The Mesa Tribune 112022 Zone 2

Mesa schools graded after 2-year hiatus

BY SCOTT SHUMAKER Tribune Staff Writer

The Arizona Department of Education’s recently preliminary letter grades for individual Mesa district and charter schools include both successes and areas for improvement.

Letter grades for the 2021-2022 school year are the first in two years issued for Ari zona schools because of the pandemic dis ruption.

Schools had until Nov. 15 to appeal the

grade and the State Board of Education will them Dec. 9.

Out of the 105 Mesa schools identified in the 2022 data, those with an A or “excellent” are 22%; B, “highly performing,” 37%’ C, “performing,” 35%’ D, “minimally perform ing,” 6%. No schools got an F.

This compares favorably with the distribu tion of grades across the entire state.

Mesa showed a lower proportion of D and F schools than average and a higher propor tion of A and C schools.

Federal law requires states to measure schools’ performance using objective indica tors, and since 2010, Arizona state law has required schools to receive a letter grade corresponding to those performance mea sures.

Grading schools is more complicated than scoring a multiple-choice test.

Depending on whether a school serves Kindergarten through eighth grade, high

BY SCOTT SHUMAKER AND ALEX GALLAGHER Tribune Staff Writers

The weather forecast looks fine in the East Valley for next week, but there’s a strong chance of holiday cheer ap pearing on Main Street starting Friday.

Watch for ice in the Mesa City Plaza and consider donning gay apparel before leav ing the house.

Mesa’s 40-day downtown holiday cel ebration Merry Main Street kicks off at 5 p.m. Nov. 25 with music by the Mesa City Band at the big Christmas tree at Main Street and Macdonald.

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.

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

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.

Also at 5 p.m., the Mesa Temple Christmas Lights return to the reno vated temple grounds after a four-year hiatus.

Santa Claus is rumored to be stop ping downtown when the city officially lights up the Mesa Christmas tree at 5:45 p.m.

The 6,000-square-foot Winter Won derland Ice Rink opens for the season at 6 p.m. and music and food from the Jack Frost Food Truck Forest continues until 10 p.m.

The rink, open daily 5 to 10 p.m. weekdays and 12 to 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, is larger this year than pre vious years.

During Hanukkah, which begins Dec. 18, Mesa’s official 12-foot tall menorah at Macdonald will add a light each night of the holiday.

Mayor John Giles said the six weeks of festivities belong to a decades-old tradition of celebrating the holidays

The ice rink for City Plaza is bigger this year and crews plan to have it ready for blading by Friday. (David Minton/Tribune Staff Photographer)

see MERRY page 4

The Mesa Tribune is published every Sunday and distributed free of charge to homes and in single-copy locations throughout the East Valley.

Times Media Group: 1900 W. Broadway Road Tempe, AZ 85282

CONTACT INFORMATION

Main number: 480-898-6500 | Advertising: 480-898-5624

Circulation service: 480-898-5641

Publisher: Steve T. Strickbine

Vice President: Michael Hiatt

ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT

Senior Account Sales: Ryan Brown | 480-898-6482 | rbrown@TimesLocalMedia.com

Local Advertising Sales: Chris Ross | 480-898-5649 | cross@TimesLocalMedia.com

Classifieds/Inside Sales: 480-898-6500 | classifieds@TimesLocalMedia.com TJ Higgins 480-898-5902 | tjhiggins@TimesLocalMedia.com

Director of National Advertising: Zac Reynolds | 480-898-5603 | zac@TimesLocalMedia.com

NEWS DEPARTMENT

Executive Editor: Paul Maryniak 480-898-5647 pmaryniak@TimesLocalMedia.com

Staff Writers: Josh Ortega | 480-898-5610 jortega@TimesLocalMedia.com Scott Shumaker | 480-898-5634 sshumaker@TimesLocalMedia.com

Sports Editor: Zach Alvira | 480-898-5630 | zalvira@TimesLocalMedia.com

Get Out Editor: Christina Fuoco-Karasinski | 480-641-4518 christina@TimesLocalMedia.com

Photographer: David Minton | dminton@TimesLocalMedia.com

Designer: Nathalie Proulx | nproulx@TimesLocalMedia.com

Production Coordinator: Courtney Oldham | 480-898-5617 production@TimesLocalMedia.com

CIRCULATION

Circulation Director

Aaron Kolodny | aaron@phoenix.org

Distribution Manager Brian Juhl | brian@TimesLocalMedia.com

“When I was a kid growing up here … it was a big deal. The city would rollout dec orations that were hung on the light poles in downtown Main Street,” Giles said.

“Forever it’s been a tradition of downtown and Mesa being a great place to celebrate the holidays.”

Giles pointed out that this year, the city Plaza Park on Main Street – next to the new Arizona State University film and digital media building – will be fully open, and the large screen on the ASU building will project holiday vid eos and music.

“It’s really going to be a really special atmosphere,” Giles said. “In all humility, I think it’s going to be probably one of, if not the best, places to celebrate the holidays in the Valley.”

Merry Main Street is in its eight year, and the city and community partners have lined up a large array of things to see, do and watch downtown.

Numerous special events like holiday

shows at the Mesa Arts Center, markets and scavenger hunts are scheduled Thursdays through Sundays through out the season – in addition to the daily ice skating and Christmas lights.

The Mesa Santa Express converts a light rail car into a holiday train with songs, cookies and Kris Kringle and runs Dec. 9, 10, 16 and from 6 to 10 p.m. Rides are free but rider need a commemorative ticket.

The city has set up a simple website dedicated to Merry Main Street with a calendar for seeing when and where everything is taking place at merry mainst.com.

“Regardless of your religious tradi tion, the holidays are a special time of year for everyone, and so we want to create an atmosphere where people can create family memories, especially for their children,” Giles said.

Santa will not be the only one work ing during the Merry Main Street kick off.

Giles and local actors will recreate a true and funny story from the holidays in Mesa in 1932 called “The Man Who

Killed Santa Claus.”

The performance recreates the sto ry of triumph over failure as down town merchants planned to have Santa parachute down on the city from an airplane in the Lindbergh era and the dummy used in the stunt fell to the ground without the para chute opening, horrifying hundreds of children.

The story is told in an old-time radiostyle format with live music by special guests.

“The Man Who Killed Santa Claus” will be shown at the MAC immediately following the lighting of the Christmas tree and will be recorded for a future episode of the It’s Always Cool in Mesa podcast.

Giles invited residents to bring their family and out-of-town relatives to check out a Mesa Christmas tradition that has something for everyone.

“There’s something about the spirit of the season that is magical, and we want downtown Mesa to be one of the best places in the Valley to experience that,” Giles.

school or both, either four or five mea sures assigned different weights go into each school’s grade.

Kindergarten through eighth-grade schools are rated according to four fac tors, and high schools and K-12 schools are rated according to five factors.

For K-8 schools, 50% of the grade is based on “growth,” or how much indi vidual student’s math and language per formances improved between 2019 and 2022.

Another 30% of a school’s grade comes from performance on standard tests, and the rest of the assessment comes from “Acceleration/Readiness” and English Learner growth and proficiency.

For high school and K-12 schools, the most heavily weighted factor is standard ized test scores, which is 30%. Student growth, graduation rate and College and Career Readiness Indicator are each 20%.

Each year the State Board of Education decides the numeric cutoffs for each let ter grade.

So, the state board knows ahead of time how many schools will get As, Bs, Cs, etc. any given year, and the board factors that knowledge into its cutoff decisions.

Along with the grades, the state also releases the various scores that went into the grades, giving parents a chance to dig into the data to see where exactly schools performed better or worse.

For the K-8 schools, the state is using the same cutoffs it did in 2019.

For high schools, it’s using standard de viations – a statistical grouping of scores – which resulted in slightly higher grades than using the previous cutoffs.

Rebecca Beebe, director of government affairs for Arizona School Administra tors, told the state board before the Oct. 17 vote setting the cutoffs that school let ter grades can be demoralizing for staff.

Arguing against an “arbitrary” 70/80/90 model for determining school grades, which the board rejected, Beebe said low grades could be “a huge blow

to our educators who have consistently gone above and beyond to serve Arizona students.”

“That’s the last thing we need in a time like this – and it does not reflect the real ity which is that schools are coming out of the COVID years and improving,” she said.

State board member Dr. Jacqui Clay echoed this sentiment.

“Regardless of what form of account ability we select, we will not and should not hold our schools hostage by data that does not take into consideration the whole-child approach,” Clay said.

“My concern is we have so many peo ple who are not educators who are on the outside dictating and not really sitting down, listening, empathizing and under standing what’s going on in the schools,” Clay explained.

The State Board of Education encour ages parents “to have letter grade con versations with their student’s school administrator and staff members.”

It cautioned that “qualitative measures, which will vary in importance from fam ily to family, should also be considered. Some students thrive in a small school, while others seek the wide range of op tions a larger school offers.”

The new letter grades can be compared with the previous ones but with the ca veat that some of the standardized tests used to measure student performance have changed since 2019.

Last year the statewide assessment shifted away from AzM2 in high school and grades 3-8 to the ACT in the 11th grade and the AASA in grades 3-8, so grades don’t give a perfect apples-to-ap ples comparison.

Fifty Mesa schools, or about half the schools in the city, earned the same let ter grade they received in 2019, the last school year public schools were assigned grades.

Sixteen public schools in Mesa – in cluding charters and Mesa Public Schools – raised their grades for 2022. About twice as many, 34, earned lower grades

Mesaareaschoolsgettheirgrades

TheArizonaStateBoardofEducationreleased the2021-2022lettergradesforallschoolson Nov.2.Schoolshavetherighttoappealbeforea finalgradeisissued.Herearetheinitialgrades forMesaareaschools:

Legend MesaUnifiedschool Charter/alternate school

AAmericanLeadershipAcademyMesa,ASUPreparatoryAcademyPolytechnic Elementary,ASUPreparatoryAcademyPolytechnicHigh,BASISMesa, Crismon Elementary,EntzElementary,FranklinEastElementary,FranklinJuniorHigh, FranklinWestElementary,HaleElementary,HermosaVistaElementary, Imagine MiddleatEastMesa,IshikawaElementarySchool,LasSendasElementary, MacArthurElementary,MesaAcademyforAdvancedStudies, Montessori EducationCenterCSMesa,MontessoriEducationCenterCSNorth,Pathfinder Academy,PathfinderAcademyEastmark, RedMountainHighSchool,Summit Academy,ZaharisElementary

BAdamsElementarySchool, ASUPreparatoryAcademyPolytechnicMiddle, BrintonElementary,BushElementary, BurkeBasic,DobsonHigh, GEMCharter, EastValleyHigh,EisenhowerCenterforInnovation,FranklinatAlma Elementary,FremontJuniorHigh, HeritageAcademyDowntownMesa,Highland Elementary, ImagineElementaryatEastMesa,IrvingElementary,Jefferson Elementary,JohnsonElementary,KellerElementary, LearningFoundationBack toBasics,LibertyArtsAcademy,LongfellowElementary,MadisonElementary, MendozaElementary,MountainViewHigh, PathfinderAcademySequoiaLehi, PinnacleOnline-WMCD, PomeroyElementary,NoahWebster,Porter Elementary,PostonJuniorHigh,RedMountainRanchElementary,Sirrine Elementary,SkylineHigh, SunValleyHigh,TaftElementary,Washington Elementary,WestwoodHigh,WhitmanElementary,WilsonElementary

CAcademywithCommunityPartners,EagleridgeEnrichmentProgram,Edison Elementary, EastValleyAcademy,EmersonElementary,FalconHillElementary, FieldElementary,GuerreroElementary,HolmesElementary,KerrElementary, KinoJuniorHigh, LeadingEdgeAcademyatEastMesa,LegacyTraditionalEastMesa,LehiElementary,LincolnElementary, LemanAcademyof Excellence-EastMesa,LowellElementary, MesaArtsAcademy,Mesa DistanceLearningProgram,MesaHigh,MichaelT.HughesElementary, New HorizonSchoolforthePerformingArts,O’ConnorElementary,Patterson Elementary,RedbirdElementary,RobsonElementary, RooseveltElementary, SequoiaCharterElementary,SequoiaChoiceSchoolArizonaDistance Learning,ShepherdJuniorHigh,SmithJuniorHigh,SousaElementary,Stapley JuniorHigh,StevensonElementary,TaylorJuniorHigh,WebsterElementary, WhittierElementary

CarsonJuniorHigh, CambridgeAcademyEast,ConcordiaCharter,Lindbergh Elementary,RhodesJuniorHigh,SalkElementary

than they had in 2019.

