Gilbert Sun News 04/02/2023

Bad apples on the rise in Arizona’s classrooms

BY CECILIA CHAN GSN Managing Editor

AMesa teacher drinking alcohol in the classroom, a Higley High School teacher arrested for improper behavior with a student and a Gilbert Public Schools teacher using inappropriate physical force on a special-needs student.

e three bad apples were among approximately 75 Arizona educators who surrendered their teaching certi cates in 2022 for misconduct and faced the state Board

of Education. e board is responsible for imposing discipline on educators, certi ed and non-certi ed who’ve committed unprofessional or immoral conduct.

at year also saw the highest number of surrenders since 2012, according to the agency’s “2022 Enforcement Action Report,” released earlier this year.

e report includes the sources of complaints, discipline by gender, the type of certi cates held by the educator and the types of cases.

see TEACHERS page 10

Gilbert to reap more bucks in opioid lawsuit

BY CECILIA CHAN GSN Managing Editor

Gilbert is in line to receive more drug money that could be as much as $2.4 million from a second nationwide opioid settlement.

Council is expected Tuesday, April 4, to approve a resolution signing onto the settlements with five opi-

oid manufacturers and distributors, Teva Pharmaceuticals, Allergan Pharmaceutical,,Walmart, Walgreens and CVS.

The town’s share is 1.7% and so far received approximately $281,434 from the first settlement, according to spokeswoman Jennifer Synder.

“Zero funds have been spent thus

see OPIOID page 4

An

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OPIOID from page 1

far,” Snyder said. “We are still evaluating how those funds will be spent. A future council communication will list potential expenditure options for council to consider.”

According to town staff, the $2.4 million for the second round is an estimate because the final amounts for each of the settlements are dependent on the number of states, counties, cities, and towns that ultimately participate. The settlement would be payable over the years.

Gilbert in November 2021 joined the One Arizona Fund for distribution and expenditure of the all opioid settlement monies.

Arizona, all 15 counties and 90 of its 91 municipoalities also are part of the agreement, which allocates 44% of all settlement monies to the state and 56% to local governments with the amount based on three factors –amount of opioid shipped to a county, the number of opioid deaths in the county and the number of people addicted to the drug.

The first settlement of $26 billion was in 2021against the three largest pharmaceutical distributors—McKesson, Cardinal Health, and AmerisourceBergen and against manufacturer Janssen Pharmaceuticals and its parent company Johnson & Johnson to settle claims  in over 3,000 opioid crisis-related suits nationwide.

Under that settlement the distributors are paying up to $21 billion over 18 years and J&J is paying up to an additional $5 billion over no more than nine years.

The latest settlement in late 2022 is reportedly around $20.1 billion.

To

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Arizona is receiving $542 million over 18 years in the first settlement and is expected to get $434.2 million over 15 years in the second.

Under the One Arizona Fund agreement, the monies are restricted for the following expenses:

In the latest opioid-related lawsuit settlement, manufacturers of the drugs must shell out big bucks across the country. (Special to GSN)

• Treatment of opioid addiction

• Support of people in treatment or recovery

• Opioid education programs

• Programs addressing the needs of criminal justice related to opioid use

• Programs supporting the needs of women with opioid addictions and babies with neonatal abstinence syndrome;

• Programs to prevent over-prescribing and over-dispensing

• Programs preventing the misuse of opioids

• Efforts designed to prevent or reduce opioid abuse

• First responder opioid expenditures and education

• Efforts for community regional planning or opioid abuse tracking

• Training related opioid abuse

• Opioid abuse and treatment research

In addition to the large payouts to address their roles in fueling the opioid crisis, the companies have to change the way they do business.

Under the settlement, distributors will have to create a clearinghouse that account not only for their own shipments, but also the shipments of other distributors in order to detect, stop, and report suspicious opioid orders.

Teva and Allergan also have agreed to strict limitations on their market-

ing, promotion, sale and distribution of opioids, including a ban on promotion and lobbying, rewarding or disciplining employees based on volume of opioid sales and funding or grants to third parties.

And, Walmart, CVS, and Walgreens are required to make changes in how they handle opioids, including with diversion prevention, suspicious order monitoring and block and report red-flag processes.

There were 3,888 opioid overdose deaths in Arizona from 2020-21, the Arizona Department of Health Services reported. The majority or 93% of those opioid deaths were classified as an accident.

Additionally, there were 7,448 non-fatal opioid overdoses, 18,203 suspected emergency department or inpatient visits and 104,450 hospitalization or ED visits with any mention of opioids for that time period, according to the department’s “Opioid Overdoses Surveillance Report, Arizona, 2020-20.”

Fentanyl was the most common drug reported that was involved in non-fatal opioid cases.

The department last Wednesday reported 69 opioid deaths in the state with 20 of them occurring in Maricopa County so far for this year. The number of verified non-fatal opioid overdoses so far for this year was 749 with the bulk of them, 546, in Maricopa County.

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Mesa, AZ – When it comes to chronic pain and/ or neuropathy, the most common doctor-prescribed treatment is drugs like Gabapentin, Lyrica, Cymbalta, and Neurontin. The problem with antidepressants or anti-seizure medications like these is that they offer purely symptomatic relief, as opposed to targeting and treating the root of the problem. Worse, these drugs often trigger an onset of uncomfortable, painful, and sometimes harmful side effects.

cannot survive, and thus, slowly die. This leads to those painful and frustrating consequences we were talking about earlier, like weakness, numbness, tingling, balance issues, and perhaps even a burning sensation.

The drugs your doctor might prescribe will temporarily conceal the problems, putting a “Band-Aid” over a situation that will only continue to deteriorate without further action.

1. Finding the underlying cause

2. Determining the extent of the nerve damage (above 95% nerve loss is rarely treatable)

3. The amount of treatment required for the patient’s unique condition

The number of treatments required varies from patient to patient, and can only be determined following an in-depth neurological and vascular examination. As long as you have less than 95% nerve damage, there is hope!

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The only way to effectively treat chronic pain and/or peripheral neuropathy is by targeting the source, which is the result of nerve damage owing to inadequate blood flow to the nerves in the hands and feet. This often causes weakness, numbness, balance problems. A lack of nutrients causes the nerves degenerate – an insidious

As displayed in figure 1 above, the nerves are surrounded by diseased, withered blood vessels. A lack of sufficient nutrients means the nerves

Thankfully, Mesa is the birthplace of a brandnew facility that sheds new light on this pressing problem of peripheral neuropathy and chronic pain. The company is trailblazing the medical industry by replacing outdated drugs and symptomatic reprieves with an advanced machine that targets the root of the problem at hand.

Effective neuropathy treatment relies on the following three factors:

Aspen Medical in Mesa, AZ uses a state-of-the-art electric cell signaling systems worth $100,000.00. Th is ground-breaking treatment is engineered to achieve the following, accompanied by advanced diagnostics and a basic skin biopsy to accurately analyze results:

1. Increases blood flow

2. Stimulates and strengthens small fiber nerves

3. Improves brain-based pain

The treatment works by delivering energy to the affected area(s) at varying wavelengths, from low- to middle-frequency signals, while also using Amplitude Modulated (AM) and Frequency Modulated (FM) signaling

It’s completely painless!

THE GREAT NEWS IS THAT THIS TREATMENT IS COVERED BY MEDICARE, MEDICAID, AND MOST INSURANCES!!

Depending on your coverage, your peripheral neuropathy treatment could cost almost nothing – or be absolutely free.

Aspen Medical begins by analyzing the extent of the nerve damage –a complimentary service for your friends and family. Each exam comprises a detailed sensory evaluation, extensive peripheral vascular testing, and comprehensive analysis of neuropathy findings.

