Renewing the old / P. 8
Brand ramp-up/ P. 4
An edition of the East Valley Tribune
Sunday, January 30, 2022
FREE ($1 OUTSIDE THE EAST VALLEY) | TheMesaTribune.com
VOTE NOW MPS reorganizes job readiness effort for students BY DANA TRUMBULL Tribune Staff Writer
M
esa Public Schools is gathering several existing programs under one umbrella in a focused effort to prepare students for college, career and community readiness. The reorganization, dubbed Graduation Plus, emphasizes a move toward personalized diplomas, with the path to graduation
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tailored to the students’ strengths, interests and future goals. The program also answers the call of business owners and industry leaders who say that they are frustrated with the lack of professional and soft skills in the current workforce. “This is a consistent message that I hear over and over,” said Marlo Loria, Director of Career and Technical Education and Innovative Partnerships at MPS. “Whether it’s the
manufacturing industry, culinary industry or everything in between, they are frustrated that students aren’t graduating with those employability skills.” Loria stated that students “still need the robust academic skills set, but to truly have a competitive advantage, the academics must be paired with technical and employability skills.”
see GRADUATION page 10
Mesa Temple already setting stage for Easter BY PAUL MARYNIAK Tribune Executive Editor
BUSINESS............. 22 Socially-conscious Mesa laundromat saluted.
SPORTS...............
27
Eastmark off-season prepares for championship run. COMMUNITY ................................ 17 BUSINESS ...................................... 22 OPINION ....................................... 24 SPORTS........................................... 27 GET OUT ....................................... 30 CLASSIFIED .................................. 34 Zone
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fter a two-year hiatus, the popular Easter Pageant at the Mesa Arizona Temple is returning in April in such a big way that preparations already are underway. During the second week of January, a 50-ton crane placed six 55-foot light towers and since then, other cranes have been used to help erect the 45-foot-tall – or four-story – stage for the free show, which will be presented at 8 p.m. April 6-9 and April 12-16. Even though Lent won’t begin for another month, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints has a big reason for laying the groundwork for a pageant that dates back to 1938, when it was a modest sunrise service that gradually evolved into an evening event beginning in 1977. “This is a very different production from its humble beginnings as a sunrise service in 1938,” said Jill Adair, communications di-
see TEMPLE page 6
A 50-ton crane earlier this month helped put in place six four-story light towers around what will be the stage for the Mesa Arizona Temple’s celebrated Easter Pageant in April. (Photo by Richard Webb)
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