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Mesa's Asian delights / P. 18
Lord of the board / P. 17
An edition of the East Valley Tribune
HAPPY NEW YEAR INSIDE
This Week
NEWS .......................... 3
Sunday, December 27, 2020
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Come Jan. 1, keep your hands on the wheel BY JIM WALSH Tribune Staff Writer
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fter a long delay, it’s time for drivers to �inally put down their cell phones unless they want to see red and blue �lashing lights in their rear-view mirror. Arizona’s distracted driving law becomes effective on Jan. 1 and police of�icers throughout the East Valley and beyond are planning to write citations right away, trying to break motorists’ dangerous habits of texting or checking emails behind the wheel. The law originally was passed in 2019 after a driver struck and killed a Salt River-Pima
Light magicians
Maricopa tribal of�icer along the Loop 101, but it included an 18-month educational window during which of�icers could only issue warnings. While of�icers will still have discretion to issue warnings after Jan. 1, their advice is simple: don’t count on it. The new law makes it illegal to touch a cell phone while driving – or even to rest it on your lap, another habit police have noted – with a call to 911 one notable exception. Drivers are still allowed to use hands-free devices, such as Bluetooth, that are commonly built into the dashboards of most modern cars and trucks.
Mesa senator-elect defying mask mandate.
The penalties are civil �ines ranging from $75-$149 for the �irst offense, and $150-$250 for the second or subsequent offenses. And a violation is considered a “primary offense” – meaning that police can stop drivers for talking on the phone alone and do not need any additional violations to pull them over. The Arizona Department of Public Safety has issued 15,000 warnings, as directed by Gov. Doug Ducey, who signed the bill into law, said Bart Graves, a DPS spokesman. “The whole reason for the law is to keep people safe on our roads. The best thing we
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A strong start, then the year crashed on us BY GARY NELSON Tribune Contributor
COMMUNITY ........ 12 Mesa artist crafts special calendar. COMMUNITY ............................... 12 BUSINESS ..................................... 14 OPINION ....................................... 16 SPORTS ........................................ 17 GET OUT ....................................... 18 PUZZLES ...................................... 19 CLASSIFIED ................................. 20 Zone 2
This is what people find in Mesa-based Christmas Light Decorators' warehouse. The company has been providing brilliant light displays to governments and businesses for years and the pandemic didn't stop the firm this year. See the story on page 14. (Special to the Tribune)
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t opened brightly enough, with the customary expectations of progress and prosperity that have marked each new year in the East Valley for the past decade. Construction began on an Arizona State University complex in downtown Mesa. Cranes loomed high over downtown Tempe while on the streets below, a new streetcar line was being born. Gilbert and Chandler sung to the tunes of hammers and saws creat
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THE MESA TRIBUNE | DECEMBER 27, 2020
The Mesa Tribune is published every Sunday and distributed free of charge to homes and in single-copy locations throughout the East Valley.
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NEWS
Mesa senator vows de�iance of mask rule BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services
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ith COVID-19 still �laring, the president of the State Senate has ordered that anyone coming into the building must wear a face mask to attend sessions – setting the stage for a confrontation with Mesa’s newly elected Sen. Kelly Townsend. Senate President Karen Fann said the directive is designed to ensure the safety of everyone conducting business at the Capitol, including people with preexisting conditions and those who care for vulnerable individuals. The Prescott Republican acknowledged that the issue of masks has become a political lightning rod, but said she hopes the rules will “eliminate some of the divisiveness we have encountered throughout this pandemic.’’ That does not appear to be working. Townsend, the east Mesa Republican who had served in the House and was just elected to the Senate, said she has no intention of complying. “I’ve already told them where I stand,’’ she told Capitol Media Services. “What are they going to do? Arrest me?’’ What can be done, if the rules are followed, is simply refuse to allow Townsend into the building. “They’re going to physically block me from the building?’’ she asked. “Well, that’d be fun,’’ Townsend added, promising to invite a reporter there when she attempts entry.
When she switches from the House to the Senate next month, Mesa Republican Kelly Townsend says she won't mask up. (File) Townsend also is questioning Fann’s ability to enact what is formally being called a “protocol’’ as there has been no vote of lawmakers. But Fann believes she’s on solid ground, citing an existing rule that gives her, as president, not just control of the Senate chamber but “all of parts of the Senate wing and all other areas and buildings used exclusively by the Senate.’’ Fann indicated she’s unlikely to back down – even if it brings legislative action to a halt. “Failure to adhere (to these rules) could result in lack of quorums, inability to conduct voting and other work we need to accomplish,’’ she warned. And the ultimate
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result, Fann said, would be shutting down the session. The rules are designed to facilitate actual committee hearings, including allowing members of the public to actually participate in hearings. But it remains doubtful that supporters or foes of legislation will be able to pack hearing rooms the way they have until now. That’s because visitors will be allowed into the building only to actually participate in a committee hearing or for a prescheduled meeting with a senator or staffer. The House is expected to announce its own rules this coming week. They are expected to be similar, with Fann saying the Senate rules “were developed in collaboration with the House for uniformity and consistency for all within the Capitol community that participate in legislative proceedings.’’ The rules come as lawmakers grapple with how to conduct business amid the continued threat of infection from the coronavirus. It starts with the idea of limiting the chances that someone who is infected will even enter the building. Under the rules, anyone wishing entry, including lawmakers, staff and visitors, will be subject to temperature checks. Then there’s the requirement for masks. A legislator or staffer in his or her own individual closed of�ice will be free to unmask. And there even are allowances for people who have their own dedicated
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County de�ies legislator’s vote data subpoena BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services
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aricopa County supervisors voted Friday to refuse to comply with subpoenas issued by the head of the Senate Judiciary Committee. The 4-1 vote followed a nearly threehour executive session with attorneys amid concerns that at least some of what is being demanded by Sen. Eddie Farnsworth, R-Gilbert, would expose private information about voters. There also were questions about whether the county even has the legal right to give that information to outsiders. Instead, board members supporting
the motion – three Republicans and one Democrat – voted to �ile suit and have a judge determine whether the subpoenas are legally valid. Among the majority was Republican Jack Sellers, whose district covers Ahwatukee. Attorney Steve Tully, a former legislator hired by the county, said legislative panels can subpoena people to testify. Farnsworth’s seeks actual materials. More signi�icant, Tully said the subpoenas “serve no valid legislative purpose.’’ “There is no legislative authority to audit election results,’’ he said. Nor is there authority to examine ballots or conduct forensic audits of election equipment. That paves the way for what could be a
legal showdown over the rights of state lawmakers to make such demands and the rights of the supervisors, who have the information they want, to refuse. Board Chairman Clint Hickman also took a shot at Farnsworth – whose term is up in a week – and the lawmakers who are demanding a laundry list of data and access to voting equipment. Hickman suggested they are not really interested in hearing about how the election was conducted. Hickman pointed out that he, county Elections Director Scott Jarrett and deputy Maricopa County Attorney Tom Liddy
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NEWS
THE MESA TRIBUNE | DECEMBER 27, 2020
Time running out for abuse victims’ lawsuits BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services
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ime is quickly running out for many who were sexually assaulted or abused years ago as children to try to get some justice from perpetrators or those who allowed it to occur. An Arizona law approved last year scrapped existing statutes that required victims to sue before the 20th birthday or forfeit their legal rights. Now they have until age 30. That portion of the law is permanent. What is not is a temporary legal window that legislators agreed to open for those whose time to �ile suit already had expired. They have only until the end of this year to �ile their claims. But even with the new opportunity it won’t be easy. To get the necessary votes, proponents of the change had to agree to some curbs
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can do is keep them from being distracted,’’ he said. Traf�ic safety advocates say that distracted driving causes the same level of danger as an impaired driver with a .08 percent alcohol level, the minimum level at which Arizona drivers are presumed to be impaired under state law. Police in Scottsdale, Mesa, Gilbert and Chandler all say they have been issuing warnings. Gilbert took a somewhat different approach, designating a series of six “hands free duty’’ days in which of�icers made traf�ic stops and issued warnings to drivers holding a cell phone in their hands, said Brenda Carrasco, a Gilbert Police spokeswoman. The last of these warning events is planned for this week. Carrasco said activity on the department’s social media pages indicates that some residents are irritated by distracted drivers and look forward to enforcement of the hands-free law. “I think it will depend upon the circumstances,’’ whether some is cited or warned for violations noted in the new year, she said. After issuing a long series of warnings,