Two schools improved by two letter grades during the pause in grading: Entz Elementary went from a C to an A and the Liberty Arts Academy went from Ds to Bs.

Two schools dropped two grades over the pandemic: Patterson Elementary and Sousa Elementary both went from

As to Cs.

The Tribune could not compare letter grades for seven schools because match es could not be found between the 2020 and 2022 data.

In several cases, that was because schools closed or new ones opened since 2019.

Coyote fans must now await Tempe voters’ decision

BY DANNY KARMIN Cronkite News

Adevelopment that has lacked clarity over the past six months gained a bit of traction last week.

The Tempe City Council voted unani mously to reserve May 16 as the referendum date for a proposed $2.1 billion develop ment project that includes a hockey arena, hotels, apartments, retail stores, restaurants and a sportsbook.

For the Arizona Coyotes and the city, this is only step one of a prolonged process since negotiations moved forward with the City Council in June – but any sign of progress is a breath of fresh air for an organization in dire need of future stability.

“We have always remained incredibly confident that this is the right project, the right deal, and we are the right team to get this done,” Coyotes President and CEO Xavier Gutierrez said. “We’d like to stay in Tempe.

“As you all know, we are here in Mullet

Arena. As someone that recently told me, it is the most fun you will ever have at an NHL game, it’s been electric – and it’s just a pre view. We always saw (Mullett Arena) as a temporary solution. We have put forth what we believe is the most transformative and iconic project for this community.”

The Tempe City Council will host two pub lic hearings in the upcoming weeks about the new proposal. On Nov. 22, the Coyotes and Gutierrez will present their project proposal, one week before the City Council votes to send it to a public referendum on the already reserved May 16 date.

For the Tempe City Council, it valued the public’s feedback and wants the city’s future to be in the community’s hands.

“I’ve been on council now for 10 and a half years, and I’ve never had a project that’s actually had this much public interest with this much public attention,” Tempe Mayor Corey Woods said.

“We have a 46-acre contiguous piece of land, and it’s the last probably huge parcel in Tempe that project could happen on. And

as I talked about, before, every other sports arena project in some way, shape or form has gone before the voters or in some ele ment of it has.

“So our perspective was better to have an opportunity to have this on the ballot in March or May, which is where we have our council elections. Reserving this date for the May 16 election is very consistent with what we do for all of our city elections, and gives our residents a real chance to have a say.”

There is also the potential problem of litigation from Sky Harbor International Airport, the City of Phoenix, the Goldwater Institute or local citizen groups.

According to a PHNX Sports report, the airport has threatened litigation over the construction of multi-residence units that it says violate a 1994 intergovernmen tal agreement between the cities, but that agreement appears to make an exception for soundproofed apartments such as the ones that the Coyotes plan to build; a point which Coyotes attorney Nick Wood drove home at the council meeting in June.

“We have had many conversations with the airport as you all know, we presented several times with the Phoenix Airport Ad visory Board,” Gutierrez said. “We again had been fully transparent about what our proj ect looked like.

“And the fact that we from day one want ed to put a proposal together that would not only satisfy the intergovernmental agree ment, but also the Federal Aviation Asso ciation, who truly is focused on the safety and soundness of the airport. What we have proposed, what we will be putting forth, very publicly now, we believe will not only satisfy everything that the FAA wants, but what truly is allowed under the IGA.”

With the vote in the hands of the people, it’s hard to predict the outcome if the proj ect goes to a referendum. If the project is denied, the Coyotes will undoubtedly be in a predicament regarding their future home.

One recent sports complex development in Berlin, Maryland, was recently under a

Election winners in Mesa look to the future

BY SCOTT SHUMAKER Tribune Staff Writer

With over 99% of Maricopa County’s General Election ballots counted before press time, the early leaders in Mesa’s local races have held.

Vice Mayor Jenn Duff has won the District 4 Mesa City Council seat with 56% of the vote, and incumbent Mar cie Hutchinson and Rachel Walden have won the two open Mesa Public Schools Governing Board seats with 24% and 22%.

Current Mesa Councilman Kevin Thompson, who is terming out of the city office this year, prevailed in his race for one of two open seats on the Arizona Corporation Commission, with 26%. His fellow Republican nominee Nick Myers won the other open seat with 26%, edg ing out incumbent commissioner Dem ocrat Sandra Kennedy and Democrat Lauren Kuby.

With few votes left to be counted, the local winners celebrated their election victories.

“We worked hard and stayed true to our message; reliable energy at an af fordable cost,” Thompson tweeted.

“The results are clear: the people of Mesa District 4 are ready to keep up our momentum,” Duff wrote to supporters on social media, adding:

“Together we’ll continue investing in our public safety personnel, downtown revitalization, help small businesses thrive, protect our water supply, bring more affordable housing options to Mesa, and ensure we are a welcoming community for all.”

“I will continue to bring all stakehold ers together and make sure that we are always making decisions based on what is best for everyone involved. Thank you again for putting your faith in me and I can’t wait to continue the work.”

Walden, who ran on shaking up the status quo in the district, thanked her

supporters for helping put her on the board in a crowded race with the sec ond-highest vote tally behind Hutchin son.

“I am honored to have been elected to the board,” Walden wrote the Tribune.

“My messaging resonated with so many parents who want to see academ ic achievement restored to the district. Mesa used to be one of the best districts in the state and now Mesa is the lowest performing district out of all the other East Valley cities.

“We have great teachers and many re sources in our city and there is no rea son we cannot once again be the best in Arizona.”

Hutchinson said this year’s school board race was “much more conten tious” than the race in 2018, but she expressed optimism about the new board. She and Walden are seated in December.

“I had a lot of people who supported me. Parents, teachers and support staff

and a lot of friends. When you’ve been in education as long as I have, … teach ing’s in my blood, and people know that. This is something I’ve dedicated my life to. To have so many people be so sup portive and work so hard to make sure I was reelected, it was very gratifying,” Hutchinson said.

Mesa City Clerk Holly Moseley said Duff and the two other newly elected Mesa council members, Scott Somers and Alicia Goforth, who won the District 5 and District 6 seats in the August pri mary, respectively, will be sworn in at a Jan. 4 ceremony.

The new council will convene for the first time Jan. 5.

Hutchinson and Walden will be sworn in to the MPS board in December.

Turnout was high in the school district race, with 165,161 voters casting ballots – 62.39% of those registered to vote.

In the District 4 race, turnout was just under half of all registered voters with 16,182 casting ballots.

Building trades seek youth to fill jobs

BY DAVID M. BROWN Tribune Contributor

Gilbert High School seniors Mason Reading and Lucas Beals attended this year’s Arizona Construction Career Days because they wanted to know more about the industry.

Clarissa Tonkin, a student at the East Val ley Institute of Technology, was there be cause she hopes to take her construction training into a decorative arts career.

The three were among a record 4,428 Ari zona students participating in the 21st-an nual event, organized by the Phoenix-based Association for Construction Career Devel opment and hosted by the Arizona National Guard in Papago Park in Phoenix.

Accompanied by 410 teachers, the stu dents traveled from 80 schools in 11 coun ties for AZCCD, which promotes career op portunities in – and dismisses stereotypes –about the high-paying construction industry.

With the country investing heavily in in frastructure during the next few years, ex pect more emphasis on vocational training, said Stephen Cole, workforce development trainer for California-based Rosendin Elec tric, which has a regional Tempe office.

“I think the industry needs to incentivize young people to go into vocations the same way as recruiters and high school guidance counselors do for how many students go on to college,” he said.

Cole noted that the hourly base pay for a journeyman union wireman is $32.55 in the Valley, not including the insurance and pen sion that comes with the job.

At the same time, electricians in the mining industry are earning as much as $48,194 annually, according to the Arizona Mining Association, while concrete readymix truck drivers bring in up to $72,000 per year, according to the Arizona Rock Products Association.

The students had an opportunity to inter

act with 76 exhibitors and potential employ ers in Arizona.

For years, negative attitudes about skilled labor work have predominated as high schools and parents pushed young people into college as the only sure path to success.

At the event, however, students and pro fessionals talked about career options with out a high-cost – and often high-debt – col lege degree.

“AZCCD is the largest workforce develop ment event in the state, generating a new pipeline of skilled workers. Our focus is at tracting high school students to the industry while educating their teachers and coun selors to the vast opportunities and careers available to make a very good living in con struction,” said Rose Ann Canizales, presi dent of the nonprofit event.

“We are ‘Building Tomorrows Workforce Today’ one student at a time.”

On site were general contractors, such as McCarthy Building Companies of Phoenix and Chandler; specialty contractors, labor unions, regulatory and compliance firms such as the International Code Council and the Arizona Building Officials Association.

Also attending were representatives of the National Electrical Contractors Associa tion, Associated General Contractors, Arizo na chapter, and the National Association of Women in Construction.

“This event is a massive collaboration of prominent industry leaders, educators, leg

islators and our honored military partners who engage in positive dialogue supporting the creation of educational curriculum and workforce development for Arizona stu dents,” said Steve Trussell, executive director of the Arizona Rock Products Association and the Arizona Mining Association, lead sponsors of the event.

“It has grown into a premier event in the state. Including this year’s group, more than 35,000 students have attended in its 21-year history.”

Stephen Cole, workforce development trainer for Rosendin, explained,” Young peo ple often aren’t aware of the opportunities, and this event is a phenomenal opportunity to meet and talk with people in the indus try who have made successful lives in the trades.”

One example of this is the company’s CEO, Mike Greenawalt, a graduate of Sunnyslope High School in Phoenix who began his career as an electrician’s apprentice.

The employee-owned company is one of the country’s largest electrical contractors, employing 7,500-plus people, with annual revenues averaging $2 billion.

Current Valley projects include the $800-million Meta Data Center project in Mesa and the $20-billion Intel Chandler semiconductor manufacturing plant in Chandler.

More than 4,000 area high school students attended a career day presentation by the laborstarved construction industry. (Courtesy of Rosendin Electric)

At the career gathering, Rosendin em ployees demonstrated technologies such as computer modeling and augmented reality as well as guided students on basic electri cal wiring, power and hand tools and helped them bend conduit pipes, which appeared in various shapes such as hearts and canes. They also noted that Rosendin has part nered with Grand Canyon University in Glen dale on a Pre-Apprenticeship for Electricians program.

The one-semester course combines col lege-level classes with hands-on learning fully paid for 80 students by the company and a government grant.

For employees, Rosendin will contribute toward the $10,000 for the four-year ap prenticeship program offered by the Inter national Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.

McCarthy has been participating all 21 years.

“We see the value of reaching students to educate about careers in construction,” said Amber Shepard, self-perform project man ager for the company from its Chandler In novation and Craft Workforce Center.

“At this event, they can see, feel and breathe construction,” she added, as associ ates behind her are cacophonously demon strating nail driving.

In addition to her project work, Shepa rd visits local schools to promote careers in the trades.

“We do a good job as a company, but I there’s always more opportunity to bring more folks in: project managers, superinten dents, carpenters. Let’s bring in everyone,” said Shepard, whose father recently retired from McCarthy after 35 years in the indus try, starting as a carpenter and advancing to superintendent.

“It’s a cool thing, construction,” she noted. “It’s always evolving!”

At Rosendin, Charity Mell leads the Out reach Team, visiting schools, where she talks about the industry and leads career fairs and talks about opportunities, including for women who are significantly underrepre sented in construction.

“A big focus for us is fighting the myth that you have to be the guy on the side of the road with the hard hat,” she said, noting that the company sponsors the AGC’s Culture of Care and is dedicated to developing opportunities

Exceptional care Breakthrough caring

Introducing Evernorth Care Group. Our doctors and staff are talented medical professionals who keep you healthy with best practices and clinical expertise. They also know your kids’ and your pets’ name. That’s the reason 9 out of 10 patients recommend us.

