. For the suites that are shared, the two lessees switch off so only one is in a room at a time with their client. The month and a half shut-down was a blow not only for his tenants but for Sharma. Although Ducey issued an order halting small-business evictions and encouraged commercial landlords to defer rent payments, Sharma took it one step further.

“I have small businesses that need to pay rent on a weekly basis,” he said. “They make money by cutting hair for their weekly income. If they can’t come in and do their job, I can’t expect them to come in to pay me.” So, Sharma told his tenants he would give them five weeks of free rent. But he had a mortgage still to pay and he and his wife spent through their savings. “I did not lose any tenants, they remained 100 percent,” Sharma said. During the shutdown, Sharma also prepped for reopening. He removed all the chairs from the front lobby area, installed hand-sanitizer stations and replaced the lock system so tenants no longer had to touch a keypad to enter but used a fob for hands-free operation. He also increased the cleaning protocol to seven days a week and is installing an air- purification system. Other than that, it’s up to tenants to implement their own safety standards within their work space – such as using face coverings and taking temperature checks. Sharma said clients who arrive early wait in their cars until their appointment time. “I know business is slower for the stylists but they are getting by OK,” he said. “As long as they are allowed to work, they

can survive and they can feed their fami- prompted Ducey in late June to order lies and pay their rents and they can pay gyms, bars and theaters to shut down their bills.” Despite the tumultuous nature of the hair and beauty business during these days of the pandemic, S h a r m a hasn’t lost faith in the industry. He’s taking over a salon suite building in Peoria and The individual suites in My Salon Suites now have upgraded air purification and other enhancements designed to keep both tenants and clients safe. (Pablo Robles/GSN Staff Photographer) is building a building with 25 suites that will open at the end of September in again. Mesa. Sharma hopes that doesn’t happen “The industry is changing quite sub- with salons. During the shutdown, some stantially,” Sharma said. “The corona- stylists were providing their services at virus has hurt big salons quite a bit clients’ homes, which Sharma said was because they are gathering places (and) not safe because it was not in a conthey have waiting areas and areas where trolled environment. people intermingle too much.” “If you mess with hairstylists, that is Although businesses in the state slowly bad karma,” Sharma said. And “I’m sure opened back up beginning in mid-May, the governor has got to have his hair cut an ensuing spike in COVID-19 cases as well.”

Young Democracy at Home in which we met with other Student Leaders and discussed current issues and solutions,” Bushra added. “I am very grateful for the opportunities that I have been provided by Bank of America and all that they have done to accommodate for these unprecedented circumstances. What I will miss most is meeting the other Student Leaders in person, however, we have been able to form connections still through social media, group chats, and virtual discussions thanks to technology. “ While at Williams Field, Bushra was an active student, playing leadership roles in various extracurricular activities that included the National Honor Society, Best Buddies, Key Club,

National English Honor Society, Swim and Dive and Mu Alpha Theta while also volunteering with the Southeast Regional Library and Muslim Volunteer Corporations. “I love working with my community and this program gave me the opportunity to strengthen my bond with it,” she said, adding that the Bank of America Student Leaders program “is helping solidify my own leadership, which I intend to use at the university-level while conducting research initiatives.” After completing software engineering studies at ASU’s Barrett, The Honors College, she added, “My plan as a software engineer is to develop accessible technology to accommodate for various disabilities.”

“I believe with the skills that I have and can gain with the Bank of America Student Leaders program that this is a tangible possibility. I have already learned a lot from my peers through the program and am excited to see our accomplishments.” The internship pays $5,000 to each participant as they develop experience so they can enter adulthood with jobready skills. “Now more than ever, as we collectively navigate the challenges we face in our communities, Bank of America remains committed to supporting young adults of all backgrounds by connecting them to jobs, skills-building and leadership development,” said Benito Almanza, Arizona market president

PROGRAM from page 20

for the bank. “Creating opportunities for our youth to gain skills and build a network is a powerful investment in the future of our community.” The virtual program, “Young America Together at Home” will be delivered by the Close Up Foundation and include discussions about finding one’s voice in order to affect change and address pressing policy issues, such as the economy, healthcare, the environment and immigration. In addition to Student Leaders, Bank of America is connecting approximately 3,000 young adults nationwide to paid summer jobs through various programs – such as its Financial Center Intern Program, which is providing 15 Phoenix students paid summer jobs.