Aspen Medical will be offering this free chronic pain and neuropathy severity evaluation will be available until March 31st 2023. Call (480) 274-3157 to make an appointment

Due to our very busy office schedule, we are limiting this offer to the first 10 c allers. Y OU DO NOT HAVE TO SUFFER ANOTHER MINUTE, CALL (480) 274-3157 NOW!!

We are extremely busy, so we are unavailable, please leave a voice message and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

Gilbert karate instructor accused of sex with minor

Gilbert police arrested a 22-year-old karate instructor for allegedly engaging in sexual conduct with a 15-year-old girl.

Dyllon Frederick DePalma was taken into custody March 18 at his family’s business DePalma’s Team USA Martial Arts studio on Lindsay Road, Gilbert, police said on social media March 23. The business has several locations, including Mesa, Queen Creek, Surprise and Prescott Valley.

DePalma, who was a Queen Creek High School varsity football player graduating in 2019, is facing three counts of sexual conduct with a minor.

He was released on March 19 after posting a $25,000 cash bail. He was outfitted with electronic monitoring and placed under house arrest, allowed to leave only during the hours approved by his pretrial officer, ac-

Dyllon Frederick DePalma

cording to court records.

Other conditions of DePalma’s release include that he must submit to DNA testing at Gilbert Police and to not have any contact with minors. He

is to be represented by a county public defender after the court found him to be indigent.

According to charging documents, DePalma was the girl’s instructor and employer.

Her mother reported to police on March 6 that her daughter informed her that she had sex with DePalma on three occasions.

The victim had met DePalma through karate approximately seven years prior to the report and maintained contact with him during the past seven years, police said.

In October 2022, DePalma asked the victim to work for him at the karate studio’s front desk. As a condition of employment, the victim provided her age to DePalma, which was 15, police said. The pair also exchanged cell phone numbers as part of her employment.

Police interviewed the victim and she said the first incident occurred

on Oct. 27 while at the karate school. DePalma and the victim went into an office in the back of the facility and had sex and the next day he fired the victim, police said.

The victim, however, remained in contact with DePalma through the karate school, as she still attended classes at a Queen Creek location.

On Dec. 9, 2022, DePalma and the victim engaged in sex at his home in Gilbert. He had picked up the victim and the pair drank shots of Fireball whiskey before sex, police said.

After sex, Depalma asked to see the victim’s phone and deleted his number from the phone, which the victim didn’t realize until she returned home, police said.

She then communicated with DePalma on Facebook Messenger and according to the victim, the communications included receiving nude

TEACHERS from page 1

e report, however, does not break the 2012-2020 data down to the school or district level. ( e examples of the teacher misconduct in 2022 came o of the board’s agendas for that year).

“ is is not data that are currently readily available,” said Sean Ross, executive director of the board. “However, our team is working on a project, starting with the 2023 enforcement data, to break it down by county, district and school.”

e board is on track to adjudicate at or above 200 cases this year – a projected 264% increase from cases in 2012. e number of enforcement actions taken last year was 172. To date, the board has adjudicated 1,279 cases since 2012.

Enforcement actions in 2021 tallied 146 due to the pandemic and its e ect on the scheduling of hearings, according to the report.

And although 2022 saw an increase of adjudicated cases, it failed to meet the projected target because of a lack of assistant attorneys general – positions which the board is working on hiring more.

Assistant attorneys general play a vital role in the adjudication of all cases, especially complaints, application reviews and cases settled by negotiated settlement agreements.

e bulk of the enforcement actions or 61% over the 10 years involved male educators while 39% involve women with no discernible trend seen for that stretch of time.

Nearly a third of the enforcement or 27% was against secondary teachers followed by 19% against elementary school teachers and 18% for substitute teachers, the report stated.

Action involving administrators was 6% and 2% for those with an emergency teaching certi cate. Non-certi cated educators such as physical education, JRTC and adult education comprise 3% of the cases.

For 2022, disciplinary action against secondary teachers came in at 18%, elementary school teachers, 17% and substitute, 17%.

Educators with administrative certicates saw an increase in enforcement at 9%. Non-certi cated educators represented 5% of the cases adjudicated in 2022.

According to the report, sexual misconduct represented over half of the cases for educators holding no certi cate, subject matter expert, CTE and secondary teaching certi cates.

Fewer educators with substitute, special education, elementary and behavioral-health certi cates were involved in sexual misconduct cases.

Disciplinary actions by the board over the 10 years included 489 surrenders of certicates, 210 suspensions, 149 revocations and 102 letters of censure.

e report said that suspensions and surrenders of teaching certi cates increased from 2018 to 2020 and revocations increased

stance abuse cases dropped to 19% while breaches of contract came in higher at 14%.

According to the report the largest source of misconduct reports to the board’s Investigative Unit come from school o cials at 43%, followed by the Department of Public Safety, 34%.

And 13% of the cases come to the unit’s attention from parents, Google alerts and traditional media sources.

School personnel are required to report instances of misconduct to the board’s Investigative Unit. e public can submit a complaint at azsbe.az.gov/educator-discipline.

e report noted that the board can only take action against individuals who are employed in a district or charter school in Arizona.

If, for example, a teacher is employed at a private school in the state and commits a violation, the board is unable to prevent the educator from legally obtaining another teaching job in the state, the report added.

To ensure student safety, the board provides a list of educators who were disciplined at its most recent meeting to schools.

And before hiring both certi ed and non-certi ed educators, schools are required to check the Arizona Department of Education’s public and internal systems for possible discipline or open investigations for immoral or unprofessional conduct.

e board’s Educator Discipline Lookup system allows public access and is also used by school districts such as GPS and Higley Uni ed School District

“We check each certi ed candidate’s certi cation and look for any possible discipline or open investigations,” HUSD spokeswoman Teresa Joseph said. “Once reviewed, a copy is made and placed in the candidate’s le.”

GPS’s spokeswoman Dawn Antestenis said it’s a tool the district uses in hiring employees.

from 2019 to 2020.

e complaints fall into ve categories – sexual o ense, assault, substance abuse, fraud/theft and breach of contract.

Of the 1,279 cases, the largest share of enforcement actions involved sexual misconduct at 37% with substance abuse at 22% and assault at 21%. Breaches of contract accounted for 9%.

In 2022, 29% of the cases were sexual misconduct, followed by 27% associated with assaultive behaviors, the report said. Sub-

“We nd it helpful as it noti es us of any criminal or disciplinary history for candidates,” she said.

Additionally, the two districts ensure that their certi ed and classi ed candidates have a valid IVP Fingerprint Clearance Card and pass a required background check.

e hiring procedures in place for both also include formal interviews, reference and background checks, certi cation checks and candidate recommendation.

Sexual offenses by far have been the leading reason for teacher decertification in the state for the past decade. (Arizona Department of Education)

The teachers who surrendered their certificates last year held different kinds of teaching authorizations. (Arizona Board of Education)

Feast for the eyes

Local families who gathered at the amphitheater to see AeroTerra Arts, a collaborative of artists in eye-catching stunts, perform at Gilbert Family Nights March 24 at Gilbert Regional Park saw performances such as 1) Khrystia Caban’s re dance with ve-pronged aming torches, 2) Tabitha Kelley and Dan Barber juggle light-up clubs around a young volunteer 3) Francesco Caban spin a re pot on a chain, 4) Khrystia Caban put on an aerial hoop routine, 5) Dan Barber leap over three juggling boxes, 6) Francesco Caban and Khrystia Caban perform an aerials and 7) Kids chasing after Kristo er Smith as he runs through the audience wearing a light suit and stilts to nish out the show. e free Friday Family Nights run through May 19 with di erent acts.

