Gilbert Sun News 09/03/2023

BY CECILIA CHAN GSN Managing Editor

Just like farmers who plant high-value crops to boost profitability, Gilbert can increase the productivity of the parcels in the Heritage District to yield more taxes, an urban planning expert believes.

And it could include loosening the height restriction to make that happen.

e .3-square-mile downtown, designated as a redevelopment area in 1989, has blossomed into a

BY CECILIA CHAN GSN Managing Editor

Gilbert must do a better job of managing the parking in the Heritage District and look for additional funding sources for its public garages because more will be

BY CECILIA CHAN GSN Managing Editor

Gilbert Town Council members don’t appear to be ready to sing “Kumbaya” yet.

Some council members indicated in interviews with the Gilbert Sun News that the initial training session aimed at im-

proving their working relationship had questionable results.

e town hired mediator Matt Lehrman to get to the bottom of the discord among council members after they backed o from a no-con dence vote against the mayor – for now.

e rst training, closed to the public, was held Aug. 25. Another is planned but has not yet been scheduled, according to some of the council members.

needed downtown, according to a consultant.

“You have plenty of parking today,” Andrew Vidor of Walker Consultants told Town Council in a special meeting recently.

“As development continues to

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Complaint against 2 on council ruled unfounded

BY CECILIA CHAN GSN Managing Editor

An outside investigator found no evidence to back the ethics violations complaints led against two Town Council members by the mayor and a resident.

Jim Torgeson and Bobbi Buchli were accused of violating the town ethics code’s provisions on fairness and respect, loyalty and disclosure of con dential information.

“I conclude there is no ethics violations occurred,” Kenneth Fields reported to the town last week, recommending the complaints be dismissed.

e retired Maricopa County judge, however, advised Torgeson “to treat his colleagues with respect and courtesy.”

Now it’s up to the mayor or three council members to decide whether or not to put the items on a council agenda. If no action is taken in 10 calendar days, the complaints are considered dismissed with prejudice.

In her July complaint, resident Maureen Hoppe accused Buchli and Torgeson of harassing and intimidating her.

“ e information submitted by Ms. Hoppe is more supportive as evidence of political activity by an involved citizen and respectful reasonable responses by an elected o cial,” Fields said.

Fields said he discovered no evidence that Buchli and Torgeson shared Hoppe’s phone number with another resident or that the two interfered in Hoppe’s participation in GOP precinct activities.

He also looked into the allegation that Buchli and Torgeson publicly lied about an issue involving a council pay raise. e raise was suggested by a resident during a council meeting and was not even under consideration, Fields said.

He said Buchli provided on social media incorrect information that she received but noted that when she discovered her mistake, publicly admitted that Hoppe was correct.

He said Torgeson made public statements based on the same incorrect information he received but later discovered he was mistaken and “admitted to a friend of Ms. Hoppe that Ms. Hoppe was

correct and that he (the council member) was mistaken.”

“Councilmember Torgeson is a rsttime council member and is not law trained,” Fields noted. “His failure to make a public apology speci cally addressed to Ms. Hoppe is also not an ethics violation under this Code of Ethics.”

Fields found no evidence that Buchli, in blocking Hoppe on her Facebook account, violated the resident’s First Amendment rights. He said that the councilwoman’s Facebook account was a personal account not used for Town purposes or her activities as an elected o cial.

“Even if it was used and Ms. Hoppe denied access, it is my opinion that more would have to be involved in order to constitute ethics violations under this Code,” he said.

Fields also found no merit in Hoppe’s complaint that Torgeson recused himself from a vote on an agenda item for reasons not allowed under Town Code.

“Decisions regarding perceived conicts of interests and abstaining from voting under the Code have to be left to the discretion of the public o cial with presumption of good faith on the part of the o ce,” Fields said.

He addressed Peterson’s and Hoppe’s complaints that Torgeson bad-mouthed the mayor in a personal phone message he left for Hoppe, who had worked on his council campaign. Fields noted that

Hoppe made public what was a private conversation left on her phone.

e mayor also used that same phone message, where Torgeson called her a “bad person” and “s****y,” as the basis for her complaint against Torgeson.

Arguably the voice message could be said to be an ethics code violation of a provision requiring public o cials to treat fellow colleagues with respect and courtesy, Fields said.

“In this case, however, the voice message was not a public statement to a fellow colleague but rather in the context of a private conversation expressing an opinion as to a colleague’s character,” he said. “In the circumstance here, I do not think this message amounts to a violations of the Code, but I recommend Councilmember Torgeson be cautioned as to the expectations and special responsibilities of an elected public o cial.”

Torgeson last week said that Fields’ ndings were as he expected and added that “the mayor has done nothing to change my opinion of her.”

Four other complaints led by residents, the mayor and a councilman were still under investigation as of last week.

In the latest complaint led in August by two residents against Mayor Brigette Peterson, Town Attorney Christopher Payne is recommending the council dismiss it. Council has 10 days to either drop

An investigator found no merit to the ethics complaint that Gilbert resident Maureen Hoppe, left, filed against Councilwoman Bobbi Buchli and Councilman Jim Torgeson. (File photos)

911 dispatchers can now get trauma help

BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

The way Melody Hernandez sees it, the trauma incurred by those taking emergency calls from people in crisis and dispatching help is no less than what occurs for her as a paramedic.

But state law did not require that 911 dispatchers get access to the same counseling.

Unlike others in her eld, she could actually do something about it as a state representative. So the rst-term Phoenix Democrat got colleagues this session to unanimously approve legislation that extends the program now available to other public safety employees, peace o cers and re ghters to get paid counseling after a traumatic event.

In a signing ceremony, Gov. Katie Hobbs, herself a former social worker, emphasized the importance of the new law.

Current law requires public employers to establish programs for counseling of public safety employees after certain circumstances.

at includes visually witnessing the death or maiming of an individual, being involved in investigating certain crimes against children or requiring rescue where their life was in danger.

HB 2717 rst adds the term “audibly” to witnessing. And then it speci cally includes 911 dispatchers.

During hearings on the bill, 911 dispatcher Lauren Birnbaum tried to explain to lawmakers about the stresses.

“I cried on the phone with a mother while she did CPR on her 6-year-old son after nding him in the pool,” she said. “I couldn’t nish the call without tears.”

at, Birnbaum said, would have been a normal response for anyone else. But she said dispatchers are not encouraged to nd a counselor, even one they have to pay for themselves.

“We are told to cry in the bathroom –but not too long and come back in for more, quickly,” Birnbaum said.

Hernandez echoed that at the bill signing, stating, “911 dispatchers are truly the rst responders.

see TRAUMA page 11

Ry said he was not surprised by Payne’s recommendation.

the complaint or have an outside investigator take a look.

Payne said Brandon Ry and Ryan Handelsman’s allegation that Peterson violated the Code of Ethics by ordering them and one other resident out of a council meeting last year for quietly holding “Stop Lying” signs was already investigated and dismissed by council.

e previous complaint, led by a county island resident, did not interview the three who were thrown out of the meeting.

e two also alleged that Peterson leaked con dential information from an Executive Session, which Payne said was “vague and fail to identify any particular Executive Session meeting or timeframe.”

“We can’t know for sure until it happens, but we expect this to be placed on the agenda for discussion by the council members who understand the importance of integrity, fairness and transparency in government,” Ry said.

“Chris Payne cites his recommendation to dismiss our complaint based on an ‘investigation’ having previously been conducted from someone else’s complaint. One might argue this to be his endorsement of the shoddy work produced by Bill Sims as somehow being acceptable.

“Nevertheless, we have faith the council will override yet another bizarre strategy decision from the Town Attorney and support transparency in our local government.”

HOPPE from page 4

“I don’t think it went well,” said Councilman Chuck Bongiovanni, who brought the no-vote proposal before council for action. “We wanted the mayor to take some responsibility on some things and she just refused to.”

He said the council members at the session agreed that they needed to do things in the town’s best interest and not for their own individual interest.

“Do I think the training sessions will get the mayor to take responsibility? No,” Bongiovanni said. “But more training sessions may increase potentially council’s nal disposition.”

Mayor Brigette Peterson and Councilwoman Bobbi Buchli did not respond to GSN.

Councilman Jim Torgeson also expressed doubts if the training can help.

Torgeson has been critical of the mayor since before his election last year.

“Unfortunately, I didn’t see the mostin-need member embrace any accountability and simply cast blame and justication at others,” Torgeson said. “At this

point, the best I see is most members will be alert to the elephant in the room and consciously work around it.

“Her behavior has already negativity impacted the town,” Torgeson added. “We will need to work with other council members to provide our own leadership.”

Peterson, who assumed o ce in January 2021, has been the target of nine ethics violations complaints – all resolved in her favor –and last year was found to have violated the state’s Open Meeting Law.

And after Peterson last year ordered police o cers to remove three residents from a council meeting for silently holding signs at the back of a room, the residents led a federal and a state lawsuit against the town.

Peterson also has led an ethics violation complaint against Torgeson but an outside investigator last week found that it lacked merit and recommended dismissal.

Torgeson said he has so far learned in the mediation, “how important communication is for this group as it is hampered by open meeting law and incorrect

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preconceived notions by a member or two.”

According to Councilman Scott Anderson the training focused on actions elected o cials can take to resolve issues such as accountability, leadership and trust.

“I was uncomfortable during much of the session because there were so many negative adjectives used to describe a dysfunctional team struggling to do what’s best for the town while trying to work together,” Anderson said. “I am hopeful it will result in behavior changes that will create better leadership and a stronger team.”

Vice Mayor Kathy Tilque and Councilwoman Yung Koprowski were more optimistic about the training.

“ e intent of the mediation training is to help us to better understand the

dynamics of the council as a whole and how we can improve communication and collaboration and after our rst meeting,” Tilque said. “I believe we have made progress.

“As work and constructive conversations continue, I am con dent that we will nd common ground as a council and refocus our energy on helping Gilbert thrive.”

Koprowski said that overall she found the mediation bene cial.

“I am glad we are working towards navigating/addressing our collective issues so that the entire Town Council can engage e ectively as leaders to the community’s bene t,” she said.

Lehrman is charging the town a onetime fee of $2,100 to conduct assessments of each of the seven on council and $475 for the rst hour and then billed in one-fourth hour increments over 60 minutes.

Asked how Town Council’s first training-mediation session went, Councilman Chuck Bongiovanni replied, “I don’t think it went well.” (File photo)

Councilman Jim Torgeson expressed doubts if the training can help.

Parents rip change in math CTA curriculum

BY KEN SAIN GSN Sta Writer

Afew Chandler Traditional Academy parents are unhappy with a change in math curriculum at Chandler Uni ed School District.

For two consecutive governing board meetings, parents have spoken up about the district’s switch from Saxon Math to My Math at CTA schools, saying they feel their children are getting an inferior education.

District o cials said they made the switch only after being noti ed that the publisher of Saxon Math decided not to publish it anymore. e publisher, Houghton Mi in Harcourt, has since reversed that decision and is still publishing the series.

“Math does not always come easy to every student and with Saxon Math, my child, along with students in her class, were thriving,” Natalie Cordova said. “At the end of the year more than half of the

class expressed that math was their favorite subject.

“Unfortunately, the decision has been made for this year that the math curricu-

way to sixth grade,” she continued.

“ e new program was brought about due to the district being misled, that Saxon was being discontinued. Saxon has not been discontinued.”

Aarthi D’Costa said the publisher decided to keep supporting the series because of pressure from top charter and private schools.

“Your competitors, like BASIS and homeschoolers, kept up with the publisher,” D’Costa told the board. “In their o cial statement in May 2023, the publisher has stated that the program will continue, and Saxon Math is not going to be discontinued, but rather they will extend the curriculum inde nitely.

lum is being changed from Saxon to McGraw Hill, also known at My Math. McGraw Hill is not suited for a CTA program and does not follow the students all the

“ e newly introduced curriculum that is called ‘My Math’ is a watered-down version of ‘Singapore Math’ and does not a ord children the same mastery and practice of mathematical concepts as Saxon, thus making CTA

Some Chandler Traditional Academy parents are protesting Chandler Unified administration’s switch from the Saxon math curriculum to “My Math,” contending the latter is an inferior product. (Special to GSN)

lose its edge.”

Saxon Math was developed by John Saxon during the 1980s.

