August 2017
Relentlessly local coverage of Gilbert and our neighboring communities
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Sabina Vess, 5, gets dropped off by her dad, Joseph, for her first day of school at Bridges Elementary.
Construction nightmare at Cooper Plans going forward with new fire station in southeast Gilbert and Guadalupe to end soon BY JIM WALSH
STORY AND PHOTOS BY MELODY BIRKETT
Nearly a year has passed since construction crews first took bulldozers and other heavy equipment to the intersection of Cooper and Guadalupe roads in Gilbert. Ever since, traffic has been restricted to a lane in each direction. But there is some good news: Town officials believe the project will be completed by September rather than October. “So we will be ahead of schedule,” said Toby Crooks, senior project manager for the town.
The project is making improvements to the intersection, such as widening it to provide three travel lanes and a bike lane in each direction, adding raised median islands to provide safer turning movements, as well as curb, gutter and sidewalk. Drainage improvements for storm drain capacity is being reconfigured throughout the intersection, and improvements at the Union Pacific Rail Road tracks will provide for more efficient and safer travel during see
CONSTRUCTION page 6
Gilbert’s police and fire departments are getting some much-needed help from the town’s budget this year, which includes funds to build a $6.5 million new fire station in southeast Gilbert and to hire more police officers and firefighters. The expansion is part of Gilbert’s efforts to keep up with growth. Public officials are thankful for the additional assistance, but they also warn that more resources will be required in future years to deal with growth and to maintain a high level of service.
The new Station 9 will be located at Ocotillo and Higley roads. The Gilbert Fire and Rescue Department also received six new firefighter positions. “Our goal is always to get people on-scene in four minutes, a fire service standard,” said Cory Gerard, a Gilbert Fire and Rescue spokesman. “It’s an area where we had a gap. It’s to keep up our level of service and match the level of growth in the town,” Gerard also said.
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Big League Dreams seeks compromise with Gilbert over closed ballpark BY JIM WALSH
The owners of Big League Dreams struck out with Gilbert on July 7, surprised by a knockdown pitch – an eviction order that temporarily put them out of business in the East Valley. Realizing they are well behind in the game, with no revenues being generated at the facility for weeks, the venue’s California owners are now hoping for a comeback. They’re seeking at least a partial reopening of the complex while Gilbert undertakes some major renovations. Whether a compromise can be worked out is uncertain. The two sides strongly disagree on the stadium’s safety. Big League Dreams argues there is no threat to public safety, while Gilbert says two structural engineers found such an imminent threat that it was necessary to close the facility immediately. The two sides have already sued each other, with the town seeking to terminate a long-term contract with Big League Dreams on grounds that the firm failed to maintain the facility as required. Big League Dreams’ suit alleges the town failed to compensate the company for nearly $150,000 in business it lost when the facility was partially closed for a series of $2 million in “remedial” repairs paid by the town. The town spent more than $40 million to build the complex and contracted with Big League Dreams to operate and maintain it. The arrangement quickly soured when an injury suffered by a visitor revealed millions of dollars in flawed construction work. The town obtained a $13.5 million settlement with Mortenson Construction, which argued that a poor design by Big League Dreams and abuse of the facility contributed to the structural issues. Gilbert had intended to start major repairs at the facility in September, but announced it had taken the unusual step of closing it down because of fears that outfield walls might collapse during monsoon storms and injure players or other visitors. Big League Dreams’ owners met with town officials recently and were asked to put together a proposal aimed at reopening part of the facility. The owners said they want to open at least two of the facility’s eight baseball fields – and preferably up to six so they can still schedule tournaments. Jeff Odekirk, one of the company’s founders, said he would like to make arrangements to have a structural engineer hired by the company inspect the facility and perform tests. He said the company’s engineer has walked through the facility but needs additional access to perform the tests. Odekirk said one major issue identified by the town engineer is that the wrong bolts were used in three of eight columns
(Photo by Kimberly Carrillo)
Gilbert on July 7 abruptly closed Big League Dreams ballpark, stating safety issues with a high repair tag, while a legal battle rages.
used to support outfield fences. The bolts have been encased in concrete for 10 years, he said, and there have been no problems. “We are absolutely confident that the outfield walls are perfectly safe,” he said. John Giambi – a co-owner of Big League Dreams and the father of two former major league players, Jeremy and Jason Giambi – blamed the dispute on communication problems between Big League Dreams and the town. “We think if we can get the engineers to talk, they will come up with similar conclusions,” he said. A press conference called by Big League Dreams in July resembled more of a rally by supporters, including children wearing baseball uniforms, their parents, coaches and Big League Dream employees who are out of work. They all expressed doubt about the town’s assessment that the park poses an imminent safety threat. The complex has eight replica baseball fields that are designed to resemble such iconic Major League Baseball stadiums as Fenway Park and Yankee Stadium. The complex also features an indoor soccer facility. Big League Dreams bases its business on attracting youth baseball tournaments and adult softball tournaments. Dale Cooper, who coaches in the program, said his club team played 65
games last year, competing in tournaments against teams from Canada, Minnesota and other cold places in the winter months. The availability of a facility such as Big League Dreams makes it possible to run such an intensive program, he said. Cooper estimates that about two-thirds of his teams’ games will be lost because of the closure. “Essentially, it’s killing baseball and it’s breaking my heart,” Cooper said. Cooper said he never perceived a risk when he coached at Big League Dreams, but said he was there to play ball and is a teacher, not an engineer. He said he is not qualified to determine if a safety risk exists. Robert Grasso, an attorney for the town, said that the town considered doing repairs in phases, the same policy it used in Phase 1 of emergency repairs after the flawed construction was discovered in 2011, but that the cost was prohibitively expensive. He said the safety issues are a real threat, despite what Big League Dreams says, and he called it “shameful” that Big League Dreams is using children to further its business interests when the town’s primary interest in closing down the facility was to protect children. Grasso’s suit against Big League Dreams says that Phase II of the renovations will take 15 months to complete and that the facility needs to remain closed. If the work
was completed in phases as Big League Dreams requests, the repairs would take two-and-a-half to three years and cost an additional $5 million-$8 million. “The town is not going to force the taxpayers to pay millions of dollars more and expose the public to safety risks,” Grasso said. “The answer is ‘no.’” “The town of Gilbert is wearing the white hat here,” Grasso said. “The town has reports from two separate structural engineers saying this is dangerous and unsafe.” Grasso said that the town is dedicated to getting the repairs completed as quickly as possible, but that ensuring safe conditions is the number one priority. He said it is possible that Big League Dreams will never manage the facility again, depending upon the outcome of the suit. “We are not going to invest millions of dollars and give them the keys so they can destroy it again,” Grasso said. Grasso accuses Big League Dreams of being responsible for $4 million in damages to the complex because of its failure to perform maintenance required under the contract. Michael Van, an attorney for Big League Dreams, said that mediation is scheduled in an attempt to settle the two suits on Aug. 15-17. “This is not the way we wanted it to go,” Odekirk said. “We hope there is an amicable resolution.”
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(Special to GSN)
An artist rendering of the proposed new fire station 9; construction is slated for this fall/ winter and will be completed for occupancy by fall 2018.
FIRE STATION from page 1 Gilbert police are receiving 13 more positions for sworn officers and three for civilians. New Gilbert Police Chief Mike Soelberg said he now has 253 sworn positions, with 10 cadets attending a police academy and five in field training. With retirements, Soelberg estimates he has about 18-20 vacancies he needs to fill, not an easy task because of the high qualifications to become a police officer, and the competition for such candidates among Arizona police departments dealing with constant turnover because of retirements. “It’s a start,” Soelberg said, about the newly-authorized positions. “That’s just one piece of the puzzle, to get adequate resources to keep up with growth.” Soelberg said he is working on longterm forecasts of how many officers will be needed from now and well into
the future. It is a similar process to the forecasting at the Mesa Police Department, where Soelberg served as an assistant chief before his appointment in Gilbert earlier this summer to replace longtime chief Tim Dorn, who retired. “It creates a high demand for qualified applicants,” Soelberg said. “Right now, we need officers. We have vacancies. We are moving to fill those vacancies.” Soelberg, who started his new job in June, said his initial focus as police chief is on assuring adequate staffing to keep response times within an acceptable range. Gilbert has been named one of the nation’s safest cities in rankings developed by variety of publications, but that doesn’t mean the town can be short-sighted on staffing. “Crime’s down, but that doesn’t mean we want it to go up, either,” Soelberg said.
Basketball tryouts BY GSN STAFF
Excel Sports and Gilbert North Basketball is holding club basketball tryouts for boys in seventh, eighth, ninth and 10th grades at Inspire Courts on Monday, August 7 and Wednesday, August 9. The organization hopes to use basketball to develop student-athletes into leaders and raise the level of competitive basketball in the town and surrounding communities. Inspire Courts is at 1090 N. Fiesta Blvd., Gilbert. There will be a $5 dollar tryout fee.
For more information or to register, visit gilbertnorthbasketball.org, call 480-296-3197 or email at gilbertnorthbasketball@gmail.com.
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CONSTRUCTION from page 1 train crossings. Utility relocations and improvements will also take place to accommodate the project. Crooks explained that a lot of things are out of the town’s control because it needs to coordinate with other entities, such as utilities, Salt River Project irrigation, SRP power distribution, communication, and the Union Pacific Railroad. Access to Marzocchi Imports is difficult and it’s one of the businesses “For instance, irrigation has adversely impacted by the construction. Whitfill Nursery has not been impacted much by the construction. yearly dry-ups,” Crooks said. “We have to plan our construchazards,” Crooks added. “It’ll be an add/ tion activities around when the drop, so once you get to the intersecirrigation lines – these are large distribution it’ll become three lanes, just to get tion pipes – are replaced and when SRP is everybody into the intersection and out. no longer running water for their annual And then, as you leave the intersection, dry-up.” it’ll drop back down to two, which is very As a result, there sometimes might common,” he said. be a false perception that there is no Median street LED lighting is also becontinuous work to get the intersection ing added for efficiency. Pipes are being reopened, he said. replaced that are less likely to fail. All “We might be working at nights, or trees will be low-water type. Dedicated we’re waiting for another piece to be bike lanes are being installed along with completed before we can get ahead. Pubmedians, irrigation and landscaping. lic perception is very strong and a lot of “If we were going to open this intersectimes accurate, but sometimes, it’s not.” tion up and do the road improvements and A main reason for tearing up the interThe area has been a nightmare for drivers and pedestrians, but by next month, all will be well. the safety improvements, it made all of section is to make safety improvements. the sense in the world to upgrade all of the “The railroad interconnect system, she said. Crook said the town has also tried to older infrastructure as well,” Crooks said. which ties their signal system to the Edwards said the construction may have work with area business owners. Once the project is complete, he town’s, was on the older side of things,” even worked to the nursery’s advantage. “The business owners are frustrated hopes constructions crews won’t have to Crooks said. This new “system enhances “I think, a lot of times, because of the and we get it,” he said. “I’m always here to return for a long time. In August, there safety by advanced detection systems slowdown in traffic out in front, people hear them out and see if there are some will be an intense weekend project with that go back a mile in each direction to notice us more than they would be if they things we can do… We really do want to crews adding a final layer of asphalt. “In make sure there isn’t a car stranded in the were zooming past at 45-50 mph,” she make sure businesses succeed… We don’t intersection because the gates closed. It’ll one weekend, we’ll pave the entire intersaid. want to have to come back and replace a section, rather than take two weeks to make sure to clear the intersection in its She added the construction company, pipe in five years and open this intersecpave it,” he said. entirety before the train comes through.” Hunter Contracting Co., coordinated tion back up and inconvenience the busiThe town knows that such a project Traffic flow is another priority. with the nursery to work on its entryway nesses again.” needs to be completed within the least “So, we’re adding another through lane during its slow season rather than in May, Marzocchi Imports owner Gerard Maramount of time. which will help clear that intersection zocchi said he has lost income of $15,000- which is a busy time. “The patience of everybody out there so more people can get through on each Then there are the businesses at Coo$20,000 each month due to the construchas been wonderful,” Crooks said. “I know signal cycle,” Crooks said. per and Baseline roads, just north of the tion. The vehicle repair shop is located on “As part of that, since we’re adding that that the contractor, Hunter, and the other construction. Whitfill Nursery customer the southeast corner of the intersection. individuals helping us get this project lane, we usually install medians, which Kathy Camilon said the construction has “We lost basically the street business, helps to control people turning left out of complete and done right have been amazchanged where she shops. As an example, the oil changes, the services, all the fluid certain areas so they’re not creating safety ing to work with.” she used to frequently visit the shopping services,” he said. “And since we work on center on the southwest corner of Basea particular type of vehicle, they’re all German, from Mercedes Benz, Land Rover, line and Cooper roads where Kohl’s is located, and used to get groceries from the and BMW, they might not want to drive Walmart across the street. Not anymore. through the construction to bring their “We go to Fry’s… at Warner and Cooper car here.” instead of the Walmart at Baseline and As for how the new medians will Cooper,” she said. impact his business, he’s not yet sure. A customer at Marzocchi Imports said Marzocchi is concerned that customers he only goes there because he’s loyal to have to pass his business and make a Uthe owner. He said it’s faster to go through turn to access it. downtown Gilbert with the 25 mph speed Whitfill Nursery is located on the limit and added traffic lights than it is northwest corner of Cooper and Guato go through the construction zone at dalupe roads. Manager Nancy Edwards Cooper and Guadalupe roads. said that surprisingly, the nursery has He pointed out that people are not been impacted by the construction. creatures of habit and many drivers have “Pretty much all of our customers are loyal customers. We’ve been here 35 years. found alternative routes and will probably continue using them after the construcThey know where we are. If they really Business access has been limited, with mixed results for area businesses. tion is finished. want something, they’re going to come,”
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Making dreams work
Unison Bank opens in Gilbert BY GSN STAFF
North Dakota-based Unison Bank opened a location in Gilbert recently, at 1835 E. Pecos Road (at the corner of Market Road and Pecos Road and opposite WinCo Foods), replacing its existing location in Mesa, which is now closed. Kelly Rachel is its CEO, while Sharon Miller is Arizona Market president. The bank purports to offer a modern banking experience and is outfitted with state-of-the-art technology and provides personal and business deposit accounts, loans and real estate loans. Unison Bank began in 1965 in Jamestown, North Dakota, as a locally-owned community bank. Originally founded as Stutsman County State Bank, the name was changed to Unison Bank in 2006, and later that year, it began operations in Arizona. “We are proud of our community bank heritage and pride ourselves on common sense banking, while being
BY GSN STAFF
Unison Bank, Gilbert.
responsive to customer needs and expectations,” a statement issued by the bank said. “As a community bank, we are able to know our customers by name and provide the level of personalized service that customers should expect from their bank,” it
further said. The community is invited to a formal ribbon cutting ceremony from 1:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m. on Monday, September 18 at the bank. Details: unisonbank.com or 480-497-9800.
Gilbert-based financial consultant JW Rayhons, together with business development service Joshua Development, is presenting a complimentary course session titled “Dreams don’t work unless you do,” 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. August 11 at 3335 E Baseline Road, Gilbert. The habit-forming course, founded by author Ron Willingham and presented by John C. Maxwell, is used to help people perform on a higher level more consistently and get more living out of life. To register, use the following link: eventbrite.com/e/intro-to-the-jdev-coursestickets-35642544811.
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Gilbert is about to formally welcome a nonprofit organization into the community that helps fill one of the basic human needs. Midwest Food Bank has opened a distribution center in a 27,000-squarefoot warehouse on Baseline Road, in the northwest part of the town. The non-denominational, faith-based organization receives large scale donations of food from companies that it distributes to food banks, soup kitchens and other nonprofits, as well as disaster sites across Arizona. Individuals are not served at the site. But it serves nearly a hundred food pantries which, in turn, help about 400,000 people supplement their food needs each month. In the East Valley, it includes the Open Arms Care Center in Gilbert, House of Refuge, Resurrection Street Ministries, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Salvation Army in Mesa, Matthew’s Crossing Food Bank, Casa de Vida and AZCEND in Chandler.
If you can help… Midwestern Food Bank is here to help Arizona, but it has a few needs of its own. Here’s a list: • Donations toward a campaign to raise $168,000 for a walk-in cooler/freezer to enable the organization to accept perishables. About $25,000 has been raised so far. • A refrigerated box truck to transport perishables • Service donations such as servicing the air conditioners in the warehouse • Desk and other furniture items for the reception area • Volunteers
But Midwest believes it can help at least 250 agencies, thus, it’s looking to enlist more. Any agency with a nonprofit status is eligible to apply. It’s a “phenomena,” said Eric Sheldahl, who resides on its national board and was instrumental in getting the Midwestern organization to Arizona. “We have more food coming in the door than we can get out.” Sometimes, food is donated due to over production – it’s nearing its expiration date and manufacturers know it may go to waste and prefer it go to the impoverished instead. There are other reasons. “If the crackers are a little bit too crispy, we get them. If the soup cans aren’t at weight, we get them. It’s that kind of product,” said Lauren Leverette, executive director. “It’s also people who want to give.” The organization receives paper products from a company that wants to donate it “because they believe in the mission and they want to help,” she said. Leverette describes the organization as “a facilitator.” Here’s how it works: The registered agencies scan and choose from the items available and sends their volunteers to fill their orders on a Saturday morning. They are allowed to pick up the food twice a month, Mondays through Thursdays. Like any nonprofit, Midwest depends on volunteers to function. Just now, only three full-time employees run the operation – Leverette, Terry McLaws, community development and Felipe Hernandez, warehouse manager see
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FOOD BANK from page 9 – so volunteers are welcome. Among them is Jerry Tooley, a retired business owner and Ahwatukee Foothills resident who volunteers most days of the week. After managing a company that assembled circuit boards and computers, Tooley relishes in doing handyman jobs such as constructing a base to hang brooms in the warehouse. What does he get out of it? “It’s the pleasure of helping others, that’s really my whole focus. I’ve got no reason, I’m not looking to get paid, I get paid far better by the gift of God in the sense of being able to do this,” he said. Sheldahl volunteers almost daily as The seven racks of food include baby food, usually hard to find in a food bank. well. “This is our life,” he said. “Our biggest need is to be connected with the the hands of the impoverished,” Sheldahl community. It’s for people to learn who said. we are and what we do and how they As part of his work duties, Terry percan benefit from what we have.” forms site visits. As far as connecting to the commu“You really get to see their hearts and nity, the warehouse features a valuable their organization and their volunteers asset: a community room that can seat and we’re just one of the arteries of that,” about 100 that is available rent free. he said. “We’ve literally several thousand While the agencies receive the food people across the state that are engaged and other donations free of charge, Mid- on the ground. It’s a unique opportunity west must ensure the stuff is never sold. to engage in every one of them to see “We ensure the food is ending up in what they’re doing.”
Lauren Leverette, executive director, Eric Sheldahl, volunteer and Terry McLaws, in charge of community development, in Midwest Food Bank’s community room, which is available for use free of charge.
Midwest began in Bloomington, Illinois when three farming brothers, Robert, David and Paul Kieser used a farm building to assuage the hunger in their area in 2003. When Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005, David Kieser took a semi load of food to the disaster area and was told that they needed 10 more loads. Thus the organization was born of determination to help those in peril and reduced circumstance. Today, Midwest operates in six other states – Arizona is its seventh – and
Kenya, Africa. Federal statistics indicated in 2015 that more than 36,400 adults and children in Arizona experienced homelessness and 17.4 percent of its population live at or below the poverty level. “The need stays the same; there’s always a need,” Leverette said. Details: 480-892-0134, arizona. midwestfoodbank.org or on Facebook at “Midwest Food Bank - Arizona Division.”