that could make proving the case more dif�icult. First, those in this second category have to prove their claims by “clear and convincing evidence’’ – a higher standard than “preponderance of the evidence,’’ the balancing test used by jurors now to determine whether it’s more likely than not that the incident occurred. Any lawsuit in that group against a church or organization also must provide proof that someone in authority not only knew about the abuse but either did nothing or deliberately covered it up. And anyone bringing one of these older cases can seek only actual damages. They could not collect punitive damages designed to both punish an individual or organization for outrageous acts. That issue of money was so divisive that it hung up not just the legislation but also the $11.8 billion state budget as
Mesa police traf�ic Of�icer Mike Kuntz is looking forward to issuing citations, saying that they tend to make a longer-lasting impact on the behavior of drivers. “I educate a lot of people. Every time I drive past a car and they are on the phone, I make them put down the phone,’’ he said. Kuntz said drivers have been backsliding into their old habits during the educational campaign rather than improving their safety by putting down their phones. “A year ago, a lot of news agencies reported it. I would say that initially, it improved,’’ he said. But Kuntz said authorities now need to regain the momentum lost during the long delay in enforcing the law. “You drive down the road, we all see there are so many people on their phones. It’s ridiculous,’’ Kuntz said. “There will be no more warnings from me. There will only be citations. I have been waiting for 1 ½ years to give citations. “I need to gain compliance from you,’’ Kuntz said, adding he’s not buying excuses. “Just put it down. If you can’t put it down, put it in the trunk,’’ he said. Alberto Gutier, director of the Governor’s Of�ice of Highway Safety, said he is planning a public service campaign to re-
Sens. Paul Boyer R-Phoenix, and Heather Carter, R-Cave Creek, refused to provide the necessary votes until they got a change in the law they believe will help victims and provide a �inancial incentive to organizations to weed out the predators in their midst. But that limit was necessary to bring foes onboard the plan. For example, Rep. Anthony Kern, RGlendale, said the legislation was being pushed by trial lawyers anxious to collect legal fees. And he said that providing more time to sue doesn’t help victims as no amount of money can compensate them for what they endured. Much of the push came from Bridie Farrell, a former speed skating champion who came to Phoenix to testify about how, at age 15, she was sexually assaulted by a much older silver Olympic medalist while at a training facility. She said it took her years to come to terms with
mind drivers that the state law takes effect on Jan. 1. Chandler and Gilbert police said they also are planning to post safety videos about the new law’s requirements on the social media as another method of reminding the public that it is becoming effective. “No one likes to be pulled over. Being pulled over is the best message for people who are driving distracted,’’ Gutier said. “I think the momentum will come right back.’’ Gutier said he believes the new law will save lives and that it represents a direct opportunity to improve public safety. “Even though we had more than a year of warnings, now it’s the real thing,’’ he said. “People need to put their phone down.’’ Sgt. Jason McClimans, a Chandler police spokesman, said it’s not realistic to think all drivers will suddenly put down their phones and pay attention to their driving on Jan. 1. “It’s going to continue to happen. It’s so ingrained in people’s heads,’’ McClimans said. The public needs to understand that driving is a complicated act requiring their full attention and that the vast majority of texts and messages can wait until they are
what happened to her. Farrell said the ability to pursue not just those who committed the abuse but those who knew is critical. “Survivors don’t want to take down the LDS church or the Catholic Church or the Boy Scouts or, in my case, the United States Olympic Committee,’’ she told those at the signing ceremony. “We want to ensure that no child has to go through what we went through,’’ Farrell said. “And that’s all this has been about from the very beginning.’’ In the end, even Gov. Doug Ducey found the issue so important he agreed to a signing ceremony at the Capitol less than 24 hours after the �inal compromise was unanimously approved. “This we know: Victims need time, time to process, time to understand what has happened and to come forward,’’ he said. “And they deserve the ability to come forward.’’
parked, he said. “We believe the number of distracted driving citations will increase dramatically,’’ McClimans said, adding that he thinks there are circumstances where a warning will suf�ice in changing someone’s behavior. “There are certain people out there who understand warnings. We feel they won’t do it again,’’ he said. Marc Lamber, a personal injury attorney, said he has represented many clients who have lost a loved one or have suffered serious injuries from distracted driving. He recalled a time when there was more tolerance for impaired driving before extensive public education campaigns changed people’s attitudes. Because almost any hazard can pop up suddenly while driving, “you need to have full attention with your hands and cognition with your brain,’’ Lamber said. “I see more and more accidents involving someone who is on the phone and distracted. Ninety-three percent of accidents are caused by human error,’’ he said. He also said that the law taking effect and Bluetooth being widely available, when it comes to motorists keeping your hands off their phone behind the wheel, “I hope it will become as automatic as wearing a seatbelt.”
GOT NEWS? Contact Paul Maryniak at 480-898-5647 or pmaryniak@timespublications.com
THE MESA TRIBUNE | DECEMBER 27, 2020
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ANSWERS TO PUZZLES AND SUDOKU
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determined after a detailed neurological and vascular evaluation. As long as you have not sustained at least 95% nerve damage there is hope!
Fig. 2
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?
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.
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!
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.
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
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NEWS
LARA ELLINGSON
THE MESA TRIBUNE | DECEMBER 27, 2020
DR. ANDI FOURLIS
JOE O'REILLY
KIANA MARIE SEARS
JULIE SPILSBURY
The year brought big changes for Mesa and these people as Ellingson, O'Reilly and Sears won Mesa Public Schools board races, Fourlis was named the school district's superintendent and Spilsbury won her race for a City Council seat. (Special to the Tribune)
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ing square mile after square mile of homes and stores and factories. As this election year dawned, candidates were crafting their sales pitches to voters who, for the most part, were only dimly beginning to contemplate another march to the ballot box. The biggest point of uncertainty seemed to lie in a presidential impeachment then in play in Washington. But even that proved to be a melodrama without drama as Donald Trump’s Feb. 5 acquittal by a Republican Senate became a predictable anticlimax. Only the closest observer of international news could have suspected, in that January that now seems of another world, that 2020 would rip our lives apart in almost unfathomable ways. COVID-19 arrived early in the East Valley. In late January, when the United States reported only �ive total cases, an ASU student who had recently returned from China was among them. Whatever ripples of concern that may have caused, however, seemed to vanish as the student recovered and no new cases immediately emerged in our area. But by mid-March there was no longer room for complacency. Suddenly, grocery store shelves were stripped bare of pasta, popcorn, canned goods and especially toilet paper as panicked East Valley residents hoarded essentials for what seemed like a long siege ahead.
Churches and shopping malls closed their doors. Movie theaters followed suit, as did bars and restaurants. The Cactus League baseball season was aborted. School let out early for the year and kids had to rely on distance learning – in many cases without devices or internet connections. Proms and graduation ceremonies were scrapped. The question of when and how to return to school in the fall created no end of agony for administrators, teachers, parents and the students themselves and pitted parents against parents against school districts over the safety of in-class learning. To a large extent, that agony and strife continues in East Valley and other school districts. As of mid-December, Maricopa County had lost more than 4,500 of its friends and neighbors to the virus. Thousands of other people had needed hospitalization and many of them still deal with lingering health problems. Weddings and funerals, business meetings and church services came by way of Zoom. Hugs and handshakes were things of the past. The economic price was steep as well. Some businesses could not survive their springtime closures, perhaps the most visible symbol of that being the now-vacant Nordstrom store at Chandler Fashion Center. But city �inances did not fall off the cliff as expected. Mesa, for example, slashed staff early in the recession only to �ind
as summer rolled along that people were skipping vacations, spending money at home and shoring up the city’s sales-tax collections. Gilbert and Chandler also found revenue actually increasing after May, partly the result of online sales as well as the reopening of many small businesses. And despite the agony shared by many small businesses, one area of the region’s economy that thrived in spite of the pandemic was – and continues to be – the housing market. Home values and prices saw doubledigit increases as a shrinking inventory of re-sale homes left frustrated buyers competing in bidding wars for houses. As rents also increased, other developers won approval for hundreds of new units in luxury complexes across the East Valley.
To mask or not to mask
Incredibly, the virus and the science involved in mitigating became politicized, so much so that wearing a mask – or not wearing one – became controversial. Anti-mask campaigners in the East Valley, following Trump’s lead, couched their rhetoric in terms of personal freedom even if that meant infecting someone else. Among the more prominent anti-maskers was U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs, a Republican who represents part of the East Valley. Biggs regularly parroted Trump’s dismissal of the COVID threat. When Trump himself caught the virus in September, Biggs urged the president to
take a drug that Trump had promoted in the spring but that had no proven effect in combatting the disease. Doctors ignored Biggs’ medical advice. Trump recovered anyway. As the year ends, it appears vaccines against COVID will be widely available in mid-2021. But until they have been suf�iciently deployed, the disease seems likely to have a dire effect on East Valley life well into the new year. Some uncertainty looms over when classrooms will be reopened, for example. Mesa Public Schools will start the �irst two weeks of the second semester with athome learning for most students. While of�icials have vowed to reopen campuses Jan. 19, they have added as a caveat that reopening will depend on the benchmarks for virus spread – which currently are in an upward trajectory and well above the threshold for substantial virus spread.