It is currently written by Stephen Hake. It is among the most popular homeschooling math programs and is praised for introducing new concepts while it also reviews previously taught material.

e district released the following statement:

“Chandler Traditional Academy (CTA) classes transitioned from Saxon Math to My Math during the 2023-24 school year. In spring 2022, Houghton Mi in Harcourt, the vendor for Saxon Math, noti ed Chandler Uni ed School District (CUSD) Curriculum and Instruction Department of the discontinuation in publishing of the Saxon Math resources for schools beginning January 2024. CTA teachers, principals and site councils collaborated and provided feedback.

“’My Math’ was unanimously chosen as the resource to take the place of Saxon Math. e ‘My Math’ resource provides

TRAUMA from page 6

“ ey’re the one who answer the calls to begin with,” Hernandez said. “And after they’ve worked through the screaming and the anxiety and the pressure that they face from the community that they are speaking to, they are oftentimes, once they leave the call, they are left with the pain of those calls, they are left with the memory of those calls.”

Hobbs said the role of these dispatchers is critical.

“ ose on the receiving end are tasked with putting their emotions aside and acting decisively to get help where it’s needed,” the governor continued. “And the moments they are on that phone can be extremely traumatic experiences that they take home with them.”

But with no coverage from employers, she said, the dispatchers either have to pick up the cost of their own counseling “or continue working under serious emotional strain.”

Hobbs noted multiple reports of a shortage of dispatchers across the state,

the acceleration of the Arizona State Standards of Mathematics and aligns with 6th-8th grade standards. CUSD is committed to utilizing resources that maintain our ability to provide rigor and high-quality instruction for all students.”

D’Costa said many parents are not happy with the new math program and are now investing in other ways to make sure their children don’t fall behind.

“Parents should not have to supplement a CTA curriculum to meet district standards,” she said. “ is is what we expect CUSD to provide our children and why we enrolled in a CTA program to begin with.”

Cordova read some texts she received from other parents to the governing board.

“This one says, ‘math was just oh, so bad tonight,’” she said. “’She finished all of it today so we don’t have to stress the rest of the week. It’s seriously so terrible.’”

Another text she read:

“My girls and myself are so upset and confused with all of this and why it changed. is is so unfortunate.”

stating, “Ensuring dispatchers get the care they need will help us ll gaps in our workforce.”

Hernandez said the symptoms of what is post-traumatic stress disorder are serious.

“It is one of the most di cult diseases to deal with,’’ she said. “You have multiple, recurring nightmares about situations you have heard on the phone or you have witnessed rsthand.”

“And those recurring nightmares can oftentimes wake you up in fear and panic.”

“I get so stuck in the past that, while I know that I’m here, I’m also completely re-imagining or re-visualizing what traumatized me to begin with,” she said.

As it turns out, though, Hernandez does not have the same paid counseling already available for paramedics who work directly for cities.

She is an employee of American Medical Response, a private firm which works with a variety of cities. And that means any costs of treatment comes out of her own pocket.

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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.

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CUSD student’s suicide prompts parents’ plea

BY KEN SAIN GSN Sta Writer

South Chandler residents Gene and Taryn Lower said they did everything they could to save their 16-year-old son Ryder.

“ at’s the hardest thing,” Gene said. “We don’t blame ourselves or each other. We do know that we tried everything.”

Ryder, a junior at Arizona College Prep High School, died by suicide on Aug. 11. It is the second straight year that a Chandler Uni ed School District student died by suicide in the opening weeks of a new school year.

Taryn and Gene said they have sought help for their son for two years, seeing different doctors and reaching out for help. ey also helped Ryder change schools.

Ryder was an excellent athlete, his parents said. Any sport he tried, he was instantly good at. He settled on lacrosse as his favorite and was starting to earn interest by college recruiters.

His parents said Ryder, who had good grades, was interested in attending college in the eastern United States, where most of the top college lacrosse programs are.

Ryder also had no problem speaking before big crowds. He was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when he was 8, and soon after became an ambassador for a diabetes support group, speaking to scores of people at a time about living with the disease.

“I remember I gave him a shot in the hospital, and I mean I just jammed that needle in, thinking that’s what you’re supposed to do,” Taryn said. “I had no idea.

“At 8 years old, he was like, ‘Mom, that’s it! You don’t get to do this anymore. He came out of the hospital … and started giving himself insulin and never let anybody else do it.”

e trouble for Ryder started after he entered high school but eventually the Lowers had to admit their son to inpatient care.

Once that ended, he had intensive outpatient care that were about three hours for four days a week.

At home, no topic was o the table.

Gene and Taryn said they spoke to their son about suicide and let him know he could tell them anything.

e Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that suicide is the second highest cause of death for people 10to-24 years of age.

Statistics are only available through 2021, when it reached a high of 10.7 suicides per 100,000 people in that age group. It was at 7.8 per 100,000 in 2001.

at same upward trend in the same age group has been reported for Arizona by the state Department of Health Services.

To address the mental and emotional challenges that often can lead a teenager to contemplate suicide, the Chandler Unied School District held a ribbon cutting

last week for the Hope Institute on the campus of Perry High School.

e Ohio-based center is expanding and this is its rst joint venture with a school district in the United States.

e Hope Institute is a short-term care facility. Its goal is to get students in need in quickly and address their needs in the short-term. A Hope Institute representative said its sta generally will work with a student for no longer than six weeks.

Once the student’s short-term needs are met, CUSD plans to help families get care through longer term agencies, such

South Chandler resident and Arizona College Prep junior Ryder Lower, 16, died by suicide Aug. 11. (Courtesy of the Lower Family)

Gene and Taryn Lower posed with children Ryder and Skye. (Courtesy of the Lower Family)

as Southwest Behavioral Health or Lighthouse Wellhealth.

e Hope Institute will be available to all CUSD students and the district will help families obtain state funds to pay for treatment.

Brenda Vargas, the district’s director of counseling and social services, told the CUSD Governing Board that 395 district students had considered suicide between July 2022 and January 2023.

at came after three students took their lives in May 2022 and another one followed soon after the last school year started.

e district hopes e Hope Institute will turn that tide.

e Lower family said they want some good to come from their son’s death.

First, at least 30 people bene ted in some way from his organs and tissues.

e family also wants to raise awareness about the rise in teen

suicide and has an idea on where to start that emerged as Taryn thought: “I wish those that are close to him, or whomever, friends, girlfriends, whoever, maybe would sometimes have the courage to say something. And that is what we are missing.”

“I think you kind of gave me a light bulb,” Gene said, speaking generally about what families might consider.

“Maybe the suggestion is not for parents to sit down with their kids and discuss it, but to sit down with a group of parents and say, ‘You’re with your kid, your best friend’s, close friend, you have a group of people together and maybe make a pact between the parents with the kids, saying, ‘if you see something here, something, anything, don’t be afraid to speak up.’”

Taryn said Ryder did not have a wide circle of friends and they are certainly not blaming them, saying his best friend is hurting right now.

But in general, they feel teens spend too much time on their phones

and it’s too easy to escape to the virtual world when they might encounter something awkward or di cult in the real world.

ey want those teens to feel safe coming forward and say, ‘Your son’s not doing well right now. He’s going through a bad breakup.’

Perhaps the best way to deal with this rise in teen suicides is to make sure all teens feel safe coming forward when they see an issue, the Lowers said.

Gene and Taryn are trying to recover. ey recently dropped their daughter, Skye, o in Florida to start college.

“We’re trying to make life as normal for her for her new start,” Gene said.

Recovery will take time. e family’s dog, Rocky, would wait by the door at night for Ryder to come home, usually from lacrosse practice.

“I’ve been noticing, my wife goes to bed before me, I’ll go to bed and he will just lay right where he is now waiting for him.”

Scientific American last week posted this chart on twitter showing suicide rates among young people rise during school months. (Twitter)

Scientists study earthquake risk north of Mesa

BY SCOTT SHUMAKER GSN Sta Writer

The threat to reservoirs from long-term drought and high temperatures has been in the news in recent years, but the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation is keeping watch over a different type of threat to the Valley’s water system: earthquakes.

In April, Tonto National Forest officials signed off on a plan for geologists with the bureau’s Dam Safety Office to study a set of faults along the Beeline Highway that researchers believe could pose a risk to the Salt River dams.

The studies, which involve digging long trenches to expose buried faults as well as higher-tech tools like scanning the area with laser beams, are expected to continue into 2025.

Scientists with the Dam Safety office want to get a better idea of the history of seismic activity along the faults and assess risk to the dams on the Salt Riv-

er to the south, including the Mormon Flat and Horse Mesa dams, which form Canyon and Apache lakes, respectively.

The Bureau of Reclamation says the studies are mainly focused on the Horseshoe, Carefree, and Sugarloaf faults, located near Sugarloaf Mountain and the Mesquite Wash along the Beeline Highway.

Researchers want to determine which faults are active and “establish the frequency and magnitude of earthquakes on known faults in the region,” a U.S. Forest Service document states.

“These fault studies provide the required information for Reclamation’s highly specialized engineers to better understand risks to Reclamation dams due to potential earthquake loadings,” a bureau spokesman said.

e faults were last studied in detail in the mid-1990s, when ADOT was studying the area to determine the placement of bridges along the highway.

“Since then, there have been ad-

vances in numerical dating techniques and remote sensing technology (such as Lidar) that can be used to re-investigate these faults,” the spokesman said.

The ADOT study in 1995, conducted by the Arizona Geological Survey, estimated the Sugarloaf fault last ruptured between 50,000 to 100,000 years ago and was a magnitude 5.8 to 6. 7.

researchers to dig trenches on forest land up to 2.5 meters feet deep and 35 meters long using hand tools or excavators.

The trenches are needed to expose the faults and collect samples for dating. In some cases, natural gullies have exposed the faults and trenches won’t be necessary.

According to the U.S Geological Survey, 6.0 is considered a “moderate earthquake” with property damage, and a 7.0 is “strong earthquake” with loss of life and billions in property damage.

However, “there is substantial uncertainty in our estimates of the magnitude of surface-rupturing earthquakes on the fault and the frequency of surface ruptures on the fault,” the 1995 study states.

Bosworth determined that the proposed seismic study did not require an environmental assessment under federal law because it is a short-term geophysical study and “there are no extraordinary circumstances associated with this project,” he wrote in the decision memo.

In his decision memo signing off on the study, Tonto National Forest Supervisor Neil Bosworth authorized

The permit for the trenching includes the stipulation that trenches/ holes remain covered to prevent entrapment or injury and vegetation will be cleared by hand and saguaro, large trees, shrubs and agaves will be avoided.

This part of the Tonto National Forest is being studied for earthquakes. (U.S. Bureau of Reclamation)

Site sold to e Ranch developer for $107.5M

The 300 acres of farmland that become the site for the controversial project called e Ranch has been sold to the developer for $107.5 million.

Dale Morrison negotiated a deal with IndiCap for the ve parcels at the northwest corner of Power and Warner roads, according to Perk Prop Real Estate.

e Ranch will comprise mostly industrial buildings with some commercial and residential uses and had been the target of nearby residents’ anger last year until they and the developer reached an agreement on the project’s scope.

“I am happy to announce the sale of this remarkable piece of land, a long-awaited achievement made possi-

ble through a collaborative and positive partnership with the Town of Gilbert, Morrison Neighborhood Families, Dale Morrison and Indicap, Inc.,” said designated broker Danny Perkinson, who represented the sellers, the Dale C. Morrison Trust.

“I rmly believe that this iconic project will serve as a testament to the legacy of the Morrison Ranch community, enhancing its unique character for generations to come,” Perkinson added.

In announcing the transaction, a spokeswoman for IndiCap pointed out that Stacey Brimhall of Langley Properties played an integral part in coordinating $20 million of o -site improvements for the surrounding Elliot, Power and Warner roads to include street lights, curbs and landscaping.

e mega light-industrial project includes a 16-acre landscape bu er, commercial and up to 750 apartments. Groundbreaking is expected next year.

e project calls for 271 acres of light industrial uses and 39 acres of open space, residential rentals and retail development on Power Road between Elliot and Warner roads.

Initially when the developer pitched the project, it was to use 286.6 acres for light industrial and 24.7 acres for general commercial development.

e project created a furor with the adjacent homeowners in the master-planned Morrison Ranch community who objected to the large amount of light industrial, the truck tra c, noise and building heights.

