Gilbert Sun News 07/09/2023

Higley teachers group debated

Survey gives Gilbert a so-so rating for recreation

BY CECILIA CHAN GSN Managing Editor

Gilbert likes to brag when it comes to its top rankings for safest city in the country, best place to live in Arizona and best city to raise a family in the West.

But don’t expect the town to crow about its placement on WalletHub.com’s list last week that put Gilbert near the bottom in the country for its recreational offerings.

Gilbert ranked 90th in the country and landed dead last among the seven Arizona cities that made the “2023’s Best & Worst Cities for Recreation” list.

Asked for reaction, town Parks and Recreation Director Robert Carmona issued a statement that said, in part: “Parks and recreation development plays a vital role in enhancing the quality of life in our communities. It not only fosters physical and mental well-being but also strengthens social bonds and promotes a sense of belonging.”

He also encouraged residents to participate

In the beanbag

The massive Hole9Yards cornhole venue in a converted former Goodwill building in Gilbert will be the scene this week for the annual Arizona State Cornhole Championships. Cornhole is rapidly becoming as popular as pickleball, and to find out why it is coming to Gilbert, see page 22. (Instagram)

in the town’s master plan for recreation and parks.

To determine the communities where recreation is a high priority, the person-

al financial website ranked the 100 largest U.S. cities across four key dimensions – en-

Higley board member wants to defend transgender ban

BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

AHigley school board member is one of three Arizona mothers of biological girls who have asked a federal judge for permission to intercede in case to keep their daughters from having to compete against transgender females.

They have declared they want to defend the 2022 law that says public schools and any private schools that compete against them must designate their interscholastic and intramural sports strictly as male, female or coed. It spells out that teams designated for women or girls “may not be open to students of the male sex.’’ And the statute says that is defined as the “biological sex’’ of the participant.

Higley Governing Board member Anna Van Hoek of Gilbert said she is sending one of her two daughters to an unidentified high school in the Chandler Unified School District to play softball on the school team after playing for a Higley middle school.

“Ms. Van Hoek believes these benefits

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would disappear because “the presence of biological boys creates a significant obstacle to girls achieving their best performance,”attorney James Rogers states in his request to intervene, adding:

“Her two daughters have experienced these obstacles firsthand, and her younger daughter would give up on softball if she were forced to play on a team with biological boys, or to compete against biological boys.”

Whether Van Hoek and the other two moms will get to participate in the case is not clear. The attorneys for the two transgender girls – one from Tucson and the other from Kyrene School District – who are suing to overturn the law already have told Rogers they will oppose the three mothers’ move.

Kyrene, which covers Ahwatukee and parts of Chandler and Tempe, has told the judge it will not defend itself in the suit – mirroring the position taken by state Attorney General Kris Mayes.

The same position has also been taken by the private Tucson school named as a defendant in the case, along with State Superintendent of Public Schools Tom Horne and the Arizona Interscholastic Association, which governs high school sports.

The lawsuit claims the ban is a violation of Title IX because it is discrimination on the basis of sex.

It also says the ban would cause the girls “to experience shame and stigma, denies them well-known physical and mental benefit that arise from playing school sports and directly contributes to negative physical and emotional health consequences.’’

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Kyrene Governing Board members denounced the law when they made it part of the district’s official policy – an action they could not avoid because the district risked the loss of at least some state funding if they did not adopt it.

Because Mayes won’t defend the statue, state Senate President Warren Petersen, R-Gilbert, and House Speaker Ben Toma, R-Glendale, have intervened.

So too has Horne, who unsuccessfully tried to get the case transferred from Tucson to the federal court in Phoenix.

The other two mothers seeking to in-

tervene are from Glendale and the City of Maricopa.

In legal papers filed by Rogers, who is with the America First Legal Foundation, he is representing the three mothers and a group called Arizona Women in Action.

He argues they have a right to defend the law because most of the defendants won’t.

Rogers argues that while Horne is a defendant, he is hobbled by a lack of legal resources and that Horne’s job requires him to consider the needs of all public school students, including transgender females.

By contrast, Rogers says, the three women have a specific and immediate interest in upholding the law: the real possibility that their daughters will have to compete against those born male.

He told U.S. District Court Judge Jennifer Zipps, it appears that already has happened in at least two cases involving the mothers who want to intervene.

The National Center for Lesbian Rights and other attorneys are not seeking to overturn the 2022 law entirely and entitle all transgender girls to participate on girls’ teams.

Instead they are arguing that each bid by a transgender girl should be considered individually. And in this case, they say that since neither girl is experiencing puberty – one is too young and the other is on puberty blockers –they should be allowed to play with and against other girls.

That’s not the view of the three women who want their day in court to defend the law.

Rogers said all three mothers believe that participating in girls’ team sports has dramatically benefited their daughters’ personal and social development.

“Their experiences have built their self-confidence and allowed them to experience a type of camaraderie and friendship that could not be replicated anywhere else,’’ he told Zipps. “If their teams also included persons born as biological makes, virtually all those benefits would evaporate.’’

The Maricopa mom, Amber Zenczak, said her youngest daughter’s basketball team already played a game against another girls team that had a biological player.

Higley Unified Governing Board member Anna Van Hoek said she is sending one of her daughters to a Chandler Unified School to play softball and doesn’t want her to play against girls teams with transgender girls. (File photo)

“This transgender player violently fouled Ms. Zencsak’s daughter but the referees did not make any calls on this obvious foul, evidently because of fear of accusations of discrimination and to avoid retaliation from trans activists,’’ Rogers wrote.

In a written declaration, Zenczak said the prospect of biological males in female-only spaces such as locker room would make the girls “feel self-conscious and frustrated by having to change clothes or shower in the presence of a teammate having male genitalia in the locker room.’’

Rogers argues that the three women “have standing under federal and Arizona law to sue to protect their daughters’ interests.’’

Also seeking to intercede is Arizona Women of Action, described as originating in October 2020 as a text chain and organized as a political action committee in 2021.

While it has no formal membership, the lawsuit says a survey of the organization’s email subscribers showed 99.6% support the 2022 law.

Horne contends that, puberty or not, there is medical evidence that those born male are inherently stronger than those born female at all stages of development.

And that, Horne said, makes inclusion of transgender girls both unfair and potentially dangerous to biological female athletes.

Higley board members spar over teachers group

BY CECILIA CHAN GSN Managing Editor

The teachers’ union and Higley Unified School District have inked a new agreement to sit down and negotiate labor issues despite a board member’s contention that the association doesn’t have students’ best interest at heart.