Historic political year
Maricopa County turned against the president it had supported in 2016, �lipping its support to Democrat Joe Biden. In 2016 the county voted 49 percent for Trump and 46 percent for Hillary Clinton. This time out, Biden netted 50.3 percent of the county’s vote, and Trump 48.1. The swing helped Biden nail the state’s 11 electoral votes on his way to the White
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NEWS
THE MESA TRIBUNE | DECEMBER 27, 2020
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House, the �irst time since 1996 that a Democrat had carried Arizona. The East Valley’s two congressional districts voted in predictable fashion, but even here there was erosion in Trump’s support. Heavily Republican District 5 gave Biden 41.9 percent of its vote, as compared with 36.5 percent for Clinton in 2016. The more liberal Ninth District voted 60.8 percent for Biden compared with 54.7 for Clinton four years earlier. Some Republicans – with Trump in the lead – persisted in an unprecedented and baseless effort to overturn the results of a legitimate American election. Among them was State Rep. Kelly Townsend, R-Mesa, who urged the Legislature to ignore the will of the voters and direct that Arizona’s electoral votes be handed to Trump. The Republican speaker of the House, Rusty Bowers, also of Mesa, noted that acting on Townsend’s suggestion would be illegal. “I cannot and will not entertain a suggestion that we violate current law to change the outcome of a certi�ied election,” Bowers said. But other East Valley lawmakers are �iguring prominently in the ongoing battle. Outgoing Gilbert Sen. Eddie Farnsworth has subpoenaed Maricopa County for millions of voter records – which the Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 to �ight. Overall, however, the East Valley’s political stripes did not change that much. Solidly red legislative districts re�lected that in the candidates they sent to the Legislature and Republicans retained control of both houses in the Arizona Capitol. All county of�ices except for sheriff were won by Republicans, who even took back the County Recorder’s of�ice from Democrat Adrian Fontes. The East Valley’s congressional representation remains the same, with Biggs winning re-election in Fifth District and Democrat Greg Stanton in the Ninth. The East Valley’s nonpartisan municipal elections installed new mayors in Tempe and Gilbert. In Tempe, former City Councilman Corey Woods defeated two-term incumbent Mark Mitchell in March with a decisive 57 percent of the vote and became the city’s �irst African-American mayor. In Gilbert, former council member
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Verl Farnsworth. Mesa voters also elected Giles ally Julie Spilsbury to City Council, replacing Jeremy Whittaker, a frequent critic of Giles’ policies.
Racial tensions hit home
of another newbie, OD Harris, Council will now have two Black members. Mesa Mayor John Giles, meanwhile, won two-thirds of the vote in his re-election campaign against right-wing challenger
The death of George Floyd at the knees of Minneapolis police in May sparked protests – some violent – across the country and in the East Valley. Downtown Scottsdale became a war zone on May 30 when looters and vandals ran amok in and near Scottsdale Fashion Square. By year’s end more than 50 people had been arrested in connection with the rampage. In Gilbert, groups protesting for racial equality and others supporting police and Trump traded insults and shouts every Thursday for months in demonstrations at the intersection of Warner and Gilbert roads. All the protestors vanished after the Nov. 3 election. Several peaceful demonstrations also occurred in Mesa, where a new police chief presided over the department’s implementation of new procedures to review use-of-force incidents.
Paper products were in short supply for weeks when the pandemic broke in Arizona in March. (Special to the Tribune)
The year may have been dominated by the virus and politics, but other developments and people in Mesa and the region also made 2020 memorable. Waymo, whose self-driving vans have been ubiquitous in the East Valley for years, announced in October that it would begin offering driverless ride-hailing services to the public. Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport announced in January it set a record for commercial passengers in 2019 – 1,774,763 to be exact. Airport activity all but collapsed after COVID hit, but by year’s end it was recovering. The East Valley endured a year of unprecedented heat, which continued well into November. The region broke records for number of 100-, 110- and 115-degree days in a season, and logged its two hottest months in history in July and August. For the �irst 19 days of August, the average round-the-clock temperature at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport was 100.6 degrees. Dr. Andi Fourlis became superintendent of Mesa Public Schools in April as the Governing Board saw two 12-year veteran
Like thousands of her peers, Red Mountain High senior Sydney Stang was deprived of a traditional commencement ceremony because of the pandemic, but her mom Jenny Khayat organized a curbside celebration. (Tribune file photo) Brigette Peterson defeated Matt Nielsen in the November mayoral runoff election. In Chandler, voters in a historic election sent the city’s �irst Black woman, Christine Ellis, to City Council. With the election
Beyond politics and COVID-19
��� REVIEW ���� 8
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NEWS
THE MESA TRIBUNE | DECEMBER 27, 2020
Pandemic fuels record �irearms sales in Arizona BY CALAH SCHLABACH Cronkite News
W
ASHINGTON – Background checks for gun purchases in Arizona hit their highest level ever in 2020, driven by an unprecedented convergence of a pandemic, a summer of national unrest and a presidential election, experts said. With a month left to go in the year, 610,911 background checks had been performed in the state through November, well over the 372,912 done in all of 2019, according to FBI data. The Arizona spike is part of a nationwide increase, said Kelly Drane, research director at Giffords Law Center, a gun control advocacy group. She estimated that there was a nearly 90 percent increase in gun sales nationally from March to October this year compared to last year, with early data indicating “a substantial number of these purchases were made by new gun owners.” Veerachart Murphy said that is what he has seen at Ammo AZ, the Phoenix gun store he owns, where there has been a “huge uptick in �irst-time buyers.” “Between the election and COVID and shutdowns and riots – it was enough to get them off the couch and come in and actually make their �irst purchase,” Murphy said of “people that were kind of maybe on the fence” about buying a gun.
REVIEW ���� ���� 7
members, Elaine Minor and Steven Peterson, retired and voters giving the nod to two new members, Lara Salmon Ellingson and Joe O’Reilly, as well as a second term to Kiana Sears. Mesa voters approved a $100 million transportation bond in November, with the biggest projects slated for the city’s fast-growing southeast corner. Mesa City Council approved the 1,200acre southeast Mesa Hawes Crossing project over some objections that it could impinge on operations at Gateway Airport. Legacy Sports Park broke ground in September for what will be a privately operated 320-acre sports complex at Ellsworth and Pecos roads in Mesa while the city also approved a nearby project for a mammoth “surf lagoon” nearby.
He said his biggest spike in sales came early this year as COVID-19 began dominating the news, with a 400 percent increase in sales from January to February. He attributes it to anxiety about a possible pandemic-related lockdown. Sales remained relatively high, he said, until another spike in the summer, when clashes between police and protesters were in the headlines. That experience tracks the FBI’s data, which shows that Arizona had the highest number of background checks in March, with nearly 83,000, followed by June and July, which had 74,000 and 60,000 background checks, respectively. Murphy said he has seen similar spikes since he got into the gun business in 2013, usually after active-shooter incidents or mass shootings – and before the 2016 presidential election when sales jumped in anticipation of a win by Democrat Hillary Clinton. Sales tailed off then after gun-friendly President Donald Trump took of�ice. Sales through November 2020 were already 47% higher than in all of 2016, which had been the record for the state. “It’s almost like the stock market, where something doesn’t actually have to happen to set off this market. It’s the threat of something, or the potential that something happens that will trigger this market,” Murphy said. With President-elect Joe Biden set to be sworn in on Jan. 20, Murphy expects gun
Ground broke in October for Grande Vita, a $300 million multi-use campus near Crismon Road and Hampton Avenue, Mesa, with senior living facilities, hotel rooms, restaurants, medical of�ices, condos, a nursing school and a rehab clinic on 20 acres. Mesa City Council also approved plans for several large apartment complexes that, along with a project nearly completed by the development arm of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, will infuse downtown with hundreds of apartments. Demonstrations for more transparent policies on officer-involved shootings stayed peaceful in Mesa. (Tribune file photo)
sales to stay high and to double last year’s net sales. “I think this is going to be it for the foreseeable future with Biden in of�ice. We saw kind of the same thing with Obama in of�ice,” said Murphy, who posted thenPresident Barack Obama’s picture in his store as Employee of the Month. “That should give you kind of an idea of, of how everybody reacts to … a Democratic-controlled presidency.” During past gun-sale spikes, however, people were buying up AR-15s, thinking they would get taken away after mass shootings or by Democratic administrations. Now, Murphy said, “people are buying everything.” “It doesn’t matter – whatever you can get your hands on. People are literally buying everything, handguns, ri�les, shotguns,” he said. “Everything is going.” It’s a “hoarding mentality” he compared to stocking up on toilet paper and hand sanitizer at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. But guns are not toilet paper. Drane said increased gun sales have coincided with increased gun violence in U.S. cities and more calls to domestic violence and suicide hotlines. Such correlations are well known from previous research, she said, but may be more dangerous during the pandemic – which is expected to worsen this winter. “The risks posed by these new �irearm
purchases may be particularly severe when coupled with the risks for gun violence exacerbated by the pandemic, such as economic uncertainty, unemployment, and social isolation,” Drane said. “These conditions have historically been associated with increased suicide attempts and deaths.” Drane said 90 percent of suicide attempts with a �irearm end in death, and domestic violence victims are �ive times more likely to be killed when their abuser has a gun. With more people stuck at home, she said, domestic violence victims may not have access to supportive services, and with more children at home, there is a greater risk of unintentional shootings with improperly stored guns. “While the gun lobby uses fear to promote the panic-buying of guns, all Americans should be aware of the risks of having a gun in the home,” Drane said. But Murphy said gun-buying he has seen has been a nonpartisan exercise, with liberals in his store for the �irst time. He said his neighbor in Scottsdale – who he called an “uber-liberal huge Biden supporter” – bought his �irst gun after the unrest there this summer. Drane said the bottom line is, “if you do decide to purchase a gun, we encourage you to learn about and practice safe gun storage, which is a foundational part of being a responsible gun owner.”
