Gilbert Sun News - 12.27.2020 by Times Media Group

Gilbert senator’s historic fight

Panel seeks park fees

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An edition of the East Valley Tribune

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Sunday, December 27, 2020

Come Jan. 1, keep your hands on the wheel BY JIM WALSH GSN Staff Writer

fter a long delay, it’s time for drivers to finally put down their cell phones unless they want to see red and blue flashing lights in their rear-view mirror. Arizona’s distracted driving law becomes effective on Jan. 1 and police officers throughout the East Valley and beyond are planning to write citations right away, trying to break motorists’ dangerous habits of texting or checking emails behind the wheel. The law originally was passed in 2019 after a driver struck and killed a Salt River-Pima Maricopa tribal officer along the Loop

101, but it included an 18-month educational window during which officers could only issue warnings. While officers will still have discretion to issue warnings after Jan. 1, their advice is simple: don’t count on it. The new law makes it illegal to touch a cell phone while driving – or even to rest it on your lap, another habit police have noted – with a call to 911 one notable exception. Drivers are still allowed to use hands-free devices, such as Bluetooth, that are commonly built into the dashboards of most modern cars and trucks. The penalties are civil fines ranging from $75-$149 for the first offense, and $150-

$250 for the second or subsequent offenses. And a violation is considered a “primary offense” – meaning that police can stop drivers for talking on the phone alone and do not need any additional violations to pull them over. The Arizona Department of Public Safety has issued 15,000 warnings, as directed by Gov. Doug Ducey, who signed the bill into law, said Bart Graves, a DPS spokesman. “The whole reason for the law is to keep people safe on our roads. The best thing we can do is keep them from being distracted,’’ he said.

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Dose of good news It started bright, and then COVID-19 upended our year BY GARY NELSON GSN Contributor

SPORTS...................... 23 School athletes signing up for colleges.

COMMUNITY....................................... 16 BUSINESS..............................................21 OPINION..................................... 22 SPORTS....................................... 23 GETOUT.................................................24 PUZZLE....................................... 25 CLASSIFIED.......................................... 27

t opened brightly enough, with the customary expectations of progress and prosperity that have marked each new year in the East Valley for the past decade. Construction began on an Arizona State University complex in downtown Mesa. Cranes loomed high over downtown Tempe as, on the streets below, a new streetcar line was being born. Gilbert and Chandler sung to the tunes of hammers and saws creating square mile after square mile of homes and stores and factories. As this election year dawned, candidates were crafting their sales pitches to voters who, for the most part, were only dimly

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Dignity Health emergency room nurse Roland Deharty last week got his first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine from RN Megan Edmonds at Chandler Gilbert Community College, one of five distribution centers in the county for the vaccine and one operated by Dignity Health. (Pablo Robles/GSN Staff Photographer)

GILBERT SUN NEWS | DECEMBER 27, 2020

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GILBERT SUN NEWS | DECEMBER 27, 2020

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NEWS

Gilbert senator in historic legal clash BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

lame duck Gilbert senator is at the center of a possibly historic confrontation between the Legislature and the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors over data from the Nov. 3 election. County supervisors voted 4-1 – with Steve Chucri casting the sole “no” vote – to refuse to comply with subpoenas issued by Sen. Eddie Farnsworth, the head of the Senate Judiciary Committee. The supervisor’s vote came amid concerns that at least some of what Farnsworth demands would expose private information about voters. There also were questions about whether the county even has the legal right to give that information to outsiders. Instead, board members supporting the motion – three Republicans and one Democrat – voted to file suit and have a judge determine whether the subpoenas are legally valid. Attorney Steve Tully, hired by the county and himself a former lawmaker, said legislative panels can subpoena people to testify. This seeks actual materials. More significant, Tully said the subpoenas “serve no valid legislative purpose.’’ “There is no legislative authority to audit election results,’’ he said. Nor is there authority to examine ballots or conduct forensic audits of election equipment. Board Chairman Clint Hickman also took a shot at Farnsworth and the lawmakers who are demanding a laundry list of data and access to voting equipment, suggesting they are not really interested in hearing about how the election was conducted. Hickman pointed out that he, county Elections Director Scott Jarrett and deputy Maricopa County Attorney Tom Liddy testified at the Judiciary Committee earlier this week for about six hours, answering all the questions from panel members. That, he said, included queries about the machinery and the software.

Sen. Eddie Farnsworth “And then to be slapped with the two subpoenas,’’ Hickman said. “That could be viewed as a slap in the face.’’ He said the subpoenas seek information that was never part of the questions that he and the other county officials were asked. Farnsworth conceded he told Hickman even before the meeting that subpoenas were being considered. Chucri said he voted against the lawsuit because he wants his colleagues to conduct their own audit. Hickman said there will be such a review – but not until all the outstanding lawsuits challenging the election are resolved amid concerns that doing anything to the machines in the middle of litigation could be considered tampering with evidence. One Farnsworth subpoena seeks copies of all mail-in and absentee ballots in multiple digital formats along with various reports and logs and tapes of the ballot scanning and tabulation equipment. The other demands that the county give access to a yet-to-be-chosen analyst to the ballot tabulation equipment from both the individual voting centers and the central counting system as well as the software used. Farnsworth also wants a report on rejected ballots, audit trail logs, usernames and passwords of anyone who has access to the system and anyone

from Dominion Voting Systems who could get into the system. He also wants the county to turn over daily and cumulative voter records which include the name, address and date of birth of each voter, where and when they voted, their party affiliation and any information about when they requested an early ballot, when it was sent, when it was voted and, if applicable, when it was canceled. That mirrors claims by attorneys for the president’s reelection campaign that hundreds of thousands of early ballots may be fraudulent, voted not by the people whose names were on the list but by someone else. All that angered Supervisor Bill Gates. “Let’s be clear: These subpoenas that have been issued and are before this body are truly extraordinary in the breadth of information that they’re looking for,’’ he said. “As a conservative, I feel strongly about individual private information, of individuals, of voters,’’ Gates said. “I’m going to fight to protect that information before we turn it over.’’ Gates added, “I don’t know what they’re going to do with’’ the information.” Farnsworth told Capitol Media Services none of this information will be made public but is simply part of providing what an outside auditor needs to verify the results. “So, this isn’t something that’s going to be handed out and put out on YouTube or out on any social media sites,’’ he said. “I mean, that’s just an absurdity.’’ Tully told the judge there is no legitimate legislative purpose for the subpoenas except “to provide the information for counsel for the losing candidate so that he might attempt to use it to overturn the election results.’’ Farnsworth denied that subpoenas are designed to affect the outcome of the election or the pending lawsuits. “This has nothing to do with the Trump campaign,’’ he said. “This has to do with the concern by the legislature that there

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NEWS

GILBERT SUN NEWS | DECEMBER 27, 2020

Rec board recommends fees for park amenities BY CECILIA CHAN GSN Managing Editor

own Council sometime early next year will look at recommended reservation fees for Gilbert’s newest sports courts and other amenities at its premier 272-acre regional park near McQueen and Higley roads. The Parks and Recreation Board voted to send the fee structure for approval. “I think this is very thorough,” said Board chairman Bob Ferron at the Dec. 16 meeting. “It’s well laid-out and well thought-out.” After months of wrestling whether or not to charge individuals a reservation fee on eight of the 16 heavily used pickleball courts – a bone of contention for players – the board scrapped the proposal. A survey found that the hourly reservation fee was not an interest of dedicated pickleball players and would have involved too much administrative work that included monitoring the courts which are

The Parks and Recreation Board discarded a plan to charge pickleball players for use of the new Gilbert Regional Park courts but it has recommended fees for tournament and league play. (GSN file photo) opened from 5 a.m.-10 p.m., for compliance, said Rocky Brown, business operations manager. Fees would be charged for pickleball league and tournament play.

An hourly rental rate, however, was proposed for the six tennis, two basketball and six sand volleyball courts – $7 an hour for residents; $8.75 for nonresidents; $14 an hour for Gilbert-based businesses and $17.50 an hour for non-Gilbert-based businesses. A one-hour rental is the minimum requirement. “We wanted to do it right and not fast,” Brown said. “We started off with a rate the rest of the park system pays.” “We plan on taking the fee resolution to council sometime in the first few months of 2021,” Brown said. “We have not identified an exact council date yet.” The proposed rates, however, could increase gradually over the next five years as the town figures out what it will cost to maintain the courts, Brown said, adding the town reviews the rates every two years. In a fall survey, 204 pickleball players responded to questions such as why do they play the game, their skill level, how often do they play and how much were they willing to pay for reserving a court. Brown said a majority played four days a week and 22.5 percent of the respondents indicated they would pay $7 to reserve a court. Support for that proposal dropped as the fees increased up to $15 and hour. Fees also were proposed for the park’s amphitheater, the 10-acre Great Lawn,

Food Truck Alley, ramadas and the pier at the 7-acre fishing lake. Brown said staff found a few comparable facilities – such as the Mesa Amphitheater, which has a capacity of 4,950 charges $1,200 for a full day. The regional park’s amphitheater has a 2,500-3,500 capacity. The recommendation includes charging residents $750 to rent the amphitheater for half a day and $1,500 for a full day, $500 for the full lawn for half a day and $1,000 for a full day and $250 for half the lawn for half a day and $500 for a full day and $25 per vendor at Food Truck Alley. The hourly rate for residents to reserve a ramada would be $20 an hour and $100 an hour for the group ramada, which can seat up to 160 people and includes a food prep/grilling area, lighting, roof fans and power outlets. The fee for the pier would be $25 an hour for residents. The nonresident rates are 25 percent higher and the business rates are double the resident rates. For special events, there would be a charge for town staffing – $25 an hour or $37.50 for holidays with a minimum of three-hours. Board member Ben Kalkman noted the proposed fees were low compared to what is out there. Staff also gave an update of the masterplans for the regional park and Desert Sky Park, both went online in 2019 with their first phase. Desert Sky’s first phase included four multi-purpose fields, a fitness course, playground and a 3.5-acre lake. The town is currently taking public feedback on three proposed concepts for the completion of Desert Sky, located between Williams Field and Pecos roads. All three concepts have varying amenities but they all include 15 multi-use fields, a dog park and a play area. Public input can be submitted at gilbertaz.gov. Planning for phase two and three also is underway for the remaining 200 acres at the regional park. A virtual meeting for public feedback on proposals for the park is scheduled for 6 p.m. Jan. 12.

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NEWS

REVIEW from page 1

beginning to contemplate another march to the ballot box. The biggest point of uncertainty seemed to lie in a presidential impeachment then in play in Washington. But even that proved to be a melodrama without drama, Donald Trump’s Feb. 5 acquittal by a Republican Senate serving as a predictable anticlimax. Only the closest observer of international news could have suspected – in that January that now seems of another world – that 2020 would rip our lives apart in almost unfathomable ways. COVID-19 arrived early in the East Valley. In late January, when the United States reported only five total cases, an ASU student who had recently returned from China was among them. Whatever ripples of concern that may have caused, however, seemed to vanish as the student recovered and no new cases immediately emerged in our area. But by mid-March there was no longer room for complacency. Suddenly, grocery store shelves were stripped bare of pasta, popcorn, canned goods and especially toilet paper as panicked East Valley residents hoarded essentials for what seemed like a long siege ahead. Churches and shopping malls closed their doors. Movie theaters followed suit. The Cactus League baseball season was aborted. School let out early for the year and kids had to rely on distance learning. Proms and graduation ceremonies were scrapped. The question of when and how to return to school in the fall created no end of agony for administrators, teachers, parents and the students themselves. And still does. As of mid-December, Maricopa County had lost more than 4,500 of its friends and neighbors to the coronavirus. Thousands of other people needed hospitalization to conquer the bug and many of them still deal with lingering health problems. Weddings and funerals, business meetings and church services came by way of Zoom. Hugs and handshakes were things of the past. The economic price was steep as well. Some businesses could not survive their springtime closures, perhaps the most visible symbol of that being the now-va-

GILBERT SUN NEWS | DECEMBER 27, 2020

ed June 30 and surpassed that with $107.5 million. Town Council was so confident in the local economy’s resiliency that it added 82 staff positions. Sales tax revenue rebounded from April and came in higher than budgeted for May and June by 7 percent and 9 percent, respectively, as many businesses reopened after a two-month shutdown. The sales tax haul for this fiscal year is Gilbert nurse Carly Ahern, like thousands of other healthcare workers and first responders, put her life on the line amid the pandemic. projected at (GSN file photo) $108 million with the worstcase projection of $98 million. Despite the loss of thousands of jobs in Arizona and across the country, one area that remained virtually untouched by the pandemic was residential real estate. Town Council approved a plan to put Gilbert in the ambulance business, Home priceventually replacing the private provider with town employees and es – and values town-owned equipment. (GSN file photo) – have posted cant Nordstrom store at Chandler Fash- double-digit increases in Gilbert and the ion Center. Valley over the past year as the inventoBut municipal finances did not fall off ry of re-sale homes has hit historic lows, the cliff as expected. forcing buyers into bidding wars and Gilbert budgeted $97 million for sales weeks of frustratingly barren searches tax collection for the fiscal year that end- for a house.