It took eight months for the develop-

er and a core group of seven Morrison Ranch residents to nally agree to a project that both could live with.

e revised plan dropped light industrial uses to 71% from the original 93% and sets aside the 39 acres as a bu er between the existing Morrison Ranch homes to the west and the future proposed industrial uses on the site.

The developer also agreed to a number of restrictions such as banning sexually oriented businesses, dispensaries, crematoriums, recycling-type facilities, hazardous waste storage and manufacturing of semi-conductors on the property,

It’s anticipated that the development will generate $1 billion of assessed taxes for the Town of Gilbert and school districts, according to Perk Prop.

Audit: Firms here facilitate vehicle, license fraud

BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

Unquali ed Arizonans may be getting state licenses to drive because of practices of private companies authorized by the state Motor Vehicle Division to issue them, according to a new report.

Auditor General Lindsey Perry said that means not only people on the roads who lack driving skills but also that fraudulently obtained documents “may facilitate fraud, identity theft, terrorism, and other crime.’’

Perry said that’s only part of the problem her sta ers discovered in reviewing the operation of the MVD and, more speci cally, its contracts with third-party providers.

She said there was evidence some of those same companies were issuing titles without the necessary documentation to prove that ownership was being lawfully transferred.

Perry said there were other situations

where there was no disclosure of the odometer reading, a situation she said could lead to fraud, with buyers ending up with a vehicle where the recorded mileage had been rolled back.

e report says, though, this isn’t simply a problem of these third-party sites not doing a good job.

It says MVD sets up quality assurance standards and requires these private entities to do self-reviews of the transactions they have performed. And the state agency has access to these reviews.

But auditors found that the third-party rm failed to review and provide results of those self-reviews to MVD in about 12% of the selected transactions in a seven-month period. More to the point, MVD didn’t catch it.

“In fact, one third party failed to review more than 5,700 transactions during this time frame,’’ Perry’s report says.

“However, MVD inaccurately recorded that this third party has monthly accuracy

rates in the high 90% range through calendar year 2022 despite lacking any information about the accuracy rate for the nearly 6,000 selected transactions.’’

In a formal response to the audit, MVD Director Jennifer Toth did not dispute any of the ndings. And she said recommendations in the report for better oversight will be implemented.

Arizona law makes MVD legally responsible for various services to the public, including issuing certi cates of title, vehicle registration, driver licenses and identi cation cards.

at last category can include a special category known as a “Travel ID’’ which allows holders access to certain federally regulated facilities and boarding of commercial aircraft after they provide extra identi cation.

But the law also allows MVD to contract with outside agencies which may be in more convenient locations and have longer hours but also can charge additional

fees beyond what the state collects.

As of last October, the state contracted with 96 third parties that operated 175 locations in the state, with 67 of those locations authorized to issue drive licenses and ID cards.

In the most recent scal year those private locations issued over a third of the titles, registrations, driver licenses and ID cards.

In a random check of 42 driver license and identi cation cards, Perry said her sta found eight were issued without documentation showing that the customers were quali ed.

at includes ve without documentation they had passed a behind-the-wheel skill test, two that showed no proof they had been screened visually and one where there was no evidence of either.

Perry said that’s a problem.

“ ese tests help protect public safety by

EV nurse meets man she saved on the road

ADignity Health nurse was reunited at Mercy Gilbert Medical Center with a man she saved from a massive heart attack while she was off duty.

Courtney Johnson, who works at the Gilbert hospital’s sister facility in Chandler, rescued Robert Durling when he suffered the heart attack on his way home during a long bike ride.

“Courtney is my guardian angel,” said Durling, 69. “I am so grateful that she was in the right place at the right time. I am alive today because of her and the other first responders who were there when I needed them the most.”

The Queen Creek man for years has spent his mornings riding at least 30 miles around the East Valley on his bicycle

and Aug.6 was no exception.

He had just loaded his bike into his vehicle and was driving home when he suffered a heart attack while waiting at a stoplight near Lindsay and Queen Creek roads.

Johnson was pulling up to the same intersection after completing her overnight shift in Chandler Regional’s trauma ICU. She saw that Durling’s car had veered across traffic and rolled onto the curb.

A man was banging on Durling’s window, and Johnson knew something was seriously wrong.

“I ran over to his car, looked inside and saw Robert unresponsive and slumped over against the window,” said Johnson. “Some good Samaritans helped me break his window and pull him out of the car. That’s when I realized he didn’t

have a pulse.”

While still in her scrubs from the night before, Johnson immediately started performing CPR on Durling and instructed another bystander to call for help.

When first responders with Gilbert Fire & Rescue arrived, Johnson had performed more than three rounds of CPR, which kept blood flowing through Durling’s body, delivering oxygen to his brain and other organs.

“We always strive to provide the highest level of care and treatment to the people working, living, and traveling through Gilbert,” said Gilbert Fire & Rescue Deputy Chief Michael Riley.

“Our department regularly collaborates with Dignity Health East Valley on trainings

Dignity Health ICU nurse Courtney Johnson was reunited at Mercy Gilbert Medical Center with Robert Durling, whom she saved while off-duty after he suffered a heart attack driving home. (Courtesy of Dignity Health)

GSN NEWS STAFF

FRAUD

ensuring only those individuals who are quali ed to operate a vehicle are on the road,’’ the audit states.

“Failure to verify that an individual is quali ed to receive a driver license puts public safety at risk by allowing unqualied and potentially unsafe drivers to operate motor vehicles on public roadways.’’

But that, the report says, is just part of the problem of people not being properly screened before getting state-issued IDs.

“Individuals who fraudulently obtain identi cation documents may do so to commit other crimes, such as fraud or acts of terrorism,’’ Perry said. And that is particularly true for those who are issued Travel IDs.

en there’s the issue of vehicle documentation – or lack of it.

“Transferring a vehicle title from one party to another without requiring a customer to demonstrate proof of ownership increases the risk of vehicle theft and other fraud that can cause nancial hardships for victims,’’ the report said.

“Victims may face nancial hardships

from the theft of their vehicles or from unknowingly purchasing a vehicle that was stolen through vehicle fraud.’’

e other form of fraud, Perry said, is making a vehicle appear more valuable than it is by rolling back the odometer.

She cited data from Carfax, a private company that provides vehicle data to individuals and businesses, a service used by some car buyers to determine the history of a car or truck.

“According to Carfax, as of December 2022, more than 1.9 million vehicles were on the road with rolled-back odometers, including over 54,000 vehicle in Arizona,’’ the report says.

“Further, Carfax reported consumers lose an average of $4,000 in value from unknowingly buying a car with a rolled-back odometer, which does not include unexpected maintenance costs.’’

Perry said MVD began reviewing whether third parties completed self-reviews this past October and identifying those which were not. Yet even after that, she said the agency still was not holding some of these companies accountable for failing to complete reviews.

and community outreach opportunities; however, this was a unique experience where we worked together in the field to provide the highest level of care for this individual in their time of crisis. We are grateful for their team and continued partnership as we work towards a healthier and safer community.”

When Durling arrived at Mercy Gilbert’s emergency room, he was in full cardiac arrest. A series of tests were conducted and doctors found that his carotid artery was 99% blocked.

He underwent a series of procedures including a blood clot cauterization, and the implantation of a cardiac stent and defibrillator to help monitor his heart moving forward. He did not suffer any brain damage or other serious complications, a hospital spokeswoman said.

“As I recovered in the hospital, my family and I were desperate to find the nurse who saved my life at the scene,” said Durling, who is a father

of two, grandfather of 10, great-grandfather to a little boy with another great-grandchild on the way.

“All we knew was her name, and that she was wearing Dignity Health scrubs. So, we asked my nurses at Mercy Gilbert if they could help us track her down.”

“It was incredibly emotional to see Robert again, this time with the reassurance that he is going to make a full recovery,” said Johnson.

“For days, I had been praying that he was alive, and it was just a thrill to see that something I did out of instinct is keeping a family together. It’s a huge honor and blessing to be considered someone’s guardian angel.”

Durling said, “My kids and grandkids joined our reunion via FaceTime and we all had a chance to say thank you to the woman who saved me. I am so grateful to the doctors, nurses and first responders who are the reason I’m alive.”

Durling has since been discharged from the hospital and is recovering at home.

Arizona a leader in road rage incidents

BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

So if you think Arizona motorists are inconsiderate, you’re not alone.

A nationwide survey of 10,000 licensed drivers done by Forbes Advisor found Arizona has the most “confrontational drivers’’ in the nation.

How bad is it?

e new report found that more than one in ve of the 200 Arizona motorists questioned reported they have been forced o the road. at’s second only to Illinois.

But that’s just part of the reason that Forbes Advisor rated Arizona the worst.

More than 56% of drivers here said that other motorists blocked them from changing lanes. And 51% said they had been cut o on purpose.

Close behind are freeways or highways.

But close to one out of every seven people who found themselves in a road range situation weren’t even on the roads but instead in parking lots. And intersections also were the site of problems in 12% of situations.

So where is the best place to escape? Rural roads, where motorists said just 7% of road rage incidents had occurred. is isn’t a Southwest thing: Of the Top 10 states rated the worst for road rage, Texas was the only state in the region on that list.

e rest of the list of worst road rage situations according to Forbes is a mixed bag.

And a whopping 81% said they had been yelled at, insulted or threatened.

Tiny Rhode Island came in at No. 2 at least in part because more than 96% of drivers there were the reported that another motorist had yelled at them, insulted them, cursed at them or made threats. at compares with just 81% in Arizona.

For many Arizonans, it didn’t stop there: Nearly one in three Arizonans said that another driver actually has gotten out of his or her vehicle to yell at or even ght with them.

Nationwide, Forbes Advisor said one of the top reasons cited for feeling road rage was heavy tra c, a factor cited by nearly 40% of those questioned.

Over 28% said they already were feeling stressed, with a third saying they were running late.

At No. 3 was Vest Virginia where 77% of motorists said they had been tailgated, with 61% saying someone had left their vehicle to yell at or pick a ght with them.

So where are the most courteous drivers?

In Delaware, according to the new report.

While 41% of motorists there said they had been yelled at, insulted or threatened, just 11% said they had been cut o on purpose.

And starting out angry even before getting behind the wheel was cited by close to 33% of those who said they were guilty of road rage themselves.

Where motorists are located also plays a role.

Drivers reported experiencing road rage most frequently on city streets.

Someone exited their vehicle just 8% of time time. And only 5% said they had been forced o the road -- less than a quarter the gure in Arizona.

e survey was conducted between July 7 and Aug. 3 by OnePoll and has a margin of error of 2.2 percentage points.

State o cials concerned about grocery merger

BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

Gov. Katie Hobbs said last week she is “concerned’’ about some of the e ects on Arizona of a proposed merger of the state’s two largest grocery chains.

But the governor said she’s not ready to say whether she will oppose the combination of Kroger Co., the parent of Smith’s and Fry’s Foods, with Albertsons Companies, which operates not just stores under its own name but purchased Safeway and all the stores that company owned in 2015.

Her comments come as Attorney General Kris Mayes is conducting her own probe into the e ects of the combination, not only on shoppers but the estimated 35,000 workers at both chains.

Other Arizona o cials, however, are not waiting for that. Secretary of State Adrian Fontes and colleagues from six other states already have asked the Federal Trade Commission to block the proposed $24.6 billion deal where Kroger would purchase its competitor.

And on Aug. 23, a member of the state’s congressional delegation added his voice.

“I fear that, without competition in the

grocery sector, large chains like the proposed Kroger-Albertsons conglomerate could monopolize entire regions of Arizona, then raise prices, close store fronts and eliminate jobs,’’ Rep. Ruben Gallego wrote to Lina Khan who chairs the FTC.

Gallego also gathered support for that position from the mayors of several Southern Arizona communities.

Hobbs, who said she shops at Fry’s, said, “Combined, these are one of the largest employers in the state. We’re concerned about potential loss of jobs and increasing prices, especially in rural areas that already have limited options for grocery stores.’’

at leaves the question of what Hobbs would want if she ultimately determines that the merger is not in the best interests of the state.

One option would be to ask the FTC to block the deal entirely. ere also has been discussion of requiring the newly formed company to spin o some of its stores to others to ensure that some competition remains.

Hobbs sidestepped what she is thinking.

Mayes said last week that a series of

Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes is among six states’ counterparts who want the Federal Trade Commission to block the proposed $24.6 billion merger deal where Kroger would purchase Albertsons Companies. (Special to AFN)

“town halls’’ she has conducted across the state seeking input on the deal has produced a consensus of sorts.