August 2017
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Shivani Dallas
Mary Markou
Aimee Greene Sarah Morales
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The Brass Tap to occupy ground floor of Building 303 BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY
The bustling Gilbert Heritage District will add another destination to its lineup later this year when the newest Arizona location of The Brass Tap craft beer bar concept opens in Building 313 next door to Whiskey Row. Mesa resident Jessie Rowe III and his sons Jessie Rowe IV and Jason Rowe are opening the Gilbert franchise along with beer industry veteran Don Byus. Jason Rowe will be the craft beer hub’s general manager. The Rowes previously opened a Brass Tap in Mesa Riverview. Brass Tap is a craft beer-centric chain headquartered in Florida with franchises in states across the U.S., including Arizona, Texas and California. Concepts like The Brass Tap are becoming increasingly popular in the town. Gilbert is already home to Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co. and Phoenix-based O.H.S.O. Brewery has plans to open a location in the Heritage District in the future. “We are seeing this craft beer movement in our whole community,” said Amanda Elliott, redevelopment administrator & Heritage District liaison in the town. The family considered opening up a location in Gilbert rather than Mesa four years ago at Jason Rowe’s behest, but he was
vetoed by his father and brother because there was not much development going on there at the time, Jessie Rowe III said. When the Rowes considered opening a second location in the Valley, Gilbert became a potential landing spot once again. The group looked for venues for nearly two years before settling on the town. “Over the last three years, we’ve watched Gilbert grow tremendously,” Jessie Rowe III said. The group was actually in negotiations for another location when the current space in Building 313 became available. They fell in love with the spot and signed a 10year lease. “We scoured the entire Valley and Gilbert was a hard nut to crack because of the limited amount of available real estate,” Jessie Rowe III said. The building, owned by Ticketforce CEO Lynne King Smith, will also house the Ticketforce offices on the second floor and offices for Thrive, a coworking space for women, on the third floor. Building 313 is also in negotiations to bring a rooftop wine bar to the building, Smith said. Arizona Wilderness Brewing was previously connected to the location and had
plans to open an upstairs cocktail bar and also feature select specialty beers. However, the brewery ultimately chose not to move forward with the project, opening up space for The Brass Tap, Smith said. In searching for a tenant, Smith was (Photo/Special to GSN) focused on finding The Brass Tap will come to downtown Gilbert with its 70 beers on tap. a locally-focused business. While that does not seem to giant Jenga. align with The Brass Tap franchise based in The new Brass Tap will also have a Florida, Smith’s meetings with the Rowes full-service kitchen and feature 70 taps, of put her mind at ease. course. “I met with (the Rowes) in person quite Those taps are not just reserved for beer a bit, and it really feels like a family-owned drinkers, though. Of the taps featured at the business,” she said. bar and restaurant, five will serve a selecThe forthcoming Gilbert Brass Tap will tion of wines, soda, cocktails and coffee. deliver a different experience than the The location will also have a full liquor Mesa location, as it will be nearly twice the bar. size and offer an array of expanded food Building 313 is currently undergoing tenand drink options, Jason Rowe said. ant improvements, and Smith plans to open The Gilbert location will be roughly the building in October. 4,400 square feet and feature a patio and The Rowes plan to open The Brass Tap in a selection of games like shuffle board and Gilbert in November.
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Dangerous intersections focus of East Valley cities
Community
BY JIM WALSH
East Valley traffic engineers are fighting a constant battle to make congested roads and intersections as safe as possible, guiding drivers with extra turn lanes and flashing signals in an attempt to reduce deadly collisions. Their efforts, essentially an effort to protect people from themselves by discouraging poor choices, are paying big dividends. All East Valley cities follow this approach, but Chandler is at the forefront. It has rebuilt nine intersections since 2001 and is now rebuilding a tenth. The process is slow, expensive and frustrating for drivers backed up in traffic for months on end. And then there is the city’s extensive use of photo radar, sometimes a hot-button issue in a conservative state that fears the encroachment of Big Brother. But Chandler traffic engineer Mike Mah said he is gratified that collisions have dropped 43 percent in the past three years at the nine rebuilt intersections. The improvements include dual left-turn lanes that help protect drivers against devastating T-bone collisions while increasing capacity and traffic flow. “From our prospective, it really comes down to capacity and safety. We are trying to improve both at the same time,” he said. “What we’ve been doing is making improvements. We’re widening them. It’s something we’ve been doing for 15 years.” With the rebuilding campaign on the verge of completion, Mah said any further safety improvements will have to come from improved human behavior. The engineers are quick to observe that all it takes is one impaired or distracted driver, staring at their smartphone while ignoring the road, to sabotage their efforts. “I think it comes down to human factors,” Mah said, with distracted drivers becoming a bigger problem all the time. “It’s too tempting to use your cellphone and drive at the same time.” Jennifer Alvarez, a Gilbert town spokeswoman, said the town is developing a list of intersections that might be candidates for improvement. She said several bad collisions in recent months have concerned officials, including a fatality at Val Vista Drive and Elliot Road in April that left one jogger dead and another critically injured. The Maricopa Association of Government compiles a list of the county’s 100 highest-risk intersections for traffic collisions, using a formula that includes the number of crashes, the severity, the frequency and the type. The MAG list flags that intersection
as the 33rd riskiest in the county and the worst in Gilbert, with 119 crashes between 2011 and 2015. Erik Guderian, Mesa’s deputy transportation director, said traffic engineering can be a frustrating occupation, just as driving in traffic frustrates most drivers at one time or another. “We can design the safest roadway, but if someone decides to make a bad decision, it’s out of our control,” he said. The highest ranked – or most risky – East Valley intersection on the MAG list is busy Interstate 10 and Baseline Road in Tempe. It was ranked as the 16th most risky intersection in the region, with 275 collisions between 2011 and 2015. But the East Valley looks relatively good on the list and on an associated map, with 18 intersections making the list, far fewer than in central Phoenix and west Phoenix. “Comparatively, the East Valley is really doing well,” said Sarath Joshua of Chandler, a MAG’s senior program manager, who compiles the list. He said MAG sends a team of experts to some of the highest-risk intersections to make evaluations and suggest improvements to cities. One such Road Safety Assessment was performed recently at I-10 and Baseline. While the details of such assessments are considered confidential, the experts conducting the assessments typically find a gamut of issues, such as malfunctioning signals, trees blocking the view of signs and other problems that might contribute to collisions. “You would be amazed by what we find out when we do these investigations,” Joshua said. “We find all kinds of deficiencies.” Cities are notified immediately if the experts find an obvious risk to public safety that needs correction, Joshua said. About a dozen intersections on the top 100 list are analyzed each year. All East Valley cities are represented on the list and many cities keep lists of their own, using somewhat different criteria than MAG. Despite the aggressive rebuilding project, Chandler makes the unflattering list, but just barely, with four Chandler intersections finishing at numbers 93, 94, 96 and 99. Tempe, the East Valley’s most urban city, has several intersections much higher on the list, but it has more severe traffic challenges than its more suburban counterparts. Tempe has Arizona State University, a city within a city, at the see
INTERSECTIONS page 14
August 2017
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August 2017
INTERSECTIONS from page 13 heart of its downtown. The city’s downtown character has changed dramatically with such developments as the high- and mid-rise State Farm campus near Tempe Town Lake. Tempe pursues a multi-modal approach to transportation, incorporating roads, bicycle lanes and mass transit, such as Valley Metro light rail, said Julian Dresang, city traffic engineer. “We are really in the middle of the region. We don’t just carry city of Tempe traffic,” Dresang said. While better design of intersections promotes safety, the answer is a combination of engineering, education and enforcement, he said. “We work closely with the police department on education and enforcement,” he said. “We can’t solve all of the problems with engineering.” Tempe estimates it has a “sleeping population” of 165,000 at night but a “daytime population” of about 275,000, including many students who are inexperienced drivers prone to taking more risks, he said. “The intersection itself isn’t dangerous; 90 percent of crashes are caused by human error,” Dresang said, noting that better design can help. “We’re changing the intersections so they make better decisions.”
He said Tempe constantly monitors collision data, looking for short-term fixes that may promote safety until adequate funds are available to rebuild intersections. Those with a higher number of collisions resulting in serious injuries or even fatalities become the top priority. “It’s our job to do what we can to make our streets as safe as possible,” Dresang said. “Traffic safety is something I care passionately about.” He said the only acceptable goal is to eliminate all serious injury collisions and fatalities, although that might sound unrealistic with so much unpredictable behavior occurring every day. “Anything less than that makes it OK for someone to not go home to their loved one,” Dresang said. Short-term fixes might include better signs, better lane markings and improvements to landscaping that might promote better visibility. Guderian said that improving intersections to make them safer is an endless job in a metropolitan area inundated with traffic. “Relatively speaking, I think we are doing a fairly good job of roadway design out here. We are always looking to improve safety for the traveling public,” he said.
www.GilbertSunNews.com
Val Vista Drive and Elliott Road in Gilbert was ranked the 33rd most dangerous intersection in the Valley with 119 crashes in five years. Two joggers were stuck, one fatally, by a truck in April.
Two seconds change lives of two women joggers BY JIM WALSH
Gilbert police determined two women who were jogging across a busy intersection would not have been hit by a pickup truck, whose driver’s vision likely was obscured by traffic, if they had waited an additional two seconds for a traffic light to fully change, according to a police report. Through interviews with witnesses,
video camera surveillance footage and mathematical calculations, a detective concluded the traffic light was “in some form of transition from green to red’’ on April 20 when the joggers entered the intersection at Val Vista Drive and Elliot Road shortly after 6 a.m. see
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Carrie Brown, 49, was fatally injured in a collision with a Chevrolet pickup truck headed south while Shari Irion, 53, her longtime jogging partner, was critically injured. Brown and Irion were headed east across Val Vista and witnesses described them as running in place, waiting for the light, shortly before the collision. Witnesses at the scene gave conflicting versions of whether the light was red during the fatal collision for the pickup truck, which was headed south on Val Vista in the median lane, according to the report. Initial reports were that the light was turning from green to yellow, but another witness told police he was “99 percent sure it was red.’’ Police analyzed surveillance videos from nearby shopping centers, data from the truck’s on-board computer and used mathematical equations to eventually determine that the driver was not at fault in the fatal collision. The driver told police the light was yellow and that he did not see the joggers until it was too late to stop. He said his vision was blocked by a bus turning west onto Elliot and a white van traveling next to him. The driver said “that he was traveling approximately 47 to 50 mph through the intersection when the women ran into his lane,’’ the police report said. The driver said “he applied his brakes, but there wasn’t time to stop.’’ The driver is not being named because he was not cited with a violation. The police report appears to largely corroborate his view of how the collision occurred.
www.GilbertSunNews.com “Lastly, it was determined during this analysis that if both victims had waited for the eastbound light to illuminate green, Unit #1 (the pickup truck) would have been approximately 150 feet south of the crosswalk prior to them entering the roadway,’’ Officer James Lefler wrote in his report. Brown was an accomplished runner and had participated in many marathons and half-marathons around the country, according to her obituary. She was the mother of two grown children who survived her, along with her husband. Irion and Brown were longtime friends and running buddies, who ran together every Tuesday and Thursday morning, according to a GoFundMe account set up to help pay for her medical treatment. Based upon all the circumstances involved, the difference between the women getting struck or running across the street safely was only about two seconds, according to the officer’s calculations. The report said the driver was traveling an estimated 47 to 48 mph, and when he started braking, was going 43 mph a second before he struck the victims. An analysis by traffic engineers at the Maricopa Association of Governments ranks the intersection as the 33rd highest for risk of collisions in the county, and fifth worst in the East Valley, according to crash data compiled from 2011 to 2015. The analysis is based upon the number of crashes, the frequency of crashes and the types of crashes.
Library board
Light snacks and refreshments will be provided! SPONSORED BY:
(Photo by Srianthi Perera)
The community board at the Southeast Regional Library in Gilbert is a great place to find a new interest and connect with others in the area: 775 N. Greenfield Road in Gilbert.
Community
www.GilbertSunNews.com
Plan early for Christmas fest
12k’s of Christmas takes place December 9 in Freestone Park, Gilbert. The family festival celebrates health, fitness and the joy of Christmas, while supporting local animal rescue groups and includes a 12k run, 6k run/walk and a 1.2k Santa “Sled Run,” plus a Christmas Bazaar, Santa’s Pet Village with pet adoptions, and live Christmas entertainment in the park and along the race course.
To participate, call 480-609-3978 or visit fieldworksevents.com.
Evelyn “Cindy” Guido
Evelyn “Cindy” Guido has been reported as a missing person since April 12. Guido, 60, left her Gilbert residence around 8:30 p.m. on April 6, and has not had contact with her loved ones since then. Guido was supposed to have an important medical procedure on April 13, but did not show up for it. She has physical disabilities and serious health concerns, which require on-going treatment. Police have been unable to find evidence of any contact with family and friends, social media posts, and financial transactions by her since her disappearance. Police has exhausted all leads and is requesting public assistance to locate her. Case detective J. Halliday can be reached at 480635-7273. The police report for the incident is 17-000006009.
Construction in northwest Gilbert
A major construction project is underway on the Fiesta Tech Lift Station and Force Main project, causing road restrictions for eastbound traffic along Baseline Road from Country Club Drive/Arizona Avenue to just east of Fiesta Boulevard. This project includes the installation of water and sewer pipelines. The sewer pipeline installation will also impact Fiesta Boulevard from Baseline Road to Guadalupe Road and on Guadalupe Road just east of Fiesta Boulevard. Roads are expected to remain open for travel with the exception of a few weeks in the fall when Fiesta Boulevard will be closed just south of Baseline Road to Tech Boulevard. Business access will be maintained during this work, expected to be completed in March.
Details: gilbertaz.gov/CIP or contact project hotline at 480-898-4090.
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Gilbert Briefs
BY GSN STAFF
Missing person
August 2017
Gymboree to close
Children’s clothing retailer Gymboree plans to close 350 stores, including one in Gilbert, as it restructures in bankruptcy. Gymboree filed for bankruptcy protection in June, saying it might close as many as 450 stores. The goal, it said, is a “right size store base.” The SanTan Village location, at 2174 E. Williams Field Road, will be closing. Gymboree joins a growing list of retailers to announce the closing of some stores as mall traffic declines and competition from online retailers such as Amazon intensifies.
Gilbert among best cities to drive in…
WalletHub has declared Gilbert the second-best city to drive in. Mesa was not far behind, at number 4, and Chandler was ranked number 11. To determine the most driverfriendly places in the U.S., WalletHub’s analysts compared the 100 largest cities across 25 key metrics. The data set ranges from average gas prices to average annual hours of traffic delays to auto-repair shops per capita. Gilbert also had the lowest rate of car theft, 0.55 per 1,000 residents, which is 27.7 times fewer than in Oakland, California, the city with the most at 15.23. The top 10 best cities to drive in were: Corpus Christi, Texas; Gilbert; Greensboro, North Carolina; Mesa; El Paso; Laredo, Texas; Winston-Salem, North Carolina; Plano, Texas; Scottsdale; and Raleigh, North Carolina.
…but not good for recreation
WalletHub has selected 2017’s Best & Worst Cities for Recreation, and Gilbert comes out near the bottom.
Rankings included 44 key indicators of recreation-friendliness, including basic living costs, the quality of parks, the accessibility of entertainment and recreational facilities, and the weather. Gilbert ranked #93. The five best cities were Orlando, Florida; San Diego; Las Vegas; Tampa, Florida; and Atlanta. Chandler was ranked 38th, and Mesa was 50th. Mesa was tied for fifth, with Phoenix, for lowest movie costs. But Mesa and Gilbert were ranked near the bottom for fewest tennis courts per capita – #93 for Mesa and #97 for Gilbert.
Calling summer travelers
If New York’s Empire State Building seemed taller than you thought, Antoni Gaudi’s artistic lines in Barcelona struck your fancy or if you cruised the Danube waters, transported from one charming European city to another, here’s your chance to wax poetic. The Gilbert Sun News would like to receive submissions of 500-word travel stories and photos for publication.
Email them to srianthi@timespublications.com by August 18 for publication in the September issue or by September 18 for publication in the November issue.
SRP aids in heat relief
As the heat continues to impact the Valley, Salt River Project is providing relief to five local nonprofit organizations that are helping vulnerable populations deal with the high temperatures. SRP is contributing a total of $110,000 to the following in these amounts: $25,000 to Salvation Army – Southwest Division, $25,000 to St. Vincent de Paul Society, $25,000 to City of Phoenix Mayor’s “We’re Cool” Heat Relief Drive, $25,000 to United Food Bank and $10,000 to AZCEND. The agencies have been involved in the Heat Relief Network, which provides critical services in Maricopa County such as water distribution, welfare checks and cooling stations during the hottest times of the year see
GILBERT BRIEFS page 18
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August 2017
GILBERT BRIEFS from page 17 when death and injuries can occur. Offering services above and beyond their normal workload can cause a strain on budgets and SRP has stepped up to help ease the financial burden.
Community
The week-long program, conducted by American Legion Auxiliary volunteers, emphasizes the workings of government and responsible citizenship. The auxiliary’s Gilbert entity is housed at Merrill Mitchell Unit 39 at 206 N. Gilbert Road.
www.GilbertSunNews.com Izzy Spruit with Pima Community College coach, Todd Holthaus.
Details: aladeptaz.org.
Auxiliary office bearers
Yolanda Bonilla, a Chandler resident and 20-year member of the American Legion Auxiliary, was unanimously elected ALA Department President for Arizona at the 2017 American Legion Auxiliary Convention held in Carefree. Also elected were Mesa resident and Apache Junction unit member, Cindy Queen, as ALA Department first vice president and Phoenix resident, Stacey Mayberry, as the East Valley’s District 12 president. “Over the next year, the American Legion Auxiliary will positively affect the lives of thousands of Arizona veterans, military, local families and their communities – and my goal is to make sure we can continue to do so in the years to come,” Bonilla said. Accordingly, she has selected the American Legion Auxiliary’s Girls State program as the Department President’s Special Project during her year-long tenure as president.
Arts grants
The Arizona Commission on the Arts, an agency of the State of Arizona, announced 234 grants to Arizona nonprofit arts organizations, local arts agencies, schools and community organizations. Among the recipients of Community Investment Grants are Ballet Etudes in Gilbert ($18,000), and Queen Creek Cultural Foundation ($12,000). “With their repeat of the additional funding allocation for fiscal year 2018, the state’s leadership acknowledges the vital role that artists and arts organizations play in Arizona’s communities as innovators and creative catalysts,” said Robert Booker, executive director of the Arizona Commission on the Arts. “The arts are an economic driver, enhance the education of our young people, and create opportunities for dialogue and understanding among and within Arizona’s diverse communities.”
Sharp-shooter signs to the University of Nevada BY GSN STAFF
Pima Community College women’s basketball player Izzy Spruit, who attended Mesquite High School, signed her national letter of intent recently and will leave the college after one season. Spruit, a freshman guard, will continue her education and collegiate career at the University of Nevada, Reno where she will
play in the Mountain West Conference. Spruit was a key component off the bench as she played in 30 games this season, making two starts. She averaged 7.6 points per game and shot 33.5 percentage from three-point range and 75 percent from the free throw line. She hit 63 threepointers on the season.
Community
www.GilbertSunNews.com
August 2017
Global Village Festival co-founder passes away
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BY SRIANTHI PERERA
Elizabeth Cress Sweet, a co-founder of the Gilbert Global Village Festival and a passionate advocate for the arts in the town, passed recently. She was 74. “Elizabeth was classy, sassy, outgoing and passionate,” said Kayla Kolar, executive director of the Gilbert Historical Museum. “She had a huge heart for the arts, her community, and her friends and family.” Cress Sweet was married to Murray Sweet, who died in 1997. Born in Arkansas in 1942, Cress Sweet studied theater and drama in Texas and worked as an adjunct professor in those subjects at a university in Texas. Later, she owned and operated a resort in Cook, Minnesota, where she hired and trained actors and directed plays.