The HUSD Governing Board approved the agreement with the Higley Education Association (HEA) June 28 on a 4-1 vote with Anna Van Hoek the sole dissenter. It went into effect July 1.

“Obviously they support teachers and not necessarily students,” Van Hoek said. “I believe if teachers want to be part of HEA, obviously they’re welcome to do that on their own.

“But I don’t believe that the district needs to be signing an agreement with the union.”

Van Hoek was elected in November and endorsed by Purple for Parents, a group that grew out of the frustration with the Red for Ed movement.

The grassroots demonstration in 2018 saw teachers walking out of the classroom for six days demanding higher pay.

The walkout shut down schools statewide and spurred then-Gov. Doug Ducey to sign a budget plan that boosted teacher salaries 20% by 2020.

Van Hoek claimed that the HEA is a political arm of the Arizona Education Association, which is part of the National Education Association – a frequent target of Republicans.

“They definitely did not have the best interest of our students since they started walking out on them since 2018,” Van Hoek said.

“We also saw what they did during COVID. They pushed masking, school closures and so many experiences for students were ruined such as graduations, prom and end-of-year celebrations and let’s not forget academic loss.”

She said that teachers were still free to join the union and opposed paying a $4,000 annual stipend to the Higley chapter’s president for representation.

“I’d like to know what that means,” she said. “Is that half day to lobby, half day to teach? Does the HEA president teach part time for the district?

“We shouldn’t be using tax dollars to fund the political activities of the union. Is this a gift of public funds because we have laws against that. How is this not considered using taxpayer money to influence political ideas and agendas?”

Board member Amanda Wade, a former teacher, immediately rebuked Van Hoek for her statements.

“If you don’t have teacher support, you don’t have schools,” Wade said. “There’s no way around it.”

She said union membership was low partly because of the cost of joining.

“So, taking more of my paycheck to do something that I feel doesn’t necessarily have a lot of weight is hard,” Wade said. “It is hard to be part of the HEA.”

She also said it was unfair of Van Hoek to blame teachers for the in-school mask mandate as it was state law.

“There was no law for masks,” Van

Hoek responded. Wade countered by citing Ducey’s executive order in July 2020 – which has the force of law – that ordered all school districts and charter schools to mandate masks on campuses.

Wade told Van Hoek that she was putting weight on things that have absolutely nothing to do with the agreement before the board.

Wade added that it was valuable to show teachers that they matter.

She also noted that part of the reason why Van Hoek called the HEA and “every other education association ‘political’ is because they advocate for things that benefit them.”

“Life is politics,” Wade said. “The only time that we say something is ‘political’ is when it is against what we already feel. That is an unfair statement to assess to individuals who are vying for their job.”

because you are advocating for yourself, that’s harming others?”

She said she struggled with Van Hoek characterizing the partnership with the union as political.

“Our service to this community is our students and you do that with teachers,” she said. “Without those teachers we have nothing.”

She said the HEA helps new teachers acclimate, sometimes with mentorships and after-school meetings.

Wade also castigated Van Hoek’s statement that the union was advocating for things that harmed students, calling it disingenuous.

“I think it paints a picture or a narrative that I recognize is valuable when you want to keep people paid less, when you want to keep people in a position that is harmful,” Wade said. “We are at a tipping point.

She said the board has spent a lot of time discussing the problem of teachers leaving the profession.

“If you are not a teacher, you have no idea what it is like – none,” Wade said. “You assume so because often we remember what it was like when we had teachers and that ain’t today.

“We are asking of our teachers far more than we should and the idea that you would sit here and say an organization that is here to support them, an organization that bends over backwards repeatedly for their students, and to say

“We are losing teachers, we have increased salaries and we still lose teachers,” Wade continued. We are literally talking about this at almost every single board meeting. So to say that we shouldn’t be a part of the HEA or keep that up – where do you hope to keep teachers then?”

She said the district doesn’t have to negotiate with teachers without an agreement.

Wade maintained that the 2018

see UNION page 9

Higley Unified Governing Board members Anna Van Hoek, left, and Kristina Reese had differing views of the Red for Ed walkout’s impact on students. (YouTube)

BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

Arizona public schools will be regularly inspected to ensure they meet minimum safety standards to educate students under a new executive order issued by Gov. Katie Hobbs.

And in a separate order, the Democratic governor formed a committee to update those standards to 2023 levels so schools have what it takes to help protect students during a campus shooting.

Both Gilbert Public Schools and Hig-

quired by the state.”

He added that the creation of a stakeholder council to update the minimum adequacy guidelines will “greatly support the ever-changing requirements of current technology and building equipment.”

“Each of these executive orders aim to provide evidence and support for potential building improvements to school districts so that all students have a safe and secure school to attend regardless if a district has been able to pass a bond or not,” Moore said, stressing:

said.

Over two decades ago after losing a series of lawsuits, the state was required to conduct inspections to identify issues at school facilities before they turn into more serious problems and cost more money to fix.

Until now, however, compliance has been spotty at best. Projects ranging from roof repairs to upgrading security with fences and doors that lock from the inside got done only in school districts that had the resources.

Both districts have over the years invested in a number of security measures such as surveillance cameras and the “Here Come the Bus” app, which lets parents know when and where their children board or exits a bus.

HUSD since 2014 has worked to make all its sites single-point entry, where all visitors must check in via a buzzer-entry system before allowed entry into the rest of a building.

“Once the facility inspection reports and adequacy guidelines get updated, it will be important for the state to take action and provide funding to support

Kailey Latham, a spokeswoman for Gilbert Public Schools, said, “As a school district, we support initiatives that work to ensure high-quality, well-maintained school facilities for all students,” Latham

Both orders could help GPS and HUSD as they grapple with maintenance and other capital costs – many of them related to safety.

GPS is going to the voters in November for approval of a $100-million bond with proposed uses, including $63 million for essential building upgrades and replacement and $12 million for safety and security projects.

And GPS last school year put in a video-intercom-buzzer system at each campus without a secured entryway until one could be constructed.

An attorney representing school districts and education advocates said Hobbs’ orders alone won’t end the lawsuit they filed against the state in 2017 for failing to comply with a series of Arizona Supreme Court rulings saying it is up to the state to provide a “general and uniform’’ school system.

According to district officials, over $53 million is required over the next two years to address critical facility needs such as roof replacements, restroom renovations and boiler replacements at its campuses.

The district has a backlog of projects totaling about $178 million and a majority of its buildings are 32 years old.

Higley has seen its back-to-back bond measures shot down at the ballot box. The bonds would have paid for safety and security such as replacing aging security cameras and for major maintenance projects.