NEWS
THE MESA TRIBUNE | DECEMBER 27, 2020
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work space, which can include a desk or cubicle. “However, if one person enters another person’s dedicated work space, then everyone in that space must wear a mask or other appropriate face covering,’’ the rules read. “There are no exceptions.’’ And not just any mask or piece of cloth covering just part of the face. “Masks or other face covering must cover the nose and mouth and should �it snugly against the sides of the face,’’ according to the policy. There is a provision for those who are “medically unable’’ to wear a mask ac-
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testi�ied at the Judiciary Committee earlier last week for about six hours, answering all the questions from panel members. That, he said, included queries about the machinery and the software. Supervisor Steve Chucri cast the lone dissenting vote. But Chucri said it wasn’t that he believes the information should be surrendered. Instead, he wanted the refusal to be tied to an immediate vote by his colleagues to conduct their own audit. Hickman said there will be such a review but not until all the three outstanding lawsuits challenging the election are resolved. One subpoena seeks copies of all mailin and absentee ballots in multiple digital formats along with various reports and logs and tapes of the ballot scanning and tabulation equipment. The other demands that the county give access to a yet-to-be-chosen analyst to the ballot tabulation equipment from both the individual voting centers and the central counting system as well as the software used. Farnsworth also wants a report on rejected ballots, audit trail logs, usernames and passwords of anyone who has access to the system and anyone from Dominion Voting Systems who could get into the system. And then there is a command for the county to turn over daily and cumulative voter records which include the name, address and date of birth of each voter, where and when they voted, their party af�iliation and any information about when they requested an early ballot, when it was sent, when it was voted and, if applicable, when it was canceled.
cording to their doctor. They are required to wear a face shield that covers the mouth and nose. But that’s not a preferred solution, with the rules urging these people to work remotely. There is a separate rule for “social distancing’’ of six feet between individuals, along with no shaking hands or other physical contact. The rules also create a new duty for Senate pages, requiring them to disinfect hearing rooms and the caucus rooms after each meeting. And there will be free testing for staffers and lawmakers during certain hours of each day.
All that angered Supervisor Bill Gates. “Let’s be clear: These subpoenas that have been issued and are before this body are truly extraordinary in the breadth of information that they’re looking for,’’ he said. “As a conservative, I feel strongly about individual private information, of individuals, of voters,’’ Gates said. “I’m going to �ight to protect that information before we turn it over.’’ But that, he said, is only part of his concern about surrendering all sorts of information to Farnsworth and his committee. “I don’t know what they’re going to do with it,’’ Gates said. Farnsworth told Capitol Media Services none of this information will be made public but is simply part of providing what an outside auditor needs to verify the results. “So, this isn’t something that’s going to be handed out and put out on YouTube or out on any social media sites,’’ he said. “I mean, that’s just an absurdity.’’ Tully is arguing the subpoenas’ purpose is “to provide the information for counsel for the losing candidate so that he might attempt to use it to overturn the election results.’’ Farnsworth denied that. “This has nothing to do with the Trump campaign,’’ he said. “This has to do with the concern by the Legislature that there are enough allegations of inappropriateness or not being able to engage in the process or anomalies that exist.’’ “I don’t know why that’s so dif�icult for people to understand,’’ he said. Supervisor Steve Gallardo, who called the subpoenas “a sideshow coming from the Legislature’’ and a “circus.’’ The lone Democrat on the county board, he said the county conducted in a bipartisan manner.
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SRP launches effort to block wild�ires BY GARY NELSON Tribune Contributor
W
ith Arizona locked in an epic drought, Salt River Project is launching an effort to prevent its watersheds from going up in smoke. The utility, which delivers water and electricity to vast swaths of the East Valley, does not expect the program to be an overnight success. Indeed, the timetable stretches 15 years into the future. But SRP sees the program as essential to preserving the region’s water supply over time. The focus is on asking SRP customers to contribute $3 a month or more when they pay their electric bills. The money will be earmarked for forest-thinning projects in northern and eastern Arizona, with SRP donating up to $200,000 a year in matching funds. SRP hopes to thin up to 50,000 acres of forest per year, eventually covering a halfmillion acres by 2035. That should be enough, the utility be-
THE MESA TRIBUNE | DECEMBER 27, 2020
to the thirsty East Valley through watersheds along the Salt and Verde rivers. “The reliability and sustainability of the water supply … comes from these forested watersheds,” she said. Even a blaze such as the Bush Fire, which burned mostly desert, can affect water quality, she said. “If there’s a high-severity burn on those acres, a lot of that material – the ash, the debris and the dirt – following precipitation still �lows into the streams and rivers, eventually making its way into the SRP reservoirs,” she said. “If those �lows are below the reservoirs, they will actually go straight into our delivery system.” Thinning forests is a vital �ire-�ighting strategy, and it wasn’t necessary until European settlers began altering the landscape. Left to itself, a healthy forest will have an occasional cleansing �ire that clears away debris and creates enough space between trees for them to thrive. But �ire-suppression efforts led to overgrowth and massive accumulations of fuel that feed explosive wild�ires. Since 2000,
according to SRP, 2.9 million acres have burned in and near its watersheds. In one portion of SRP’s watershed, a natural forest population of about 100 trees per acre has been overrun by some 6,000 trees per acre. SRP does not aim to do all the actual thinning work itself. Its partners include federal and state agencies, environmental groups and the White Mountain Apache Tribe. The long-term project begins with Arizona experiencing all the factors that could lead to yet another disastrous wild�ire season. This past monsoon season was the driest in state history, and in many areas the hottest. A warm, dry winter also is likely, according to the National Weather Service. “Together we really believe we can make an impact in reducing these large wild�ires and protecting communities, water supplies and air quality across Arizona,” Barton said. SRP customers who wish to contribute to the tree-thinning effort may enroll at srpnet.com/healthyforest
This past year, more than half of the top 30 names for boys can be found in the Bible. That starts with No. 2 Noah, which a decade ago was 10th most popular name but nowhere in the top 20 for decades before that. But this year there’s also Mateo – which is a Latin version of Matthew – as well as Benjamin, Elijah, James, Daniel, Ezekiel and David in the top 20. Sam2020 saw some big changes in the popularity of names' uel, Luke, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph are among in the next 10. given newborns in Arizona. (Special to the Tribune) For girls, the picture is quite different. an Irish variant on William? A decade ago, it didn’t even crack the There’s a certain volatility over the deTop 20. cades among what parents name their It could be the effect of movie and pop daughters, perhaps affected by everything stars like Liam Neeson, Liam Hemsworth from literature to �ilm. or even Liam Gallagher. Consider Jessica, Ashley and Amanda: And names beyond that? the top names for girls born in Arizona in Well, perhaps it’s just a sign of the COV- 1990. Nowhere are they on the top 100 ID-19 times. But parents of newborn boys this year. in Arizona are turning increasingly to the Oh, and spelling counts. Bible when looking for names. The way the health department records How much? the list is how the parents list it on a birth
certi�icate. So, for example, Sophia comes in just third with 344 girls with that name in 2020. But add another 146 So�ias and 63 Sophies and you now have the No. 1 name for girls. There are other signs of volatility among names for girls. Consider Nevaeh. It’s “heaven’’ spelled backwards. And it appears to have taken off after Sonny Sandoval, frontman for the Christian rock group P.O.D. (Payable on Death) chose that name for his newborn daughter and took her on MTV in 2000. By 2007 it made it into Arizona’s top 20. And now? No better than 70th. It’s been even worse with other names that used to be popular, like Heather and Jessica and Stephanie, all in the top 20 three decades ago and not even cracking the top 100 this year. Conversely, there are some names that are popular now that were pretty rare even a year ago. Gianna was just No. 51 for 2019. And Mila wasn’t even among the 100 most popular last year.