Incredibly, the virus and the science involved in mitigating became politicized, so much so that wearing a mask – or not wearing one – became controversial. Anti-mask campaigners in the East Valley, following Trump’s lead, couched their rhetoric in terms of personal freedom even if that meant infecting someone else. Among the more prominent anti-maskers was U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs, a Republican who represents part of the East Valley. Biggs regularly parroted Trump’s dismissal of the COVID threat. When Trump himself caught the virus in September, Biggs urged the president to take a drug that Trump had promoted in the spring but that had no proven effect in combatting the disease. Doctors ignored Biggs’ medical advice. Trump recovered anyway. As the year ends, it appears vaccines against COVID will be widely available in mid-2021. But until they have been sufficiently deployed, the disease seems likely to have a dire effect on East Valley life well into the new year. Some uncertainty looms over when classrooms will be reopened, for example. Gilbert Public Schools will begin the new semester with a week of virtual learning for all students while Higley will address reopening on a school-by-school basis that depends on pre-established percentages of all students and staff who have been diagnosed as active COVID-19 cases.

Historic political year

Maricopa County turned against the president it had supported in 2016, flipping its support to Democrat Joe Biden. In 2016 the county voted 49 percent for Trump and 46 percent for Hillary Clinton. This time out, Biden netted 50.3 percent of the county’s vote, and Trump 48.1. The swing helped Biden nail the state’s 11 electoral votes on his way to the White House, the first time since 1996 that a Democrat had carried Arizona. The East Valley’s two congressional districts voted in predictable fashion, but even here there was erosion in Trump’s

see REVIEW page 7

GILBERT SUN NEWS | DECEMBER 27, 2020

REVIEW from page 6

NEWS

support. Heavily Republican District 5 In Gilbert, Brigette Peterthe next couple of months.” gave Biden 41.9 percent of its vote, as son defeated Matt Nielsen “We are hoping they compared with 36.5 percent for Clinton in the November mayoral would be looking to adin 2016. The more liberal Ninth District runoff election. Peterson dress some of the issues voted 60.8 percent for Biden compared replaces Jenn Daniels, who that came from our liswith 54.7 for Clinton four years earlier. announced in January that tening sessions and other Some Republicans – with Trump in the she would not run again and social issues in town,” he lead – persisted in an unprecedented and then resigned in August. said. baseless effort to overturn the results of a Scott Anderson, who Nothing has yet been legitimate American election. served as interim mayor, done. Among them was State Rep. Kelly won another term on the Other notable legacies of Townsend, R-Mesa, who urged the Legis- Town Council, which also 2020: lature to ignore the will of the voters and welcomed two new memWaymo, whose self-drivdirect that Arizona’s electoral votes be bers – former Gilbert Chaming vans have been ubiquihanded to Trump. ber CEO/President Kathy tous in the East Valley for The Republican speaker of the House, Tilque and onetime legislayears, announced in OctoRusty Bowers, also of Mesa, noted that tor Laurin Hendrix. ber that it would begin ofacting on Townsend’s suggestion would fering driverless ride-hailbe illegal. Racial tensions hit ing services to the public. “I cannot and will not entertain a sug- home Phoenix-Mesa Gateway gestion that we violate current law to The death of George Floyd Airport announced in change the outcome of a certified elec- at the knees of Minneapolis January it set a record for tion,” Bowers said. commercial passengers in But other East Valley 2019 – 1,774,763 to be exLike thousands of his classmates and peers, Des- act. Airport activity all but lawmakers are figuring ert Ridge High senior Elijah Kalberg, weathered collapsed after COVID hit, prominently in the ongothe challenges on online learning and the loss of ing battle. but by year’s end it was rehallowed senior year traditions like commenceLame duck Gilbert Sen. covering. ment ceremonies and proms. (GSN file photo) Eddie Farnsworth has The East Valley ensubpoenaed Maricopa of Gilbert and Warner roads. dured a year of unprecedented heat, County for millions of The protests continued until which continued well into November. voter records – which the The region broke records for number after the Nov. 3 election. Board of Supervisors votThe Rev. Andre Miller gave of 100-, 110- and 115-degree days in ed 4-1 to fight. the keynote speech at the a season, and logged its two hottest Overall, however, the town’s 11th annual Faith months in history in July and August. East Valley’s political Leaders’ Summit, where the For the first 19 days of August, the avstripes did not change topics were unity, diversity erage round-the-clock temperature at that much. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airand inclusion. Solidly red legislative Supporters of police and Black Lives Matter managed to keep their cool “When we look at the town port was 100.6 degrees. districts like Gilbert’s LD for the most part during weekly protests at the intersection of Warner proper of Gilbert, we do not The owners of the historic Potato 12 reflected that in the and Gilbert roads. (GSN filephoto) see many of the wide-rang- Barn near Williams Field Road and Higcandidates they sent to ing issues that are prevalent ley roads in Gilbert announced plans to the Legislature and Republicans retained police in May sparked protests – some vi- throughout other Valley cities. But you turn it into a multimillion-dollar mixedcontrol of both houses in the Arizona olent – across the country and in the East can be assured these issues will become use retail and restaurant development. Capitol. Valley. At the same time, Agritopia founder rampant as we continue to grow – even in The East Valley’s congressional repreDowntown Scottsdale became a war Gilbert,” Miller said. Joe Johnston and his son William unsentation remains the same, with Biggs zone on May 30 when looters and vanThe racial unrest elsewhere also pro- veiled plans for Epicenter, a high-end winning re-election in Fifth District and dals ran amok in and near Scottsdale moted calls for the return of Gilbert’s Hu- retail and residential development in Democrat Greg Stanton in the Ninth. Fashion Square. By year’s end more than man Relations Commission, which even- the heart of the Agritopia. The East Valley’s nonpartisan munici- 50 people had been arrested in connec- tually withered away. After some initial qualms, Town Counpal elections saw new mayors elected in tion with the rampage. Council tentatively approved the idea cil approved a new logo for Gilbert. Tempe and Gilbert. In Gilbert, groups protesting for racial of a new commission, but has yet to deTown Council decided to get into In Tempe, former City Councilman Co- equality and groups supporting police fine its scope and role. the ambulance business, expanding its rey Woods defeated two-term incumbent harassed each other but generally withIn October, Mayor Scott Anderson said, fleet of one ambulance with an eye toMark Mitchell in March, becoming that out incident under the watchful eye of “We will be trying to define a scope of ward eventually replacing the private city’s first African-American mayor. town police officers at the intersection work and forming the commission over provider.

NEWS

GILBERT SUN NEWS | DECEMBER 27, 2020

Open will go forward, but with far fewer fans BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY GSN Staff Writer

or the Waste Management Phoenix Open, the show must go on, but the typically crowded golf tournament will have a very different feel in 2021 as organizers implement safety protocols and drastically cut back admissions due to COVID-19. The event has still drawn criticism, though, for hosting in-person crowds as case numbers and hospitalizations continue to surge across the state. The tournament, scheduled Feb. 1-7, will scale back admissions by as much as 96 percent, according to estimates from the Phoenix Thunderbirds, the Valley charitable organization that runs the event. “The numbers are still fluid based on conversations with the PGA Tour and the City of Scottsdale, but I think ultimately if we could land at a range between 5,000 to 8,000 fans a day total for the tournament, that would be a home run for our organization and in turn local charities,” tournament Chairman Scott Jenkins said. That’s a significant decrease from a typical year, when the tournament can draw over 200,000 fans in a single day, with 16,000 of those at the popular 16th hole alone. Tickets are already on sale for packages for the 16th hole and the organizers will announce a decision on the availability of general admission tickets in the coming weeks. The Thunderbirds have scaled down the 16th hole as well. This year it will feature a single-story, open-air venue instead of the larger, indoor structures that usually surround the hole. “We’re working with them on a new floor plan and making sure we have the square footage, so we can socially distance people and have everybody have a bunch of room,” Jenkins said. The event, which partnered with Mayo Clinic, has also implemented mitigation protocols to combat virus spread, Jenkins said. Temperatures will be taken upon entry, and all event goers will be required to wear masks unless they are consuming

venues. “Outdoors is always better than indoors, that’s for sure; in fact, it’s 17 times safer than indoors,” he said. But Humble said, even with outdoor events, the devil is in The Waste Management Phoenix Open can draw over 200,000 fans the details and in a single day in a typical year, but organizers are expecting to host just 5,000 to 8,000 attendees daily at the February 2021 event due to it will be up to COVID-19. (Courtesy Waste Management Phoenix Open) event organizers and the city food or drinks. to ensure fans are abiding by restrictions. “It’s very similar to what we’re all expeHe said there is low risk if people are riencing in restaurants,” Jenkins said. “If walking hole to hole but that changes if a you’re moving, you’re wearing a mask; if glut of fans flock to the 16th hole and enyou’re actively eating and drinking, then gage in high-risk activities like yelling and it’s tough to do with a mask.” cheering. That part of the plan caused concern for “Let’s say the 16th hole is going to be Will Humble, executive director of the Ar- 3,000 out of the 8,000 people, and they’re izona Public Health Association, because all crammed together; even though it’s of the Open’s reputation as a party hub. outside that’s a potential, super spreader He questioned how the typical atmo- event even though it’s outside, because sphere at the tournament could impact you’re not moving around.” compliance with safety rules. Jenkins said the Open did not currentThe Phoenix Open is famous for its par- ly have a specific percentage of the daily ty-like atmosphere and the alcohol-fueled attendees that would be admitted to the behavior of some attendees. 16th hole, explaining, ““We’re just not In 2018, sports website SB Nation la- there yet.” beled the Phoenix Open “golf’s most demBut tournament organizers expressed ocratic and obscene event.” confidence in their ability to “mitigate Humble said that based on that past be- risks” for players, fans and volunteers. havior, he is not confident compliance will Ultimately, if the decision is made by lobe high. cal health officials to allow spectators, it “So, you can say there’s masks required, will be a small fraction of the normal cabut then you say ‘Oh, unless you’re having pacity at TPC Scottsdale and not any difa beer,” Humble said. “That’s like saying ferent from what many other professional ‘no masks.’” sports are currently allowing across the In a press release announcing the country,” according to the Thunderbirds’ event’s new structure, the Thunderbirds release. “The health and safety of fans is emphasized the drastically-reduced ad- our top priority.” missions, scaled-back 16th hole and notUnless something changes in the comed the “192-acre layout of TPC Scottsdale ing months, it appears state and local regand the outdoor nature of the tournament ulators will allow events to continue. is conducive to social distancing.” In December, the governor stipulated Humble, former director of the Arizona that cities must post any approved event’s Department of Health Services, acknowl- safety plans publicly and dedicate reedged that an outdoor event like the sources to ensure they are enforced. Phoenix Open is safer than any at indoor The safety plan for the Phoenix Open

has not yet been posted to the City of Scottsdale’s website. The Gilbert Sun News requested a copy of the plan from the city but that request was denied because the plan was “in draft and will not be released until it is final.” The City of Scottsdale has continued to allow large events and youth sports tournaments in line with the Governor’s orders, with few cancellations. The Barrett-Jackson collector car auction, the city’s other signature winter event, pushed its 2021 auction from January to March. As of Dec. 17, the city had safety plans for 22 approved events posted to its website. Those events are approved administratively by city staff, not City Council. Scottsdale Councilwoman Solange Whitehead said she has concerns about the Phoenix Open and that the city should not rule out a cancellation if necessary. “Our state is topping national charts,” Whitehead said. “I also have confidence in the commitment and abilities of those planning the event including the Thunderbirds, the PGA and Scottsdale’s City staff.” “But these are uncertain times and in order to protect public health, every option must remain on the table including canceling the event.” Right now, postponement appears off the table for the Phoenix Open due to scheduling issues with the PGA Tour, according to city staff. “That date is set for TV and sponsorship. Barrett Jackson was able to move because we had (a) slot open in March that could accommodate his event, the Thunderbirds have this only one slot. Their charities benefit from the tournament and that involves Scottsdale charities,” according to notes from Assistant City Manager Bill Murphy viewed by the Progress. Jenkins said the Open – which raised $14 million last year for area charities – was a reason why the organization decided to move forward with in-person attendance. “With the reduced attendance and the COVID environment, we’re not going to hit that $14 million number, but that’s why we made the decision to try to have fans, because that’s how we raise the money that we do,” Jenkins said.