What that will take, said Danny Adelman of the Arizona Center for Law in the Public Interest, is getting the Republican-controlled Legislature to actually allocate what he said are hundreds of millions of dollars necessary to fund both existing standards and the new ones that will be crafted after the Hobbs-ordered committee bring them up to what is acceptable in 2023.

And getting that funding is likely to take a court order as lawmakers have, for years, fought all efforts to have a court tell them what are their constitutional obligations.

With no new bond dollars coming, HUSD has had to shift monies from its maintenance and operations budget to the capital budget in its newly adopted spending plan.

Also the Governing Board on June 28 approved a one-time property tax increase to raise $1.5 million to pay for projects to improve traffic safety.

Just last year, Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Daniel Martin rejected claims that he has no right to rule on the legality of the formula they decide to use to finance the funding of new schools and repairs for existing ones.

The case is now set for trial next year.

e Gilbert Sun News contributed to this report.

school closing didn’t harm students and that Van Hoek painted a picture that was not necessarily accurate.

She added that not supporting teachers – whom she called the backbone of education – was actually more harmful to students.

“Again, I feel like you continuously put words in my mouth,” Van Hoek said. “What I said was we don’t need an agreement with the union in order for our teachers to have that support from them.”

She said teachers can continue to support the HEA with their dues.

Van Hoek also contended that it’s “been proven fact that since 2018 the unions have pushed walkouts on our children” and have affected students for the last four to five years.

“It has been a known issue, not just here,” Van Hoek said. “All across the U.S has been an issue, which is why we’ve had so much uproar in board meetings because of what the unions push and they can continue to support teachers but when it impacts the students that’s where I have a problem.”

Wade asked Van Hoek what it is she thinks the HEA’s role is in the district.

“Other than sit there and heckle me

as I talk, they obviously help negotiate salaries and benefits for teachers,” Van Hoek said. “I’m just saying as a district, I don’t think that it’s necessary to have a contract in place in order for them to be able to do that.

“They get paid to support teachers to be able to advocate for them, not the students but the teachers and when their actions impact students I have a problem with that.

“If we don’t have students in our schools, we have nobody. There’s nobody to teach. So again, we have to ensure that our children that come to this

district are priority and that their needs are being met and when we have the union advocating not for the students, it’s a problem.”

Board President Tiffany Shultz said that without an agreement in place, what would give teachers peace of mind that the district would listen to them.

“What would be the benefit to teachers wanting to be a part of somewhere they didn’t have any representation?” Shultz said.

“Would they even want to be a part of a district that doesn’t agree to meet with teachers and it doesn’t agree to an agreement to meet with them.

“It’s also very unfair to compare HEA to unions outside the state because we are a right-to-work state and we do have different union laws than other states do,” Shultz added.

Van Hoek reiterated that regardless of a contract, the union would still be there to support teachers “because they get money from these teachers to be part of their union.”

Board member Kristina Reese said that during the Red for Ed walkout, the impact to HUSD was much less than in other districts due to the established relationship between the HEA and then-Superintendent Michael Thomason.

“Dr. Thomason always knew what

was going on,” Reese said. “They had an understanding. They had an expectation so we could communicate to our parents in a timely manner and that wasn’t happening in all districts.”

She said HUSD was unlike other districts that were left trying to figure out at 9 p.m. if they would have any teachers the next day.

“Our relationship with HEA and our district, it was by 4 p.m. we knew what was happening so we could communicate with our parents and that was the mutual respect,” Reese said.

Reese also said that the stipend is compensation for the HEA president for extra duties such as showing up at the Welcome Back Rally or new teacher orientations and not for lobbying or doing political things.

She also said that the agreement was a memorandum of understanding and not a legal contract and that Arizona does not recognize unions.

She said HEA is not a union but a professional organization.

“They help guide us so there is a mutual benefit from this agreement,” Reese said. “They help both sides.

“It’s a professional agreement on what can be expected on both sides and I think the organization is beneficial to the district as well as teachers.”

HUSD board member Amanda Wade defended the teachers’ association agreement. (YouTube)

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CUSD facing enrollment drop, rocky fiscal road

BY KEN SAIN GSN Staff Writer

The Chandler Unified School District Governing Board got its first look at the budget for the next school year June 28 and two realities will make the budget more challenging in the future.

First, the cash the federal government handed out to get the nation through the pandemic is coming to an end. Second, CUSD’s enrollment is in decline.

Fewer students means fewer dollars from the state.

The budget for fiscal year 2023-24 reflects that reality with a drop in the total aggregate budget.

“Our overall total aggregate expenditure limit you’re going to see … has actually dropped by approximately $9 million,” said Lana Berry, the district’s chief financial officer.

“The majority of that we’re going

to talk about is related to the federal dollars, … that’s going to be where the major reduction of our overall budget capacity is. Our M&O (maintenance and operations) has gone up and so has our capital, but federal programs have gone down.”

This year’s total aggregate school district budget is $455,022,884. Last year’s was $465,951,058.

The good news for district workers is salaries are going up. The average salary of all teachers is $67,657 for the new school year. It was $64,895 in the year just concluded. That’s an increase of $2,762, or 4%.

The board approved publication of the tentative budget at its late June meeting. As required by law, Berry must hold a public hearing on the budget and plans to do so on July 12. The board will then be asked to officially adopt the budget.

CUSD bases its aggregate budget on three separate funds.

The largest is maintenance and operations, which is $373.9 million. The second biggest is its unrestrictive capital fund at $43.1 million and the final component comprises federal dollars, which total $37.9 million.

Because of the higher salaries, M&O is up about $6.2 million while the unrestrictive capital has increased about $1.1 million. However, the federal project money decreased by $18.3 million.

Berry said the district is projecting at least 200 fewer students for this coming school year, which means about $1 million less from the state.

“Overall, 200 to 400 students is what we’re thinking,” Berry said. “We’re thinking through that process that there is $982,000 there.”

Much of the increase in salaries are coming in the form of stipends, Berry said. The CUSD Governing Board gave classified staff $2,000 each, and certified administrative staff $1,000.

the front of the classroom.”

For the second-largest district in Arizona that cost a total of just over $7 million, Berry said.

Berry said the largest increases in the capital budget are for technology upgrades. The district has been purchasing laptops and tablets to ensure students can be productive at home.

They’ve also been upgrading their own technology as needed.

“Our technology budget is $30 million,” Berry said. “There’s infrastructure related to network drops, WiFi and hubs. If you think you have to replace laptops about … one in every four years, there’s going to be in the 50,000 between staff and students needing replacing every four years. We also have security cameras that are a part of that.