Also during her youth, gram, was a PTSO officer Cress Sweet lived in New and provided leaderYork, and worked as an ship to girl scouts from actress and dancer; at the Daisies (kindergarten) to time, she also studied Cadettes (junior high). piano music under none When the Arts Adviother than the singer/ sory Board was formed songwriter Barry Main 2001, she began as an nilow. alternate in October of Cress Sweet settled that year and ended as in Gilbert in 1996 and chairwoman for six years immediately set about before it was combined making her mark in the with the Human Relatown. Through the years, tions Commission in she held office and 2008. volunteered in various She was active with Elizabeth Cress Sweet community organizations. the Congress of NeighAt Sonoma Ranch Elementary, where borhoods, Gilbert Sister Cities and the her daughter attended, she volunteered Gilbert Historical Society. with the school’s Arts Masterpiece proIn 2011, she ran unsuccessfully for Gil-
bert Town Council. Cress Sweet believed her greatest success was co-founding the Gilbert Global Village Festival in 2005 with Tami Smull and Gayle Disch. It began as a Hispanic arts festival and expanded with the addition of the Gilbert’s Human Relations Commission and joined with Gilbert Sister Cities to ultimately evolve to a large event. Each year, the festival enjoys the patronage of a few thousand people, who revel in its premise of uniting cultures through education and enjoyment. “Elizabeth was a very giving person and was always looking for a way to make life better for those around her,” Kolar said. Cress Sweet leaves behind her daughter, Ariel, and her granddaughter, Briar.
Summer meals program rebounding after years of decline BY JOE GILMORE - CRONKITE NEWS
Advocates and Arizona education officials say they are confident the summer meal program for low-income children will climb this summer, after five years of steady declines that saw meals served drop more than 50 percent. The program ran in Gilbert Public Schools through nearly the end of July. Final numbers will not be available until this fall, but officials point to an increase in the number of serving sites, a new focus on the basics of the program and more outreach efforts as indicators that the program will turn the corner. Terra Masias, child nutrition program manager for St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance, said her organization “absolutely” expects to see an increase in meals served
this year, as it has been able to increase the number of serving sites it operates from 124 last year to 151 now. That was echoed by Kenny Barnes, co-director of the community nutri-
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tion program for the Arizona Department of Education, who said it has been a “pretty productive summer” so far for the agency. As of the first of this week, the department had recruited 176 sponsors to run 1,028 sites, almost as many as the 184 sponsors and 1,098 sites from all of last summer, with more continuing to come in. The Summer Food Service Program was “established to ensure that low-income children, ages 18 and younger, continue to receive nutritious meal meals when school is not session” by offering free meals to children, with many sites also offering adult meals at a reduced price. The program is funded nationally by
the U.S. Department of Agriculture and administered in Arizona by the state Department of Education, but actual meals are served by sponsoring organizations like YMCAs, food banks, churches and schools. Since 2012, however, the number of meals and number of children served in Arizona has steadily fallen. Data from the USDA shows that attendance in Arizona fell from 27,554 children a day in 2012 to 12,691 a day in 2016, causing the total number of meals served to drop from almost 2.5 million to under 1.1 million over the same period. The reduction in service came as childhood poverty rose slightly, from 24 percent of children in poverty to 25.6 percent, according to the Census Bureau. see
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Ann Videan and Cherie Scott create handcrafted faerie portals and accompany them with Faerie’s Tales. Their Gilbert-based endeavor is called Absolutely Wild! Enchanted Faerie Portals & Other Whimsy. The friends are working on a “synergy arts” book project, which will publish the works of young, emerging as well as invited professionals in a hand-bound, leather volume titled “The Storytelling Book of the Ancient Traveler.” The book’s opening pages include art and The Storytelling Book of the Ancient Traveler writing by James Artimus Owen, author and illustrator of the “Chronicles Submissions are accepted until Oct. of the Imaginarium Geographica” se1 and there is no cost to participate. ries, and other young-adult and inspiThe synergy arts project concept rational books. is the brainchild of Joanne de Biasi, If selected for publication, the creaccording to Videan and Scott. They ative work will be published alongside plan to auction the completed book entries from other young creative and use the proceeds to support the individuals and professionals. endeavors of creative youth. Entrants, preferably ages 15 to 25, may select a topic item from a suggested list, write a short story or Details: absolutelywild.net/ fantasy-with-purpose. create an illustration following guidelines, and submit it by email.
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Barnes blames part of the decline on bookkeeping, saying statistics in the past may have been “inflated” due to “issues with sponsors” – problems they now believe they have fixed. Barnes said that they have “beefed up the program integrity” and now that sponsors who operate the program are doing so “for the kids.” “The numbers now are more accurate and more real,” he said. Education Department officials said they took many steps to improve this year’s program, with department spokesman Stefan Swiat saying in an email that the focus this year was “Back to Basics.” “Not only did we discuss the basics of the SFSP program that some sponsors may have strayed from, we discussed promotion as well,” Swiat said. Promotion is an important element of a successful program, said Julie Yee, spokeswoman for the USDA’s Western Regional Office. “Promoting summer meals sites in a community is one of the most impor-
tant things one can do to ensure no child goes hungry this summer,” she said in an email. “The more parents, children and teenagers know about where sites are located, the more children will come to eat.” Promotion can be traditional outreach through community networks or more modern tools, like the Education Department’s “summer lunch buddies” campaign, which includes a clickable map showing meal service sites, hours and costs where adult meals are served. Another effort is the national No Kid Hungry program, whose goal is to “make sure that children have access to healthy food wherever they are throughout the year.” The texting service allows people to punch their location into their phone and then points them to the closest sites. The service aims to close what No Kid Hungry program manager Derrick Lambert calls an “awareness gap” for the summer meals program.
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August 2017
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Neighbors
August 2017
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Mother pens heartbreaking book on anorexia nervosa BY SRIANTHI PERERA
Jenna-Marie Warnecke of Gilbert was 17 years old and weighed 110 pounds when she made the following journal entry: Where did all my zeal for life go? I used to enjoy every day. Now I just wait for it to pass. I used to love writing and food and living and now I don’t even want to write in my journal anymore and every time I eat anything I feel like I can feel my hips and stomach getting fatter and my chin growing another layer. I feel weak but fat and I can’t do anything about it at all. The Highland High student going into her senior year was in the early stages of a life-threatening journey with anorexia nervosa. The disorder is characterized by an obsessive desire to lose weight by refusing to eat. During that year, the vivacious teenager dropped from a healthy weight to a precarious 64 pounds on a gaunt frame. With the constant support of her at times disgruntled family, the teen recovered from the condition following an epiphany. “I feel like an Eskimo who’s been curled up, fetal-like, under a heavy fur skin blanket. I’m throwing it off in this grand gesture, see? I throw it off, this Thing. I
have been so disconnected from my body,” she told her mother. Now in her 30s, Warnecke lives in New York City, where she pursues a self-satisfying career as a poet/novelist. Warnecke’s battle with the illness, its wrenching effect on her family, and her miraculous recovery, is the subject of her mom Valerie Foster’s poignant new book, “Dancing with a Demon” ($14 paperback/ available on amazon.com). Foster, adjunct faculty at ChandlerGilbert Community College, is also the author of “The Risk of Sorrow: Conversations with Holocaust Survivor, Helen Handler” and the recipient of the Shofar Zakhor award for Holocaust education. “Dancing with a Demon” is chaptered by the teen’s descending weight. “She’s always been sweetness and light,” Foster said of her daughter, with whom she had, and continues to enjoy, a close and loving relationship. “Then this demon just seemed to come into our house for a year and a half and suck the life out of her and change her. Foster said that the disease is mostly psychological. “It’s not an eating disorder,” she said. “It’s a thinking disorder that manifests itself in eating.”
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There’s a constant mental battle going on within the sufferer, and with the help of social media, they find chat rooms – “rabbit holes” to help each other starve. “She’ll sleep until early afternoon to skip a meal, come down and take an apple and she would cut it into about a hundred little pieces and it would take her an hour to make herself eat a whole apple,” Foster said. Or, she’d pretend to eat. Once, she left half a muffin on the kitchen table, leading Foster to believe that she had consumed the other half. But it was in the garbage disposal unit, her mother would discover. No one at home – her stepfather Tom, her brothers Nate and Greg – or at school could understand the change in her. “Why can’t Jenna just eat?” was the question on everyone’s lips. Warnecke was hospitalized a few times, and received counseling and therapy. Here’s a journal entry she made at 84 pounds: The last week has been an emotional roller coaster. I don’t want to be here, but I don’t want to be at the hospital, but I don’t want to miss anything here, but I miss the “safety” of the hospital. Maybe I just can’t deal with living the two separate lives – I need one or the other. Ultimately, her recovery had to occur from within. “She’s not sure why it started or ended. She did reach rock bottom. And I reached a point where I’m doing all the dancing with this demon, but you’re the one who has to do the work to get well,” Foster said. Correspondingly, the later chapters in the book are titled “Grace,” “Transcendence” and “Metamorphosis.” “And you see this young woman who gets it and begins to love herself and her body again and life again,” Foster said. Although there are many books written by recovered anorexia nervosa sufferers, Foster says writing from the parental perspective is difficult to find. “This is what the family goes through – this is the mom’s perspective in trying to keep her daughter alive,” she said. “I had to learn to nurture my own mental health so that I could be okay for her and the rest of the family. That was a hard lesson for me to learn.” After her daughter recovered, Foster wrote the book in secret, waking early on Sunday mornings before the rest of the household awoke, to write. It took her five years. Her daughter was thrilled. “She was so healthy by then. She said, ‘I kept a journal during that time period and if you think it’d help the book, you’re welcome to it,’ which is gold; it’s a treasure,” Foster said. “With a journal, you’re just writing
Valerie Foster
to yourself, so it’s raw, it’s honest, in the moment.” Foster took her entries and embedded them in her narrative. In that sense, the book is a collaboration. One of the therapists who treated Warnecke encouraged her to drown out her negative voice. “I started writing my daughter love letters when she was sick. They weren’t about the situation; they were just unconditional love letters to Jenna,” Foster said. Then, her daughter began leaving letters to her. “I started seeing little signs that Jenn’s in there somewhere. She just became a different person.” Foster feels that their story is inspiring and hopeful to other parents going through the condition with their children. “I’ve had a lot of parents say they’ve been needing a book like this, but I don’t have the answers; I don’t have the solutions to it because it’s still a mystery,” she said. “I’m just here to give them hope that maybe tomorrow your daughter will be okay.” This journal entry was made by Warnecke toward the end of her misery: … the jeans that I used to wear to bed that would often easily slide off my hips to the ground before I could even make it from my bed to the bathroom next door, now fit snugly around my waist. And later, I often have flashes of complete insecurity. But they pass and in the end mean nothing, simply what I believe to be the residue of old bad habits. But I am broken of those habits. I cannot possibly ever name everything that I am grateful for. Meet Valerie Foster and Jenna-Marie Warnecke from 3-4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 10 at Changing Hands Bookstore, 6428 S. McClintock Drive, Tempe. Details: 480-7300205 or changinghands.com.
August 2017
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August 2017
You cannot afford to miss Connect-Inspire-Go 2017
www.GilbertSunNews.com
Family gets pool fence from Fulton Homes
BY GSN CONTRIBUTOR
BY GSN STAFF
tant pieces of their wealth of knowledge with you. Here are some of the topics that will be covered at Connect-Inspire-Go 2017: Gain the tools necessary to overcome debilitating injury and illness, as well as abuse, to achieve health and success. Learn how to turn the chaos within, which is preventing growth and success, into focus and clarity to achieve your goals. Discover how you can live the life of your dreams, and that it won’t take your whole life to achieve it. Break out of your financial plateaus and reach the money goals you set for yourself. You wouldn’t think that you are your own greatest obstacle, but unfortunately this is oftentimes the case. Stop following everyone else’s rules and find happiness in both your personal and professional life by living life the way you want to, instead of what everyone else expects of you. Realize the freedom and happiness which comes from living life on your terms. Can women really find balance in their life and have inner harmony? Acquiring the tools to overcome self-limiting beliefs and become the best you possibly can be will help you in every aspect of your life. So if you are ready to become a better you and start living life in a way that brings you more fulfillment, both personally and professionally, get your tickets today at connect-inspire-go.com/register.html.
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Fulton Homes has awarded a Gilbert family a free pool fence to keep their 1-year-old daughter, Kennedy, safe in their backyard. Travis and Whitney Hyde started saving for a pool fence the moment they found out Whitney was pregnant with their first child. Unfortunately, after having their baby, both Whitney and Travis suffered health com- Travis and Whitney Hyde get a pool fence to help keep their daughplications. ter, Kennedy, safe in the backyard. Whitney’s pregnancy caused a swimming lessons and CPR classes for blocked blood vessel adults, which are just as important and that resulted in her needing a full hip can also mean the difference between replacement. Travis, a firefighter, found life and death.” out shortly after that he would need Now in its 15th consecutive year, Fulhip surgery as well. His surgery required ton Homes Fence Patrol highlights the travel to South Carolina because of the importance of always watching children complicated nature of the injury. Due around water, and acts as a reminder to these health problems, the Hyde that water emergencies can happen in Family’s pool fence savings has been seconds. drained to pay for medical bills. They Fence Patrol is one of several water still fear for their young daughter’s safety-related initiatives Fulton Homes safety in the backyard. supports. The Tempe-based homebuild“Fence Patrol provides families who need a protective pool fence the means er also sponsors the “2 Seconds is Too Long” campaign. to get one” said Fulton Homes CEO Doug Fulton. “In three out of four child drownings, the child was seen less than For more information, call 602-452-1000 five minutes before tragedy struck. or visit fultonhomes.com. Water safety goes beyond the fence, to
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Neighbors
Nando’s makes the neighborhood great
August 2017
25
BY BECKY BRACKEN
Like good schools and filled potholes, food rookie mistake. Along with Nando’s menu includes the quality of an Arizona neighborhood the heaping piles of chips comes a classic combos. can be measured by its proximity to a pitcher of ice water for the table, delicious local Mexican food restaurant. which is a nice touch, especially Burgers are good and hole-in-the-wall with spicy hot sauce and salsa. bars are fine for some folks, but when The Nando’s menu offers classic Gilbert residents in the know want to combos of tacos, burritos, tostawrap their hands – and mouths – around das and enchiladas, which were all some of the best tacos, burritos and served piping hot right out of the chips in town, they head straight for kitchen, along with the obligatory Nando’s Mexican Café. Nando’s Gilbert was opened in 2003 by Fernando “Nando” Rios and Tim Shaughnessy. And from the beginning, the restaurant has been a family affair. “We built the restaurant from the ground-up and called in all favors in doing so,” Shaughnessy said. “My his/her achievement.” out, the goal was to build a better mouse dad, Mike Shaughnessy, Yep, the neighborhood is definitely trap or, in this case, a better Sonoranwas a welder by trade who better for having a delicious local Mexican style Mexican restaurant, by offering sufabricated a beautiful tree food restaurant right around the corner. perior food and service in a comfortable of life that separates the And so many of the reasons why have environment,” Shaughnessy added. “We’re bar and dining room. My nothing to do with food. Delicious food a family joint and want our place to be brother, Marshall, did all and good neighbors – that’s exactly what ‘the place your family goes to celebrate the paint and finishes in makes Nando’s great. their special occasions.’ We all had that restaurant. Upon open“Basically, when Nando and I first set place growing up.” ing, we dove directly into the community and went Fried ice cream door-to-door to local businesses, schools and churches to see if we could meet any of warning from the server that the plates are very hot. Naturally, the only reasontheir catering needs, or if we could do able next move it to touch the plate and any fundraising for them at the restauburn the tips of your fingers to confirm rant.” that the plates are indeed very hot. The duo brought in a partner, Sean Check. Whalen, and opened the Mesa location In addition to the heavier Mexican in 2009. In 2012, Nando’s added a Chanfood menu standards, Nando’s also offers dler location, with another in Queen Creek is set to open in 2018, according to a surprising number of lighter options like jalapeno chicken soup and Baja Shaughnessy. shrimp salad. Nando’s specialties include Nandos serves up reliably outstanding Sonoran Mexican classics like crispy Alfredo’s green chile pork, Sonoran entacos, gooey, cheesy enchiladas and chiladas, seafood relleno and a variety of sizzling fajitas. Connoisseurs of neightacos. There’s also a hearty selection of borhood Mexican fare understand that burgers and sandwiches, for the person at the table who insists on ordering a burger as soon as they sit down at a table, everything they need to know about the at a Mexican food restaurant. Dinner entrees are all priced around $10-$20 and rest of the menu is sitting in the chip lunch specials under $10. and salsa bowls right in front of them. And for desert, you can’t possibly pass If the chips aren’t light, salty, warm perfection and the salsa doesn’t sing, there up fried ice cream. You just can’t. isn’t much use in having high hopes for In addition to their fast, friendly the rest of the affair. Nando’s doesn’t service, delicious grub and family atdisappoint. mosphere, Nando’s is dedicated to the community. The chips and salsa at Nando’s aren’t when you get an exam for all dogs and cats “Our recipe for success was to dive some mere family Mexican food formalOffer isn’t valid with any other discounts. Limit one per houshold/visit. Expires August 31, 2017 ity. Warm, crispy chips are piled high in directly into the community and get big baskets and come paired with both involved with any type of fundraisers salsa and hot sauce. The hot sauce isn’t and sponsorships we could,” Shaughnessy Anasazi Animal Clinic East Valley Animal Hospital especially hot, but flavorful. The chips, said. “To this day, we still offer our A dipped and bathed in perfectly blended paper promotion – if a child brings in an 425 W. Guadalupe Rd., Ste. 112 81 W. Guadalupe Rd., Ste. 105 sauces are so good it’s tough to focus ‘A’ paper or ‘A’ report card, they eat for Gilbert • (480) 497-0505 Gilbert • (480) 892-1577 on what to order for the main entrée. free. Often times, Nando will come out info@anasazivet.com info@eastvalleyanimal.com But don’t fill up. That’s a classic Mexican the kitchen and congratulate the child on
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Gilbert group works to preserve Clydesdale horses BY LEAH GILCHRIST • PHOTO BY KIMBERLY CARRILLO
Feeding the horses, cooling the barn and mucking stalls are all in a day’s work for Rebecca Stivers. Though caring for horses isn’t out of the ordinary in Gilbert, Stivers is the only one keeping six Clydesdales. She’s known as “the lady with the Clydesdales” around Gilbert as she goes to purchase supplies for the horses and when she attends community events. It started with Stivers’ horse, Lakota, and has now branched into working to preserve the Clydesdale breed from extinction. The nonprofit USA Clydesdale Preservation Foundation was founded in 2012 and has worked for the last five years to spread awareness and education about the breed. Clydesdales were listed on a watch list in 2012, and in 2017, the breed was moved from the Livestock Conservancy Agency’s “watch” list to the “threatened” list. The Livestock Conservancy Agency estimates that there are approximately 5,000 of the horses remaining in the world. The breed was noted as threatened when it was estimated that there were only about 500 to 900 adult females still breeding. Stivers, the director and founder of the foundation, had been working with Lakota, a retired therapy horse, when she heard the breed was threatened. “It’s the whole equine that has gone down in number, but the ones that matter are already at risk.” Stivers said. “We were at risk.” Stivers has been in Gilbert for the last 30 years, and has worked with Lakota for the last 14. She has worked with horses for as long as she can remember, and now conserving a breed she’s worked with for many years has become the focus of her life. The USA Clydesdale Preservation Foundation, formerly the USA Clydes-
Sheila Angerer (left) and Rebecca Stivers with Naomi the Clydesdale. The USA Clydesdale Preservation Foundation has been working to keep the breed from extinction.
dale Drill Team, currently houses six Clydesdales, many of which were former therapy horses. Stivers said as far as she knows, the six they keep at the preservation foundation are some of the few in the U.S. The foundation does not breed the horses, but does house the six horses in a barn, which the foundation uses to educate different groups. The Clydesdale was originally used for pulling wagons and plowing fields in thee-
arly 19th century, when they were first brought to the U.S. During the industrial revolution, new tractors and plows were created that could work fields without horses. The breed essentially is losing its original breeding purpose and therefore fewer of the horses are being bred. At peak, it is estimated there once were 140,000 Clydesdale horses in the world. The horses have origins in Scotland, and have some necessary environmental adjustments in order to be able to live in Gilbert. Stivers and her volunteers work to make sure the horses are living in the best condition they can in the blazing Arizona heat. The horses have a system of misters and fans to keep them cool during the Arizona summers. They are kept in the barn during the day and let out after sundown to prevent them from overheating. They are given plenty of water throughout the day. Stivers and the preservation foundation are working to reintroduce Clydesdales as not only a horse for pulling but also riding. “Our big goal is to get the country to accept them as a riding horse also.”
