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BY KATY SPRINGER Tribune Contributor

For most people, the holiday season is a joyous opportunity to spend time with loved ones, give thanks for friends and family and make plans for the year ahead. But for children in the foster care system, the holidays often are anything but joyous. “It can be an extremely difficult time of year for kids to be in foster care,” said Mike Faust, director, Arizona Department of Child Safety.

That’s why employees from 12 Larry H. Miller Dealerships locations, including Larry H. Miller Ford Mesa and Larry H. Miller Nissan Mesa, worked together to purchase holiday gifts for children in Arizona’s foster care system.

“Many children in our community will be spending the holidays in foster care, and while this means that they’re somewhere safe, the situation is still very difficult for them,” said Jim Crutcher, general manager at Larry H. Miller Ford Mesa. “We want to make the holidays a little brighter for children in foster care by rallying all of our dealerships and the community to fulfill their holiday wish lists.”

Christmas trees were set up in the dealerships’ showrooms, each one decorated with heart tags listing foster children’s holiday wishes. Employees, along with members of the community, took tags from the trees and purchased gifts for the kids, from bicycles and scooters to clothing, toys and shoes.

Employees delivered the gifts on Dec. 13 to DCS offices statewide for distribution to Arizona foster children. All told, the dealerships granted the holiday wishes of more than 500 kids, with the donation valued at more than $50,000.

“Partnerships like this one will make the holidays so much happier for kids in care,” said Rayetta Sanchez, community liaison,

Arizona Department of Child Safety. “It’s impossible to overstate our gratitude to Larry H. Miller Dealerships for bringing joy to Arizona’s most vulnerable children.” “Larry H. Miller Dealerships has a strong legacy of giving back to communities where it does business,” said Rhiannan Ferguson and Cheryl Collins, two employees from Larry H. Crutcher. “This Miller Ford Mesa, get ready to deliver toys to foster kids. (Special to holiday cause is a the Tribune) natural fit for us, as our company culture is all about giving back and enriching lives in our community, especially the lives of children.” The effort was part of the Arizona Department of Child Safety’s annual Giving Tree program, which will serve roughly 3,500 children in foster care this holiday season. There are nearly 14,000 children in Arizona’s foster care system. Calls to Arizona Department of Child Safety’s abuse and neglect hotline have spiked 25 percent in seeDEALERSHIP page 4

Mesa man becomes Santa for a day

BY PAUL MARYNIAK

Tribune Executive Editor

If you think Santa is a myth, you haven’t met Jesse Morón. The Mesa man may not have the beard, white hair and red suit, but he sure does have the heart. And instead of a sleigh and reindeer, he owns a yellow fire truck.

That heart gave him an idea when he woke up Dec. 8 in his home: He told his wife Melissa he wanted to buy some toys for kids in and around his Mesa neighborhood, which has a significant percentage of families who struggle just to put food on the table.

Jesse and Melissa know all about that kind of struggle: they met a little over 26 years ago in a homeless shelter where they both had been living.

Jesse, now the owner of an HVAC company called Powerful AC, and Melissa also know a couple things about buying toys for Christmas: They have 13 children ranging in age from 2 to 26.

Early two Sundays, he recalled, “I woke up with an urge that was like butJesse Morón stood atop his yellow firetruck Dec. 11 in the parking lot of Queen of Peace Catholic Church in downtown Mesa as people picked a gift from the 700 toys he and his wife Melissa bought to bring some Christmas

the last six months, yet the number of licensed foster homes is at a record low. “We’re working urgently to recruit more foster care providers to bring safety and stability for Arizona’s most vulnerable

SANTA from page 3

terflies in my stomach. I said, ‘We can give back during this pandemic and during this time when people don’t know if they have work, if they have money. They don’t know where the next food is coming from – and much less are they going to think about presents. And if we’re able to give back, let’s see what we can do.’” He gave himself a budget, he said, “though we almost tripled the budget because I didn’t realize how expensive toys were.” He and Melissa then rented a truck and hit three stores, spending $13,000 to buy around 700 bicycles, scooters, Barbie dolls, drones, “every kind of different football, basketball, volleyball, little kitchen sets for the little girls.” “I mean, it was everything,” he said.

The next day, his four employees removed all the price tags and make sure those requiring batteries had them. No wrapping was involved, however, because he wanted the kids to choose their own toy. The big distribution day was Dec. 11 in the parking lot of Queen of Peace Church in downtown Mesa. The parish had already broadcast word of the toy giveaway and by 9 a.m. Dec. 11, a long line had formed. Jesse also had gotten the word out on social media, telling people to look for children,” said Faust. Kids enter foster care through no fault of their own, but because their biological parents or legal guardians are unable to care for them safely. The purpose of a foster home is to provide a loving place for children to learn and grow while their parents do the work that’s needed to create a safe home environment.

“All children need a safe place to celebrate the holidays, adults who will ask about their school day, and a secure and loving home where they can rest easy at night,” said Sanchez.

the big yellow firetruck.

The kids walked up and picked out their own toys. Some adults showed up alone in cars because they didn’t want to put their kids at risk for COVID infection.