GILBERT SUN NEWS | DECEMBER 27, 2020

Pandemic fuels record firearms sales in Arizona BY CALAH SCHLABACH Cronkite News

ASHINGTON – Background checks for gun purchases in Arizona hit their highest level ever in 2020, driven by an unprecedented convergence of a pandemic, a summer of national unrest and a presidential election, experts said. With a month left to go in the year, 610,911 background checks had been performed in the state through November, well over the 372,912 done in all of 2019, according to FBI data. The Arizona spike is part of a nationwide increase, said Kelly Drane, research director at Giffords Law Center, a gun control advocacy group. She estimated that there was a nearly 90 percent increase in gun sales nationally from March to October this year compared to last year, with early data indicating “a substantial number of these purchases were made by new gun owners.” Veerachart Murphy said that is what he has seen at Ammo AZ, the Phoenix gun store he owns, where there has been a “huge uptick in first-time buyers.” “Between the election and COVID and shutdowns and riots – it was enough to get them off the couch and come in and actually make their first purchase,” Murphy said of “people that were kind of maybe on the fence” about buying a gun. He said his biggest spike in sales came early this year as COVID-19 began dominating the news, with a 400 percent increase in sales from January to February. He attributes it to anxiety about a possible pandemic-related lockdown. Sales remained relatively high, he said, until another spike in the summer, when clashes between police and protesters were in the headlines. That experience tracks the FBI’s data, which shows that Arizona had the highest number of background checks in March, with nearly 83,000, followed by June and July, which had 74,000 and 60,000 background checks, respectively.

Murphy said he has seen similar spikes since he got into the gun business in 2013, usually after active-shooter incidents or mass shootings – and before the 2016 presidential election when sales jumped in anticipation of a win by Democrat Hillary Clinton. Sales tailed off then after gun-friendly President Donald Trump took office. Sales through November 2020 were already 47% higher than in all of 2016, which had been the record for the state. “It’s almost like the stock market, where something doesn’t actually have to happen to set off this market. It’s the threat of something, or the potential that something happens that will trigger this market,” Murphy said. With President-elect Joe Biden set to be sworn in on Jan. 20, Murphy expects gun sales to stay high and to double last year’s net sales. “I think this is going to be it for the foreseeable future with Biden in office. We saw kind of the same thing with Obama in office,” said Murphy, who posted then-President Barack Obama’s picture in his store as Employee of the Month. “That should give you kind of an idea of, of how everybody reacts to … a Democratic-controlled presidency.” During past gun-sale spikes, however, people were buying up AR-15s, thinking they would get taken away after mass shootings or by Democratic administrations. Now, Murphy said, “people are buying everything.” “It doesn’t matter – whatever you can get your hands on. People are literally buying everything, handguns, rifles, shotguns,” he said. “Everything is going.” It’s a “hoarding mentality” he compared to stocking up on toilet paper and hand sanitizer at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. But guns are not toilet paper. Drane said increased gun sales have coincided with increased gun violence in U.S. cities and more calls to domestic violence and suicide hotlines. Such correlations are

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GILBERT SUN NEWS | DECEMBER 27, 2020

Casteel hopes to fix enrollment before retiring BY KEVIN REAGAN GSN Staff Writer

handler Unified Superintendent Camille Casteel is aiming to resolve the district’s budget woes before she retires at the end of this school year. After 25 years as the top administrator of the state’s second-largest school district, Casteel announced two weeks ago she plans to step down next June. In an interview with the Chandler Arizonan, Casteel discussed her struggles with trying to manage CUSD during the pandemic and her top objective over the next six months. “We’d like to regain our student enrollment,” she said. The 2020-21 school year was the first during Casteel’s tenure that saw an enrollment decline after steady annual growth since 1996 -- the year Casteel was appointed superintendent. That growth resulted in the construction of 30 school campuses. But the pandemic has stunted that trajectory, costing the district more than 1,750 students and a loss of $13.9 million in state per-pupil reimbursement. That loss in state reimbursement could cost Chandler another $11.7 million because of the number of students who were in distance-learning earlier in the 2020-21 school year. The state reimburses districts at a rate that’s 5 percent lower for online students than the rate for those who learn in classrooms. Virtually all school districts have lost enrollment. Officials in other districts have said that statewide, some 40,000 students have literally disappeared from their enrollment lists and no one knows how – or if – they are learning since charter school numbers do not reflect that kind of increase in their student population. CUSD also had $13 million in unexpected expenses in the 201920 school year for pandemic-related costs that ranged from equipment for distance learning to protective gear to cleaning and sanitizing supplies.

Casteel said she can’t believe she went from teaching first grade to sitting in the superintendent’s seat. She said she never saw herself as an administrator when she was first hired at CUSD in 1971 and credits her success to the many mentors who pushed her to be a leader. “I had a number of people who saw qualities in me that maybe I didn’t see in myself,” she said. Public education has evolved over the last five decades and educators have had to adapt to some significant changes, she said. From statewide teacher Chandler Unified Superintendent Camille Casteel has been with the district for 50 years, starting as a teacher strikes to competing at Erie Elementary and winding up the chief executive for Arizona’s second-largest school system. (Pablo Robles/GSN Photographer) with charter schools, Casteel explained, Casteel said her staff will be ramping can’t make any decision that won’t superintendents across Arizona have up marketing efforts in the coming upset lots of people. had to navigate complex problems to “You feel like you’re surrounded by a keep their districts operational. months to try and win students back to number of firing squads and no matter the district. Casteel said she’s worried about the She said she also has been in regular which way you turn, you’re going to be future of public education and hopes contact with state legislators in the taken out,” the superintendent said. Arizona will always prioritize student She said CUSD could have handled well-being over everything else. hope that the reimbursement formula some challenges better, explaining, “I can be readjusted for districts. “I believe public education has Casteel’s retirement announcement wish we knew in March what we know become politicized and that certainly came during one of the district’s most now. We might have changed the way wasn’t the case 10 years ago,” Casteel we were operating.” turbulent times. added. Her decision to resign was an For the last nine months, the If Casteel was to pass along some superintendent has been regularly incredibly difficult one to make, she advice to her successor, she’d tell them bombarded with angry emails from said, yet 50 years in public education to maintain a calm demeanor, remain parents upset over how CUSD has seemed like a nice number to end on. accessible to the community and try to “I just felt it was time,” Casteel added. stay open-minded. responded to the pandemic. One side has insisted CUSD keep its “I would like to have some more time “There’s always multiple sides to schools open during the health crisis with my family.” an issue and to listen to all sides,” she Living through a pandemic that has added. and another has pushed for more claimed the lives of 7,400 Arizonans virtual learning options. Brighter days are ahead for CUSD, The lack of consensus among also made her feel the need to spend Casteel emphasized, and she’s eager to Chandler’s families has often placed more time with her 95-year-old mother be back in a time when she and her staff Casteel in the position of trying to play and many grandchildren, Casteel said. didn’t have to worry endlessly about “The pandemic has affected all of us,” COVID-19 data and health guidelines. peacekeeper with two groups unwilling she added. “It certainly has made me to make a compromise. “I’m looking forward to the day when It’s been a “horrible” place to be in at rethink the time I would like with my the pit in my stomach goes away and I times, Casteel said, because the district family.” can sleep through the night,” she said. Looking back on her long career, is frequently shoved into a corner and

GILBERT SUN NEWS | DECEMBER 27, 2020

EV state senator vows defiance of mask rule Townsend also is questioning Fannâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ability to enact what is formally being called a â&#x20AC;&#x153;protocolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122; as there has been no ith COVID-19 still flaring, the vote of lawmakers. president of the State Senate But Fann believes sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s on solid ground, has ordered that anyone com- citing an existing rule that gives her, as ing into the building must wear a face president, not just control of the Senate mask to attend sessions â&#x20AC;&#x201C; setting the chamber but â&#x20AC;&#x153;all of parts of the Senate stage for a confrontation with Mesaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wing and all other areas and buildings newly elected Sen. Kelly Townsend. used exclusively by the Senate.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Senate President Karen Fann said the Fann indicated sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unlikely to back directive is dedown â&#x20AC;&#x201C; even if signed to enit brings legissure the safety lative action to of everyone a halt. conducting â&#x20AC;&#x153;Failure to business at the adhere (to Capitol, includthese rules) ing people with could result preexisting in lack of quoconditions and rums, inabilithose who care ty to conduct for vulnerable voting and individuals. other work The Prescott we need to acRepublican accomplish,â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122; she knowledged warned. And that the issue of the ultimate masks has beresult, Fann State Sen-elect Kelly Townsend has signaled â&#x20AC;&#x153;no diceâ&#x20AC;? come a political when it comes to obeying a newly issued mask rule for said, would be lightning rod, anyone doing business with the Senate. (GSN file photo) shutting down but said she the session. hopes the rules The rules will â&#x20AC;&#x153;eliminate are designed some of the divisiveness we have encoun- to facilitate actual committee hearings, tered throughout this pandemic.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122; including allowing members of the public That does not appear to be working. to actually participate in hearings. Townsend, the east Mesa Republican But it remains doubtful that supportwho had served in the House and was ers or foes of legislation will be able to just elected to the Senate, said she has no pack hearing rooms the way they have intention of complying. until now. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s because visitors will be â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve already told them where I stand,â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122; allowed into the building only to actually she told Capitol Media Services. â&#x20AC;&#x153;What participate in a committee hearing or for are they going to do? Arrest me?â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122; a prescheduled meeting with a senator or What can be done, if the rules are fol- staffer. lowed, is simply refuse to allow Townsend The House is expected to announce its into the building. own rules this coming week. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to physically block me They are expected to be similar, with from the building?â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122; she asked. Fann saying the Senate rules â&#x20AC;&#x153;were deâ&#x20AC;&#x153;Well, thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d be fun,â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Townsend added, veloped in collaboration with the House promising to invite a reporter there when see TOWNSEND page 14 she attempts entry.