“Nearly universally, I’ve heard opposition to the proposed merger, coupled with real concerns for potential job losses associated with combining the two companies,’’ she said. “I’ve heard from seniors on xed incomes worried that grocery prices could rise if the merger goes through.’’

And then there’s the question of access.

Mayes said she’s heard from individuals, particularly in rural areas, that if a neighborhood grocery store were to close that would force them to have to walk or drive much farther to buy basic necessities.

And she said even military families have concerns that the merged entity might not accept their insurance to cover prescriptions.

e attorney general said she anticipates making a decision on what action to take, if any, by the end of the year, ahead of the scheduled 2024 to complete

the merger.

Mayes could have some powers of her own.

Arizona law forbids any “contract, combination or conspiracy by two or more persons in restraint of, or to monopolize trade or commerce.’’

“ e people of Arizona have important input to make here, people who live in the neighborhoods where a Fry’s or a Safeway or a Smith’s could be shut down,’’ Mayes told Capitol Media Services at the time when the merger was rst announced.

at goes not just to the question of whether the combined operation, no longer competing for customers with each other, would be free to raise prices.

Mayes said that decisions by the new company to shutter some stores could mean much longer drives to get food.

But she said it isn’t just the people shopping there who might be a ected.

“We’re going to be getting input from the dairy operators in Arizona and the farmers and cattle growers who are worried about the reduction in competition in Arizona and the reduction in the num-

The people of Arizona have important input to make here, people who live in the neighborhoods where a Fry’s or a Safeway or a Smith’s could be shut down.

ber of outlets for their products,’’ Mayes said.

What also needs to be considered is what competition would remain in Arizona.

Bashas’ operates 118 stores, mostly in Arizona, under that name as well as Basha’s Diné Market, Food City and AJ’s Fine Foods.

Kroger earlier this year said the merger “provides meaningful, measurable benet to all stakeholders, including lowering prices, providing more choices and establishing a more competitive alternative

to large, non-union retailers.’’ at last comment is in reference to Walmart, though not all Kroger stores are unionized, either.

Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen said the deal will “deliver superior value to customers, associates, communities and shareholders.’’

It also claims that after the deal is closed, Kroger will invest $500 million to lower prices, $1.3 billion into Albertsons stores “to enhance the customer experience,’’ and $1 billion “to continue raising associate wages and comprehensive bene ts.’’

In their original announcement, the retailers said they are willing to divest up to 650 of the stores to overcome regulatory concerns.

None of the possible locations have been announced.

But even if that happens, that is no guarantee the stores will stay open.

When Albertsons bought Safeway, it agreed to sell 146 stores to Haggen, a regional grocer. But Haggen eventually went bankrupt and Albertson’s bought back many of the stores.

EVIT superintendent beams as enrollment soars

BY PAUL MARYNIAK GSN Executive Editor

At a time when many East Valley school superintendents confront continuing enrollment declines, Dr. Chad Wilson confronts a very di erent kind of challenge:

Planning for the continuing increase in the number of high school juniors and seniors who are ocking to the East Valley Institute of Technology, where he has been superintendent since 2019.

With few exceptions – including Queen Creek Uni ed and Higley Uni ed – demographers have painted a gloomy outlook for student enrollment in the region’s districts – including some of Arizona’s largest public school systems.

But students – and even adults looking for a career change – keep on coming to EVIT and its more than three dozen career and technical education programs. is year alone, EVIT is counting 5,741 students, mostly juniors and seniors who split their school day between their high school and one of EVIT’s two Mesa campuses.

at’s nearly a 20% increase over EVIT’s 2022-23 student count – and well above the 3,828 students who were on campus when Wilson was named superintendent by the EVIT Governing Board.

Indeed, so many students are attending its primary campus on Main Street near Dobson Road that a parking problem looms in the not-so-distant future.

“We’re going to run short on parking before we run out on classroom space,” said Wilson.

“We’re going to have to do something,” he continued. “We’ll be able to kind of gure out a way to get through this year but at some point we’re going to have to look at additional parking space but also ways in which students can get on and o campus in downtown Mesa.”

EVIT draws its high school students from 11 districts as far south as J.O. Combs in Pinal County and as far north as Cave Creek.

Many of those districts also have CTE programs, though none have the variety EVIT o ers.

Its biggest feeder districts are the three biggest school systems in the East Valley.

Mesa Public Schools has 1,134 juniors

and seniors taking EVIT classes either in the morning or afternoon; Chandler Uni ed has 817 and Gilbert Public Schools sends 779, according to EVIT.

But other East Valley districts have a fair share of their students trekking either to downtown Mesa or EVIT’s other campus on Power Road next to Arizona State University’s Polytechnic campus.

Tempe Union sends 528 students to EVIT, Queen Creek Uni ed’s 306 students exceed the 284 who come from Higley Uni ed and the 240 who come from Scottsdale Uni ed.

And in all cases, those numbers are increasing for what Wilson sees as three main reasons.

One reason is EVIT’s shift in marketing to students by focusing on junior high and middle schools rather than high school sophomores.

Wilson said it wasn’t too long after his appointment that he realized that by “by the time a student is nishing their sophomore year…their kind of game plan to get through high school has already been created and it’s really hard to change.”

thinking about the future among many high school students – particularly as the cost of a college or university education continues hitting new heights.

“As a state and as a country, I think we have begun to shift our thinking around the idea that college is great but college isn’t necessarily the only career pathway,” Wilson explained.

“I think that more people are beginning to have that realization and realize that you can make a great income and have a quality of life through some of the programs that we o er.”

Ironically, the pandemic reinforced that thinking, Wilson believes, citing COVID-19 as the third driver of EVIT’s growing enrollment.

At the same COVID and virtual learning hammered public school enrollment, Wilson believes it showed many kids the importance of various essential services that produced the everyday heroes of the pandemic.

“I think what people began to realize is the work that we do, the programs we o er, in many ways form the backbone of our country – it’s the backbone of the American dream,” Wilson said.

“I think when you see the health sector, the rst responders, the industrial trades, the mechanics, the plumbers, the HVAC industry – all those industries had to still keep America running. And I think that created a sense of an awareness that maybe wasn’t there before.” ree of the ve programs that draw the most students at EVIT support that theory.

While cosmetology is tops with 816 students, the next three highest enrollment numbers are in medical assistant with 646, automotive technology with 412 and welding with 367. Rounding out that top- ve list is veterinary assistant with 305.

“So, our thought process was to get into younger grades,” he said, “and start talking about career development, CTE in general.”

Perhaps an even bigger reason is a re-

e rest are scattered across a diverse and broad array of programs like digital-related elds, early childhood education, interior design and culinary arts, to name a few.

As he looks to a future of continuing enrollment increases, Wilson and

As the superintendent of the East Valley Institute of Technology in Mesa, Dr. Chad Wilson confronts a problem many of his East Valley counterparts wish they had: planning for a continuing increase in enrollment. (David Minton/Staff Photographer)

his team, along with the EVIT board, are strategizing how the two campuses will accommodate the in ux while also meeting the needs of tomorrow’s economy.

Partly that includes looking at future labor demands and o ering courses that will satisfy them.

For example, Wilson said, “In our welding program, one of the things we knew was going to be needed here with all the semiconductor work and business that is coming.

“We knew that orbital welding was going to be a component that was needed in that industry, and we didn’t o er orbital welding. When we realized that that was going to be a needed aspect of workforce development within the Valley, we brought orbital welding into our welding program.”

EVIT also has partnered with the Superstition Fire and Medical Rescue Department to start a re ghting training program that will help smaller rural re departments.

Wilson said he’s also looking at ways to get more out of the downtown Mesa complex by extending program o erings in the late afternoon since the high school programs usually end by 2:30 p.m.

“ at doesn’t mean we can’t run an-

other high school program from, say 3:30 to 5:30,” he said.

“If we look at it that way, then all of a sudden we’ve added another third of space because we’ll be utilizing space with more hours than we historically have had.”

Buoyed by legislation signed by former Gov. Doug Ducey, EVIT also is planning to soon start o ering associate degrees in some programs, creating the potential for more adults of all ages who need a two-year degree in a more technical eld.

With the rst such associates program due to start in January, Wilson believes such programs will attract “individuals that are wanting to up-skill or individuals that are underemployed and want to get employed at a higher opportunity. at’s what that programming will be for.”

Wilson said he and the board are also mindful of the consequences of growth, asking themselves, “If we grew 1,000 students on the high school side and another 1,000 in the same year on the adult side, will our system be able to handle it?”

He’s con dent EVIT will, especially on the adult side.

“As we roll into the next year,” he said, “that’s when we’re going to really start seeing our adult education numbers increase as well.”

Veterinary assistant courses are among the five most popular at EVIT. (Courtesy of EVIT)

‘densify,’ you’re going to need more infrastructure to support that.

“If we developed all the projects that are in that Heritage District Master Plan – the Vaughn Ventilator and some other projects – you are going to need 2,100 more parking spaces,” Vidor said. “ at’s twice the amount of parking structures you have today.”

parking for employees, business owners, residents, shoppers and diners: “We need to provide access for all but they need to be in di erent spots.”

e roughly 50 people who park all day on the streets should not be using street spaces, he said.

“If we could provide good access for customer parking, we can increase merchant revenues – good for the business owners, good for the employees and help provide higher wages and ultimately all that funnel back into the town,” he said.

Walker Consultants designed Gilbert’s Hearne Plaza Garage, which opened in 2019, and is working on the downtown parking master plan.

Vidor reminded the council, “Parking is an emotional subject. “ ey can be roadblocks to development; they can be roadblocks to nancial solvency.”

Currently, the downtown provides 5,430 parking spots – 978 public on-street spaces and 2,614 o -street spaces that include the two town garages’ 978 slots, according to Vidor.

Options for managed parking include signs/way nding, on-street time limits, paid parking and enforcement, according to Vidor, although he advised against paid parking.

“Good signage will help you understand that I only have to walk two blocks to go shopping,” he said.

While the surface lots in the downtown core get pretty full, there’s plenty of parking farther out but visitors can’t nd it, Vidor said, noting town sta is developing a comprehensive way nding package.

ere also are 1,838 private o -street parking spaces that for residences and businesses.

“You have a pretty good supply and it’s impressive to look at the amount of parking that is built in parking structures and not surface lots,” Vidor said. “Many communities only rely on surface parking because it’s cheap.”

Although the Heritage District has plenty of parking spaces now, they are not being used e ciently, according to Vidor, who suggested managed parking as “it unlocks economic opportunity.”

“We want to nd a strategy to manage behaviors of di erent user groups,” Vidor continued. “It’s done through policies. It’s done through ordinances. It’s done through enforcement of those behaviors.”

Meeting moderator Amy Malloy presented Gilbert with two solutions for handling the district’s build-out.

Right now, all the downtown street spaces with no time limit are lled on nights and weekends right because they are the most convenient, Vidor said, adding people stay an average two to twoand- a-half hours.

“ at’s kind of the sweet spot,” Vidor said. “So you are having good turnover as it is.”

‘One is to increase the relief with the existing parking, which you are doing by loading zones, way nding and you could also do that with earmarked rideshare location, pick up and drop o and to reduce cars coming,” said Malloy, a Realtor and member of the Urban Land Institute.

Another way is to “get people living in the district,” she said, stating that a livework-play concept would mitigate parking issues because people could walk to their destinations from home.

But what troubled Vidor was that between 50 and 60 vehicles within one block of Gilbert Road stayed put for over four hours. He said that suggests those vehicles belong to business owners and their employees.

“If they park too long, they’re utilizing the spaces that are for customers,” he said.

Vidor posed an equitable way to have

Parking will be scarce in the future especially if the town proceeds as recommended to free up its downtown parking lots for the development of tax-generating projects, Vidor said.

And that means more garages will be needed.

“ e cost of building these things is

expensive but the economic vitality that the community receives from that is a di erent part of the equation that can be measured,” Vidor said.

“We are going to leverage ourselves to provide the appropriate access that customers need and our business owners need so they will come to the Heritage District.”

He noted that a $500-million transportation bond passed by voters in 2019 includes funding for a downtown garage.

“You could build one large parking structure with 2,000 spaces but the problem with that is if you centralize it at one location you are not providing convenient access to the distribution of development around the downtown,” Vidor advised.

He said if council decided to increase downtown density, the district would need more parking spaces.