It’s how we treat you better.

Evernorth Care Group is the medical practice division of Cigna HealthCare of Arizona, Inc. All Evernorth Care Group services are provided exclusively by or through Cigna HealthCare of Arizona, Inc. and not by Cigna Corporation. The Evernorth name, logo and other Evernorth marks are owned by Express Scripts Strategic Development, Inc. © 2022 Evernorth

for women and minorities.

After moving to Florida, EVIT’s Tonkin, for example, plans to become a metal artist, using her pipe-bending and welding skills acquired at the school. Her dream business will produce flowers, dragons and other de signs to decorate companies and homes, and she plans to blog about welding.

Gilbert High’s Reading and Beals are opti mistic about their opportunities, the first in welding and the latter in engineering after continuing his education at ASU. “These jobs aren’t going to go away,” Reading said. “They are going to be around for a while.”

Nationwide workforce shortages have be come the most prominent industry concern. In October, construction added just 1,000 employees despite a high demand for labor, according to an analysis by the AGC, based in Arlington, Va.

At the same time, national hourly earning bumped to $35.27, a 5.6% year-over-year in crease, exceeding the overall private sector figure.

“The construction sector would likely have added more jobs in October if only firms could find people to bring on board,” said Stephen E. Sandherr, the association’s chief

executive officer in a prepared statement with the analysis. “Labor market conditions are so tight, however, that the sector barely increased in size even as demand remains strong for many types of construction projects.”

In Arizona, the industry needs about 1,000 electricians with the growth planned; other skilled tradesmen and –women will also be in greater demand, Cole explained.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates there will be 80,000 new electrical jobs available every year until 2031.

“The pandemic sped up the ‘silver tsuna mi’ as baby boomers retired at a faster rate than they could be replaced,” he added.

He noted, too, that the construction indus try must work on a glamour factor, to brand itself for millennials/Gen Z’ers. “We are con nected to creativity. We build things,” Cole said, adding:

“It’s very rewarding in a way that working at the computer all day might not be. Some of our people take pictures of their work and share them on social media with others; they’re proud of what they’ve done. They can see what they are working on and come back years later and say, ‘I built that.’”

Hoffman concedes in state schools chief race

BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

The number of undecided state wide races is now down to one.

On Nov. 17, incumbent state schools chief Kathy Hoffman conceded in her bid to get a new four-year term.

“After a hard-fought race, we came up short,’’ she said in a statement posted on Twitter. That means Republican Tom Horne, who had the job from 2003 until 2011, will again take the post.

The concession came even though the latest vote tallies showed that Horne’s approximately 9,000-vote lead in the race still left it within the margin requir ing an automatic recount.

A new state law mandates a second count when the margin between the candidates is less than one-half of one percent. And when all is said and done, that figure for a statewide race is likely to be about 12,700.

There also were about 12,000 votes yet to be counted on Thursday. But an aide told Capitol Media Services she made the decision to concede because she saw no path to victory, even with a recount.

“We have confidence that our elec tions were run fairly and accurately,’’ the statement read. And the aide said Hoffman believes the recount would not make up the difference.

A recount, however, is certain in the race for attorney general.

Democrat Kris Mayes on Thursday saw her lead shrink to fewer than 100 votes over Republican Abe Hamadeh.

And given how the votes have been breaking between the two, there is vir tually no chance either one will pick up enough of the uncounted ballots to take a sufficient lead to escape a recount.

A recount cannot take place until af ter the election is formally “canvassed,’’ something scheduled for Dec. 5.

But the odds of major changes in the outcome are slim.

In Arizona, a recount simply involves the same ballots being fed back through the same equipment that was used to count them in the first place, albeit after

a new round of accuracy testing. There is no hand counting involved.

All this comes as Kari Lake, the Repub lican candidate for governor, has refused to concede even though she was trailing Thursday by more than 16,000 votes, far outside the margin to even get to an au tomatic recount.

“I am still in this fight with you,’’ she said in a video posted Thursday on Twit ter.

And she repeated her claim, without any evidence, that the election system is broken because Katie Hobbs, who out polled her in the race for governor, was allowed to keep her position of Secre tary of State which is the chief elections officer.

“The fox was guarding the henhouse,’’ Lake said, disregarding the fact that each county is in charge of its own elections and counts its own ballots. “And because of that, voters have been disenfran chised.’’

Lake also said the results showing her losing cannot be trusted because of the use of electronic voting machines.

She cited the lawsuit she filed earlier this year along with Mark Finchem, the unsuccessful Republican candidate for secretary, to require ballots to be count ed by hand.

U.S. District Court Judge John Tuchi tossed out the claim saying that claims the machine can produce inaccurate re sults are little more than speculation on their part.

But Lake said her fears about the vot ing machines proved “we were right,’’ though not for the reasons she cited in the lawsuit.

Now Lake is claiming that problems with the tabulation machines in Mari copa County forced voters to wait in line, some for hours. And she insisted that “tens of thousands of Maricopa County voters were disenfranchised.’’

Lake offered no evidence to back that claim.

It is true that some tabulation ma chines would not read some ballots that had been printed at vote centers.

In each case, however, the voter was given the option of inserting the ballots into a sealed drawer in the machine, to be taken to county election offices at the

COYOTE from page 7

referendum to be built but the majority of voters did not give their support. Even with the rejection, the project in Maryland is still seeking an alternative for funding.

In the general election, 52.37% of voters were against Question A, which was meant to determine whether the Worcester Coun ty Commissioners could bond the costs as sociated with a sports complex. There were 9,424 (52.37%) votes against the question and 8,572 (47.63%) in favor to the question.

“The referendum wasn’t on a sports com plex,” Joe Mitrecic, the commissioner and President of the Board of County Commis

end of the day by a bipartisan group of election workers and counted there.

But Bill Gates, who chairs the board of supervisors, said it was Lake and her al lies who told supporters not to use what has become known as “drawer three,’’ creating the long lines about which she is now complaining.

Lake, however, is still threatening liti gation.

“I have assembled the best and bright est legal team,’’ she said. “We are explor ing every avenue to correct the many wrongs that have been done in the past week.’’

Lake has not responded to multiple re quests by Capitol Media Services to de tail how she believes laws were broken and any legal theory that would allow a judge to throw out the results.

There actually was a lawsuit filed in connection with the problems with the tallying machines which sought to keep the polls open beyond 7 p.m., a bid that was immediately rejected by a judge.

It also sought to require the count ing of provisional ballots of people who went to a different location that day but found they could not vote because they had been recorded as checking in and voting at the first site.

But that lawsuit, filed on behalf of Lake as well as GOP Senate candidate Blake Masters, was ended after the attorneys voluntarily dismissed it.

No other legal action is pending.

sioners in Worcester County, told the MD CoastDispatch. “The referendum was on the bond issue. As far as I’m concerned, the sports complex project continues on. We just have to find a different way to fund it.”

The Coyotes referendum is on the sports complex, but Maryland’s close vote is an en couraging to the organization.

“We’ve seen a glimpse of (hockey in Tempe),” Gutierrez said. “Now imagine if you have an opportunity to create this transformative sports and entertainment district over 46 acres. That to us would be the crowning jewel of what Tempe has envi sioned itself to be right here in the heart of the Valley.”

Arizona Superintendent of Public Schools Kathy Hoffman conceded defeat to Republican Tom Horne, who is returning to the job after a four-year hiatus. (Cronkite News)

Broken bones no deterrent for bull riders

BY MARK MORAN Tribune Staff Writer

Acrushed cheekbone, shattered or bital socket around his eye, more broken ribs than he can recall, multiple fractures of his nose, major re constructive facial surgery and a “blown out” shoulder and knee, all before the age of 22, have not been enough to deter JC Mortensen from pursuing his passion for professional bull riding.

“I haven’t accomplished my dreams yet,” Mortensen said. “I still got some goals.”

Mortensen wants a shot at competing for a world championship, to be among the most elite riders in the world who, once they qualify, will gather in Las Ve gas next May to compete for the National Finals Rodeo’s top prize.

“It’s like the Super Bowl of profession al rodeo,” he said. “They take the top 15 guys in the world and you ride ten days

in a row in Las Vegas. Ever since I was born, this is somethin’ that I really want ed to do. I looked up to cowboys and wanted to be a cowboy my whole life.”

The road to Las Vegas runs through Queen Creek, at least as far as a bull rid ing championship is concerned.

This weekend, Mortensen will be among 80 of the top bull riders in the world competing for a spot in Las Vegas in addition to riding for $30,000 in local prize money in the X-TREME Bulls event, held at the Queen Creek Horseshoe Park & Equestrian Centre, Nov. 23, 25 and 26.

“Man, it’s big money. I had a taste of big money at a young age,” Mortensen said. “I’ve been able to get almost every thing I’ve wanted. It’s given me a great job to be able to provide for myself and even more.”

Mortensen was ranked 13th in the

Summer Breeze makes ex-QC band director feel fine

BY JOSH ORTEGA Tribune Staff Writer

Aglobal pandemic couldn’t stop Bill Miles’ Summer Breeze from blowing into town.

In 2019, Bill Miles started the Summer Breeze Music Project to rekindle interest in the feel-good tunes of the 1960s, 70s, and 80s. With the pandemic blowing over, Miles said interest in his musical stylings has been renewed.

“My goal is every time I perform is to just make people feel good and enjoy it,” Miles said.

The 60-year-old Mesa musician started his career when he was 14 as an orchestra pit percussionist for the Illinois Theatre Center equity theater in Park Forest, Illinois.

Miles said it snowballed from there.

Miles attended Northern Illinois Univer sity in Dekalb, Illinois, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in music education in 1985.

He performed as a percussionist with the NIU Jazz Ensemble all over the United States and Europe.

He said some of his most memorable per formances include playing in Switzerland’s Montreux Jazz Festival, the second-largest annual jazz festival in the world after Cana da’s Montreal International Jazz Festival.

Miles also recalled a performance in the town of Wolfenbüttel, Germany, with the most unique venue and compensation for his services.

“We played out in the street on the cobble stone,” Miles said. “They gave the band pay

ment in bratwurst and beer.”

Miles spent much of his career performing as a drummer and singer for various bands around Chicago. That’s where he met his wife Pam.

In 1994, Miles played at a Greek restau rant in Itasca, Illinois, and the singer in the band he played for introduced them. They married in 1996 and have two daughters, Amber and Maddie.

In 1998, Miles moved to Queen Creek and took a role as the Queen Creek High School band director and left in 2005 to begin a cor porate job as a web developer by day.

Miles briefly performed at night in a local classic rock band called Mojo Jam for private parties and small events.

In 2015, with his two daughters grown and out of the house, Miles said he got

an idea.

Miles sat playing his grand piano at his new home in Mesa and said he felt the time was right and spent the next few years col lecting “feel good favorite” song ideas.

In February 2020, Miles played his first Summer Breeze Music Project gig at the Chandler Senior Center.

Miles said his favorite song growing up was “Summer Breeze” by Seals and Crofts, and that inspired him to use it as the name for his project.

“I used to hear it all the time and it just gave me a really good feeling,” Miles said. “And since the whole concept of Summer Breeze Music Project is feel good, favorite music, I thought what a great name for it.”

Bull riding is not for the faint of heart, as this rider amply demonstrates. (Special to the Tribune)

Ob uaries

480-898-6465 • obits@TimesLocalMedia.com

Deadline: Wednesday by 5pm for Sunday

Joseph Grant Johansen loving husband, father, grandfather, and brother, passed away peacefully at home on Thursday, November 10, 2022, sur rounded by his family. He battled Lewy body dementia for a decade. The guiding stars in his life were love of family and of the gospel of Jesus Christ. He was happiest when enjoying time with his wife, children, and grandchildren.

Joe was born on March 26, 1950, in Mount Pleasant, Utah to Grant Lamar Johansen and Louise Bagley. The fami ly grew to include three siblings, Connie Ames (Terry), Christine Redford (Jim), and Kent Johansen (Lisa). Graduate of North Sanpete High School, he partic ipated in baseball, track, football, and basketball.