“We are a school district to 45,000 students and 5,000 staff members. We’re bigger than most Midwestern towns, and so, unfortunately, we haven’t … been able to invest a lot in technology.

The state allocates money to districts and schools based on its ADM (average daily membership). That is calculated by getting the total number of students attending on the 100th day of the school year, since the student population changes often during the course of a school year.

According to the Arizona Auditor General report, Chandler Unified had an ADM of 41,945 for the recent school year. Its high was 44,501 in the 2019-20 school year before the pandemic began.

CUSD’s enrollment has been in decline since and it could fall behind Tucson Unified to become the third largest district in Arizona this year. Mesa Public Schools is the largest.

“This just helps us get up to par related to having one device for every student and employee, [and] being able to have a interactive boards in

The district has started an aggressive marketing campaign to try and persuade families within its boundaries, and the ones who live near it, to send their children to CUSD schools in an effort to minimize the drop in attendance.

Chandler Unified Chief Financial Officer Lana Berry discussed some of the grim realities facing the school district. (YouTube)

So far, the district has not been forced to lay off any staff because of the drop in attendance and state funds. Berry said the district prefers to handle the need for fewer teachers by not to replacing some retiring employees when a new school year begins.

In addition to state funds, the district gets some of its money from property taxes.

Most homeowners will be paying more in property tax because the assessed value of their homes will be increasing 5%, the maximum Arizona law allows. The district is lowering its portion of the primary property tax from 3.5274 to 3.4093.

The secondary property tax rate is increasing slightly, from 2.3938 to 2.3945. Those are due to the override and sale of bonds approved by voters.

That’s the rate for every $100 of assessed value to the property. In addition to schools, which get the most of each tax dollar, the county and city also get a slice.

BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

It’s official: Women in Arizona can now walk into a pharmacy and get birth control pills.

Ditto hormonal rings and patches.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists formally signed off June 6 on the rules crafted by the Arizona Board of Pharmacy that scrap the requirement that women have an individual prescription to get contraceptives.

Instead, they can rely on a “standing order’’ by Dr. Lisa Villarroel, the chief medical officer of the Arizona Department of Health Services, to get up to a year’s worth of pills.

The law and rules require pharmacists to ask a series of questions of customers to ensure that hormonal birth control is appropriate. These range from current pregnancy and recent childbirth to health factors that could make the use of hormones inappropriate like a history of blood clots and smoking.

The pharmacist has the option of turning away patients and referring them instead to a clinic or healthcare provider.

The law still requires anyone younger than 18 to present an individual prescription issued by a doctor.

Pharmacists who want to provide contraceptives based on the standing order must get three hours of special training on renewing their licenses every two years.

Kam Gandhi, executive director of the Arizona Board of Pharmacy, suggested that women should consider making an appointment before showing up.

Partly that’s because it will take some time for women to fill out the obligatory questionnaire and have it evaluated by the pharmacist. And there’s also the issue of whether the pharmacy stocks their preferred form of pill.

Gov. Katie Hobbs said that the change in law, which she had nothing to do with, was part of the effort of “standing up to the extremists who threaten access to the basic healthcare our families rely on.’’

The 2021 law had fairly broad bipartisan support as most legislators –and Republican then-Gov. Doug Ducey – accepted Scottsdale Republican Sen. Michelle Ugenti-Rita’s arguments that the pill, first approved in 1960, has been reviewed over the years and is generally considered safe.

She argued for ensured access for women who may not have a regular relationship with a doctor or health care provider who can issue the annual prescriptions or even may live in a community without someone who has prescription-writing privileges.

Ugenti-Rita told Capitol Media Services that she opposed including the requirement for the questionnaire and the ability of the pharmacist, based on the answers, to refuse to dispense the pills.

But she acknowledged that adding the requirement was needed to get the necessary votes.

While the legislation was approved in 2021, it took until now for the Board of Pharmacy to write the rules and get the legally required public input.

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tertainment and recreational facilities, costs, quality of parks and weather. It then evaluate the four dimensions using 48 relevant metrics such as number of attractions, average fee for a fitness club and park playgrounds per capita.

According to Dr. Stephanie West with James Madison University, the top five indicators of determining the best cities for recreation are the number of parkland acres per 1,000 residents, variety of unique recreational amenities, connectivity of recreation to neighborhoods, the presence of businesses selling recreational merchandise and the financial support of the local parks and recreation department.

“In each case, the quality and equity of facilities and services are also incredibly important,” West noted.

Las Vegas, Nevada, took the top berth on WalletHub’s list, followed by Florida cities Orlando and Tampa, respectively. Among the top 10, Scottsdale came in at No. 6. The other Arizona cities were Tucson at No. 12; Phoenix, No. 18; Glen-

dale, No. 22; Chandler, No. 35; Mesa, No. 43 and Gilbert, No. 90.

According to WalletHub, the best cities have a wide range of leisure activities, both outdoor and indoor. Indoor amenities such as music venues, movie

theaters and coffee shops don’t require good weather to enjoy.

Gilbert’s ranking on each of the 48 relevant metrics included 87th for number of attractions, 71st for coffee and tea shops per capita, 96th for tennis courts per capita, 78th for public swimming pools per capita and No. 84 for hiking trails per capita.

The town ranked higher in areas such as taking the top spots for public and municipal golf courses per capita, and affordable 4.5-plus star restaurants, No. 13 for presence on TripAdvisor’s Top 25 Parks list and No. 14 for movie costs.

The department is recognized by the Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies for “superior standards for operation, management and services to the community.” The department earned the accreditation in 2020 and is up for review in spring 2025.

Currently just 193 park and recreation agencies in the country are accredited by CAPRA, which provides the potential for external financial support and savings to the public and holds an organization accountable to the public.

Cactus Yards also was named “Outstanding Park of the Year” for four years in a row by the United States Specialty Sport Association.

WalletHub stated that neighborhood parks are one of the most beneficial types of recreation a municipality can offer because they increase the value of homes located within 500 to 600 feet of one, reduce healthcare costs annually and lower the overall costs of air pollution.

Gilbert offers over 600 acres of open space, 37 park ramadas and a riparian area.

The town in 2019 debuted the initial phases of the 115-acre Desert Sky and 272-acre Gilbert Regional parks. It kicked off its public outreach this spring to solicit feedback on amenities for the rest of the regional park.

WalletHub’s ranking aside, Gilbert has plenty to boast about when it comes to its Parks and Recreation Department.

The sports facility with its eight scaled-down replicas of famous ballparks and an indoor fieldhouse, received the highest scores across the board on park amenities, cleanliness, field conditions and more.

Because parks and recreation projects are costly and long-term endeavors, Dr. Andrew Burnstine of Lynn University gave some cost-effective ways for local authorities to improve them.