Photos by David Minton/GSN Staff Photographer

KARATE from page 8

images of DePalma and her sending nude or partially nude images of herself to him, according to police.

On March 2, DePalma and the victim had sex in a car down the street from her home in Queen Creek. She had snuck out of her bedroom window to meet him.

He did not use a condom on this occasion, police said.

On March 3, the victim messaged DePalma on his personal Facebook Messenger, asking him to buy her a Plan B pill, an emergency contraception pill. These messages were captured via photographs from the victim, which she sent to a friend.

On March 10, the victim called DePalma, where he identified himself and stated that the victim could not be pregnant because “nothing hap-

“I always found him to be an obnoxious creep. He was my son’s instructor for a while before we pulled him out. Gross and so so sad for the child involved.”

pened…in her,” “nothing went inside of her,” that she couldn’t be pregnant because his “semen doesn’t work anyways.” He also admitted to knowing she was 15, police said.

When the victim asked DePalma why he didn’t use a condom, he responded, “No, I would have still loved to use a condom but I just didn’t anticipate doing that, that night so I didn’t bring one,” according to police.

The victim told DePalma that they had sex three times and described

each incident to which DePalma responded, “we’ve only actually done it, maybe half a time,” according to court documents.

Later, he stated, “Yep, all three… don’t regret none of it because it was with you.”

Police said that DePalma also is involved in a report out of the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Department from Nov. 17, 2021.

That report states the deputy who responded to the scene observed a conversation between DePalma and a 13-year-old victim, where “DePalma was asking the 13-year-old for nude photographs after acknowledging she was 13 years old.”

DePalma was a karate instructor at the time of the MCSO report as well.

On March 18 during his police interview after his arrest, DePalma “denied ever having a sexual relationship with

the 15-year-old, further stating he was never alone with her in private and she had never been at his residence.”

Over 70 people by Friday morning, March 24, commented on the arrest on social media.

Some parents complained that they were not notified until 10 p.m. March 23 that Dyllon was no longer on staff. Gilbert Police posted the arrest on social media just hours earlier.

“I know he was at Ryan Elementary’s fall festival in early Nov promoting that martial arts place,” wrote one woman on Gilbert Police’s Facebook page.

While another wrote, “I always found him to be an obnoxious creep. He was my son’s instructor for a while before we pulled him out. Gross and so so sad for the child involved.”

Gilbert Police are encouraging any additional victims or anyone with information to call 480-503-6500.

New local legislator defends herself in ethics hearing

BY BOB CHRISTIE Capitol Media Services

Alawmaker who represents part of Gilbert defended herself against an ethics complaint on March 30 and swore that she was not aware ahead of time that a Scottsdale insurance agent planned to present what was later called “unsubstantiated and defamatory allegations’’ at a legislative hearing.

But Rep. Liz Harris’ repeated statements that didn’t know what Jacqueline Breger was going to say at a special election hearing in late February appeared to contradict a series of text messages the Ethics Committee released.

ose texts show Harris and Breger messaging back and forth two days before the Feb. 23 hearing called by Republicans to question Arizona’s election administration.

ey discussed the headline for her presentation on a committee agenda to avoid giving hints about its contents.

Harris also appeared to work to avoid providing electronic copies of what Breger intended to present to House Speaker Ben Toma and Senate Majority Leader Sonny Borrelli in advance by advising Breger to only bring printed copies of her presentation.

at could have given Toma and Sonny Borrelli a chance to block Breger’s testimony at the joint Senate and house committee hearing.

Harris, a freshman Republican lawmaker who also represents South Chandler, believes the unproven allegation that the state’s election system is rife with fraud that led to defeats by Republican candidates.

She repeatedly said under questioning last week that she didn’t know Breger’s presentation would devolve into a bizarre series of allegations.

Among those allegations was a claim tht Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs, several Republican Maricopa County supervisors, 12 Maricopa County Superior Court judges

and Mesa Mayor John Giles all had taken bribes in the form of money laundered through a scam involving real estate deeds.

Breger also presented documents to the committee that listed others – including Toma – as guilty of corruption. She also listed the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, commonly called the Mormon church, as being involved. Many lawmakers are members of the church.

at testimony at the February hearingand Harris’ apparent hand gesture cutting o Breger when state Sen. Ken Bennett, R-Prescott, asked who had invited her – triggered the ethics complaint by Rep. Stephanie Stahl Hamilton, D-Tucson.

Stahl Hamilton’s complaint accused Harris of violating state defamation laws and bringing “disrepute and embarrassment’’ to the House of Representatives by inviting Breger and allowing her to testify.

Last week’s hearing ended with the ve-member panel issuing no decision on the speci c charge of “disorderly behavior’’ under House rules. e panel can dis-

miss the complaint, censure her or even ask the whole House to expel Harris.

Republican Rep. Travis Grantham asked Harris repeatedly about the text messages. But Harris repeatedly swore that she did not know what Breger planned to present before her testimony, which was scheduled for 20 minutes but went more than twice as long.

“I’ll ask you right now, did you know that Miss Breger was going to come in here and present the information she presented that day in the special elections hearing?’’ Grantham asked.

“Representative Grantham, absolutely, positively 100%, no,’’ Harris responded.

Rep. Chris Mathis, D-Tucson, also a member of the Ethics Committee, wasn’t buying it and pushed Harris some more, although committee chair Rep. Joseph Chaplik, R-Scottsdale, kept him on a short leash.

Harris repeatedly invoked the Arizona

see HARRIS page 19

Gilbert lawmaker laments wage, other regulation

BY BOB CHRISTIE Capitol Media Services

As two Republican lawmakers defected from party ranks to defeat a measure forcing two cities to not raise the minimum wage, a Gilbert legislator lamented the concept of having a minimum wage at all – or most government regulation.

``I say, be very careful what you ask for because once you’re in this arena, you never get out,’’ said Rep. Travis Grantham.

Grantham spoke as two fellow GOP members joined all Democrats on a House panel March 29 to defeat a measure designed to make Tucson and Flagsta go no higher than the voter-approved minimum wage.

Echoing his party’s long opposition to any mandate that businesses at least pay some set standard, his criticism went further to include any government regulation.

`` en we just regulate more and more and more, we make it more and more costly and more and more dicult and this is what we’re now guring out with mandated minimum wages,’’ he continued.

``Eventually, they’ll go away because the whole system will topple and everything will crumble.’’

e two defecting lawmakers in the minimum wage vote did not vote against the measure because they like the voter-approved pay boosts.

Instead, Republican Rep. David Livingston said a better approach is for the cities to repeal their minimum wage laws and even help repeal the initiative that boosted the statewide minimum wage and allows individual cities to raise it above the state base.

at, he said, is what is driving in ation in those cities and across Arizona and the nation.

e measure from Sen. Wendy Rog-

ers, R-Flagsta , would have given businesses in those cities a tax credit equal to the di erence between their wages and the statewide minimum wage of $13.85 per hour. For Flagsta , that’s a $2.95 per hour di erence. Tucson’s wages are set to rise to $14.25 by the end of the year.

Voters in both cities approved the increases.

Under Rogers’ plan, the state would recoup the tax losses by withholding income tax payments that are funneled to those cities – estimated by the Legislature’s budget analysts at $17 million a year for Flagsta and $120 million for Tucson.

But the state’s taxpayers would still be on the hook because the analysis gured the business tax credit would far exceed what the state is able to hold back from the cities.

``Where the real answer is, the tough message – and this is the love part to the chambers (of commerce) – the answer

is to repeal this terrible law. at is the answer,’’ Livingston said. ``And as far as I’m concerned, we should take it a step further.”

``Flagsta could lead that, and then we should do a statewide repeal of the law that was passed that has increased in ation,’’ he said. ``Because in ation is a No. 1 factor that reduces someone’s net worth and real wages.’’