Stivers said. “Because one of the biggest things in conservation is you’ve got to give them another purpose.” Stivers said the horses at the preservation foundation are sweet with people and are gentle to visitors to the site. The horses at the foundation have bonded with volunteers over the last five years. Sheila Angerer, a board member for the foundation and regular volunteer, found a love for the horses working with them in the barn. When she began to volunteer, Angerer was a new Clydesdale rider, and now has grown familiar and fond of the horses at the foundation. “It’s a privilege to take care of them, because there’s so few of them left,” Angerer said. Stivers said in 2012 the organization had about eight regular volunteers working with the horses, and five years later they have about 60. The foundation has had an increase in visitors during the last five years. Stivers said she also has received more questions about the horses, and has seen that people are more attentive to the breed than they were before. “If we can get them off the (endangered) lists, we’ll probably close this down,” Stivers said.
Neighbors
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August 2017
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Gilbert native works with Navy’s most advanced aircraft SUBMITTED BY THE U.S. NAVY
A 2015 Mesquite High School graduate and Gilbert native is serving with a U.S. Navy strike fighter squadron that flies one of the Navy’s newest and most technologically-advanced aircraft, the F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet. Airman Clarissa Mejia is an aviation ordnanceman with the “Flying Eagles” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 122, stationed in Lemoore, California. The squadron is currently training at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington. As an aviation ordnanceman, Mejia is responsible for loading bombs, bullets and missiles onto the Super Hornets. “My job is very important and it keeps me busy,” said Mejia. “We are always on the go and learning something new.” The F/A-18 Hornet, an all-weather aircraft, is used as an attack aircraft as well as a fighter. In its fighter mode, it is used primarily as a fighter escort and for fleet air defense; in its attack mode, it is used for force projection, interdiction and close and deep air support, according to Navy sources. The newest model, Super Hornet, is highly capable across the full mission spectrum: air superiority, fighter escort, reconnaissance, aerial refueling, close air support, air defense suppression and day or night precision
strike. Compared to the original aircraft, according to Navy officials, Super Hornet has longer range, an aerial refueling capability, increased survivability and improved carrier suitability. “We are a training squadron, so we get to help out the pilots and prepare them for the fleet,” Mejia said. As a member of one of the Navy’s squadrons with the newest aircraft platforms, Mejia and other VFA-122 sailors are proud to be part of a warfighting team that readily defends America at all times. Sailors’ jobs are highly varied at VFA122, according to Navy officials. Since the squadron is the 10th largest in the world, with over 100 aircraft operating, sailors must make up and keep all parts of the squadron running smoothly – this includes everything from maintaining airframes and engines, to processing paperwork, handling weaponry and flying the aircraft. Serving in the Navy, Mejia is learning about being a more responsible leader, sailor and citizen through handling numerous responsibilities. “Serving in the Navy allows me to make my family proud while upholding the pride I have for my country,” Mejia said.
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Neighbors
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August 2017
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Group’s labor of love creates newborn kits BY COTY DOLORES MIRANDA
What’s in a name? For the newlyrenamed Arizona Needy Newborns (ANN), it’s a whole lot of love for infants they’ve never met. The former Ahwatukee and Mesa chapters of Newborns in Need, which have members from throughout the East Valley, have disaffiliated from the national NIN to form a more Arizonacentric organization with many of the same goals. “We have pretty much the same focus, it’s just more of a local group now,” said Marilyn Freeman, president of NIN – and now ANN – for the past eight years of her 18-year involvement. Long-term commitments are customary among the members, who hold monthly meetings in Ahwatukee and Mesa. They often gather at Freeman’s Mesa home for in-between work sessions. Her residence is often occupied by other groups, including Girl Scout troops, Boy Scouts working toward Eagle Badge status and other youth groups volunteering to assist with ANN’s ongoing projects. Recently, the organization held its sixth annual “Christmas in July” working session in Mesa when members and guests stuffed 200 tiny Christmas stockings with polyester batting, then sewed them closed. The toys are destined for inclusion in the Christmas Newborn Kits donated to families of infants in hospitals and medical centers throughout the county, and other facilities like A New Leaf and Helen’s Hope Chest, both in Mesa. The group that has labored to help infants for nearly two decades and works on a shoestring budget. Members donated 2,995 items in May to be included in Newborn Kits, NICU layettes and burial layettes. The kits contained items like washcloths, Ivory soap bars,
newborn-size disposable diapers, sleepers and other baby items. With an average of 150 Newborn Kits assembled monthly, volunteer time and funds are always needed. And it’s a Herculean task for a membership that includes those who’ve committed to help this cause for years. Many have been a part of this community-oriented group for a decade or more. It was Shirleen Daniels of Mesa who influenced Freeman to join the group when she happened upon Daniels sewing a NIN project. Daniels has been a member for 19 years and served as president before Freeman. ANN secretary Doris Dorwart of Ahwatukee has headed the Ahwatukee group Monthly donations are always for eight of her 10 needed. Other than cash, ANN acyears with the organicepts the following: quilts 36”x45” zation. or larger, fleece blankets 30”x36” “It’s taken a lot of before crochet edging, receiving involvement and hard blankets the same size, incubator work,” she admitted. blankets 18”x22,” afghans 24”x36” “The hospitals tell us Every month, or larger; small positioning aids (12” members perwhat they want, while strips filled with poly-pellets). the health clinics sonally deliver Also, Beanie Babies, medium take whatever we can Newborn Kits to stuffed toys, new or gently used give.” various hospiclothing nightgowns, sleepers and She said the twotals that include onsies), newborn-size hats, booties inch Christmas stockMaricopa Medical ings being stuffed and and socks, washcloths, Ivory bar Center, Banner soap, size-1 diapers, bibs and burp sewn at Christmas in Casa Grande Medicloths and tote bags. July are purchased at cal Center, Sumafter-Christmas sales. mit Health Care Current ANN viceRegional Center in president, Marlene Omerza of Mesa, Show Low, St. Luke’s Hospital in Tempe, has been involved a decade as well, and Mercy Gilbert Medical Center, St. Jois a major quilts provider, often making seph Hospital NICU, Barrow Neurologi10 a month. cal Center, Hopi Healthcare, Maricopa Donations of yarn, even odd leftover Compassionate Care and others. skeins, are used by ANN members for “I think we provide a need of service crocheted washcloths, fleece blanket to the community,” said Freeman, modtrims, or tiny infant hats and booties. estly. “And, we really have fun.”
How to help
On the Saturday before Thanksgiving, ANN members gather for their Stocking Stuffing Event, where members and volunteers pack the month’s Newborn Kits in handmade, extra-large Christmas stockings used in lieu of the usual plastic bins and other containers. This is where embroidered bibs are distributed along with crocheted red, white and green washcloths and the tiny stuffed Christmas stocking made at Christmas in July. Some kits are also done in blue and white to mark Hanukkah. For more information or to sign up for ANN’s online monthly newsletters, contact Doris Dorwart at dddorwart@ hotmail.com. Dorwart asks “ANN” be used in subject line.
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Aerial view of the Town Center, Queen Creek
Queen Creek celebrates improvements to Town Center SUBMITTED BY CONSTANCE WILSON, TOWN OF QUEEN CREEK PHOTOS/SPECIAL TO GSN
underground burial of several of the utilities and adding bike lanes. “We are committed to improving transportation throughout the community,” Queen Creek Mayor Gail Barney said. “This project is particularly important because it improves not only transportation in Town Center, but also embraces our past. “Our founding fathers seized the opportunity for Queen Creek to have a say in our destiny, preserving our unique sense of community and agricultural heritage. The plaque honoring them in Picket Post Square provides an opportunity for the town to honor them for their outstanding foresight and dedication to making Queen Creek what it is today.” Known as the Queen Creek 5, the Town’s Founding Fathers Robert Eberle, Paul Gardner, Ralph Pomeroy, Mark Schnepf and Steven Sossaman are featured on a plaque in Picket Post Square. “We had a vision for this community that we didn’t want to lose,” Schnepf said. “Interestingly enough, the community that you see today is very similar to the vision that we had thirty years ago. It’s so exciting to be able to see how Queen Creek This mosaic is an artistic rendition of the town’s logo has grown and developed; it has recreated in the center of Picket Post Square. exceeded our expectations. It’s just
Three of the Queen Creek 5 founding fathers, Mark Schnepf, Steven Sossaman and Paul Gardner
Queen Creek recently celebrated the completion of Ocotillo Road improvements from Ellsworth Loop to Heritage Loop and officially opened Picket Post Square in the heart of Town Center. The project improves transportation on one of the town’s main roadways, provides a gathering space that honors the town’s founding fathers and enhances its unique character. Ocotillo Road was improved, safety was enhanced and the core of the community was enriched. Improvements included expanding Ocotillo Road to five lanes and adding curbs, gutters and sidewalks. Safety enhancements included
Dignitaries at the opening of Picket Post Square
a wonderful community to live in.” In addition to the tribute, Picket Post Square includes an iconic clock tower and water feature. The enhancements to Town Center also improve Town Center’s appeal as a place to open or expand a business, officials said. The project is one of the town’s strate-
gic priorities identified in the Corporate Strategic Plan. For more on the town’s improvement projects, visit QueenCreek.org. To stay updated, download the free Experience QC mobile app or follow the town on Facebook.com/ QueenCreek and Twitter.com/TOQC_official.
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This dentist’s patients include a grateful gila monster BY PAUL MARYNIAK
Some patients shudder when they see a dentist. Dr. Curt Coffman’s patients growl. Or bark. Some even roar. Coffman is a veterinary dental specialist, whose patients range from typical domestic pets to intimidating creatures that live behind bars. He has treated thousands of animals in his career. He began in 1993 as a primary care vet after graduating from the University of Missouri and then went into dentistry, beginning in 2000 with a fiveyear residency. As a managing partner of Arizona Veterinary Dental Associates, he helps run four clinics in Arizona, one of which is in Gilbert. He also is one of only about 150 veterinary dentists in the country. In his business, he typically treats dogs and cats with gum disease, abscesses and other oral maladies that require his expertise. But he also often works pro bono at the Phoenix Zoo and other animal habitats, addressing the oral diseases and injuries of lions, tigers, apes, cheetahs, bears and even lizards. “We try to save the teeth, especially in the zoo animals. If they can’t chew, they can’t eat,” he explained. “Their teeth are really important for their nutrition. The family dog or cat can eat whatever. Zoo animals typically cannot.” Recently, Coffman’s work for zoos and in other areas of his profession prompted the Arizona Veterinarian Medical Association to name him Veterinarian of the Year. “Dr. Coffman is well known to the veterinary community,” the association stated. “He not only is an esteemed practitioner, he is an enthusiastic educator, selflessly giving of his time to train veterinary professionals to achieve excellence in patient care.” Long active in the association and an organizer of its annual Dental Extravanganza, Coffman also “has made exceptional contributions to the veterinary community and the profession,” the group said. Those included continuing education programs for general practice vets, who with basic training can take care of animals’ dental needs like teeth cleaning. “I was surprised by the award,” said Coffman, a member of the board of directors for the American Veterinarian Dental College and author of numerous publications. A 16-year resident of Ahwatukee with his wife, Realtor Stephanie Coffman, and their three dogs, Coffman said he had wanted to become a veterinarian since he was a child. “As a kid, I always had pets and horses and dogs and liked science,” he said. “I intended to do research in vet school and when I got to the clinical part, I found I liked the interaction with pets and people
and people more.” In his regular practice, he typical treats ailments like periodontal disease and tooth and gum infections in domestic animals, mostly cats and dogs. Typically, such ailments don’t come to anyone’s attention until they’re examined by a general practice veterinarian during a routine physical. “It’s very subtle,” Coffman said. “Animals hide their oral pain very well and you don’t notice it unless you’re able to look into their mouths and see an abscess or see a swelling or they don’t eat.” Many times, his patients develop those conditions because their owners are put off by the cost of teeth-cleaning. “I understand many people don’t like the cost, but a lot of dogs can really benefit from having their teeth cleaned annually,” he said. “It’s important that their plaque is removed. You can control it to some degree with the appropriate kind of food, brushing their teeth. But that is no substitute for a professional cleaning.” The treatments required by the exotic animals are a whole different story. Most often, Coffman treats injuries, such as broken teeth, that often resulted from fights and they can require crowns, fillings or even some general jaw repair. Often, their oral discomfort is noticed by their zookeepers. Because zoo attendants “are really attuned to those animals” because they typically are assigned to just one breed, they become more attuned to the animals’ habits and notice if their charges are chewing differently. The biggest animal Coffman has treated is a lion, though he admits he won’t be surprised some day if he’s asked to visit an elephant or other similarly sized creature. It’s not as if any of those exotic patients are reading a magazine when he greets them. Usually, they’re already under anesthesia, Coffman said. “We’re fortunate to work with a lot of competent zoo veterinarians,” he said. “By the time we see them, they’re pretty much asleep.” Nevertheless, he’s careful, wearing thick rubber gloves as he prods inside their mouths. “I wouldn’t want a lion to bite down, he said, adding: “They can bite down when they’re asleep. Fortunately, I’ve never had one wake up.” Coffman said the majority of his exotic cases require only one visit. Among them was the sea otter that had a cracked molar and couldn’t eat its clams. Coffman resolved that problem with a root canal. But his most unusual patient didn’t even have teeth. It was a gila monster. A wildlife rescue group found the crit-
Dental ailments don’t come to the notice of pet owners until they’re examined by a general practice veterinarian during a routine physical.
ter and a subsequent examination revealed it had a fractured jaw. Coffman had to treat it gingerly, given its poisonous nature. But in the end, Coffman accomplished
his mission – and one satisfied gila monster became a fan. Details: azvetdentists.com.
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Gilbert funeral director sculpts the dead for the living BY MELODY BIRKETT
Christian Timothy isn’t your typical artist. He’s been sculpting the dead for 35 years. Since 2008, he has been the owner and president of Falconer Funeral Home, just north of downtown Gilbert. “I’m a sculptor, so as I sculpt I understand the structural-art part of our body and understand how that should be,” Timothy explained. “So, it’s very natural for me. My color theory with cosmetic application is very sound. A lot of times I can cover trauma without people knowing I used cosmetics.” A death in his family sparked an interest in his craft. “When I was 17 my grandfather passed away unexpectedly,” said Timothy. While attending his funeral, “I remember thinking it didn’t seem to help,” he said, adding that, simultaneously, the idea of preserving the body “seemed interesting.” “In high school, I always had a desire or interest in it,” Timothy said. “I originally wanted to be a forensic pathologist.” After high school, Timothy visited Japan. “When I was in Tokyo, I would see processions. The hearses are very ornate.
It’s like a temple on wheels.” He was also impressed by the respect the Japanese affording the dead – something he didn’t see in American culture. “As I’ve seen the cultures change today and the movement towards a quick and seamlessly painless death, where we don’t have to acknowledge death, we’ve seen a decrease in value of that celebration of that life. It has been sad.” In Japan, Timothy started learning and “understanding the practices related to death, the viewing practices.” After returning home, Timothy worked at a funeral home to understand the industry. (Special to GSN) “When I got into the Christian Timothy worked at a funeral home to understand the industry; now, he owns one, and makes sculpfuneral home and started tures to understand the structural-art aspect of the human body. working, I realized I really enjoyed it,” Timothy said. “I because I am an artist.” ships, our personal behavior. If we don’t really enjoyed the technology side of But Timothy also found he enjoyed mourn properly, there’s going to be it, the technical side of embalming, the “helping people relate and have closure issues.” restorative art which I’m very astute to in a positive way when there has been He said people often try to get trauma. It’s very important.” through the experience as quickly as Timothy said he feels a calling to repossible. store the dead as they are remembered “At the end of the day, the ability to by the living, and that the ultimate com- see the individual at the time of their pliment from relatives is their gratitude death is important.” over seeing their loved one restored in a He helps people of all faiths, and that positive way. to gain the immediate survivors’ trust Recently, a family did not want an “means eye contact, that means honesty open casket for fear their mother would in all ways, that means open and honest be unrecognizable. conversations.” “I told them, ‘I’ll do the work I nor“I mean honest but being caremally do, then you come and see her,’” ful about the information being given he recalled. “And if at that point you can because you have to be sensitive to make the decision on whether or not people. Within five minutes if you earn whether to leave the casket open, it’s their respect, and then from there you your prerogative.” can build a relationship with them based “They came back and said, ‘Mom on trust.” hasn’t looked that good in 10 years.’ And The first piece of art that visitors see they had the casket open the entire walking into his funeral home is a sculp$235,000 service.” ture that Timothy made, called “Never Higley and Southern Many funeral homes today are run by Alone.” big corporations. Timothy does most of “This is a self-depiction of me,” he SINGLE LEVEL the work himself, including meeting with explained. “My savior’s behind me. The 3 bedroom, 2 bath with a POOL! the families. paperwork within the briefcase is sand His slogan is, “I’m large enough to or poor decisions. You’ll see that there’s No HOA, RV gate, covered back patio help, but small enough to care.” too much now for the briefcase to hold. Nice neighborhood with community parks! Call today for more details. Families deal with the same person Usually, your briefcase is concealing throughout the ordeal. your mistakes. Paperwork is strewn all Come take a look at this lovely home! As tough as it is, Timothy said, everyover the place. one must take the time to grieve. “On my right hand, you see I’m still “I tell people all the time that grief holding onto a piece of paper which is not a destination, it’s a journey,” said represents the fact we always carry Timothy. “Nobody can get through life something we can’t let go of whether without walking through that journey, it’s shame, guilt, or failure to forgive, Century 21- AZ Foothills 602-576-7953 whether we want to acknowledge it or whatever. Regardless, the savior comes not. It’s going to show and it’s going to to us and says he doesn’t care about this. Name you can’t forget, and service you will remember! show in our ability to maintain relationHe just wants us whole.”