Vidor said that the downtown might not need all 2,000 parking spaces at once and that it might need to spread it out over ve to 10 years. But Gilbert should get the ball rolling with the parking structures for when projects start coming on line, he said.

He also said that the town’s zoning ordinance allows for the use of shared parking, and that strategies like that “don’t over-generate parking infrastructures, which we know generate next to nothing in tax value especially because you own it.”

Vidor also recommended that o cials start looking for additional ways to pay for garages because so far the town has been carrying the entire nancial burden of providing downtown parking.

Just for the 1,000 parking spots housed in the two multi-level garages, Gilbert should be budgeting and saving $500,000 a year, Vidor said, adding that a garage’s life expectancy is 50 years.

“It needs to be maintained and serviced to get the maximum life expectancy out of it,” he said. “

Vidor said the $135,000 Gilbert spent last year for upkeeping the two garages went only for preventative maintenance.

“ e current funding mechanism, the general fund, right now isn’t going to be sustainable in the long term,” he warned.

“We need to think about sustainable long-term solutions.”

Possible funding options include conventional debt nancing, general obligation bonds, revenue bonds, development and lease agreements and a parking authority, according to Vidor.

He pitched the idea that developers share in providing future public parking.

“ e town has received essentially zero dollars from developers to build public parking,” Vidor said.

He said Gilbert’ current zoning ordinance only requires developers to build parking infrastructure for residential developments, although there have been a few exceptions.

Malloy agreed, stating, “ ere should be a public parking contribution that a developer probably should make.”

Councilman Jim Torgeson suggested that perhaps businesses also should be responsible for their own parking.

“I’m always open to new ideas but I struggle with changing what we have been doing in the Heritage District for the past 12 years,” Mayor Brigette Peterson said. “Show me how to balance that.”

Vice Mayor Kathy Tilque, a retired Chamber of Commerce CEO, said she struggled with requiring developers to fund some parking as they already are being charged development fees.

“How do you balance who pays for it and who is bene ting from it?” Tilgue said.

She also said that the last thing that she wanted to see is the town start “nickel and diming” businesses for parking.

“It’s not business-friendly when you start adding all these fees for the privilege of doing business downtown and bringing in tax revenue into our community,” she said.

Vidor advised against making visitors pay for parking.

“Paid parking is a strategy but it’s not an appropriate strategy for your community at this time,” Vidor responded. “Is it appropriate for Tempe? Sure. Is it appropriate for Phoenix? Sure. Is it appropriate for the unique things that the Heritage District has? Not today.”

Councilwoman Yung Koprowski agreed on the need to replace some district surface lots with garages. She pointed to the parking lot near Vaughn Avenue and Ash Street that occupied twice the amount of land than the Hearne Garage, yet provided half the parking spaces.

“ e structure parking can really concentrate the parking but also free up that land now,” Koprowski said.

“But it sounds like we are going to need two more structures to accommodate some of the surface parking that we want to get rid of so we can redevelop or we have to park onsite.”

Council directed sta to explore opportunities available to the Town to have developers contribute to future parking and evaluate strategies for funding ongoing parking operations and maintenance.

This is one of the town parking garages downtown that visitors often don’t know are free to use. (File photo)

Valley hotspot for entertainment and dining.

But Joe Minicozzi, a cross-trained city planner and economist for Urban3D, told Town Council it’s not getting enough bang for its buck from the district.

“When I look at land, I look at land like a product, the way a farmer would look at land,” he said at an Aug. 23 special council meeting. “You all understand this in Arizona: what is the crop yield per acre?”

Minicozzi showed a project he worked on – a building with ground- oor retail, o ces on the second oor and residential above – that increased the property’s taxable value to $11 million from $300,000.

“We increased the taxes 3,500% on this property,” he said. “Wouldn’t you like this kind of return?”

He said others would say that a Walmart produced $20 million in taxable value, but if the council just looked at the total value, it would miss the point.

“Yes, that’s double the value but it took 34 acres of my farm to make that happen versus our .2 acres,” he said.

Minicozzi told the council to be mindful

of what gets built in the Heritage District because 59% of the town’s budget comes from sales tax revenue.

“ at’s unbelievably dumb,” he said. “If you are not growing, if you are not adding people or if a recession hits and all of a sudden people don’t buy the TV or the boat or the car, you can’t a ord your cities.”

When it comes to properties with high taxable value in the Heritage District, he said the two standouts are e Collab – four stories with o ces and retail – and Building 313 – a three-story mixed-use place with a rooftop bar.

Outside the district, Banner Gateway Medical Center was the other top generator of tax revenue.

“ is is the history of your community,” Minicozzi said. “You just didn’t build up the downtown as rapidly as you grew up your suburbs. So now you’re sort of behind the eight ball a little bit to grow it up.”

As a whole, 34% of the land in Gilbert is nontaxable, he said, calling that high for a community with no major university.

In the Heritage District, 48% of the land is nontaxable. “ at’s exception-

ally high,” Minicozzi said. “A question you all need to ask is who has the land and how are we using it?”

“Some of the properties that make up this 48% are designated nontaxable because they are parks, churches and schools (privately owned), community centers, etc. and these would likely not be redeveloped,” said Michelle Streeter, economic development spokeswoman in an email.

As of 2022, approximately 79 acres in the Heritage District are nontaxable, and Gilbert owned about 47 acres of that.

“Based on the master plan adopted with the 2018 Heritage District Redevelopment Plan, approximately 27 acres of the Gilbert-owned nontaxable land has been identi ed for future new development, subject to the direction of the Gilbert Town Council,” Streeter said.

“ e remaining acres of nontaxable Gilbert-owned land have already been developed for things like parking garages, public parks, community centers, etc.”

According to Minicozzi, from a property tax standpoint, residential produces less revenue than commercial. e town’s total revenue includes 11% from property taxes.

Minicozzi said the Heritage District is Gilbert’s “golden goose” that will produce the revenue it will need to help run the community, especially as in ation drives up the cost of things.

For instance, Gilbert has 2,602 miles of roads that carries an estimated $123-million-a-year cost to maintain, according to Minicozzi.

“Can Gilbert pick up its roads and sell

them to Mesa? No,” he said. “ at’s a liability. You have to look at that as a regeneration cost. You are stuck with it forever. When you build a road, it’s something you have to pave and resurface and the rst cycle happens basically every 10 years.

“You start with your preventative maintenance, then you do a resurfacing 20 years later. e real heart attack happens 50 years out when you have to do reconstruction. So that is when you have to do a rebuild. at’s about $1 million a mile.”

“ e roads you did in 1970-80 are coming due now,” he said. “1980s to 1990s that is 10 years down the road, that’s really going to smack you if you don’t have the money.”

He said the town had $62 million in revenues, including Highway User Revenue Fund money, to cover half the cost, leaving it with a $61 million de cit.

e downtown o ers the most potent taxable real estate and the council should ensure that it’s developed as such, Minicozzi said.

He also pointed out that parking lots in the district don’t generate revenue.

“What is a parking lot worth per square foot, 50 cents? From a taxable value standpoint, a dollar?” he said. “ e irony is the more that you ask for surface parking; the more you are shooting yourself in the foot.”

According to Minicozzi, the average value per acre for a Walmart in Gilbert is $900,000, for a single-family home, it’s $880,000 per acre and for an apartment, it’s $2 million per acre. Apartments are considered commercial development.

“Single-family houses don’t pay for itself,” Minicozzi said. “Residential gives you no sales tax. Basically, your bread and butter is retail and restaurants, which is landuse related.”

In the downtown, e Collab is valued at $15.3 million per acre and Building 313 at $12.8 million

“One of the questions maybe you want to ask is how much e ort did this person have to go through to get this built versus how much e ort did somebody have to go through to build a strip mall,” Minicozzi said.

“If it’s easier for me to build a strip mall and waste your real estate is that the proper incentive that you want to have in the system?”

He said that developers who want to

This chart shows the revenue the town derives from real estate and sales taxes in different parts of Gilbert. (Urban3D)

As of 2022, approximately 79 acres in the Heritage District are nontaxable, and Gilbert owned about 47 acres of that. (Town of Gilbert)

build in the district face hurdles to get approval.

“What do we want to have in your community and what do you want to make easier?’ he said, calling the height limit a restriction on downtown’s growth.

A recent example of a project encountering that hurdle is the proposed Brundrett mixed-use building with restaurants, o ces and a rooftop patio and bar.

In 2021, the Planning Commission would not support the building because it exceeded the district’s 55-foot height cap. Downtown business owners also objected to the height, saying it would block their view of the 125-foot-tall Water Tower, an iconic symbol for Gilbert.

e Brundrett building was originally proposed to be 68 feet tall but has since dropped to 55 feet and is now making its way through the town approval process.

“You have to make a critical choice,” Minicozzi said. “Is the Water Tower a beall- and-end-all for your community?”

His advice was to repeat what works best, build the golden goose and focus on what works hardest for Gilbert.

e council’s consensus was for sta to explore possible options to increase height in the downtown.

So that council members would get an

Gilbert Vice Mayor Kathy Tilque, left, and Councilwoman Bobbi Buchli comprise one team of council members tasked with using Legos to build a mixeduse complex in the Heritage District. (Cecilia Chan/GSN Staff)

idea of what developers go through, they and sta broke into three groups with the task of building a mixed-use project with 15,000 square feet of commercial, 200 residential units and 320 parking spaces using Lego blocks and the design standards in place.

Each group was given an actual vacant parcel downtown – 1 acre, 3 acres and 8 acres.

e team working with the 1-acre site was able to t the project and provide 25% green space when none is required for the district, by increasing the building height.

Councilman Jim Torgeson, who was on that team, later said the height restriction for downtown needs a “serious looking at” in order to increase the return on each property. He didn’t have in mind how high buildings could go in the downtown.

“You are trying to create a self-sustaining town and if we don’t do certain things you have to increase taxes,” Torgeson said. “I do think we need to examine these things in the Heritage District right now. We can not continue to move in the same direction we are moving.”

at said, he added, “if a majority of people believe that Moses walked o the mountain with a tablet that says 55 feet, so be it. But we should certainly ask the question.”

Expires 9/30/23.

HERITAGE from page 26

Retired Gilbert cops probe the weird

BY TOM SCANLON GSN Sta Writer

Dave Rich and Marianne Robb used to chase bad guys on the streets of Gilbert.

Today, the former Gilbert cops are chasing after the unknown, the weird and the unexplained to get at the truth.

“We want to get the word out that we are here to support law enforcement o cers who have nowhere else to go when they see something they can’t explain,” said Robb, a Queen Creek resident who retired after 34 years on the force. “Often if they share with their colleagues, they get ridiculed.

“We want them to know there is someplace for them to go and be taken seriously.”

Robb and Rich presented “Real Encounters: When Law Enforcement Meets the Unknown” on Aug. 17 at the UFO Experience mini-museum in Scottsdale.

Robb got her start in the world of the supernatural after her husband attended Mutual UFO Network or MUFON meetings and introduced her to UFO researchers.

For Rich, his interest began in 2017 when his sergeant sent him to investigate a call that came into dispatch.

e Mesa resident shared an audio of that call.

“What is your emergency?” a dispatcher asked.

“I scare,” whispered a female voice.

“You’re scared?” the dispatcher said.

“No! I … scare,” the voice hissed.

e female caller than stopped talking, despite the dispatcher’s repeated questioning. e call was tracked to a Gilbert high school where two o cers promptly found a phone o the hook at the front desk – but no one was there, according to Rich.

During their search of the campus, ofcers entered a nurse’s o ce and one of them later told Rich that they didn’t see anything but they “felt something rush past us.”

Rich later interviewed the school nurse. She was dodgy at rst but eventually admitted that she’s been followed by a ghost her entire life, he said.

Rich said that his haunted high school investigation led to mocking by his fellow cops, who put tin foil hats in his squad car.

“Our whole point isn’t just to bring you guys an entertaining presentation,” Rich told the crowd of about 50. “Ultimately we’re trying to help these o cers negotiate with what I went through.”

Robb and Rich said that skepticism –and open mockery – keeps many law enforcement o cers from reporting things that are not easily explained, including unknown ying objects or UFOs.

e duo hoped that the U.S. military’s new openness to unknown events will spread into law enforcement.

After decades of half-hearted explanations, such as routinely writing o mysterious objects in the sky as weather balloons, the military and the federal government are now opening their books on the unexplained.