Burnstine suggested creating or expanding the use of solar power and other renewable energy sources at the parks and facilities, creating “Adopt-aPark” programs where the public do-

The town is conducting outreach to determine what amenities should be included in the final phases of the popular Gilbert Regional Park’s development.

Gilbert Realtor holds backpacking event

GSN NEWS STAFF

AGilbert Realtor is welcoming volunteers to help fill backpacks 9 a.m.-noon Wednesday, July 12, at Jacob’s Mission Community Center, a Mesa facility that serves foster children.

Located at 7830 E. University Drive, Jacob’s Mission is run by ASA Now, a nonprofit whose acronym stands for “Advocates, Supports and Assists” children and families impacted by foster care.

The backpack-stuffing event is organized by Community on Purpose, founded by Realtor Mindy Jones and the Amy Jones Group. Realtors and clients organized a drive for school items to fill the backpacks.

Jacob’s Mission offers tutoring, extracurricular activities, food pantry and other basic necessities.

Through the facility, ASA Now also provides life skills for youth, respite care, therapeutic programs, family activities, peer-to-peer support groups, education

RECREATION from page 14

nate resources to improve the look of local parks and recreation areas and including dog parks. Gilbert has two dog parks for the use of its 280,000 residents.

Matthew Ebbott, a senior lecturer at Western Colorado University, however, cautioned local authorities on what he called the biggest mistake they can make when it comes to building and maintaining parks and rec facilities, which is dedicating a lot of resources to fads.

“Does this new sport have enough interest? Is there staying power with the level of participation, or will it fade out?” Ebbott said. “I love pickleball, and the question becomes, ‘How many courts does a park need? How much will they be used during peak times, and what will the usage be like off-peak?’

and training on utilizing Arizona’s Jacob’s Law.

The law guarantees behavioral health services to foster and adopted childen.

ASA Now advocates for and helps those children and families to and caregivers on successfully navigate the foster care system. It also recruits new foster families and advocates for them and their children.

The nonprofit’s goal is to alleviate the trauma and give kids “a sense of belonging, stability, and ownership by providing them with grade appropriate backpack full of school supplies,” Realtor Sarah Parker said.

To help pack backpacks: signupgenius.com/go/9040d4ea9aa22a2f49-asanow.

To help buy school supplies for the kids: amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1DMZXTEG89X0U?ref_=wl_share&fbclid=IwAR2tAm3C1hIjHMf0q9muCLnbXqC60ykGgZ38Dyl4tNH7vVXbz5StG9f2u_Q.

“My local park just removed 10 horseshoe pits because everyone plays cornhole instead. The mistake lies in determining what is a trend and what is a fad.”

“My local park just removed 10 horseshoe pits because everyone plays cornhole instead. The mistake lies in determining what is a trend and what is a fad,” he said.

“There are far fewer tennis courts now than in the ‘80s, as interest has dropped. So, it is important to consider new sports and how much you want to invest financially and dedicate in terms of space.”

Expires 7/31/23.

HD SOUTH o ers plenty to do this month

GSN NEWS STAFF

HD SOUTH: Home of the Gilbert Historical Museum will o er a series of informative programs for people of all ages this month. Programs are led by artists, historians, storytellers, botanists and scientists; experts in their eld who share their knowledge and skills with our community.

Located in the heart of the heritage district, the building opened as Gilbert Elementary School in 1913. It is the oldest building in Gilbert and is the only local building on the National Register of Historical Places.

e Gilbert Museum is a repository of artifacts chronicling the town’s rich history, featuring newly remodeled exhibits and interactive displays.

Many of the educational programs are free, while some come with a small

charge to cover materials. Information: hdsouth.org/calendar. Unless otherwise noted, registration is required for the onetime events at hdsouth.org.

WEEKLY ACTIVITIES

Yoga, 7-8 p.m. Mondays. 6-7 p.m. July 17, 24, 31.

Instructor Darien Pruitt, the Mobile Yogi, guides participants through a hatha ow class. Pruitt has practiced yoga since 2010 and recently completed her 200-hour yoga instructor training. Ages 16 & up. Bring your own mat. Registration is required. Free. Yoga. 7-8 p.m. ursdays. Join Marilynn Igleski, certi ed yoga instructor, helps participants relax and condition muscles.

Open to all levels of experience and ages 14 and older. Participants must bring their own yoga mat. Free for members, $5 for non-members.

EXHIBITS

Heritage District Photographic Retrospective—2004-2011

Mark Bennett photographed the Gilbert Heritage District between 2004-2011 to record the changes downtown, and a collection of these amazing photographs will be on display in Gallery 4 though July 28. e Heritage District was designated a redevelopment area in 1989.

Gilbert Fire Department: 100 Years of Service is year marks the 100th anniversary of the Gilbert Fire Department. What

Gilbert rescue hosts ‘Popsicles & Pups Water Day’

GSN NEWS STAFF

Friends for Life, a registered nonpro t, no-kill shelter in Gilbert, will hosting its annual Popsicles & Pups Water Day fundraiser, Saturday, July 15.

e $5-per-dog fundraiser gives pets a chance to splash into summer fun 7-9 a.m. at the shelter, 952 W. Melody Ave. Organizers call it the rescue’s “Scentral Park” with splash pads, kiddie pools, popsicles and “pupsicles,” “dogvinici” paw paintings and more. All dogs in attendance must stay on a leash.

Arizona Friends for Life began in 1993 as Citizens for Tempe Strays and within two years developed a broad volunteer base, dedicated board of directors and hundreds of adoptions a year.

Its growth and success prompted a name change to Friends for Life Animal

Sanctuary because the rescue makes a lifetime commitment to its animals. Any animal adopted from it must be returned to Friends for Life if for any reason the adoptive environment is not working out.

e animals’ microchips also list Friends for Life as the primary contact if the animal gets lost or surrendered at another facility.

In 1996, Friends for Life leased three buildings in downtown Gilbert.

It eventually replaced the word “sanctuary” in its o cial title with “Rescue” because organizers felt it more accurately described is mission of rescue and adoption.

In 2013, Friends for Life bought the buildings it had been leasing and four years later broke ground for a new facili-

Little Deuce is a 4-1/2 year old, 10-pound Chihuahua stray currently being fostered through the Friends for Life Animal Rescue in Gilbert. Like all Friends for Life animals, Deuce is altered, vaccinated, dewormed and microchipped. His adoption. fee is $150. (Courtesy of Friends for Life)

Georgia is a domestic, short-haired tabby and white cat about 5 years old. Georgia resides at the Friends for Life adoption center and her adoption fee is $175. see FRIENDS page 18

Stuart Preston, a certified sound practitioner, will lead a “sound healing” session at HD SOUTH that is designed specifically for those grieving a loss. (lastyu.com)

SOUTH from page 16

started as a group of volunteers has grown into a highly skilled and cutting-edge, technically advanced department. On display through July 10, historical artifacts and collections highlight the department’s humble beginnings and some never-before-seen items.