lieves, to mitigate some of the most disastrous effects of the wild�ires that have been tearing through Arizona with frightening regularity for the past 30-plus years. Elvy Barton, who oversees forest management for SRP, said customers already have been donating to assist the utility’s reforestation efforts in some of Arizona’s burn scars. “We are now transitioning into more of a focus on strategic forest thinning projects that reduce wild�ire risk,” she said. “Our focus with this new program really is just to not have these large, devastating wild�ires across our watershed.” Of those, there have been plenty in recent years. This year’s Bush Fire, which began northeast of Mesa and covered some 193,000 acres, was the �ifth-largest in state history. The four larger ones all have occurred since 2002. The immediate impacts are obvious: Scorched earth, imperiled communities, lives in danger. But, Barton said, the �ires also threaten the quality of the water that SRP delivers
Liam, Olivia are top 2020 newborns’ names in state
BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services
I
f you’re having a baby boy next year, don’t name him Liam or Noah unless you want him to just be another Tom, Dick or Harry. Not that there’s anything wrong with any of those names, old or new. It’s just that for yet another year Liam and Noah remain at the top of the chart for all baby boys born in Arizona in 2020. Sure, there were some Toms born in Arizona in 2020 – but just 91 of them, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services, which keeps track of such things. And there weren’t even enough Richards or Harrys to make the agency’s Top 100. By contrast, there were 442 children named Liam. That means that more than one out of every 100 baby boys born this year in Arizona was named Liam. The same more-than-one-in-100 situation exists for girls, with Olivia standing out among names for newborns for yet another year. That is followed by Emma, Sophia and Mia. So, what’s with the popularity of Liam,
THE MESA TRIBUNE | DECEMBER 27, 2020
11
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COMMUNITY
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THE MESA TRIBUNE | DECEMBER 27, 2020
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Mesa artist’s mandala works are eye-catching BY SRIANTHI PERERA Tribune Contributor
G
ilbert Visual Artist League member artist Shelley Marler is a talented oil portraitist whose work has garnered many awards. The Mesa resident has added to her accomplishments with mandala art, designs painted in acrylic paint with concentric circles and a unique center. “I saw a mandala on the internet and it intrigued me, and I decided to give it a try. I really enjoyed it, and it continued from there,” said Marler. Two years and about 70 mandalas later, her newfound success inspired Marler to create and market a 2021 calendar
with 13 mandala art creations. Mandala means “circle” in Sanskrit and art that uses it is not new. Mandala art originated in Southeast Asia in Hinduism and Buddhism and is found in ancient Tibetan writing and sketches, cloth paintings and murals. Mandalas are used as instruments of meditation and symbols of prayer in China, Japan and Tibet. To Marler, they are a healing art form. “I �ind that when I’m painting a mandala, I become more serene,” she said. “I can focus on my own spirituality, I pray, I relax and become so focused on my work that I often don’t feel the physical pain from my �ibro-
myalgia. It’s so meditative and therapeutic for me.” Marler’s mandala paintings are created with acrylic paints, especially the glossies and metallic brands and colors that pop on a black background. “When I �irst started, I used whatever tools I could �ind,” the artist said. Those tools include pencil ends, toothpicks, pen points, �lat ends of crochet hooks, and for larger dots, mascara and lipstick tube ends. She also used wooden dowels, but they didn’t hold up very long. Later, she invested in
Shelley Marler displays some of her mandala calendar works. To buy a calendar, email
��� MARLER ���� 13 her at shelleymarlerart@gmail.com. (Courtesy of Shelley Marler)
Mesa woman glad she changed her mind about college BY KIRSTEN KRAKLIO Tribune Guest Writer
N Newly minted Arizona State University graduate Nicole Waldmann of Mesa initially didn’t think college was for her, but after starting her studies, embraced the campus and academic life. (ASU)
icole Waldmann laughs now about her initial views of college and the thought that higher education just wasn’t for her. Waldman was among more than 9,300 Arizona State University undergraduate and graduate students who earned degrees Dec. 14. Waldmann graduated with her bachelor’s degree in global health from the School of Human Evolution and Social Change. “Straight out of high school, I pointblank said college was not for me,” said Waldmann, who instead pursued her dual license in cosmetology and aesthetics and worked as an aesthetician for seven years.
“It was probably around that fourth year when my boyfriend at the time, now my husband, was graduating from ASU and I just felt something was really missing. I wasn’t in love with my career choice and just felt I needed a change,” she said. “Seeing him graduate really inspired me to want to go back to school and say, ‘Hey, I can do this, I want to graduate.’” Waldmann said her journey to �inding the right program to pursue was a long one that started in community college before she transferred to ASU to study global health at the School of Human Evolution and Social Change. “I jumped majors, from journalism to considering nursing, and took a lot of random elective classes,” she said. “It took a long time, but I’m happy I �inally
��� WALDMANN ���� 13
COMMUNITY
THE MESA TRIBUNE | DECEMBER 27, 2020
MARLER ���� ���� 12
more professional tools and use ball styluses, embossing art tools and various sized acrylic rods. “Many artists use the stencils, but I found I prefer to use a circle compass, and with a chalk pencil draw lines from corner to corner keeping me centered and the design more uniform,” she said. Measuring is important, too. “I make up the designs as I go and often center a design of my customer’s choosing to personalize it for them,” she added. Marler sells, and sometimes donates, her work. Recently, she created a portrait and a “medical mandala” for Portraits for Heroes, a project that originated in the United Kingdom in which artists chose medical workers on the pandemic’s front lines and painted their portraits to show their appreciation. Her medical mandala to a registered nurse at a hospital in Utah had a caduceus, the medical insignia bearing a representation of a staff with two entwined snakes and two wings at the top. Her mandalas are priced according to size and how much work is involved in them, including the center design, which can be personalized for the buyer. Prices range between $40 to $200. “I’ve given them as ‘thank you’ gifts as well; to my wonderful neighbor who of-
WALDMANN ���� ���� 12
�igured it out.” Waldmann shared more about her time at ASU and what she has planned next. She said there were many different reasons for selecting global health for her studies. “I wanted to help people and was really interested in helping refugees, asylumseekers and immigrants,” she said. “A lot of my classes had focused on things that were going on in Myanmar, and stuff that I was not aware of that was going on on the other side of the world. It really just opened my eyes and made me realize I want to work in nonpro�it and humanitarian sectors.
t o G ws? Ne
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ten helps me, my landscaping guy, people in my church and good friends,” she said. “I’ve given or sold medical mandalas, with the winding snake insignia, to several of my own doctors.” The calendar is priced at $22 each. “I had often thought of selling prints, but the calendar idea popped into my head and I thought that’s so much better,” she said. “My customers receive a print of 13 of my mandalas, one for each month, plus the cover, and each photo is hand signed by me.” As soon as Marler announced she was selling her calendars online, there were so many orders that she sold out. She has ordered a second batch and they are available. If she receives many more orders, she plans to order another batch. In addition to oil portraits and mandalas, Marler also teaches classes in oil painting to beginners (they are now suspended due to the pandemic), does �ine art and decorative painting and creates art with polymer clay. In the past she has also been a face painter for children’s events. To see more of Shelley Marler’s work, visit shelleymarler.com. Shelley Marler shows off one of her awardwinning portraits, which earned her the Artist of the Month award from Gilbert Visual Artist League. (Courtesy of Shelley Marler) She looks fondly at her days at ASU. “I could not believe how many different clubs there were to join; there was literally something for everybody,” she recalled. “I stumbled upon a Harry Potter club (Dumbledore’s Army) and wound up joining that. I got to meet a bunch of students that have similar interests to me, and it was really cool because I feel like the students really work to not only bring us together with our mutual interests, but also want us to really connect with each other. “I feel like it was also a great way for incoming freshmen, especially those that live on campus and are far from home, to just get out there and not feel lonely.” She also has some advice for prospec-
tive students in similar situations to hers and are considering if pursuing a degree is the right choice for them. “I was dead set on going to school because I was honestly at a point in life where I was just not happy. Even though I couldn’t �igure out what major I wanted at the time, I knew going to school and taking electives would be helpful,” she said. “If somebody is feeling like their current situation doesn’t feel right: Change it. You have the power to change it and be where you want to be. What’s the best piece of advice she would give to those still in school? “Breathe! It’s OK. De�initely take a step back and breathe, if your head is in the
books from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., take an hour break, step away and refresh.” Her post-graduation plans included “taking a well-deserved long month off because it has been �ive and a half years of constant studies. And especially the past two years, I have not had a summer off, so it’s been semester after semester after semester. “Then after that time off, hopefully I will be working at a nonpro�it organization. If something here opens up, I would love to continue working at my current internship or any kind of nonpro�it organization locally. Once I get my master’s degree, I am de�initely applying for the United Nations, the World Health Organization and UNICEF.”