“We didn’t require them to prove it with like birth certificates or anything,” he explained. “We just said, ‘show us a picture that you have more than one. We understand that you have more kids but we also know there’s people that might want to take advantage of the system and want to just take toys home and they don’t have any kids.’”

Within an hour and a half, almost ev-

erything was gone, leaving the last five people in line to choose from small items like puzzles and such. Jesse gave them each $100 to buy something bigger. “I didn’t know where they came from but I wouldn’t want them to drive an hour to get like one toy and they have like three Jesse Morón said he was first afraid no one would show up to pick or four kids,” he exup the toys, then he was concerned he wouldn’t have enough. It all turned out well, however. (David Minton/Tribune Staff Photographer) plained. “We were afraid first that we wouldn’t have enough people to receive all the presents,” he said. “Then after that, we were afraid that we were going to have a long line left over and we would be down to our last present. But as it worked out, we were able to help every single last person to get a toy.” The reaction overwhelmed the couple at times. “People were crying or people were saying thank you,” Jesse said. He had called one nearby family a few days earlier and had asked for the man of the house, a father of four landscaper for whom he had done some air conditioning repairs earlier this year.

THE MESA TRIBUNE | DECEMBER 19, 2021

For children who are unable to reunite with their parents, DCS works to connect them with loving, adoptive families.

For more information about Larry H. Miller Dealerships, visit lhmauto.com. To learn more about foster care, call 877-

543-7633 or visit azdcs.gov/foster. ■ An older daughter told him on the phone, “My dad died on the job last July. He fell to his death from the palm tree.” “She started crying on the phone after I told them about the presents. She said ‘We were just discussing yesterday how we’re going to even afford to have Christmas presents for the kids because my dad was the breadwinner and we don’t have money for presents.” Jesse got their ages and asked her what they wanted for Christmas, then set aside the desire toy for each of them The giveaway also was a lesson for some of the Moróns’ 13 kids, who all were helping at the event.

When they had seen all the toys their parents bought, some of them wanted to keep a few. “That was one of my goals because their mindset was always receiving,” he explained. “And then by the end of it…one of my daughters said, ‘I’m going to hide two presents because if there’s somebody in the group that doesn’t have a present, I want to make sure they get one. So their mindset was different.”

Buoyed by how well the event went, Jesse and Melissa already are planning for a repeat a year from now. Only this time, he’s got a bigger plan. “We’re gonna start buying toys early next year,” he said. “I want to get 5,000.” ■

Annual 911 Toy Drive unites police, communities

BY DANA TRUMBULL

Tribune Staff Writer

The W. Steven Martin 911 Toy Drive has been a holiday fixture in Arizona for 36 years. Although the annual event began as the W. Steven Martin Motorcycle Toy Run, the logistics became “a nightmare,” Martin said, as the number of participants grew and culminated with 7,000 motorcycles participating in a memorial ride on the first anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks.

W., as Martin prefers to be called, decided to turn his focus to collaborating with police departments. The idea grew after Toni Hawk, wife of Tempe Officer Robert Hawk, called requesting toys to give away in his memory to a family he had always been concerned about. Officer Hawk had been struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver while conducting a traffic stop on the Superstition Freeway. The 911 Toy Drive now works through seeTOYS page 8

Scott Gruber of Courtesy Chevrolet shows off the truckload of toys he helped collect for the W. Steven Martin 911 Toy Drive. (David

els into a pre-softened pile of dirt in a ceremonial groundbreaking on Dec. 7. After that, the earth-movers got busy with onsite work for an expected 10,500 homes to be built over the next 10 years on about 4.3 square miles.

“It’s more than historic,” Apache Junction City Manager Bryant Powell said. “It will change the face of the city and the region.” Powell said the project is the biggest thing Apache Junction has ever undertaken. “Probably the biggest story we have here is that we just launched Superstition Vistas,” said John Bradley, president of Brookfield’s Arizona division. “It’s a long time coming.” Brookfield is known for several projects in the Valley, including the Eastmark development on former General Motors property in Mesa. Mike Hutchinson, a former Mesa city manager who has overseen planning for the Vistas on behalf of the East Valley Partnership, called the Horton project “a great first step,” and that good planning probably will ensure the success of this early phase. “We think this first development is great,” Hutchinson said. “The location is good. It’s really exceptional for Apache Junction.”

Decades-old vision

As big as this particular phase is, it is but a tiny sliver of an area that has been the focus of intense interest for at least two decades.

The concept of Superstition Vistas as a discrete planning area hadn’t popped into anyone’s head until Sept. 18, 2003. Roc Arnett, who at that time was president of the East Valley Partnership, was driving home that day from a meeting that had been called to discuss potential development in Pinal County. The term “Superstition Vistas” occurred to him as he came over a rise in the road and saw the grand sweep of the landscape now bearing that name. Arnett’s brainstorm led to a 2006 report by the Morrison Institute for Public Policy at Arizona State University. That document, entitled, “The Treasure of the Superstitions,” offered a visionary analysis of the region’s potential. It is still available online.