After years of treating ying saucers as a joke, the feds are reversing course.

Congress in July held a hearing on UFOs.

A congressional subcommittee heard testimony from several military veterans who alleged the government was concealing evidence of unidenti ed aerial phenomena or UAP.

Retired Maj. David Grusch reportedly went from being part of the Pentagon’s UAP Task Force to becoming a whis-

tleblower. He told a national security subcommittee he knew the “exact locations” of UAPs being examined by the military.

e U.S. Air Force’s website stated that from 1947 to 1969, an Air Force program called “Project Blue Book” investigated 12,618 UFO cases.

ough 701 of those cases remain “unidenti ed,” the Air Force insisted “there was no evidence indicating that sightings categorized as ‘unidenti ed’ were extraterrestrial vehicles.”

See something – say nothing?

Shortly after the 1997 sightings of mysterious lights hovering in formation over Phoenix, then-Gov. Fife Symington held a press conference, joking that “they found who was responsible” and revealed an aide dressed in an alien costume.

ough the “Phoenix Lights” incidents were later debunked as military planes, the response illustrated what Robb and Rich are up against.

A decade later, Symington told national news outlets that as a military pilot, he witnessed an object “bigger than anything that I’ve ever seen. It remains a great mystery.”

Symington told a UFO investigator making a documentary that he didn’t go public with his experience previously “because he didn’t want to panic the populace.”

In other words: See something – say nothing.

For Robb and Rich, their dilemma was how to get police o cers, who are adept at investigating citizens but often are reluctant to share their own unexplained experiences, feel comfortable going public?

At the Scottsdale event, the ex-cops shared stories that could have been lifted from the TV show “ e X-Files” scripts –but really happened, they swear.

Robb told the story of a fellow Gilbert ofcer who believed he encountered a “skinwalker” or “shapeshifter” creature while driving on a highway at night through a reservation in northern Arizona.

Before recently putting in his retirement papers, Rich spent 25 years with the Gilbert Police, moving up from patrol to a de-

The TV show X Files” featured Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny playing FBI agents Dana Scully and Fox Mulder probing UFOs and supernatural phenomena. (Special for the Tribune)

Marianne Robb of Queen Creek and Mesa resident Dave Rich have a combined 59 years experience as Gilbert Police officers, but are now investigators with the Mutual UFO Network. (Tom Scanlon/Staff Writer)

tective investigating gangs, homicide, sex crimes and drugs.

“We worked on some teams,” said Robb, who had been with the department for a decade before Rich joined her.

Rich and Robb are partners again – as eld investigators with MUFON.

ey also started a group called UAPPD, investigating the unexplained.

A recent NBC News story noted “the Federal Aviation Administration has no mechanism for pilots to report UAPs, instead directing them to civilian UFO groups that are often dismissed as the domain of cranks and conspiracy theorists.”

To address that, according to the story, a former Navy pilot started a website for pilots to report unexplained experiences.

Similarly, Robb and Rich hope law enforcement o cers will reach out to them to report bizarre incidents.

“ e government and others researching this phenomenon,” Rich said, “are all looking for the same thing – the truth.”

For more information about UAP-PD, visit uap-pd.com.

Apache Trail x is in the works but won’t be cheap

BY GARY NELSON GSN Contributor

Theodore Roosevelt, America’s gung-ho 26th president, could hardly summon enough superlatives in 1911 when he rode a primitive highway into the Arizona wilderness to inspect a big new dam and the lake behind it.

e highway was called, at the time, the Mesa-Roosevelt road. In later years it got the name Apache Trail in honor of the natives who pioneered the route and then had a huge hand in building the road itself.

But if Roosevelt – or anyone, for that matter – wanted to take the same white-knuckle trip now, he couldn’t.

A long stretch has been blocked since 2019 in the aftermath of a wicked storm

that piled huge boulders onto some parts of the road and washed out others.

Apache Trail advocates began lobbying the Arizona Department of Transportation almost immediately to reopen the road, but ADOT insisted from the beginning that a quick x for what’s also known as State Route 88 was impossible.

Now, however, a x is at last in the works.

ADOT presented its proposal on Aug. 16 during an open house at the Apache Junction Multi-Generational Center, rst outlining the scope of the problem and then a strategy for getting the road back in service.

e events that led to the shutdown began in June 2019, when the Woodbury Fire charred almost 124,000 acres of Tonto National Forest south of Roosevelt.

e denuded land couldn’t cope with

the runo from intense monsoon rains three months later.

ADOT decided it wouldn’t do much good to repair the road until the land had healed somewhat and until the road could be forti ed against future ooding.

“We can’t just make quick xes like removing the rocks, repairing guardrail and reopening SR 88,” ADOT project manager Chris LaVoie said at the Aug. 16 meeting.

“Until we x the underlying erosion and drainage issues, SR88 will remain vulnerable to future damage.”

In the meantime, at least, ADOT was able to work with the U.S. Forest Service, which owns the land through which the road runs, spending $18 milllion to upgrade the road from Roosevelt Lake to

48"

the Apache Lake turno and reopen 2 miles that had been closed.

From that point westward to the Fish Creek Hill overlook, however, 5 miles of roadway is largely impassable and, in some places, nonexistent.

Funds provided by the Legislature enabled ADOT to extensively study the original 7-mile closure area.

Jackie Noblitt, a private consultant working with ADOT, said it wouldn’t work to simply restore SR88 to its pre2019 condition.

Even before then, she said, culverts were undersized and not able to handle heavy runo .

But future storms, she said, are expected to produce precipitation and runo 55-83% greater than what is experienced at present.

Analysts studied a range of options.

On the high end, they looked at building a 24-foot-wide asphalt-paved roadway, replacing the existing bridges and installing reinforced infrastructure along the route.

Doing that – in essence, expanding the road – would produce the highest resistance to future oods. It also would require negotiating new easements with the Forest Service.

e cheapest option would involve simply repairing the roadway, creating a concrete water barrier at Fish Creek Hill, and rehabilitating current drainage sys-

tems. at option, Noblitt said, would result in the highest risk to future closures.

ADOT came up with what it calls a hybrid option that would produce medium-level resistance to future ooding. Drainage infrastructure would be fortied, existing bridges would be repaired, and the road would be surfaced with

chip seal on at stretches and asphalt on steeper parts. Some new easements would be needed.

at plan, while less costly than the Cadillac model, would still be expensive.

ADOT didn’t o er a precise estimate – which wouldn’t matter at this point because it hasn’t identi ed a funding source. Federal grants are one possibility.

ADOT is seeking public input through Sept. 15 as it plans the next steps. ere are three venues for doing so:

• A comment form at azdot.gov/SR88apachetrail

• By e-mail at mhayes@logansimpson. com

• By phone at 480-967-1343

With enough time and money, drivers will once again be able to enjoy the vistas that so thrilled a former president more than a century ago.

e road “combines the grandeur of the Alps, the glory of the Rockies, the magni cence of the Grand Canyon, and then adds an inde nable something that none others have,” Roosevelt said. “To me it is the most awe-inspiring and sublimely beautiful.”

Storm-triggered landslides have closed the Apache Trail for several years but the Arizona Department of Transportation is working on a fix to reopen it someday. (YouTube)

Senior community honors its rst resident

GSN NEWS STAFF

Asenior living community in Gilbert recently saluted its rst resident, recalling that “she danced her way through the doors ve years ago” and apparently hasn’t stopped.

Watermark Morrison Ranch senior living resident Dee Hostetler spent most of her life dancing or teaching others to dance – and frequently danced on stage at the Queen Creek Performing Arts Center.

“I started dancing when I was 5 years old, living in Michigan,” she recalled. “From there, I danced with studios, taught dance, entertained for private parties, military bases, you name it. We even had our own television show.”

As a professional dancer, Hostetler had a chance to perform in Las Vegas as an opening act but said, “I didn’t do it.

“My parents were here and I had lost my brother so I never did make that move,” Hostetler said, adding that she did travel to Hawaii to perform a ve-week show.

“When my husband retired, we moved into a senior neighborhood and I started a senior tap-dancing group,” she said. A resident of the Seville Golf and Coun-

try Club, she attracted a huge number of students to her classes over the 10 years she taught.

“We ended up with 33 dancers who

would perform for senior living communities,” Hostetler recalled.

After her husband passed away in 2015, she sold her house and became the rst resident at Watermark Morrison Ranch on Aug. 6, 2018.

“I love it. I wouldn’t even think of moving anywhere else. e care has been great. e community is awesome,” she said.

To mark her fth anniversary, Watermark Morrison Ranch Community Life Director Rebecca Mitchell and Sales Director Stacie Arnold surprised her with a party and with the gift of a seat bearing her name at the Queen Creek Performing Arts Center.

Dubbed “Rockin’ at the Ranch,” the party included a Bluegrass band, line dancing, a pie-eating contest and barbecue.

And, of course, Hostetler wasn’t about to be a wall ower: She danced to her favorite song, Nancy Sinatra’s 1966 hit “ ese Boots Are Made for Walkin’.”

Healing Field again remembers a terrible loss

The annual Valley tribute to the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks will return this week to Tempe Town Lake.

e 22nd annual Tempe Healing Field will be erected starting at 6 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 9, and volunteers are needed to install ags for each of the 2,977 people who died and to remove and store the ags the following Tuesday, Sept. 12.

e Tempe Healing Field has been sponsored by the Tempe Exchange Club for the last 21 years and Chairman Nick Bastian has said in the past that it not only memorializes the victims but also rekindles the unity that existed in the wake of the tragedy.

“Some of the emotion that I’ve seen and felt, you really can’t describe it,” Bastian said. “We just want to make sure that people don’t ever forget what happened that day.”

at unity the Tempe Exchange Club seeks to rekindle is demonstrated by the volunteers who show up for set-up and tear-down. No sign-up is necessary and volunteers just should show up at 6 a.m. Saturday and the following Tuesday. If they have any questions, they can call Bastian at 602-803-6425.

e Tempe Healing Field o ers more than a stirring site of hundreds of ags, each bearing the name of a 9/11 victim. ere is no admission for those who want

Watermark Morrison Ranch senior living community saluted its first resident, who moved in in 2018, with a party and special gift. (David Minton/Staff Photographer)

The sobering display of flags commemorating the 2,996 people who died in th Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks will return to Tempe Beach Park next weekend as the Tempe Healing Field is erected by the Tempe Exchange Club. (File photo)

GSN NEWS STAFF

(Special

Quilt of T-shirts recalls college’s outreach

BY LISHA DUNLAP Guest Writer

One of the major components of a community college is right there in the name – community.

For Chandler Gilbert Community College, working with and in the community is an important part of its 30-year history.

Many of the college’s employees have been part of its community e orts for over 20 years and have seen the impact rsthand.

Among those are Teresa Hull, administrative support for nursing.

various community-based organizations in the fall and spring semesters on a Friday and/or Saturday. ey would serve at youth-serving organizations like the Boys and Girls Club and YMCA; senior serving-organizations like the Chandler and Gilbert Senior Center as well as Assisted Living Facilities like Park Regency; and/ or basic needs-organizations like Paz de Christo and AZCEND.”

e event was discontinued during the pandemic and hasn’t been held since 2020.

“I started as a work-study employee with service learning in the fall of 2002 before moving to nursing in April 2010,” said Hull, who participated in 16 “Into the Streets” events.

Into the Streets is an event that many CGCC employees recount when discussing the college’s community connection.

Mike Greene, CGCC student services director, describes it as a once-a-semester day of service.

“It was a model that faculty and their students could utilize service for their enhancement of what they were teaching/ learning in their classrooms,” Greene explained.

“Hundreds of students would serve at

But faculty, sta and student leaders from past events have a colorful shirt that designated them as the site leaders from every year they participated.

For many, including Hull and Greene, the T-shirts were more than just a uniform for the day.

“During that time, we had many di erent colors of Into the Streets t-shirts made for participants, and I collected them all,” she said.

Hull did more than collect the shirts; she decided to create something special for the college.

“For years I thought about making them into a quilt, but I could not decide who I would give it to,” she explained.

Chandler Gilbert Community College leaders Teresa Hull and Mike Greene display a quilt made of T-shorts from the school’s Into the Streets events, a one-day community service outreach.

to the Arizonan)

COLLEGE from page 32

“When I decided to actually do it, I chose to give it to Student Life, but realized I was two shirts short to complete the top. I put out a call to a few people and professor Heather Horn came through with one that had been lightly used.