Rogers’ bill is championed by the local chambers and small businesses, which argue that the higher minimum wages have increased their costs to the point where they no longer want to invest in those businesses.

SB 1108 previously passed the state Senate with only GOP backing.

At the heart of the ght is the fact that Arizonans voted in 2006 to set a state minimum wage above the federal gure. ey renewed that approval a decade later by a 58-2 margin, complete

BILL from page 16

House Democrats said the lesson plan posting requirement will unnecessarily boost teachers’ already-heavy workload, burden districts with new mandates on their computer staff and potentially violate copyright laws on textbooks.

“This unnecessary requirement will add more to Arizona teachers’ already heavy workload and may even push more educators out of the classroom,’’ Rep. Laura Terech, D-Phoenix, who has worked as a teacher, said during debate on the measure.

“It suggests the Legislature doesn’t trust us to do our work, when in fact there are already multiple ways in which teachers work with parents through email newsletters, phone calls, parent teacher conferences and curriculum nights.’’

Gress said in an interview he joins with Democrats in seeking a change to the school spending limit.

And he said he was actually heartened to see the contents of that failed

Democratic floor amendment because it lays the groundwork for an eventual compromise that would both boost teacher pay by using a dedicated fund and increase transparency.

“What I thought was very encouraging with the (Democratic) amendment is that they agreed with the concept that the state should direct the money to the teachers and to other classroom personnel,’’ Gress said.

The measure now requires a formal vote by the full House before heading to the Senate for action.

And because of the anticipated $700 million annual cost to give teachers a 20% pay raise by 2025, it is intimately entangled with state budget negotiations, which are just now turning serious between majority Republican lawmakers and Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs.

Hobbs has signaled with a series of vetoes and comments in the past two months that she is looking for comprehensive budget negotiations rather than piecemeal legislation that addresses individual topics.

Constitution and her belief that lawmakers are obliged to allow citizens to come and present information to the Legislature.

“ e people have the right to speak freely, petition the government and hold their government o cials accountable,’’ Harris said in her lengthy rebuttal to the allegations. “We must ensure that these rights are protected and that the people are empowered to exercise them.’’

e original February hearing itself led to nger-pointing between Toma and Senate President Warren Petersen, R-Gilbert, over who was responsible for allowing Harris to call Breger.

Petersen said he had asked that all materials be reviewed by Borrelli ahead of time.

“ at was not shared with him and was a surprise to the committee,’’ he said.

“I assure you, had he known about the report (Breger planned to present), he would not allow it to be included,’’ Petersen said. “It was de nitely not the proper venue to make such allegations nor to assess the credibility of such a

statement.

Toma, for his part, refused to take the blame for allowing the hearing to go forward.

e speaker told Capitol Media Services of Petersen’s role. “We agreed to it collectively.

And Toma, in turn, blamed Harris for “bad judgment’’ in inviting Breger “to present unsubstantiated and defamatory allegations in a legislative forum.’’

Chaplik pointed out that it was not the panel’s role to decide if defamation had occurred or to question the integrity of the state election system. He followed up with a written statement that note the hearing was “not a trial.’’

“It was strictly an opportunity for committee members to formally hear from Representative Harris and gather facts in consideration of a speci c and internal House matter: whether Representative Harris engaged in disorderly behavior,’’ he said.

No date has been set for the committee to reconvene. Chaplik said he wants to give members the opportunity to “fully review the evidence and deliberate.’’

Arizona leads in something: COVID deaths

BY LUX BUTLER Cronkite News

Arizona had the highest rate of COVID-19 deaths in the nation over three years, according to a research analysis published in March in the medical-science journal e Lancet.

“I think Arizona is a state with inequality, some poverty, and ultimately some of the vaccination rates and behaviors didn’t line up to have good outcomes,” said Joseph Dieleman, a professor and senior author of the study.

Arizona residents were less likely to be vaccinated, wear masks and maintain social distance, according to researchers in a peer-reviewed study.

e study says Arizona recorded 581 deaths per 100,000 people from Jan. 1, 2020 to July 31, 2022, the highest rate by far among states in the United States. e national rate was 372 deaths per 100,000. Hawaii had the lowest rate, at 147 per 100,000.

e report said Arizona’s death rate was similar to that of the three nations with the highest coronavirus death rates in the world – Russia, Bulgaria, and Peru.

e study adjusted state death rates to account for age variations in each state’s population. But even at the unadjusted rate, Arizona was fourth-highest, with 539 deaths per 100,000, trailing West Virginia with 575, Mississippi with 550 and Alabama with 540.

In three years, 33,225 Arizonans have died of COVID-19, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services website. AZDHS o cials did not respond to emailed requests for comment.

“ e more robust a health system, the better a state performed in the pandemic, but only in states where the public was willing to make use of health care services for vaccination or to get early treatment for their conditions,” said Dieleman, an associate professor at the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Eval-

uation.

e study also aligns with previous research that found Latinos and Blacks were more likely to die of COVID-19 than other racial groups.

One out of four Arizonans who died were Hispanic, according to ADHS data, which is higher than the percentage of people who identify as Hispanic in the census.

e Lancet researchers analyzed other factors such as poverty rates, education levels, access to quality health care and levels of interpersonal trust, in order to better understand the number of COVID-19 illnesses and deaths. e higher the poverty rate and lower the average education level of a state, the more infections it saw.

e Census Bureau said nearly 13% of Arizonans lived in poverty in 2022, compared with 11% for the U.S. as whole. Nationally, nearly 34% of people had at least a bachelor’s degree, compared to 31% in Arizona.

“ is report is great because it really backs up and gives scienti c evidence to

the things we already thought about,” said Will Humble, executive director of the Arizona Public Health Association.

“It takes away the argument that our state just has an older population and that’s why we had high COVID death numbers, and instead looks at the whole picture.”

e report also details how race plays a role in the number of COVID deaths and illnesses.

“Many of the worst-performing states and territories in our study are also those with the highest populations of people identifying as Black (Washington, DC; Mississippi; and Georgia), Hispanic (Arizona and New Mexico), or American Indian and Alaska Native (Idaho, Nevada, Alaska, Wyoming, and Montana), ” the researchers wrote in e Lancet report.

COVID-19 continues to kill. ADHS regularly reports virus updates.

Since March 5, at least 27 people have died.

Battery plant’s huge investment surprised QC

BY MARK MORAN GSN Staff Writer

After months of study, speculation, and delay South Korean energy giant LG Energy Solution on March 24 said it will break ground this year on a $5.5-billion lithium battery manufacturing plant in Queen Creek with production to start in 2025.

And while town officials had been waiting for the start date for nearly a year, LG’s announcement was a stunning development for the town.

That’s because the company quadrupled its initially announced investment of $1.4 billion made in April of last year.

LG’s North American subsidiary bought 650.5 acres at Ironwood and Germann roads in a state Land Department auction last April for $84.4 million and the town has been up-

grading roads around the site in an anticipation of the development.

The bid was the only one cast for the State Trust Land parcel, which is near Zimmerman Dairy Farm and CMC Steel Arizona, southeast of Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport.

“We are so excited that LGES is expanding this pivotal project that supports the demand for innovative clean energy solutions,” Queen Creek Mayor Julia Wheatley said.

Stating “the substantial investment will create a positive ripple effect for the region and the state, bringing local jobs, infrastructure, and capital investment,” the mayor added, “LG Energy Solution will be the first company to break ground along the advanced manufacturing corridor.”

