The Mesa Tribune 111322 Zone 1

Favorable trends for Duff, 2 board hopefuls

Hutchinson, Walden stay at head of the MPS pack Mesa Council incumbent holding big ballot lead

BY SCOTT SHUMAKER Tribune Staff Writer

In the seven-way battle for two seats on the Mesa Public Schools Govern ing Board, incumbent board member Marcie Hutchin son and Rachel Walden held their leads with 25% and 22%, according to the latest results before the Tribune’s

deadline.

Those leads emerged Tues day ngiht and barely budged over succeeding days.

They were followed by Ja cob Martinez, 16%; Ed Steele, 14%; J.R. Wright, 9%; Chris Hamlet, 8%; and Ray Deer, 6%.

Martinez issued a state

BY SCOTT SHUMAKER Tribune Staff Writer

Mesa Vice Mayor Jenn Duff jumped to an early lead Election night and appeared unlikely to be lose her grip.

The latest tallies form the Maricopa County Recorder’s Of fice prior to the Tribune’s dead line showed Duff leading chal

lenger Trista Guzman Glover 57% to 43% in the runoff race for the city council seat repre senting downtown Mesa.

Though she had not declared victory yet, Duff said on her campaign’s social media page last week that “a win looks promising” and thanked her supporters for the “anticipated

Mesa flight schools help ease pilot shortage

BY SCOTT SHUMAKER Tribune Staff Writer

Outside a nondescript building along Sossaman Drive at the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport last month, the sun shined while rain poured from an iron-gray sky inside the cavernous structure.

On a powerful flight simulator that cost more than a real airplane, a flight student

Basketball icon Kobe Bryant's daughter helps christen Mesa court.

Mesa native wins big award as top student chef.

Manny Pino driving Mesa High football to new level.

Jacob Ogden goes through his pre-flight checklist in the cockpit of a flight simulator as instructor Thomas Johnson monitors his attempt at the University of North Dakota Aerospace simulator bay at PhoenixMesa Gateway Airport. (David Minton/Tribune Staff Photographer)

Massive Mesa warehouse project sails through Council

BY SCOTT SHUMAKER Tribune Staff Writer

Among plans that Mesa City Council passed without discussion last week was a project calling for 1.5 million square feet of warehouse space on the southwest corner of Sossaman and Warner roads. (City of Mesa)

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BY SCOTT SHUMAKER Tribune Staff Writer

Mesa is exercising its zoning and planning powers to support the lo cal helicopter industry.

City Council moved Nov. 7 to solidify the status of an area north of Falcon Field as a High Helicopter Traffic Corridor in order to shape Mesa’s future planning in the vicinity.

A consultant told Council how a designat ed helicopter corridor would affect land uses in the study area north of the Loop 202 be tween roughly Greenfield and Recker roads.

This area has long been used by aerospace company Boeing and MD Helicopters to sup port helicopter manufacturing in the Falcon Field district.

“Tracing back to Hughes Helicopters’ opening of the facility 40 years ago, Boeing continues to conduct post-production / predelivery check out flights; training; and ex perimental flight tests in the region,” Boeing said in a statement.

Mesa can’t control airspace or create of

ficial flight paths, but the city has some say over what gets built on the ground below flight paths.

The report said a recognized helicopter corridor would be incompatible with resi dential development.

Falcon Field Director Corinne Nystrom told Council that helicopter traffic to and from the airport generally flies below 2,000 feet above the ground to.be separate from fixed-wing aircraft flight paths.

The report recommended that industrial use would be most compatible with helicop ter overflights.

Development Services Director Nana Ap piah said most of the land is already zoned primarily for industrial uses and designated for employment.

There are a few exceptions though: a cor ner of agricultural land in the west and va cant land zoned for single-family homes on half- or 1-acre lots. on the east side.

Staff said the city couldn’t stop a landown er from putting homes residential zones, but could create incentives for owners to rezone

land for industrial uses, such as waiving de velopment fees.

The study further recommended the city require developers of land in the corridor to sign over airspace rights before approving building permits or plats in the area. Prop erty buyers should also be notified of an air port in the vicinity, Appiah said.

Besides these specific strategies, City Manager Chris Brady said the study is “im portant for our major employer Boeing, and MD Helicopters, to know that the city is pret ty much aware of this critical flight path that they have used since the 1980s,” Brady said.

Councilman David Luna, who represents the Falcon Field area, said, “To me, it’s been really important that we continue to protect Boeing.."

“We want to make sure that they continue to be successful, but they do need to test their helicopters, and we want to make sure that this designation is set in stone because we need to make sure that we protect what they do – not only for the city of Mesa but for the nation.”

J. Reed, Mesa, AZ

ment conceding defeat after an eve ning release of vote tallies failed to produce movement on the leader board.

Steele issued a statement earlier in the day conceding the race.

Reached Wednesday before the latest vote drop, Hutchinson said she was still waiting for all the votes to be counted before celebrating.

“Obviously it’s nice to be in the lead, but will that lead hold? That’s for the numbers to decide,” she said.

Walden told supporters she was encouraged by the favorable trend in her favor.

“I want to send out a huge ‘Thank You!’ to the many people who sup ported me,” Walden said in a state ment to the Tribune. “Mesa was the most competitive school board race out of all the districts with seven candidates for two seats.

“There were good people running and I’m grateful to have gotten to campaign alongside them. I look for ward to the final results and for the opportunity to serve the families of our great city.”

If Hutchinson and Walden win, vot ers will have selected two candidates with contrasting styles and views of current MPS governing board poli cies.

Walden is one of three candidates who campaigned explicitly on shak ing up the school district in the wake of anger stirred by pandemic-era policies and controversies surround ing cultural touchstones like Critical Race Theory.

“It was certainly a much differ ent race than I had four years ago,” Hutchinson said. “The number of candidates that we had was amazing, but it was much more contentious than four years ago.”

But Hutchinson said she found rea son to be hopeful during the election

cycle.

“There is a lot of common ground once we start talking with each other and stop talking at each other,” she said. “Once you talk with people and share something about yourself and your background, there was great understanding that was achieved.”

Walden has been outspoken in her criticism of the district on issues of curriculum and social emotional learning, accusing the MPS of los ing sight of academics and teaching identity politics and creating divi sion.

Her campaign website states, “Po litical agendas and ‘Critical Theories’ have no place in our taxpayer funded education. The curriculum and pro grams infiltrating our schools are founded on Marxist principles with the end goal to fundamentally trans form America.”

Walden said at a candidate forum this fall that she decided to run last year because “I was really concerned about what I was seeing with the kids in my community – the learn ing loss that we experienced. We had so many students that were not per forming at their grade level.”

She emphasized academic achieve ment in a candidate forum, saying it builds confidence in students and would solve many problems the dis trict is facing, from school safety to achievement gaps.

As an incumbent, Hutchinson has been directly involved in some of the policies and initiatives criticized by Walden.

Hutchinson retired from MPS in 2007 after 31 years of teaching his tory in New York and Arizona.

She was elected to the board in 2018 and currently serves on several other boards, including the Arizona Council for History Education.

She supports the district’s current

win.”

After Maricopa County released an other round of tabulations Wednesday night, Mayor John Giles took to social media to congratulate Duff and said he was “looking forward to working togeth er.”

In other local votes, the “yes” votes for Mesa’s four ballot questions and propo sitions continued to lead by significant margins, potentially paving the way for millions of dollars in city spending on public safety and infrastructure projects.

Question 1, which would allow the city budget to exceed the state-imposed expenditure limit, so far has 77% yes to 23% no.

Question 2, a $157 million public safe ty bond for new fire stations and police building renovations, has 71% yes to 30% no.

“Yes” votes are also leading on the two changes to the city charter on the ballot: Prop 476 to allow direct negotiations with sworn public safety groups so far has 68% yes to 32% no, and Prop 477, which lets council change the threshold for spending votes, has 72% yes to 28% no.

“The Mesa ballot measures over whelmingly pass,” Giles said in a Wednes day statement. “Thank you to the voters for your confidence in city government and for approving these important in vestments in public safety and essential services.”

In the council runoff, Guzman Glover faced an incumbent with an established fundraising network, but she kept the race interesting with fundraising and key endorsements, including from the Mesa Chamber of Commerce and Mesa Police Association.

If Duff’s lead holds, she would start her second term in January along with retired firefighter and former Mesa city council member Scott Somers and at torney Alicia Goforth, who won their re spective seats in the August primary.

Somers is taking over from termed out District 6 council member Kevin Thompson, reclaiming the District 6 seat he held for two terms between 2006 and

Marcie Hutchinson

Rachel Walden

Jenn Duff

Portrait of a Graduate, which was developed with community input and aims to instill “the essential at titudes and skills students need to graduate ready for college, career, and community.”

Her campaign touted many ini tiatives aimed at supporting these goals, including hiring more school counselors and social workers to in crease student well-being.

She said in a campaign forum that she ran for reelection because “I be lieve that every student deserves a great public education in a safe and healthy school, and that every stu dent must be engaged in meaningful, real-life learning that meets their strengths and needs.”

Hutchinson said she has no reser

vations about working with a new board member who has been critical of the district.

“One of the things I can tell you about the Mesa school board is that it is one of the great models of democracy. We have people of all stripes that are sitting on the board,” she said. “When it comes right down to it, everyone on the board wants what’s best for kids. They believe in Mesa Public Schools. They believe in public education.”

She described the board that she and Walden may be seated on as “collaborative.”

“It’s a good board to be on. I enjoy being on it. That’s why I ran again, because we all want the same thing. We want the schools to be success ful for our kids and our community,”

Hutchinson said.

2014.

Goforth takes over for District 5 coun cil member David Luna, who is terming out this year.

Meanwhile Thompson was leading the four-way race for two Arizona Corpora tion Commission seats with 25.6% of the vote while Nick Myers, his Republican “running mate”, was snagging second place with 25.93% of the vote. That race was especially close, as Democrats San dra Kennedy and Lauren Kuby garnered 24.89% and 23.22%, respectively.

An official Duff victory would make it even more likely that the new council seated will have similar dynamics as the current body.

Council meetings this year have been marked by collegiality, and there’s often consensus on long-term planning issues

and large city investments in public safe ty and infrastructure.

In the 2022 municipal election cycle, voters have not chosen to radically change course.

But the new council could be tested in the next two years as the city faces sky rocketing costs for key projects, like wa ter infrastructure.

These challenges could be exacerbat ed by a projected economic slowdown – potentially forcing difficult choices about which projects to prioritize.

Chandler City Council already got a preview of the potentially rocky road ahead as that city’s finance director said inflation and the state Legislature both posed threats to most cities’ finances.

On the one hand, high costs are throw ing project estimates out of whack while some fear the Legislature will slash state funding to municipalities.

New court brings hope to Mesa neighborhood

BY JOSH ORTEGA Tribune Staff Writer

Bodyarmor Sports Drink and The Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation last week unveiled the newly refurbished basketball court at a Mesa Boys & Girls Club.