“Mine had been in a drawer for years, not worn, so I needed a couple in a similar state of wear. With that one more shirt I was able to use a CGCC shirt as the center piece and complete the quilt top. It was complete.”

Greene said, “I am amazed at what eresa was able to capture about the spirit of Into the Streets with that quilt.” e creation of the quilt evoked recollections of a special time in Hull’s career.

“In the sewing process many memories returned of my In the Streets experiences—great memories of co-workers, experiences and organizations I worked with through those 16 events,” Hull said.

“One fun memory is when Russ Luce decided on pink for the color one year, and people doubted whether the men

would want to wear them; it turned out to be the most popular color ever! All the male campus leadership wanted a pink shirt—it was great!”

Luce, who at that time worked in Student Life, is the college’s athletic director.

Although he is no longer directly involved with Student Life, Luce said he knows the importance of the opportunities to be invested in where you live.

“If we are truly a community college, then we should have community in our work,” he said. “We should be active in being involved in where we work, live, and with those we educate.”

According to Greene, there are volunteer opportunities available for all students and employees through regularly scheduled CommUNITY events.

And as for the colorful quilt, it still hangs in the Student Life o ces.

“Lots of blood sweat and tears were involved in supporting our community over the years,” recalled Greene. “I was very happy and glad that eresa was able to capture it with a very tangible reminder of so many memories, with more to come.”

FIELD from page 31

to stroll through Tempe Beach Park to reect on those names.

ere also are a number of patriotic and other events through the course of the memorial.

Sunday will start at 7:30 a.m. with the 5K Tunnel to Towers Run/Walk , though people must register at tempehealing eld. org.

At 7:30 p.m. Sunday, the free Freedom Concert will be presented.

On. Sept. 11 beginning at 5:46 a.m., each victim’s name will be read aloud. e time is when the rst plane hit the rst tower in New York City.

At 7 p.m. Monday, a candlelight vigil will conclude the formal memorial tribute.

In 2001, Bastian was living in Mesa and working as a residential Realtor when he woke up to a surreal moment on TV.

Like millions of Americans on that Tuesday morning, Bastian watched United Airlines Flight 175 crash into the South Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City.

Bastian said that moment still lives with

him to this day and why he wants to remind people what happened, not just on that day, but in the days following, especially for those not born at the time – like his three teenage sons.

“It really just felt like our country came together as Americans,” Bastian said. “And that’s something that I’ll certainly never forget and I hope other people don’t.”

For the past 20 years, Bastian said people from all over the world have attended the Healing Fields memorial.

“If you have a loved one that was lost that day, we can actually show you where that person’s ag is,” Bastian said.

Past events have shown ags ll the crescent-shaped grass eld at the heart of the Tempe Beach Park. at area primarily commemorates the victims inside the Twin Towers.

Smaller areas around the large eld commemorates victims inside the Pentagon and inside the airliner that was crashed into a eld in Pennsylvania.

Bastian said he’s served as the chair for the Healing Fields Committee for the past three years and it’s the Tempe Exchange Club’s biggest event of the year.

Ex-NHL goalie creates hockey heaven

BY ALEX GALLAGHER GSN Sta Writer

When former Montreal Canadiens goaltender Randy Exelby was traded to the Edmonton Oilers before the 1989 season, he was tasked with a big decision.

He could play for the Cape Breton Oilers in the American Hockey League or the Phoenix Roadrunners in the International Hockey League.

e Toronto native ultimately chose the Valley and quickly fell in love with it –though he did miss one piece of home.

“When I was growing up, there were a couple of hockey stores in Toronto that I liked to visit to get my skates sharpened and get new equipment over the years,” Exelby said. “I just always thought ‘Wow, it’d be cool to do a hockey shop.’”

ree years after retiring from professional hockey, Exelby pursued his dream

of opening Behind the Mask.

At the time, hockey in the desert seemed like a pipe dream. ere were only two ice skating rinks in the Valley and most children interested in the sport played it on roller skates.

Exelby admits he had no clairvoyance that the state would receive an NHL franchise, produce some of the sport’s biggest players or be home to a top-level college program.

“I wasn’t that smart, I just got lucky,” Exelby said with a laugh.

His rst location opened in Peoria near his home and close to the Deer Valley YMCA, which boasts an indoor roller hockey rink.

When he rst opened, Exelby said that roller hockey equipment equaled 90% of his sales. Now it’s down to 5%.

Exelby saw that percentage begin to dwindle in 1996, when the NHL announced the relocation of the Winnipeg

Jets to Phoenix and the team was re-branded as the Phoenix Coyotes.  is allowed Exelby to share his a nity for the sport he has adored his whole

life – and he began selling more goalie equipment.

see EXELBY page 36

Famed Buck & Rider opening in Epicenter

The upscale seafood restaurant Buck & Rider makes its debut in Gilbert at Epicenter in Agritopia tomorrow, Sept. 4.

Touting “signature fresh seafood and hospitality,” the restaurant will be open for lunch, brunch and dinner.

And there will be plenty of the fruits of the sea for patrons to choose from, since Buck & Rider’s menu includes oysters and mussels, scallops, lobster, Alaskan king crab, Louisiana blue crab and sh from around the world.

Landlubbers can nd Midwestern USDA-certi ed aged Angus beef and “killer burgers.”

Located at the Epicenter, 3150 E. Ray Road, Buck & Rider promises the same high-end cuisine and service its Phoenix and Scottsdale locations o er.

“We let the quality of our seafood and our ingredients speak for itself – no fussy

preparations, just the freshest, best ingredients, simply and perfectly executed,” said Adam Strecker, CEO of Buck & Rider, owned by Phoenix-based LGO, in an interview earlier this year.

“We y in the freshest seafood seven days a week from around the world. We go to great lengths to source our seafood, meats and produce directly from shers and farmers who share our commitment to quality, transparency and sustainable practices.”

In a release, a spokeswoman said, “We are investing heavily in our new home, and it shows in every detail – from the walnut-topped bar and Heath ceramic tile to the stunning replace and custom bronze statue commissioned for the

see BUCK page 36

fountain. …

Randy Exelby took a leap of faith in 1994 by opening a hockey store in the desert. Fast forward nearly three decades, he has three stores located in Scottsdale, Peoria and Gilbert. (David Minton/Staff Photographerr)

GSN NEWS STAFF

Impressive seafood platters are part of Buck & Rider’s menu. (Courtesy of Buck & Rider)

Tri Pointe Homes starts new Waterston project

Tri Pointe Homes has started construction of the 468-home Waterston Central community located in southern Gilbert.

e six new neighborhoods will join those in Waterston and Waterston North and the rst two, Avocet and Tanager, are anticipated to open early next year.

“ e property location, market and development momentum, and the highly amenitized and thoughtfully designed Waterston Central product o erings all align to deliver a premium lifestyle to residents,” said Tri Pointe Homes Arizona Division President James Attwood.

“ e fact that Waterston sold out completely and Waterston North is already over 80% reserved points to an impressive track record that favors our development formula, one supported by a very desirable and supply-constrained location.”

Waterston Central’s one- and two-story homes are expected to range from approximately 1,840 to 4,450 square feet with three to ve bedrooms and garages with two to four bays.

Homes will include Spanish, desert ranch, ranch, farmhouse and new century modern styles. Tanager’s anticipated 96 homesites will range from about 2,570 to 4,000 square feet .

Homeowners will be able select from

multiple exible oor plan designs with options such as executive gourmet kitchens, large pantries and even larger laundry rooms, extended patios, central game rooms and private courtyards for residents, depending on plan.

In addition, the homes will o er a variety of high-tech options.

Waterston Central residents will have access to all of the approximately 480-acre planned community amenities, including Waterston North’s centralized lake with great lawn, clubhouse and pool. Pocket parks and walking trails are within each of the new neighborhoods.

e 137-acre Waterston Central is expected to contain more than 43 acres of open space, and is anticipated to include a lake, pool, large playground, a number of open-air ramadas, and pocket parks, Tri Pointe said.

“ is continues the overall planned development design that draws on the natural environment of neighboring Veterans Oasis Park, creating an atmosphere that is centered around outdoor living, adventure, and water including the 7-acre Central Park and Grand Ramada,” it added.

Part of the Chandler Uni ed School District, the new K-6 Rice Elementary serves the community

Information: tripointehomes.com/ az.

GSN NEWS STAFF

Tri Pointe Homes anticipates introducing 468 homes across six new gated neighborhoods in the third and final phase of the Waterston planned community that will surround a lake and large clubhouse. (Special to GSN)

Exelby admits that he faced much skepticism when he started his business nearly three decades ago.

“When I opened the store, nobody, outside of the few hockey players in town, believed hockey was feasible or viable, let alone a hockey store,” Exelby said.

e business began to boom over the next decade and a half, allowing Exelby to open stores in Phoenix, a superstore o Chandler Boulevard and Kyrene Road in Chandler and another big store in Scottsdale o Loop 101 and Shea Boulevard.

e Scottsdale location became his goalie gear superstore, providing a wide variety of masks, gloves, pads and even a whole room of goalie sticks.

“We grew up with hockey and watched

BUCK from page 34

We are creating an unparalleled gathering spot for our newest neighbors.

e 9,500-square-foot venue includes an ample patio for outdoor dining. Time-stamped cards at its raw bar are

it expand and then a bunch of ex-NHL players began to retire and coach their kids here,” Exelby said.

Exelby and his sta eventually began out tting customers who would become superstars, like Toronto Maple Leafs forwards Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies, Arizona Coyotes prospect Josh Doan, Olympian Lyndsey Fry and Winnipeg Jets defenseman Kyle Capobianco. Exelby is also Capobianco’s godfather.

Exelby attributes the emergence of homegrown players Matthews and Knies, as well as the promotion of the Arizona State University men’s hockey team to the NCAA Division I level, to the latest explosion of interest in the sport.

“Years ago, people would come in from out of town and I’d have to explain to them how big hockey is here with kids,” Exelby

continuously updated to re ect the freshness of seafood and market vegetable selections, sourced from small producers with an eye to sustainability.

During the daily happy hour 3-7 p.m., the restaurant will o er beverage specials as well as a changing selection of small

said. “And then when ASU got a (Division I) team, people began to come in and start asking about people like Auston (Matthews), Matthew Knies and Josh Doan.”

Hockey has become more popular than ever in Arizona, Exelby said.

“It’s spectacular, 750 players play high school hockey in the Arizona High School Hockey Association (AHSHA) and some schools have as many as four teams,” Exelby said.

“ en there are the travel teams, the Coyotes do their Little Howlers and Small Fry’s programs so the growth has been phenomenal. I never could have predicted it.”

Amid this popularity have been record sales.

“We were the Bauer (hockey brand) Dealer of the Year in the U.S. in 2020 of its 450 stores, so that was a good feath-

bites and raw bar o erings. At brunch, half-o bottles of champagne will be offered.

And there will be delicacies like B&R Imperial Golden Osetra Caviar, impressive seafood platters and an extensive Reserve wine and spirits list.

er in our cap,” Exelby said. “It’s been an honor to watch hockey grow and see the generations.”

ough he currently owns three locations that boast strong sales – Peoria and Gilbert are inside AZ Ice rinks in both municipalities – Exelby’s biggest accomplishment has been out tting generations of hockey players.

“Now we have customers who come in with their 7- and 8-year-olds buying stu and now they have kids that are doing it,” he said. “It’s been a great journey.”

Where:

Hours: noon-8 p.m. Monday-Saturday and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday. Information: 480-785-594, behindthemask.com

Born in Phoenix’s Arcadia village in 2015, Buck & Rider boasts of its daily ights from various ports to ensure freshness, meaning that Maryland blue crab for the restaurant’s famous crab cakes or Ora King Salmon in the sushi arrived that day.

Information: buckandrider.com.

Johns family cherishing time together at Desert Ridge

BY ZACH ALVIRA GSN Sports Editor

Car rides home from practice used to be a somewhat dreadful experience for Sammy Johns.

He would sit passenger alongside his father, Sam Johns, a longtime football coach who always had a pointer or two as Sammy grew up and went through the ranks of youth to high school. at’s where he is now as a senior at Desert Ridge High School.

e talks have become less frequent. Most notably because of Sammy’s ability to become the starting safety as a sophomore and hold onto that position while maintaining a 4.2 GPA. But they’re still fresh in the mind of the senior. Both good and bad.