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DISTRACTED

GILBERT SUN NEWS | DECEMBER 27, 2020

from page 1

Traffic safety advocates say that distracted driving causes the same level of danger as an impaired driver with a .08 percent alcohol level, the minimum level at which Arizona drivers are presumed to be impaired under state law. Police in Scottsdale, Mesa, Gilbert and Chandler all say they have been issuing warnings. Gilbert took a somewhat different approach, designating a series of six “hands free duty’’ days in which officers made traffic stops and issued warnings to drivers holding a cell phone in their hands, said Brenda Carrasco, a Gilbert Police spokeswoman. The last of these warning events is planned for this week. Carrasco said activity on the department’s social media pages indicates that some residents are irritated by distracted drivers and look forward to enforcement of the hands-free law. “I think it will depend upon the circumstances,’’ whether some is cited or warned for violations noted in the new year, she said. After issuing a long series of warnings, Mesa police traffic Officer Mike Kuntz is looking forward to issuing citations, saying that they tend to make a longer-lasting impact on the behavior of drivers. “I educate a lot of people. Every time I drive past a car and they are on the phone, I make them put down the phone,’’ he said. Kuntz said drivers have been backsliding into their old habits during the educational campaign rather than improving their safety by putting down their phones. “A year ago, a lot of news agencies reported it. I would say that initially, it improved,’’ he said. But Kuntz said authorities now need

to regain the momentum lost during the long delay in enforcing the law. “You drive down the road, we all see there are so many people on their phones. It’s ridiculous,’’ Kuntz said. “There will be no more warnings from me. There will only be citations. I have been waiting for 1 ½ years to give citations. “I need to gain compliance from you,’’ Kuntz said, adding he’s not buying excuses. “Just put it down. If you can’t put it down, put it in the trunk,’’ he said. Alberto Gutier, director of the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, said he is planning a public service campaign to remind drivers that the state law takes effect on Jan. 1. Chandler and Gilbert police said they

also are planning to post safety videos about the new law’s requirements on the social media as another method of reminding the public that it is becoming effective. “No one likes to be pulled over. Being pulled over is the best message for people who are driving distracted,’’ Gutier said. “I think the momentum will come right back.’’ Gutier said he believes the new law will save lives and that it represents a direct opportunity to improve public safety. “Even though we had more than a year of warnings, now it’s the real thing,’’ he said. “People need to put their phone down.’’ Sgt. Jason McClimans, a Chandler police spokesman, said it’s not realistic to think

all drivers will suddenly put down their phones and pay attention to their driving on Jan. 1. “It’s going to continue to happen. It’s so ingrained in people’s heads,’’ McClimans said. The public needs to understand that driving is a complicated act requiring their full attention and that the vast majority of texts and messages can wait until they are parked, he said. “We believe the number of distracted driving citations will increase dramatically,’’ McClimans said, adding that he thinks there are circumstances where a warning will suffice in changing someone’s behavior. “There are certain people out there who understand warnings. We feel they won’t do it again,’’ he said. Marc Lamber, a personal injury attorney, said he has represented many clients who have lost a loved one or have suffered serious injuries from distracted driving. He recalled a time when there was more tolerance for impaired driving before extensive public education campaigns changed people’s attitudes. Because almost any hazard can pop up suddenly while driving, “you need to have full attention with your hands and cognition with your brain,’’ Lamber said. “I see more and more accidents involving someone who is on the phone and distracted. Ninety-three percent of accidents are caused by human error,’’ he said. He also said that the law taking effect and Bluetooth being widely available, when it comes to motorists keeping your hands off their phone behind the wheel, “I hope it will become as automatic as wearing a seatbelt.”

are enough allegations of inappropriateness or not being able to engage in the process or anomalies that exist.’’ For example, there are people who said they were assigned to observe things like opening envelopes, reviewing ballots with flaws and counting them but really didn’t get a chance to see the process. Farnsworth said this audit will deter-

mine if their concerns are valid or everything was done correctly. “The Legislature has the ultimate authority and responsibility, plenary authority with regards to elections,’’ he said. “I don’t know why that’s so difficult for people to understand.” Some of the strongest comments came from Steve Gallardo, who called the subpoenas “a sideshow coming from the

legislature’’ and a “circus.’’ He said while he is the lone Democrat on the board that everything about this election was done in a bipartisan fashion. Gallardo also pointed out that there were no complaints about how the election was conducted until after the vote when it became obvious that Joe Biden had outpolled Donald Trump, not just in

the state but also in Maricopa County. “I expect that there will always be criticism from folks that do not like the outcome of elections,’’ he said. “But yet, at the end of the day, we had a safe, secure election,’’ Gallardo said, even with the highest turnout ever. “And everyone had the opportunity to cast their ballot,’’ he continued. “And everyone’s ballot was tabulated.’’

COUNTY from page 3

When he signed the ban on texting while driving, D. Doug Ducey invited relatives of people who lost their lives to the thoughtless and reckless motorists who text while operating a vehicle. (GSN file photo)

GILBERT SUN NEWS | DECEMBER 27, 2020

NEWS

Liam, Olivia top 2020 newborns’ names in state BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

f you’re having a baby boy next year, don’t name him Liam or Noah unless you want him to just be another Tom, Dick or Harry. Not that there’s anything wrong with any of those names, old or new. It’s just that for yet another year Liam and Noah remain at the top of the chart for all baby boys born in Arizona in 2020. Sure, there were some Toms born in Arizona in 2020 – but just 91 of them, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services, which keeps track of such things. And there weren’t even enough Richards or Harrys to make the agency’s Top 100. By contrast, there were 442 children named Liam. That means that more than one out of every 100 baby boys born this year in Arizona was named

Liam. The same more-than-one-in-100 situation exists for girls, with Olivia standing out among names for newborns for yet another year. That is followed by Emma, Sophia and Mia. So, what’s with the popularity of Liam, an Irish variant on William? A decade ago, it didn’t even crack the Top 20. It could be the effect of movie and pop stars like Liam Neeson, Liam Hemsworth or even Liam Gallagher. And names beyond that? Well, perhaps it’s just a sign of the COVID-19 times. But parents of newborn boys in Arizona are turning increasingly to the Bible when looking for names. How much? This past year, more than half of the top 30 names for boys can be found in the Bible. That starts with No. 2 Noah, which a decade ago was 10th most popular

name but nowhere in the top 20 for decades before that. But this year there’s also Mateo – which is a Latin version of Matthew – as well as Benjamin, Elijah, James, Daniel, Ezekiel and David in the top 20. Samuel, Luke, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph are among in the next 10. For girls, the picture is quite different. There’s a certain volatility over the decades among what parents name their daughters, perhaps affected by everything from literature to film. Consider Jessica, Ashley and Amanda: the top names for girls born in Arizona in 1990. Nowhere are they on the top 100 this year. Oh, and spelling counts. The way the health department records the list is how the parents list it on a birth certificate. So, for example, Sophia comes in just third with 344 girls with that name in 2020. But add another 146 Sofias and

63 Sophies and you now have the No. 1 name for girls. There are other signs of volatility among names for girls. Consider Nevaeh. It’s “heaven’’ spelled backwards. And it appears to have taken off after Sonny Sandoval, frontman for the Christian rock group P.O.D. (Payable on Death) chose that name for his newborn daughter and took her on MTV in 2000. By 2007 it made it into Arizona’s top 20. And now? No better than 70th. It’s been even worse with other names that used to be popular, like Heather and Jessica and Stephanie, all in the top 20 three decades ago and not even cracking the top 100 this year. Conversely, there are some names that are popular now that were pretty rare even a year ago. Gianna was just No. 51 for 2019. And Mila wasn’t even among the 100 most popular last year.

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TOWNSENDfrom page 11

GILBERT SUN NEWS | DECEMBER 27, 2020

for uniformity and consistency for all within the Capitol community that participate in legislative proceedings.’’ The rules come as lawmakers grapple with how to conduct business amid the continued threat of infection from the coronavirus. It starts with the idea of limiting the chances that someone who is infected will even enter the building. Under the rules, anyone wishing entry, including lawmakers, staff and visitors, will be subject to temperature checks.

Then there’s the requirement for masks. A legislator or staffer in his or her own individual closed office will be free to unmask. And there even are allowances for people who have their own dedicated work space, which can include a desk or cubicle. “However, if one person enters another person’s dedicated work space, then everyone in that space must wear a mask or other appropriate face covering,’’ the rules read. “There are no excep-

tions.’’ And not just any mask or piece of cloth covering just part of the face. “Masks or other face covering must cover the nose and mouth and should fit snugly against the sides of the face,’’ according to the policy. There is a provision for those who are “medically unable’’ to wear a mask according to their doctor. They are required to wear a face shield that covers the mouth and nose. But that’s not a preferred solution,

with the rules urging these people to work remotely. There is a separate rule for “social distancing’’ of six feet between individuals, along with no shaking hands or other physical contact. The rules also create a new duty for Senate pages, requiring them to disinfect hearing rooms and the caucus rooms after each meeting. And there will be free testing for staffers and lawmakers during certain hours of each day.

well known from previous research, she said, but may be more dangerous during the pandemic – which is expected to worsen this winter. “The risks posed by these new firearm purchases may be particularly severe when coupled with the risks for gun violence exacerbated by the pandemic, such as economic uncertainty, unemployment, and social isolation,” Drane

said. “These conditions have historically been associated with increased suicide attempts and deaths.” Drane said 90 percent of suicide attempts with a firearm end in death, and domestic violence victims are five times more likely to be killed when their abuser has a gun. With more people stuck at home, she said, domestic violence victims may not have access to support-

ive services, and with more children at home, there is a greater risk of unintentional shootings with improperly stored guns. “While the gun lobby uses fear to promote the panic-buying of guns, all Americans should be aware of the risks of having a gun in the home,” Drane said. But Murphy said gun-buying he has seen has been a nonpartisan exercise,

with liberals in his store for the first time. He said his neighbor in Scottsdale – who he called an “uber-liberal huge Biden supporter” – bought his first gun after the unrest there this summer. Drane said the bottom line is, “if you do decide to purchase a gun, we encourage you to learn about and practice safe gun storage, which is a foundational part of being a responsible gun owner.”

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SRP launches effort to block wildfires’ scourge BY GARY NELSON GSN Contributor

ith Arizona locked in an epic drought, Salt River Project is launching an effort to prevent its watersheds from going up in smoke. The utility, which delivers water and electricity to vast swaths of the East Valley, does not expect the program to be an overnight success. Indeed, the timetable stretches 15 years into the future. But SRP sees the program as essential to preserving the region’s water supply over time. The focus is on asking SRP customers to contribute $3 a month or more when they pay their electric bills. The money will be earmarked for forest-thinning projects in northern and eastern Arizona, with SRP donating up to $200,000 a year in matching funds. SRP hopes to thin up to 50,000 acres of forest per year, eventually covering a half-million acres by 2035. That should be enough, the utility believes, to mitigate some of the most disastrous effects of the wildfires that have been tearing through Arizona with frightening regularity for the past 30-plus years. Elvy Barton, who oversees forest management for SRP, said customers already have been donating to assist the utility’s reforestation efforts in some of Arizona’s burn scars. “We are now transitioning into more of a focus on strategic forest thinning projects that reduce wildfire risk,” she said. “Our focus with this new program really is just to not have these large, devastating wildfires across our watershed.” Of those, there have been plenty in recent years. This year’s Bush Fire, which began northeast of Mesa and covered some 193,000 acres, was the fifth-largest in state history. The four larger ones all have occurred since 2002. The immediate impacts are obvious: Scorched earth, imperiled communities, lives in danger. But, Barton said, the fires also threaten the quality of the water that SRP delivers to the thirsty East Valley through water-

sheds along the Salt and Verde rivers. “The reliability and sustainability of the water supply … comes from these forested watersheds,” she said. Even a blaze such as the Bush Fire, which burned mostly desert, can affect water quality, she said. “If there’s a high-severity burn on those acres, a lot of that material – the ash, the debris and the dirt – following precipitation still flows into the streams and rivers, eventually making its way into the SRP reservoirs,” she said. “If those flows are below the reservoirs, they will actually go straight into our delivery system.” Thinning forests is a vital fire-fighting strategy, and it wasn’t necessary until European settlers began altering the landscape. Left to itself, a healthy forest will have an occasional cleansing fire that clears away debris and creates enough space between trees for them to thrive. But fire-suppression efforts led to overgrowth and massive accumulations of fuel that feed explosive wildfires. Since 2000, according to SRP, 2.9 million acres have burned in and near its watersheds. In one portion of SRP’s watershed, a natural forest population of about 100 trees per acre has been overrun by some 6,000 trees per acre. SRP does not aim to do all the actual thinning work itself. Its partners include federal and state agencies, environmental groups and the White Mountain Apache Tribe. The long-term project begins with Arizona experiencing all the factors that could lead to yet another disastrous wildfire season. This past monsoon season was the driest in state history, and in many areas the hottest. A warm, dry winter also is likely, according to the National Weather Service. “Together we really believe we can make an impact in reducing these large wildfires and protecting communities, water supplies and air quality across Arizona,” Barton said. SRP customers who wish to contribute to the tree-thinning effort may enroll at srpnet.com/healthyforest.