Joe entered BYU majoring in microbiol ogy and was called to serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to the Japan, Tokyo Mission. He married his eternal sweetheart, Vic toria Lacey, whom he met at BYU, in the Provo, Utah Temple on June 8, 1972. He was a devoted and loving husband throughout their fifty years of marriage.

They enjoyed a rich life together raising their family while living in California, Kansas, Utah, and Arizona. They have seven children: Natalie Smith (Lance), Bridgett Johnson (Joel), Joseph Kell (Em ily), Summer McKay (Monroe), Tyler Grant (Karissa), John Brock (Megan), and Austin Clark (Natalie). Joe was a role model in education, missionary service, and hard work. To his children, Joe was a great coach during sport seasons and a tutor during school sessions.

His career in dentistry began at Univer sity of Southern California and contin ued through the service in the Army. Joe continued achieving academic excellence through Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Residency at University of Southern Cal ifornia. He established a practice in the Mesa Arizona community.

Joe is survived by his wife, Victoria, their seven children and spouses, twenty-five grandchildren, and three siblings. He was preceded in death by his parents.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, December 3rd at Mount Pleasant Utah 3rd Ward on 295 S State St in Mount Pleasant. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his memory to LDS Charities or to the Church’s General Missionary Fund.

world last year, his best season, he said, and pocketed more than $100,000 in prize money in 2021 alone. He estimates that he has earned closer to $200,000 over the course of his relatively young career.

But his sport means more to him than money and fame.

“Its an adrenaline rush and being able to conquer that,” he said. “It’s a pretty dang good feeling once you get off and you rode one for eight seconds. It’s been a dream of mine to ride buckin’ bulls since I was little and now to actually do it, it’s crazy.”

JC followed his father Judd’s footsteps into professional bull riding, and has never really wanted to do anything else, he said. Or, maybe he did not have much choice.

The expression ‘it runs in the family” comes to mind. Judd was a decorated pro cowboy, and JC’s grandfather and name sake, JC Trujillo, a world champion bare back rider, and bucked his way into the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame.

Judd Mortensen, who had his dad JC Trujillo as his coach, is retired now, and is passing the les sons down to the young er JC.

Now 44, and having endured his own share of broken bones and various injuries in one the tough est professions in the world, Judd Mortensen recalls what drew him to bull riding when he was his son’s age.

“I tell ya, when you start ridin’ bulls, it’s just kind of a challenge to yourself. Let’s try to do this. This is fun,” Judd Mortensen said. “Then you beat on your craft and get to where you can ride ‘em in rhythm and then all of a sudden they start paying you some money and it be comes a profession, you know?”

Among the lessons he has handed down to JC is that being a successful bull rider is not about fighting the animal, but about getting along with him, predicting his next move and figuring out a way to stay on a spinning, bucking 1,600 pound animal who wants nothing more than to have you off of his back…. For eight sec onds at least.

“It feels so good to ride a bull when he’s spinnin’ hard and buckin’ fast, Judd Mortensen said. “Everybody thinks you just get on them and hang on tight. That’s really not the case.

“You want to get in rhythm with the animal and become one with him and you can’t even explain that feeling, to be

Joseph Grant Johansen

Bull riding offers more than its share of broken bones and wounded pride, but it also can deliver big rewards to some. (Special to the Tribune)

an animal that is bucking hard and spin ning fast and then you jump off and land on your feet and the crowd goes wild. And nowadays the payout is pretty dang good for a bull rider who can ride good,” he added.

Mortensen did acknowledge, however, that perhaps more often than not a bull rider does not land on his feet, but on various other parts of the body when they are bucked off the bull, hence all of the injuries associated with the sport.

“Yeah, there is a huge danger and risk involved. Bull riding is a very rough sport,” he said. “But the guys at this level that are trained, they’ve done it a lot, they’ve got good, protective gear on, and they kind of know how to fall and get off.”

The younger Mortensen added, “It’s all about timing. They are way stronger than us for us to muscle up and pull our selves back,” he said of the bulls. “We’re trying to predict their next move.”

The X-TREME bull riding champion ship event kicks off on Wednesday night

with a three-band country music concert featuring Western Fusion, Nathan Dean and Josh Roy, all Phoenix area bands.

The bull riding begins on Friday, and so do a host of community focused events, including mechanical bull rid ing, stick horse races, western-themed events for kids, an Old West 6-shooter gunfight reenactment, roping machines and mutton busting, in which children ride or race sheep.

Gates will open at 5 p.m. on Friday with live music, dancing, vendors, and food trucks.

The high-stakes championship bull riding events take place Saturday eve ning.

Judd Mortensen has retired his spurs and chaps, but remains active in the sport. In addition to coaching JC, he is the head promoter for the X-TREME BULLS event this weekend.

“We’ve got some of the best riders in the world,” he said. “Just a lot of great names out here, going up against some of the best buckin’ bulls in the industry.”

Information: visitmesa.com/sportsplanner/queen-creek-xtremebulls

BREEZE

from page 14

Miles covers more than 100 other songs from various artists including Elton John, James Taylor, Neil Diamond, and The Doobie Brothers.

He performs those at various venues around the East Valley such as Las Sendas Patio & Grill in Mesa, Gold Stallion restau rant in Gold Canyon, and Pier 54 restaurant in Tempe.

As the threat of the COVID-19 subsided, Miles said his gigs have continually increased but there are still some challenges.

“Even though my act receives high praise pretty much everywhere I perform, finding new bookings at various new venues has been a challenge,” Miles said.

Miles said “music is an addiction” and the feeling it gives the audience and him keeps him coming back for more.

“The great thing about music is you can do it forever,” Miles said. “I think that kind of keeps you young at heart.”

Miles has a well-rounded repertoire that makes his one-man show entertaining with acoustic guitar, he enjoys playing the piano.

“It’s just so logical to me,” Miles said. “I

Bill Miles is the former Queen Creek High School band director. He now lives in Mesa and has launched a project called Summer Breeze. (David Minton/Tribune Staff Photographer)

kind of take to it like a duck to water.”

Miles said he eventually wants to grow his one-man act to add a lead guitarist and a saxophone player and grow the band to at least a quartet.

But for now, Miles said he just wants to “to perform and entertain for people who ap preciate that genre and that era of music.”

To learn more about his music and how to arrange a gig: summerbreezemusicproject. com/Bio

For the first time since 2013, the Arizona State Capitol will join more than 3,000 locations across the U.S. and interna tional sites to host National Wreaths Across America Day on Dec. 17.

And keeping an East Valley tradition, both the Exchange Club of Chandler and Valley of the Sun Mortuary and Cemetery are plan ning their seventh annual participating in the nationwide effort to remember the sacri fices of veterans who have passed away. The Exchange Club of Chandler started the local observance but over the years, organi zations such as Chandler Elks Lodge #2429 and the Exchange Club of Phoenix in Ah watukee have become involved in remem bering over 3,100 veterans buried at the Val ley of the Sun Cemetery, 10940 E. Chandler Heights Road, Chandler.

Last year, approximately 2,800 wreaths laid on graves in Valley of the Sun Cemetery, according to Mark Whitaker, who leads the wreaths campaign for the Exchange Club of

Chandler.

“We will need help from the community to achieve the goal of sponsoring 3,100 wreaths,” he said.

The annual event consists of laying out the wreaths after a memorial ceremony. Volun teers gather around 8 a.m. Dec. 17 – coffee, hot chocolate and donuts are provided – and at 9 a.m. begin laying the wreaths.

“Each wreath symbolizes the commitment to remember and honor our nation’s veter ans and teach our children about freedom and the sacrifice required to maintain our freedom,” Whitaker said.

“There will be an educational activity for children to help them learn about veterans. As wreaths are laid, we ask that the volun teers respectfully remember the veteran by saying the veteran’s name aloud.”

The formal ceremony will start at 10 a.m. and will be streamed on Facebook Live!

Until Tuesday, Nov. 29, people can sponsor a wreath with a $15 tax-deductible donation to wreathsacrossamerica.org/AZ0084P.

“Whether you sponsor a wreath or not, we

will need many volunteers to help,” Whita ker said.

Nationally, the nonprofit created to “Re member, Honor, and Teach” young people about those who have served is responsible for wreath laying at Arlington National Cem etery lays more than two million wreaths across the country.

In addition local memorial ceremonies Dec. 17, there will be a ceremonial wreath laying at the State Capitol Building, Wesley Bolin Plaza,1700 W. Washington St., Phoenix/ “I hope this will be an annual tradition for Arizona and remind us, particularly during the holidays, of how much has been given by our service members.” said the State Capitol WAA Coordinator Kelly McDonald.

The 2022 theme is, “Find a Way to Serve” and the inspiration for this year’s theme was Rosie the Riveters, also called “Rosies,” Mc Donald said.

“These women pulled together to do the work that needed to be done for our free dom during WWII and encourages youth to get involved in their own communities to

serve,” McDonald said.

According to the U.S. Department of De fense, a Maine family that started this tradi tion got an eager reception to their proposal.

“Several volunteers stepped up to help, including veterans from American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars posts and a truck company owner who transported the wreaths to Arlington, Virginia, where a small ceremony was held at the cemetery’s Tomb of the Unknown Soldier,” according to de partment.

This remained a small yearly tradition for nearly 15 years until a photo taken at the 2005 ceremony went viral.

“Almost immediately, thousands of peo ple wanted to know how to help or how they could begin a similar tradition in their states,” the Defense Department said.

By 2008, it had become a tradition at doz ens of cemeteries across the country and has continued to grow, with more than two mil lion graves at over 2,100 cemeteries.

The last day to sponsor a wreath for 2022 is Nov. 29, which is Giving Tuesday.

Ferguson opens giant automated warehouse in Chandler

BY KEN SAIN Managing Editor

Chandler is welcoming another busi ness heavyweight to the city after Ferguson, North America’s leading distributor of plumbing and HVAC sup plies, opened a new market distribution center on Queen Creek Road Nov. 15.

The facility is one of the ways the compa ny with 37,000 suppliers hopes to improve supply-chain slowdowns that have plagued companies since the pandemic began.

The Chandler location is the second such distribution center the company has opened as part of this new strategy, fol lowing the original site in the Denver area. Eventually, the company hopes to have more than 30 of these centers.

The Chandler center adds 75 new jobs to the area and employs approximately 200 associates. The 365,000-square-foot facility distributes residential plumbing, lighting and appliances, commercial and industrial products to all of Arizona, New Mexico and West Texas.

tions for the company. “There’s a general rule, every NFL city should have a MDC.”

Chandler was the choice for the Phoenix

market.

“As we went through this process to find land in the valley of Phoenix, we will call it, there were many sites toured, many things worked out, and I can tell you we’re very happy and thrilled that we ended up in Chandler,” said Marty Young, the com pany’s Southwest District Manager. “It’s worked out wonderfully for us.”

A market distribution center includes both a retail store for consumers and a gi ant warehouse for contractors. The goal is to have whatever part anyone is looking for available for quick delivery.

Even at 385,000 square feet, the ware house turned out to be not big enough. That’s one of the problems with being one of the first ones built, company officials said. The next one to open will be in the Houston area.

“We finally figured out on Houston how to do it correctly, because although this one runs great, it was undersized before we ever moved in,” Ogden said. “So we out

4 Liv Generations facilities sold for $255M

BY PAUL MARYNIAK Tribune Executive Editor

Amajor player in the Valley’s net work of independent-assisted living communities has pulled out of that industry to focus solely on traditional multifamily complexes.

Liv Communities sold four Liv Genera tions senior complexes in Ahwatukee, Gilbert, Phoenix and Scottsdale to Clear water Living of Newport Beach, Califor nia, in a $255 million transaction earlier this month, according to Valley real es tate tracker vizzda.com.

There was no announcement of the sale or Clearwater’s entry into the Valley’s se

nior care/living community scene. Calls to Clearwater were not returned.