Sports & Recreation 22

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AIA releases updated fall school sports schedule BY ZACH ALVIRA GSN Sports Editor

he future of fall sports in Arizona became clearer Wednesday as the Arizona Interscholastic Association released a revised schedule. Boys and girls golf will be the first teams to begin practices, hitting the fairways on Aug. 17 with the first competition slated for Sept. 7. Cross country and swim and dive were pushed back a week to Aug. 24, with official competition beginning Sept. 14. Badminton, fall soccer and volleyball will begin practice on Aug. 31 and games Sept. 14, 16 and 21, respectively. Football, which poses the biggest risk of virus spread because of the level of physical contact, will now begin official practices on Sept. 7, with the first week of competition on Sept. 30 for freshman and running through Saturday, Oct. 3, for varsity teams. The AIA previously announced official practices for all sports would begin Aug. 17, with competition for most sports beginning four weeks later on Sept. 11. Aside from golf, all other sports have been pushed back. “The health and safety of our student participants, coaches, officials and essential personnel, including volunteers, is the primary concern for the return of interscholastic athletics and activities,” AIA Executive Director David Hines said in a release. The amended schedule comes after a state-wide survey the AIA sent to all of its member schools to identify which schools felt comfortable allowing sports to return during the fall semester. Over 250 schools answered the surveys, most of which were in favor of hosting a fall sports season. All fall sports will have an amended schedule, which will result in a reduced number of games and later championships. The AIA announced the updated schedules would be revised and released

The Arizona Interscholastic Association announced Wednesday afternoon a revised fall sports schedule that pushes all sports but golf back on the calendar. Football will begin official practices Sept. 7 and games on Oct. 2. (GSN file photo)

in the coming days or weeks. Football appears to follow the schedule proposed by the Arizona Football Coaches Association, which called for practices to begin after Labor Day and games the week of Oct. 2 and gained support from more than 100 coaches. The proposal offered an eight-game schedule with an eight-team postseason tournament for all conferences and the Open Division at the end of the season. It also called for the removal of the Thanksgiving bye week and an optional ninth game for teams not in the postseason. The AIA announced the football season would conclude on Dec. 11 and 12 for the 4A-6A conferences and Open Division, thus eluding to an eight-game regular-season schedule and eight-team playoff format. The 1A-3A conferences are currently discussing possibilities for the length of regular season and an ideal date to host state championship games, according to the AIA. It is unclear if the AIA will allow teams that do not make the postseason to schedule other non-qualifiers at the end of the season as the AzFCA proposed. “We owe it to our members to provide a direction,” said Toni Corona, the Executive Board President and Safford Athletic Di-

rector. “It may be challenging to get everything going for all the schools at one time but with good communication, we can provide the best possible experience for our students in this unprecedented time. This Board and the AIA staff will continue to provide information and guidelines as we proceed.” Especially for football, the timeline will allow schools still restricted from participating in summer workouts on campus to be ready for the start of the season. Gilbert, Mesa, Chandler, Scottsdale, Higley and Tempe Union districts have allowed teams to return to campus for workouts in some capacity. Most of which remain in the first phase of their respective district’s return-to-play guidelines, which calls for conditioning drills. Gilbert was the first to make such a move. Tempe Union made the move this past week and announced it would have a full discussion on sports with its governing board on Aug. 18. However, schools in other parts of the Valley just recently started summer workouts. Phoenix Union schools were restricted from any activities up until two weeks ago. Brophy announced it would not move past phase one until September. Schools in

southern Arizona are still unable to work out. “Although the many school districts represented in the AzFCA membership have issued varying rules within their districts, the proposed October 2 date of first varsity competition appears to provide the schools with the sufficient opportunity to comply with district guidelines and adequately prepare their teams for a full competition season,” the proposal from the AzFCA read. The AIA stressed this new timeline is subject to change based on guidance from national, state or local health officials. The amended fall schedule, if it stands, will result in a week delay to the start of winter sports. At this time, it’s unclear whether it will have an effect on the spring season, which was canceled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. Below is a detailed look at the new fall sports schedule released by the AIA. Golf First practice – Aug. 17 First competition – Aug. 24 Championships – Oct. 26-29 (Div. I), Nov. 2-5 (Div. II) Cross Country First Practice – Aug. 24 First Competition – Sept. 9 Championships – Nov. 12-13 Swimming & Diving First Practice – Aug. 24 First Competition – Sept. 14 Championships – Nov. 5-7