The two entities partnered with the Mesa Grant Woods Boys & Girls Clubs at 221 West Sixth Ave., Mesa. “to give them hope that they can do big things when they grow up,” Grace Hill said. “

Grace and Don Hill moved to the neighborhood near the Boys & Girls Club six years ago with their six kids.

Don played baseball, football, basket ball and ran track & field growing up and tries to continue that enthusiasm through volunteering at the Boys & Girls Club for the past year.

Don said he wants to help his kids on the same path as he did with having fun playing sports.

“I try to keep all the kids down that same line and just being open so that way they can find their strengths in each and every sport that they like,” Don said.

The new court features a special design created in collaboration with Bodyarmor & MMSF that incorporates colors and symbols meaningful to Kobe and Gianna’s legacy. In addition to the court, the event also unveiled a mural honoring the legacies of Kobe and Gigi.

Kobe’s oldest daughter, Natalia Bry ant, attended the event to cut the ribbon and lead a Q&A session with Phoenix Mercury star Diana Taurasi.

Bryant told of her life growing up in an athletic family and the role sports played in teaching her and her sisters how to communicate.

“Through any kind of sport you will learn how to communicate with others and every family is composed of a team,” Bryant said. “Whether you have a big family, small family, everybody’s a team player.”

Bryant also encouraged the kids that they can have dreams.

“If you reach for the moon you’ll land on the stars,” Bryant said.

Taurasi remembers playing on a court

similar to this one and said what great life characteristics sports bring out in people including persistence and hard work

“Anytime I come back to an outdoor court and I see young athletes, it’s the fondest memories I have of playing bas ketball,” Taurasi said.

Tara Piper, vice president of sports and entertainment marketing at Bodyar mor said they officially partnered with MMSF earlier in the year to “hydrating athletes, funding youth clinics and refur bishing several sporting facilities across the country.”

This court is number seven of 10 lo cations in the country planned for this kind of renovation this year.

“We just thought it was the perfect tribute to our relationship with [Kobe] to go ahead and give back and ensure that these kids know they can dream bigger and that they can do anything they want,” Piper said.

President and CEO of Boys and Girls Clubs of the Valley Marcia Mintz said they’ve partnered with Bodyarmor for

several years and the sports drink ap proached them with this idea.

Mintz said they scoured the state for the “right location” to build a court.

“We could not think of a better location than right here in Mesa at this particular club,” Mintz said. “Our kids are really ac tive and into sports, and we wanted to give them that access and opportunity to always be playing.”

Mayor John Giles attended the event and said this facility has become a point of pride in the community with the re furbished basketball court design and Kobe Bryant mural.

“It’s taken a place that’s very strategic, very important in our community and really elevated it and made it even cooler than it was before,” Giles said.

Giles said that having recognizable figures such as Natalia and Diana will become a memory the kids and the com munity will carry with them every time they walk on to that court.

“It’s really creating a legacy here that the Kobe Bryant and his influence is going to be felt here for a long time,” Giles said.

Natalia Bryant, eldest daughter of the late Kobe Bryant, joined Phoenix Mercury star Diana Taurasi and a group of kids from the Mesa Grant Woods Boys & Girls Clubs at the unveiling of a refur bished basketball court in Mesa. (Josh Ortega/Tribune Staff Writer)

Palo Verde Fiesta Bowl Charities has granted 51 Mesa teachers their wishes, giving each $2,500 to make them come true.

The Mesa teachers are among 400 elementary and secondary educators statewide to benefit from the Fiesta Bowl Organization’s annual tradition of “honoring, supporting and celebrating educators,” organizers said.

Presented by Salt River Project, the overall batch of awards means that “nearly 212,000 students across 321 schools and 95 districts will be positive ly impacted by their teachers’ wishes with this year’s group” which collective ly represents “more than 5,300 years of experience in the classroom,” they said. Recipients included people teaching the arts to science, both gifted and spe cial education, and languages and life skills amongst a diverse group of sub

jects.

“The 400 wishes granted will benefit teachers who will aim to enrich the lives of their students through technology improvements, addition of educational programs and fitness equipment and much more,” organizers said.

Randal Norton, Fiesta Bowl board chair, added, “Teachers are truly selfless individuals who help shape the futures of our students here in Arizona and we are proud to play a part in supporting our teachers to do more in the class room for the leaders of tomorrow.”

Kory Raftery, manager of external af fairs at Palo Verde, said the winners “are inspiring tomorrow’s leaders both in side and outside of the classroom.”

Created in 2016, the Fiesta Bowl Wishes for Teachers program grants classroom wishes to Arizona teachers. Public and charter school K-12 teachers across the state are invited to apply each fall with the recipients verified and se

lected by a random drawing.

This year’s $1 million total donation brings the Wishes for Teachers’ sevenyear cumulative grant total to $5.7 mil lion awarded to 1,600 teachers, impact ing more than 700,000 students across Arizona.

“Providing teachers with the tools and resources they need benefits Ari zona’s children. Partnering with the Fi esta Bowl on the Wishes for Teachers campaign is one of the many ways SRP supports teachers,” said Andrea Moreno, program manager of SRP Community Stewardship.

Here are the Mesa winners and what they intend to buy for their classroom and students:

Andrea Becker, self-contained Au tism Angels teacher at Salk Elementary, sensory equipment for her students.

Steve Bernasek, diesel tech teacher at the East Valley Institute of Technol ogy, new AV equipment.

Talia Bitter, English and special edu cation teacher at Desert Ridge High, sen sory furniture.

John Boggess, counselor at Kerr El ementary, classroom makeover with up dated supplies and furniture.

Jessie Boyd, physical education teach er at Augusta Ranch, new PE equipment.

Justin Cantrell, science teacher at Desert Ridge Junior High, a pair of lowfriction track sets to study physics.

Samantha Chin, art teacher at Rhodes Junior High, supplies.

Jaime Clemens, counselor at Edi son Elementary, sensory equipment for classroom.

Rachel Collay, English teacher at Westwood, water bottle filling station.

Carrie Collins Kitchell, gifted and tal ented education teacher at Las Sendas Elementary, 3D printer and supplies.

James Cuocci, physical educa

MPS to expand propane bus fleet with grant

BY SCOTT SHUMAKER Tribune Staff Writer

Mesa Public Schools is includ ed in the first round of grants under the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Bus Pro gram and will receive $750,000 to de fray the cost of purchasing additional propane-powered school buses.

MPS is one of eight Arizona winners of the first year’s grants and one of only two in the Valley.

The district plans to put the funds toward the purchase of 25 propane buses to replace existing diesel or gas buses.

The approximate cost of each new propane bus is $185,000, and the grant is structured to provide

TEACHERS from page 10

tion teacher at Las Sendas El ementary, new PE equipment.

Rachel Cupryk, English teacher at Red Mountain High, new books.

Lydia Donahue, special education teacher at Edison Elementary, tablets for classroom.

Chris Donlon, orchestra and mariachi teacher at Franklin at Brimhall Elemen tary, new instruments.

Tanya Dunlap, math teacher at Harris Elementary, resources centered on Spa tial Thinking.

David Fukayama, physical education teacher at Hermosa Vista, new PE equip ment.

Gema Gallardo, physical education teacher at Guerrero Elementary, coated outdoor picnic table and a class set of “The Bee Book.”

Katie Gardner, activities principal at Westwood, update auditorium lobby.

Anne Greer, English teacher at Moun tain View, new books.

Marjorie Gutierrez, irst grade teach er at Edison, furniture focused on class collaboration.

Anita Jo Harder, seventh grade math special education teacher at Carson Ju

a $30,000 rebate for each cleanerburning bus,

The district hopes to take delivery of the new buses within the next year.

The district has already made big investments in converting its fleet to propane, and currently boasts 255 propane buses out of a fleet of 255 total.

MPS Director of Transportation Jeanne Vandemark said the propane buses are cheaper to operate for the district because the fuel is cheaper and they have lower maintenance costs.

Vandemark said the district was a “groundbreaker” in the use of alter native-fuel buses, first adopting some around 2010.

The district upped its total signifi

nior High, flexible seating options for students.

Melissa Iglesias, a music teacher at Liberty Arts Academy , will purchase ris ers for their music class.

Cameron Johnson, a special educa tion teacher at Skyline, new technology equipment.

Sherie Kent, music teacher at Men doza Elementary, 100 sets of Jiozermi Mallets for music class.

Jessica Knapp, second grade teacher at Hale Elementary, flexible seating op tions for students.

Jessica Kowalski, math teacher at Brinton Elementary flexible seating op tions for students.

Yuki Kuno, amusic and band teacher at Jefferson Elementary, a new trombone.

Amy Laine, English teacher at High land Junior High, flexible seating options for students.

Heather Land, a literature teacher at Mountain View High School , will pur chase new furniture for their classroom.

Marie Lombardi, STEM teacher at Las Sendas Elementary, STEM resources.

Renata Luz Hoxsie, Spanish teacher at Heritage Academy, reading materials in Spanish.

Emily Mark, social studies teacher at

cantly after voters approved bond dol lars in 2018 to purchase 240 vans and buses, allowing the district to convert about half its fleet. Vandemark said MPS’ propane fleet includes both spe cial education and regular education buses.

To store fuel for all those propane buses, MPS has two 18,000-gallon inground propane tanks.

“That’s a huge investment in clean fuel,” Vandemark said.

“Everything that we do in Mesa Public Schools is in the best interest of the safety of the children, our en vironment, and of course we’re very conscious of our citizens being tax payers,” she said. “(We’re) very grate ful for the bonds that were approved in 2018.”

Vandemark said the district’s goal is to continue to expand its fleet of cleaner-burning vehicles.

The EPA’s Clean Bus Program, which is slated to distribute $5 billion in rebates over the next five years, is aimed at encouraging school districts to replace conventional gas or diesel buses.

The funds could be put toward elec tric, propane or compressed natural gas buses. Electric buses, at about $350,000 for Blue Bird models, cur rently cost significantly more than the propane buses MPS will purchase.

Vandemark said her department wasn’t expecting to earn a grant this year, so everyone was “absolutely ec static” when they found out MPS had won the grant on the first try.

Imagine Schools, a more inclusive class room library.

Mike Montes, physical education teacher at Falcon Hill Elementary, new sports equipment.

Misty Morgan, science teacher at Sta pley Junior High, new tables for class room.

Sofía Murphy, kindergarten teacher at Sequoia Pathfinder Academy at East mark , new furniture and sensory equip ment.

Lori Nelson, librarian at Fremont Ju nior High School, windmill generator kits and a class set of “The Boy Who Har nessed The Wind” books.

Alana Potts, fourth grade teacher at Lowell Elementary, STEM resources and flexible seating options for students.

Mindy Przeor, physical education teacher at Mountain View, update the girls’ locker room.

Rachel Redd, first grade teacher at MacArthur Elementary, guided reading level books.

Bryan Rice, physical education teach er at Red Mountain High, new equip ment for weight room.

Kelly Richardson, physical education teacher at Liberty Arts Academy, new equipment for PE class.

Laura Saggau, music teacher at Au gusta Ranch Elementary, more xylo phones to allow each student to have their own instrument.

Guadalupe Sanchez, first grade teacher at Emerson Elementary, flexible seating for students and math resources.