Antique tools

On display July 10-Sept. 18, HD SOUTH’s unique antique tool collection includes pieces from many of Gilbert’s founding

FRIENDS from page 16

ty that opened in 2018.

“Friends for Life Animal Rescue is dedicated to the homeless and stray animals in our community,” its mission statement says.

“ ese animals do not have an advocate and will likely su er starvation, illness, or injury as they try to survive alone. Animals on the street are often unaltered, reproducing and creating

families.

PROGRAMS

Writing about family and food, 6:30-8 p.m. July 18. Facilitated by Duane Roen, the founding coordinator of the Project for Writing and Recording Family History in the College of Integrative Sciences and Arts at Arizona State University. Registration required. Free.

Food sustainability. 10:30 a.m.-noon July 22. ere are many things in the desert that can be used to make ingredients for food. In this interactive presentation,

even more unwanted animals.

“Friends for Life prefers to get to the source of the problem through spaying and neutering all animals we take in, and educating the public about the importance of altering their animals.”

People who can’t make the event next Saturday are always invited to make a cash donation or donate items like leashes and collars.

Information: 480-497-8296 or azfriends.org.

Chandler Gilbert Community College sustainability expert Kendra Stanger will discuss edible and safe to use from the Arizona desert. She also will show how to use desert mesquite pods to make our. Ages 12 and up. Registration required. Free. DNA genealogy. 6:30-8:30 p.m. July 25. Join McKell Keeney, DNA genealogist and Search Angel volunteer who lives in Tempe, as she helps people understand their DNA test results. People should bring a laptop or iPad if they have speci c questions on their DNA results. Prepare by taking the Ancestry.com test although other

About Friends for Life

autosomal test results such as 23andMe, MyHeritage or FamilyTreeDNA can be discussed. Registration required. Free. Sound meditation. 6:30-8 p.m. July 27. Join Stuart Preston, certi ed sound practitioner, will lead a “sound healing” session designed speci cally for those grieving a loss. Participants must bring a yoga mat, one or two blankets and a pillow and wear comfortable clothing, arriving 10 minutes early. Ages 16 and up. Registration required. Space is limited. Cost: $5 per person. Learn more about Stuart at LaoStu.com.

Friends for Life Animal Sanctuary is a registered nonpro t no-kill, volunteer-based organization that focuses on rescuing stray animals from o the streets and the rural desert areas of Arizona communities.

Friends for Life provides medical attention and care for the animals and actively seeks adoptive families. It is an Arizona corporation with 501 (c)(3) status; tax no. 86-0726443. e shelter’s 12,000-square-foot facility is located at 952 W. Melody Ave. Information: 480-497-8296 or info@azfriends.org.

Ob uaries

HEADSTONES

Cary O’Neal Smith

Cary O'Neal Smith of Mesa, Arizona, passed away on June 4, 2023. Cary was born in Crosbyton, Texas, to parents Ted O. and Alta M. Smith on July 19, 1950. He graduated from East High School in Phoenix. Cary married Judy Welch on August 1, 1970. He worked as CNC Drill/Rout/Cam operator at DS Electronics for 20 years.

He is survived by wife Judy and children Kendra, Jeremy and wife Amanda, Leighton, Troy Patterson, Thunder Urban, brother William (Hogan) Smith, sister Rhonda Hughes and granddaughters Cassidy, Valleri (Kayden), Isla and Skylar.

Memorial Services were held at 11 am. on Saturday, July 8, 2023 at Red Mountain Funeral Home, 456 N. Mesa Dr.

GilbertSunNews.com | @GilbertSunNews /GilbertSunNews

Spinato’s shares recipe for longstanding success

BY GERI KOEPPEL

GSN Contributor

In terms of business prospects, restaurants tend to have a short shelf life: Statistics indicate that only 30% of them survive more than a decade.

But Spinato’s Pizzeria and Family Kitchen will celebrate 50 years in business next year and is thriving. e family owned company opened its sixth independent location in Epicenter at Agritopia in Gilbert in May and earlier this year unveiled a major renovation of its Ahwatukee Foothills restaurant, which opened in 2010.

It’s also the o cial pizza of the Phoenix Suns and Mercury and opened three concessions in Footprint Arena last August and added locations in Tempe in 2018 and Scottsdale in 2022.

It’s known for its signature sweet sauce and thin crust, but the real recipe for the brand’s success is its service, according to Anthony Spinato of Scottsdale, the president, CEO and co-owner of Spinato’s Pizzeria & Family Kitchen.

“My father and mother were incredible examples of making it about people,” Spinato said. “We say we’re in the people business, not the pizza business.”

His parents, Ken and Elaine Spinato, moved from Chicago to Fountain Hills in 1971 and founded Spinato’s in 1974 at 68th Street and McDowell Road in Scottsdale.

ey started with a handful of family recipes from Ken’s grandmother, a focus on quality ingredients and a commitment to treating people as guests rather than customers.

However, price-conscious customers early on complained that Spinato’s didn’t give discounts like other pizza places and told them they’d go out of business if they didn’t o er specials.

“He took a lot of heat because he was pioneering a di erent level of pizza here

in Phoenix,” Spinato said.

Although the rst day’s receipts totaled only 69 cents for one iced tea, the business eventually ourished. e family franchised two locations in the early 1990s, but it didn’t work out.

“ ey were running it more as an investment,” Spinato said. “It was our life.”

So Spinato and his sister, Nicole, each took over a location—one on 16th Street and Bell Road, which still exists (though they have plans to move it), and one on 12th Street and Glendale Avenue. Today, their spouses are involved as well.

As the brand manager, Spinato’s wife,

Jaime Spinato, is the “voice” of the social media accounts and is in charge of community outreach. She also was largely responsible for the contemporary design of the Gilbert location.

A trained chef, Jaime also developed or had a hand in many of the recipes, including the popular new Tortine, a red velvet cake with cream cheese lling dipped in chocolate with raspberry reduction and chocolate sauces.

Nicole Spinato-Kienlen is the o ce manager and food and beverage lead, and her husband, Chris Kienlen, is the catering manager. ey live in Ahwatukee and were the impetus for opening there once they saw how community-oriented it was.