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Ex-cop collars laughter at his local club BY CECILIA CHAN GSN Managing Editor

t the Village of Alsip Police Department in Illinois, Jim Perry served in a number of roles: law enforcement trainer, DARE officer, media relations officer, crime prevention officer and hostage negotiator. Nowadays, the Gilbert resident serves up a belly full of laughter with JP’s Comedy Club, which he opened in September on Warner Road. “I had about 10 years on and unfortunately I got hurt,” the former cop said. “I messed up my shoulder very bad and it ended my career.” Perry, who was the top graduate in his class at the police academy, was injured after he volunteered to be tased during a training exercise. That set him on his new career path. “I’ve always been a big fan of comedy all my life,” Perry said. “I was the guy who would listen to George Carlin and Richard Pryor in the basement of the house.” He’s had people throughout in his life tell him he should do comedy, especial-

when off-duty for groups like American Legion, The 100 Club and cancer organizations. “I was the DARE officer and the PR guy, always the talker,” he said. “And I was the hostage negotiator guy who made things lighter.” He now taps into his police background for his routines, poking light-hearted fun at his former brothers in blue and is known as “The Cop Comic.” “It’s silly stuff, not Gilbert resident Jim Perry had to leave his job on an Illinois police force for medical reasons and so he became like making fun of a comic and the owner of Gilbert’s only comedy club. (Special to GSN) them in a disparaging way – cops like ly his mother because of his smart-aleck fellow officers, said transitioning to his doughnuts,” Perry said. “Nothing bad.” One of his stand-up cop jokes goes like comments. stand-up gig was easy. Perry, who was a bit of a jokester in The 2004 Officer of the Year had also school and would pull pranks on his performed countless fundraising shows see COMIC page 19

ASU fueled Gilbert woman’s passion for conservation BY KIRSTEN KRAKLIO GSN Guest Writer

hile many children grew up watching cartoons, a young Katherine Amari was obsessing over Animal Planet, National Geographic, the Discovery Channel and finding every opportunity to share fun biology facts with her friends and family. “I’m sure my parents thought it was a phase, but as I got older and started learning about topics like habitat destruction and climate change, it mani-

fested into a passion for conservation,” Amari said. The Gilbert woman was one of more than 9,000 Arizona State University students who were awarded bachelor or master’s degrees in a virtual commencement Dec. 14. Amari earned her bachelor’s degree in biological sciences with a concentration in conservation biology and ecology from the School of Life Sciences as well as a certificate in sustainable food systems from the College of Global Futures. She is also a recipient of Arizona State

University’s Moeur Award, given students who graduate with a 4.0 GPA. Amari describes her college experience as smooth sailing – until April 2020, when she began experiencing strange medical symptoms. She spent the next five months visiting with different specialists trying to figure out what was wrong. “Even after several procedures and medications, none of my doctors could figure out what was wrong. Being in and out of doctors’ offices every week and dealing with my symptoms made it difficult to get any schoolwork done,”

she said. “It was a really stressful time in my life, especially with the pandemic and adjusting to virtual learning.” In September, Amari was diagnosed with a chronic pain condition. “At this point, I wanted to give up and accept that my symptoms would never go away, but at the encouragement of my family, I continued my search for help and eventually found a physical therapist who specialized in my condition. Since then, I have slowly gotten better and was able to persevere and

see AMARI page 20

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Area woman becomes a ‘dementia whisperer’ BY KEVIN REAGAN GSN Staff Writer

hen Laura Wayman’s father started showing signs of dementia, her mother tried to downplay his symptoms to friends and relatives. Her parents had already retired and were spending their days traveling the country in a recreational vehicle. But then Wayman’s father started to become increasingly forgetful and confused. Wayman’s mother turned down offers from her children to help look after him and tried to manage the situation on her own. But her father’s condition became blatantly apparent after a tragedy struck the family. Her mother suffered a heart attack and Wayman’s father couldn’t comprehend what was happening to his wife, so he didn’t call 911. “(His) reactions to this emergency were slowed by his dementia, which was far more advanced than anyone had realized,” Wayman recalled. By the time a neighbor called for help, Wayman’s mother had died. Wayman feels her mother might have survived had she informed others of her husband’s deteriorating condition. “She was just doing what she had always done, believing she could do it alone,” Wayman said. “It ended up tak-

Laura Wayman of Chandler teaches caregivers and others non-verbal tools for them to more effectively relate with people who suffer from dementia. (Pablo Robles/Staff Photographer) ing her life.” Wayman, who recently relocated to Chandler, is now on a mission to prevent another family from enduring the same tragedy she’s experienced. “My vision is to bring light into the darkness of dementia through education, awareness, support, encouragement and hope,” she said. She has written books, consulted caregivers and held lectures on the complexities of treating someone with dementia. Her knowledge and expertise have prompted her to call herself the “dementia whisperer” because she teaches

caregivers non-verbal tools. Adults with dementia communicate on the basis of emotions, Wayman said, and need caregivers who can adapt their body language and facial expressions. “My years of observations and interactions have taught me that communicating with the dementia-challenged person involve much more than the words coming out of your mouth,” she said. Wayman has trained nurses, police officers and family members on how to positively interact with someone showing dementia symptoms. As more of the general population continues to reach retirement age, Way-

SEALS are doing this for the SEAL Future Foundation, which helps former SEALS transition to civilian life. And for that cause, he is now training for another Alaskan run that is nearly three times longer than the one he ran earlier this year. He’ll be running in the Iditarod Trail Invitational 1000, the world’s longest running winter ultra-marathon that takes participants through the far reaches of the Alaskan wilderness to the famed burled arch in Nome, where the famed dog sled race ends.

Participants have 30 days to finish 1,000 miles across some of the world’s most treacherous terrain and brutal conditions, where the weather quickly changes and slams participants from -50F to 35F temperatures, gale force winds, rain, blizzards, waist-deep snow, mud, glare ice and bright sunny skies – often in the same day. Though he is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy who joined the highly competitive process of becoming a SEAL, a training accident not only disqualified him but ended his Naval career after three years in 2017.

man hopes society will begin to shift its perspective on cognitive disorders like dementia and eliminate the stigmas associated with them. There’s a tendency to ignore the severity of a relative’s disease, Wayman said, and that’s because there is not enough awareness in the community on the intricacies of dementia. “Denial will make the dementia care journey much more treacherous,” she added. “Dementia-denial causes a caregiver to go along with the person’s insistence that he or she is fine.” The pandemic has understandably interfered with Wayman’s mission to spread awareness around Chandler over the last few months. She transitioned to training sessions on Zoom and continues trying to connect digitally with Chandler’s elderly communities. “My work is all online and virtual right now due to COVID restrictions and I can continue raising dementia-awareness from anywhere,” she said. There are ways to ease the burden dementia can afflict on a patient and their family, Wayman added, but there are not always enough resources publicly available to navigate this complex disease. “Every dementia care journey is unique— and you can also expect that the landscape will be constantly changing,” she said. Information: laurawayman.com.

Former East Valley man in grueling fundraiser GSN NEWS STAFF

o a couch potato, Keith Eckert may seem like a glutton for punishment. The former Chandler resident and 2009 Hamilton High grad has run two 200-mile races where one was 243 miles; four 100-mile races with one finished in 23 hours and 40 minutes; swam 16 miles, which took him nine hours; and has run another 350-mile marathon in the freezing temperatures of Alaska. He doesn’t do it just for fun. Rather, Eckert and three active Navy

His parents, siblings and nephews all live in Chandler, Mesa and Gilbert and he stays in touch with numerous friends from his high school days, including Chandler Councilman Matt Orlando. Back when he attended Hamilton, Eckert was on the wrestling team. He and his three SEAL friends have an ambitious goal for the Iditarod Trail Invitational 1000, which will be held next February. Indeed, training seems as exhausting as

see

FUNDRAISER page 19

GILBERT SUN NEWS | DECEMBER 27, 2020

FUNDRAISER from page 18

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the actual event, including leg-strengthening exercises and running a minimum 60 miles a week. “The idea is to train only enough to where we do not injure ourselves leading up to the race,” he said. He puts his body through such a punishing pace because of his belief in the SEAL Future Foundation. “It’s an outstanding organization that has personally helped a dear friend of mine and former Navy SEAL diagnosed with multiple sclerosis,” Eckert said. “The right cause is one worth fighting and

struggling for. This race will no doubt test our physical and mental fortitude. That is why we are doing it. Who knows, maybe we will inspire others to test their physical and mental limits.” The group has expanded its mission to provide wellness, mental health and family well-being services. “Initially our focus was on scholarships, jobs searches, placement and mentoring,” co-founder Jonathan Wilson says on the group’s website. “We were the destination to ensure SEALs a successful personal and professional transition, but we also want-

ed to help them live a life of purpose and fulfillment within their communities.” Last year’s Alaskan marathon was grueling, Eckert said. “The weather would drop to -50 at its lowest,” he recalled. “I would walk 35 miles a day dragging my 60-pound sled behind me. It took me 10 days to complete the 350 miles. “The biggest challenge was keeping my drinking water from freezing and eating my frozen solid food. As soon as I finished, I wondered if completing 1000 miles in those conditions was possible, that is

what is bringing me back to Alaska.” He figures the 1,000-mile venture will take all 30 days allotted for competitors. “What I will change from last year’s race is have a warmer sleeping bag,” he said. “My old sleeping bag was rated from -20 degrees, so sleeping in it at night was miserable. I will also change how I carried water. Not being able to drink much was terrible.” Eckert is hoping his East Valley friends will help support him. To sign up as a donor: sealff.org/iditarod-trail-invitational.

this: “Some have asked why I wanted to become a police officer. The truth is discounted food. Yeah, you show your badge and ID at a Chipotle, 50 percent off. You show your gun, 100 percent off.” Taking his show on the road was hard work and his wife wanted him to stay local. So, when the opportunity presented itself, he opened up the comedy club, the first in Gilbert. The club showcases local comedic talent and national touring entertainers. The club also includes a school for those who want to learn how to make people laugh. The teacher is well-known comic Tony Vicich, owner of comedyschools.com. Year-round classes include stand up, sketch, improv, writing labs, comedy workshops and camps for kids. “It’s on a lot of people’s bucket list to take comedy classes and do stand up,” said Perry, who grew up in Chicago and entered the Navy right out of high school. Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays are reserved for classes while Thursdays,

Fridays and Saturdays are for the standup shows. Sundays are reserved for private events where an entertainer can book the space for a fee and keep 100 percent of the door and ticket revenues. Perry tries to perform twice a week, opening up for the main act. The former Desert Storm veteran said the shows at the club are for 21 and older with “clean” comedy offered once or twice a month. The club follows health protocols such as masks, limiting the 100-seat capacity to half and social distancing. Ticket prices start at $15. So far, people are giving the venue a thumbs up with one man on social media writing, “Recently attended a show here. I had a great time and got to see some very funny comics.” With the COVID-19 pandemic still raging in the country since early this year and many businesses hit hard in the wallet, Perry, nonetheless, went and opened his business. Perry said he’s always gone against the grain.

“I believe in doing the opposite of what the masses are doing,” he said. “In ’08 when the housing market was crashing, my wife and I bought a bunch of houses as an investment and when things went back to normal we flipped those houses. “I had the same mindset when COVID happened with businesses shutting down. I got a good lease and good rent. “When I see things as bad I look at it

as an opportunity. I think it will end and things will get better. This is like a dream for me, a passion project. It’s fun and may turn into something and may pay the rent.”