Angela Skillman, special education teacher at Boulder Creek Elementary, a sensory room for students.

Julie Smith, Title I specialist at Car son Junior High, reward incentives for students exhibiting positive behavior.

Courtney Teatro, physical education teacher at Stevenson Elementary, new equipment for PE class.

Linda Tomblin, kindergarten teacher at Hale Elementary, new technology for classroom.

Jeri Vanyek, physical education teacher at Field Elementary, new equip ment for PE class.

Gabriella Vetro, speech therapy teacher at Harris Elementary, a commu nication board for the playground.

Janelle Wiesner, first grade teacher at Silver Valley Elementary, new furni ture forclassroom.

Kathy Wooton, computer science and cybersecurity teacher at Red, a “Cyber Cave” to focus on cybersecurity.

checked his instruments as the image of a propeller on a large wraparound screen began to hammer away in the rain and he prepared to take a digital plane into the storm.

Behind him, a flight instructor scruti nized a computer monitor.

Scenes like this are typical at the Uni versity of North Dakota Aerospace flight school at Gateway Airport as instructors stay busy training aviators amid a short age commercial plane pilots.

Americans’ wallets are being hit with inflation pressures, but after the pandem ic, they are still digging into their bank ac counts and traveling with a passion.

The good news is that Mesa’s numer ous flight schools are seeing an increase in people interested in learning to fly.

The bad news is, it will take time –years probably – before today’s newly certified pilots impact a travel industry hobbled by delays created by the pilot shortage.

Mesa’s two airports began as facili ties to train pilots for the U.S. and allies during World War II, and the tradition continues with at least 10 flight schools operating in the city today.

Local flight instructors say that even though the communities surrounding the airfields have transformed since World War II, the conditions that made Mesa good for training then still remain: there is wide-open airspace nearby, plenty of sunny days and lots of airports.

Rex Ginder, associate director of Phoe nix flight operations for UND Aerospace, said the school’s Mesa campus now has the highest enrollment it’s ever had.

UND offers a six-semester collegiate program, and also recently added an ac celerated 12-to-13-month program to meet the high demand for commercial pilot training.

The school also partners with Chan dler-Gilbert Community College on an associate’s degree program that enables students to complete their degree with a private pilot’s license.

Matthew Johnston, president of Cali fornia Aeronautical University, which operates a school at Mesa’s Falcon Field, said CAU is also seeing elevated interest in training. He thinks even more stu

dents would be interested with greater awareness of the profession.

Pilot jobs are “plentiful, they’re por table worldwide and they’re profitable,” he said. “It’s a great industry to pursue.”

Johnston also told career seekers not to ignore training for aviation mechan ics, noting that a shortage of them is also grounding planes.

“When there’s a problem with an air craft, someone’s got to look at it,” he said.

Ginder agrees that jobs await students who stick with the programs.

He said UND currently has 100% job placement record with regional airlines for students who graduate and work as a flight instructor to help reach the re quired 1,500 hours of flight time to enter the pilot pool.

While flight schools are filling seats at a time when pilots are badly needed, Ginder and Johnston cautioned that alle viating the pilot and mechanic shortage is going to take many years.

Getting the commercial pilots license takes 250 hours of flight time, and that leaves a lot of flying left to reach the needed 1,500 hours.

Another bottleneck in the pilot pipe line is at the highest levels: the final class es pilots take with airlines to get checked

out on specific aircraft and routes.

These sorts of final onboarding class es are generally taught by senior pi lots, Ginder said, and the airlines lost a disproportionate number of these seasoned pilots during the pandemic, offering buyouts as travel restrictions grounded the industry.

Ginder sees evidence of the loss of train ers as airlines are hiring pilots but telling them to stay in their current jobs until space in an onboarding class opens up.

Consequently, travelers should buckle in for full flights for some time.

A side effect of the pilot shortage is the commercial airline industry has notched the highest “load factors” – the percent age of seats filled on the plane – in two decades in recent months.

Gateway Airport is no exception.

In August, the national average load factor nearly hit 90%, about 5% higher than a normal high of 85%.

Gateway President J. Brian O’Neill told the airport’s board of directors that Mesa has seen load factors rise above 90% this year.

Fuller planes have helped Gateway maintain revenue and continue serv ing record numbers of passengers even though airlines reduced their number of

flights out of Mesa this summer.

In August, Gateway served a record 119,403 passengers for the month on 13% fewer flights than the previous year.

But high load factors can become too much of a good thing.

“Ninety percent (load factor) is al most a disservice to the market because if there’s ever a disruption because of a mechanical or because of weather re lated cancellations, you don’t have any seats available to absorb those people and get them into the system,” O’Neill said.

He said the airport is interested in working with the airlines to bring load factors down – for passenger experience and for meeting the airport’s vision.

“Across the board, our ability to ex pand and offer new service certainly is hampered by a pilot shortage,” Gateway spokesman Ryan Smith said.

Ginder predicts that the future will al ways be bright for aviators.

The swift return of air travel following restrictions has driven home that “Amer icans are in love with the ability to get on a flight to travel,” he said. “So I think the training organizations like ours are go ing to continue to grow for the foresee able future.”

Rex Ginder is associate director of Phoenix Flight Operations at the University of North Dakota Aerospace hangar at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport. (David Minton/Progress Staff Photographer)

Veteran gets a welcomed gift of a new smile

TRIBUNE NEWS STAFF

U.S. Navy Veteran Paul Anaya lost most of his teeth in a grenade ex plosion while serving in Iraq.

“I have lived for a long time looking like a jack-o-lantern,” said Anaya, who served three tours overseas in the Gulf.

“You know when someone is looking at you and they try to not stare at your mouth. Well, I got that every day. It gets to you and impacts your confidence.”

But thanks to Advanced Dental Im plant Center in Gilbert, the 52-year-old Mesa resident received the gift of a new smile, valued at $48,000.

Dr. Frank Nelson and his team gave Anaya a full-mouth dental implant that secured a permanent bridge or new teeth on the upper and lower arches of his mouth.

The dental procedure, commonly known as fixed-arch dental implants, is an advanced procedure that Nelson com pletes daily for patients.

“It’s as close to real teeth as you can get,” Nelson explained. “But even be yond what the transformation will do for Paul’s physical appearance, we see every day the impact it has on our patients’ overall well-being.

“This is a new start for Paul and we feel privileged to be able to help Paul and to

honor him this Veterans Day for his sac rifice and service to our country.”

Nelson said he wanted to help Anaya after he came to the practice in need of dental care and could not afford it.

“We learned how he has devoted a lot of time trying to help others, working with other veterans,” Nelson said.”He was not able to eat very well, which af fected his diet choices and this affected

his health.

“Due to his accident, dentures would not have worked well because of his bone loss. We knew we would be able to help him and decided to help him as a way to honor him for his service. Our hope is that with a healthy smile, his health will improve, he will become more hireable, and this will lead to a more stable life.”

Anaya noted that the last time he bit

into an apple, his remaining tooth fell out.

“I would like to be able to eat steak again and actually chew it will be great,” he said.

According to the American College of Prosthodontists, 178 million Americans are missing at least one tooth and more than 35 million Americans are missing all their teeth on one or both arches.

For most military veterans, like Anaya, dental care is not included in their mili tary benefits.

“I am most looking forward to having people look at me like I am not a mon ster,” Anaya said. “I want to be able to smile and not worry about my mouth.”

“For someone to alter your life like this and help you like this, it just doesn’t seem to happen anymore,” he said. “When I served in the Navy, I spent more time away from my family and for someone to recognize that and want to help me now, I am just so grateful.”

Advanced Dental Implant Center clin ics specialize in providing lifelong alter native to dentures through fixed-arch dental implants.

Its doctors are among the few in the country who routinely place zygomaticand pterygoid-style dental implants, al lowing patients with severe bone loss to receive permanent implants.

Information: advancedimplants.com.

Drought, inflation tinge wastewater rate debate

BY SCOTT SHUMAKER Tribune Staff Writer

Mesa City Council will vote on utility rate increases for wa ter, wastewater and gas in December, and while it hammered out the exact figures Nov. 3, a few sparks flew about the wastewater rate.

Council was deciding whether to increase residential wastewater rates by 3.25% or 4.25%, a difference that would amount to just 24 cents per month for the average residential

customer.

The wastewater fee is charged for flowage into the sewer and water treatment system. Wastewater is not metered, so each customer’s charge is determined based on the average water consumption of a household’s three lowest water usage months during the four winter months.

The reasoning is the winter months represent the time when a house hold’s indoor water represents the largest share of total water usage.

Staff said the city would be losing money on wastewater operations at

either level due to the rising costs of water treatment chemicals and debt service payments on infrastructure projects like treatment plant expan sion.

Keeping wastewater rate increases at the lower level, staff said, would cost the city about $300,000 next year.

Council members Mark Freeman and Kevin Thompson advocated for the lower increase, arguing the city should cut ratepayers as much slack as possible while inflation is high.

“I like keeping the 3.25, strictly

because when we brought this up (lowering the wastewater increase), it was because of inflation that’s hit us all, and it was an opportunity to allow our residents to catch their breath,” Thompson said.

Freeman agreed, saying, “This past week I’ve talked to two constitu ents who are concerned about their wastewater charges and I told them we were talking about increasing the wastewater charge.”

“At the end of the day,” he con

Dr. Frank Nelson of Advanced Dental Implant Center, left, gave Iraq war veteran and retired U.S. Navy sailor Paul Anaya of Mesa a welcome gift: new teeth to replace the ones he lost in combat.

(Special to Tribune)

tineud, “I think it’s good business to give our residents a little decrease and let them know that we’re work ing for them, and I support the 3.25 and I’m going to hold firm on that.”

Other council members thought the city should go with the 4.25% in crease, arguing it would be prudent to keep wastewater rates as close as possible to the real costs of deliver ing the service to avoid higher rate spikes in future years.

Vice Mayor Jenn Duff said she would prefer the 4.25% level “to pre vent a jump in increases going for ward. … The cash flow projections for wastewater – we are very upside down in this category of our utilities for (fiscal year) 21-22.”

Duff predicted it would only get harder in the future to get the city’s books out of the red and into the black on wastewater operations.

“Attending a number of water con ferences and talking about water, the chemicals to treat water is just sky rocketing,” Duff said, adding:

“So just to keep our rates as stable as possible, and not to have a fluctua tion from year to year, I’d like to sug gest we stay 4.25%, which is about $1 a month (total wastewater increase).”

David Luna and Julie Spilsbury agreed that if going with a higher increase this year avoids steeper in creases later, it would be better to go with the higher rate now.

“The whole conversation was around helping out the residential customers, and at 24 cents savings a month – when you’re spending five

or six bucks on Starbucks a day – I don’t think it’s going to take the pres sure off of inflation. It just doesn’t,” Spilsbury said, arguing:

“So I agree with Vice Mayor Duff that it would probably be better to keep the rates more stable instead of having a bigger jump next year and the year after that.”

Arguing against keeping wastewa ter rates artificially low next year, Mayor John Giles broadened the de bate to include the issue of water conservation.