Contact Paul Maryniak at 480-898-5647 or pmaryniak@timespublications.com
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Pandemic failed to darken Mesa lights �irm BY COTY DOLORES MIRANDA Tribune Contributor
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ome of Santa’s busiest elves this year used cherry pickers. Those elves are the employees of family-owned Christmas Light Decorators in Mesa and include 25 full-time and 70 seasonal workers hired to add festivity to a multiplicity of municipalities, shopping centers and private homes in Arizona and beyond. Owners Doug and Marcy Topham are the directors of decorating that begins as early as July. Contemplating holiday decor in the heat of summer takes discipline and desire. This year, the pandemic had its effect on Christmas Light Decorators, especially during the initial shutdown. As the COVID-19 restrictions loosened, municipalities and retail businesses jumped back into the holiday spirit. “COVID-19 de�initely affected our business. We had some retailers, especially, who decreased the amount they decorated as they weren’t sure the government would allow them to be open. Others decorated more since they wanted to try to increase traf�ic at this important time of the year,” said Doug Topham. Christmas Light Decorators CEO Aaron Farrelly, who has been with the company 11 years, said COVID-19 “made things interesting.” “We were unsure how it would affect our industry but in the end our clients all wanted to decorate. I think the desire to have Christmas cheer is higher than ever. I think the spirit of Christmas is something people are craving. This seems to have translated into our clients’ desire to keep their properties decorated; and in some cases, even more so than a normal year,” said Farrelly. In 2016, CLD had 360 projects from Flagstaff to Yuma and with stellar and wellknown projects like Glendale Glitters (the company’s �irst project in 2004 uses more than 1.2 million lights) and Prescott’s
Among the holiday lights projects undertaken this year by Christmas Light Decorators in Mesa was this display at a high-end mall in Seattle. (Special to the Tribune) Courthouse Plaza (the city that now holds city and shopping center displays like the title “Arizona’s Christmas City”). Scottsdale’s Quarter’s Holiday Lights, This year, the business had 425 projects another long-term customer, most work in six states, including municipalities and must be done after the stores have closed. a new extravagant one in a high-end BelThat means decorating begins after levue Washington 9 p.m. and continshopping center, ues throughout the The Shops at the night. Bravern. At Scottsdale “I wouldn’t meaQuarter, besides the sure our growth so expansive and magimuch based on the cal light display, CLD number of projects installs three 30but the average size foot circlets, each of our projects – and steel frame weighthat’s increased,” ing a ton. explained Farrelly. A new display “You have to think this year was comabout it this way: It missioned in Chanwould take 30 HOA dler in conjunction communities to with the Downtown equal the amount of Chandler Communiwork we do for one ty Partnership and city. We do fewer R&D Designs. HOA’s now but more Doug Topham and his wife Marcy have “Sugarland” is an built Christmas Light Decorators into the interactive display of cities.” As happens with state's premier light display firm. (Tribune) holiday decorations
in the Dr. A.J. Chandler Park West that continues through Jan. 3. As night descends, the Sugarland display showcases CLD’s “Sugarland’s Canal of Lights,” a walkway over the Commonwealth Canal on Commonwealth Avenue with more than 500 colorful lights pulsating to holiday music. The Sugarland display also includes the 12-foot-long candy sleigh that seats four people – a sold-out offering on CLD’s “Commercial Christmas Catalog,” a business CLD purchased 16 years ago that allows Topham and crew to ensure quality products for clients while staying apprised of the industry’s latest trends. The decorating of municipalities, shopping centers and even private homes is not a task for the faint of heart but then, Doug Topham hasn’t ever been accused of that. From 1984 through 1991, Topham was active in the U.S. Air Force as a jet pilot. From there, he entered the corporate world working in sales for industry giants including General Electric. But the urge to own his own company grew stronger and in 2003, the Tophams staked their house and savings to purchase the then-small local business Christmas Light Decorators. With tenacity and the sales acumen he’d gleaned working with corporations, the business has grown to be one of the largest holiday lighting and decor companies in the southwestern U.S. Last year, the company moved from their 10,000 square foot warehouse to a new 44,000-square-foot of�ice and warehouse at 3414 N. Higley Road. There, CLD stores more than 10 million lights and other decor used not only during the Christmas holidays but for others, including Hanukkah (menorahs up to 9 feet tall), Halloween, Valentine’s Day, awareness months and various yearround �iberglass props and photo pods for businesses’ promotions.
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BUSINESS
THE MESA TRIBUNE | DECEMBER 27, 2020
Mesa restaurateurs persevere in pandemic BY MELODY BIRKETT Tribune Contributor
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hile many businesses have closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a Mesa couple’s Boca Taqueria is thriving. Mesa natives Jewelia and Clay Eagar are opening a third location at Eastmark near Signal Butte and Warner roads in February. They also have restaurants at Mountainview Plaza in Mesa and Higley Marketplace in Gilbert. They almost didn’t go through with adding a third but now are glad they did. “It has been rough,” said Jewelia. “De�initely challenging times for everybody. We have learned how to pivot quickly during this time. We’ve had to adapt and make changes. It kept us alive.” One of those changes was getting online ordering up and running. “We didn’t have that going into this,” said Jewelia. “Within two days, we switched to a point of sale system and set up online ordering and rolled it out because we knew people were going to want to prepay and carry out more than ever before.” In addition, the owners had to cut items from their menu. “We’ve had to streamline our kitchen because when you’re doing a 100 percent carry-out, it takes more time than throwing a taco on a plate,” explained Jewelia. “When you have to wrap it in foil or box it up, bag it up and double-check it, triple check it and send it out the door it takes a lot longer. “So, we’ve had to take menu items off that take too long, that was slowing the kitchen down, that wasn’t selling, that was slowing our prep down.” Carry-out still remains a strong part of the business even though the dining rooms have reopened at both the Green�ield and Brown roads location in Mesa, which opened in 2016, and the Higley
LIGHTS ���� ���� 14
Topham and his wife Marcy have six children, three in college. One might think with the stress over the growing number of holiday displays – the installation of some that begins in late spring or early summer – Topham might
Mesa residents Jewelia and Clay Eagar are preparing to open their third Boca Taqueria in Eastmark. The opther two are in East Mesa and Gilbert. (Melody Birkett/Special to the Tribune) and Baseline roads restaurant in Gilbert, which opened in 2017. “We also came up with some valuepriced family kits where people can order a meal to go for dinner like a taco kit, an enchilada dinner pack, and a burrito pack where it comes with everything you need to feed your family for a night,” Jewelia said. The couple spent 12 years working at
tend to be Scrooge-like this time of year. It isn’t the case. “I love the holidays and the spirit of the holidays,” he said. “It’s a fun, magical time, especially for children, and I enjoy seeing the faces of everyone when the lights are up and lit.” Marcy Topham said the family tradi-
other restaurants before opening Boca Taqueria. As for the name of their business, Jewelia noted that “boca” was what her husband used while he was serving his church for two years on a mission in Santiago, Chile. The restaurant offers counter service but makes everything to order, focusing
tion includes tours of the local holiday displays put in place by Christmas Light Decorators. “We usually don’t do a lot of decorating for Christmas. We spend a lot of time going to our projects to check on the lights, and so we consider those our Christmas decorations,” she laughed.
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on food that is fresh and fast, but not fast food. “What sets us apart from the competition is that we use fresh ingredients,” Jewelia said. “We use quality meats and cheeses. All of our salsas, all of our marinades and all of our dressings are housemade. So, we’re a scratch kitchen. “We make all of our food in-house every day. All of our tamales are made fresh every day. You can taste the quality. You can taste the difference. I think people appreciate that.” Customers can �ind their favorite food items on the menu like burritos, enchiladas and tacos but also a few unusual items like salmon salad, pineapple avocado salad and pineapple shrimp tacos. Another reason the restaurant has survived the pandemic, Jewelia said is that “we don’t give up – we persevere. “There are so many challenges,” she said. “Running a restaurant is hard and trying to run one during COVID has made it even harder. But we just don’t give up. We just keep praying the long hours and hard work will make it successful. We have amazing employees (about 50). We couldn’t do it without them.” “We have really good support from our community,” she added. “We try to show up with a smile and good food and good service every day. Customers come back and we’re so thankful for that.” Down-the-road, the couple is thinking of opening a fourth location but for now, three is enough, considering they also have four young children. In addition to the restaurants, they also have the Boca Taco Truck. “The food truck keeps us so busy,” Eagar said. “It’s so perfect for catering for weddings, corporate events, family reunions, etc. We love bringing it out to community events which we have missed a lot this year so hopefully, we can resume with that in the near future.” Information: bocataqueria.com
Farrelly, who has two children ages 9 and 6, said he and his family also tour the local �inished projects. “We work hard all year to make preparations for the season and it always pays off when I see the �inal product and the faces on people who enjoy our work throughout the state,” he said.
OPINION
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My New Year’s wish: Cancel the partying BY DAVID LEIBOWITZ Tribune Columnist
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s we stare 2021 in the face, here’s hoping that our elected leaders take a stand against one of the most serious public health threats currently facing the state of Arizona. New Year’s Eve. Which this year might as well be known as “The Planet’s Largest One Night Superspreader Event.” One of the things we have learned about COVID-19 this year is that the virus thrives on congregations and people spending time together unmasked and in close proximity. That makes holidays especially danger-
ous in terms of community spread, as we saw a couple weeks after Thanksgiving, when positive case numbers spiked in Arizona and across the United States. As someone who has urged a balance between social restrictions and the economic damage those restrictions create – and as a human being who values family, spirituality and interpersonal connection – I was loathe to suggest we legislate Hanukkah and Christmas out of existence this year. But let’s be honest: New Year’s Eve has no such emotional or familial weight. It’s mostly just an excuse to tie one on for folks who are into that sort of thing. Personally, if history is any indication, I’ll be asleep before the ball drops in Times Square in New York City – where they intend to have a televised celebration
sans crowd in 2021. As for the rest of you, you may not like this, but I’d be thrilled if our state’s governor, mayors and county supervisors took a page out of Tucson and Pima County’s book for one night only and declared a mandatory curfew beginning at 10 p.m. sharp and lasting until 5 in the morning. We can exempt �irst responders, doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals, essential workers and the homeless, along with anyone else headed to work or dealing with a legitimate emergency. In keeping with the Pima County measure, bars, restaurants, clubs and other businesses that help people defy the curfew – say, by serving champagne at midnight – would be subject to having its license or business permit revoked.