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Teen volunteers hold drive for homeless in hospitals BY GSN STAFF
Recently, 200 teenage volunteers held a backpack and toiletry drive at Dignity Health Chandler Regional and Mercy Gilbert Medical Centers to help the homeless. This is the first time in the 11-year history of the hospitals’ “Volunteen Program” that the students have taken on a community service project in addition to their volunteer jobs. The goal is to fill 600 backpacks by their Volunteen graduation on August 2. The project is well on its way, with 400 backpacks ready to be distributed to patients in the hospitals’ emergency rooms and Dignity Health Urgent Care Centers who are homeless. “I am always impressed with our Volunteens’ dedication to the hospitals,” said Valerie Heninger, supervisor of volunteer services at Mercy Gilbert. “This service project
really gave them another chance to see how impactful it is to help others. Their hard work and altruism is at the heart of everything we do at Dignity Health.” Dignity Health’s Volunteen Program requires applicants to have a minimum 3.5 GPA. Applicants also go through a rigorous screening process, which includes providing two letters of recommendation and two essays. Once the teens have been chosen as candidates, they must then go through a community panel interview before finally being admitted into the program. In addition to their commitment to completing 40 volunteer hours, the program also requires them to attend three education sessions provided by the hospital specifically for the teens. These ambitious teens are not only making a difference
in the lives of people at the hospital, but are also receiving valuable exposure to the medical field. Many of the teens in the program aspire to work in healthcare and volunteering in a hospital setting is an experience that will provide them with insight into the industry. “In the future, I hope to pursue a career as a cardiothoracic surgeon. I am very grateful that the Volunteen program allowed me to assist staff members and interact with patients to further enhance my knowledge about, and excitement towards, working in the medical field one day,” said Sophia Areneta, who has been volunteering at Mercy Gilbert for the past four summers. Areneta recently graduated from Basha High School and will start college at The University of Arizona this fall.
(Special to GSN)
The Arizona Diamondbacks recognized Dignity Health’s Volunteens for their outstanding service work recently. Seen from left, Lindsay Charvet, Sophia Areneta, and Chase Klapperich, volunteers at Mercy Gilbert, were chosen to represent the program at the pre-game celebration.
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Amerisleep uses technology to woo sleep BY SRIANTHI PERERA
If you happen to fall fast asleep and snore inside Amerisleep’s nap pod, you should forgive yourself. After all, the pod is a testing room for the company’s mattresses and pillows, and the products’ basic intention is to help you sleep. Co-owners Joey Holt and brothers Firaz Kittaneh and Ed Zitron, all of Kansas, incorporated patented technology to create a comfortable, environmentally friendly memory foam product range to suit each human sleep position. To complement the line, they also developed adjustable beds and pillows. Going a step further, in these days of declining brick-and-mortar shopper visits, they designed a sophisticated showroom to match their wares. The Scottsdale-based company’s first display center opened in SanTan Village, Gilbert. Plans are afoot to (GSN photo/Srianthi Perera) open two others, in Arrowhead and The mattress is shipped in this box; (GSN photo/Srianthi Perera) (GSN photo/Srianthi Perera) Tucson, and 15 more around the Joey Holt, Amerisleep’s chief operating officer, at one of a machine compresses and folds it The sleep pod makes you feel at home while you test the country. mattress. the touch table computer screens in the store. into the box. “Mattresses, for most people, are the least exciting thing to purchase,” Joey Holt, chief operating officer, said. “We wanted to create that excitement and portray the product differently than anybody has ever done before.” The mattress displayed upright near the store window does catch the eye. Step inside, and the sleek cobalt blue, black and white lines of the showroom, reminiscent of an Apple Store, bedazzles. The techie-feel is partly developed with the multi-sectioned television screen on the wall, which sometimes plays mood scenes. Education is thought to be key during a mattress purchase decision and everything is at your fingertips here. Touch table computer screens demonstrate everything from healthy sleep (Photo Special to GSN) (Photo Special to GSN) behavior to picking apart the dual-sided An upright mattress helps draw attention to Amerisleep in The sleek lines of the showroom herald the mattress line’s technology and are pillows (one side soft and the other Gilbert’s SanTan Village. reminiscent of an Apple Store. firmer), said to last up to five years. People are increasingly becoming atYou must order from the store or ondecided to combine their skills in a busikeep body temperature balanced; and the tuned to the need to develop good habits line and it’s shipped from a manufacturing ness. Celliant yarn cover, which recycles body in diet, nutrition and exercise, Holt said. plant in Indiana. The friends’ first foray into the bedding energy to retain coolness. “What people lack the most is educaHolt said that the response so far has world began when they opened a retail The nap pod was created to eliminate tion on healthy sleep behavior,” he said. been “amazing.” store in Fiesta Mall and sold a line of mat“We have a mission to bring about sleep to the awkwardness of testing a mattress “That’s why we’ve been able to put a tresses imported from China. inside a store. The goal, Holt said, is to the public, to not only educate them on store like this up,” he said. “People want a They soon tired of its flaws and began the benefits of getting a good night’s sleep, re-create a comfortable, homelike environgood night’s sleep but people don’t want their own line in 2010, fashioned and ment, with bedroom furniture. The ceiling but the benefit of getting the right matto have to spend a fortune, or the price of improved after a leading brand of foam has a built-in TV wall, which also runs a tress for the sleeping position.” a used car, to get a mattress.” mattress. program on the product. By operating the touch table computer Over the years, their brand has been imHolt, from Kansas, and Kittaneh and screens, you receive an online experience proved constantly. Their prices range from Zitron, from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in-store: learn about VPF, the method Amerisleep is at 2150 E. Williams Field Road, $999 to $1,899. met during college at Wichita State Uniused to pour foam without emissions and suite 115, Gilbert. Details: 480-247-8060 or amerisleep.com. Although Gilbert’s is a brick and mortar versity. Holt studied psychology, Kittaneh chemicals; Bio-Pur, the open cell structure store, you can’t go home with a mattress. bio medical science and Mo finance; they of the material that helps circulate air to
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Business
August 2017
37
Pinot’s Palette offers painting/sipping to create ‘masterpiece’ BY SRIANTHI PERERA
Chris and Jill Shaw of Scottsdale are expecting their first baby in November. In the meantime, they are busy nurturing their “business baby.” “This is truly our business baby and we can’t wait to see it grow,” said Jill, referring to Pinot’s Palette, a paint-and-sip studio they opened at Santan Village Marketplace recently. The couple, who call themselves “Chill” (a moniker derived from their names), is planning to move to Gilbert in the near future. They both grew up there, and can count on support from a large circle of family and friends. “We choose Gilbert for the sense of community, the appreciation and embraceKendall Faber gathers her paints prior to a session of paint-and-sip. ment of the arts, and the town’s lively feel,” Jill said. “Gilbert has grown so much and we Pinot’s Palette is located at Santan Village Mall. wanted to bring more entertainment to the area that the whole family would be able to engage in.” took months to hand pick everything we Together, they countThe response to their business has offer. We sell a delicious assortment from ed more than 20 years of been “amazing,” they said. sparkling wines to white and red,” Jill said. combined work experiThe Shaws selected Pinot’s Palette “We love wine.” ence, three master’s because it caters to all ages and skill degrees, and confidence levels, among other reasons. in moving forward with Pinot’s Palette of Gilbert is at 2743 S. “We looked at many franchises and self-employment before Market St., suite 110, in the Santan Village fell in love with the concept and the they launched their new Marketplace. Details: 480-750-9463 or pinotspalette.com/gilbert. creativity of Pinot’s Palette,” Jill said. venture. Pinot’s establishes a cozy and inviting Now, Chris, who has studio environment, where you could master’s degrees in be an artist for the evening or even business administrathe whole day. Participants choose the tion and engineering, painting they wish to emulate (they can works as an engineer. He do it beforehand, too, while registerwas an “artsy child,” he ing), don a large, blue apron and sit said, and still has that This line of painters makes for a study in concentration. with members of their group. They are creative mindset. woman’s upscale guided by local artists step-by-step Jill, who has a maspreneurial spark. His past ventures include through the process of creating the consignment boutique ter’s in social work, is a code club, lawn mowing and car washing painting. Music plays and wine is available the “face” of the business. with neighborhood kids and building and for purchase, to nudge things along. Art, she said, is in her blood as her NOW OPEN! selling custom game It’s not a competigrandmother was an art teacher and tables in college. tion, but a chance to she is a firm believer that art impacts a Clean out your closets Jill has been in let their artistic sides person in many facets and helps draw out for extra cash! “people centric” evolve. confidence and latent skills. (check website for criteria) activities and careers, Bond with someAlong those lines, the Shaws have with jobs in retail, one while dabbing at many plans – kid’s camps, family days, restaurant service and project, pet and date nights, open studios the easel? Check. social work. For her, “I love the vibe of (where participants can do self-guided “a passion for helping it; it’s energetic and paintings or let their creativity roam), people achieve their cool and everything corporate and team-building options, best is always a goal is new and the colors Hours among them. -Sat 10-6 on and something to apare fantastic,” said M They will enable painting on different preciate,” she said. Nina Piorkowski of mediums as well, such as on tote bags, Bring in From 2012 until Gilbert, a participant glasses, clothing, wood pallets and door this last fall, the couple at the studio’s inauguhangers. a d for lived in Washington ral session. “I love it.” They will also organize “painting it 10% off State, where they “It’s actually very forward” events, where they will partner your enti honed their skills exciting; it’s like a re with local charities and nonprofits to p urchase! to become business very nice atmofundraise and bring awareness to their Chris and Jill Shaw, a.k.a. “Chill,” in the priowners. sphere,” said Amanda vate event room at Pinot’s Palette. missions. “We took the opTrent, who said it was “We (will) donate a portion of the pro1070 E Ray Rd Suite 18 portunity in moving her first experience in Provinces Shopping Plaza ceeds from event sales to the organizaNE Corner Ray/McQueen in Chandler away from our home state to build a a painting studio. tion as a way of giving back,” Jill said. strong foundation of partnership in life The Shaws deem to be “think-out-ofWhile art colors a large part of the 480.912.5097 and in marriage… and in business,” Chris the-box” people. business, the wine can’t be ignored. melangeconsignment.com said. From a young age, Chris had an entre“We are both big wine lovers and we
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August 2017
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Aqua-Tots’ plans in Gilbert go swimmingly well BY JESSICA SURIANO
Aqua-Tots Swim Schools opened its first location in Gilbert in July, its 12th location in the East Valley. The new facility includes a pool heated to 90 degrees, a lobby with a glass viewing window for parents, a play area for children, swimsuit dryers and family-equipped locker rooms. Aqua-Tots offers swim classes for eight different levels of swimmers, ranging from the four to 12-month-old toddler range of “Tadpoles” to the highest levels of “Sharks” and “Stingrays” based on older kids’ swimming abilities. Aqua-Tots franchise owner Steve Matthews said the swim schools are dedicated to teaching swim safety and educating families in the community on drowning prevention. “Our goal is to be able to serve as many communities as possible and help prevent kids from ever drowning,” Matthews said. “We want to be the industry leader for providing quality swim instruction, consistently delivering outstanding customer service in the community and giving kids a great experience on learning to swim.” Kylie Tolboe, an instructor at the new Gilbert location, said Aqua-Tots differs
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Aqua-Tots Swim School in Gilbert includes a pool heated to 90 degrees, a lobby with a glass viewing window for parents, a play area for children, swimsuit dryers and family-equipped locker rooms.
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from other swim schools because the lessons are more in-depth and cover safety techniques, in and out of the water, not just swim strokes. She said she wanted to teach at AquaTots to be able to give kids the “capability to save their own lives one day.” According to the most recent data from the Arizona Department of Health Services, drowning was the leading cause of death among children ages 1 to 4 in Arizona from 2010 to 2015. Children’s Safety Zone collaborates with local fire departments and hospitals to gather data on children’s safety issues, such as pool and swimming-related incidents. According to Children’s Safety Zone, from Jan. 1 to July 11 of this year, 30 deaths have resulted from 71 different waterrelated incidents in Maricopa and Pinal counties. Seven of these deaths were
children 0 to 5 years old, 22 were adults and one was a child over 6 years old. The instructors are all passionate about what they do, and are trained on teaching kids differently, based on individual progress and skills, according to Tolboe. All instructors are CPR certified, have passed an online exam and completed more than 30 hours of classroom and in-water training, according to the company’s website. Lessons at this location are $79 per month for one lesson per week, per child, $139 per month for two lessons a week per child or $199 per month for three lessons a week, per child. Aqua-Tots Gilbert is at 2335 S. Lindsay Road. Open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Thursday and 9 a.m. to noon Saturday. Details at 480462-2899 or aqua-tots.com.
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Business
August 2017
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Prickly Pear Paper fulfills couple’s love for design and stationary BY SRIANTHI PERERA
Los Angeles transplants Lauren Elliott and Mark Johnston are getting married in October. They have the unique opportunity to create their own wedding stationary using an old-fashioned Kelsey King Jobber letterpress. Johnston will be the mastermind behind designing the stationary, while Elliott will create the product. They couldn’t be happier with their chosen professions and combined business. “If you have a business (GSN photo/Srianthi Perera) partner, basically, you have a Lauren Elliott and Mark Johnston work the reconditioned marriage. It’s an all-inclusive Kelsey King Jobber letterpress machine. The technique althing,” Elliott said. lows them to press textured letters or images on paper. The Scottsdale residents opened their custom graphic design studio, Prickly Pear Paper, at Barnone in November. Barnone is a craftsman community inside a renovated Quonset Hut, located in Agritopia, Gilbert. (Johnston, who is a nephew of local visionary Joe Johnston, created the logo for Barnone.) “When Joe Johnston reached out to Mark to do the logo for Barnone, we learnt the ins and outs of the project and we were inspired by that concept,” Elliott said. “We (Photo/Special to GSN) contacted the project manager for the Graphic designer Mark Johnston creates cards barn and asked if we could use a space for a for various occasions. design studio concept.” When the answer was in the positive, they quit their jobs in Los Angeles–he was a His customers have included the town of senior graphic designer and she was a retail Gilbert, dental, veterinarian and real estate manager – and moved to the Valley last year. offices that asked for personalized ‘thank Thus was Prickly Pear Paper born. you’ cards and other stationary. Inside the 500-square-feet space, their Elliott works the letterpress printer, their collective, but separate, industry is evident. specialization, and also manages the retail Johnston, at the computer, creates logos, part of the store, selling their paper prodbranding, business cards, wedding stationucts as well as hand-picked gift and utility ary, party invitations and similar others. items from local vendors, such as candles,
Prickly Pear Paper is at 3000 E. Ray Road, Building 6, suite 104, Gilbert. The store is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. Details: shoppricklypear.com. (GSN photo/Srianthi Perera)
Prickly Pear Paper stocks a novel selection of paper products.
cushions, party ware and games. A lot of their orders have come via word of mouth. People also see them through the store window and walk in. Prickly Pear Paper also offers workshops, such as the one held ahead of Father’s Day that enabled children to create a custom card. There are no employees yet, and the couple tries to remain visible in the store most of the time. “It’s important to us, while we’re still a new business, especially since we’re a retail business that when people come in, they’re meeting us and not anyone else,” Elliott said. “Hopefully, in the future, we’ll be able to hire someone else to run the retail space
so we can focus on expanding our product line and also doing custom design work from out of the store.” They revel in the constant togetherness. “It’s a nice change of pace. Before we moved, we didn’t see each other very often,” Elliott said. Her retail job earned her random days off, and they were usually his work days. “We didn’t really see each other very much and that was another influential factor in wanting to run the business together so we could spend time together.” They learned how to work together and how best to communicate with one another. “We’re best friends, so that makes it easier,” Elliott said.
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SanTan Village’s Walmart unveils store upgrades BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY
Walmart and the town of Gilbert allow customers to scan a barcode celebrated a grand re-opening of its sent to their smartphones and retrieve Gilbert location at 2501 S. Market Street purchases. recently. The towers are not available at all The retail giant unveiled several store stores. Walmart has finished its pilot upgrades including a redesigned floor program for the technology and is now plan that will bring it in line with other expanding to locations across the counWalmart stores. try, according to a blog on its website. “Walmart is trying to align (store floor Previously, customers had to wait for plans), so the experience is the same an employee to retrieve packages at the across all stores,” said back of the store. The Jason Allred, general new machines signifimanager of the store. cantly reduce customer Several departments waiting time, Allred said. feature expanded offerThe kiosks can hold ings, including electronup to 300 packages, with ics, hardware and infant some restrictions. They goods. Additionally, the do not hold groceries, grocery department prohibitively large items has a berry cooler with or liquids like bleach and expanded fresh fruit detergents. options. Customers ordering The reopening also groceries can have items showcased Walmart’s delivered to their car by focus on using technolan employee. ogy in its stores. Representatives from That technology the Gilbert Chamber of includes upgraded selfCommerce and the Town (Photo special to GSN) checkout stations as The Walmart has installed a pickup of Gilbert were in atthe option has become tower, a kiosk that allows customtendance at the groundmore popular in recent ers to scan a barcode sent to their breaking. years. In addition to offersmartphones and retrieve purchases. “Almost half of our ing retail services to the customers use self-checkout,” Allred town, Walmart has made several charisaid. table donations to the community. These Another notable addition comes in include donations to Arizona Youth Thethe form of the Pickup Tower, a large ater and a nearby veterans association, cylindrical automated kiosk for customGilbert Chamber of Commerce President ers picking up online orders. The kiosks and CEO Kathy Tilque said.
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(Photo special to GSN)
Attendees at Walmart’s grand re-opening included (from left) Eric Reber, owner of SpeedPro Imaging and chair elect for the board of directors of Gilbert Chamber of Commerce, Town Councilmember Scott Anderson, Amanda Ashdown, market manager for Wal-Mart, Jason Allred, store manager, Gilbert Town Councilmember Brigette Peterson and Kathy Tilque, Gilbert Chamber president. Also in the photo are the store associates.
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August 2017
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DeRosier Basketball Academy aims to instill basketball love BY LEAH MERRALL
When Joe DeRosier moved to Gilbert from Washington this year, he brought his love of basketball and desire to teach with him. The DeRosier Basketball Academy opened June at Leading Edge Academy in Gilbert and is a program DeRosier hopes to model after his business of 11 years in Washington, Advantage Sports. There, he trained 350 kids from elementary school through high school in basketball, year-round. DeRosier’s full-time job is actually as a software engineer for Boeing, but he’s been coaching kids in basketball for more than 30 years, and the academies in Washington and Arizona are his passion projects. He sold his business in Washington and his ultimate goal is to retire from Boeing in a few years and fully dedicate himself to the program in the desert. The difference with his new business is that it’s operated by the newly established DeRosier Foundation, a non-profit with the goal of accepting donations to drive the cost down and be more accessible for kids to attend the academy. “It’s about impacting kids and show-
ing them that basketball is fun and we can teach them all this stuff, but there’s a lot more that you’re going to learn,” DeRosier said. “I tell parents this all the time – if you come out and try our program, you’re going to see a difference.” DeRosier’s academy focuses on teaching fundamentals of the game of basketball to kids from third or fourth grade all the way through high school. There are no teams, boys and girls practice together and coaches focus on individual players and (Photo special to GSN) building skills. Coach Michael DeRosier trains David Jackson, who has played professional leagues in France and Mexico. Additionally, the program is designed to be flexible for the they want throughout the year. The promotions and discounts. players and their families. Parents buy price of an average package is $160 for Right now, DeRosier and his son packages with a certain number of eight sessions, but DeRosier said people sessions, and can use them whenever rarely pay that because there are always SEE PAGE 42
DEROSIER BASKETBALL
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August 2017
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DEROSIER BASKETBALL FROM PAGE 41 Michael are the only coaches at the academy in Gilbert, although they hope to expand and eventually hire more. The ultimate goal is to open their own facility that can be host to a number of other academies, like soccer, volleyball, golf and leadership. “The stuff we were doing up in Washington, I had four, five or six coaches working for me,” DeRosier said. “I was always telling the coaches that this is basketball training, but this is bigger than basketball training. It’s about life lessons and being there for the kids and building a relationship. They trust us, we trust them. It’s about growing up.” Parents of kids who participated in Advantage Sports in Washington attest to the effectiveness of DeRosier’s program and teaching style. Ziv Zantkovsky, who lives in Washington, said he was sold within the first 10 minutes of taking his son there. “They took a really entry-level player with my son and made him a high-level, premier shooting guard,” Zantkovsky said. “Joe is very hands-on. He’s not one of those guys who runs the program who is never there. He gets to know the players personally.” Kevin Vilhauer’s son went to Advantage Sports in Washington from fifth
through ninth grade. He said his son struggled in the beginning, but the coaches were consistent and helped him grow. “My son is small and had to focus on his ball handling and shooting skills and Joe really built a lot of confidence in him,” Vilhauer said. “They really work on the fundamentals, whereas a lot of times when kids are part of basketball programs, they work on plays.” DeRosier and his son Michael, who played college basketball, are experts in teaching shooting skills. DeRosier’s wife Tami is Younger players work on tennis ball drills. an ex-physical education teacher who held special classes at Advantage Sports who love basketball and want to instill and might eventually do the same in that same love in others. It’s a teachGilbert. DeRosier calls running the proing opportunity and a chance to build gram a family affair. a foundation for growth – that’s what At its heart, the DeRosier Basketball DeRosier wanted to bring to Gilbert. Academy is a program run by people “If I lived in Arizona, that would be the
(Photo special to GSN)
one place I would go,” Zantkovsky said. “I wouldn’t choose anywhere else.” Details: derosierbasketballacademy.org
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BY GSN STAFF
Restaurant gift card deal
Those purchasing gift cards at participating Heritage Marketplace restaurants in Gilbert will score some bonus gift cards for their use. The offer is valid through Monday, Sept. 4. They are as follows: Barrio Queen: $50 gift card with $10 bonus card and $100 gift card with $20 bonus gift card. Clever Koi: $50 gift card with $10 bonus card and $100 gift card with $20 bonus gift card. Even Stevens: $15 gift card with $5 bonus gift card and $50 gift card and get a $10 bonus gift card. Grubstak: $100 gift card with $20 bonus gift card. Nico: $50 gift card with $10 bonus gift card. Pomo: $15 gift card with $5 bonus gift card. Sushi Brokers: $50 gift card with $10 bonus gift card.