“Water is becoming a bigger and bigger issue – wastewater, water of all varieties – and I think we do need to as a city get more serious about how are we going to respond to that,” Giles said. “How do we encourage wa ter conservation in our community?”

Giles came down on the side of going with the higher rate on the grounds it was fiscally more prudent to have revenue more closely match costs, and higher rates could also en courage conservation.

After staff explained the wastewa ter rates are set by the three lowest months, Giles remarked:

“The best way to lower your waste water (rate) would be to not do a winter lawn. … That’s going to spike your wastewater rates for the rest of the year, so here’s yet another reason why you might want to rethink that.”

After an informal tally had five council members supporting the higher rate increase against two op posed, Council directed staff to go with the 4.25% wastewater increase when the utility rate ordinance is in troduced in council Nov. 21.

Arizona GUN SHOWS

Las Sendas boutique features local artisans, products

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Tribune Staff writer

The Ladies of Las Sendas are host ing their third annual holiday boutique at the Las Sendas Trail head Members Club, 7900 E. Eagle Crest Drive, Mesa.

From 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 17, more than 30 vendors will be present, including Patricia Phillips with Skincare by Patricia; Laurie DeBusk with Mozzie Fox; Karen Koub’s Crochet Crafts; and mosaic artist Channon Balkan.

“We have a little bit of everything,” said Phillips, who’s with the Ladies of Las Sendas.

“There is vintage clothing, essential oils, arts and crafts that they make by hand and crossbody bags. I have a lot of vendors who are coming back from last year.”

In the event’s first year, there were 21 vendors, but it has blossomed into 32. “I think we’re successful because, with

COVID, people were trying to find their way in life. It’s fun now that people can get out of their home and just enjoy life like we used to,” Phillips said.

Even though the holiday boutique is sponsored by Ladies of Las Sendas, the event features a few men.

“We have one male vendor whose

wife works for the Trailhead. He was the welding teacher for Red Mountain for 20 years,” she said about Dan Hurst.

“He has amazing artwork. I have an other couple from the Fred Astaire dance studio that just opened in Las Sendas. It’s nice having people who are local. We have vendors and shoppers from Red

Mountain, Mountain Bridge, and some of the other surrounding communities.”

The nonprofits Corbin’s Legacy and Jack’s Beads of Joy will participate as well.

Phillips said presenting the holiday boutique is her way of giving back to the community.

“I’m part of the community and I’ve been working in the community for 12 years at Las Sendas Spa and Fitness Cen ter,” she said.

“It’s just a part of me and I feel like I’m giving back to the community. I really enjoy it. It’s so much fun.”

If You Go...

What: Ladies of Las Sendas Holiday Boutique

When: 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 17 Where: Las Sendas Trailhead Members Club, 7900 E. Eagle Crest Drive, Mesa Cost: Free admission Info: 480-832-6900

Historical Museum hosts big arts and crafts fair

do some early Christmas shopping.”

One of the city’s premier annual sales is coming to Mesa just in time for the holiday gift-giving season.

The Mesa Historical Museum, 2545 N. Horne, will host its Arts & Crafts Fair 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 19, on its grounds. Not only is admission to the fair free but attendees also will have free ad mission to the museum itself, Almost 60 local vendors selling hand made crafts including pottery, baskets, wood carvings, glass bowls, jewelry, up cycled art and much more,” said museum Executive Director Susan Ricci. “All of our vendors are from the East Valley and have unique merchandise. It’s a perfect time to

The fair also features a mini book fair and concession stand benefitting the museum.

The festival started three years ago as a small local event on the front lawn to help artists who were impacted by the pandemic and now it has doubled in size and continues to grow,” Ricci said.

And Ricci stressed that the proceeds “will help the Mesa Historical Museum make some much needed upgrades to its building.”

The free admission will entitle guests to see some of the museum’s interesting exhibits, such as “Veterans of Washing ton-Escobedo Community,” a pop-up ex hibit open only through Dec. 7. It is spon sored by Pastor Eric Jenkins of Streets of

Joy and James Christensen, president/ CEO of Gateway Bank.

Another exhibit, “Early Entertainment In Mesa,” uses a collection of theater, movie and television photos and objects to show how various forms of entertain ment have captivated and transformed Mesa audiences for over a century.

This exhibit will run through June, 2023 and is part of the Mesa Histori cal Museum’s annual rotation of special exhibits which highlights significant as pects of Mesa’s history.

But history devotees will have to wait a little while for the museum’s new per manent exhibit developed in partnership with the region’s tribal community.

The new Salt River Pima-Maricopa In dian Community exhibit celebrates the

At the Mesa Historical Museum next Saturday, nearly 60 local vendors will be selling original and often one-of-a-kind items perfect for gift giving. (Special to the Tribune)

Onk Akimel O’odham and Piipaash cul tures. This exhibit is sponsored by the Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Commu nity Cultural Resources Department.

Start your holiday gift shopping at the Ladies of Las Sendas boutique and you’re likely to reduce the time you have to spend in malls. (Special to the Tribune)

TRIBUNE NEWS STAFF

Mesa poet to hold book signing Saturday

TRIBUNE NEWS STAFF

Award-winning Mesa poet Paula Goldsmith has just published her a new book, “Nursery Rhymes and More” and will be at a local book store next Saturday to sign books and talk to readers about her works.

Goldsmith will appear between 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Nov. 19 at Half Price Books, 6339 E. Southern Ave, Mesa.

A speaker and teacher for groups, schools and conferences since 1984, Goldsmith also teaches business classes on cruise ship tours, relying partly on her experience as a business owner in the past.

Her latest book is a collection of her award-winning nursery rhymes and at the end of each entry, she lists the award she won.

She calls the collection “a fun book for ages 2 to 110” and said she wrote it partly because “many of my readers have been asking me to publish a book with my award-winning international poems.”

“In the back of the book, you will find a place to try writing your poems,” she

said. “If you prefer, you can journal about life. Make sure you bring your book to life with color. “

Her body of work includes three chil dren’s books in a series entitled “The Adventures of Baby Cuz,” which, she said, are “designed to bring out creativity and imagination as the children are learning about life.”

Partly coloring books, she said they “can be personalized” and that “children will learn to read, spell and write as they

Barro’s slates Dec. 6 for patrons to help food bank

TRIBUNE NEWS STAFF

Barro’s Pizza will host the 11th annual Doran Barro Holiday Hunger Fight benefiting St. Mary’s Food Bank on Dec. 6, donating all its proceeds from sales at its 46 locations across the Valley to help those in Arizona facing hard times during the holidays.

“This annual fundraiser, to help the hun gry in our community, means so much to our family,” said co-owner Bruce Barro. “This time of year, it’s especially important to think about those that may be struggling so we encourage the whole community to come out and give back on this day .”

Last year, Barro’s Pizza raised more than $330,000 for St. Mary’s Food Bank and Bar

ro’s is hoping to set a record, this year. Ev ery dollar donated equates to seven meals, so last year’s donation provided 2,310,000 meals .

Over the last ten years, Barro’s has raised over $2.1 million, equaling more than 14.7 million meals. The Doran Barro Holiday Hunger Fight has become St. Mary’s largest cause-marketing effort of the year.

“Inflation is hitting Arizonans so hard, and families are turning to St. Mary’s for help in record numbers. The strain on the Food Bank is enormous,” St. Mary’s Presi dent and CEO Tom Kertis said.

The Doran Barro Holiday Hunger Fight is named after the matriarch of the Barro fam ily, Doran Barro, who died in 2016.

Information: barrospizza.com

bring their book to life with color.”

Coloring is not only a children’s activ ity in Goldsmith’s body of work as anoth er book, “Have You Ever Heard An Angel Speak” offers older readers the chance to personalize their experience by coloring in them.

Goldsmith builds opportunities to

personalize her books in another work. “HURT Personalize Your Book: provides readers a chance to include a journal.

She also has written a novel, “The Little Wooden Man, ” about three best friends trying to solve a mystery.

More information about her can be found at PaulasStories.com

Mesa poet Paula Goldsmith will be signing her eight books during a special appearance 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 19, at Half Price Books, 6339 E. Southern Ave, Mesa. (Special to the Tribune)

Wildhorse Rescue bake sale features Gilbert author,

People will have a chance to help a Gil bert horse rescue and meet a local girl who is among the world’s youngest female authors at Wildhorse Ranch’s annual bake sale and boutique.

The event will be held 10 .m. to 2 p.m. Sat urday, Nov. 19, at Wildhorse Ranch at 11811 S. Lindsay Rad, Gilbert. Overflow parking is five minutes away at the CVS on the north east corner of Lindsay and E. Warner roads, though handicapped parking is available at the ranch.

While learning more about Wildhorse’s mission and choosing from what the rescue promises will be “delectable goodies” and the wares of local vendors, people also can meet Kyra Mishra, who at age 6 ½ published a book titled “Kids, Horses and Apples: Come Join My Horsey Fun” earlier this year.

Kyra, who received an appreciation letter from The World Book of Records in London for publishing a book at such a young age, “has been contributing in kind and mon

etarily towards horse rescue organizations; following the book sales on Amazon and during her book signing at Barnes & Noble,” said her mother, Isha Mishra.

Kyra will have a table at the bake sale, sell ing autographed copies of her book, with proceeds going to Wildhorse Rescue.

Kyra has been supporting a horse named Dewey at Wildhorse Rescue. Dewey is a 6-year- old thoroughbred racehorse that won first place at Turf Grand prix and $10,000 in prize winnings but then lost his vision in an accident.

“His owner abandoned him and sold him to an auction house for a kill pen,” Isha said, “but then, Wildhorse rescued him and he is now very healthy and well taken care of.”

She added that her daughter even wrote a poem about Dewey, which attendees at the bake sale can see.

Kra’s book is based on her experiences as a 4-year-old with a horse named Cowboy, the first one she ever rode.

“He’s a grumpy horse and everybody told me to stay away from him,” Kyra recalled.

But remembering her mother’s advice to trust her instincts, Kyra did trust the horse and the two became fast friends.

“They were good for each other,” Isha said in an interview several months ago. “She would give apples to Cowboy and he started recognizing her and started neighing. They just connected.”

Kyra’s primary interest since becoming a published author is seeing her book raise money for horse rescues.

“I thought that abandoned horse needed help,” Kyra said. “And I wanted to share my

story with lots of kids.”

The book has been getting kudos, with mostly five-star ratings on Amazon.

“What an excellent book. Bless this girl for writing it,” one customer noted while an other wrote, “It is educational and inspiring book for children, especially for those chil dren and parents who love animals.”

Another wrote, “Amazing book for young children. Inspiring, educative and fun! My 8-year-old enjoyed reading this book. Excellent book with a great story and very educative!”

The title for the youngest to publish a book belongs to a British girl, who was 5 years and 211 days old, according to Guinness World Records. The youngest boy to achieve that distinction was 4 years and 356 days old.

Kyra put pen to paper in 2021 as a kinder gartener and wrote the book in bits and piec es, taking one to two weeks to accomplish her task. She’s dedicated the book to sister, Amaira, who’s soon turning 4 months old.