“Most of the time, I tried to avoid them,” Sammy said with a smile. “I tried to ride with my mom, but he would always say, ‘Nope, you’re hopping in with me.’ I’ve come a long way because of him.”

Football, in many ways, helped create the Johns family.

Sam played in high school and college. It was at that time he met his wife, who stuck by his side through the long days and nights, constant pain in season and demanding schedule that required him to be gone six or seven days out of the week every fall when he began coaching.

But just like Sam, she embraced it. She knew football would be in the family forever. She loved the game herself and in turn, so did all their children.

Sam can still recall the rst time he brought Sammy out to a practice he coached. He was little at the time, as Sam had joined Roy Lopez’s sta at Marcos de Niza. Sammy had the opportunity to interact with the likes of Roy Lopez Jr., Lopez Sr.’s son who is now a defensive tackle with the Houston Texans.

Sammy also spent time with wide receiver N’Keal Harry and defensive back Byron Murphy, both of whom went on to transfer

started.

to Chandler and Saguaro, respectively, and are now in the NFL.

“Football is our way of life. is is what we do, and this is how we do it,” Sam said. “It’s a blessing. I thank God every day I’m able to be on the eld with him. Have I always dreamt of it? Maybe it was more of an expectation.”

When Lopez was hired in 2018 to take over the Desert Ridge program, Sam was his rst call.

He’s been the defensive coordinator ever since, helping rebuild a program that has struggled the last few seasons. But this coaching stop is more unique than the rest.

As a sophomore, Sammy was named the starting safety for the Jaguars. Sam had nothing to do with the decision.

He’s improved every year and has become a leader for the team. Something Lopez said isn’t an easy task when you have a family member on sta . He remembers all too well what his son went through with his dad as head coach. But Lopez Jr. never let that bother him. Neither has Sammy.

e bond Sam and Sammy have created over football is undeniable. But there does come a time where they have to put the game they love to the side.

e family, which includes Sammy, an older sister and two younger, always sits around the table for dinner. ey take time to re ect on the day and leave any game planning talk for practice or team meetings.

Sam said it creates a good balance for the family and especially him and Sammy. He knows there are times where he needs to be a dad instead of coach. While the two will talk ball at times at home, they try not to overwhelm the rest of the family with it.

“When we go home, we kinda shut it o ,” Sam said. “ at’s a mentality I’ve always had. When I leave the o ce, I’m not in work mode. We’ll look over lm a little bit, but I try to keep all of that here.”

Now in his senior year, this is the nal time Sammy will be coached by his father. It isn’t something he’s thought about much yet, especially with the season having just

But in the back of both of their minds they know senior night at Desert Ridge will approach quickly. Sam said their nal walk together on the eld will be emotional. Sammy agreed.

But for now, they plan to cherish every moment they have left together. Good and bad.

Whether it’s a practice where the Jaguars take strides toward improvement or one where they spend running due to mistakes, the father-son duo plan to enjoy every minute of it. Sammy said he will even miss the dreaded car rides home from practice, where Sam would often lecture him about a coverage or anything else he can improve on.

Sammy laughs now at the thought of the conversations throughout the last 17 years. And through all the bad, there was still plenty of good. It’s those memories he plans to hold onto forever.

“I had the best game of my career against Cesar Chavez,” Sammy said. “He laid it all on the line and said he was proud of me. Every son lives to hear that from their father. It meant the world to me.”

Sammy has been the starting safety for Desert Ridge since his sophomore year. He’s excelled at the position and in the classroom, boasting a 4.2 GPA. (Dave Minton/Staff Photographer)

Sammy Johns and Sam Johns, a father-son duo at Desert Ridge, are cherishing the moments they have left together on the same football field. Sam is the defensive coordinator for the Jaguars. His starting safety is Sammy. (Dave Minton/Staff Photographer)

Gilbert native’s lm featured in Jerome fest

GETOUT STAFF

While the actors strike has crimped the flow of new movies, a Scottsdale actor and a Mesa filmmaker will have the chance to present their new feature film next Saturday in Jerome.

“Run Rabbit,” an all-Arizona thriller directed by and produced by Justin Rose and starring Chris Studenka holds a prime spot in the ninth annual Jerome Indie Film & Music Festival.

It will be shown at 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 9, in the historic Liberty eatre on the last stop of a whirlwind year of lm festival showings around the world.

And along the way, “Run Rabbit” not only picked up nine festival awards for best feature film, best acting and best director, it also secured a distribution deal at filmmaker Kevin Smith’s film festival in New Jersey that they are currently wrapping up.

A Michigan native, Studenka portrays the pursuer of a vigilante-killer who targets prominent people.

The film gradually reveals the killer’s motive and the pursuer’s own secrets amid what reviews call a thrilling chase and surprise ending.

Studenka and Rose met in 2019 after Rose posted a casting call for his rst lm, a short titled “Red Velvet Evening.”

Rose calls it “a dialogue-driven thriller that takes place entirely in a kitchen.”

They then worked together on a short called “Father’s Day,” which also picked up multiple awards at film festi-

vals around the world.

For “Run Rabbit,” Studenka and Rose teamed up with actor Greg Wave and Rose’s brother, Cristian Garcia, who did the film’s score.

Rose is a big fan of iconic directors Quentin Tarantino and Stanley Kubrick “and our films reflect that tone and style,” Studenka said.

Studenka’s road to acting started in an unusual way: A champion marathon runner, he was invited to model running clothes for Dick’s Sporting Goods.

“That led to commercials, then film,” he said. “I found a passion later in life and I study relentlessly and even though I didn’t grow up doing it, I have

definitely put in my hours.”

And his dues: “I’ve done four TV pilots that didn’t get picked up,” Studenka said. “I did a number of training videos for PetSmart – anyone that gets hired there has likely seen me. I did a play once, just to try it out, but I’m definitely more of a film actor.”

Rose’s road to filmdom followed a somewhat more conventional route.

He grew up in Gilbert across the street from a Blockbuster Video store.

“My dad and I would walk across the street and rent movies from there and that’s where my love for science fiction came to life. Science fiction was really the start of where my love of movies started, especially the old sci fi classics

like ‘Godzilla’ and ‘War of the Worlds.’

“As I grew older, I began to write and sketch a lot, constructing scenes in my head and describing what was going on in those scenes. It almost became an obsession, constantly writing and then using music to help expand my ideas and thoughts.”

Rose, who attended Scottsdale Community College’s lm program after graduating in 2011 from Gilbert High, said he spent three months lming “Run Rabbit” and another three in editing.

“The only challenges we had was the filming in the 120 degree heat in the dry desert and the late nights,” he said, “but overall it was definitely an experience and many memories created.”

Studenka and Rose share a mutual admiration.

“The minute I met Justin I could tell he has special talent,” Studenka recalled. “He sees everything differently and just better than anyone else I’ve ever worked with.”

Rose called him a “great guy” and talent.

“Who knows if the projects would ever have gotten finished” without him, Rose said.

“After ‘Rabbit,’ we still have many projects upcoming and we’re excited to get the next project going,” Rose added, noting he is in the final pre-production stages for another thriller.

Studenka also is awaiting release of two films he made independent of Rose – “Lyla” and “The Diner.”

Information on next weekend’s showing: jeromefilmfestival.com.

Scottsdale actor Chris Studenka, left, and Mesa director Justin Rose are excited about showing their new thriller, “Run Rabbit,” next Saturday during the ninth annual Jerome Indie and Film & Music Festival.” (Special to GetOut)

ACROSS

1 “Waterloo” group

5 Director Craven

8 Kilt wearer

12 Borscht base

13 Chop

14 Ginormous

15 Baltimore seafood treat

17 Congers

18 “-- Little” ( lm)

19 Sweet-sounding

21 Toe count

22 Jazzy Fitzgerald

23 Lobbying org.

26 Stir-fry pan

28 Succinct

31 “American --”

33 Peruke

35 June 6, 1944

36 Casual shirts

38 Ran into

40 Fr. holy woman

41 Unhappy destiny

43 Arrest

45 Yell, “You’re not funny!”

47 Believes (in)

51 Regrettably

52 Unambiguous

54 Marathon fraction

55 Bee follower

56 Judicial garb

57 Shopper’s delight

58 Be sick

59 “Closer” actor Clive

DOWN

1 Grade-school basics

2 Ernie’s pal

3 Boyfriend

4 Facing the pitcher

5 Impatient inquiry

6 “A spider!”

7 Bjorn Borg, for one

8 Like ready-toeat walnuts

9 Actor’s visual aids

10 Leer at 11 Try out

16 Ship’s sta

20 Last (Abbr.)

23 “Great Expectations” lad 24 Fuss

42

45

46

49

1520

1520 SOUTH LONGMORE, MESA

From city hall and the statehouse (and Senate) to corporate offices and boardrooms, women are making a remarkable difference in our community.

From

From city hall and the statehouse (and Senate) to corporate offices and boardrooms, women are making a remarkable difference in our community.

and

statehouse

Senate)

On September 20, join us as we recognize women leaders at the PHX East Valley Partnership’s annual Statespersons’ Event.

On

On September 20, join us as we recognize women leaders at the PHX East Valley Partnership’s annual Statespersons’ Event.

Keynote Speaker

Keynote Speaker

Keynote Speaker

Anna Maria Chávez, president and CEO of the Arizona Community Foundation and one of the world’s top experts on women’s leadership

Anna Maria Chávez, president

Panel Discussion: Propelling More Women into Leadership Roles

Panel Discussion: Propelling More Women into Leadership Roles

Moderator: Stacy Derstine, APS

Moderator: Stacy Derstine, APS

Anna Maria Chávez, president and CEO of the Arizona Community Foundation and one of the world’s top experts on women’s leadership

Panel Discussion: Propelling More Women into Leadership Roles

Moderator: Stacy Derstine, APS

Panelists:

Panelists:

Panelists:

• Toni Broberg, state president, Arizona and New Mexico, AT&T

• Toni Broberg, state president, Arizona and New Mexico, AT&T

• Jenn Daniels, CEO, Horizon Strategies

• Toni Broberg, state president, Arizona and New Mexico, AT&T

• Jenn Daniels, CEO, Horizon Strategies

• Rosa Inchausti, city manager, City of Tempe

• Jenn Daniels, CEO, Horizon Strategies

From city hall and the statehouse (and Senate) to corporate offices and boardrooms, women are making a remarkable difference in our community.

• Rosa Inchausti, city manager, City of Tempe

• Dr. Tammy Robinson, president, Mesa Community College

• Rosa Inchausti, city manager, City of Tempe

• Dr. Tammy Robinson, president, Mesa Community College

• Sarah Watts, president/CEO, Gilbert Chamber of Commerce

On September 20, join us as we recognize women leaders at the PHX East Valley Partnership’s annual Statespersons’ Event.

• Sarah Watts, president/CEO, Gilbert Chamber of Commerce

• Dr. Tammy Robinson, president, Mesa Community College

Keynote Speaker

RSVP

RSVP

RSVP

• Sarah Watts, president/CEO, Gilbert Chamber of Commerce

Anna Maria Chávez, president and CEO of the Arizona Community Foundation and one of the world’s top experts on women’s leadership

Ticket packages of 10 are $1,000 and individual tickets are $100. For more information, visit www.phxeastvalley.com or contact Jessica Hubbard at 480-532-0641 or jhubbard@phxeastvalley.com.

Ticket packages of 10 are $1,000 and individual tickets are $100. For more information, visit www.phxeastvalley.com or contact Jessica Hubbard at 480-532-0641 or jhubbard@phxeastvalley.com.

Panel Discussion: Propelling More Women into Leadership Roles

Ticket packages of 10 are $1,000 and individual tickets are $100. For more information, visit www.phxeastvalley.com or contact Jessica Hubbard at 480-532-0641 or jhubbard@phxeastvalley.com.

Moderator: Stacy Derstine, APS

Panelists:

• Toni Broberg, state president, Arizona and New Mexico, AT&T

• Jenn Daniels, CEO, Horizon Strategies

• Rosa Inchausti, city manager, City of Tempe

• Dr. Tammy Robinson, president, Mesa Community College

• Sarah Watts, president/CEO, Gilbert Chamber of Commerce

RSVP

Ticket packages of 10 are $1,000 and individual tickets are $100. For more information, visit www.phxeastvalley.com or contact Jessica Hubbard at 480-532-0641 or jhubbard@phxeastvalley.com.