Scott Brooks, CEO of Liv Communities, said his company “continues to advance its mission of helping people live fuller lives by providing hospitality-focused residential communities for people of varying ages and stages of life.

“As we exit the traditional senior living space, in addition to continuing to grow our conventional Liv multifamily portfo lio of communities, we are enthusiastic about exploring a new offering, Liv+, focused on active 55+ adults,” he said in a prepared statement after this newspa per inquired about the deal.

“As for our LivGenerations portfolio,

we are excited about Clearwater Living taking over as stewards for those out standing communities and residents,” Brooks continued. “We believe Clearwa ter holds the same commitment to cre ating a vibrant and high-quality place to live and work and will help those com munities flourish for years to come.”

The four properties have been re branded as Clearwater facilities.

The properties involved in the transac tion included, according to vizzda data:

• A 141-unit complex comprising two build ings built in 2016 on 7 acres on S. 50th Street near Chandler Boulevard, Ahwatukee.

• A 122-unit, two-building complex built in 2013 on 5 acres in Gilbert’s Agrito

pia community.

• A four-building, 181-unit complex on 14 acres that opened last year at Scott sdale Road and the Loop 101.

• A single building with 110 units built four years ago on four acres at Scotts dale and Pinnacle Peak roads.

A source said Liv Communities felt that its senior communities – which offer a range of living options from indepen dent to assisted living to memory care would be better served if they were under the umbrella of a larger provider that had more negotiating power for supplies and services.

“We’re looking at between 32 and 35 distribution centers,” said James Ogden, the Southwest director of branch opera

Marty Young, Ferguson southwest vice president, cut the ribbon on the company’s distribution center in south Chandler on Nov. 15. (David Minton/Staff Photographer)

grew it before it was ever built.”

Both Young and Ogden said they plan to expand their new center. Ogden said they own 10 acres of land behind the cur rent warehouse and hope to build another 240,000 square feet as quickly as it can be approved and built.

To improve efficiency, Ferguson is re lying on robots to hunt down whatever customers need. The company dedicates a three-story area of the warehouse to a team of robots that scuttle about a honey comb like structure.

Whenever a box is opened for a part, the unsold products are put into a crate. The computer knows and tracks the exact loca tion of that crate. When another customer wants the same part, the robot goes over to where it’s located and gets it.

What if the crate they need is at the very bottom of that three-story structure?

“This is a test they did,” Ogden said. “And something on the very bottom is needed for a customer that’s standing at the counter, it takes about 12 and a half minutes to do.”

Ogden said that probably won’t happen

often, because the slowest-moving prod ucts will naturally end up at the bottom over time.

“The robots work all day and night, sav ing on traditional warehouse costs and allowing us to fulfill orders quickly for faster same-day product availability,” said Michael Jacons, Ferguson’s southwest vice president of supply chain. “The system also decreases manual handling of materials.”

In addition to the automation technol ogy, the facilities were built with efficiency at the forefront. Ferguson uses a special machine to make custom boxes based on the dimensions of each product to mini mize packaging waste.

Each building features LED motion de tector lighting systems to conserve elec tricity.

There are 120 people employed in the warehouse area and another 100 or so in the front offices. Before moving to the MDC model, Ferguson relied on regional centers. The one that served the Phoenix area before this was located in Perris, Cali fornia, and relied on a 1.3-million square feet facility.

Ogden said the biggest factor caus

ing supply chain issues in their industry wasn’t necessarily the short shutdowns caused by COVID-19. It was the shortage of semiconductor chips.

“The microchip thing killed us,” he said. “Appliances, absolutely killed us. A lot of a lot of different things that you’re doing pumps with electronic controls, a lot of that stuff. It really was the microchips and that part is still bad. We’re still struggling through that.”

You don’t have to be a contractor or company to shop in the Ferguson retail store. It’s set up just like a home supply

FACILITIES

from page 19

Liv does have a traditional apartment complex adjacent to its former senior living complex in Ahwatukee and at one time boasted that it was designed so that younger tenants and residents of its oth er facility could mingle.

Clearwater Senior Living offers the same senior living options, including short-term stays, and has six complexes in California and one in Nevada in addi tion to its newly acquired Valley sites,

business. You will pay retail prices, but if you’re looking for a specific, hard-to-find part, it may be your best bet.

You just may have to wait 12 and a half minutes to get it.

But Allison Finerfrock, Ferguson gen eral manager of southwest district, noted: “Supplementing our workforce with the new technology allows distribution cen ters like ours to process more orders in a shorter amount of time. We are excited to better serve the contractor community with the products they need, when they need them.”

according to the company’s website. It also is in the process of building a sev enth facility in California.

The company has said it is expanding its footprint in the west and partnered in 2017 with The Wolff Company to run its 18 senior living complexes across seven western states.

Clearwater CEO Tony Ferro on his web site states the company is committed to “providing high-quality retirement living and exceptional services for seniors and their families.”

Inflation an unwelcome Thanksgiving guest

BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

PHOENIX -- A war half way around the world is going to take a huge bite out the wallets of Arizonans this Thanks giving.

New figures from the Arizona Farm Bu reau Federation put the cost of a typical dinner for 10 at $71.88. That’s up near 45% from 2021 and higher than its ever been since the organization began doing the an nual surveys nearly three decades ago.

What’s causing much of that spike is the war in Ukraine, which has historically been a major world grain producer. The conflict and an on-again, off-again Russian blockade has tightened international supplies and driven up prices.

That, in turn, affects everything from feed for turkeys to the stuff and ingredients for dinner rolls.

But it’s not just that.

The country experienced its first major outbreak of avian flu since 2015. And to

prevent the spread, producers killed entire flocks during the first half of the year if just one bird gets sick, resulting in the loss of more than 47 million birds according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Julie Murphree, outreach director for the organization, said the National Turkey Fed eration figures that will affect supply by 2%.

“But even a 2% drop in supply contributes to higher turkey prices,’’ she said.

Indeed. Shoppers from the organization found the average price of a 16-pound tur key topped $32. That alone is 65% higher than the cost for the same bird a year ago.

And then there’s the rising cost of diesel fuel and labor that affects pretty much ev erything that has to be raised or harvested and taken to market.

“The cost to produce those items have in creased exponentially,’’ said Stefanie Small house, a cattle rancher, alfalfa and specialty crop farmer from Pima County. And she said that because of the “complexities of our food system’’ the average farmer is generally not getting more money for their products.

Even the cost of packaging materials is up.

All that, for example, adds up to that 14-ounce box of stuffing setting you back $3.93. That’s $1.15 more than you would have paid last year.

Even vegetables, milk and cranberries are more dear this year than in the past.

What’s important to note in all this, how ever, is that annual the survey is based on the shelf price that federation shoppers found when they went to the store. More to the point, it does not include the savings that are available for customers who hold a grocer’s affinity card.

And there are some deals to be had.

Fry’s, for example, is offering its own Kroger brand frozen turkeys for 79 cents a pound to shoppers who have the company’s VIP Card and who buy at least $25 worth of other groceries. That compares with the $2-a-pound average found by Farm Bureau shoppers.

And a brand-name Butterball turkey can be had for 99 cents a pound with the same requirements.

Bashas’ is offering Norbest turkeys for 79 cents with to its Thank You Card members with a $25 purchase. And the chain’s Food City outlets has the same deal, though no card required.

And Safeway and Albertsons, now owned by the same company, are matching any deals at Fry’s or Bashas’.

The Farm Bureau did not do a survey this year for an all-organic dinner.

The high cost of Thanksgiving Item

This Last year year

Self-basting 16 lb. turkey $32.02 $19.40

14-ounce cubed stuffing mix $3.93 $2.78

Pumpkin pie mix (30 oz.) $5.11 $3.86

9-inch frozen pie shell (2) $5.08 $3.46

3 lb. fresh sweet potatoes $5.09 $4.26

Brown & serve rolls (12) $4.28 $3.14

Frozen peas (16 oz.) $2.27 $1.67

1 lb mixed celery & carrots $0.83 $0.70

1 gallon whole milk $3.34 $2.49

Fresh cranberries (12 oz.) $3.01 $2.54

Half pint whipping cream $2.79 $1.87

This year has been extremely difficult for so many families. We know experiencing a loss make this time of year very difficult. Each year we have our Annual Remembrance Service for families that we have served. During the pandemic we started “Lights of Love” which is a drive thru event for our families. We want to continue to keep everyone safe. We feel it is important to do something for our community to homor those that have passed away.

Our hope this year is to uplift the hearts of those that have experienced a loss of a loved one. We invite you to drive through our Lights of Love and experience the peace of the Christmas Season, as you reflect on your loved one remember those cherished memories you hold close to your heart.

As you drive through enjoy the music by Dicken’s Carolers, a live nativity scene, place a heart with your loved one’s name in our shadowbox and light a candle in their honor. We will have cookies and hot chocolate for everyone that attends.

Please call Hilary at (480) 832-2850 to RSVP by November 28, 2022

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

TheMesaTribune.com | @EVTNow /EVTNow

Arizona knew Lake’s BS when they heard it

BY DAVID LEIBOWITZ Tribune Columnist

You work close up to elections for 30 years, you have the chance to learn some things about candi dates and campaigns. The most impor tant one is this: Many people vote with their gut, not their head.

In the end, that’s what did in one of the most arrogant candidates ever to grace an Arizona ballot, Republican governor hopeful Kari Lake.

Before her midlife conversion to politics, Lake spent two decades as a news anchor, a job whose main quali fication is the ability to read aloud text prepared at a low high school level. This translated into high name identi fication, which Lake translated as ar dor for her as a human being.

On the campaign trail, she spoke about “being in your living room” for decades, about how we knew her so well, about how much she loved Ari zona and how much Arizona loved her back.

All I can say is, it looks like she got

that half right.

In the end, it was Lake’s seething hatred that sunk her campaign – mo ments like the Thursday before the election when, standing before a room ful of Republicans, she again attacked the late Sen. John McCain, a politician whose skill as an Arizona campaigner she could never touch.

“We don’t have any McCain Republi cans in here, do we?” Lake demanded.

“All right, get the hell out,” she ordered. Then she added: “Boy, Arizona has de livered some losers, haven’t they?”

I guess we have, Kari. Except John McCain never lost an election in this state, and you’re zero for a lifetime.

In the days before the election, a conservative consultant told me Lake could be the perfect vice president for Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential run – Robin to Trump’s red, white and blue Batman.

In retrospect, I get the enthusiasm: Lake is smooth with a microphone in her hand, polished delivering Trump’s talking points.

Put her in a crowd of 100 people and 35 will gobble up her act. Meanwhile, another 35 will revile her.

The last 30 – the ones caught in be tween – will end up trusting our guts. And most of them will end up saying, “Boy, that Lake is really nasty.”

If the candidate herself read this col umn, she’d surely insult me right back, the way she told reporters, “I’m going to be your worst fricking nightmare for eight years,” or her closing night spiel to voters, where she crowed at the media, “the bastards back there don’t want us talking about stolen elections. Well it doesn’t matter what they attempt tomorrow because we’re going to show up like our lives depend on it.”

Republicans did show up by the hundreds of thousands statewide in this election.

The GOP took six of nine Congressio nal races, and the party built majori ties in both houses of the state Legis lature.

But atop the ticket, the Trump-en

dorsed statewide candidates mostly got beaten – Lake, Blake Masters, and total wingnut Mark Finchem.

As I write this, the attorney general race remains too close to call with only about 700 votes separating Abe Hama deh and the Dem, Kris Mayes.

The shining star for the GOP this cycle in Arizona? It was incumbent Treasurer Kimberly Yee, who easily won a second term by notching the most votes of any Arizona candidate in a competitive race.

Notably, Yee was not endorsed by Trump. She campaigned without an incessant focus on the 2020 election and Trump’s grievances. And Yee ac cepted her victory with grace, thank ing Democrat Martín Quezada “for running a professional campaign.”

Lake, locked in her “war room,” where the toadies were reportedly be ginning to flee, responded by tweet to news reports of her loss. “Arizonans,” she wrote, “know BS when they see it.”

Yes, we did, Kari. Yes, we certainly did.