The book is available in paperback and on Kindle on amazon.com and is available at Barnes & Noble.

Kyra Mishra of Gilbert is among the world’s young

published female authors. (Tribune file photo)

Neuropathy Is Often Misdiagnosed

Muscle cramping, difficulty walk ing, burning, tingling, numbness, and pain in the legs or feet are symptoms of neuropathy people live with every day,” explains Dr. Kerry Zang, podi atric medical director of CIC Foot & Ankle. “The thing is PAD has very sim ilar symptoms. So similar that in many cases, people are told it’s neuropathy when it may not be.”

Medicine is often prescribed. “Pills aren’t a cure, they just suppress the symptoms,” says Zang. “If neuropathy

isn’t causing the symptoms, the real problem could get worse.”

It’s important to determine if PAD (pe ripheral artery disease) is causing the pain or making it worse. PAD is plaque in the arteries which causes poor circulation. “Blood brings oxygen and nutrients to your feet which they need to stay healthy,” explains Zang, “When your feet aren’t get ting an adequate supply, they start send ing signals.” Those signals include pain, burning, tingling, numbness, or cramping. The good news is PAD is treatable in

an office setting. Dr. Joel Rainwater, MD endovascular specialist explains, “We go into the bloodstream to find the blockage using imaging guidance. Then with small tools that can go into the smallest arteries, remove the blockage, and restore blood flow.”

Getting the proper diagnosis is the first step to getting better. “It’s all about find ing out what’s causing the problem,” says Zang. “When your feet burn, tingle, or feel numb, it’s your body telling you it needs help, and you should listen.”

If your neuropathy medication is not working, your symptoms may be an indication of another condition.

Stiff Joints Interfere with Everyday Living

One in 40 people over the age of 50 may find themselves limiting their activi ty because of a condition called hallux rigidus. It’s a degenerative disease of the big toe joint. As it progresses, the pain in the joint increases and motion decreases.

Don’t wait for your feet to yell at you. If your feet hurt, they are talking to you. Our doctors can help tell you what they are saying.

Does foot pain prevent you from doing your favorite activity?

Do you have burning or tingling in your legs or feet?

Do you have leg or foot cramps with activity or at rest?

If you’ve answered “yes” to any of these questions, call our office today to see how our doctors can help.

“People don’t realize the impact their big toe has on their life. It plays a role in balance, shock absorption, and forward movement as you walk,” explains Dr. Daniel Schulman, of CiC Foot & Ankle. “When the joint is stiff, it’s not able to bend and rotate properly, and it changes how we walk without us even realizing it.” These changes can lead to back or knee pain as well as discomfort in other parts of the foot.

“It always concerns me to hear that someone is playing less golf or stay ing home because they’re in pain,” says Schulman. “There are ways to help.”

The goal is to protect your feet from the repetitive stress of everyday activities. “We have several treatment options to not only relieve foot pain but help im prove how your feet work. If we can help your feet function better, in many cases the need for surgery can be avoided or at the very least postponed,” says Schul man. “Patients are always happy to learn about ways to alleviate their symptoms.”

For golfers, a stiff big toe can make their game suffer.

Dr Kerry Zang • Dr Shah

Mesa native wins $20K culinary scholarship

BY JOSH ORTEGA Tribune Staff Writer

AMesa native is the recipient of a big scholarship from a program that started with a reality cook ing show when she was 4 years old.

Since 2017, the U.S. Foods Scholars program has awarded more than $1.3 million to approximately 70 culinary students.

Now, Vanessa Ruiz is one of 18 stu dents across the country to win the 2022 U.S. Foods Scholars scholarship.

Ruiz plans to use her $20,000 award for her room and board at the Culinary Institute of New York at Monroe College in New Rochelle, New York.

For Ruiz, the award is just the begin ning of a lifelong dream to open her own bakery in her hometown.

“I would love to open a bakery being familiar with the area and knowing a lot of people,” Ruiz said.

Ruiz credits much her success and her current good fortune to the East Valley Institute of Technology and its Careers Through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP).

Ruiz concurrently enrolled in EVIT during her junior at Desert Ridge High School and through C-CAP earned a spot in March in America’s Best High School

Pastry Chef Competition in New York.

While there, Ruiz won the title of America’s Best High School Pastry Chef at a national competition in New York.

That earned her a full tuition scholar ship to Monroe College worth approxi mately $70,000.

In two years at EVIT, Ruiz said she became a certified pastry cook with the American Culinary Federation.

Her hard work also earned her the distinction as one of two students to be named EVIT’s 2022 Students of the Year.

Now, Ruiz is on a fast track to com plete her associates in pastry arts and a bachelor’s in hospitality management by June 2024.

Currently in her first year at Monroe College, Ruiz keeps busy attending class and spending more than 80 hours per week in the kitchen as a member of the “Core Five” competition team.

Ruiz said she looks to help defend the school’s title in various competitions leading up to the American Culinary Federation Nationals in Las Vegas.

Ruiz said her love of baking started when she was four years old watching the reality show Cake Boss.

“I could literally sit there and tell you how everything was made because I watched it for so long,” Ruiz said.

But it also helps that the culinary arts and entrepreneurship run in Ruiz’s blood.

Ruiz said her mom, Lorena Proctor, worked at a bakery when she was her age and taught her a lot of what she knows today, including frosting tech niques.

Her grandfather, George Ruiz, a for mer bodyguard for civil rights leader Cesar Chavez in the 1960s, also owned a restaurant in Phoenix called Jorge’s Au thentic Mexican Food Restaurant.

“I feel like [entrepreneurship] just runs in our blood because of that,” Ruiz

said. “I always want to make sure that I’m making my grandpa proud.”

Ruiz said she also learned real-world experience working for Essence Bakery Café co-founder/owner Eugenia Theo dosopoulos.

Ruiz said Theodosopoulos taught her that the fast-paced kitchen atmosphere can put you at peace if you have a genu ine love for the profession.

“She always told me to put my head down and get it done,” Ruiz said. “If you truly feel like this is your passion, you’ll know it and you’ll know that there’s no where else you want to be besides the kitchen.”

Ruiz said she enjoys baking because of the creativity that you can build upon it.

“A cake is like a book: it can literally tell its own story,” Ruiz said.

Ruiz said she believes patience and love go into a great pastry dish, and along with the ingredients, the dedica tion and time you put into your hard work pays off.

“Everyone can get creative with their own things,” Ruiz said. “But someone can tell whether you’ve dedicated your time to something or if you just did it because that was the only thing you could do.”

Ruiz said she doesn’t let her age or her ethnicity stop her and wants to become a role model for others to encourage anyone interested in the culinary arts to “keep pushing to make that happen.”

“Even though I am young, but I know it’s just a matter of me showing and proving who I truly am,” Ruiz said. “So I don’t ever want anyone to feel discour aged because of that.”

First-year pastry chef student Vanessa Ruiz, 18, of Mesa currently attends The Culinary Institute of New York at Monroe College in New Rochelle, New York. (Special to the Tribune)

East Valley Institute of Technology featured Vanessa Ruiz in several videos, focusing on her budding prowess in the kitchen as a culinary genius. (EVIT)

procedures are not covered under this benefit.

Share Your Thoughts: Send your letters on local issues to: pmaryniak@timeslocalmedia.com

TheMesaTribune.com | @EVTNow /EVTNow

Pinal County Attorney dodged issue in gun case

BY DAVID LEIBOWITZ Tribune Columnist

The story claimed headlines early on an August Thursday as a perfect sign of the times. A fourth-grader from Queen Creek, 9 years old, was arrested at Legacy Traditional School for toting a gun to school stuffed in a book bag.

The armed child showed another student a bullet. That kid saw some thing and said something that night at home. The concerned parents con tacted the school. The next morning, school officials searched the child’s backpack and found the gun and an ammunition clip loaded with 16 rounds. The Queen Creek cops were summoned.

The story resurfaced last week

when the Pinal County Attorney, Kent Volkmer, announced he would be pursuing two felony charges against the 9-year-old, who told police he brought the gun to school to protect against a “possible abduction” since he traveled from home to school and back solo.

Volkmer charged the student with two Class 6 felonies: being a minor in possession of a firearm and interfer ence with an educational institution.

“Given the inherent danger involved with a gun being on a school campus, PCAO must take this seriously,” said Volkmer in a press release.

It’s a charging decision I agree with, especially given Volkmer’s mention that “the juvenile justice system is focused on rehabilitation and cor recting behavior, and that will be our

focus.”

That’s where I’ll part ways with the County Attorney, however. Volkmer punted when it came to the parents in this case, deciding not to charge Briana Juarez and Keith Martinez while citing the age-old prosecutor’s excuse for the free pass:

“There is no reasonable likelihood of conviction against the juvenile’s parents for any crime,” said Volkmer I disagree. So did the Queen Creek Police Department, which in Septem ber recommended that the parents each be charged with one misde meanor count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

Their crime? The parents failed to secure the weapon, giving the kid a chance to snatch the gun and endan ger an entire school.

The mom, Juarez, told police they kept the weapon locked away in a dresser, a point she later clarified by saying the dresser wasn’t locked, but the gun had a lock on it.

Regardless, case documents indi cate the gun lock was missing in ac tion when the 9-year-old grabbed the gun.

Fortunately, the student had no plans to shoot up Legacy Traditional, according to police. The court docu ments instead depict a boastful child, a kid who showed off a bullet and also told his classmates he could get his hands on pills, wine, guns and booze.

It’s no wonder the incident man aged to frighten kids like third-grad er Jared Arizmendi, who told AZ

Biden was overwrought to the end of Campaign 2022

BY JD HAYWORTH Tribune Columnist

When you read this column, the 2022 Election will be over.

Unless, of course, Joe Biden’s “friendly warning” of Nov. 2 has be come reality.

In a screed that White House speechwriters titled “Standing Up for Democracy,” the current occu pant at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. at tempted to make the political case for Democrats by demonizing those who oppose them.

“Extreme MAGA Republicans,” he again called the group traditionally known as “the loyal opposition.”

And because so many Democrat office holders were falling behind in opinion polls, Biden sought to inocu

late any fellow party members who might have had a hand in supervising the polls where Americans cast their ballots, and the way in which those ballots were counted.

After citing the millions who opted for early voting, the Chief Executive rationalized why the American peo ple ought to expect and accept de layed results.

“That means, in some cases, we won’t know the winner of the elec tion for a few days—until a few days after the election…it’s important for citizens to be patient as well.”

While patience is a virtue, most cit izens see nothing virtuous in rising prices, rising crime rates, and rising numbers of illegal aliens invading across an open border.

Instead, they see America in de cline.

Unable to make the case for his own misguided policies, Ol’ Joe turned to his marketing experts. They, in turn, concocted a slogan for the remaining days of the 2022 Campaign.

“Democracy itself is on the ballot!”

Huh?

Not exactly “ I Like Ike!”

A far cry from “54-40 or Fight!”

Light years behind “Tippecanoe and Tyler Too!”

Democrat consultants may have honestly believed that their latest word combination would unlock urgency in the hearts and minds of enough voters to make a difference, but that modern sloganeering simply led to jeering.