The huge expansion of LG’s plans sent Queen Creek officials scrambling to a degree as they began review plans already being implkemented for ad-

LG Energy Solution’s North American subsidiary bought a barren 650.5 acre site at Ironwood and Germann roads in Queen Creek last April at a state Land Department auction for $84.4 million. (Town of Queen CReek)

ditional infrastructure work around the site. Pinal County likely will have to review its approval last year of air

quality permits now that the firm is see BATTERY page 22

building two plants and not one on the site.

This is the single largest investment ever for a stand-alone battery manufacturing complex in North America, according to LGES.

It will consist of two facilities, one for 2,170 electric vehicle batteries and the other for “pouch type” lithium-ion phosphate batteries, which are used in rechargeable devices like power tools, electric bikes.

“Our decision to invest in Arizona demonstrates our strategic initiative to continue expanding our global production network, which is already the largest in the world, to further advance our innovative and top-quality products in scale and with speed,” said Youngsoo Kwon, CEO of LG Energy Solution in a press release.

“We believe it’s the right move at the right time in order to empower clean energy transition in the U.S.”

As the demand for rechargeable batteries grows in North America, the

battery plant will bring the company closer to its customer base and save money on logistics and manufacturing, LGES said.

In addition to being a huge investment, LGES also plans to launch new technology in the facilities, making its production decisions based solely on data. The company said those cost reductions would eventually bring down the cost of electric vehicles.

“By implementing this key measure to enhance product quality, the Arizona facilities will aim to increase yield, improve manufacturing processes, and boost productivity to better respond to the ever-rising battery demands in the region,”LG ESsaid.

LGES initially announced its intention to build the facility in Queen Creek almost a year ago. But months of speculation and study followed as the company said it was reevaluating.

Progress came to a standstill and raised speculation that the facility might not be built. That ended with the March 24 announcement.

“Arizona has become the battery

manufacturing capital of the country,” said Gov. Katie Hobbs in statement.

“These Arizona-made batteries will power green, sustainable technologies around the world, cementing Arizona’s reputation as an innovation hub for renewable energy. We’re grateful to LGES for their legacy investment and for committing to making thousands of good-paying jobs for Arizonans,” she added.

The company’s decision to increase investment in electric vehicle battery production in North America comes from rising demand from electric car makers like Tesla for locally manufactured high-quality, high-performance batteries to satisfy the Inflation Reduction Act’s tax credits for electric vehicles, according to LGES.

“Situating the new ESS battery facility in North America, the biggest ESS market globally, LGES aims to respond to the fast-growing needs for locally manufactured batteries on the back of the IRA, and further expedite clean energy transition in North America upon the strong government

policies supporting the adoption of ESS,” the company said.

LGES’s announcement is the latest in a series of battery-related announcements in Arizona and nationwide. A wave of new factories is expected to increase battery manufacturing capacity in North America tenfold from 2021 to 2030.

LG did not start out as the huge electronics and battery manufacturing conglomerate it has become.

Lucky Chemical Co. was established in 1947 as a cosmetics company. Its first star product was called Lucky Cream when it opened a lab in the 1950’s in Korea, where it used plastic injection technology to make plastic combs, and soap dishes, according to a Newsweek report about the history of LG.

While town officials say it will be good for the local economy, construction of the facility has raised concerns among some neighboring residents, who worry it could pose environmental damage and threats to people, pets and livestock.

Ready to do whatever it takes.

It’s hard to prepare for the words, “You have cancer.” And when you hear them, it feels like a million questions are racing through your mind. What’s next? Who do I call? Where do I go? We have answers for you. We’ve been training for this moment, so we can be there the second you need us. Let’s take on this diagnosis together.

We’re ready for cancer. Cancer isn’t ready for us.

Going blind, Gilbert artist keeps creating

DYLAN J. SEEMAN

GSN Contributor

Cecilia Foerster is growing blind, but is holding on to her aspirations of becoming an artist.

e Gilbert woman’s paintings have attracted a following and she has been building a base of patrons even as her vision slowly ebbs.

Streams of gold, deep blacks and abstracted light de ne her paintings and she describes them as a re ection of the a iction that has overtaken her life – a dimming of light.

Foerster’s original passion – and what she went to school for – was to become a hair sylist. After graduating from high school, she got certi ed and settled into what she thought was going to be her life’s purpose.

On a late summer day in 2017 as she was nishing up the day’s work at Men’s Ultimate Grooming, she noticed a dark spot form in her peripheral vision.

“It was a slow day at the barber shop over here in Gilbert, so my co-worker and I are just hanging chatting and I looked at the door because it was bright outside and I was like there was a black spot there where it shouldn’t be,” she re-

called.

“ at’s a little bit alarming,” she remembers thinking, “but I just brushed it o .”

But that spot persisted and kept growing over the course of a week. So, Foerster decided to get it checked out.

After she was informed of the results, she recalled, “I shut down in a way. at day was a blur.”

e doctor explained that her retina was detaching for unknown reasons. She underwent a series of tests and procedures. e tests came back inconclusive and, after multiple rounds of surgery, nothing worked.

at’s when she picked up painting.

Faced with losing her passion and vision in her left eye, it became a way to cope with the stress.

Still, she tried to make a living as a barber. “It was really hard getting used to, but it did after a while,” Foerster said.

In 2019, the unimaginable happened.

“It was like a curtain of blackness coming in from my peripherals,” said Foerster.

e doctors suspected that scar tissue had built up from the prior surgeries and

see ARTIST page 28

GPS elementary school artists showing their work

BY SRIANTHI PERERA

GSN Contributor

What you would want to do is just picture it in your brain,” wrote third-grader Celena Williams at Oak Tree Elementary School regarding her city artscape created with color pencils. The pastel art incorporates a three-dimensional Walmart and bank buildings, among others.

Fifth-grader Makenna Shumway’s tempera painting of a nature scene with the sun shining from among the branches of a large tree uses tints, tones and shades of red.

“To make the tint, we used white to make it lighter. For the tones and shades I used grey and black to make it darker. I really like how it turned out,” she wrote.

Highland Park Elementary fifth-grader Mai Mullenmaster’s cylin-

drical ceramic planter was inspired by her best friend. “I really enjoy art class because I can be creative and make unique pieces,” she wrote in her statement.

Those three budding artists’ works are among the pieces selected for the Gilbert Public School Elementary Art Show that runs through April 9 at Norwood Furniture in downtown Gilbert.

“This wonderful event has been a Gilbert Public Schools tradition for

more than 25 years,” said Marissa Gomez, an art teacher at Boulder Creek, Patterson, and Overflow at Greenfield elementary schools.

The artwork was made by students 6 to 12 years old in grades first through sixth selected from all 26 Gilbert elementary schools. Over 700 pieces are on display in various media such as painting, drawing, sculpture and

Though she is going blind, Gilbert resident Cecilia Foerster won’t let that interfere with her desire to be an artist. (Dylan J. Seeman/GSN Contributor)

SHOW from page 26

mixed media.

A reception takes place 5-8 p.m. from Monday, April 3, to Wednesday, April 5 spotlighting different schools each evening. A few choirs, a handbell choir and a recorder group will perform in 30-minute slots.

The public may view the artwork during the opening hours of the furniture store.

Norwood Furniture has hosted the show from its outset, when the district comprised just five elementary schools in 1991. The artwork is hung in the various galleries of the furniture store, thereby the work gets more exposure to the public that visits the store.

“The elementary art teachers try to select the best of the best art pieces from their art classes,” said Anne Schwaab, head of the district’s Elementary Art Department. “All artwork showcases the elementary art curriculum and the lessons students were taught by their art teacher in their individual art classes.”

Schwaab said that the district’s arts education mission is to offer an environment that fosters student independence and creative thinking.

“Students are provided with encouragement to plan and problem solve in order to develop confidence and motivation with an overall pride in their artwork,” she said.