The report, written by veteran East Valley land-use attorney Grady Gammage Jr., saw Superstition Vistas as an immense empty canvas. It urged creative approaches to governance and infrastructure development to ensure sustainability and livability. While many of the report’s suggestions were not adopted, Pinal County did approve development standards for the region in 2011. Gammage told The Tribune he’s not bothered that his report’s more revolutionary ideas were not fully implemented.

“Visionary approaches are never realized, but it’s a way of incrementally moving the needle,” Gammage said. He said the

Horton/Brookfield project looks like a good way to kick off development in the Vistas. “You have to start somewhere,” Gammage said. “I am excited to see that it’s getting started.” Back when the report was written, many expected the development of the Vistas to begin in short order. But 2006 was the last This map shows the area that would be covered by Superstition Vis- year of a real-estate tas, including residential, commercial and recreation development. bubble that burst (Special to the Tribune) and plunged the world into the Great Recession. The economic calamity set many projects back by at least a decade. Hutchinson said the time lag allowed various entities to do their own planning work in the Vistas area. “We started looking at freeway corridors, drainage issues. The utility companies got to identify utility corridors. SRP and some others worked on some of the water-related issues,” he said. With all that work now in the books, Hutchinson said the 2011 Pinal County development standards probably need to be revisited.

Historic auction

By far the greatest piece of Superstition Vistas is still owned by the state under auspices of the Arizona State Land Department, which is expected to sell the property piecemeal over time. The 275 square miles – enough land to contain Mesa, Tempe, Gilbert and Chandler combined – stretches from Apache Junction to the northern border of Florence. The first chunk was sold at auction on Nov. 4, 2020. D.R. Horton was the winning bidder on 2,783 acres bounded by the Elliot Road alignment on the north, the Ray Road alignment on the south, Meridian Drive on the west and the Idaho Road alignment on the east. The land lies immediately south of another tract called Lost Dutchman Heights, a 7,700-acre parcel of former state land now under development by Phoenix-based Hunn Development Co. Ground was broken earlier this month for the first development in the sprawling Supersti- Horton’s winning bid came to $245.5 tion Vistas planning area. (Special to the Tribune) million in an auction that was tailored to

THE MESA TRIBUNE | DECEMBER 19, 2021 ensure only deep-pocketed development firms could participate. Three other companies bid on the land. Brookfield was not one of the bidders, but it was partnering with Horton on the purchase. Bradley said Brookfield and Horton agreed to split the land, with Horton developing the western half and Brookfield the eastern.

In October, Apache Junction annexed 6,600 acres of Superstition Vistas land, including the parcel bought by Horton. Horton has agreed to rezone and provide infrastructure for the land that lies outside the parcel it bought.

Some criticized the auction procedure at the time, saying the state could have gotten more money by selling the land in smaller parcels. But Bradley said selling a big chunk for the first development was a key to launching work in the Vistas. “It couldn’t get off the ground without someone doing the necessary entitlements, which isn’t that difficult, and infrastructure, which is that difficult,” Bradley said. “So this program starts that and creates oversized infrastructure that will allow the state to sell land in the future under their more typical format.”

The state prefers to sell parcels of about 100 to 150 acres, Bradley said, “and they couldn’t do that at Superstition Vistas because you can’t do that unless you have infrastructure.”

What’s coming

The Dec. 7 groundbreaking kicked off work on the 2,783 acres bought by Horton. The developers expect the first 1,825 homesites to go up for sale in early 2022. Eventually the tract is expected to accommodate 10,500 homes. The developers are setting aside 40 acres for commercial uses, 20 acres for an elementary school site, 73 acres for recreational uses and 10 acres for a public facility that may include a library, police and fire services. Among the planned amenities are a 16-acre regional park to be built in partnership with Apache Junction, five other community parks and 30 one-acre neighborhood parks. Bradley said a signature feature of the development will be streets angled to take advantage of the setting.

“Their focus will really be the Superstition Mountains, so as you drive north on a

THE MESA TRIBUNE | DECEMBER 19, 2021

COVID claims life of beloved Seton teacher, 42

BY KEN SAIN

Tribune Staff Writer

Life was looking up for Vanessa Lopez Delgado. She had just bought a new home for her family and landed what she called her “dream job,” teaching dance at Seton Catholic Preparatory. The 42-year-old woman died on Dec. 9, one of more than 23,000 in Arizona to succumb to COVID-19.

“Dance was a way for her to express herself,” said Jessica Morel, Delgado’s cousin. “She had a passion for dance for many, many, many years.” Morel said Delgado wanted to get the vaccine to protect herself, but was unable to because of a lung condition. That condition was made worse after she moved into a new home. After moving into the home and moving her refrigerator, she discovered mold that had not been disclosed during the purchase of the home. They checked with the previous occupants and owners and learned that they knew about the mold, but did not disclose it. “That aggravated her health condition,” Morel said. “It makes us frustrated and an-

VANESSA LOPEZ DELGADO

gry knowing it might have been a contributing factor.” Delgado began feeling sick a week before Thanksgiving. She checked into a hospital the Monday before Thanksgiving. She went on a ventilator on Thanksgiving Day.