Details: heritagemarketplacegilbert.com.
Subway franchisee award
Gilbert resident Christine Blank is Subway’s 2016 Franchisee of the Year, Arizona Subway Development Corp., the developer for Subway restaurants in Arizona announced. Blank has been a franchisee since 1993 and owns six restaurants in Chandler, Gilbert and Mesa. She was selected in part because of her long-time dedication to Subway restaurants and her proactive involvement with its day-today operations. Blank was recognized in front of more than 400 attendees at Subway’s Arizona statewide owners’ meeting recently and received a cash prize and an honorary trophy. “It was a total shock to receive this honor,” said Blank said. Blank has been with Subway since its very beginning in Arizona. Together with Arizona’s first Subway franchisee, Mark Roden, she opened Arizona’s first Subway restaurant in the state. She served as restaurant manager under Roden for about five years, managing up to 25 restaurants at one point.
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BUSINESS BRIEFS Three of Blank’s Subway locations have received the coveted “Restaurant of the Month” honor, which involves beating out more than 400 locations, most recently in December 2016.
Resident joins Save the Family board
Mike Specht, a Gilbert resident and vice president of Surety with MinardAmes Insurance Services, has been elected to serve a three-year term at the Save the Family Foundation board of directors. A surety professional with more than three decades of industry experience, he has been with Minard-Ames, an insurance and bonding agency specializing in commercial contractors, since 1999. “Mike’s business experience and perspective will be a valuable and complementary asset for our board and Save the Family,” said Save the Family CEO Jacki Taylor. Specht holds a Masters of Business Administration from the University of South Dakota and a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from Augustana College.
For details on Mesa-based Save the Family, visit savethefamily.org.
Autism treatment center
Center for Autism and Related Disorders will open eight new treatment centers across the country, including one in Gilbert. The company has 140 in its network. As a premier leader in the field, it specializes in using the principles of applied behavior analysis to treat individuals of all ages diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. The behavior analysis is the only scientifically validated treatment for the disorder and is most effective when delivered early and at a high level of intensity. The company provides individualized services in its centers and at the patient’s home, school, and/or work. It also offers diagnostic and assessment services and social skills groups for individuals of all ages.
The center’s treatment model was developed by Dr. Doreen Granpeesheh, founder and executive director. For details, call 480-482-5005 or visit centerforautism.com.
Thunderbird Artists festivals in Gilbert
Thunderbird Artists, which produces fine art and wine festivals throughout the Valley, is presenting two festivals in Gilbert: the Gilbert Fine Art & Wine Festival Dec. 1-3 in the Gilbert Civic Center and the Gilbert Fine Art & Wine Festival Feb. 16-18. The company, in its 36th season of fine art festivals in the Valley, invites artists to participate. The ongoing-juried open enrollment enables painters, sculptors, glass and stone artists, fine jewelers and artists working in mixed media to apply for a booth in one or more of its festivals.
To download an application or apply online, visit thunderbirdartists.com or call 480-837-5637.
Marshmallow store name change
“Fluff It Marshmallows” in Gilbert has changed its name to “Toasted Mallow.” The dessert shop serves gourmet, handcrafted s’mores, flavored marshmallow squares, pies and cookies. In a blog post, owners Tricia Arce and Hazel said the updated name will help with branding and “better expresses and showcases what we do best and why people love coming to see us.” The post also reassured customers that there has been no change in ownership, management or products. “We’ll continue providing the same amazing gourmet products and great customer service on which we have built this business on.”
Toasted Mallow is at 1034 N. Gilbert Road, Gilbert.
Beauty academy open house
The Studio Academy of Beauty in Chandler is presenting an open house from 2-6 p.m. August 23 at 610 N. Alma School Road. Tour the academy, learn about the cosmetology and aesthetics programs, see a demo on airbrush make up and other techniques and learn about blow dry techniques and braiding, among others.
Rsvp to 480-857-1138. Details: tsaob.com.
Starbucks store sold
Commercial real estate investment services firm Marcus & Millichap announced the sale of Starbucks - Relocation Store, a 2,000-square-foot netleased property located in Gilbert. The property, at 1951 E. Baseline Road, sold for $2,750,000. Trent Goulette of Southwest Retail Group represented the buyer in this transaction.
Branding contest Gilbert-based Faith Faith BBE, CTM, NE, branding expert, speaker, and author, who is passionate about teaching people how to create a good and lasting first impression using “The Magical Handshake” technique, has opened a free contest for her branding services. Entrants must email Faith Faith their name, contact information and 100-words or less about what they have to offer a business, service, product or book. The contest will close August 31 and the winner will be announced on her website on September 11. The email is FreeBranding@FaithFaith.net. Faith Faith’s forthcoming eBook, Blockbuster Branding for “The Little Guy,” will be available August 6 on amazon.com. Details: faithfaith.net.
August 2017
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* Average tuition after scholarships is approximately $8,600. Scholarships may be awarded based on 6th semester transcripts. At the time in which final, official transcripts are received, GCU reserves the right to rescind or modify the scholarship if it is determined that eligibility was not achieved. GCU reserves the right to decline scholarship awards for any reason. If a student does not meet the minimum renewal criteria, their scholarship will be forfeited. GCU reserves the right to change scholarship awards at any time without notice. If a student does not meet the minimum renewal criteria, their scholarship will be forfeited. Prices based on 2016-17 rate and are subject to change. ** Housing and meal plan rate includes triple occupancy, suite-style residence hall and $1,350 Dining Dollars, plus applicable sales tax as required by state law. Prices reflect 2016-17 and are subject to change. The information printed in this material is accurate as of May 2017. For the most up-to-date information about admission requirements, tuition, scholarships and more, visit gcu.edu. Important policy information is available in the University Policy Handbook at https://www. gcu.edu/academics/academic-policies.php For more information about our graduation rates, the median debt of students who complete the program, and other important information, please visit our website at gcu.edu/disclosures. Please note, not all GCU programs are available in all states and in all learning modalities. Program availability is contingent on student enrollment. Grand Canyon University is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (800-621-7440; http://hlcommission.org/). GCU, while reserving its lawful rights in light of its Christian mission, is committed to maintaining an academic environment that is free from unlawful discrimination. Further detail on GCU’s Non-Discrimination policies can be found at gcu.edu/titleIX. ©2017 Grand Canyon University 17GTR0279
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World Famous Mike’s Bikes in Queen Creek
August 2017
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BY GSN STAFF
World Famous Mike’s Bikes, located just west of Old Ellsworth Road in downtown Queen Creek, opened last fall to serve the town as well as San Tan Valley. It services and repairs all makes and models of motorcycles, including Harley Davidson, Buell, Honda, Indian, Suzuki and Yamaha; it also repairs scooters, quads and motorized bicycles. Services include oil changes, engine and transmission rebuilds, tires, tubes, batteries and parts as well as tune ups, a free safety inspection with every service and free pickup service within 10 miles. Mike McGinnis, a custom motorcycle builder with more than 40 years of mechanical and technical experience, saw the need for a reputable motorcycle shop in the area. McGinnis has owned several motorcycle
shops in the East Valley, including Mike’s Bikes in Mesa, and won awards for his motorcycle and trike builds. He has built custom motorcycles for people around the world. The shop is located in a 70-year-old building, which has been used as a storage barn and an automotive shop in Queen Creek for many years. McGinnis has been working to improve the property. “We are excited to serve motorcycle riders in Queen Creek, San Tan Valley. We plan on being an active member of both communities and welcome people to stop by and say hello,” he said. World Famous Mike’s Bikes is located at 20907 E. Ocotillo Road, Queen Creek. Open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Details: 480-659-1255 or wfmikesbikes.wixsite.com.
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(From left): Technician Josh Cummings, customer Paul Aire of Queen Creek, Mike McGinnis, owner of World Famous Mike’s Bikes and Steve Mayo, customer, Queen Creek.
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August 2017
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Gilbert Defense Arts teaches discipline BY JESSICA SURIANO
The owner and chief instructor at Gilbert Defense Arts created the martial arts facility about 15 years ago to give community members the same experience he had with the sport while growing up. “It definitely provided discipline in a lot of ways – the ability to push myself through something that is very physically and mentally demanding,” owner Casey Paiz said. “You learn a lot about yourself and a lot about what you actually are able to do.” The classes at Gilbert Defense Arts focus on the style of Kempo, a traditional martial arts system that is more applicable to self defense for children and adults. Classes are taught by eight teachers and come with the added benefits of conditioning, strength training and flexibility. The business also offers free community programs such as a women’s self defense program and a child safety program. These programs are free for non-profit organizations looking to hold group training or an event. Every student that trains at Gilbert Defense Arts gets a 30-minute private lesson once a week in addition to other
HUNTERS
•
Classes focus on the style of Kempo.
Every student gets private instruction.
group classes. “The reason we do that is because everybody has a unique learning style and everybody has different goals that they are trying to achieve with martial arts,” Paiz said. One student of Gilbert Defense Arts, Darnell Frazier, has been training there for more than a year and said the individual tailoring is what sets this martial arts gym apart from others in
JUMPERS
•
the Valley. In addition to getting more in shape, Frazier said Gilbert Defense Arts has rid him of complacency in his life and given him more focus and discipline, inside and outside of the gym. Frazier said he also enjoys training because he is surrounded by goaloriented people there. Other students have become role models to him after seeing their hard work and dedication. “We try to make sure that everything
that we teach has that ability to translate to something you could use from a self defense side,” Paiz said. Gilbert Defense Arts is located at 1094 S. Gilbert Road. Visit gilbertmartialarts.com for a calendar of classes, training sign ups, the options for free classes or to schedule a free beginning lesson to test the waters of martial arts.
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Youth
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Campus Clean-up Photos by Cheryl Haselhorst Gilbert Classical Academy held a â&#x20AC;&#x153;campus clean-up partyâ&#x20AC;? recently, before its move into the buildings of the former Gilbert Junior High School at 1016 N. Burk St. About 170 volunteers moved chairs, books, desks and shelves into their new location. 1. Aiden Harris, 15, at right, heads for a classroom with a stack of books as Hannah Kang, 15, follows. 2. Nevaeh Collins, 15, carries desks. 3. Sarah Butler, 12, leads the way as a line of students transfers books from one classroom to another. 4. Sasha Subzwara, 15, at left, and Jorann Delozier, 15, roll a cart of school supplies into a classroom. 5. Parent volunteer Linda Perry rolls a round table down the hall during the move. 6. Parent volunteer David Smith disconnects computers in preparation for moving.
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Gilbert Classical Academy settles in new digs with anticipation BY MELODY BIRKETT
Parents, students and the community were hustling on a recent Saturday morning at Gilbert Classical Academy’s new home at 1016 N. Burk St. They were trying to get everything ready for the first day of school, August 2. “Today, we are moving into our new campus,” said Dan Hood, principal of GCA. “We moved over from our old campus which was kind of a makeshift one. We had been there for 10 years.” That campus was at 55 N. Greenfield Road. “There, it was kind of a hassle with an elementary school, a lot of portables, no fields, no gym, no anything,” Hood added. “To be part of a new school now is kind of neat.” GCA, which is moving into the campus of the now closed Gilbert Jr. High, will have at least three times as much space, according to Hood. The GPS Governing Board voted 5-0 to close the school in May. Gilbert Jr. High students are to attend Mesquite Jr. High. “I think this is the best utilization of space,” Hood said. “There’s a lot of tradition here that we’re pulling off and saving.” Hood expects GCA’s enrollment in the fall to be 580 and for it to grow to 750800 students in the next couple of years. In the meantime, the big job at hand is getting prepared. Hood said about 150 volunteers signed up to help with the move, but more showed up. “It’s an exciting day. Anytime you have a big community involvement, it always helps your school,” he said. Mary and Dan Mirabito were among the volunteers. Their oldest son graduated a year ago from GCA and is now a sophomore in college. They also have twin boys who are seniors at GCA. “The school is being reorganized so it fits Gilbert Classical’s program.” Mary Mirabito said. The library was the focus that morning. “Just taking down the library — the
cybrary — removing all of the books, every single piece of furniture from the shelves,” Dan Mirabito said. “We’re basically making room for the carpeting to get replaced, to get the walls painted. We want everything looking good when it comes back in.” Dan Mirabito described it as “a sense of community. “It’s a family. Everybody knows each other, for the most part. It’s an awesome place for a child to go to school and be educated,” he said. Emily MacArthur, 17, is a senior and has attended GCA since seventh grade. She was also helping out in the library. “We’re pulling all the books off the shelves so the shelves can be moved out for new carpeting,” she said. MacArthur said every attention to detail was important since the librarian was on vacation. “We’re trying to keep it organized for her, so it’s not a total mess when she gets back,” she said. Many parents shared MacArthur’s doubts about whether everything will be finished by the first day of school, especially the library. Getting the carpeting replaced and painting the walls were at the top of the priority list and promised to be the biggest challenge. “I think we’ll definitely get all the shelves back in. I’m not sure about organizing the books,” she said. The librarian has a lot to do with adding GCA’s books to the existing books, she also said. Despite books being online nowadays, MacArthur said a library is still very important to students. “GCA students like to read a lot, so we’re always in the library,” she said. Freshman Vivien Liu, 14, is in her third year at GCA. “Today, we’re helping our campus,” Liu said. “We’re going to remodel it.” In the end, she said, it’ll be worth all of the hard work. “This campus is a lot bigger and it’s going to be very exciting
Having Fun, Helping Others! Get plugged into Gilbert Gilbert Rotary Invites you to join us for Breakfast Our Treat! No Reservation Required Every Thursday 7 a.m. at the Egg I am 3321 E. Queen Creek Road, Gilbert, AZ For more information call 480-207-6473 Learn how to make friends, build relationships and give back in Gilbert.
The volunteers create a sea of desks in the courtyard.
because we have our own track and our own field now,” she said. Daylia Zarland, 13, a freshman at GCA is also thrilled and said the new campus is great. “Our other campus was so small we never had room for anything. The library here is so much bigger, so there’ll be a lot more room for a lot more stuff,” she said. Felicia Rehm’s son just graduated from GCA. Her daughter, Angela, is a sophomore. “There has been a lot of volunteers all summer but right now we’re moving out the entire library because we have to carpet. At some point before school starts, this will all have to be moved back in,” she said. She also doubts everything will be done by the first day of school. Obviously, a lot of controversy has surrounded the move, but parents said it was worth it in the end. “Hats off to Dr. Hood,” said Blembi Kokona whose son Alex, 14, is a freshman at GCA. “He stayed calm and collected through this whole ordeal and continues to. He’s an outstanding man. What he has
done is fabulous.” Kokona added, “These are our children, our community’s children, and the future of our community, so it doesn’t matter where you live, what location, or grade or any of that.” “It was hard for everybody, even for us, because we didn’t want to take over anybody’s home,” Mary Mirabito said.” We ultimately wanted our own school where we didn’t move anybody out.” “For the students moving to Mesquite, they have more opportunities with more electives now that they’re at a new school,” MacArthur added. “So I think it’s going to work out better in the long run for everyone in the district.” In the end, Kokona said it’s about students getting a good education. “We owe it to this new generation to provide them the best, not only education with the right curriculum, but also in the right atmosphere that’s clean, safe, you name it.” “If you came down here and saw what was going on here, you’d get excited about it,” Dan Mirabito said.
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Happy back to school! Photos by Kimberly Carrillo The sun was hiding behind clouds and a few drops of rain fell from the sky during the morning of the first day of school. But given the sunny dispositions of the Bridges Elementary School children, they were happy to be back with their classmates after a few weeks of play. Bridges, in the Higley Unified School District, opened a year ago, and serves Chandler, Gilbert and Queen Creek students from kindergarten through sixth grade. 1. Madilyn Case, 5, Riley McCullough, 6, and Haylee Case, 6. 2. Gabe Campos, 5, going into kindergarten, and Brooklyn Campos, 7, going into second grade. 3. Thomas Kelly, 7, with Sean Kelly, 9. 4. Bridges Elementary offers a project-based learning approach. 5. Emily Nowakowski, 5, with her sister Madison, 3, who came with her on her first day of school. 6. Eliana Johnson, 10, (going into fifth grade) with sister Brynlee, 7, (going into second grade). 7. Zachary Fuller high-fives Bridges Elementary School Principal Jeffrey Beickel. 8. Friends Dante Attier, 7, and Rafeton Roupe, 6.
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Youth take to stage during school breaks BY MELODY BIRKETT • PHOTOS SPECIAL TO GSN
As classrooms emptied at the end of the school year, summer youth theater camps filled. Students of all ages spent hot summer days indoors singing, dancing and acting in musical theater performances. Now that school is starting again, fall programs are on the way.
Baker Performing Arts
learn life lessons such as responsibility, accountability, teamwork, time management, confidence, public speaking skills and more.” More details, including audition notices, at bakerperformingarts.com.