Questions surround Lake’s election loss

BY JD HAYWORTH Tribune Columnist

Here in Arizona, conservatives find themselves at wit’s end.

As Republicans watched the 2022 Election degenerate into “2020, 2.0,” they developed enough doubt, dis belief and outright cynicism to fill a meta phorical Grand Canyon.

Joel Barry, managing editor of “The Babylon Bee,” may call Ohio home, but in temporarily abandoning satire to get se rious, he earned the status of “Honorary Arizonan” by succinctly describing the current state of affairs in the 48th State.

“It’s not Republican messaging. It’s not low-quality candidates. It’s not Trump. It’s not abortion. It’s mass mail-in/drop box voting. It’s as simple as that.”

Previous editions of this column have warned of the ways in which early mailin voting could easily be changed from an instrument of convenience into a tool of connivance.

In fact, a similar warning was issued a decade ago from a collaboration of inter esting sources. “News 21” was a program funded by the Carnegie Corporation of New York and the Knight Foundation.

The program was headquartered at ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journal

ism and Mass Communication, and it also included collaboration with NBC News, through the network’s investigative blog, “Open Channel.”

The headline from a Sept. 25, 2012 ar ticle tells you all you need to know: “The real vote-fraud opportunity has arrived: casting your ballot by mail.” nbcnews. com/news/investigations/real-votefraud-opportunity-has-arrived-castingyour-ballot-mail-flna1b6088606

It has not disappeared down a “mem ory hole” yet…though that could change. What did change was the way in which the media reacted to vote-by-mail con cerns about fraud when they were voiced

again in the wake of COVID.

Simply stated, the press was not im pressed.

The 2022 campaign brought forth a former Journalist, troubled by the dis missive coverage of concerns raised dur ing the 2020 vote count in Arizona and the Orwellian newspeak that enshrined Democrat talking points as established facts.

Kari Lake spent more than two decades at the anchor desk on Channel 10, then walked away into the Republican race for governor.

HAYWORTH from page 23

Not only did she win the GOP Primary in dramatic come-from-behind fash ion, she also challenged her former col leagues in journalism to embrace objec tivity in campaign coverage.

When they continued to dance to the Democrat tune, Lake held press confer ences during which she would offer onthe-spot refresher courses, and immedi ate critiques to a largely hostile and par tisan press corps.

Those performances established Lake as a “rising star” in the Republican Party, and that star continued to rise, as did her pre-election poll numbers, when Demo crat nominee Katie Hobbs refused to de bate her.

Lake had called for Hobbs to recuse herself from any involvement in oversee ing the election, citing legitimate conflict of interest concerns that should super sede Katie’s role as Secretary of State. Hobbs also said no to that request.

So, “with the fox guarding the hen house,” most Republicans eschewed mail-in voting, opting instead to cast their

votes in the traditional way on Election Day. They reasoned that their personal presence at the polls might help prevent a repeat of the curious 2020 results.

Then a not-so-funny-thing happened. Thirty percent of the tabulation machines malfunctioned in the county with 60% of the total Arizona electorate.

Whether through incompetence or in tentional neglect, the Maricopa County mess resulted in voter suppression of Re publicans.

The refusal of a state judge to grant an emergency GOP request to extend voting hours to 10 p.m. helped seal the deal.

Next came six days of laborious vote counting “Kabuki Theatre,” culminat ing with the announcement of a narrow Hobbs victory.

Lake’s reaction was succinct: “Arizo nans know BS when they see it.”

Look for a legal challenge ahead.

Meantime, “The Babylon Bee” has re turned to satire. One of its recent head lines reads, “Katie Hobbs projected to win Arizona governor’s race with 108% of precincts reporting.”

There is truth in humor.

Who’s to blame when self-driving cars kill?

BY NORMA FARIS HUBELE AFN Guest Writer

The first U.S. felony case involving a driver using a partially automat ed driving system began recently in California. Limousine driver Kevin George Aziz Riad had his 2016 Tesla Model S on Autopilot when it ran a red light, crashed into a Honda Civic, and killed two people in 2019.

Edward Walters, an adjunct profes sor at the Georgetown University law school, posed the key question in a re cent article in Automotive News: “Who is at fault, man or machine?”

According to Walters, an expert in self-driving vehicles and the law, the prosecutors will have difficulty prov ing the driver is guilty because “some parts of the task are being handled by Tesla.”

Yet Tesla is not facing charges in the case. Legal experts say that’s because

it’s even harder to make a criminal case stick against a company.

Autopilot claims face global pressure

Instead, legal entities worldwide are moving to curb Tesla’s marketing of the Autopilot system. In 2020, a court in Mu nich banned Tesla from describing its system as “full potential for autonomous driving” and “Autopilot exclusive” in its German advertising.

I agree with this ruling, and so does the Society of Automotive Engineers. SAE developed the auto industry’s ac cepted Levels of Driving Automation, us ing a 0-5 scale.

Level 5 is a completely self-driving ve hicle. Think of KITT, the Pontiac Trans Am Firebird in the 1980s series Knight Rider, that could plan a route and drive it, all by itself.

By comparison, Tesla’s Autopilot is at Level 2. At that level, the technology package can control the vehicle speed,

braking, and steering. However, the driv er needs to pay attention and be ready to assume control of the driving if some thing goes haywire.

A big caveat for car

buyers & investors

Tesla also offers more extensive Auto pilot systems called Enhanced Autopilot and Full Self-Driving Capability.

However, all its systems come with the caveat, as stated on Tesla.com: “The currently enabled Autopilot, Enhanced Autopilot, and Full Self-Driving features require active driver supervision and do not make the vehicle autonomous.”

In other words, the system is actually assisting, not replacing the driver.

Tesla’s self-driving claims are also fac ing scrutiny from the U.S. Department of Justice. Similar to the German judge’s opinion, the federal investigation cen ters on the idea of misleading the public. Namely, both car buyers and Tesla inves tors.

Right now, most of us are not Tesla owners and probably pay little attention to what Tesla calls its system, whether Autopilot, Self-Driving, or Robo-car. And our interest in the tragic Riad case cen ters mainly on its novelty.

However, the serious charges that Riad faces should give us pause. Some day in the near future, we may be driving vehicles with more partially automated features, get in a fender bender or a more serious crash, and face the blame game.

Then it will be up to the insurance companies to decide who’s at fault: man or machine.

Ahwatukee resident Norma Faris Hubele is professor emerita of Arizona State University and creator of TheAu toProfessor.com, a website that helps families make safer car choices. Her book, “Backseat Driver, The Role of Data in Great Car Safety Debates” was published in August by Routledge.

Exceptional care

Breakthrough caring

Introducing Evernorth Care Group. Our doctors and staff are talented medical professionals who keep you healthy with best practices and clinical expertise. They also know your kids’ and your pets’ name. That’s the reason 9 out of 10 patients recommend us.

It’s how we treat you better.

Evernorth Care Group is the medical practice division of Cigna HealthCare of Arizona, Inc. All Evernorth Care Group services are provided exclusively by or through Cigna HealthCare of Arizona, Inc. and not by Cigna Corporation. The Evernorth name, logo and other Evernorth marks are owned by Express Scripts Strategic Development, Inc. © 2022 Evernorth

Mtn View, Red Mtn have strong showing at XC state meet

BY LANCE HARTZLER Tribune Contributing Writer

The cross country state meet, held at Cave Creek Golf Course in Phoe nix on Saturday, Nov. 12, saw dominating performances by Highland’s boys’ and girls’ teams as they both went on to win the titles.

But that didn’t stop Red Mountain and Mountain View from representing the Mesa district in a strong fashion.

Red Mountain’s boys team placed fifth overall in the Division I race. Two spots behind was Mountain View. Toros coach Ronnie Buchanan said he believes his boys handled the course well and cred ited his seniors for their leadership.

“I think we handled the course with poise,” Mesa Mountain View head coach Ronnie Buchanan said. “We got some seniors, but we also got a freshman and sophomore on the team and I think we handled it well. … The (young guys) had some good examples from the seniors as well which is good.”

Mountain View was paced by Ty ler Judd, who finished 16th overall in 16:31.6. Daniel Judd was the next Toro to cross the finish line, followed by Connor Chaffee, Rustin Palmer, Calvin Beynon, Aaron Sanchez and Griffin Arnett.

The girls of Mountain View also found success, placing sixth overall behind Lily Smithson.

Red Mountain’s boys’ team, a perennial

contender at the Division I level, was led by Matthew Hamilton’s seventh-place finish. Tyler Mathews was next for the Mountain Lions, followed by Garrett Palmer.

The Lady Mountain Lions placed 13th overall.

“Our team is always big on unity,” High land runner Emma Baugh said. “And this year, it was ‘We do not want individuals, we want team.’ And you can tell it has re ally helped. You could see the results. … I think it is so exciting. We wanted it real bad and our goal was to be proud of what we did, whether that means coming in first, second, third or however we wanted to be proud and we definitely did that today.”

That unity, or ‘Hunity’ – aka Hawk Uni ty – as Cloe Baugh said her team calls it, was key for the Hawks as they went on to dominate the girls’ race.

Emma crossed for the individual title in 18:46.8. Then her sister Cloe Baugh fol lowed four seconds later, followed by Ba sha’s Taylor Drewry, then another Highland Hawk Kayla Chase. Desert Vista’s Brook lyn Hanania took fifth, only for two more Hawks in Lindsay Schlink and Stella Hall in sixth and seventh. Desert Vista runner Bailee Christofis took eighth, only for High land’s Kinley Jackson to follow in ninth.

Highland placed all seven runners in the top 15, and an even more impressive six runners in the top 10 en route to a sec ond straight team title. The Hawks scored a historically low team score of 20 points, which, according to the AIA archives, is only recently matched in the big school conferences by Desert Vista’s 20 points in 2016.

Fitting for a team that preaches unity so heavily to go 1-2-4-6-7-9-15 in the big gest race of the season.

The Highland boys took home their second straight team title, winning with a race low of 43 with four runners in the top 10 including two in the top four with Timothy Willford (16:08.8) and Lucas Witcher (16:11.9) leading the way.

“We have been working together, and every workout we have our top seven coming together through the line and that helps bring our depth (together) and it helps,” Willford said.

“… It is a lot of mental preparation. We talked about it the last week, who would be up there and what we could expect from them and what we could do.”

Chandler’s Gibson Kibia won the indi vidual title decisively with a gold-medal winning mark of 15:50.2.

“I executed and it is so unreal because I never knew I was ever going to be a state champion,” he said. “… When (my coach) gave me the call and said I was clear I felt great.”

Earlier in the day, to get the state meet started, Valley Christian came out firing in the DIV race with a win on the boys side and a runner-up team finish on the girls side led by Lauren Ping’s fourth state title, her first at the D-IV level after transferring from Desert Vista in the DI.

Ping, whose 17:53.2 was the top time of the day for a girls runner, was followed by teammate Ellie Phillips in third in 19:43.1. The Trojans finished fourth as a team behind winner Phoenix Country Day, Glendale Prep and Northland Prep.

The Valley Christian boys were paced by freshman Jamison Ping’s second-place finish in 16:31.2.

In the DIII girls’ race, Arizona College Prep (208) snagged sixth as a team, ALA Queen Creek (254) was ninth. On the boys’ side, Eastmark and ALA QC were 16th and 17th.

Red Mountain’s boys cross country team, a perennial contender, finished fifth in the Division I cross country state championship race. (Courtesy Red Mountain athletics)

The Mountain View boys’ and girls’ cross country team had a strong showing at the state meet Saturday, Nov. 12 in Phoenix. The boys placed seventh while the girls placed sixth. (Courtesy Mountain View athletics)

Fall League testing new baseball rules

BY VINCENT DEANGELIS Cronkite News

For baseball fans who want to get a glimpse of what rule changes in the major leagues will look like next season, they need to look no further than the Arizona Fall League.

In September, Major League Baseball announced three major rule changes that will be implemented in 2023, including the addition of a pitch clock, a ban on de fensive shifts and using enlarged bases.

Although MLB systematically tested all of the new rules in the minor leagues over the past two seasons, the Arizona Fall League this year was the first oppor tunity for players to experience all of the rule changes at once in a league.