And Ken Spinato remains the “heartbeat of the organization,” Spinato stated.

He visits the restaurants regularly talking to guests and building the culture.

Not to mention, the Spinatos value their roughly 480 employees and think of them as extensions of their family.

“None of it is possible without our people,” Spinato said. “Without them, we’d just be a family with a bunch of good ideas. ey live it and carry it out and we are so blessed to have them.”

Because it’s essential to the Spinatos to not compromise on food or service, it took some soul-searching to decide whether to compete for the contract with the Phoenix Suns and Mercury.

“I’ve grown up here and I bleed purple,” Spinato said.

But he wasn’t willing to sacri ce quality and rely on frozen food or microwaves for the sake of a larger customer base. “My biggest concern was: I can’t do this if it’s not going to be what we do in our restaurants,” he explained.

ankfully, in 2018 the company set up what they call the “family kitchen” in Tempe, where they make 43 proprietary

Nicole Spinato-Kienlen and Anthony Spinato co-own Spinato’s Pizzeria and Family Kitchen, which is marking its 50th year in the Valley. (Geri Koeppel/GSN Contributor)

Family-owned Spinato’s Pizzeria and Family Kitchen opened its sixth independent location in Epicenter at Agritopia in Gilbert in May. (Geri Koeppel/GSN Contributor)

ingredients from scratch daily. It allows them to deliver freshly rolled dough, sauces, dressings and more for all of their locations, and to maintain quality and consistency—which is important for an operation producing nearly 40,000 pounds of dough each month.

Tom Fletcher of Phoenix, senior vice president of global partnerships for the Phoenix Suns, is a devoted Spinato’s fan and suggested they partner with the team.

“ e pride they take in their restaurants is the same pride they take in the pizza they put in our arena,” he said. “Our sales are up year-over-year. I think it has everything to do with having Spinato’s there.”

Meanwhile, the menu and the brand continue to innovate.

“We want to do fresh pasta, gelato, even more things down the road,” Spinato said, and to include more specialty pizzas at the arena.

“We even pickle our cucumbers for our Greek salad, we pickle our jalapeños for the pizza, the onions for the antipasto,”

he added.

e ambiance is evolving, too, moving away from the dark wood and red-andwhite checked tablecloths popular in Italian restaurants of old.

e latest Spinato’s Pizzeria in Gilbert boasts roll-up garage doors for an indoor/ outdoor vibe, a gleaming bar with oversized cut-out pendant light xtures and a contemporary color scheme in soothing blues and pops of bright green with light wood oors and wood and metal accents.

Anyone who hasn’t been to the Ahwatukee location lately will nd it light-

er, brighter and more modern as well, thanks to new paint, lighting, artwork, mirrors, planters, leather booths, tables, bar stools, a community table and a brick ceiling. e exterior also got a refresh with new paint, lighting, signage and landscaping, and there are plans to add a dog-friendly patio.

ough the company is eyeing expansion into the West Valley, Spinato stated, “We’re in a place I’ve been waiting to get to for a long time…. I want to get better before we get any bigger.”

Information: spinatospizzeria.com

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Divine Movement track competing at regionals

BY ZACH ALVIRA GSN Sports Editor

Divine Movement isn’t the largest club track program around.

e Gilbert-Queen club is an infant compared to other bustling programs in the area that serve youth all the way up to high school.

Founder James McSwain and his wife, Tonisha, knew it would take time to grow the program into a powerhouse and compete on a national level.

ey’ve started to fast-track some of that progress.

Last year, Divine Movement sent ve athletes to compete at the national championships in Sacramento, Calif. is year, they’re hoping to once again be represented. But in order to get to Eugene, Ore., the site of this year’s national championships, they had to have a strong showing in Albuquerque at regionals by nishing top eight in their respective events.

“It’s a great feeling, the only reason I do it is to see them excel,” James said. “To see them get through injuries and the mental grind, it’s de nitely a ful lling thing.”

James “Junior” McSwain Jr., Tyree McSwain, Maurice Steele and Cayman Hahn are the four athletes that braved the warmer temperatures to prepare for the meet that began this weekend.

Each athlete has accomplished individual feats this season, whether it be in the club season for Divine Movement or in high school meets for Williams Field.

“I just want a big (personal record),” Hahn said. “I’ve been running and kind of stuck at the same time for a little while. I’m hoping with all this training I can get a big PR. I want to make everybody proud and make myself proud especially.”

Hahn moved on to regionals in the

800-meter run. He placed third overall at the state meet, earning him a bid to compete in Albuquerque.

Steele advanced to regionals after placing second in the high jump at the state meet. Also a basketball player, Steele graduated in May and will continue his career on the hardwood next year at Chandler Gilbert Community College.

He paused for a moment at the thought of competing at regionals and perhaps nationals. It will be the last time he is able to represent Divine Movement and his home high school. So, he plans to make the most of it.

“It’s a good feeling to make everyone proud around you,” Steele said. “It goes to show that anything is possible, and you can be able to go to the next level if you’re dedicated.”

ere’s an elevated sense of pride for Divine Movement for Junior and Tyree McSwain. e two grew up hearing about their parents’ past success on the

track and the vision they had to give athletes in both Gilbert and Queen Creek an outlet at the club level.

Competing for their dad has helped them grow. It has also motivated them to want to be better than he was when he went o to compete at Washington State University.

ey believe they’re close to that mark, especially after what they were able to accomplish this year for Williams Field.

Junior set a new school record in the 100-meter dash this past spring as a junior for the Black Hawks. He will compete in that event and the long jump after placing third and fourth, respectively, at the state championship.

He’s embracing his ability to perform at a high level in the track. Now, he knows he just needs to place well in Albuquerque to move on to Oregon.

“I take this as another opportunity,” Junior said. “It’s good to have this before

my last year of high school.”

Tyree has had similar success. He set a new school record as a freshman in the 400-meter dash. He placed third in the event at state and rst in both the 400 hurdles and 800-meter.

e 800 is a new event for Tyree. Hahn encouraged him to try it out. Hurdles are also new, as he began competing there just this past season. But along with topnotch coaching at Williams Field, he also had two mentors who made names for themselves on the track.

Tyree had the chance to learn from Williams Field seniors Saira Prince and Josiah Dye.

Prince set records in the 100 and 300 hurdles. She broke the latter on backto-back nights at the Open state championship meet in May. Dye won a state title in the 110 hurdles as a junior and won the Division II title this past spring. He placed third in the Open. He’s also committed to play football for UTEP next fall.

“Very (helpful),” Tyree said. “When I would get ready for the high school season, they worked with me on my form and would teach me how to go over the hurdles on the curve.”