East Valley Children’s Theatre
Mesa-based East Valley Children’s TheBaker Performing Arts is a large chilatre is just wrapping up its 20th season. dren’s theater program in Gilbert, with “We offer classes year round and about 600 students parseven- and eight-week ticipating at a given time. classes with sessions Throughout the school throughout the year,” year, it offers musical Karen Rolston, producing theater camps during the artistic director, said. fall, winter, spring and The theater has four summer school breaks for performance troops; an kids ages 5 through 14. improv troop, an acting “Our six non-audition troop, a musical theater musical casts start retroop, as well as a literahearsals in August with ture alive troop. Disney’s “101 Dalmatians Rolston described the Tiffany Selene directs up to eight musical theater productions per week at Baker Performing Kids,” ages 5-9 and “Dislast one as follows: Arts in Gilbert. ney’s Peter Pan Jr.,” ages “It’s performed by 10-17,” said Tiffany Selene, home-school students; director. they go into the schools said Tracie Jones, artistic director and and it was in June for kids aged 5-8,” She directs up to eight and present a play and director of education. “We have three proRolston said. “They had a theme, which different musical theater a book,” Rolston said. groups and two pre-groups, depending on was pirates, and they created a story, productions per week. “They take a book and commitment levels. This year, we’re going a little play, and music and all kinds of The 5-9 year-old (From left) Kate Warren and Devin make a play out of it and on tour to L.A. and we’re also doing a New things around that pirate theme.” students rehearse once present it to the kids Peele during a pirate-themed York tour this summer, where they’re actuAuditions for “King Thrushbeard” are production of the East Valley a week for seven weeks and the kids get a book. ally going to perform on a Broadway stage. August 22 and 23. Fall camps start Auand perform the week of Children’s Theatre in Mesa. It’s to encourage kids to And I think we’re performing at Disneyland gust 28. More information is at evct.org September 18. The 10-17 read.” when we’re in L.A. and probably Universal or 480-756-3828. The rehearsal studio is year-old students rehearse once a week A technical theater program is offered Studios, as well.” at 4501 E. Main St., Mesa. for eight weeks and perform on Septemfor kids who want to learn backstage This fall, classes in acting, singing and Actor’s Youth Theatre ber 30. All performances are held in the production. dancing will be offered. Audition informaSummer camps are wrapping up at Classes and performance troops and 160-seat showroom at Baker Performing tion is at actorsyouththeater.org or call Arts at SanTan Village, 2270 E. Williams main stage productions are done through- Actor’s Youth Theater, which hosted 16 480-907-7050 to schedule an audition. Field Road, Suite 104, Gilbert. Actor’s Youth Theatre is located at 861 N. Students may sign-up on a first come, Higley Road, Gilbert. first serve basis for both age groups. “It’s exciting to see so many students Studio 3 Performing Arts participate in one of our eight different Studio 3 Performing Arts offers classes musicals,” said Selene. “We have entire in dance, voice, musical theater and actfamilies with up to four siblings particiing. The company offers something for pating in the same play.” everyone, from the new performer to the “We do have ‘By Audition Only’ musiseasoned veteran. cals too,” Selene said. “These musicals are Register for fall classes at studio3arts. open for all ages through adults. com. Auditions for Studio 3’s ShowstopRecently, the group performed “A pers show choir and 3DC dance company Chorus Line,” “Bye Bye Birdie,” “Annie,” may be scheduled by calling 480-545and “Madagascar.” 1492. “It’s a great way for first-timers to get Studio 3 also partners with non-profit their feet wet in musical theater,” Selene youth theater Limelight Performing Arts said. “They even do a musical production to produce more than 10 Broadway-style every week at conclusion of this weekly shows each season. Next up is the stage camp.” production of Disney’s “Tarzan,” which It’s important for youth to get inruns August 11-20 and features talented volved, Selene said. “Youth should paryouth from across the Valley. Tickets are A class of youth actors during a production of Baker Performing Arts. ticipate in theater because it gives them a available at limelight.ticketleap.com/ fun environment for them to learn and be tarzan. camps this session, including a “Star Wars” out the year. themselves. It’s such a rewarding experiAuditions are forthcoming for the Camp, Hamilton Camp and Minecraft & Four separate summer camps are just ence for young students to get onstage 2017-18 productions, including “Side Lego Camp. wrapping up. “The first one that comes and show off what they’ve been workShow,” “The Lion King JR” and “Elf JR.” Visit “We have five vocal performing groups,” limelightyouththeater.org. to mind is our Imagination Theater Camp ing on for their family and friends. They
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ASU’s Journalism Institute offers a lot of knowledge in two weeks BY MELODY BIRKETT • PHOTOS SPECIAL TO GSN
Aspiring journalists from around the country converged on Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication recently for the Summer Journalism Institute. Only 28 students were chosen for the two-week program. Among them were two seniors from Gilbert – Seton Catholic Prep’s Max Muehlhausen and Campo Verde High School’s Jordan Brandon. Students stayed in the dorms at Taylor Place in downtown Phoenix, next door to the Cronkite School. They received scholarships from many organizations that covered the cost of staying in the dorms, food and training. A lot of the training was focused on producing a newscast. “The first week was finding stories, interviewing people, making video packages about our stories,” Muehlhausen said. “And the second week, we put all of the packages together and made a 15-minute newscast about all of them. My story was interviewing somebody from CBS Radio and how CBS Radio is Jordan Brandon overcoming competition.” Muehlhausen also worked on a story about a downtown homeless shelter. It’s very possible he might follow in his father’s footsteps. Tim Muehlhausen is the vice president of Programming for CBS Radio in Phoenix. “Going to his radio station every once in awhile, when I’m there I feel really comfortable,” said Max. “I like what they’re doing there on the music side of it. So it
makes me want to get into radio.” He’s leaning more towards a career in radio over television but admits he enjoyed running the camera during the 15-minute newscast. One thing for sure, Muehlhausen wants to attend the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism. He already started preparing for the experience by taking classes in high school on photography, Adobe Photoshop and graphic design. The one thing that was a little unnerving about the program was staying in a dorm. “Going into it, I was super nervous and kind of scared because I didn’t know what to expect,” Muehlhausen said. “But after 30 minutes of being there, I realized it was going to be fine. All the counselors and everybody there was super welcoming. And the dorms were actually really nice. So I felt comfortable there.” Jordan Brandon liked the dorm experience, as well, saying it made the bond closer with her peers. She hung out in the lounge at night and said students talked about the stories they were working on as well as their lives. Brandon is a sports reporter at Campo Verde. The highlight of the program for her was meeting Phoenix Suns’ broadcast play-by-play announcer Al McCoy. “He’s doing exactly what I want to do. I love doing play-by-play. So I was the one, of course, asking the most questions during his interview with us.” Brandon said students were challenged to produce three news stories. In addition,
they toured local media outlets and received training on reporting and videography. “At the program, we toured Fox 10, toured the Diamondbacks production area, toured the Cronkite production,” Brandon added. “We had script writing workshops, we toured CBS Radio, we learned how to edit using Premiere. We produced and edited our own package stories. We also produced a downtown vibes story on iPhones and iPads shooting on Facebook using a new system called Teradek,” she said. Students also met Cronkite Max Muehlhausen School Dean Christopher Calsocial media to get Cronkite production lahan. out there. They actually have a live video “We interviewed District 20 Senaat Cronkite everyday through Facebook. tor Kimberly Yes on bills 1080 and 1384,” They do their little Facebook update so Brandon said. “Every morning, we sat in a that was cool. Everything is going digital, as lecture classroom to learn techniques and they say at the camp.” advancements in journalism. We covered Overall, it was a good experience. Brana lot of different things like social netdon said the counselors and professors work tools, reporting on the go like using were really good and knowledgeable. iPhones, social media usage and ethical “We did a half-semester of things within practices, how to capture really good phoa two-week time span, which is unheard tos and podcasting techniques.” of. So I think we did a very good job for Guest speakers also came in. “Two peothe little time we had. I was proud of our ple from Channel 12 came in to talk about actual news versus opinions,” Brandon said. whole team,” she said. Muehlhausen agreed. “All the people “So it was a lot of fun.” there were super experienced and super Social media was a big part of the helpful. We got hands-on with all of the program. equipment.” “A big emphasis on social media on what we should be posting, what we The Walter Cronkite School offers the shouldn’t be posting... A professor said ‘if Summer Journalism Institute each year. the students aren’t posting five times a day The next one will be in the summer of 2018. on Twitter that they’re not doing someDetails: cronkite.asu.edu/outreach/highthing right,’” Brandon said. school-institute. “So it’s insane to see how much they use
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Piano composition prodigy will perform in Japan BY GSN STAFF • PHOTOS BY MELODY BIRKETT
Gilbert resident Luke Hoang, 14, has been playing piano since he was 4 years old. An upcoming freshman at Perry High School in Chandler, he started composing his own music when he was 8 years old. He has studied piano and composition at East Valley Yamaha Music School for ten years. This year, out of 35,000 entries from more than 43 different countries, Luke was selected to represent U.S.A. The Yamaha Music Foundation’s 46th International Junior Original Concert will be held on August 22 at Yamaha Hall in Tokyo, Japan. This year, it will highlight 11 junior composers from across the world. His piece, entitled “Saturday Procrastination,” is a duet for piano and vibraphone. Luke’s accompanist, J.B. Smith, is a professor of Music and the Coordinator of Percussion Studies in the School of Music at Arizona State University and will also be going to Tokyo. Link to Luke’s composition video can be found here: evyms.com/singlepost/2017/05/26/Luke-Hoang-Invited-toInternational-Junior-Original-Concert-2017.
Local composers honored
Four East Valley Yamaha Music
(From left) Ty Promreuk and Luke Hoang are among 12 composers who performed their original compositions at the Yamaha Music Foundation’s 2017 U.S. National Junior Original Concert.
School students were honored at Yamaha Music Foundation’s 2017 U.S. National Junior Original Concert held at Cerritos Center for Performing Arts in Cerritos, Calif. recently. The players and composers were chosen from hundreds of applications across the U.S., and will be among twelve composers chosen nationally.
(From left) Piano composition students Ritwik Jayamaran, Luke Hoang, Ty Promreuk, all of Gilbert, and Daria Nikolovski of Chandler gave a special performance at the Cerritos Center for Performing Arts in Cerritos, California, recently.
Local students include Luke Hoang 14, Ty Promreuk, 14, Ritwik Jayamaran, 10, all of Gilbert, and Daria Nikolovski, 10, of Chandler. All four students began practicing piano before they were 5 years old and began composing their own work around age 7. Their original pieces can be viewed at:
Now Open!
evyms.com/single-post/2017/05/23/ Four-EVYMS- Students-Invited- to-National- Junior-Original- Concert-2017. The East Valley Yamaha Music School is at 3160 N. Arizona Ave. #102 in Chandler. Details: 480-926-4441
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Desert Hills High School provides students with pathways to success in a safe and nurturing small school environment. We at Desert Hills are committed to providing each student with a rigorous, high-quality education in an AdvanED-accredited school serving young people in grades 9-12. At Desert Hills High School, students know that they belong! They participate in a wide variety of academic, athletic and artistic programs designed to instill a passion for learning and community service. Desert Hills offers an education delivered by caring instructors, and our unique block scheduling allows the flexibility to catch up on credits and accelerate learning in order to achieve individualized goals. Desert Hills is extremely active within the East Valley. Students participate in a wide range of service opportunities, along with sports, clubs, college and university tours and much more, including our popular art and music offerings and agricultural program. For those hoping to graduate with career experience, our Vocational Program and EVIT partnership builds skills in robotics, digital media production, engineering, broadcasting, culinary arts and much more. We also are partners with a wide range of college and career institutions, including Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University, Chandler-Gilbert Community College, Grand Canyon University and the Conservatory of Recording Arts and Sciences. Please do not hesitate to contact us at Desert Hills High School for information on the many ways we can help students begin their college and career journeys. We are looking forward to an exciting year, which begins Monday, August 7, and we would like to see you join our Desert Hills family! Sincerely, Dave Miller, Principal, Desert Hills High School Managed by
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Spiritual Connections The Bridge Church 645 N. Gilbert Road, Suite 180, Gilbert 480-294-7888 bridgechurchaz.org Service: 10 a.m. Sundays We exist to help people know God and become everything God created them to be. We do this by helping people begin a relationship with God, grow in that relationship to find freedom from the struggles they experience, discover the purpose for which God made them and live out their purpose to make a difference in the church and in the world. Central Christian Church-Gilbert 965 E. Germann Road, Gilbert centralaz.com Services: 4 and 5:30 p.m. Saturdays and 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and noon Sundays While the Bible itself is the church’s official document of faith, the website lists a variety of statements that fundamentally define the church. Please visit the website for more information. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 3301 S. Greenfield Road, Gilbert 480-822-5000 lds.org
First United Methodist Church of Gilbert 331 S. Cooper Road, Gilbert 480-892-9166 gilbertumc.org Services: 8 and 9:30 a.m. (traditional services) and 11 a.m. (contemporary service) Sundays The two traditional services feature the Chancel choir and traditional worship. The 11 a.m. service has a contemporary feel, with music from the Praise Band. The 9:30 a.m. service generally has the largest attendance. Gilbert Presbyterian Church 235 E. Guadalupe Road, Gilbert 480-892-6753 azgpc.org Services: 8:30 and 11 a.m. Sundays Gilbert Presbyterian Church is called to be a Christ-centered covenant family nurtured by the Holy Spirit to worship God and to share God’s love. The Lawrence Memorial AME Zion Church 1141 E. Guadalupe Road, Gilbert 480-772-3603 Services: 10:15 a.m. Sunday; Bible study is 6:30 p.m. Tuesday The Lawrence Memorial Church is a contemporary church. We are a multicultural church that is simply looking to reach the unreachable with love. Living Water United Methodist Fellowship Highland Park Elementary School 230 N Cole Dr., Gilbert livingwaterum.org Services: 10 a.m. Sundays Living Water exists to bring people in to meet Christ, build people up to follow Christ and send people out to share Christ. Mission Community Church 4450 E. Elliot Road, Gilbert 480-545-4024 mission68.org Services: 4 and 6 p.m. Saturdays and
Our new sermon series in the book of Proverbs begins on Sunday, August 20, 2017.
9, 10:30 and 11:59 a.m. Sundays The Bible is God’s word to all people. It was written by human authors under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. Because it is inspired by God, it is truth and without error in the original manuscripts. Redemption Gilbert 1820 W. Elliot Road, Gilbert 480-632-2220 gilbert.redemptionaz.com/about/ a-brief-overview/ Services: 8, 9:30 and 11 a.m. Sundays Gospel means good news, but it is truly the most profound and glorious truth ever revealed. It is not advice, nor is it a system or philosophy to add to the congregants’ lives. It is an exclusive truth claim, a holistic worldview, the true story of the whole world, which by its very nature must redefine and recolor everything else. Resurrection Episcopal Church Meets at Gilbert Community Center, 130 N. Oak St., Gilbert 480-719-5343 resurrectiongilbert.org Services: 10 a.m. Sundays Resurrection officials say the congregation is a church you can believe in because you belong. This means it welcomes and embraces all people because God already has. Come for worship, fellowship and Bible study on Sundays and join the group on a spiritual journey to better understand God’s plan for our lives. San Tan Bible Church 1424 S. Promenade Lane, Gilbert Phone number not available. santanbible.org Services: 8:30 a.m. (Bible hour); 9:30 a.m. (Café 2:42) and 10 a.m. worship service Sundays The church believes the glory of God is the chief end of all we do. Sun Valley Community Church 456 E. Ray Road, Gilbert 480-632-8920
Sundays at 10:00 am New Location 645 N Gilbert Rd, Suite 180 Gilbert, AZ 85234 (Southeast corner of Gilbert & Guadalupe, south of Big Lots) Pastor Kent Bertrand 480.294.7888 www.bridgechurchaz.org E. Guadalupe Rd.
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Starting January 8th, 2017, please join us as we work through the Community Bible Experience together, as a church family!
sunvalleycc.com Services: 4 and 5:30 p.m. Saturdays and 9, 10:30 and 11:59 a.m. Sundays The atmosphere is casual and friendly at Sun Valley Community Church. It places high value on authentic Christian living and placing Christ at the center of all our teachings. The church also offers worship music that is current and uplifting, along with focused weekend sermons that break down the Bible in a way that makes it easy to connect the word of God with today’s busy life. Two Rivers Church 326 E. Guadalupe Rd., Gilbert 85234 480-892-2435, 2riverschurch.org Services: 6 p.m. Saturdays; and 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. (Spanish) Sundays Two Rivers Church exists to help lead congregants into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ by encouraging and equipping them to love God intimately and serve others. It has a casual environment with a serious faith. Vineyard Community Church 601 S. Cooper Road, Gilbert 85233 480-892-5828 vineyardaz.com Services: 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. Sundays Vineyard Community is a casual, friendly and inviting church. Its desire is to be a safe place where people’s lives are being transformed by Christ in community for the world. The diverse community of Christfollowers seeks the radical in-breaking of the kingdom of God here and now. Followers worship God with the intention of touching heaven and changing earth.
Arts
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Local Outlawz try to take hip hop world by storm BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI
Higley High School graduate Phoenix Banuelos has his eye on the prize. When he and Mesa resident Max Thompson founded the dance crew Outlawz three years ago, they knew they were going to be successful. Since then, they’ve won the USA Hip Hop Dance Championships and appeared on the TV show “America’s Got Talent.” “We decided that we were going to win USA,” Banuelos said frankly. “When we were training for our first competition, our whole goal was to win USA without anyone knowing who we were. That’s why we decided to call ourselves the Outlawz.” Outlawz will compete once again against the best street dancers and dance crews from 50 countries during the USA and World Hip Hop Dance Championships held in the Valley Aug. 4-12. The World Hip Hop Dance Championship finals start at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 12, at GCU Arena. All USA Championship events (Aug. 4 to Aug. 6), World Preliminary Championship events and World Battles (Aug. 7 to Aug. 11) will be held at the Arizona Grand Resort and Spa. Outlawz have their sights set on being the first USA crew to win the worlds. The competitions are the flagship events developed and organized by Hip Hop International and its founders, Howard and Karen Schwartz. They also created the Emmy Award-winning TV series “America’s Best Dance Crew.” “We’ve been such big fans of HHI
since we were little kids,” said Banuelos, 20. “To compete is such a big dream for us. For us, it’s crazy to be at that level of the crews we used to look up to.” The Hawaii native looks up to his cousins who were dancing already when he moved to Gilbert at age 9. “Max and I were students under my cousins,” he said. “From there, we built the whole crew.” Outlawz are the 2016 USA Hip Hop Dance Champions and World bronze medalists, adult division. In the group, Banuelos is joined by Dominic LaRovere of Chandler; Marcus Pope of Peoria; Tam Rapp of Los Angeles and Josh Ulep and A.J. Pak, both of Hawaii. And Banuelos feels blessed about the opportunities he’s received thanks to HHI. Outlawz went to China to promote HHI there and had the opportunity to dance atop the Great Wall of China. “It was one of the better experiences,” he said. “It was just crazy to be that far away, seeing a whole different world, a whole different culture, just because of dancing. “It’s very satisfying. We’re very confident in what we do. When we end up pulling off these plans, it’s super satisfying.” The HHI championships have earned the respect of dancers and choreographers worldwide. Many competitors discovered by Hip Hop International have launched careers working with the likes of Justin Bieber, Jennifer Lopez and Rihanna. Hip-hop dance is represented routinely in countless awards shows and
Outlawz will compete against the best street dancers and dance crews from 50 countries during the USA and World Hip Hop Dance Championships held in the Valley Aug. 4-12.
can be seen promoting respected brands including the Grammys, Emmys, Oscars, NBA, NFL and Cirque Du Soleil among many others. “In today’s world, where travel bans and proposed walls to separate peoples are prompting concern, the longstanding mission of Hip Hop International to unite the world of hip hop through dance is more relevant than ever,” Howard Schwartz said. “The worlds are definitely going to be the most difficult thing we’ve had to do,” Banuelos said. “The competition
at this level is absolutely insane. We’re ready to take on that challenge because we’ve been chasing this for a couple years. It’s not just one year of trying to do something. “We have the last three years of momentum behind us and we’re going to use that and all we can to make a big statement this summer.” All events are open to the public. Tickets for the family-friendly events start at $20. Complete event schedules, ticket information, championship videos and more can be found at hiphopinternational.com.