“That was the last time any of us talked to her,” Morel said. Delgado was in her first year at Seton Catholic. Before that she had taught English at Gilbert High School, where she had graduated from. Before that she worked in the Tempe Union High School District. She also taught dance at Chandler-Gilbert Community College and was a graduate of Arizona State University.

“Everyone’s still in shock,” said Victor Serna, the principal at Seton Catholic. “We’re going through the mourning process and doing the best we can to support our students and staff. We pray for her soul and her family, especially her two young daughters.” Serna said they could tell Delgado was a special person right from the start.

“After a couple of interviews, we could tell that she would not only be a great fine arts instructor for us, but also a future leader on campus. That’s why we made her a department chair. “This is going to be a tremendous loss for the community and her family,” Serna said. Delgado had a long-lasting impact in her time at Gilbert. She founded the school’s hip-hop dancing team, The 1101. She also led the drive to change the name of the road next to the high school to Gilbert Tiger Drive. Delgado also started her own business, a graphic design company.

Morel said they do not know how she contracted COVID, saying her cousin was always very careful. “As the oldest of seven siblings, she made sure everyone was taking this seriously,” Morel said. Delgado is survived by her two daughters, ages 13 and 11. A GoFundMe page has been set up by Morel to help with the funeral costs and create a trust fund for the two children. Her daughters are now living with their father in Gilbert. A celebration of Delgado’s life is planned for Dec. 27 in Mesa. Morel said Delgado loved to dance and tried to share that passion with others. She volunteered to work at senior centers, helping them get up and move. Delgado’s cousin said she was self-taught. That’s why it was important for her to make sure others had a chance to dance. “She thought it was an ageless way to express yourself,” Morel said.

How to help

A GoFundMe page has been set up for Vanessa Lopez Delgado’s two children. Visit GoFundMe.com and search for her name.

TOYS from page 4

police departments and other public safety agencies statewide. Just as Officer Hawk had been concerned about a particular family in his patrol community, the officers who volunteer as “Blue Santas” know their communities and the families that need help. After contacting the parents to find out if they want to be included, each officer can adopt two families with up to eight children each, giving them not only gifts but a positive interaction that can redefine their attitudes toward police officers. This year, 100-150 officers are expected to participate as Blue Santas.

They will distribute more than 50,000 toys valued at more than $750,000 collectively. Over the duration of the program, officers have delivered more than 6 million toys to more than a million children.

Lt. Bryan Soller, the 911 Toy Drive coordinator for the Mesa Police Department, believes the community and the police are one and values the power and authority the community gives him and his officers. He has been working with the toy drive for 26 years. After the first time he participated in the toy drive, Soller was hooked. “My very first delivery was to this guy: his wife had passed, he had three small kids, and he was down on his luck.” When he dropped off the toys, the children opened the door, and they told him their dad was in the shower. “I’ve got toys here for you guys to open tomorrow,” and he set the bag of toys inside the door, went back to his car and started to drive away. “I looked in my mirror,” laughed Soller, “and I saw this guy – towel wrapped around his waist, still wet, soap in his hair… He ran up, and he was just crying. He’s like, ‘Thank you so much. My children weren’t getting toys; I couldn’t afford it.’ It just broke my heart. Now, I’ve been doing it so long, I’ve had people walk up to me on the street and say, ‘Officer Soller, you won’t remember me, I’m sure, but you gave me Christmas presents. Thank you for that.’ And that’s what we hope – that this will build a bond with those children and their parents that, hey, police aren’t just out there arresting people. We do more good things in the community than anybody ever talks about.” Although many toys for the 911 Toy Drive are donated by businesses and public safety agencies, individual donations play a large part in the effort as well. Collection boxes are located at Courtesy Automotive Group dealerships throughout the Valley where anyone can drop off toys.

“We are super excited to be a part of the 911 Toy Drive for three years in a row,” said Courtesy Automotive Group CEO Scott Gruwell. “That’s what makes Christmas: helping out those who need help the most.”

There are four primary locations to donate: Courtesy on Camelback; Courtesy Volvo of Scottsdale, Courtesy Chrysler Dodge, Jeep, Ram of Superstition Springs and Courtesy Kia of Mesa. Courtesy also has a box at the pop up booth for Polestar of Scottsdale in the food court at Fashion Square Mall. “Out of the last 25 years, working with a lot of dealerships, Courtesy Automotive Group has always stepped up to help,” W. told the Tribune. “We have received more toys from them than 14 other dealerships combined. They hire good people who really care.”

Collections for Christmas distribution will continue through Dec. 21, when officers from police districts throughout the state will drive their marked vehicles to distribution points at Courtesy Camelback Chevrolet, Courtesy Chrysler Dodge, Ram of Superstition Springs and S & K Oil Sales to pick up all the toys they requested for families in the communitiesthey serve.

“My family moved to AZ when I was very little,” summarized W. “There were seven kids. My father died about a year after we got here, so I learned early on what kind of a difference people can make in your life when they’re willing to reach out and help. I promised my mom that someday, I was going to make a difference in the lives of others, like others had in mine. And I think we’ve done that.”