“Our vision is to promote student artists to achieve the ability to develop and implement a visual idea and our goal is to develop a grade-appropriate continuum of artistic behavioral expectations.”

Elementary students have 40-minute art classes every other week, which equates to approximately 18 times a school year. The GPS board recently approved full-time art teachers for next year.

The GPS art education program teaches art history, appreciation, production and evaluation. Students also learn art elements (color, line, shape, form, space, texture and value) and

see SHOW page 28

Anne Schwaab, head of the Gilbert Public Schools Elementary Art Department, believes in the importance of art to developing minds. (Courtesy of GPS)

SHOW from page 27

principals of design (center of interest, unity, balance, variety, movement and proportion).

The learning is choice-based as well, which inspires creativity, builds confidence and develops curiosity and overall, leads to more authentic work.

Sometimes, teachers come across students that do not look forward to art class.

“When I come across a student with this mindset, I mention that art may not be everyone’s favorite subject and that’s OK. We all have different abilities and interests and while some love art, there are others that would rath-

ARTIST from page 26

now was causing her remaining vision to go.

Doctors advised her to have her bad eye removed in the hope of saving the sliver of vision she had left.

er be doing something else with their time,” Gomez said.

“When helping students that have a more di cult time expressing themselves through art, I make sure to encourage them to try their best no matter what. If a mistake happens, it’s OK because erasers were invented for a reason,” she added.

“ e biggest thing that helps is trying to have students incorporate their own interests into their own artwork.”

Asked about the importance of art education to the elementary school ages, Schwaab said that it can improve motivation, concentration, con dence and teamwork.

“Students are encouraged to develop creative thinking and problem-solving

With the paltry amount of sight she had left, Foerster kept her barber job, although she remembers thinking, I’m too much of a liability,” said Foerster.

Finally, she turned to painting full time.

Foerster has been successful as an artist, selling her work at art markets and establishing a presence online – which is

skills while following a scope and sequence of learning that meets both objectives and state standards,” she said. No prizes are awarded to the students. But after the art teachers take down the show, they return the artwork to the student artists along with a certi cate and medal of participation.

“ e part that I enjoy most are the expressions on the student’s faces when they see their artwork. ey feel a sense of pride and accomplishment when they see their artwork on display in a public setting,” Schwaab said. “It’s rewarding for everyone.”

Norwood Furniture is at 216 N. Gilbert Road in Downtown Gilbert.

where Kate Miller found her. Miller drove from Tucson recently to obtain a piece of Foerster’s work.

“I had heard about Cecilia’s story and started following. en she started sharing and selling her art. en I was like no way she paints. I love this, I love the texture of it and it just spoke to me,” Miller said.

Foerster is still nervous about when the last ounce of light will go out but she’s making the most out of the time left.

Meanwhile, people can view her work at sacredart.com or see it in person May 6 at the Family Marketplace, 4011 S. Power Road, Mesa.

Art teacher Marissa Gomez preps for the art show. (Courtesy of GPS)

Gilbert design rm focuses on details

BY JOSH ORTEGA Tribune Sta Writer

Kirsten Holmstedt went on a threemonth sabbatical from her business career at Intel and “got lost” in remodeling in her rst home and through that rediscovered her passion.

Now, the Gilbert woman gives vent to that passion with Treasure in the Details, an interior design rm that o ers a full range of services including design, 3D renderings, furniture sourcing, full scale renovations, new builds and furnishings for clients here in Arizona and beyond.

Over the last decade, Holmstedt built the business from smaller studio spaces until 2020, when she launched the online store that sells a variety of home décor pieces.

Eight months ago, she opened her design studio/shop at 1030 S Gilbert Road, Suite 102 in Gilbert to expand her services and o erings and now employs 10 women dedicated to helping busy people and families create beautiful living spaces.

ough her master’s degree in business and undergrad in supply chain management and marketing from Arizona State University gave her an understanding of the theoretical aspects of business, Holmstedt said she always had a passion for design since childhood.

“I really appreciated the sense of peace in my own home, and just feeling like, no matter where I was, the space that was surrounding me was a place that I could feel comfort,” Holmstedt said.

Primarily, Holmstedt said she o ers her services to busy families and working professionals that appreciate a sense of order, calmness and inviting feel to their home and well-designed but who don’t necessarily have the time to manage and implement all the details.

“I think that’s where we come in as a

professional design rm,” Holmstedt said. “It’s not just about making things look pretty. ere’s a lot of project management and a lot of coordination.”

While picking out the elements, is important, Holmstedt said it’s qually important to be able to bring it all together and managing the process from start to nish – and help clients do it right the rst time.

at ethic derives from Holmstedt’s greatest strength and something she wants customers to know from the start: seeing beauty in the details.

Treasure in the Details comes from her nickname “Treasure,” which Holmstedt’s father gave her as a child. She wanted the name of the business to resonate with what her rm provides to customers.

Her team includes lead designer Shelbie Plautz, who’s worked with Holmstedt for the past four years.

ough she originally studied to be-

come a teacher, Plautz said she also had a passion for design.

ough she never had any intention to work with Holmstedt, Treasure’s Instagram account and a meeting over coffee convinced Plautz to join her team.

Plautz said she’s come to admire Holmstedt’s work ethic, and the other core values governing the business – including service excellence, teamwork, continuous improvement, e ciency and professionalism.

“She puts her heart and her soul into every single thing that she does, and her goal is always to make sure that it is done with 110%,” Plautz said.

Plautz said every member of the team has a creative mindset and that makes them passionate about design and home interiors.

“Our goal is to always continue our growth and knowledge within the design world,” Plautz said. “And always improving our styles and following the

new trends, all while keeping a design timeless.”

As a recent client, Hawley Prince can attest to that after witnessing their work rst-hand in her own home.

“When they nished my house, I walked in, and I was like ‘oh my gosh, this is my home,” Prince said. “But they just made it exactly how I wanted it.”

e married mother of one had just moved into her home a couple years prior but said it didn’t feel seamlessly put together.

After following the local design rm on Instagram, Prince said she viewed the design samples on their feed and reached out for more information.

After a brief online questionnaire, she said Holmstedt quickly responded and went to work, o ering pointers about which direction to go but ultimately leaving the nal decision to Prince.

With 3D renderings and a design mood board – a collage of images, materials, text, and other design elements that’s representative of the nal design’s style – Prince said she got a feel for exactly what she wanted in her home.

“It’s pricey, but it’s worth every penny, because it just makes your home just so complete,” Prince said.

Prince said it’s “100%” worth conferring with Holmstedt. She’s called upon them to design her primary bedroom, living room and laundry room and to curate a bedroom design for her daughter’s room in a way that “made it so personal to her.”

“It’s awesome,” Prince said. “I wish I could have come back every year to update it.”

Treasure In the Detail

1030

Kitchen and homeware about at Treasure in the Detail. (David Minton/GSN Staff Photographer)

Chemistry leading the way for Highland boys’ volleyball

BY ZACH ALVIRA GSN Sports Editor

Highland boys’ volleyball coach Je Grover recalls the moment his team was sitting in their hotel in California on March 4 watching senior Hayden Winegar play for the school’s basketball team in the state nal.

e game was back-and-forth between the Hawks and Brophy. Highland faced a one-point de cit when senior Brock Knollmiller found Winegar wide open in the corner for a 3-pointer.

He knocked it down. Chaos ensued inside Veterans Memorial Coliseum and hundreds of miles away in California.

e cheers continued for the volleyball team as they watched the basketball program celebrate its state title.

en, the thought hit them. ey want that same feeling come May.