‘Rick and Morty’ goodies are driving into Alamo Drafthouse Chandler BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI
Inspired by the Wienermobile, the animated Adult Swim sci-fi series “Rick and Morty” is driving into Alamo Drafthouse in Chandler from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, August 26. Cynical mad scientist Rick has been fashioned into a truck that will follow pop-up shops in 40 U.S. cities, including Tucson and Flagstaff on Friday, August 25, and Sunday, August 27, respectively. The times and locations have yet to be determined. “It’s a real spectacle,” said Jim Babcock, Adult Swim’s vice president of consumer marketing. “It’s built on a Ford chassis. Early on, we saw a sketch that showed it as a glorified taco truck that could be a rolling Rick and Morty store. We called it Trader Rick’s at the very beginning.”
Babcock added that the pop-up shop offers a “great combination of items created by licensees,” ranging from socks to a Monopoly game. There will be T-shirts, a pool float and, of course, backpacks with a “profane phrase on the back.” “Morty always tells Rick to get his (stuff) together and put it in a backpack,” he said. “Seriously, though, the Monopoly game is something that everyone’s excited about.” Created by Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon, the series follows the adventures of Rick and his grandson, Morty, who split their time between domestic family life and inter-dimensional adventures. Like the show, the Rickmobile and its appeal are simple, Babcock explains.
“It’s corny, but it does bring happiness to people,” he said. “People are really excited to stand in line to take pictures with it. “I remember seeing Oscar Mayer’s Wienermobile driving down the street. Hopefully, we’re creating memories like that for people. It was definitely a big inspiration. Two of the people touring with us, actually, are veteran Wienermobile pilots, as they call them.” The show has heart, said Babcock, adding that it’s well written, well drawn. “The relationship between Rick and Morty is real,” Babcock said. “There’s true emotion and it’s a funny show. There are great jokes. It’s not just a throwaway bunch of jokes. There’s some depth to it.”
(Special to GSN)
The Rickmobile will be driven along the Arizona landscape with a plan to create memories in Chandler.
Rickmobile Appearance is 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, August 26 at Alamo Drafthouse, 4955 S. Arizona Avenue, Chandler. Details: 520-213-8129, drafthouse.com/phoenix, rickmobile.com. Free admission.
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A dive behind the scenes
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Photos by Kimberly Carrillo Hale Centre Theatre was a flurry of activity during preparations for a production of “The Little Mermaid” recently. There was a lot of makeup to be applied, wigs to be worn, props to be moved and maneuvers to be practiced. The Hans Christian Andersen classic directed by Cambrian James runs through August 19 at the Gilbert theater. Details at haletheatrearizona.com 1. Donned in wigs and shining costumes, Anissa Griego and Phoebe Koyabe are ready for their appearances. 2. Phoebe Koyabe, Angela Kriese and Ariana Lucius apply their stage make up. 3. The cast practices a tricky scene in the musical. 4. Heidi-Liz Johnson, who plays “Aquata,” is almost ready for show time. 5. Vinny Chavez gets his costume ready to play “Sebastian.” 6. Ariana Lucius gets ready for her mermaid transformation. 7. Nicole Knox shows her seahorse-themed prop. 8. Kiri Malolo works on the throne for Ariel’s dad. 9. Brandon Brown (plays “Flounder”) tests Skuttle’s “pipe” to make sure it works correctly. 10. Melissa Van Slyke, who plays Ursula, gets her costumes and headress ready. 11. Raymond Barcelo puts on his make up to play Skuttle. 12. Caelan Creaser gets her hair and accessories ready.
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ON STAGE The Little Mermaid, Wednesdays-Sundays, through Aug 19, HCT. Head under the sea for Disney’s musical adaptation of its classic “The Little Mermaid” including your favorite characters and songs. Santa Pachita with Funky Bonz, Friday, August 4, CCA. This nine-piece band combines musical styles such as ska, cumbia, rumba-salsa and more into a dance-friendly night of energy. This concert kicks off CCA’ free concert series. Whiskey Kiss, Friday, August 4, SCPA. This local band brings a modern edge to classic vintage rock. Part of the Live & Local Fridays series. Cocktails and snacks available.
Inspiracion Flamenca, Friday, Aug. 18, 8 p.m., SCPA. Experience stunning flamenco dancing, costumes, music and vocal in this authentic performance. Niki J. Crawford, Sunday, Aug. 20, 7 p.m., CCA. Get a dose of high-energy funk and soul from this internationally known singer. *Part of CCA’s free concert series. Jessica Fichot Band, Friday, Aug. 25, 7:30 p.m., CCA. Prepare for an eclectic mix of styles that include French, gypsy jazz, Chinese swing, folk and plenty more more. *Part of CCA’s free concert series. Marmalade Skies, Friday, Aug. 25, 8 p.m., SCPA. Catch this cover band that plays your favorite hits from The Beatles.
Neil Diamond, Friday, August 4, TSRA. Join one of the best-selling artists of all time Neil Diamond (“Sweet Caroline,” “I’m a Believer,” “Song Sung Blue,”) as he celebrates 50 years of music.
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Wednesdays-Saturdays, Aug. 25-Oct. 7, HCT. Based on the Old Testament story of Joseph, this hit musical from Andrew Lloyd Weber features plenty of great songs and offbeat humor.
Dennis DeYoung, Friday, Aug. 11, MAC. STYX founding member and lead singer Dennis DeYoung brings his six-piece band to play the greatest hits, including “Come Sail Away,” “Mr. Roboto,” “Too Much Time on My Hands,” and more.
Cinematic Pop, Saturday, Aug. 26, MAC. Hear iconic songs like “Everyone Wants to Rule the World,” “Hallelujah” and “More Than a Feeling” covered by talented soloists and backed by an orchestra and 100-voice choir.
Kabarett, Friday, Aug. 11, SCPA. This unique multimedia concert offers arrangements of French and German theater songs, classic film scores, and original music.
ONSTAGE VENUE INDEX
Shrek The Musical, Thursdays-Sundays, Aug. 11-27, HER. Everyone’s favorite ogre and his sidekick, Donkey, hit the stage for this entertaining musical presented by the Valley Youth Theatre. A New World: Intimate Music from Final Fantasy, Saturday, Aug. 12, MAC. Hear lush, magical music from the popular Final Fantasy video game series played by a talented chamber ensemble. Robby Roberson Band, Sunday, Aug. 13, CCA. Multi-instrumental singersongwriter Robby Roberson showcases original musical stories backed by a full band. *Part of CCA’s free concert series. Herbie Hancock, Thursday, Aug. 17, MAC. The legendary pianist and composer brings 6 decades of musical talent and a wide range of styles in this must-see concert.
CCA—Chandler Center for the Arts Tickets: 480-782-2680, chandlercenter.org CT – Celebrity Theatre Tickets: 602-267-1600, www.celebritytheatre.com HCPA—Higley Center for the Performing Arts Tickets: 480-279-7194, higleycenter.org HCT—Hale Centre Theatre Tickets: 480-497-1181, www.haletheatrearizona.com HER – Herberger Theater Center Tickets: 602-252-8497, www.herbergertheater.org/ MAC—Mesa Arts Center Tickets: 480-644-6500, mesaartscenter.com SCPA—Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Tickets: 480-499-8587, scottsdaleperformingarts.org TSRA – Talking Stick Resort Arena Tickets: 602-379-7800, www.talkingstickresortarena.com
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Here’s how Maricopa County is tackling the opioid crisis BY DENNY BARNEY
Daniel started taking opioids as a “recreational thing” when he was 18, then turned to heroin because it was cheaper and more powerful. One day he did a shot of heroin at his mom’s house and fell asleep with the needle in his arm. “My sister came in before she went to school to ask me if I had lunch money to give her,” Daniel said, “and she [saw] the needle hanging out of my arm and screamed and ran out of the room.” His younger sister. The one that looked up to him. “I used to judge those people and then I became one of them,” Daniel said. You may not know anyone with a heroin addiction, but there’s probably someone in your social circle who is misusing prescription pills. For many, it starts with taking pain medication exactly as prescribed. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has called the opioid crisis the worst drug overdose epidemic in our history. In June, Governor Ducey said the crisis constitutes a statewide emergency, and in the days that followed, issued an executive order requiring better data tracking and sharing among health and law enforcement agencies, including those in Maricopa
County. The goal: follow the crisis in real time and reduce preventable deaths. The statistics are sobering: Nationwide, 60,000 deaths from opioid use in 2016. In Arizona, 790 opioid overdose deaths in 2016, a 74 percent increase over the past four years. In Maricopa County jails, more than 900 of the approximately 8,000 individuals in custody admit ongoing opioid use. So what is Maricopa County doing about it? Limiting overdose deaths: Before his most recent jail stay, Daniel overdosed four times in seven days. He is alive because he received injections of naloxone, an opioid antidote. Governor Ducey made the distribution of naloxone a priority, and Maricopa County Correctional Health Services is using the drug to save lives and put inmates on a path to recovery. In addition, Sheriff Penzone is equipping his deputies with the drug and investing in training so they know how to administer it properly. Reducing cravings: The transition from incarceration back to the community is a very risky time for individuals. Daniel is one of the first Maricopa County inmates to receive Vivitrol, a drug known to reduce
opioid cravings and dull the high that someone receives from taking the drug. The first injection is given in custody, a few days before release. Outside agencies handle subsequent injections. This program is in its infancy. Our Correctional Health team will track outcomes to see if Vivitrol is an effective means of treating this addiction, limiting overdose deaths and preventing people from returning to jail. Education: The Sheriff appointed former Drug Enforcement Agent Agent Shannon Scheel to lead drug education efforts which include outreach to students with an interactive program developed by the Discovery Channel. Denny Barney The county is also committed to education inside our jails, so we continue to refine substance abuse programs such as MOSAIC, which teach people struggling with addiction the skills to replace their dependency with something positive. Daniel is a recent graduate. Of course, much is out of our control. Medical professionals need to be smart about how they prescribe powerful painkill-
ers. A recent CDC report found Maricopa County, and Arizona as a whole, above the national rate for opioid prescriptions. We need community support, too. Nonprofits and volunteers. Churches and support groups. Employers and landlords willing to give people a chance. Progress isn’t possible if addicts are considered those “other folks.” Separate from us. Not our problem. For 10 years, Daniel has been in and out of jail. Getting help and then relapsing. Shooting up in the veins of his feet because he couldn’t find another vein that would take the needle. Worrying his (Special to GSN) mother and sister sick. And of course, not contributing positively to our community. Maricopa County has developed a wideranging response to the opioid crisis. Our hope is to give Daniel and those like him all the tools at our disposal to survive and, hopefully, recover. Denny Barney is a Gilbert resident and Chairman of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors.
Fun and Unique Birthday Parties Too!
Is Knee Pain Decreasing Your Quality Of Life?
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re you unable to play sports or go hiking with your family and
friends?
Are you avoiding or modifying movements in your workout? Do you have difficulty or pain when kneeling down to do your household and yard tasks? Is it painful getting out of bed in the morning? Are you fearful of becoming “like your parents”? If you can answer YES to any of these questions or know someone who can, attend my FREE seminar on Knee Pain. Come find out the common causes of knee pain and how to resolve it without pain medications, injections, or surgery.
Saturday, August 26 at 2:00 PM
Taking place in America’s Health Center 3530 S Val Vista Dr, Ste A111 Gilbert, AZ 85297 Dr. Brianne Showman Brown, PT, DPT, CIMT has been helping active adults and athletes ages 35-55 to resolve their pain and get their lives back for over 11 years. She understands the importance of returning to the activities you love and works hard to keep you involved in those activities. She has an extensive background many different sports, including running, soccer, golf, and track and field, and is now highly involved in the CrossFit, Olympic lifting, and running communities. Call 602-904-6576 to register or with any questions about the seminar
Beautiful and welcoming family fitness center offering group classes for both children and adults in Yoga, Barre, POP Pilates, Mat Pilates, LIFT and Boxing. Over 30 classes to choose from each week! Also offering unique and fun parties for both children and adults and special monthly events like “Mom’s Yoga and Wine Night”, Canvas Painting Parties and much, much more.
4100 S. Lindsay Rd, Ste 101 4100 S. Lindsay Rd, Ste 101 Gilbert • 480-699-1004 email: info@letsgrowstudio.com Gilbert • 480-699-1004 email: info@letsgrowstudio.com 10% Discount Off all memberships for teachers and family of military.
Brianne Showman Brown, PT, DPT, CIMT
YOUR 50% FIRST YOUR 50% OFF MONTH FIRST OFF MONTH Expires August 31, 2017.
Check us out online at letsgrowstudio.com
Classifieds
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Biz Box
August 2017
To place a business card ad in the Biz Box, contact Tracey Wilson: 480-898-5611 • tracey@timespublications.com • www.gilbertsunnews.com PRICE: $50 + tax or 6 months for $275 + tax. Vertical business cards will be reformatted to fit this space.
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CLASSIFIEDS Beta Sigma Phi, a woman's cultural and social organization, is looking to reconnect with non-active members in the East Valley. New members are also welcome. Beta Sigma Phi is a non-college sorority, which offers "sisterhood" and "friendship" to women of all ages. You can never underestimate the importance of other women in your life. Contact: Gail Sacco at gailsacco@q.com
HoMeS For Sale BRAND NEW Never lived in homes with modern finishes. Beautiful espresso cabinets, tile backsplash, all new appliances. Only $849 per month with ez qualify financing includes home and space rent. 55+ mobile home park in great Chandler location. Call Kim 480-233-2035
Cleaning ServiCeS PROFESSIONAL HOUSE CLEANING SERVICE 35years Experience 20years in the Valley Free Estimates Local References Move-out cleaning services available. All work done by non-smoking, meticulous owner. Call Shirley 480-433-4945
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Contact: Tracey Wilson 480-898-5611 tracey@timespublications.com www.gilbertsunnews.com
ConCrete & MaSonry eventS
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CONCRETE/MASONRY *Reg Concrete Walks, patios, drives, room additions, RV Pads *Custom Concrete Kook Deck, Acrylic Lace, Artificial Flagstone *New Block Walls Barbecues, fire pits, gates installed *Pavers Block Pavers, Travertine Pavers *Complete Home Repair Drywall repair, paint rooms or complete house painting *Wood Patios or Lattice Structures Over 30yrs. Exp. Call us Today 480-299-2423 Scott 480-228-0834 Allen Not a Licensed Contractor
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glaSS ServiCeS GLASS, MIRRORS, SHOWER DOORS Family Owned with 50 years' EXPERIENCE. Shower and tub enclosures Framed, Frameless or Custom Doors We also install insulated glass, mirrored closet doors, window glass, mirrors, patio doors, glass table protectors. If itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s glass, we can help you. QUALITY SERVICE at Competitive Prices. FREE Estimates WESLEY'S GLASS & MIRROR Call 480-306-5113 wesleysglass.com SERVICING THE ENTIRE VALLEY
HandyMan IS YOUR "HONEY DO" LIST GETTING TOO BIG FOR YOU? Did you buy something that needs to be put together? Give John the Handyman a call! He can help you get things done. Anything that takes your time I can do & have the tools to do it! 760-668-0681
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HOLTZMAN HOME IMPROVEMENT People do business with people they trust Home Remodeling & Additions *Kitchens or Baths *Painting/Drywall/Stucco *Plumbing/Electrical *Tile/Flooring *Decks/Garages We Do It All! 24 Hour Emergency Services Licensed/Bonded/Insured ROC#242008 SUMMER SPECIAL 15% off labor on any job over $1,000 Must mention this ad for discount Can't combine with any other offer Call for a Free Estimate! 602-628-8735 602-323-6574 Holtzmanhomeimprovement.com
HoMe reModeling 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 Office 480-820-8515 Cell 602-628-9653 Wolfgang Construction Inc. Licensed & Bonded ROC 124934
landSCape ALL PRO TREE SERVICE, LLC Tree Trimming, Tree Removals, Stump Grinding, Monthly Landscape Maintenance, Full Yard Clean Ups, Palm Trees, Deep Root Fertilization, Irrigation, Etc. Free Estimate, Very Professional, Insured, and Bonded! Visa & MasterCard Accepted Mention this Ad and Receive 15% off Discount! 480-354-5802 or dennis@allprotrees.com See Our Ad in the Biz Box Section
painting Interior/Exterior Painting Free Estimates Light Repairs, Drywall Senior Discounts References Available Call Jason 480-442-8271
rooFing Tim KLINE Roofing, LLC The Most Detailed Roofer in the State. Roofs Done Right..The FIRST Time. 15-Year Workmanship Warranty on All Complete Roof Systems. FREE Estimate and Written Proposal. 480-357-2463 www.timklineroofing.com R.O.C #156979 K-42 Licensed, Bonded and Insured
travel ENOS KING-LEWIS II, AGENT Guide, Producer Fun Trips! Prosperity - Wellness www.Enos4Prosperity.com 800-824-1450 (Call 24/7) enos4homes@hotmail.com
WindoW Cleaning DIRTY WINDOWS FILTHY SCREENS? Call Fish Window Cleaning @ 480-962-4688 and you will have the cleanest windows and screens on the block. Below is the list of services we offer: Windows-Interior & Exterior Screens-Sunscreens/Regular Tracks, Ceiling Fans, Light Fixtures Power Washing Your driveways, sidewalks & patios
volunteer opportunity GOT SOME LOVE TO SPARE....WE ARE IN NEED OF FOSTER FAMILIES AND VOLUNTEERS "Our Mission is to save and re-home unwanted sick or injured animals using our hearts, hands and Veterinary skills." Animal Doctors to the RESCUE is a local certified 501 (c)(3) non-profit rescue dedicated to pets in need of immediate lifesaving medical care. We are in need of Volunteers for all types of work. Whatever your talents are, if you have a love for animals, we would love for you to join the group! If you are interested in donating, volunteering in any capacity, or fostering, please visit us at our website, www.adrescue.org/volunteer for more information or you can email AnimalDoctorstotheRescue@gmail.com Thank you for your interest in helping Animal Doctors to the RESCUE save more pets' lives! We look forward to having you join us in our Mission!
August 2017
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Arizona’s Resort-Style Home Builder MASTER PLANNED CELEBRATED COMMUNITIES BY BLANDFORD HOMES
Award-winning Arizona builder for 39 years. Blandford Homes specializes in building master planned environments with a variety of amenities and charm. Many offer resort-style amenities such as pools, spa, fitness, tennis, event lawns, and lifestyle activities, you’ll find the perfect community to fit your lifestyle. A Mountain Bridge in Northeast Mesa – Resort-Style Master Planned Community 6 BRAND NEW REVOLUTIONARY MODELS FOR 2017 Vintage Collection • From the high $300’s • 480-988-2400 Craftsman Collection • From the low $400’s • 480-641-1800 Artisan Collection • From the low $500’s • 480-641-1800 Master Collection • From the low $700’s • 480-641-1800
B Mulberry – “New Old-Home Neighborhood” GRAND OPENING NEW PHASES! Resort-Style in Southeast Mesa Arbor Collection • From the low $240’s • 480-895-6300 Americana Collection • From the $260’s • 480-895-2800 Centennial Collection • From the $320’s • 480-733-9000 Heritage Collection • From the $350’s • 480-733-9000
C The Estates at Thirty-Second Street NOW SELLING Estate single-level homes with 4 to 6 car garages and optional RV garages and carriage houses • From the low $700’s • 480-750-3000
D The Estates at Las Sendas NOW SELLING Northeast Mesa Resort-Style Master Planned Community
Estate single-level homes on 30,000 sq. ft. lots with 4 to 6 car garages and optional RV garages and carriage houses From the high $700’s • 480-641-1800
E Sienna Hills – 124th St & Shea in Scottsdale COMING SOON! Luxury single level estate homes from the low $900’s
BlandfordHomes.com Not all photos shown are representative of all communities. Terms and conditions subject to change without notice.