Badminton First Practice – Aug. 31 First Competition – Sept. 14 Championships – Nov. 7 (Individuals), Nov. 9-12 (Teams) Fall Soccer First Practice – Aug. 31 First Competition – Sept. 16 Championships – Nov. 4-7

Volleyball First Practice – Aug. 31 First Competition – Sept. 21 Championships – Nov. 12-21

Football First Practice – Sept. 7 First Competition – Sept. 30-Oct. 3 Championships – Dec. 11/12 (4A-6A & Open)

23 43

GILBERT SUN | AUGUST 9, 2020 AUGUST 5, 2020NEWS | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS

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Employ ment Employment General

Obituaries

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Deadline for obituaries is Wednesday at 5pm for Sunday. All obituaries will be approved by our staff prior to being activated. Be aware there may be early deadlines around holidays.

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GILBERT SUN NEWS | AUGUST 9, 2020

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Public Notices AT&T Mobility, LLC is proposing to construct five small-cell telecommunications facilities within Phoenix, Maricopa County, Arizona. Each facility will be constructed to support a top mounted antenna(s) and associated equipment. Project# 6120005387 will be located at 18113 North 68 th Street and will consist of a 40-foot steel light pole. Project# 6120005390 will be located approximately 40 feet southeast of the intersection of E. Bell Road and N. 26th Street and will consist of a 37-foot steel light pole. Project# 6120005391 will be located at 3104 East Acoma Drive and will consist of 41-foot steel light pole. Project# 6120005392 will be located at 3249 East Claire Drive and will consist of a 35foot steel light pole. Project# 6120005394 will be located at 14600 North 25th Place and will consist of a 35-foot steel light pole. Any interested party wishing to submit comments regarding the potential effects the proposed facility may have on any historic property may do so by sending comments to: Project #’s listed above- MH EBI Consulting, 6876 Susquehanna Trail South, York, PA 17403, or via telephone at (785) 760-5938.

AT&T Mobility, LLC is proposing to construct a new telecommunications facility located near 118 South Roosevelt Road, Mericopa County, Mesa, AZ 85201. The new facility will consist of replacing an existing 35-foot light pole with a new 35-foot light pole topped with antenna for an overall height of 40feet. Any interested party wishing to submit comments regarding the potential effects the proposed facility may have on any historic property may do so by sending comments to: Project 6120006281 - JCR EBI Consulting, 6876 Susquehanna Trail South, York, PA 17403, or via telephone at (815) 302 9118.

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.

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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

It Only Takes Seconds to Drown. Always watch your child around water.

GILBERT SUN NEWS | AUGUST 9, 2020

NOW OPEN

HAPPY HOUR

Every Day 2pm-6pm and 10pm-CLOSE • $2 OFF ALL Draft Beer and Appetizers • $4 House Wine

• $2 Well Drinks • $4 Titos, Bacardi, Tanqueray, Herradura Silver, Jack Daniels

ALL DAY SPECIALS

MONDAY $10 Burgers TUESDAY $5 Dos XX Draft and Frozen House Margaritas $4 Chips with Salsa and Guac $6 Nachos WEDNESDAY $10 Wraps

THURSDAY $8 Wings and Chicken Tenders FRIDAY $9 Fish & Chips and Fishy Wrap SATURDAY $10 Pizzas SUNDAY $10 Pastas

1026 S Gilbert Rd Gilbert AZ 85296 www.howlerssportsbar.com

480-687-2864

REGULAR HOURS : DAILY 11AM - 12AM