“We want to win super bad,” Winegar said. “We haven’t been able to win a state championship together and we’ve gotten really close the past two years. We want to win, so we’re focused.”

is rendition of Highland’s volleyball team is no stranger to success.

e Hawks lost last year in the championship game to Sandra Day O’Connor, a top program nationally at the time.

e year before, they made a run to the semi nals and fell yet again to O’Connor. While they’ve struggled to overcome the Eagles the last two years in AIA play, many of the Hawks players — as many as 10 of them — have become the top dogs in club season with their team, Victory.

Eight players from this year’s team won the 16U national championship in 2021. More joined for the team’s run last year to nish among the top ve teams in the nation in 17U.

But as great as it felt to hoist the national championship trophy two years ago, in their minds it doesn’t compare to a state title. It’s something many of them

have been working toward for the last six years.

“We’ve been practicing every day, every week for a really long time now,” senior outside hitter Jase Adams said. “I think it would be the perfect way to end it.”

Most of the Highland players grew up on the volleyball court together. ey’ve played on the same club for several years, all coached by Grover.

e club is meant to be a feeder into Highland, that’s why it’s one of the smallest compared with others around the state and country. Yet, it’s also become one of the best.

One of the key reasons for their success is how close they are as a team.

ey cheer for one another, they hang out on and o the court. ey’ve become a family, a common theme for the Highland program that has seen multiple sets of siblings over the course of the last three or four years.

ey work well together. And it shows.

“We’re all best friends,” Winegar said.

“We’ve played together since we were in sixth grade, and we do everything together. Our chemistry is really good.”

e rst rendition of the volleyball rankings was released Tuesday, March 28. Highland was the top team in the 6A Conference.

e ranking was expected. Not only are the Hawks the top dog in Arizona, but they’re also currently the No. 8 ranked team in the nation, according to MaxPreps. Highland’s ability to gain national recognition stemmed from solid showings in tournaments.

e Hawks went 8-0 in the Kellis Invitational in Glendale and 5-2 overall in California, where they played against some of the other top teams in the country. ose tough matches have prepared them for the rest of the season, where they know they may end up on a collision course with O’Connor or another top team yet again.

“It’s always good to travel, that’s why nationals is fun and traveling out of state in our season is fun,” Grover said. “We

want to be able to compete against these other teams and see how we matchup. It was great for the guys. We’ll compete anytime, anywhere.”

Winning a championship is a real possibility for Highland this season. It’s something the seniors want for each other.

It’s also something Grover wants for them. He knew several of his players from the time they were in diapers. He also has his youngest son, Kaleo, on the team as well. It’s the nal year he will be able to coach one of his own kids at the high school level.

Grover plans to stay at Highland even with both graduated come May. But coaching his son for the nal time and having it end as a state champion would make the tears that are sure to come worth it.

“It would be one of those memories that we have. We’ve got a ton of memories,” Grover said. “He’s done a phenomenal job. It would be something special that we can always talk about.”

This year’s Highland boys’ volleyball team is motivated to win a state championship. They’ve already been crowned national champions together at the club level, but their main goal since they began playing together six years ago has been to win state. (Dave Minton/GSN Staff)

‘Secret Garden’ features talented Gilbert thespians

BY KATY SPRINGER

GetOut Contributor

Places! Productions’ next show is no garden variety musical.

The East Valley community theater company will present “The Secret Garden,” a musical reimagining of Frances Hodgson Burnett’s beloved children’s novel.

The show will be on stage April 6-8 at East Valley High School and April 14-16 at the Mesa Arts Center.

Two casts will bring the mystical, magical garden to life: a youth troupe comprising performers ages 8-18 and another featuring kids and adults of all ages.

Set in the early 1900’s, the musical tells the story of a young girl, Mary Lennox, who is left orphaned by a cholera epidemic in colonial India. She is sent to live with her reclusive uncle, Archibald Craven, and his sickly son, Colin, at a secluded – and haunted – country manor

in Yorkshire.

Farrah McArthur, 10, of Gilbert plays the role of Mary in the youth cast.

“Mary is a young girl who loses her parents and is forced to go and live with her rich uncle,” said Farrah. “In the beginning, she is a really spoiled, selfish brat, but when she makes some friends and spends time outside, she begins to soften and become much nicer.”

The story reaches a turning point when Mary discovers her late Aunt Lily’s hidden garden. Locked by a grief-stricken Archibald after his wife’s untimely death, the garden is tangled and overgrown, but Mary is determined to restore its beauty.

With the help of the Dreamers, a chorus of ghosts who shepherd Mary as she copes with the tragedy of losing her parents, she revives the garden and strips

see GARDEN page 30

Valley’s only Easter parade to roll out 47th time

BY COTY DOLORES MIRANDA GetOut Contributor

For the 47th year, the Kiwanis Ahwatukee Easter Parade is bringing together a host of colorful floats, marching bands, Scout troops, and the official Easter Bunny to entertain spectators from across the Valley.

As the only Easter Parade in the Metro Phoenix area, the homegrown parade has expanded to include entries and spectators from outside the Village of Ahwatukee including the second-year appearance for the Gilbert Days Rodeo Teen Queens and the always- entertaining El Zaribah Shriners in miniature vehicles.

On Saturday, April 8, the Kiwanis Ahwatukee Easter Parade steps off at 10 a.m.

from Warner Road, heading north along 48th Street to Elliot Road. Following the parade, the club’s Spring Fling and Craft Fair fills the nearby Ahwatukee Community Center Park, located at 48th and Warner Road.

This is a rain-or-shine event day. Of 46 parades (the COVID-interrupted 2020 and 2021 maintained the parade tradition using decorated members’ cars) only 2009 had rain, though skies cleared by starting time.

Mike Schmitt, Parade Boss for the 31st year, said the response from the 330 invitations he sent out beginning in January, has “worked very successfully.”

As part of his Parade Boss duties, Schmitt’s work continues as he sets the order of the 50 to 70 parade entries, and, using

The Gilbert thespians in “The Secret Garden” include, from left: Margie Zuccaro, Camila Mercer, Norah Kohnhorst, Lily Saba, Jackson Wood, Gracie Cook, Piper Searcy, Ava Saba, Joseph Strode, Sarah Chandler, Casey Ray, Alyssa Ray and Farrah McArthur. (David Minton/ GetOut Sta Photographer)

Among scores of floats in the Ahwatukee Kiwanis Club Easter Parade is one with agiant Easter bunny. (File photo)

GARDEN from page 29

away the sadness that engulfs the household.

Queen Creek’s Allison Houston is the director of “The Secret Garden” and founding artistic director of Places!

“As director, I always begin my process by going back to the source material,” she said.

“The novel is very different from the musical, especially the concept of ‘The Dreamers.’ They are crucial in the storytelling of the musical, and we’ve incorporated them into several additional moments as Mary remembers her past and finds purpose and belonging in this new chapter of her life that the musical portrays.”

Kasey Ray plays Mary’s late father, Albert, in the community cast.

His wife, Alyssa Ray, is also part of the Dreamers chorus in the community cast.

“Both the adult and the youth casts are filled with so much talent that it is impossible to not be enthralled with their performances,” she said. “That being paired with the direction and design of Allison Hous-

ton will truly create a beautiful and touching performance.”

Creating a beautiful performance includes mastering the show’s soaring musical numbers.

“This is one of the most beautiful scores I’ve ever heard,” said Houston. “I think it’s impossible not to be moved by the music.”

The music is also notoriously difficult.

“The hardest part for me has been correctly jumping into harmonies. I just want to put my fingers in my ears so that I don’t sing the wrong notes, but I can’t,” said Farrah.

Over the past two months, Farrah and the other cast members spent long hours at rehearsal to perfect the production.

“I am most proud of how our cast has gotten so good at singing very complicated pieces of music,” Farrah added. “It’s often hard to know when to come in and there are many overlapping parts and difficult harmonies.”