“It’s cool to be the test subjects of the MLB,” said St. Louis Cardinals prospect Jordan Walker. “A lot of these guys out here in the Fall League are going to be in the majors next year, so they get a sneak peek of what’s to come. It’s been fun.”

The goal of the rule changes is to speed up the game while giving fans more ac tion. MLB research shows that fans want faster-paced games, more stolen bases and more extra-base hits. Instead, the research shows the game has trended toward longer games, more strikeouts, lower baseball-wide batting averages and fewer stolen bases.

In a nutshell, games have gotten longer with less action. In 2022, the baseballwide batting average was .243 while the strikeout rate was the highest it’s ever been at 22.3%, and the average major league game lasted for three hours, sev en minutes.

Along with the three new rules that will be implemented in the majors next season, the Arizona Fall League used an Automatic Ball-Strike Challenge System, or “ABS” for short, in 2022. ABS allows pitchers, hitters or catchers to challenge an umpire’s ball or strike call.

The ABS system is being used at an

experimental level in the Arizona Fall League but won’t make an appearance next season in the MLB. However, it add ed a fun, new element for fans during some Fall League play. Each team was al lowed three challenges per game, but if a player’s challenge is successful, his team got that challenge back.

The system was used only at the Salt River Fields in Scottsdale, where the Salt River Rafters play. It also was used during the inaugural Chase Field tripleheader played last month in downtown Phoenix.

“I’m really a fan of the challenge sys tem,” said Texas Rangers catcher Cody Freeman. “It’s cool to get a limited amount of opportunities to be able to let everyone know if you’re right or wrong about a call. If there were challenges all game, I wouldn’t be a fan. But having it maximized to three chances is perfect.”

Out of the three changes that MLB made for next season, the one that most players and fans have been talking about is the addition of a pitch clock. Use of a pitch clock is the biggest component of MLB’s effort to whittle down the average of three hours and seven minutes games lasted in 2022. MLB research concluded that the “ideal” time for a game is two and a half hours.

The new rule limits pitchers to 30 seconds between batters and there is a 15-second limit between pitches when the bases are empty and a 20-second limit if there are runners on base.

The timer was tested in the minor leagues over the last two seasons and reduced the average time of games by a whopping 26 minutes.

However, there has been a mixed reac tion to the pitch clock. Predictably, most pitchers don’t like it.

Some insist that rushing to beat the clock will disrupt their natural motion. Others claim that the rule isn’t in keep ing with the “tradition” of baseball, in

ASU League of Legends preparing for 2023 season

BY JACOB ZINDER Cronkite News

New year, new team, same faces.

For the ASU League of Legends players and the coach, familiarity is the name of the game and the key to a successful season, which starts in the first quarter of 2023.

Playing with friendly faces is not unique to the ASU League of Legends, as this year’s new roster underscores, and it could lead the team to their ultimate goal. But the work starts now, in the fall, long before any player reaches the var sity level.

The ASU League of Legends develop ment team serves as the training ground for its players and, ultimately, the entire team to adjust to playing competitively with a team. Look no further than Yi hong Cao and Sean Innes.

Cao will play the role of jungle in his first year on the varsity team, which is headed by coach Innes. Cao and Innese

played the role of jungler and mid-lane, respectively, together on the ASU League of Legends developmental roster be fore their dynamic shifted when Innes earned his first coaching role.

“I feel pretty good, I feel pretty confi dent,” Cao said about the team heading into the season. “I like my teammates. I think we have a really strong, really good team together.”

Four of the five players on the ASU League of Legends varsity roster played for the developmental team last year. Jeff “Skarmori” Qian made his first varsity team this fall but has experience playing with most of the team members, includ ing with Cao, in the development league.

Innes also participated on the team in the past and credits the experience for putting him in the position as coach of the team.

“That was absolutely fantastic. Some of the most fun League of Legends I’ve ever played was on that team,” Innes said about the experience. “So the value

of the (developmental) team can defi nitely not be overstated. It was a great experience for me.”

This year, especially, ASU is not taking the developmental team lightly, instead choosing to dedicate more resources due to the team’s success. The team now has its own analytics team and coach, Alex Orzescu, who hopes to help the younger players make strides in his first season.

“When I first came in, I talked to ev ery single one of them and asked them, ‘What are your goals and where you envision yourself with League of Leg ends?’” Orzescu said. “Really, it’s getting to know every single [player] and under standing their goals and then helping them reach those goals.”

Top laner Hoang Long Nguyen takes the developmental team’s mission to heart in his quest to improve. Nguyen came close to making varsity roster this fall, but a lack of experience working

cluding Nationals ace Max Scherzer, who told ESPN.com that the rule is “messing with the fabric of the game.”

However, most players in the Fall League are fans of the pitch clock.

“Everyone is voting for it,” Freeman said. “I’m a fan of it. I played with it last year, and it just speeds up the game. The fans love that.”

Former Miami Marlins pitcher Justin Fall, an Arizona State product, also be lieves the pitch clock is a good thing for baseball’s future.

“Everyone here doesn’t want to be here for four hours,” Fall said. “If we can get the game within two to two and a half hours, I think that helps everyone. I’ve always been the kind of guy that works fast on the mound anyway.”

The change to larger bases is another rule that most Fall League players have met with a shrug.

In the past, the bags at first, second, and third base measured 15 inches square. Beginning next season, the bas es will be 18 inches square. MLB officials cited player safety as the primary reason for the increase in base size because it results in a wider basepath, giving play ers more room to operate to avoid colli sions – and tags.

The bigger bases also slightly shorten the distance between bags, which MLB hopes will contribute to more stolen base attempts, and therefore more ac tion and more scoring.

Ronny Simon, a shortstop for the Tam pa Bay Rays, said the bigger bases give players more reason to steal and to run harder on an attempt because they have a bigger target to hit. He also noted that

it felt peculiar during the Chase Field tripleheader last month because the 15inch bases were used, forcing the play ers to re-adjust to the smaller bags just for that day.

All in all, Fall League players wel comed the new rules and are optimistic about improving the game for fans.

“It feels great to be a part of this,” said Texas Rangers pitcher Kumar Rocker. “You’ve got to be adaptable as a player, so the Fall League is a great chance to learn these rules and get accustomed to them.”

MLB research shows that fans wanted more extra-base hits. Washington Nationals prospect Drew Millas would surely want that as well. (Courtesy of the Arizona Fall League/MLB)

with a team held him back.

He looks to use coach Orzescu’s past experience as an example in search of finding tools to boost his macro play, which focuses on teamwork and com munication, to the same level of his mi cro play, which focuses on controlling a player’s own character.

“Micro is one of my biggest strengths,” Nguyen said. ”My micro is probably one of the best, but my macro is [bad]. That is why I’m Master and not Challenger. I hope to learn a lot from coach Alex for my macros. He’s been teaching me a lot of macros.”

The key benefit of the development team is fast-tracking chemistry and ca maraderie long before players earn a promotion to varsity. The bonds formed over hours and hours of practice reps make for a huge advantage in building a new team when its members are already close.

“It helps me a lot because we have probably saved one or two months of learning for them just by having the dev

In the long run, those couple months will pay off when the College League of Legends season begins next year after

nearly eight months of team bonding.

Cao is confident the team can over come any adversity as a close-knit group.

“Most of the players on our team are

super talented, and I also have my best friend at the top, so I don’t feel lonely on the team,” Cao said. “It just feels good playing with my teammates.”

team,” Innes said.

The ASU League of Legends varsity team enjoys each other’s company outside of gaming competition. Some players credit the developmental league for building team chemistry at the next level. (Courtesy of ASU League of Legends)

Floridino employee the hostess with the mostest

BY KEN SAIN GetOut Staff Writer

When people eat out, they almost always notice when they get poor service. Some, however, don’t al ways recognize great service.

The online directory Yelp is hoping to change that by starting the Servies Awards to recognize great service at restaurants around the nation. Chandler is taking home one of the first Servies being handed out.

Felicia Tobin of Floridino’s Pizza & Pasta won the Best Host category.

“My husband mentioned that you’re being recognized for something that people just go to the restaurant and take for granted,” Tobin said in the video Yelp put together to recog nize her award.

Tobin received a trophy, a $3,000 gift card, and a pair of Snibbs shoes, which are designed for long days on your feet. When Yelp officials presented the award to Tobin, they surprised the staff by giving them $3,000 as well.

“I don’t want to discredit her by any means,” said Lindsay Gilliland, who is the front of house manager for Floridinos. “But I think it was a whole team effort. Like she has been an amazing representative for it and I think she 100% deserves it. But she stands out because the trust that her team has in her.”

Yelp recognized eight workers. Tobin was the only Arizona winner. The other catego ries were Best Server, Best Front of House team, Best Hustle, Best Bartender, Best Team Player, Best Manager, Best Vibe in addition to Best Host.

Tobin said a lot goes into being a good host.

“Attention to detail,” she said. “I host Mon day nights and Monday nights are really in tense. So we get crazy busy. And you have to … pay attention to detail, you got to be present, you got to know what’s going on with other servers, you got to know who you can sit and

who you can’t sit, and how they’re doing.”

Gilliland said Tobin could easily have won other categories as well and she wasn’t the only employee who was deserving.

“We looked at all the categories,” Gilliland said. “And we’re like, ‘Well, you know some one could win every single one of these cat egories.’”

Like many restaurants, Floridino’s needed to change to survive during the pandemic. The pizzeria shut down for only a week after one employee tested positive for the corona virus. But other than that, they were able to stay open and keep everyone employed.

Tobin said before COVID-19 they used to have a line of people lined up at the register waiting to pick up to-go orders. The pan demic forced them to streamline their curb side service, improving it greatly.

Now, they have 12 parking lot spaces dedicated to to-go orders. She said it’s not unheard of for all 12 to be occupied and oth ers waiting for someone to leave.

“It’s an amazing place,” said Tobin, who has worked at Floridino’s for five years. “We have a lot of regulars come in every single day, every week. And then, sometimes we’ll have events going on and those events will bring in new people that have never been here and they’ll like the food … and they con tinue to come back.”

Tobin and others credited their customers for voting and helping her win Best Host. She was nominated by a co-worker. They sent in photos of her at work and the nomination letter explaining why she was deserving. Yelp then selected finalists. The winner was chosen by people voting across the nation.

Floridino’s General Manager Jason Ste phens said helping Tobin win was a team ef fort.

“Everybody here was on board right away,” he said. “They were voting every day, they were telling their tables to vote for her. And then when she won, everybody was excited. ... Yelp decided to match the $3,000 for the whole team. So Felicia got her prize money, but then they gave us prize money to us for the whole team.”

Stephens said he will use that money for the restaurant’s holiday party. Floridino’s has been a Chandler destination for 26 years.

“Everybody puts their egos aside and just comes together and gets things done,” Ste phens said.

If You Go...

Floridino’s Pizza & Pasta 590 N. Alma School Road, Chandler 480-812-8433 floridinos.net

Bell Bank Park hosts holiday lights extravaganza

Bell Bank Park in east Mesa is hosting a winter wonderland courtesy of two Scottsdale brothers who are contes tants in a popular network TV reality show.

Christmas Town, presented by Kyle and Sammy Pratt, founders of Pratt Brothers Entermazement, are offering a visually daz zling display with six million lights, pyro technics, thousands of bubbles and snow fall and multiple holiday activations.

The brothers also are contestants on ABC’s “The Great Christmas Light Fight,” which debuts its 10th season Nov. 28.

General admission tickets are $14.99 at prattbrotherschristmas.com. Several attrac tions, including the Sweet Street Train Ride, Santa Experience, and Mrs. Claus Cookie Decorating cost extra.

“We have grown up loving the magic of Christmas but most importantly we wanted to create a place where people can escape the worries of the world and experience the

magic of Christmas to a whole new level,” said Kyle.

He’s not kidding.

Christmas Town at Bell Bank Park spans 180,000 square feet and includes: a threestory gingerbread house; magical snowfall and thousands of bubbles; a Christmas For ever 360-degree light show synchronized to popular Christmas songs with pyrotech nics; and the Ivy & Sage Miracle Market.