For more information about the W. Steven Martin Toy Drive and other yearround efforts, go to 911toydrive.com. ■

Record fentanyl seizure by Scottsdale cops, DEA

BY ALEX GALLAGHER

Tribune Staff Writer

Scottsdale Police, joined by state and federal officials, last week announced a record seizure of fentanyl. Police and the DEA said the Dec. 14 bust yielded 1.7 million pills of fentanyl that weighed a total 360 pounds, 10 kilos of powdered fentanyl that could have produced an additional four million pills and 1 pound of methamphetamine.

The total stash had an estimated value of $9 million. The pills are believed to belong to the Sinaloa cartel, whose members Scottsdale Police and the DEA kept under close surveillance over the past few months.

“Over the past few months, the Scottsdale DEA task force has undertaken an investigation related to the Sinaloa cartel, which has been operating within the Phoenix metropolitan area,” said Scottsdale Police Chief Jeff Walther. “That investigation uncovered a currier that ultimately led to this seizure.”

The pills were stored in a number of storage lockers and residences throughout the Valley, though police declined to disclose those locations. It is believed the drugs were set to be distributed throughout the country.

Ever since the pandemic broke, fentanyl has been linked to a soaring number of drug overdoses, many fatal.

The Centers for Disease Control’s National Center for Health Statistics last month reported that there were an estimated 100,306 drug overdose deaths in the United States during a 12-month period ending in April 2021, an increase of 28.5 percent from a year earlier.

The new data estimated overdose deaths from opioids increased to 75,673 in the 12-month period ending in April 2021, up from 56,064 the year before. Overdose deaths from synthetic opioids (primarily fentanyl) and psychostimulants such as methamphetamine also increased in the 12-month period ending in April 2021.

“The Sinaloa cartel primarily uses the trafficking routes that run through Arizona,” said Cheri Oz, the DEA special agent in charge of the Phoenix field division. “We are confident this is Sinaloa cartel narcotics.” Oz called the Valley a hub for drug shipments across the nation, stating, “Phoenix is historically known as a repackaging and distribution area. Most of these drugs were destined for other parts of the country.” Police feel last week’s seizure is part of a bigger issue.

So far this year, the DEA has seized over 20 million fake pills laced with fentanyl, which is more pills than that last two years combined and enough to provide a lethal dose to every American. “A few months ago, using a multi-prong approach, the DEA launched its one pill can kill campaign in conjunction with the public safety surge,” Oz said. “Over the last two months, DEA and our partners nationwide initiated a second public safety surge targeting those responsible for flooding our communities with fentanyl.”

In just two months, the DEA was able to make a staggering number of arrests and seize millions of pills. “In total, during the two-month surge, we seized 3 million pills, 45 kilos of fentanyl powder, over 35 firearms and arrested over 40 drug traffickers,” Oz said.

Arizona itself has also accounted for a considerable number of the whopping amount of fentanyl seized by the DEA this year.

“Since January, the DEA has seized over 9.5 million pills in Arizona,” Oz said.

State Attorney General Mark Brnovich blamed the influx of fentanyl partially on the border crisis but mainly on the demand of the drug. “When the price of drugs like fentanyl and methamphetamine fall in our communities, that’s a result of demand,” he said.

Because of this, Oz underscored the importance of educating loved ones about how these pills make it into the homes and ultimately into the bodies of our loved ones.

“It is more important now than ever before that we continue to work together to turn this epidemic around,” Oz said. “Talk to your children, friends, neighbors and loved ones about the dangers of these deadly pills. The only pills safe are the pills prescribed by a doctor and dispensed by a pharmacy.” Oz also alerted that drug traffickers are utilizing technology and social media to market their products. “Drug trafficking is evolving and drug traffickers are using technology to get into homes to sell pills,” she said. “Traffickers are using social media platforms, posting emojis and code lingo that has specific meanings.” What was most glaring to Oz was how many lives were spared in this seizure. “What is alarming is that four out of every ten of those pills contain a potentially lethal dose,” Oz said. “

The seizure was a victory for Scottsdale Police, the DEA and for the city as it was a record one-time seizure for DEA in Arizona.

“This is an example of federal, state and local officials working together to keep our community safe,” said Brnovich. “This is law enforcement cooperation at its very best.” ■

VISTA from page 6

street you’ll be looking right at the Superstitions,” Bradley said. According to documents associated with Apache Junction’s Oct. 5 annexation vote, taxpayers will not be on the hook for infrastructure in the new development. A staff report written for the Planning and Zoning Commission says: “The applicant is responsible for a number of infrastructure improvements including but not limited to the construction of water and sewer lines, booster stations, a water treatment plant and streets.”

Apache Junction’s water utility will serve the new neighborhoods.

“They have developed a very robust water portfolio,” Bradley said. “And they have allocated a portion of that to this development. So, it is assured.”