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As for individual curfew breakers, I’d rather not tie up police of�icers writing citations as opposed to, say, tracking down New Year’s drunken drivers. But a stern warning wouldn’t bother me much. For the past nine months, I’ve found myself repeatedly caught between two warring factions: People who think COVID is fake and believe every mitigation measure is abysmally stupid and people who want to lock down the entire state “because if a lockdown would be enough to save even a single life, then that’s our responsibility.” I have disagreed with both sides at every turn, arguing instead for two things these camps seem to have forgotten: personal responsibility and balance. The notion of a New Year’s Eve curfew irks me, because it represents government depriving citizens of our freedom. With that said, it’s not much of a deprivation: one night where we’d be forced to head home a few hours early. Balanced against avoiding the inevitable positive case spike, especially after the Christmas holidays, one night of curtailed fun seems a small price to pay. With the P�izer and Moderna vaccines already being distributed and an end to this nightmarish year – and potentially the pandemic – �inally at hand, now seems like a lousy time to risk your health or the health of those you love. Regardless, even a cursory scan of the events listings shows lots of nightclubs planning to host lots of New Year’s parties to welcome in 2021. Not to mention thousands of intimate gatherings that will happen in thousands of living rooms. There oughta be a law. Because hoping people will display some common sense has failed all year long.
Share Your Thoughts: Send your letters on local issues to: pmaryniak @timespublications.com
SPORTS
THE MESA TRIBUNE | DECEMBER 27, 2020
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Mesa native Jagger Eaton enjoying success at young age BY ZACH ALVIRA Tribune Sports Editor
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hen Mesa-native Jagger Eaton �irst picked up a skateboard at 4 years old, the sport seemed to come natural to him. He spent time learning how to ride with his older brother, Jett, and his father, Geoff. Eaton and his brother pushed each other to improve. But neither realized the fun hobby would turn into a career for Eaton. To this day, years after going pro in the sport, Eaton still has trouble grasping all he has accomplished at a young age. “I always knew that skateboarding was my �irst love and passion but to see where I am now, I could’ve never imagined that,” Eaton said. “And the best part about all of it is that I’m lucky enough to keep falling in love with skateboarding every day.” Eaton became the youngest competitor to ever compete at the X Games in Los Angeles, Calif., an annual extreme sport event broadcasted by ESPN with competitors from all over the world, when he was just 11 years old. He placed 12th overall in the Big Air competition, and fourth a year later at X Games Munich. He followed up his top-�ive �inish in Munich with a sixth-place �inish in Barcelona and fourth in Los Angeles. That same year, Eaton took �irst in the Big Air Best Trick Gap Competition at the Kimberly Diamond Cup in South Africa. Eaton’s early success quickly catapulted him to the top of the youth ranks, as he earned his �irst sponsorship from DC Shoes in 2012 as part of the company’s “DC Youth Division.” He also earned recognition from a variety of skateboarding magazines and guest-starred on fellow pro skater Rob Dyrdek’s show, “Rob Dyrdek’s Fantasy Factory.” He also had his own television series in 2016
Mesa-native Jagger Eaton “right,” pictured with his younger brother, Koston, has enjoyed success at a young age as a professional skateboarder competing in events all over the world. (Courtesy Koston Eaton Instagram)
on Nickelodeon called, “Jagger Eaton’s Mega Life,” and appeared on other reality shows. “To be able to be seen on TV not skating but being able to show my personality was so fun,” Eaton said. “Plus, Rob is really fun to work with and he has been an amazing mentor to me. And the people I met and the places I went when I did my TV show was so cool and I’ll never forget those memories.” While appearing on reality shows, Eaton continued to impress on his board. He became the youngest skateboarder to ever win the TampaAm in Florida at 13 years old, and won the BoardAm in Houston, Texas to earn an invite to BoardAm �inals at the X Games in 2015. Eaton most recently competed in the Wendy’s Park Skateboarding X Games, where he placed second overall last year.
Throughout his career, Eaton grew more comfortable competing in events such as the X Games. He said that was one of his goals when he began skating at a professional level. He said his �irst time ever competing brought nerves, but he’s grown more comfortable since. Even now after competing in the event on several occasions, he doesn’t take everything he’s accomplished for granted. “It’s always nerve-racking competing in any circumstance but being able to compete doing something I love and have a passion for is an incredible feeling,” Eaton said. “But it was always one of my dreams to compete in the X Games and to be able to compete at such a young age and keep competing each year is a blessing.” Wanting to share his success with young skaters like himself, Eaton and his family opened Kids That Rip (KTR), an indoor
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sports action park for kids of all ages. With ramps, gymnastics pads and a variety of other attractions, Eaton’s goal was to provide a safe environment not only where he can train but other action-sport athletes as well. KTR started in 2015 as a gymnastics gym his parents used to coach their athletes. Eaton said in an effort to help him and his brother stay active while their parents coached, Geoff built ramps the two could skate on to pass the time. Since then, KTR has expanded to Mesa, Chandler, Scottsdale and Salt Lake City, Utah. Eaton’s desire to interact with young fans stems well beyond the skatepark. He recently competed in the Chipotle Challenger Series, which brought fans and celebrities together to compete in the video game, Fortnite, with a chance to win up to $30,000 and a year of Chipotle for free. Eaton and his team made the �inals. “The Chipotle Challenger Series was a blast to compete in,” Eaton said. “Considering that I’m not even close to those players’ skill level, me and my friends still had a blast.” While having already accomplished several achievements, Eaton’s career is still just getting started. He recently put out his own video part with The Berrics, a private indoor skate park in Los Angeles owned by pro skaters Steve Berra and Eric Koston. He also released his own autographed deck. Eaton hopes to release �ilm projects with his friends in the near future. Additionally, he wants to prove himself on the world’s biggest stage as part of Team U.S.A. “In the future I see myself competing in two events at this upcoming Olympics in Japan and taking home two golds,” Eaton said. “Further down the road I would love to put out some more fun �ilming projects with my friends and team.”
GET OUT
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West Mesa cluster offers a gastronomic tour BY SARAH NGUYEN GetOut Contributor
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n West Mesa, the Asian District, a 2-mile stretch of over 70 Asian-themed and Asian American-owned businesses, proudly stands. With the highest number of Asian businesses in one cluster in the state, the district allows Arizonans to have a taste of Asia without leaving the Valley. The centerpiece is Mekong Plaza, where visitors can witness the best of Asia. Down the street is the Korean restaurant HoDoRi, a mainstay in Mesa for 18 years. The short rib barbecue and kimchi chigae, a kimchi and pork stew, are favorites of regulars. Owner Sean Kim is meticulous about the freshness of his ingredients. “Side dishes change daily,” Kim said. “It depends on what is fresh in the markets.” As a perk, all side dishes are free as long as the customer orders rice and an entrée. For those who are new to Korean food, Kim recommends any of the barbecue menu items like bulgogi, a ribeye beef barbecue. Satisfy your sweet tooth at AZ International Marketplace’s Miss Dessert, which blends Chinese, Vietnamese and Malaysian in�luences to create a taste completely of its own. Owner Harry Yu, who opened his �irst Miss Dessert in 2013 in Houston, offers treats and drinks that serve as a reprieve from the unrelenting Arizona heat. “If you want something refreshing to HoDoRi, 1116 S. Dobson Road, Mesa, 480-668-7979, hodoriaz.com. Miss Dessert, 1832 W. Broadway Road, Mesa, 480-912-3585, missdessertus.com. Hue Gourmet, 66 S. Dobson Road, Mesa, 480-251-7429, huegourmetmesa.com. Happy Bao’s, 66 S. Dobson Road, Mesa, 480-912-1207, happybaosmesa.com.
AZInternational Marketplace’s Miss Dessert offers tasty treats like those above. At right, Hue Gourmet serves scrumptious combos. (Special to GetOut) drink, I would recommend the mega fruit tea or peach smash with crystal boba,” said Yu, who will soon open a Gilbert location.
Complement the choice of drink with decadent desserts like durian pancakes, a �luffy dish infused with a tropical Asian fruit.