For Alyssa, performing in “The Secret Garden” is a chance to hone her craft while building community.

“As a kindergarten teacher, I do not get a lot of opportunities to work with adults

in a creative capacity, and I love the community and collaboration of learning and working with so many talented people,” she said. “Everyone is so supportive and we have a lot a fun!”

Kasey agrees.

“Places! Productions has been doing incredible work in the East Valley for the better part of a decade,” he said. “Any time they produce an all-ages production, I audition and hope to have the opportunity to perform with them.”

The cast and directors are eagerly anticipating the audience’s response.

“The cast is made up of both actors with long resumes and several making their stage debuts. Each actor is bringing something so special to this production,” said Houston.

“I’m beyond proud of all of the actors who have worked so far out of their comfort zones. I think audiences will be astonished by this performance.”

Said Farrah, “I think they will really enjoy the dance numbers. They were challenging to learn, but now they look great.”

“‘The Secret Garden’ is a classic tale brought to life by earnest performances

from our lead performers, who are all ridiculously talented,” added Kasey. “Regardless of which cast you choose to see, you are bound to witness some of the best talent in the East Valley.”

Places’ production includes direction by Allison Houston, music direction by Jung Lee and choreography and assistant direction by Rachel Espericueta.

Tickets for the April 6-8 run at East Valley High School are $15. Tickets for the April 14-16 performances at the Mesa Arts Center are $17. Matinee and evening performances are available. Discounts are offered for teachers, seniors, veterans, first responders and students. Group discounts are also available.

If you go

The Secret Garden

Presented by Places! Productions

April 6-8: East Valley High School, 7420 E. Main St., Mesa

April 14-16: Mesa Arts Center, 1 E. Main St., Mesa

Tickets: placesproductionsaz.com

1 Pot brew

4 Rosary component

8 Tempo

12 Rowing need

13 Scarce

14 “Damn Yankees” vamp

15 Polish composer Chopin

17 Squad

18 Oust from office

19 Not ‘neath

21 Show to a seat, slangily

22 Established rule

26 Kick out

29 Cat’s coat

30 Ms. Longoria

31 Chaste

32 River blocker

33 Till bills

34 Wyo. neighbor

35 Corral

36 Sanctify

37 -- acid

39 Luau bowlful

40 Khan title

41 Blacksmiths’ blocks

45 Indolent

48 Curry powder spice

50 Dayton’s state

51 “Do -- others ...”

52 “I love,” to Livy

53 Autograph

54 Take five

55 Bottom line DOWN

1 Bean curd

2 Deserve

3 God of war

4 Chicken serving

5 Third rock from the sun

6 “Exodus” hero

7 Propriety

8 Book jacket write-up

9 Long time

10 “The Greatest”

11 Make lace

16 Wimbledon tie

20 Where Lux. is

23 Actress Russo

24 Currier’s partner

25 Mama -- Elliot

26 Monumental

27 Dame Dench

28 Part of Q.E.D.

29 Summer cooler

32 Illinois city

Pauline (Pauli) Udall Perkinson, 87, passed away in Mesa, Arizona, on March 23, 2023, surrounded by her 7 children and their spouses.

On May 11, 1935, Pauli was welcomed into this world in Phoenix, Arizona, by her loving parents, Leah Smith and John Hunt Udall, and ten wonderful brothers and sisters. Pauli attended North High School where she loved participating in Student Council. From 19531957, she attended Arizona State College (ASU), where she met her true love and future husband, W. Bradford (Brad) Perkinson. She received her bachelor’s degree in elementary education and later taught school at Pomona Elementary in California.

Pauli and Brad celebrated their 63rd anniver-

sary just before Brad’s passing in July 2021. She greatly missed her sweetheart during the last months of her mortal life.

Pauli was an incredible example of Christlike living. She dearly loved her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and was a devout member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Pauli led many to the Savior through her simple and anonymous acts of kindness. She also served in many Church callings throughout her life, including Relief Society President and full-time missionary with her sweetheart in Washington, D.C.

Pauli’s greatest love and desire, however, was to love and serve those who needed her most. She loved to see and spend time with her 7 children, 40 grandchildren, and 86 great grandchildren, all of whom were at the top of her service list.

Pauli is preceded in death by her eternal companion, Brad; her parents; her 5 brothers

and 6 sisters; her 7 children, John ( Verna), Scott ( Suzy), Lisa Blair (Wendell), Amy Kerr (Todd), David (Suzie), Jenet Knight (Greg), and Julia Williams (Todd); 40 grandchildren; and 86 great grandchildren (with another 4 great grandchildren on the way).

Visitation will be held on Thursday, March 30, 2023, at 6-8 pm at the Citrus Heights Stake Center, located at 2549 N. 32nd Street in Mesa, Arizona. Funeral services will be held the following morning on March 31, 2021, at 11 am at the same location after further visitation from 10-10:45 am. Bunker Mortuary will assist the family with arrangements and services, for which the Perkinson Family is very grateful. The family also expresses special thanks to our wonderful friends at Acoya Assisted Living, Hospice of the West, and Advanced Healthcare. Pauli loved to order flowers from Crismon's to send for so many of life's occasions.

Pauline Udall Perkinson 1935-2023

PARADE from page 29

the descriptions provided by the various participants, writes the script to be read from the announcer’s stand.

“It takes 14 hours just to write the script,” admitted Schmitt. Among the early entries were various dance groups, boys and girl Scout troops, and One of the longest-running participants, Mountain View Lutheran Church, which includes their Ahwatukee Preschool with kids riding decorated bikes and wagons and handing out candy.

A new addition this year is Ahwatukee family-operated Spencer 4 Hire Roofing who stepped up early to claim the Grand Sponsor slot.

“We’re trying to be more active in our community, more involved, and make sure we give back where we can,” said owner Nathan Spencer. “

One perk for the Grand Sponsor is hosting the only adult Easter Bunny costume allowed in the parade.

Immediately following the nearly mile-long parade is another family-focused tradition: the annual Spring Fling and Craft Fair held at the Ahwatukee Community Center Park, 48th and Warner Road.

Kiwanis member Holly Dutton said there is an abundance of activities, food and fun set for the 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Spring Fling and Craft Fair.

“The Spring Fling is a long-standing Ahwatukee family favorite, going since 2004. The club is proud of our long-time involvement with this event, and the way it brings so much fun to our local families and kids,” said Dutton. “We have volunteers this year who’ve said they grew up going to the Easter parade and Spring Fling and have great childhood memories of it, and now they’re volunteering to help out.”

She said there are more food choices available this year, including local restaurants and new food trucks.

“This year we are adding more food choices including food trucks like Green Chile Love and Sweet Magnolia Smokehouse, and local favorites like Yoasis and Smallcakes.

“I’m especially excited about getting the chance to showcase a wide variety of local businesses and some really gorgeous jewelry and craft items,” she said.

Although adults and parents will find plenty to entertain them, Dutton said the focus remains on giving the younger visitors a good time.

“True to the Kiwanis mission- it’s all about the kids so we’ve got bounce houses, an Easter egg hunt, face painting, two different interactive STEM activity booths, animal friends and more,” she said.

Hosting the largest and oldest community event is a Herculean task for the 35-member Kiwanis Club of Ahwatukee.

Founded in 1982, the Kiwanis Club engages in charitable projects year-round including Foster Teens Thanksgiving, Foster Kids Christmas, Back to School Shopping Spree for economically disadvantaged school-age children, Community Baby Shower and more in addition to the volunteer-intensive Easter Parade and Spring Fling.

For more information on the April 8th Easter Parade and Spring Fling, see AhwatukeeEasterParade.com

Both volunteers and sponsors are still being accepted.

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