City documents indicate that Apache Junction’s drinking water comes primarily from groundwater wells and the Colorado River via the Central Arizona Project. Long-term reliance on Colorado River wa-

ter may be problematic amid a deep Western drought that has forced water managers to impose the first-ever reductions in deliveries from the beleaguered stream. The initial cutbacks, imposed this year, affected agricultural The mighty Superstition Mountains will play a major role in the way developers will lay out residential neighborhoods. (Tribune file photo) users in Pinal County. Bradley said, however, that Apache Junction, although it lies in Pinal County, is not as susceptible to water shortages as other portions of the county because it is

part of the Phoenix metro water management area. Hutchinson believes Apache Junction should have no problem supplying water for this first phase. “They’re prepared to do that,” he said. “They’ve been planning for it for years.” But as the Vistas develop further, he said, “There may have to be some additional water supplies acquired over the next 30 or 40 years. It’ll cost more money than people are used to paying today. There’s been some pretty good thinking about what that future is.” As for the future, Bradley said that was the focus of the Dec. 7 groundbreaking. “We asked everybody to imagine – put yourself there 20 years from now, 30 years from now, and imagine,” he said. “Everybody will have a little different picture in their head. But it’s going to be really quite amazing.” ■

GOT NEWS? Contact Paul Maryniak at 480-898-5647 or pmaryniak@timespublications.com

THE MESA TRIBUNE | DECEMBER 19, 2021

One landmark gives way to a new one downtown

TRIBUNE NEWS STAFF

As he was joined by city leaders for the groundbreaking of downtown Mesa’s next major residential complex, Brett Hopper remarked on the irony of having stood 23 years earlier on that very site on the east end of Main Street to buy a Chevy Suburban from Brown and Brown Chevrolet. “Standing here is a bit surreal to me,” said Hopper, vice president of real estate development for Opus Development Company, which is transforming the onetime downtown landmark into what Hopper called “a catalyst for additional downtown investment and revitalization development.” Appearances by Hopper, Mayor John Giles and Vice Mayor Jenn Duff marked the beginning of the Mesa Arts District Lofts, a 335-unit multifamily development that will include close to 13,000 square feet of retail space. The project will have five buildings of three, four and five stories on The 335-unit Mesa Arts District Lofts will include 13,000 square feet of retail

space. (City of Mesa) courtyard facing lofts to threebedroom apart ments, town homes and livework units with both secured surface parking areas and tuckedunder ga-

approximately 10 acres with a variety of living options, Hopper said the complex – scheduled to welcome its first residents in May 2023 and be completed within the following 10 months – will offer “a diverse mix of housing choices ranging from studios and rages. Along with a “grand promenade entrance” and courtyard, he said, the complex will include a state-of-the-art fitness center, club room, swimming pool and spa, cabanas, fire pits, bocce courts and other outdoor amenities, such as lounge and meeting areas, media displays, study areas, package rooms and even a dog washing station. “There’s going to be a little bit for everybody here and it’s going to be really fun to be integrated with the rest of the activities that are going on down here,” Hopper said, adding that there will be 86 electrical vehicle charging stations as well. “This is an exciting step forward in the transformation of Mesa’s downtown, providing an additional housing option in an ideal location,” said Giles. “It’s remarkable to see the first phase of the project already coming to life, and we’re eager to see the impact of this development downtown.” Duff noted the project “is in a terrific location within walking distance of the light rail, Mesa Arts Center, Benedictine University, ASU and our great restaurants and shops downtown. “The housing options will complement our historic districts and other nearby neighborhoods,” she added. ■

Banner curbing surgeries amid virus spike

BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

The state’s largest hospital network is operating over capacity at several of its facilities and is turning away surgery that is not medically necessary.

And Dr. Marjorie Bessel, the chief medical officer for Banner Health, said last week she expects things to only get worse in the next month. That, in turn, will result in even more instances of people with non life-threatening conditions having their surgeries delayed.

Bessel said that for the moment, Banner is not anticipating having to do what has occurred in some other states – where the National Guard has been called out to help set up facilities outside of hospitals. She also said the hospital is not yet using a “triage’’ system to turn away patients whose illnesses or injuries are not considered severe enough, or where their chances of survival are so low as to not merit care. But future prospects do not look good. “In-patient volumes are at their highest levels since the start of the pandemic, with several Banner hospitals operating above capacity,’’ Bessel said. “If the forecasted trends continue we will soon be unable to meet the health care needs of Arizonans. “Banner’s predictive modeling tools show no sign of letting up,’’ Bessel continued. “We expect volumes will continue to increase throughout December and into the beginning of next year before peaking around the middle of January.’’

And even that, she said, does not account for the emergence of the Omicron variant which now is present in Arizona. Bessel said while it appears to be highly transmissible there is still a lot to learn about how severe it is and whether those who contract it will need to be hospitalized or, more problematic for hospitals, put into already overburdened intensivecare units.

But Bessel, who repeatedly emphasized the importance of getting vaccinated and wearing masks to help deal with the problem, declined to call on Gov. Doug Ducey to use his emergency powers to mandate either. “I’m asking the community to assist us in preserving health care capacity for all of you,’’ she said. “I believe that each one of us can make a personal decision to do our part.’’ It’s not just a question of having beds, both in the intensive-care units as well as standard care. Bessel said it’s having the staff to provide the necessary medical care.