James said as a father, it means everything to him to be able to see his kids excel on the track. Not only does he want them and the other members of Divine Movement to succeed, but it’s also become an expectation.

He knows they can do well. He knows they can do better than they have already this club season.

With that, he is con dent they’ll be well represented in Oregon after regionals this weekend in Albuquerque.

“I think they can be a lot better,” James said. “Sometimes you see some things in practice that we should see in meets. ese are the top guys going into regionals.”

From left: Tyree McSwain, Maurice Steele, Caymn Hahn and James McSwain Jr. of Divine Movement track club are competing at regionals this weekend with a chance to advance to nationals later this month in Eugene, Ore. (Dave Minton/Staff Photographer)

Cornhole state championships a bag throw away

BY CODY DOLORES MIRANDA GSN Contributor

Cornhole enthusiasts of all ages and skill levels are gathering July 13-16 at Hole 9 Yards in Gilbert for the seventh annual Arizona State Cornhole Championships.

Often considered an informal backyard activity, the sport itself has grown exponentially in the last decade with international cornhole leagues and plans to add it to the growing pantheon of Olympic sports.

Locally, business partners Todd Kisicki and Nic Feinstein sparked greater area interest with the opening of Hole 9 Yards (H9Y) last fall.

The 20,000 square-foot venue, with 26 dedicated indoor cornhole lanes, operates year-round with food and non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages available in its air conditioned spaces at 868 N. Gilbert Road.

Open seven days a week, the venue hosts competitions like the American Cornhole League regionals and the upcoming state championship while operating leagues and open competitive events.

Registration remains open for some of the 25 different divisions in the Arizona State Cornhole Championships, ranging from novice to advanced amateurs and teams vying for larger prizes and league points.

To determine which division would be the best to enter and register, Kisicki advises reading the “divisions” portion of arizonastatecornholechampionships.com/ divisions.

“The goal of this, and any event that we direct, is to offer an inviting and competitive setting with multiple levels so that you can have the most fun competing against players or teams of similar talent level,” he said.

“We take entries until the event date or until it sells out, whichever is first,” said Kisicki.

The 2021 Arizona State Cornhole Championship in Mesa was held under the auspices of Kisicki’s KB Kornhole Games and was the largest state cornhole championship event in the nation that year with an estimated 410 players, ages 8 to 80, competing in 15 different divisions.

It got even larger when it moved to the newly opened H9Y.

“Last year’s event at H9Y set a record nationwide with the biggest state championships in the country, and we’re looking to do it again this year,” said Kisicki.

He founded KB Kornhole games in 2015, growing it in popularity through appearances at key community gatherings like Ahwatukee’s Festival of Lights KickOff Party and Chandler’s Ostrich Festival.

Kisicki, who holds a doctorate in educa-

tional technology from Arizona State University, also serves as chief development officer for the American Cornhole League.

He left his ASU teaching position to focus on KB Kornhole Games, and in the past two years has traveled the world to oversee over 300 ACL directors.

His wife, Erin Kisicki, was instrumental in getting KB Kornhole established.

As a casual backyard game, cornhole can be challenging. For the competitive spirit, it can lead players to more.

Angie Hallmark of Chandler is a good example.

She started playing cornhole as a social outlet, and hopes to garner her third Women’s State Championship win and second mixed doubles state title with her partner Bill Hadley.

“I started playing cornhole in 2015 as a way to meet people, and it turned into something I never imagined. It’s been an amazing ride,” said Hallmark, 42.

“Of course, my plan is to shoot for three state champ in women’s singles. It’s going to be tough with all the amazing women who’ve entered the game but it’s still one game at a time,” said Hallmark, an accountant.

An up-and-coming player, Nicole Kangas of Mesa, also started cornhole as a pastime that has morphed into competitions.

“I started playing cornhole in 2020, mostly with my husband and friends in the backyard. With a lot of encouragement and nudging, I finally started registering to play at any local venue that was hosting and fell in love with the game,” Kangas recalled.

“It was nerve racking but cornhole people are so fantastic and want to help you get better. One of the things that I think helped me develop was never using my own bag. I would use whatever fast, slow, or in between bags my partner would bring to the boards.”

That laissez faire bag attitude changed when she discovered Chandler-based Draggin’ Bags, a company that makes and sells personalized cornole bags.

“I’ve had the pleasure of helping grow the company over the past year and now I strictly throw Draggin’ Bags. And my game has changed a lot this year,” she said.

This is Kangas’ third Arizona State Cornhole Championship Tournament and she enthusiastically encourages the uninitiated or backyard player to give it a go.

“I started in the novice division, moved to intermediate quickly, and now I’m finishing this season in the competitive division, she said, adding:

“As in years past, obviously, I hope to place in the top three of my events in my

Angie Hallmark, an aviation company accountant, is shooting to win the state cornhole tournament for the third time in women’s singles.

(Courtesy of Angie Hallmark)

division. I’ve been inspired each year by so many amazing players, and hope that I inspire someone along the way this year. Anyone can compete in the sport and have a fantastic time doing it. They just have to walk through the door. “

Chandler resident Brian Brewer was an ACL pro until a dog bite and a job promotion pivoted his playing to regional and local competitions.

Brewer is currently ranked 10th in Arizona, and 22nd in the Western Conference. He and Derrick Lopez hope to rank in the top five in doubles at this year’s state competition.

“State is always a fun tournament and we get everyone who plays to come out and compete. State also signals the end of the long ACL season coming to an end,” said Brewer, 52, a senior manager at CooperVision.

His journey in cornhole began as a summer backyard game with his cousin in Pinetop.

“I played my first organized competitive tournament in May, 2017,” he explained.

“By late 2018 I was traveling to play across the country.

“My play during the 2018-2019 season qualified me to earn American Cornhole League Pro status in the 2019-2020 season. The experiences and friends I made nationally over the two years made it more than worth it.”

“In 2020-21 I was fortunate enough to play with the number one female pro player in the world, Cheyenne Bubenheim,” he continued.

“That season was a great experience, but a dog bite on my throwing hand 10 days before the first pro event along with increased demands following a promotion at work left that season as a ‘what might have been.’

“I was happy to not be a pro. I still play as often as I can. I travel two or more times a month for work and I still I make 90% of the regional tournaments that count for ACL standing. I’ve remained in the Top 10-20 in Arizona rankings from my first full season through this current season,”

Information: Hole9Yards.com, KBKornhole.com, or 602-885-1608.

Dr. Todd Kisicki of Mesa owns KB Kornhole Games, the leading cornhole event planner in Arizona. (Courtesy Dr. Todd Kisicki)