Finding the slogan both over wrought and insulting, one rightof-center voter responded thusly: “I heard what Biden had to say, so I

took a very close look at my ballot when I went to vote early. I didn’t see any candidate named ‘Democracy,’ so I guess Joe is just confused again!”

Granted, that response wasn’t as snappy as the rejoinder to Barry Goldwater’s 1964 slogan in his pur suit of the White House. That year, the GOP appeal was as unfortunate as the outcome of the election: “In your heart, you know he’s right!”

Almost reflexively, Goldwater’s op ponents countered, “In your guts, you know he’s nuts!” The result, of course, was the landslide validation of the Democrat slogan, “All the way with LBJ!”

Now, almost 60 years later, voter attitudes have once again changed. That’s why the reaction to both Joe

Family reporters, “My teachers told me it was all going to be fine. (But) I thought we were all going to die in that moment.”

I believe in the Second Amendment as many Arizonans do. I don’t want to take your guns away – though these parents are a notable exception.

That’s because I believe with equal intensity in responsible gun own ership and responsible parenting. Keeping a loaded handgun in a draw er when you have a 9-year-old in the house? That’s courting disaster.

Queen Creek Police Chief Randy Brice nailed it when he urged “all caregivers with firearms in their homes to secure them in a way that no child in the house will be able to obtain access to the firearm.”

Arizona law defines delinquency with crystal clarity. It “means any act that tends to debase or injure the morals, health or welfare of a child.”

Maybe Volkmer couldn’t have found a jury to convict the parents of con tributing to their kid’s delinquency, but it would have been worth having a jury or judge decide if this isn’t crimi nal bad parenting, then what is?

Biden and his desperate-sounding slogan were so dismissive.

Simply stated, Ol’ Joe was confirm ing the bitter partisanship he equates with his own political survival.

It’s what Biden and others of his ilk left unsaid—the attitude behind the slogan—that both amuses and infu

riates Republicans. Conservatives believe the true sentiment expressed is this: “Democracy is only served when Democrats are elected!”

That’s why the betting here is that the successful two-word slogan House Republicans used way back in 1946 will prove as successful this year.

“Had enough?”

Charter school offerings have never been stronger

A rising number of families today depend on Arizona’s privilege of school choice in the search for the best education provider for their school-age children.

Consequently, the demand for Ari zona public charter schools and their impressive offerings has never been stronger.

Just like today’s higher education students, the parents of students in elementary classrooms should be able to access a school or learning program that best fits their unique skills and interests. As Arizonans, we enjoy this school choice option, and public charter schools are a proven choice for thousands of families in our state.

I’ve spent the last decade with Legacy Traditional Schools, a leading K-8 public charter school network, serving in various roles ranging from classroom teacher to instructional coach.

I’m also a mom of four students who attended Legacy schools from kindergarten through 8th grade. Through the years, I’ve seen first hand how Legacy schools solidly in still a lifetime love of learning and active community-oriented citizen ship in our graduates.

As principal of the Legacy’s Mesa campus and former teacher and ad ministrator at three Legacy schools, teachers and staff say they feel like the families and the community sup ports them wholeheartedly.

There is a true sense of community - together, teachers, staff, students, and families celebrate successes and

lift one another during challenging times. At Legacy, our communityfocused culture allows teachers and students to thrive in and outside the classroom.

Through our Back-to-Basics ap proach to learning, our classrooms offer direct instruction, with individ ual desks in rows - a proven teaching method that alleviates distraction and helps students focus.

With this methodology, teachers, the subject-matter expert, continual ly assess and meet the needs of each student in the classroom, ensuring they are challenged and supported in becoming skillful learners.

Legacy also strives to develop well-rounded students who learn to be successful in other areas of their lives. Beginning in third grade, stu dents may choose between two elec tive programs: Momentum Fitness or Mozart Performing Arts.

Students are empowered to pursue their chosen interests with a dedi cated hour of instruction daily, four days per week. Teachers propel ea ger, interested learners in areas that often lead to a lifetime passion, pasttime, or path to pursue through high school, college, or the trades.

It would be my privilege, along with our Mesa staff, to have your family attend our District Wide New Family Night on Nov. 17. To see why students and their families have found learning at Legacy to be a per fect fit, go to: tinyurl.com/bddd2k65.

We can’t wait to meet you!

- Cindy Jones, Pricipal

Get up to

Manny Pino taking Mesa football to new level

BY ADEN RODDICK Tribune Contributing Writer

Manny Pino has always had a dream of being a starting quar terback at a high level and he is finally getting to show off his talents as a Mesa Jackrabbit in his senior year. Although Pino spends most of his time trying to perfect his game, he also has many hobbies outside of football. Some of his interests include finding the next upcoming artist before their fame and recognition in the music indus try, thrifting designer brands and buying and reselling Jordan shoes or whatever it may be.

“I find a lot of interest in that even though it’s a pocket buster it makes up for spending so much. A big fan of Jor dan’s, I like thrifting in a way, solely because of the rare finds you can come across, I found a vintage Bape shirt and some old Supreme collector items,” said Pino.

Pino said he enjoys reliving the unreal experience of the Cleveland Cavaliers 2016 playoff run being a big Lebron fan and idolizes Lamar Jackson off his play style even though he supports his local team the Arizona Cardinals.

The first time Pino picked up a foot ball he was 4 years old, despite attempt ing to play basketball throughout middle school and picking up a baseball bat once or twice he realized going into high school he had a passion for football and wanted to focus on that.

“I tried baseball once and got cracked in the back of the head and from that point I knew it wasn’t for me,” said Pino.

Pino transferred from Red Mountain High School to Mesa High School as a freshman and dealt with adversity when it came to Covid and transfer ineligibility from freshman year.

Pino was on the varsity roster as a sophomore and junior but had to play some junior varsity due to ineligibility. But he continued to fight for that start ing spot making his voice be heard.

“Manny is probably the most impor tant person on this football team,” Mesa offensive lineman Trey Reynolds said. “He is the glue that keeps the team to gether when someone is down on them selves you will always see him there to pick them up. Manny has cemented himself as a leader. He is the voice of the team and the offense has full confidence in Manny and we trust he will read the defense and make that big throw.”

The Jackrabbits’ offense has been un stoppable behind Pino. They were 6-3 and riding a five-game winning streak

Much of Pino’s success comes from the relationships he has built with teammates, most notable se nior wideout Tre Brown. The two are inseparable and a dynamic weapon on the field. They’ve been key for coach Chad DeGrenier in his efforts to turn the program around. (Dave Minton/Tribune Staff)

heading into their final regular season game against Cibola last Friday. Pino is second on the team with 477 rush ing yards and five rushing touchdowns along with 1,283 yards through the air with 13 touchdown passes, a majority of those to Tre Brown, his favorite target.

Brown and Pino have had a special connection this season and it has played a big role in why the Jackrabbits have been able to mount out some key victo ries.

“At the end of the day, I always know me and him are going to figure it out and get right whether it’s on or off the field,” said Brown.

Pino and Brown spend a lot of time outside of practice bonding and running routes which has built so much chemis try between the duo making them un stoppable.

Brown, averaging nearly 100 receiving yards per game this season, has made the life of Pino much easier however he praises his quarterback for having faith in him and his teammates when it mat

ters most.

With a win Friday against Cibola, the Jackrabbits would secure a spot in the postseason for the first time since 2015 when Scott Hare was the coach. It would also be Mesa’s first seven-win season since the same year.

The turnaround for the program has opened the eyes of many in the East Val ley, and it’s all because of the relation ships Pino is able to build with his team mates that leads them to success.

“Manny has a good friendship and brotherhood with a lot of us guys on the field so the leadership role he has on the team is huge,” Brown said. “He pushes their full potential in practice. He has great work ethic, he is able to play any position the coach needs him at on the field, whether it’s offense or defense, he has it handled.

“Just one of those all-around athletes. I think he’s on the right path to take his game to the next level, just keep a good character and stay in the books and keep working hard everywhere he is at.”

Mesa senior quarterback Manny Pino has taken the Jackrabbits to a new level this season, one that hasn’t been seen since 2015. They were on the verge of securing their first seven-win sea son and playoff berth since that year. (Dave Min ton/Tribune Staff)

Zac Brown Band wraps up tour at Chase Field

BY JORDAN ROGERS GetOut Staff Writer

One of the most successful touring acts of the last de cade, the Zac Brown Band is making the last on its “Out in The Middle Tour” at Chase Field on Saturday, Nov. 19.

Coy Bowles, who plays gui tar and keys for the decorated country band, said the tour “has been going really, really well.”

“It’s pretty cathartic and there has been a lot going on in the world so not getting to play mu sic for a considerable amount of time and then jumping back into a really well designed, well thought-out tour” has been great,” he said.

Bowles said the audience can expect a concert that features three different acts.

Phoenix, has always been a rewarding stopping point for the Zac Brown Band, and Bowles said the band is looking for ward to the concert.

The shows so far have been “feeling really good,” he said. “When you leave, you’re like, ‘Wow, that was a lot of music. We gave everybody what they came and showed up for.’ So, it’s been really cool. It’s exciting to get to take that to all these different cities, and Phoenix has always been great to us. We’ve always had great shows out there.”

If Bowles had to pick a favorite track that he and the rest of the band have per formed on the tour, he said the answer is easily the title track for the band’s latest album, “The Comeback.”

“When we were recording that song in the studio, it was really kind of an an them of what it’s going to be like for ev erything to come back around,” he said. “

For Bowles, the track “paints a picture of what we just went through and where we’re at now.”

After the pandemic, he added, “It’s re ally hard not to just go, ‘Wow, man, I’m really grateful to be able to be with my friends again on stage and make music.’”

Getting to perform at baseball fields is a sticking point for the Zac Brown Band. The Georgia natives are made up of “die hard” Atlanta Braves fans, so getting to go on tour and play at baseball fields, such as Chase Field, is something the band really enjoys doing and has almost a “majestic” feel to it.

In the past, the group has performed at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Truist Park in Atlanta and Fenway Park in Boston –where they currently hold the record for most consecutive sold out shows.

“When we go play these baseball fields … it’s almost like wearing a superhero cape or something,” Bowles said. “Being able to be a part of what you are so into, there’s this super majestic part about the stadiums…You wouldn’t think it would be really good for music necessarily, but it does allow for a very chill, relaxing night for music in the way of the baseball fields are laid out.”

To date, the group has won three Grammy Awards, sold more than 30

million singles and 9 million albums, amassed over 10 billion catalog streams, and achieved 16 No. 1 radio singles. And while Bowles knows the band has re leased some incredibly special work, he said “The Comeback,” may be the band’s best work to date.

“I remember leaving the studio and driving back home to Atlanta from Nash ville and just going, ‘Wow, this might be the best album we’ve ever recorded,’” Bowles said. “Something is going to hap pen because there’s just too much ener gy bound into this music and in this col lection of songs for it not to.”

Speaking of awards, Bowles said he and the rest of the band try not to get too caught up in it all. While they are always beyond grateful for the recognition, the group remains humble and focused on the “why.”