COMIC from page 16

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AMARI from page 16

finish my degree with a 4.0 GPA.” Amari credits her support system for helping her persevere and reach her goals. “I really just want to thank my family, friends, and professors for supporting me on this journey,” she said. “I couldn’t have done it without them.” She chose ASU because her mom is an university alumna and her older brother was already attending ASU. “I knew I wanted to live at home to save money for my future and ASU offered me an excellent scholarship, so it was an easy choice for me to make,” she explained. Amari is continuing on to get her master’s degree through The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences’ 4+1 accelerated degree program. “It was the summer before my junior year and my adviser mentioned that I was on track to graduate early and that I would be a good candidate for the 4+1 program, but that I needed to find a professor willing to have me work in their lab and take me on as a master’s

GILBERT SUN NEWS | DECEMBER 27, 2020

student,” she explained. She opted to work in Dr. Heather Throop’s Drylands in a Changing Environment lab. “Because I really enjoyed working in her lab and she was so enthusiastic about her work, I knew it was a good fit. My research will focus on how climate change, specifically increasing rainfall variability, alters the interaction between dryland soils and soil amendments. “I’m really interested in how land management strategies can help mitigate the effects of climate change in drylands, especially since drylands play such an important role in our agricultural system.” Asked what she learned at ASU that surprised her, AmaNow that she has her bachelor’s degree, Gilbert ri replied, “I was surprised to resident Katherine Amari is roaring ahead with getting find that, even among other her master’s. (ASU) scientists, opinions on how to solve conservation-related

problems differed greatly. “Ethics is a particularly difficult subject to navigate because people are guided by different sets of values and morals,” she continued. “Initially, it was frustrating that not everyone agreed with my point of view, but in hearing other’s opinions and arguments, my perspective changed a lot. It was a really eye-opening experience.” Among the courses she like the best was a field course with Dr. Matt Chew about introduced species. “In every single biology course I’d taken previously, I was taught that ‘invasive’ species are detrimental to ecosystem health and threaten biodiversity. Dr. Chew’s class changed my perspective on that,” she said. “He taught me to research ideas for myself instead of taking what others say at face value, even if those others are professors or scientists. He showed me that there is always another lens to view problems through, and that the best problem solvers are those who consider every perspective.”

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BUSINESS

Business

GILBERT SUN NEWS | DECEMBER 27, 2020

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San Tan Village owner optimistic about future BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY GSN Staff Writer

he Covid-19 pandemic and associated shutdowns have hurt shopping malls across the country, but executives with Macerich see some small signs of improvement heading into 2021. Macerich, the California-based real estate investment company that owns and operates Scottsdale Fashion Square, San Tan Village Mall in Gilbert, Superstition Springs Centers in Mesa and Chandler Fashion Center, last month held a conference call with investors and told them conditions improved between the second and third quarters this year. Macerich said the overall occupancy rate for the company’s malls was at 91 percent – down three percent from the same time one year ago. Traffic at Macerich’s malls was at about 80 percent compared to a year prior and sales were trending at 90 percent compared to one year ago, according to the call. Zacks Equity Research, an investment research firm, reported that Macerich’s revenues of $185.8 million for the third quarter were down 19.6 percent compared to a year ago. But the Macerich executives noted some signs of optimism. They noted that all of its malls had reopened as of Oct. 7 and it had around $630 million in cash and cash equivalents, up from $573 million in June. Macerich is also seeing improved rent collections, which had become a problem for malls earlier this year after

Macerich invested around $140 million in recent years to expand Scottsdale Fashion Square and build out a new luxury wing featuring retailers like Louis Vuitton and Gucci. (Special to GSN) many states shuttered retail stores. The company collected about 80 percent of its billed rents in the third quarter, up from 64 percent in the second quarter. Additionally, Macerich CEO Thomas O’Hern said Macerich came to deals with most tenants who missed rent payments to defer back rent payments to 2021 “in many cases in exchange for landlord-friendly amendments to leases.” That included deals with most of the company’s top-200 retailers. Of those 200 retailers, Macerich had reached agreements with 147 of them and was nearing agreements with another 23, according to information presented on the call. Even with those deals in place, Macerich or related entities have a number of lawsuits pending in Maricopa County Superior Court for unpaid rent. Macerich-owned entities have at least

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nine active lawsuits alleging breach of contract against tenants at Scottsdale Fashion Square and Chandler Fashion Center, including The Disney Store, Gap, Banana Republic, Express, Guess, The Children’s Place, J. Jill, Talbots, MAC Cosmetics and Windsor Fashions. Macerich leadership said the closure of local stores during the pandemic and retailer bankruptcies was largely to blame for the drop in occupancy. Kingmore said Macerich is in the process of paying off loan deferrals for a total of 19 properties. This all came after Macerich invested $140 to $160 million to renovate Scottsdale Fashion Center and build a luxury wing that opened up in late 2018 featuring high-end retailers like Louis Vuitton, Gucci and Bulgari. Not all experts thought the expansion was a smart play, even pre-pandemic,

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

as online shopping continues to eat into traditional retail sales. “Absolutely bad idea,” said Hitendra Chaturvedi, professor of supply chain management at Arizona State University’s W. P. Carey School of Business. Chaturvedi said the pandemic is only accelerating the shift away from brickand-mortar retail experiences to online shopping and has also hurt sales of luxury clothing items like those sold in the new wing at Fashion Square. “When you are buying a Gucci or high-end… you typically end up going out with people and going to places where you can show off some of the stuff,” Chaturvedi said. “With us staying at home, if you look at the data, you will see that high-end shoes and clothes and accessories sales have come down.” In November 2019, the Fool reported Macerich’s malls posted yearly sales per square foot of $800, up from $707 the year before. Still, even if 2021 includes a return to normal shopping habits, Macerich may sell off non-core assets in order to better its financial position. The company did something similar coming out of the Great Recession when it sold 25 properties and generated around $500 million in liquidity, O’Hern said. “We expect post-pandemic, post-vaccine things will return to a more normal level, and we will have the opportunity to dispose of non-core assets and use that capital for reducing leverage levels,” O’Hern said.

OPINION

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Face masks and seat belts: how to change habits BY NORMA HUBELE GSN Guest Writer

“T

hey’re uncomfortable to wear.” “There’s no real evidence they work.” “The government has no right to make me wear one.” These arguments against wearing face masks are nothing new – they were used in the 1980s by those who opposed government mandates on wearing seat belts. As a car safety expert, I think the history of seat belt adoption can teach us a lot about how we can change people’s habits and save more lives in the COVID-19 era. Seat belts became standard equipment in passenger cars in the 1960s. But having the equipment and using the equipment are two different things. It would be another two decades until the first state, New York, mandated their use. Today, every state ex-

cept for New Hampshire has a mandatory seat belt law. These state mandates have saved lives. For the period between 1960 and 2012, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that 330,715 people walked away from crashes because they used their seat belts. Local mandates, together with national campaigns – such as the “Buckle-up for Safety” jingle or the “Don’t Be a Dummy – Buckle-up” television commercial – all worked together to influence behavior. The federal government also played a role in nudging states to strengthen enforcement. Congress offered states highway safety grants starting in 2005 if they’d upgrade from secondary enforcement laws to primary ones. Under primary laws, police can stop you for not wearing a seat belt vs. a secondary law, where you must commit some other offense first. As COVID-19 resurges, I’m seeing a sim-

ilar state-led pattern play out in face mask mandates. As of late November, 37 states have some kind of mask mandate. But unlike seat belts, we can’t wait decades for people to make face masking a habit. COVID-19 so far has killed more than 10 times the Americans that have died in car crashes this year. That’s why I think President-elect Joe Biden is taking a more direct and personal approach by asking people to wear masks for 100 days. A national campaign to civic duty, if done correctly, could be the fastest way to curb the virus. Congress can reinforce Biden’s appeal with financial incentives to states that have yet to adopt mask mandates. While the debates over seat belts and face masks do have many similarities, it’s important to note one key difference: The average person can see the devastating effect of what happens when an unbelted person is in a car crash. But for most of us, thankfully, the effects

of COVID-19 are still invisible. It’s easier to have a “it won’t happen to me” attitude with face masking, especially if you’re young, healthy, and need to earn a paycheck. There’s always going to be a small part of the population that has to learn their lesson – whether it’s wearing seat belts or face masks – the hard way. The problem right now is that those decisions impact us all. That’s why I like that our leaders are starting to pursue a multi-level approach. Appeal to people’s sense of civic duty. Put local mandates in place. And if the federal government must step in, use what they already know works, money. Let’s not make this ride longer than it has to be. -Arizona State University engineering professor emeritus Norma Hubele is the inventor of TheAutoProfessor.com, a website that helps families make safer car choices. She is working on a book, “Car Safety: Where the Numbers Help and Where They Don’t.”

tween social restrictions and the economic damage those restrictions create – and as a human being who values family, spirituality and interpersonal connection – I was loathe to suggest we legislate Hanukkah and Christmas out of existence this year. But let’s be honest: New Year’s Eve has no such emotional or familial weight. It’s mostly just an excuse to tie one on for folks who are into that sort of thing. Personally, if history is any indication, I’ll be asleep before the ball drops in Times Square in New York City – where they intend to have a televised celebration sans crowd in 2021. As for the rest of you, you may not like this, but I’d be thrilled if our state’s governor, mayors and county supervisors took a page out of Tucson and Pima County’s book for one night only and declared a mandatory curfew beginning at 10 p.m. sharp and lasting until 5 in the morning. We can exempt first responders, doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals, essential workers and the homeless, along

with anyone else headed to work or dealing with a legitimate emergency. In keeping with the Pima County measure, bars, restaurants, clubs and other businesses that help people defy the curfew – say, by serving champagne at midnight – would be subject to having its license or business permit revoked. As for individual curfew breakers, I’d rather not tie up police officers writing citations as opposed to, say, tracking down New Year’s drunken drivers. But a stern warning wouldn’t bother me much. For the past nine months, I’ve found myself repeatedly caught between two warring factions: People who think COVID is fake and believe every mitigation measure is abysmally stupid and people who want to lock down the entire state “because if a lockdown would be enough to save even a single life, then that’s our responsibility.” I have disagreed with both sides at every turn, arguing instead for two things these camps seem to have forgotten: personal responsibility and balance.

The notion of a New Year’s Eve curfew irks me, because it represents government depriving citizens of our freedom. With that said, it’s not much of a deprivation: one night where we’d be forced to head home a few hours early. Balanced against avoiding the inevitable positive case spike, especially after the Christmas holidays, one night of curtailed fun seems a small price to pay. With the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines already being distributed and an end to this nightmarish year – and potentially the pandemic – finally at hand, now seems like a lousy time to risk your health or the health of those you love. Regardless, even a cursory scan of the events listings shows lots of nightclubs planning to host lots of New Year’s parties to welcome in 2021. Not to mention thousands of intimate gatherings that will happen in thousands of living rooms. There oughta be a law. Because hoping people will display some common sense has failed all year long.

