‘Moxie’ aimed at businesswomen
GPS opening classrooms
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An edition of the East Valley Tribune
INSIDE
This Week
NEWS.................................3 Legislative race in western Gilbert is competitive.
NEWS.............................10 Higley lays down new fan rules for football.
Gilbert artists paint healthcare homages.
COMMUNITY....................................... 18 BUSINESS..............................................21
SPORTS.......................................26 GETOUT...................................... 27
PUZZLE....................................... 31 CLASSIFIED...........................................31
Sunday, September 6, 2020
Protests generating heated words in Gilbert tial election. The Gilbert resident declined to give her name, saying Black Lives ince June, members of Matter supporters have been the East Valley Blue Line showing up at the homes of womSupporters have stood at en members publicly identified a corner at Gilbert and Warner and harassing them. roads for weekly rallies in supThe group recently announced port of police. it would move to a new location Last Thursday was no exeach week, notifying its vetted ception for the Gilbert-based members privately on where to group but it moved to a new meet. The group also is kicking corner at Williams Field Road out members for not following its and Val Vista Drive because guidelines that call for no profanits message was getting lost in ity, obscene gestures or threatenthe chaos taking place in the An unidentified Gilbert police officer last Thursday was one of many mena nd women in blue ing and harassing behavior. last few weeks at its former lo- keeping the peace as protestors gathered at Williams Field Road and Val Vista Drive. The woman said about three (Tim Sealy/Seaky Media) cation, an organizer said. weeks after her group began stag“We came out to support law enforce- for the group. She said her group, which ing its rallies, BLM supporters showed up in ment, our country and our flag,” said a wom- claimed 672 Facebook members, will conan who identified herself as an organizer tinue to hold the rallies until the presidensee PROTEST page 14
BY CECILIA CHAN GSN Managing Editor
S
Gilbert water park project delayed until 2022
BY CECILIA CHAN GSN Managing Editor
COMMUNITY......... 18
FREE ($1 OUTSIDE OF GILBERT) | GilbertSunNews.com
A
much-ballyhooed 25-acre water park in Gilbert touting technology that can create ocean waves for surfing in the desert is delayed yet again – this time until 2022. The Strand@Gilbert in February 2019 inked a deal with Gilbert to build the $60 million project on town-owned land near Queen Creek and Higley roads, adjacent to the Regional Park. The developer proposed a summer 2020 opening but later postponed it to the summer 2021. With Town Council’s recent approval, the
project is now looking to open in August 2022. According to a town staff report, the developer cited “economic conditions arising as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic” for the requested delay. The developer, however, said funding wasn’t the issue. “The project has been delayed due to Covid-19 as we await guidelines from the CDC that can be placed on water parks or similar venues,” said John McLaughlin, founder and CEO of Strand Resorts. “Until we have more information from the CDC and state health department,” he said, “it is prudent for the project to have this information so if there needs to be additional safety measures that need to added to the design can be added before construction begins.”
McLaughlin, a Gilbert resident, came up with the concept of bringing a large-scale beach experience for the public. His project also has competition with plans for two similar attractions in the East Valley. In Mesa, a 60-acre project featuring water, a beach and a surfing lagoon is getting a head start. A developer is planning to start construction next spring near the Phoenix Mesa Gateway Airport on the project, which also includes a hotel and restaurants. Jerry Lehman, a former nationally ranked surfer, announced he is planning to build two Surf Town attractions – one each in the East and West Valleys. He has declined to provide
see STRAND page 6