“We are more stretched now than we have been since the start of the pandemic,’’ she said, saying many “core team members’’ deciding to retire, seek another position within the hospital that does not involve face-to-face health care – or get out of the profession entirely. All that, Bessel said, is due to “prior surges and the enormous physical and mental impact the pandemic has had on them.’’

In January, when more than 90 percent of intensive-care beds were occupied, COVID patients accounted for about two thirds of that. Now, those with COVID take up about 40 percent of all ICU beds.

But Bessel said the balance of patients are a direct result of the pandemic. “We know that individuals throughout the pandemic have, very unfortunately, because of the scenario that we have been experiencing, (been) delaying care,’’ she said. All that goes to the question of whether patients will be able not only to get into the hospitals but even how quickly they will be able to get care at Banner clinics. It starts with crowding in emergency rooms.

Bessel said that those whose injuries and illnesses are not life threatening are instead being referred to primary care clinics. But that, in turn, means those clinics will be giving priority to established patients who are sick.

“As a result, patients may experience an increased wait for non-urgent primary care physician appointments that can safely be delayed, such as routine follow-ups, “well visits’’ and new patient visits,’’ she said. As to surgical care, Bessel said Banner hospitals and surgery centers are continuing to offer “medically necessary’’ procedures, though each facility makes its own scheduling decisions on a dayby-day basis depending on available staffing resources and capacity.

So what’s medically necessary? “They include things like mastectomies for breast cancer, gall bladder removal for stones, and hip replacement for those who are in pain,’’ Bessel said. ■

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Mesa, AZ — The most common method your doctor will recommend to treat your chronic pain and/or neuropathy is with prescription drugs that may temporarily reduce your symptoms. These drugs have names such as Gabapentin, Lyrica, Cymbalta, and Neurontin, and are primarily antidepressant or anti-seizure drugs. These drugs may cause you to feel uncomfortable and have a variety of harmful side effects. Chronic pain and/or peripheral neuropathy is a result of damage to the nerves often causing weakness, pain, numbness, tingling, and the most debilitating balance problems. This damage is commonly caused by a lack of blood flow to the nerves in the hands and feet which causes the nerves to begin to degenerate due to lack of nutrient flow.

As you can see in Figure 2, as the blood vessels that surround the nerves become diseased they shrivel up which causes the nerves to not get the nutrients to continue to survive. When these nerves begin to “die” they cause you to have balance problems, pain, numbness, tingling, burning, and many additional symptoms. The main problem is that your doctor has told you to just live with the problem or try the drugs which you don’t like taking because they make you feel uncomfortable. There is now a facility right here in Mesa that offers you hope without taking those endless drugs with serious side effects. (See the special neuropathy severity examination at the end of this article) In order to effectively treat your neuropathy three factors must be determined. 1) What is the underlying cause? 2) How much nerve damage has been sustained. NOTE: Once you have sustained 95% nerve loss, there is likely nothing that we can do for you. 3) How much treatment will your condition require? The treatment that is provided at Aspen Medical has three main goals. 1) Increase blood flow 2) Stimulate and increase small fiber nerves 3) Decrease brain-based pain The treatment to increase blood flow, stimulate small nerve fibers and get you back to health is our new $50,000.00 SANEXAS UNIT! In addition, we use a state-of-the-art diagnostics like the TM Flow diagnostic unit to accurately determine the increase in blood flow and a small skin biopsy to accurately determine the increase in small nerve fibers! The Sanexas electric cell signaling system delivers energy to the affected area of your body at varying wavelengths, including both low-frequency and middle-frequency signals. It also uses amplitude modulated (AM) and frequency modulated (FM) signaling. During a treatment session, the Sanexas system automatically changes to simultaneously deliver AM and FM electric cell signal energy. THE GREAT NEWS IS THAT SANEXAS IS COVERED BY MEDICARE AND MOST INSURANCE! Depending on your coverage, your treatment could be little to no cost to you! The amount of treatment needed to allow the nerves to fully recover varies from person to person and can only be determined after a detailed neurological and vascular evaluation. As long as you have not sustained at least 95% nerve damage there is hope! Aspen Medical will do a chronic pain and neuropathy severity examination to determine the extent of the nerve damage as a public service to you and/or your family and friends. This neuropathy/ pain severity examination will consist of a detailed sensory evaluation, extensive peripheral vascular testing, and a detailed analysis of the findings of your neuropathy.

Fig. 2

Aspen Medical will be offering this chronic pain and neuropathy severity examination from now until December 31, 2021. Call 480-

274-3157 to make an appointment to determine if your chronic pain and peripheral neuropathy can be successfully treated. Due to our very busy office schedule, we are limiting this FREE consultation offer to the first 15 callers. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO SUFFER ANOTHER MINUTE, CALL Call 480-274-3157 … NOW!

We are extremely busy and if your call goes to our voicemail, please leave a message and we will get back to you asap.