“It feels really good to be nominated. It feels really good to be to receive the awards and the accolades and things like that, but that’s not really why we do it.”

Bowles said, “The Comeback” feels similar to the albums “You Get What You Give” and “Uncaged,” but just more “sea soned.”

To boot, he said Zac Brown, the Zac Brown Band’s frontman, sounds as good now as he ever has.

“We’re older now; we’ve got kids kind of thing, but we still have that magic exists within us collaborating with each other and whatnot,” Bowles said. “We decided that we were going to do things in a similar recording style that we had done before — let it (the music) be the band, not try to get into a lot of over dubbing and stuff like that. Try to let it be raw in the band.

“There’s something about be ing someone who’s in the prime of their life… and I think Zac’s voice sounds as good on this album as it ever has.”

The band released “The Comeback (Deluxe)” back on Sept. 30 and it fea tures Blake Shelton, James Taylor (who is Brown’s biggest influence), Cody John son and Ingrid Andress. Despite the de luxe album featuring some huge names, Bowles said the Zac Brown Band remains who they were when they released “The Foundation” back in 2008 — “Georgia boys who love music.”

“If you were to have told me when I was 16 or 17, playing in my bedroom at my mom and dad’s house loud as hell, that I was going to be playing baseball fields and touring around and all that stuff, I would have told you are crazy,” he said.

If You Go...

Who: Zac Brown Band w/Sam Hunt and Robert Randolph Band

When: 6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 19

Where: Chase Field, 401 E. Jefferson St., Phoenix

Cost: Tickets start at $30

Info: ticketmaster.com

The popular country Zac Brown Band will be playing Chase Field in Phoenix this Wednesday as it winds up a national tour. (Special to GetOut)

concert

Renee" the Renee Rice concert

Beth Lederman with Jazz Con Alma

Tina Tina and Rogers Tom Jones Tribute with The Motown Blossoms

With JAN D’ATRI

GetOut Contributor

Count on this chili recipe for a crowd pleaser

I’m always looking for “the one.” You know, the one recipe that you can count on time and time again to be a crowd pleaser.

Sometimes you’ll send me recipes with in-depth stories about the memories behind the meals, which I love. Sometimes I’ll simply get a recipe saying it’s a family favorite.

I’ve come to know that if you believe the dish is good enough to pass along, more than likely it’s a winner, and I’m grateful that its landed in my lucky hands.

Now you have another one in the Southwest cuisine category – a fabulously simple, incredibly tasty recipe for New Mexico Chili Verde. There’s a great technique in the recipe that really adds to the flavor of the chile verde, one that I have come to use often in stews and chili.

Ingredients:

Chili:

• 1 cup flour, browned

• 2 TBSP butter

• 1 large sweet yellow onion, diced

• 5 cloves of garlic, minced

• 2 lb. lean pork meat (boneless pork chops, pork loin or pork shoulder), small cubed

• 2 TBSP cup olive oil, divided

• 4 cups chicken broth

• 1 tsp salt or more to taste

• 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce

• 1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes

• 3-4 cups green chilies – roasted, peeled and chopped

• 1 tsp fresh oregano or dried Mexican oregano

Toppings:

• Chopped green onions, grated cheddar cheese, sliced

avocado and tortilla chips.

Dumplings:

• 1⁄2 cup all-purpose flour

• 3⁄4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

• 1⁄2cup yellow cornmeal

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1 egg, beaten

• 3 tablespoons milk

• 1 1⁄2 tablespoons cooking oil

It’s flour that you heat up in a dry skillet until it turns light brown and imparts an amazing toasted nut aroma. Get those flour tortillas warmed up and pour yourself a big bowl of New Mexico Chile Verde.

Directions:

In a heavy frying pan over medium high heat, cook flour, stirring constantly, until flour is a light toast color. Set aside to cool.

In a Dutch oven or large skillet, add the butter and sauté the onion for 10 minutes, or until soft and trans lucent. Add garlic and cook for 3 minutes. Remove to a plate and set aside.

In the same skillet, over high heat, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and brown the pork until seared on the outside and cooked.

Add the onion and garlic mixture and salt, stirring to combine.

Stir in the browned flour, mixing thoroughly.

Add chicken broth and over medium heat, cook until thickened.

Add tomato sauce, tomatoes green chile and oregano.

Cover and simmer for 50 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the dumplings. In a medium bowl, combine flour, cheddar cheese, cornmeal, and baking powder. In a small bowl, mix beaten egg, milk, and oil.

Add to flour mixture, and stir with a fork until just combined.

Drop dumplings by tablespoonfuls into chili.

Cover and cook for 15 minutes or until dumplings are cooked through.

WARNING! PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHY AND CHRONIC PAIN TREATMENTS NOT WORKING!!

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

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

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

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

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

1. Finding the underlying cause

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

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

Aspen Medical in Mesa, AZ uses a state-of-the-art electric cell signaling systems worth $100,000.00.

Th is ground-breaking treatment is engineered to achieve the following, accompanied by advanced diagnostics and a basic skin biopsy to accurately analyze results:

1. Increases blood flow

2. Stimulates and strengthens small fiber nerves

3. Improves brain-based pain

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

It’s completely painless!

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

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

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

Aspen Medical will be offering this free chronic pain and neuropathy severity evaluation will be available until October 31st, 2022. Call (480) 274 3157 to make an appointment.

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

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

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

Effective neuropathy treatment relies on the following three factors:

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

Aspen Medical 4540 E Baseline Rd., Suite 119 Mesa AZ, 85206

Employment General

Molly Maid located in Tempe is seeking full time permanent House Cleaners to clean homes Duties include vacuuming, dusting, mopping, sweeping floors, cleaning kitchens, wiping countertops and other interior surfaces and emptying trash Daily travel is required to our client’s job sites in and around the Greater Tempe and Mesa area Applic ants are encouraged to send resumes to mark buchanan@mollymaid com

Sound Engineering Technician (Gilbert, AZ) Pre pare and review acoustics models using computa tional resources Prepare technical reports for multi faceted acoustic analysis and design. Develop soft ware code for acoustic product design and modeling Bachelor Degree or equivalent in Physics required Must be proficient in LabVIEW, MATLAB, and Au dio amplification devices Mail resume to MD ACOUSTICS LLC, Attn: HR, 170 South William Dillard Drive, Gilbert, AZ, 85233

PayPal, Inc seeks MTS 1, Solutions Engineer in Scottsdale, AZ: Create innovative, customer driven Solution Proposals & Solution Designs utilizing PayPal’s suite of API products Up to 25% domestic travel may be req’d. Must be legally authorized to work in the U S w/o sponsorship To apply, please send your resume w/references, by email to: paypaljobs@paypal com; or by mail: ATTN: HR, Cube 10 3 561, PayPal, Inc HQ, 2211 North First Street, San Jose, CA 95131 EOE, including disabil ity/vets Ref Req # 17 6865 with/app

2015 Chevy Cruse 86k miles, Exellent cond , brand new Mich tires, CarFax report avail FSBO $9800 Terms avail. 480 703 1797

WANT

PURCHASE Minerals and other oil & gas interests Send Details to: PO Box 13557 Denver, CO 80201

Diabetic Test Strips by the box, unused Any type or brand. Will pay top dollar Call Pat 480 323 8846

Enter XBAL23FC1022GIL3909 in “Search jobs” field. EOE, including disability/veterans

Tips for Having a Great

1. Sort through your closets, cupboards and garage for items to sell.

2. Partner up with a neighbor or friend. This is helpful to give each other breaks during the day.

3. Advertise your sale — ask us for our Yard Sale Special!

4. In your ad include the type of sale, (e.g., Yard Sale, Multi-Family Sale), date, time, address/cross streets, and be specific on prices for high dollar items. Popular items you can include: furniture, appliances, electronics, tools, yard equipment, designer/children’s clothes and shoes, craft items, antiques, unique items and collectibles/collections.

5. Place signs on major cross streets and on the corners leading into your neighborhood. Just a fat, solid black arrow on colorful poster board works fine.

6. Price your items. If having a Multi-Family sale, each family should have a different colored price tag. You can do a $1 table, $5 table, etc., to save time.

7. Money. Be prepared with change, including coins. Do not accept checks. Cash only!

8. Have electricity available to test items.

9. Be safe. Do not let anyone into your home. Take your phone outside with you Have an extra person relieve you occasionally.

10. If it’s warm, offer cold bottled water for sale to cool off your customers! Happy customers buy things!

11. After the sale, remove your signs and donate leftover items to a local charity. Call

Public Notices

CITY OF MESA MESA, ARIZONA SOSSAMAN TO HAWES/202 GAS INFRASTRUCTURE ELLIOT ROAD SOSSAMAN ROAD TO HAWES ROAD PROJECT NUMBER CP1056GAS ADVERTISEMENT

FOR BIDS

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that sealed bids will be received until Thursday, December 8, 2022, at 1:00 p m All sealed bids will be re ceived electronically at EngineeringBids@mesaaz.gov . Bids must be submitted as an unencrypted PDF attachment with a maximum siz e limit of 20MB Any bid received after the time specified will be returned without any consideration

This contract shall be for furnishing all labor, materials, transportation and services for the construction and/or installation of the following work:

Install 5,400 linear feet of 6 inch polyethylene (P E ) gas pipe and 90 linear feet of 4 inch coated steel gas pipe by trenching Construct a new below ground operating/monitoring gas regulator station on the northeast corner of Sossaman and Elliot Roads The City of Mesa shall supply all gas materials shown on the quantities list on the approved plans specified by “Gas System Quantities to be Furnished by the City of Mesa” The Contractor shall supply all quantities shown on the cover sheet specified by “Estimated Asphalt Quantities and other Quant ities for Installation” and all quantities shown on the electrical plans sheets E 1 through E 8 unless otherwise specified on the plan sheets The City of Mesa shall furnish all stainless steel tubing and fittings shown on sheet E 7 of the electrical plan sheets. All welds on steel pip ing shall be 100% non destructively tested per the City of Mesa Operations, Maintenance, Emergency Response and Construction Prac tices manual. There are existing gas valves that shall be used to shut down the existing 6 inch high pressure gas line near the proposed reg ulator station for the high pressure tie in at Sossaman and Elliot Roads The Scada equipment shall be installed per the approved plans on the northeast side of the east vault of the new regulator station The Contractor shall supply all electrical materials associated with th e Scada installation up to and including the pressure transducers The Scada installation shall include intrusion switches and associated con duit, seal offs and fittings to both proposed vaults, pressure transducers, Scada cabinet, radio, pole, foundation, antenna, solar panels, sola r charger, programmable logic controller, switches, relays and associated fittings to make a working system

The Engineer’s Estimate range is $1,800,000 to $2,100,000 For all technical, contract, bid related, or other questions, please contact Tracy Gumeringer at tracy gumeringer@mesaaz gov

Contact with City Employees All firms interested in this project (including the firm’s employees, representatives, agents, lobbyists, attor neys, and subconsultants) will refrain, under penalty of disqualification, from direct or indirect contact for the purpose of influencing the selection or creating bias in the selection process with any person who may play a part in the selection process This policy is intended to create a level playing field for all potential firms, to assure that contract decisions are made in public, and to protect the integrity of the se lection process All contact on this selection process should be addressed to the authorized representative identified above