Guests can walk to the Sweet Street Sta tion, where two trains ride around Christ

mas Town’s six uniquely themed areas such as Cotton Candy Corner, Sugar Plum Acres, Bakery Boulevard, Lollipop Lane, Marsh mallow Way and Peppermint Place.

“The experience includes attractions for all ages,” Sammy added.

The Pratt Brothers specialize in events and nighttime spectaculars, saying their mission “is to make a difference in the world by pro viding high quality entertainment through unique and one-of-a- kind experiences.”

The extravaganza runs through Jan. 1.

Felicia Tobin of Floridino’s Pizza and Pasta in Chandler won Best Host in the United States in the first Servies Awards presented by Yelp to celebrate front-of-house restaurant employ ees. (David Minton/Staff Photographer)

TRIBUNE NEWS STAFF

It’s everything you would want in a party dip. The combination of a sharp cheddar and jalapeno pep per jack, a kick from the poblano pepper, sautéed onion and ground beef, diced tomatoes with chiles all stewing in your favorite taco sauce makes this Cheesy, Beefy Taco Dip a real contender for your holiday buffet table.

Add a platter of homemade flour and corn tortilla chips and let’s get this party started! I know that we’re always looking for great party foods this time of the year, especially for game days and holidays.

With JAN D’ATRI

GetOut Contributor

Cheesy, beefy Taco Dip

a perfect holiday addition

This one will not disappoint. You can certainly choose to buy store bought chips, but there’s some

Ingredients:

Dip:

• 1 pint button mushrooms, rough chopped

• 4 TBSP butter, divided

• 1 large sweet yellow onion, finely chopped

• 1 large poblano pepper, finely chopped

• 1 1/2 lb. ground beef

• 1 TBSP olive oil

• 1 lb. Sharp cheddar, cubed or shredded

• 1/2 lb. pepper jack cheese, cubed or shredded

• 1 jar (16 ounces) taco sauce

• 1 can (10 ounces) diced tomatoes and green chiles or Rotel, drained

• 1 can (2-1/4 ounces) pitted black olives, drained and chopped fine

Chips:

• 1 package (8 count) corn tortillas, sliced in quarters

• 1 package (8count) flour tortillas

• 1 cup vegetable oil

• Salt for sprinkling on the chips

Directions:

In a large skillet over high heat, add 2 tablespoons of the butter and mushrooms. Cook until mushrooms are a deep golden brown. Set aside.

thing really delicious about frying up some fresh tortillas that are crispy, warm and salted. These chips and dip are a match made in south of the border heaven.

In the same skillet, add the remaining 2 Table spoons of butter and onion. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, or until onions begin to caramelize. Add poblano chili and cook until chili has softened, about 5 minutes.

In the same skillet, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and cook the beef until browned, about 5 minutes.

In a medium saucepot, add the cheeses, taco sauce, diced tomatoes or Rotel, olives, the cooked mush rooms, sautéed onion/poblano chile mixture and beef. Cook and stir over low heat until cheese is melted. Turn heat to low or warm, and make the tortilla chips.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Stack the corn tortillas and cut into quarters or eights. Repeat with flour tortillas.

In a skillet, add one cup of vegetable oil and heat on high. When oil has reached 350 degrees, dip one slice of the corn or flour tortilla into the hot oil. If it sizzles, add remaining tortilla segments, trying not to overlap. (Work in batches if necessary, first the corn and then the flour tortillas.)

When golden brown, about 1 minute on each side, remove with spider or slotted spoon and let drain on a paper towel-lined sheet pan. Immediately sprinkle with salt. Serves 8-10.

JOB SEEKERS

New Opportunities in the Media

through a variety of means. They add links and other elements to text as readers navigate their way through a story. They also ensure the copy is written in SEO, or search engine optimized, style so people using a search engine can quickly be directed to relevant stories based on key words.

At one time, finding a job in the media meant working for a print newspaper or a radio or television station. But the modern media encompasses many more careers on multiple platforms.

In the new all-digital world, people in the media are not just report ers or anchors. Many produce stories that incorporate video, social media and podcasting skills that bring the public an immersive experi ence.

The changing landscape brings with it a variety of exciting jobs, not only in journalism but in many other adjacent fields. Here are a number of positions that can widen your perspective and provide oppor tunity.

Content producer

In the media, content is king. And in this highly competitive world talented content producers are prized. Content can come in the form of articles, photos, audio and video. Besides creating content, there are many jobs involving the editing and posting of content.

Video editors

Because content producers and not just writers and report ers, but also video and audio producers, someone has to edit this material into a coherent format for presentation. Video edi tors are tasked with making this happen, transferring raw foot age into an enticing production that often includes interactive features and extra content for both traditional websites and mobile formats.

Social media manager

Many people rely on their social media accounts to find infor mation about news and events, and it is the social media manag er’s job to keep audiences engaged with fresh, up-to-date con tent. A social media manager in the media will typically oversee multiple accounts on a variety of platforms to draw readers and drive potential subscribers to their sites.

UX writers

User experience, or UX, writers bring content to life online

These are just a few of the exciting fields available to people pursuing a media career. And the good news is that because modern media is fueled by rapidly changing technology, many of these roles don’t require spe cialized degrees. While some technical expertise is required in some fields, younger “digital natives” have found rewarding careers based on skills they already have. Though the delivery meth ods have changed, the media will always value excellent communicators who are in touch with their audience.

Pursuing a career in the media is the dream of many people, and the field offers more opportunity than ever before.

© ADOBE STOCK

Employment General

reference job code: QAMGC

Public Notices

Public Notices

CITY OF MESA MESA, ARIZONA

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 wit h a maximum size 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 Cons truct 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 the 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, solar charger, programmable logic controller, switches, relays and as sociated 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 be 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 verify print lea d 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 biddi ng 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 F orm provided and be accompanied by the Bid Bond for not less than ten percent (10%) of the 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 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 equal 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

NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING

Signal Butte Park Phase II Project No. CP0707

Please join us for a fun in person public meeting to learn about the Signal Butte Park Phase II The Sig n a l B u t t e P a r k P h a s e I I p r o j e c t w i l l b e l o c a t e d j u st north of the existing Signal Butte Park (north of th e d e s e r t w a s h ) I m p r o v e m e n t s w i l l i n c l u d e t h e a d d i t i o n o f a p a r k i n g l o t , r a m a d a s , r e s t r o o m , l i g h t i n g, t r a i l s y s t e m , B M X b i k e t r a i l s , a n d a p e d e s t r i a n b r i d g e o v e r t h e w a s h t o c o n n e c t S i g n a l B u t t e P a rk P h a s e I t o P h a s e I I A c o n c e p t u a l r e n d e r i n g o f t h e m a s t e r p l a n a n d p r o p o s e d a m e n i t i e s f r o m P h a s e I I w i l l b e a v a i l a b l e a t t h e p u b l i c m e e t i n g

T h i s i s a n o p e n h o u s e m e e t i n g w i l l b e h e l d a t F i r e Station 219 (near Signal Butte & Elliot) Project ex hibits will be on display and City of Mesa staff will be available if you have any questions This projec t is funded through the 2018 General Obligation Bond We hope to see you there!

Date: Tuesday, November 29, 2022 Time: 6:00pm to 7:00pm Location: Mesa Fire Station 219 3361 S. Signal Butte Mesa, AZ 85204

If you have any questions or concerns regarding thi s project, please contact the City of Mesa Engineering Public Relations Department at (480) 644 3800

S i u s t e d t i e n e p r e g u n t a s d e e s t e p r o y e c t o , f a v o r de l l a m a r a M a g g i e S m i t h , c o n l a C i u d a d d e M e s a a l ( 4 8 0 ) 6 4 4 3 8 0 0

P u b l i s h e d : E a s t V a l l e y T r i b u n e N o v 2 0 , 2 7 , 2 0 2 2 / 5 0 4 6 3

Mosst t s seervice advvert t issers h have a an ROC# # o or " "Not t a liiccensed c contrractoor r " in n their r ad, t thhis i is s in n accordaance to o the A AZ s staate e l laaw

A r i z o n a R e g i s t r a r o f C o n t r a c t o r s ( R O C ) : T h e a d v e r t i s i n g r e q u i r e m e n t s o f t h e statute doe s not pre v e n t a n y o n e f r o m p l a c i n g a n a d i n t h e y e l l o w p a g e s , o n business cards, or on flyers

What it does require under A R S §32 1121A14(c) www.azleg.gov/ars/ 32/01165 htm i s t h a t t h e a d v e r t i s i n g p a r t y , i f n o t p r o p e r l y l i c e n s e d a s a c o n t r a c t o r , d i s c l o s e t h a t f a c t o n a n y f o r m o f a d v e r t ising to the public by i n c l u d i n g t h e w o r d s " n o t a l i c e n s e d c o n t r a c t o r " i n t h e a d v e r t i s e m e n t

A g a i n , t h i s r e q u i r e m e n t i s in t e n d e d t o m a k e s u r e t h a t t h e c o n s u m e r i s m a d e a w a r e o f t h e u n l i c e n s e d s t a t u s o f t h e i n d i v i d u a l o r c o m p a n y .

Contractors who ad v e r t i s e a n d d o n o t d i s c l o s e t h e i r u n l i censed status are not e l i g i b l e f o r t h e h a n d y m a n s e x c e p t i o n

Reference: h t t p : / / w w w a z r o c g ov/invest/licensed by law html

A s a c o n s u m e r , b e i n g a w a r e o f t h e l a w i s f o r y o u r p r o t e c tion You can check a b u s i n e s s e s R O C s t a t u s a t : http://www azroc gov/

ATTEST: DeeA nn Mickelsen City Clerk

CITY OF MESA MESA, ARIZONA

SOSSAMAN TO HAWES/202 GAS INFRASTRUCTURE ELLIOT ROAD SOSSAMAN ROAD TO HAWES ROAD

Public Notices

CITY OF MESA, ARIZONA ENGINEERING

DEPARTMENT

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS (RFQ)

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City of Mesa is seeking qualified Consultants for the following:

CONSULTANT ON CALL LIST FOR ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING SERVICES

The City of Mesa is seeking qualified Consultants to provide design services and/or construction administration ser vices on an on call basis in the following area/category: Electrical Engineering. All qualified firms that are interested in providing these services are invited to submit their Statements of Qualifications (SOQ) in accordance with the require ments detailed in the Request for Qualifications (RFQ).

From this solicitation, the Engineering Department will establish a list of on call consultants for Electrical Engineering. This category is further defined below:

Electrical Engineering General Design projects might involve studies, new construction, upgrades, rehabilitat i o n , o r o t h e r m o d i f i c a t i o n s . T y p i c a l p r o j e c t s i n c l u d e , b u t a r e n o t l i m i t e d t o , l i g h t i n g , b u i l d i n g p o w e r s u p p l y , p e d e s t r i a n l i g h t i n g , i n s t r u m e n t a t i o n a n d c o n t r o l s , a n d g e n e r a l s i t e a n d f a c i l i t y e l e c t r i c a l i m p r o v e m e n t s

A Pre Submittal Conference will not be held.

C o n t a c t w i t h C i t y E m p l o ye e s . All firms interested in this project (including the firm’s employees, representatives, agents, lobbyists, attorneys, 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 as sure 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 authorized representative identified below.

RFQ Lists. This RFQ is available on the City’s website at http://mesaaz.gov/business/engineering/architectural engin eering design opportunities

The Statement of Qualifications shall include a one page cover letter, plus a maximum of 10 pages to address the SOQ evaluation criteria (excluding 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 the SOQ Minimum font size shall be 10 point Please submit one (1) electronic copy in an unencrypted PDF format with a maximum file size limit of 20MB to Engineering RFQ@mesaaz gov by 2:00 PM, Thursday December 15, 2022 The City reserves the right to accept or reject any and all Statements of Qualifications In the subject line and on the submittal package, please display: Firm name and On Call Electrical Engineering Services

The City is an eq ual opportunity employer

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

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.

BETH HUNING

Engineer

Quality pre-k program