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THE MESA TRIBUNE | DECEMBER 19, 2021

Scholarships available for East Valley women

TRIBUNE NEWS STAFF

Young women who apply to colleges or universities and need help paying for tuition and related expenses might want to turn to the American Association of University Women of East Mesa Branch, which awards scholarships to deserving applicants. Violet Larney, the branch’s first president, endowed the group through her estate, providing money to fund women scholars from the Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa and Apache Junction to attend Arizona colleges within the Phoenix metropolitan area. “Starting with five scholars, we have now expanded our program to 12 scholars working on degrees with majors ranging from elementary education and public policy to chemical and mechanical engineering,” a spokeswoman for AAUW said.

Each scholar is matched with a mentor from the branch membership who advises, supports and guides each scholar throughout her college years. “This program has been highly successful with the majority of women completing their education and either transitioning into the workforce or going on to complete advanced degrees,” the spokeswoman said.

Scholarships cover tuition, lab fees, books and other expenses.

Some requirements for the scholarships: GPA of 2.5 or higher for associate degree students and high school seniors; GPA of 3.0 or higher for four-year college students. Each scholar is required to have a mentor from the AAUW of East Mesa Branch. Each applicant must demonstrate a financial need, and new scholar applicants are required to be full-time students. Applicants may be graduating high school seniors, associate degree students, undergraduate students at a four-year college or adult re-entry students. Students who are active participants in school and community activities are preferred.

The scholarships may be renewed annually if the criteria are met.

Applications for the East Mesa AAUW scholarships are available at the Arizona

Community Foundation website –azfoundation.org/Scholarships – AAUW of East Mesa [AZ] Branch Scholarships Applications can be submitted from Jan. 1- March 31. “The ACF website provides excellent information and resources to guide students in the application process,” the spokeswoman said. Applicants are notified of the scholarship awards in April and need to respond to the Arizona Community Foundation by June 15. “We encourage women to apply for our scholarships, and look forward to getting to know women who will be successful future leaders,” the spokeswoman added. Information: ybbord13@icloud.com. ■

Food bank distributing Christmas fixins’ Wednesday

TRIBUNE NEWS STAFF

United Food Bank once again is stepping up to help people in need at Christmas.

Thanks to a $50,000 donation from Larry H. Miller Dealerships and another $25,000 from Instacart, the food bank will distribute holiday groceries 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 22, at Mesa Convention Center, 263 N. Center St. in Mesa.

More than 2,000 households were served at the food bank’s Thanksgiving distribution last month and United officials expect a similar turnout for this one.

“We understand that the holiday donation we’re giving today will provide an astounding 250,000 meals for children and families facing food insecurity in Eastern Maricopa County,” said Jim Crutcher, general manager at Larry H. Miller Ford Mesa. “This gives us true comfort and joy–knowing we’re able to help so manyfamilies through the holidays. We’re honored to provide financial and volunteer support to United Food Bank and 20 additional nonprofits across Arizona this holiday season through our eighth annual 10 Days of Giving campaign.“

United Food Bank has provided hunger relief to people in the East Valley and eastern Arizona since 1983. As a Feeding America member food bank, we collect, acquire, store, and distribute food to about 165 partner agencies and pro-

grams, serving over 345,000 households annually in five counties. In 2020, due to COVID-19, United Food Bank distributed more than 27 million pounds of food, providing 22.5 million meals, a 20 percent increase over our distribution in 2019. Larry H. Miller Dealerships operates more than 60 dealership locations under 17 automotive brands in seven western states. Instacart is the leading online grocery platform in North America. ■

Mesa planning director promoted to big gig

TRIBUNE NEWS STAFF

Mesa City Planner Dr. Nana Appiah has a new and bigger job. City Manager Chris Brady last week named Appiahas Development Services director. Appiah, who has been planning director since 2018, will oversee planning, construction permitting, building inspections and historic preservation. He will work with private sector developers and city departments “to promote quality and intentional growth and historic preservation: and ensure efficient, customer-friendly permitting and reviews for proposed development and businesses.

“Our Development Services Department works closely with business owners, community stakeholders and residents to re-

DR. NANA APPIAH

record of accomplishments to lead our efforts and attract important development to our City,” said Brady.

Appiah has a doctorate from the University of Texas at Dallas and has been responsible for overseeing the development and implementation of effective land-use strategies for healthy economic growth. A city release noted he “also led significant land-use policy and administrative changes that have resulted in effective and timely review of development projects and improved performance of the Planning Division.” Calling his promotion “a tremendous honor,” Appiah said, “We have a team of dedicated employees focused on providing quality services in all aspects of the City’s land use policy administration, review and entitlement processes. In this new role, I will continue to strive to create and implement sound policies that combined with excellent customer service will allow Mesa to continue to attract and retain businesses and be the city of choice for healthy living.”

A native of Ghana and a U.S. citizen, Appiahserved as planning and development services manager for Adams County, Colorado, and planning supervisor and senior planner in Denton, Texas. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners and has completed public leadership training at Harvard University’s prestigious Kennedy School of Government. He replaces Christine Zielonka, who is retiring after serving Mesa for 27 years in various departments, including the City Attorney’s Office and Environmental Management and Solid Waste. ■