Contractors desiring to submit proposals may purchase sets of the Bid Documents from ARC Document Solutions, LLC, at https://order e arc com/arcEOC/PWELL Main asp?mem=29 Click on “Go” for the Public Planroom to access plans NOTE: In order to be placed on the Plan Holders List and to receive notifications and updates regarding this bid (such as addenda) during the bidding period, an order must b e placed The cost of each Bid Set will be no more than $15 00, which is non refundable Partial bid packages are not sold You can view documents on line (at no cost), order Bid Sets, and access the Plan Holders List on the website at the address listed above Please verif y print lead time prior to arriving for pick up For a list of locations nearest you, go to www e arc com

One set of the Contract Documents is also available for viewing at the City of Mesa’s Engineering Department at 20 East Main Street , Mesa, AZ Please call 480 644 2251 prior to arriving to ensure that the documents are available for viewing

In order for the City to consider alternate products in the bidding process, please follow Arizona Revised Statutes §34 104c If a pre bid review of the site has been scheduled, details can be referenced in Project Specific Provision Section #3, titled “Pre Bid Re view of Site ”

Work shall be completed within 180 consecutive calendar days, beginning with the day following the starting date specified in the Notice to Proceed

Bids must be submitted on the Proposal Form provided and be accompanied by the Bid Bond for not less than ten percent (10%) of th e total bid, payable to the City of Mesa, Arizona, or a certified or cashier s check. PERSONAL OR INDIVIDUAL SURETY BONDS ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE

The successful bidder will be required to execute the standard form of contract for construction within ten (10) days after formal award of c o n t r a c t I n a d d i t i o n , t h e s u c c e s s f u l b i d d e r m u s t b e r e g i s t e r e d i n t h e C i t y o f M e s a V e n d o r S e l f S e r v i c e ( V S S ) S y s t e m ( h t t p : / / m e s a a z g o v / b u s i n e s s / p u r c h a s i n g / v e n d o r s e l f s e r v i c e )

The successful bidder, simultaneously with the execution of the Contract, will be required to furnish a Payment Bond in the amount equa l to one hundred percent (100%) of the Contract Price, a Performance Bond in an amount equal to one hundred percent (100%) of the Con tract Price, and the most recent ACORD® Certificate of Liability Insurance form with additional insured endorsements

The right is hereby reserved to accept or reject any or all bids or parts thereto, to waive any informalities in any proposal and reject the bids of any persons who have been delinquent or unfaithful to any contract with the City of Mesa

BETH HUNING City Engineer

ATTEST: DeeAnn Mickelsen City Clerk

Public Notices

CITY OF MESA, ARIZONA ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS (RFQ)

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City of Mesa is seeking a qualified firm or team to act as the Job Order Contractor for the following:

WELL SITE DRILLING CONSTRUCTION SERVICES

JOB ORDER CONTRACT

PROJECT NO JOC WL23

The City of Mesa is seeking a qualified Contractor to provide Job Order Well Site Drilling Construction Services All quali fied firms that are interested in providing these services are invited to submit their Statements of Qualifications (SOQ) in ac cordance with the requirements detailed in the Request for Qualifications (RFQ)

The following is a summary of the project This Job Order Contract is for a broad range pre construction and construction services to support the exploration, improve ment, and drilling of well sites throughout the City of Mesa Several well site locations have been identified and acquired to create bolster water sources for the City of Mesa water system The work is required in support of the City of Mesa’s efforts to create more sources for well delivery The contract will be an indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) type contract an d will include a wide variety of individual construction tasks to support the development of wells throughout the City of Mesa

The initial term of the JOC contract will be for three (3) years and may be renewed up to two (2) additional one year terms The maximum construction contract value for an individual job order issued under this contract will be $4,000,000, or th e maximum permissible limit authorized by the City at the time the job order is executed Pricing shall be a negotiated fee Wel l Site Drilling improvement projects anticipated to be completed under this JOC contract are based on, but not limited to the current 5 year Capital Improvement Program Information on the Capital Improvement Program may be viewed at Capital Im provement Programs | City of Mesa (mesaaz gov)

Renewal of the contract will be based on the successful performance by the JOC Contractor and the needs of the City During the contract period, the City will identify construction tasks required to complete each specific job and will issue individua l Job Orders to the Contractor to complete those jobs The Contractor shall be required to furnish all materials, equipment and personnel necessary to manage and accomplish the Job Orders The Contractor shall be required to maintain a management staff in order to receive Requests for Proposal (RFP), prepare and negotiate proposals, receive signed Job Orders (JO) and No tices to Proceed (NTP), receive and initiate contract correspondence and provide other construction services to accomplish in dividual Job Orders Job Orders will vary in size, with many anticipated to be of small to medium size Some Job Orders may require incidental design services The schedule for the work will start after award and will be ongoing over the life of th e contract

A Pre Submittal Conference will be held on November 16, 2022 at 8:00 am through Microsoft Teams Parties interested in at tending should request an invitation from Stephanie Gishey at stephanie gishey@mesaaz gov At this meeting, City staff will discuss the scope of work and general contract issues and respond to questions from the attendees Attendance at the pre sub mittal conference is not mandatory and all interested firms may submit a Statement of Qualifications whether or not they at tend the conference All interested firms are encouraged to attend the Pre Submittal Conference since City staff will not be available for meetings or to respond to individual inquiries regarding the project scope outside of this conference In addition , there will not be meeting minutes or any other information published from the Pre Submittal Conference

Public Notices CITY OF MESA PUBLIC NOTICE

1. Amending Title 6 (Police Regulations), Chapter 1 (General Offenses), of the Mesa City Code , by adding a new section 22 entitled, "Interfering with a Peace Officer", prohibiting the obstruc tion of a peace officer from their official duties, or refusing to obey a lawful order issued, while engaged in the discharge of their official duties, and consequences for violations of the section. (Citywide)

2. ZON22 00942 (District 2) Within the 1200 to 1300 blocks of South 48th Street (both sides) and within the 4700 to 4800 blocks of East Hampton Avenue (north side). Located east of Greenfield Road and south of Southern Avenue (15± acres). Rezone from Single Residence 43 (RS 43) and Single Residence 15 (RS 15) to Multiple Residence 3 with a Planned Area Development overlay (RM 3 PAD) and Site Plan Review. This request will allow for a multiple residence development . Pew & Lake, applicant; Sunny Mesa INC, owner.

3 ZON22 00583 (District 3) Within the 700 block of West 8th Place (south side) Located west of Co u n t r y C l u b D r i v e a n d n o r t h o f R i o S a l a d o P a r k w a y ( 2 5 ± a c r e s ) S i t e P l a n R e v i e w T h i s r e quest will allow for a multiple residence development Victoria Snively, United Realty MTA, ap plicant; Thomas and Sarah Ahdoot, owner

4 ZON21 01271 (District 4) Within the 600 block of West University Drive (south side), withi n th e 3 0 0 b lo ck o f N o r th H o s ick ( eas t s id e) , an d w ith in th e 3 0 0 b lo ck o f N o r th D ate ( w es t s id e) Located west of Country Club Drive on the south side of University Drive (1 5± acres) Rezone from Limited Commercial (LC) and Single Residence 6 (RS 6) to Multiple Residence 4 with a Planned Area Development Overlay (RM 4 PAD) and Site Plan Review This request will allow for a multiple residence development Tim Boyle, Tim Boyle Design, applicant; QCC Promotion and Marketing, LLC, owner

Contact with City Employees

All firms interested in this project (including the firm’s employees, representatives, agents, lob byists, attorneys, and subconsultants) will refrain, under penalty of disqualification, from direct or indirect contact for the pur pose of influencing the selection or creating bias in the selection process with any person who may play a part in the selectio n process This policy is intended to create a level playing field for all potential firms, assure that contract decisions are made in public and to protect the integrity of the selection process All contact on this selection process should be addressed to the au thorized representative identified below

RFQ Lists The RFQ is available on the City’s website at https://www mesaaz gov/business/engineering/construction man ager at risk and job order contracting opportunities

The Statement of Qualifications shall include a one page cover letter, plus a maximum of 10 pages to address the SOQ evalu ation criteria (excluding PPVF’s and resumes but including an organization chart with key personnel and their affiliation) Re sumes for each team member shall be limited to a maximum length of two pages and should be attached as an appendix to th e SOQ Minimum font size shall be 10pt Please provide one (1) electronic copy of the Statement of Qualifications in an unen crypted PDF format to Engineering RFQ@mesaaz gov by December 1, 2022 at 2 pm The City reserves the right to accept or reject any and all Statements of Qualifications The City is an equal opportunity employer

Firms who wish to do business with the City of Mesa must be registered in the City of Mesa Vendor Self Service (VSS) Sys tem (http://mesaaz gov/business/purchasing/vendor self service)

Questions Questions pertaining to the Job Order selection process or contract issues should be directed to Stephanie Gishey of the Engineering Department at stephanie gishey@mesaaz gov

5 ZON22 00671 (District 5) Within the 1300 to 1500 blocks of North Power Road (east side) , within the 6800 block of East Hobart Street (south side), and within the 6800 block of East Hali fax Drive (both sides) Located north of Brown Road on the east side of Power Road (6± acres) Rezone from Single Residence 35 (RS 35) and Office Commercial (OC) to Multiple Residence 2 with a Planned Area Development overlay (RM 2 PAD) and Site Plan Review This request wil l a l l o w f o r a m u l t i p l e r e s i d e n c e d e v e l o p m e n t S e a n L a k e , P e w & L a k e , P L C , a p p l i c a n t ; P o w er R o a d P a r k , L L C , o w n e r

6 A N X 2 2 0 0 6 0 8 ( D i s t r i c t 6 ) A n n e x i n g p r o p e r t y l o c a t e d n o r t h o f E l l i o t R o a d a n d e a s t o f S o s s a m a n R o a d ( 0 5 ± a c r e s ) I n i t i a t e d b y t h e a p p l i c a n t , P e w & L a k e , P L C , f o r t h e o w n e r , T L C F o u n d a t i o n L P

7 ZON22 00607 (District 6) Within the 7600 to 8000 blocks of East Elliot Road (north side) and within the 3300 to 3600 blocks of South 80th Street (west side) Located east of Sossaman Roa d and north of Elliot Road (58± acres) Rezone from Agriculture (AG), Limited Commercial (LC ) and Single Residence 43 (RS 43) to Light Industrial with a Planned Area Development Overla y (LI P A D ) an d S ite P lan Rev iew Th is r eq u es t w ill allo w f o r an in d u s tr ial d ev elo p men t P ew & Lak e, ap p lican t; TLC F o u n d atio n LP , o w n er

Dated at Mesa, Arizona, this 13th day of November 2022 Holly Moseley, City Clerk Published: East Valley Tribune Nov 13, 22/ 50329

BETH HUNING City Engineer

ATTEST: Holly Moseley City Clerk Published: East Valley Tribune Nov 6, 13/