My New Year’s wish: Cancel the party BY DAVID LEIBOWITZ GSN Columnist

s we stare 2021 in the face, here’s hoping that our elected leaders take a stand against one of the most serious public health threats currently facing the state of Arizona. New Year’s Eve. Which this year might as well be known as “The Planet’s Largest One Night Superspreader Event.” One of the things we have learned about COVID-19 this year is that the virus thrives on congregations and people spending time together unmasked and in close proximity. That makes holidays especially dangerous in terms of community spread, as we saw a couple weeks after Thanksgiving, when positive case numbers spiked in Arizona and across the United States. As someone who has urged a balance be-

Sports & Recreation GILBERT SUN NEWS | DECEMBER 27, 2020

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East Valley athletes overcome adversity to sign with colleges BY ZACH ALVIRA GSN Sports Editor

he coronavirus pandemic took its toll on the entire high school sports landscape this year, forcing cancellations, team quarantines and a shortened fall season. The pandemic also took its toll on recruiting as players who would normally visit college campuses on weekend trips were forced to do so virtually. Division I and II college coaches, who would typically be seen on sidelines in the fall and making home visits to prospective players haven’t been able to do so since March. Division III coaches just recently started making their rounds to Arizona schools. Nonetheless, East Valley senior athletes once again overcame another bout with adversity this year to sign their National Letter of Intent. “It really is a dream come true,” Higley senior quarterback Kai Millner said. “I’ve been working at it for as long as I can remember. For the day to finally come, to finally sign and make it official, it’s an amazing feeling.” Millner signed his National Letter of Intent on Wednesday, Dec. 16 in front of family and friends at the Higley Center of the Performing Arts. It was a day he had looked forward to his entire life and specifically, since he committed to Cal in April. Having visited the Cal campus before the coronavirus pandemic hit, Millner was one of the recruits lucky enough to see his future college campus before making a decision to sign. Due to the pandemic in March, the NCAA announced it was extending its recruiting dead period. That extension, initially a couple of weeks, now lasts through December and prohibits college coaches from visiting athletes in person and also doesn’t allow for official visits. Every athlete has been forced to communicate with teams virtually and take virtual visits to campus. All agree it isn’t the same.

Millner was joined by his mother, Stephanie, father, Dwayne, and little brother, Caiden, during his Signing Day ceremony at the Higley Center for the Performing Arts. (Zach Alvira/GSN Staff)

Higley senior quarterback Kai Millner signed his National Letter of Intent to attend the University of California – Berkeley during the early signing period on Wednesday, Dec. 16. (Zach Alvira/GSN Staff) “It was extremely difficult,” Skyline senior defensive back Zeke Branham said. “Going on visits is the biggest part to get a feel for the atmosphere. A lot of it this year was all word of mouth, but I think I made the right decision. It was down to the last five until the final night, really. I wanted it to be a surprise for everyone and I think I made the right decision.” Branham kept his decision to sign with

Fresno State under wraps from everyone, including his parents. To him, having a surprise announcement was one of the ways to make this abnormal year feel normal. Chandler quarterback Mikey Keene signed his National Letter of Intent alongside nine of his teammates. Keene’s recruitment picked up after his junior season. In September, when there was still some uncertainty surrounding the 2020 prep football season, he committed to the University of Central Florida. It was a difficult decision to make being unable to visit campus, but it’s one Keene believes is the best fit for him as a player. “I can’t wait at this point,” Keene said. “I’ve been waiting for this moment my entire life, just to be able to get to the next step. I cherish what I had here at Chandler High School but it’s time for me to move on and for the next quarterback to step in. I’m excited to see what happens for myself at Central Florida.” The stoppage on official visits forced some athletes to get creative while making their decision. Mountain Pointe senior defensive back

Jaden Crockett received his scholarship offer from South Dakota State on Friday, Oct. 9 shortly after the Pride played Centennial. The next weekend, he and his parents visited the campus in Brookings. They walked around on their own without the help of a guide or any of the coaches. They visited athletic facilities and saw as much as they could. It wasn’t a traditional visit by any means, but it still made a significant impact on Crockett. He knew it was where he wanted to be. On Wednesday, he signed with the Jackrabbits. “It was difficult to get a feel for the program and school when you can’t really see that in person,” Crockett said. “But just being there when I could, it felt great. The coaches were great to me on FaceTime. I’m excited.” Crockett’s teammate, offensive tackle Zereoue Williams, based most of his college decision on academic programs. An aspiring software engineer, Williams decided to pursue his degree and continue his football career at the University of Utah. Similar to most of the other athletes, Williams wasn’t able to visit campus before Signing Day. But he met several times with coaches and players via Zoom and knew it was the right fit for him both athletically and academically. “Utah has a lot of opportunities for me,” Williams said. “They have a great coaching staff and programs I want to study. I guess I wasn’t as immersed in the feeling of being recruited because I wasn’t faceto-face. But I still felt like I belonged at Utah.” While not easy by any means, the group of early signees found ways to make it work. They faced adversity all year to just play the game they love and continue to overcome everything in their way. “It’s been a weird year with a shortened season, all of those things,” Millner said. “It’s definitely been difficult. But at the end of the day, I’m blessed to be in this position.”

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Fiddler’s Dream offers virtual open stages BY LAURA LATZKO GetOut Contributor

iddler’s Dream Coffeehouse has long offered a space for musicians to perform. Although the Glendale nonprofit cannot offer the same opportunities during the COVID-19 pandemic because of social distancing guidelines, the organization has been providing a Virtual Open Stage platform for musicians looking for a space to play. The virtual performance nights start at 6:30 p.m. Thursdays via Zoom and Facebook. Fiddler’s Dream started the Virtual Open Stage nights in March, almost immediately after it was forced to temporarily close its performance space. It’s open to musicians of various ages and levels and they are given the chance to perform multiple songs. Phoenix singer-songwriter Glen Gardner, who has performed at Fiddler’s Dream for the last two years, has been moderating the Virtual Open Stage. A member of Jif and the Choosy Mothers, Gardner performs as well. “It’s all about the music at that venue,” Gardner said about Fiddler’s Dream. “People are there to watch and to listen. At Fiddler’s Dream, the music is at the foreground. That is the focus, and that’s unusual in this day and age.” Gardner said the virtual performance nights have attracted musicians from around the United States, including those who are just starting out. The virtual shows are available to listeners around the world. Audience members have a chance to show their appreciation between songs, when Gardner unmutes viewers so they can clap for performers. There is also time before the performances for social interaction. Gardner said the virtual nights have been important for musicians who aren’t

The Virtual Open Nights program on Thursdays gives Fiddler’s Dream Coffeehouse a chance to introduce online some of the best musicians in the Valley. (Special to GetOut) able to tour and can’t find places to play their music locally during COVID-19. “We get a lot of feedback that it’s the high point of the week for a lot of people,” he said. “We all very much miss the physical location, but we’re glad we’ve figured out a way that we can still do it right now.” Gardner said the virtual events have also helped to create community. “There are so many people who are adrift because their normal routines, their job even, everything has been upended. We just wanted to cast a lifeline out there and say this small aspect of what you used to do is still there,” Gardner said. “A lot of the people that come are people that we used to face-to-face with. It’s great to see them every week.” Adapting to Zoom took some time. The musicians had to invest in equipment such as USB audio interfaces and microphones. They also had to learn how to adjust app settings meant to reduce noise. “There were certain things we had to figure out so that music would work on the platform,” Gardner said. “That was part of the challenge early on, figuring out what type of equipment you needed, what kind of settings in Zoom worked better, could you do it on just a

phone, did you need a mixer. There were all of those things that had to get figured out in a hurry.” Gardner hopes through the virtual shows to help to keep continuity within the organization and make sure that it stays around for years to come. He said with the way that bars and restaurants have been hit financially by COVID-19, musicians will need other types of performance spaces. “It’s going to be important on the other side of this that a place like Fiddler’s Dream exists, so that musicians have a place to play outside of a restaurant, bar or commercial venue,” Gardner said. The virtual performances are meant to serve a similar purpose as the in-person venue in giving local and touring artists a space for expression. Nia Maxwell, a board member since August 1996, said for musicians, Fiddler’s Dream offers a spot to perform different styles of acoustic music, including bluegrass, folk, light jazz, Celtic and blues. The organization has often spotlighted performers from other countries, such as the United Kingdom, Canada, Denmark, Portugal and Brazil. It has also hosted special flamenco mu-

sic and dance and western drama and music performances. Maxwell said Fiddler’s Dream is an ideal space for young people to start out. “It’s a great place to gain stage presence and learn with a friendly, responsive audience,” said Maxwell, who books the bands at Fiddler’s Dream. Music education is an important component of the organization. It regularly hosts workshops on topics such as songwriting or guitar playing, as well other events such as poetry readings. “We try to offer things that will be of interest and of value to the community,” Maxwell said. Located on the grounds of the Phoenix Friends Meeting, Fiddler’s Dream’s physical location is also used in other ways. Local music organizations, such as the Phoenix chapter of the Nashville Songwriters Association International, uses it for meetings. Many of the same audience members attend events each week at Fiddler’s Dream. Maxwell became acquaintances with regular patrons over the years. “It’s about community and relationships, as well as fabulous music and really good coffee,” Maxwell said. Maxwell first attended a show at the venue with a friend and later got more involved. One of her most memorable moments occurred when she met her husband, Larry Hill, at the venue. Hill, a guitarist and banjo player, has been performing at Fiddler’s Dream since the 1980s and has been a board member since 1995. The organization’s president, Hill moderates the in-person Open Stages and takes part in the Virtual Open Stage nights. “His music and his songwriting just really drew me in. I thought ‘who is this person?’ When I found out that they were his original songs, I had to get to know this man better,” Maxwell said.

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Obituaries Rosemarie Serrano

On the morning of November 27, 2020, Rosemarie Serrano, of Gilbert, Arizona, died at the age of 92. Rosemarie was born to Frank and Helen Cuba on April 12, 1928 in Chicago, Illinois. She was the youngest of three children: Frank Jr., Helen, and Rosemarie. She moved to Phoenix, Arizona in her late teens where she met the love of her life, Albert P. Serrano Jr. Albert and Rosemarie were married on February 22, 1949. Together they were blessed with seven children: Patricia, Elizabeth, Pamela, Gloria, Paul, Carlotta, and Lawrence. Additionally, they had 13 grandchildren, 22 great-grandchildren, and 2 great-great grandchildren. They resided in Gilbert from 1949 until 1983, and ultimately retired in Sun Lakes. In addition to being an active member of the Gilbert community, Rosemarie was the matriarch of one of the founding famities of the White Mountain Country Club in Pine top, Arizona since 1959. She and Albert spent many years building fond family memories and friendships in both communities. Rosemarie was well known for her generosity, hospitality, and her dedication to her loving family which spanned five generations at the time of her death. Rosemarie was an outstanding wife and mother because of her kind heart, intelligence, and tremendous work ethic. She truly embodied the values of Proverbs 31 and exemplified her strong and abiding Catholic faith in all of her endeavors. In addition to caring for her family and friends, Rosemarie supported her community by serving as school board president and a hospital board member during her lifetime. She also owned and operated Maverick Western Wear with her husband in Tempe and Casa Grande. Those who had the privilege of knowing Rosemarie are familiar with her phenomenal talents including cooking, baking, painting, gardening, and just about anything she attempted to do. Rosemarie is preceded in death by her beloved husband and daughter Patricia. She is survived by her remaining children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren who will miss her dearly.

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Obituaries Mary Pat Deaton

On Saturday December 12, 2020, Mary Pat Deaton passed away in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Mary Pat was born on August 4, 1931 in Dallas, Texas to Roberta and Clarence E. Crowe. She had recently moved to Colorado Springs from Mesa, Arizona. She was 89 years old. She is survived by 2 daughters, Diane Lockwood and Lynne Hagstrom and 4 grandchildren. Clint, Andrea, Colter and Jenna and their families. In her early years she was known for her passion for dancing and her skill at playing the piano. Mary Pat also had a strong love for animals and made it her goal to support charities that helped them. She was an active member of the Methodist Church and was always a true Texan at heart. A memorial will be provided for the family. In lieu of cards or flowers please donate to your local animal shelter or charity of your choice.

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• SERVING ALL OF METRO PHOENIX • HONEST AND REPUTABLE CUSTOMER SATISFACTION GUARANTEED

ANOZIRA DOOR SYSTEMS

Handyman LLC

• Drywall Repair • Bathroom Remodeling • Home Renovations

• Electrical Repair • Plumbing Repair • Dry rot and termite damage repair

Meetings/Events?

GENERAL CONTRACTOR / HANDYMAN SERVICES

Get Free notices in the Classifieds!

All Estimates are Free • Call:

Submit to ecota@timespublications.com

SERVING THE ENTIRE VALLEY

520.508.1420

www.husbands2go.com

Licensed, Bonded & Insured • ROC#317949 Ask me about FREE water testing!

GILBERT SUN NEWS | DECEMBER 27, 2020

HOME FOR RENT? Place it here!

Handyman HANDYMAN 37 years experience. Drywall, framing, plumbing, painting, electrical, roofing and more. Stan, 602-434-6057

81% of our readers, read the Classifieds!

Call Classifieds 480-898-6465

Marks the Spot for ALL Your Handyman Needs! Painting • Flooring • Electrical Handyman Plumbing • Drywall • Carpentry Decks • Tile • More!

Marks the Spot for ALL Your Handyman Needs! ks the Spot for ALL•Your Handyman Needs! ✔ Painting Painting Flooring • Electrical “No Job Too ✔Small Flooring Painting • Flooring • Electrical Plumbing • Drywall • Carpentry Man!” lumbing • Drywall • Carpentry ✔ Electrical Decks • Tile • More! 1999 e Sinc k Wor lity Qua Decks •Affo Tile • More! rdable, ✔ Plumbing 2010, 2011 2012, 2013, 2014 Call Bruce at 602.670.7038 ✔ Drywall Ahwatukee Resident/ References/ Insured/ Not a Licensed Contractor “No Job ✔ Carpentry Too Small Marks the Spot for“No Job Too ALL Your Handyman Needs! ✔ Decks Painting • Flooring • Electrical Small Man!” “No Job Too Man!” ✔ Tile Plumbing • Drywall • Carpentry

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rences/ Insured/ Not a Licensed Contractor Insured / Not aCall Licensed Contractor Bruce at 602.670.7038

2010, 2011 2012, 2013, 2014

Ahwatukee Resident/ References/ Insured/ Not a Licensed Contractor

Hauling

Irrigation

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

• Yard Waste • Concrete Slab • Remodeling Debris • Old Tires

TNTExteriors2018@gmail.com CALL FOR A FREE ESTIMATE 480-532-5606 ROC# CR326937 #CR322178 #CR321443

Bath & Kitchen Remodels • Car-Port to Garage Conversion Drywall & Stucco Repairs • Plumbing • Electrical • Can Lights Windows • Doors • Cabinets • Painting • Block Fences Wrought Iron Gates • Remodeling • Additions • Patios Tenant Improvements

East Valley

480-833-7353 - Office 480-430-7737 - Cell

I -S

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

aaaActionContractingInc.com

General Contacting, Inc. Licensed • Bonded • Insured • ROC118198

Add a Background Color to Your Ad! Classifieds 480-898-6465 Irrigation

One Call, We Do It All! 602-339-4766 Owner Does All Work, All Honey-Do Lists All Remodeling, Additions, Kitchen, Bath, Patio Covers, Garage, Sheds, Windows, Doors, Drywall & Roofing Repairs, Painting, All Plumbing, Electrical, Concrete, Block, Stucco, Stack Stone, All Flooring, Wood, Tile, Carpet, Welding, Gates, Fences, All Repairs.

Free Estimates with Pride & Prompt Service!

MORE CLASSIFIED ADS ONLINE! www.GilbertSunNews.com

Repairs • Modifications • Installs

ALL Pro

T R E E

S E R V I C E

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Prepare for Winter Season! LANDSCAPING, TREES & MAINTENANCE

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

480-354-5802 Painting

WE WILL MATCH OR BEAT ANY WRITTEN QUOTE FROM A LICENSED COMPANY!

A+

Home Improvement

Sprinkler & Drip Systems

Family owned & operated company specializing in: • Residential & Commercial Garage Doors • Rooﬁng • Rain Gutters

WE DO IT ALL!

• Old Paint & Chems.

Insured/Bonded Free Estimates

TNT Exteriors LLC

ACTION CONTRACTING INC. • Furniture • Appliances • Mattresses • Televisions • Garage Clean-Out • Construction Debris

Landscape/Maintenance

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

NTY

5-YEAR WARRA

480.654.5600 azirrigation.com Cutting Edge LLC • ROC 281671

• 20 Years Experience • 6 Year Warranty

480.345.1800

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

ROC 304267 • Licensed & Bonded

We Are State Licensed and Reliable!

Landscape/Maintenance Superstition Landscape Maintenance

Junk Removal PLUS House Cleaning Call or Text Adrian 480•376•9803 or 480•925•1418

Honest & Reliable

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Irrigation Repair Services Inc.

Free Estimates • Senior Discounts

480-338-4011

ROC#309706

East Valley PAINTERS Voted #1 Paint Interior & Exterior • Drywall Repair Light Carpentry • Power Washing • Textures Matched Popcorn Removal • Pool Deck Coatings Garage Floor Coatings • Color Consulting

10% OFF

Licensed • Bonded • Insured Technician

We Beat Competitors Prices & Quality

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

Free Estimates! Home of the 10-Year Warranty!

Call Lance White

480.721.4146 www.irsaz.com

ROC# 256752

480-688-4770

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

Now Accepting all major credit cards

GILBERT SUN NEWS | DECEMBER 27, 2020

Painting

Pool Service / Repair

Plumbing

Jose Dominguez Painting & Drywall SEE OUR AD IN DRYWALL! Quick Response to your Call! 15 Years Exp 480-266-4589

PLUMBERS CHARGE TOO MUCH! Beat Any Price By 10% • Lifetime Warranty Water Heaters Installed - $799 Unclog Drains - $49 FREE RO UNIT w/Any WATER SOFTENER INSTALL NO INTEREST FINANCING - 60 Months!! ‘A’ RATED PLUMBING REPAIR Free Estimates • Same Day Service

Not a licensed contractor

Plumbing

HYDROJETTING

480-477-8842

SEWER CABLE COMPREHENSIVE, FULL-SERVICE PLUMBING COMPANY

Public Notices

Juan Hernandez

Pavers • Concrete • Water Features • Sprinkler Repair

PPebbleOcracking, O L Plaster R Epeeling, P ARebar IR showing, Pool Light out? I CAN HELP!

FALL SPECIAL! $500 OFF COMPLETE REMODEL! 25 Years Experience • Dependable & Reliable

480.898.6465

CLASS@TIMESPUBLICATIONS.COM

Roofing

Not a licensed contractor.

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

480-706-1453

Licensed/Bonded/Insured • ROC #236099

ROC 3297740

Public Notices

LEGAL NOTICE

EDUCATION PUBLICA SOBRE TUBERIAS DE GAS SUBTERRANEAS

To be published in the Odessa American on Thursday, November 14, 2019

PIPELINE PUBLIC EDUCATION America has over 230,00 miles of pipelines carrying natural gas and products across the United States. These pipelines have a safety record second to none in the transportation industry... and we want you to help us keep it that way. When you see signs like those shown below, they tell you that there’s a pipeline nearby. If it’s underground, you can’t see it, of course.

• LEAVE THE AREA IMMEDIATELY • Avoid driving near escaping gas • Avoid direct contact with the escaping gas or liquid. • Avoid creating sparks or sources of heat which could cause the natural gas to ignite and burn. If you find yourself in a suspected gaseous area, do not light a match, start an engine, or even switch on an electric light. ARIEL MARKER

DANGER GAS PIPELINE GROUND MARKER

Call Classifieds Today!

480-720-3840

480-405-7099 ItsJustPlumbSmart.com

20+ YEARS OF EXPERIENCE FAMILY OWNED & OPERATED LICENSED, BONDED & INSURED

Need to hire some help?

Call Juan at

Bonded/Insured • ROC #223709

BOOK ONLINE! STATE48DRAINS.COM

Notice of guardianship/conservatorship hearing for Joan Holcomb on January 7, 2021 at 11:30am at Maricopa County Superior Court. For more information, inquire about Case #PB2020092387. Published: East Valley Tribune Dec 20, 28, 2020, Jan. 3 2021 / 35173

GASING VENT

But it’s there, working quietly to provide energy for you and other consumers throughout this nation. Some of these signs list the commodity transported in the pipeline, the name of the operator, and a telephone number where the operator’s Representative can be reached at all times. Although pipelines have an exceptionally good safety record, once in a while a leak can occur. Indications of a leak might include: 1. A strange or unusual odor in the vicinity of a pipeline. 2. A hissing of roaring sound (caused by natural gas or product escaping from a pipeline.) 3. Flames originating from an opening in the ground. 4. If you become aware of a pipeline leak...

• Notify the pipeline operator as soon as you reach a safe area. Call collect. Give your name, a description of the leak and its location. If you do not know who the pipeline operator is, call your local fire, police, or sheriff’s department, or the state police. Advise them of the nature and location of the emergency. If you see someone digging near a pipeline or doing other construction work.. or if you plan to do such work near a pipeline yourself.. please call the telephone number show on the sigh and let the pipeline company know so damage can be avoided. It’s in your interest... and the nation’s.

This notice is provided by United Dairymen of Arizona 24 hour Emergency Phone Number 480-310-1516 or 480-303-1322

America tiene sobre 230,000 millas de tuberia de Gas Natural y productos a traves los Estados Unidos. Estas lineas tienen un record de seguridad Segundo a nada en la industria de transportacion... y queremos que usted nos ayude a menteneria de ase manera. Cuando usted mire señales como estas que se muestran en seguida, le dicen que hay una tuberia cerca y si usted no la pueda ver es que de sequro es subterraneano (bajo tierra).

• ABANDONE EL AREA (LUGAR) INMEDIATAMENTE • Evite manejar (conducir) cerca de la fuga de gas. • Evite contacto directo con los gases o liquidos que estan escapando. • Evite crear chispas, usar cosas calientes que puedan cousar que el gas se encienda y se queme. • Si usted se encuentra en una area sospechosa de fuga de gas, no encienda un cerillo, no cominse un motor o encienda un interruptor de electricidad. ARIEL MARKER

DANGER GAS PIPELINE GROUND MARKER

GASING VENT

Pero esta alli, trabajando calladamente para proveer energia para ti y otros consumidores atraves los Estados Unidos. Algunas de estas señales numbran las comodidades transportadas en estas lineas, el nombre del operador y un numero de telefono donde el representante del operador pude ser locallsado todo el teimpo, aunque las tuberias tienen un record de seguridad excepionalmente bueno de ves en cuando puede ocurrir una fuga. Indicaciones de una fuga puede incluir: 1. Un extrano olor en la vecindad de las tuberia de gas. 2. Un ruido extrano causado por el Gas Natural o Producto escapando de las tuberias. 3. Llamas (lumbre) originando de una abiertura de la tierra. 4. Si usted se da cuenta de alguna fuga en las tuberias...

• Notifique (avise) al operador de tuberia en cuanto o lo mas pronto que alla alcansado un lugar seguro, llame por cobrar, deles su nombre, describa la fuga y donde se encuentra (localidad). Si usted no sabe quien es el operador de la tuberia, hable al departamento de Bomberos, Policia, Sheriffs o Policia del Estado, adviertales la naturaleza y lugar de EMERGENCIA. Si usted mira a alguien que este escabando o haciendo otra clase de trabajo de construction o si usted esta planeando hacer un trabajo cerca de tuberia...por facor habla al numero de telefon que indica en el marcador y avise a la Compania de la tuberia para que los daños sean evitados. Esto es por interes de usted...y de la Nacion.

ESTEAVISO ES PROVEIDO POR EL SERVICIO DE TUBERIA DE UNITED DAIRY MEN OF ARIZONA NUMERO DE EMERGENCIA 24HRS AL DIA 480-310-1516 OR 480-303-1322

GILBERT SUN NEWS | DECEMBER 27, 2020

NOW OPEN

NOW OPEN HAPPY HOUR

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

• $4 Titos, Bacardi, Tanqueray, Herradura Silver, Jack Daniels

ALL DAY SPECIALS MONDAY $10 Burgers WEDNESDAY $10 Wraps

FRIDAY $9 Fish & Chips and Fishy Wrap

TUESDAY BUY ONE, GET ONE ALL APPETIZERS

SATURDAY $10 Pizzas SUNDAY $10 Pastas

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480-687-2864

REGULAR HOURS : DAILY 11AM - 12AM

GILBERT SUN NEWS | DECEMBER 27, 2020

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2811 E. Agritopia Loop S. | Gilbert, AZ 85296

480-485-3000

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