Happy Bao’s serves a wide array of Vietnamese delicacies. (Special to GetOut)
Due to the pandemic, Miss Dessert only offers delivery and to-go options for customers. Have a taste of Hue, a region in Vietnam known for its distinctive dishes, at Mekong Plaza’s Hue Gourmet. “Our most popular menu items include No. 202 and No. 301,” said owner Dung Van. Banh Canh Cua is No. 202. It’s a soup with hand-cut noodles, crab meat and shrimp. No. 301 is Cha Gio—four crispy shrimp eggrolls. For those that are new to the cuisine of Vietnam, Van recommends No. 303, Banh Xeo, a Vietnamese pancake served with shrimp topping, vegetables and dipping sauce. While dining in is still possible, tables and seating have been spaced due to the pandemic for social distancing. A relatively new addition to the Asian District and Mekong Plaza is Happy Bao’s, which opened in March 2019 and specializes in the Chinese bao. “For those who have never tried bao, I would best describe it as a hand-wrapped bun,” said owner Matthew Ma. According to Ma, the most popular menu item is xiao long bao, a dish of eight pork and scallion dumplings served in chicken broth. The restaurant reopened in August, and allows customers to dine in. Vicente Reid, the chief executive of�icer of the Arizona Asian Chamber of Commerce, played a large role in the development of the district. “It’s a way for us as a community to gather in one area of the city to be proud of and really help promote,” Reid said. “It’s a true microcosm of what it is to be Asian Paci�ic American.”
THE MESA TRIBUNE | DECEMBER 27, 2020
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King Crossword
Public Notices Advertisement for Bids Publication December 17, 2020
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NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT Request for Pricing (RFP #857) has been requested. Any qualified licensed general contractor may commence their interest by “Requesting access to our online bidding portal” by emailing gary.ray@mesaaz.gov. Please reference the project address in your email as well. A pre-bid project walk has been scheduled for February 1st, 2021, at 10:00 am. *NO CONTRACTORS ARE PERMITTED ON THE PREMISES PRIOR TO THE PRE-BID PROJECT WALK. Bid due date has been scheduled for February 24th, 2021 by 2:00 pm. Project award has been forecasted for March 2nd, 2021. Project duration is 150 consecutive calendar day from issuance of “Notice to Proceed” All bid proposals must be entered via the HDP portal. Bid proposals submitted via email or by any other means will not be reviewed and will be rejected. The contract will include permits, stamped drawings, materials and labor including equipment necessary to perform the work in a “Turn Key” fashion. The referenced project consists of three unit residential project located at 432 W Pepper Place. Project scope will include the following: All permits, stamped drawings as may be required by the City of Mesa building dept Demolition. New plumbing systems including supply, drain, waste, sewer. New Electrical systems including, panels, wiring, receptacles, switching, lighting. New Mechanical systems including, duct work, supply and returns, plenums, compressors/condensers. New Framing systems including, walls, ceilings, structural rafter support. New insulation and drywall including all finishes. New Doors and windows. New Cabinetry throughout. New Bathrooms including tubs/showers/fixtures/finishes. New Flooring. Site improvements such as new exterior concrete walkways, slabs, hardscape rock areas, trash enclosure. Awarded contractor will be required to provide a Payment and Performance bond equal to the amount of the bid proposal. Contractors desiring to submit proposals must be or become an approved contractor. You may request an application by emailing gary.ray@mesaaz.gov and request the “Contractor application”. Requirements for approved contractor include but are not limited to the following: Must have; A City of Mesa Tax License General Residential Contractor License (B) and be in good standing with the ROC. Not be on the HUD “Excluded Party List” (EPL). Be registered with “System for Award Management (S.A.M.) Have current Commercial General Liability insurance with minimum $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate. Must be in compliance with Section 3 of the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968 regarding Women and Minority Owned Business recruitments; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; Equal Employment Opportunities (EEOC) regulations not discriminating against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, sex, age or national origin; Americans with Disability Act (ADA) of 1990; Drug Free Workplace regulations; Davis Bacon and Labor Standards regulations: Federal and local bond requirements; Lead Based Paint Hazard Control regulations; Maricopa County Air Quality Department environmental regulations regarding Dust Contro l, Asbestos and NESHAP; Energy Policy Act (EPA) of 2005; The Federal Immigration and Nationality Act (FINA) and Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) of 1986, and Arizona Revised Statutes (ARS) 23-214 related to the verification of employment eligibility of employees or anyone working on the project. Woman and Minority owned business, and Certified Section 3 Businesses are strongly encouraged to participate. The right is herby reserved to accept or reject any or all bids or parts thereto, to waive and informalities in any proposal and reject the bids of any person who have been delinquent or unfaithful to any contract with the City of Mesa Gary Ray Housing & Community Development Rehabilitation Specialist Community Services | Housing & Community Development 200 S Central Ave, Building B Mesa AZ 85201 480-695-3601 www.mesaaz.gov/residents/community-development M-Th 7:00am – 6:00pm | Closed Fridays Published: East Valley Tribune, Dec. 27, 2020 / 35182
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Obituaries Rosemarie Serrano
On the morning of November 27, 2020, Rosemarie Serrano, of Gilbert, Arizona, died at the age of 92. Rosemarie was born to Frank and Helen Cuba on April 12, 1928 in Chicago, Illinois. She was the youngest of three children: Frank Jr., Helen, and Rosemarie. She moved to Phoenix, Arizona in her late teens where she met the love of her life, Albert P. Serrano Jr. Albert and Rosemarie were married on February 22, 1949. Together they were blessed with seven children: Patricia, Elizabeth, Pamela, Gloria, Paul, Carlotta, and Lawrence. Additionally, they had 13 grandchildren, 22 great-grandchildren, and 2 great-great grandchildren. They resided in Gilbert from 1949 until 1983, and ultimately retired in Sun Lakes. In addition to being an active member of the Gilbert community, Rosemarie was the matriarch of one of the founding famities of the White Mountain Country Club in Pine top, Arizona since 1959. She and Albert spent many years building fond family memories and friendships in both communities. Rosemarie was well known for her generosity, hospitality, and her dedication to her loving family which spanned five generations at the time of her death. Rosemarie was an outstanding wife and mother because of her kind heart, intelligence, and tremendous work ethic. She truly embodied the values of Proverbs 31 and exemplified her strong and abiding Catholic faith in all of her endeavors. In addition to caring for her family and friends, Rosemarie supported her community by serving as school board president and a hospital board member during her lifetime. She also owned and operated Maverick Western Wear with her husband in Tempe and Casa Grande. Those who had the privilege of knowing Rosemarie are familiar with her phenomenal talents including cooking, baking, painting, gardening, and just about anything she attempted to do. Rosemarie is preceded in death by her beloved husband and daughter Patricia. She is survived by her remaining children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren who will miss her dearly.
Your Ad can go ONLINE ANY Day! Call to place your ad online!! Classifieds 480-898-6465
Obituaries Mary Pat Deaton
On Saturday December 12, 2020, Mary Pat Deaton passed away in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Mary Pat was born on August 4, 1931 in Dallas, Texas to Roberta and Clarence E. Crowe. She had recently moved to Colorado Springs from Mesa, Arizona. She was 89 years old. She is survived by 2 daughters, Diane Lockwood and Lynne Hagstrom and 4 grandchildren. Clint, Andrea, Colter and Jenna and their families. In her early years she was known for her passion for dancing and her skill at playing the piano. Mary Pat also had a strong love for animals and made it her goal to support charities that helped them. She was an active member of the Methodist Church and was always a true Texan at heart. A memorial will be provided for the family. In lieu of cards or flowers please donate to your local animal shelter or charity of your choice.
H E A D STO N E S
Employ
Announce
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ments
Employment General
Announcements
Quadriplegic Seeks personal care attendant for weekday 11a-3p and some weekend shifts 11a-3p and some overnight shifts. 12-18 hours per week. $15.75 P/Hr. Job involves running errands, care, transfers, Must be responsible and honest. Call Craig 480-966-2059 (leave a message, it's a land line) or email ernest99@ centurylink.net
Anyone know the whereabouts of Kacey Evans, age 42, please have her contact her father 918-705-1289.
Employment General Deloitte Consulting LLP seeks a Solution Specialist, Enterprise Performance, SAP in Gilbert, Arizona and various unanticipated Deloitte office locations and client sites nationally to provide SAP software advisory and implementation services. 15% travel required nationally. Telecommuting permitted. To apply visit https://jobs2.deloitte.com/us/en. Enter XBAL21FC1120GIL578 in “Search jobs” field. EOE, including disability/veterans.
EARN EXTRA INCOME!
EVERLASTING MONUMENT Co.
“Memories cut in Stone” • MONUMENTS • GRANITE & BRONZE • CEMETERY LETTERING • CUSTOM DESIGNS
480-969-0788 75 W. Baseline Rd. Ste. A-8 Gilbert, AZ 85233
www.everlastingmonumentco.com info@everlastingmonument.phxcoxmail.com
Make your choice Everlasting
Gannett Publishing Services wants to contract you to deliver newspapers and magazine products in the early morning hours in the Phoenix metro area. Gannett Publishing Services (GPS), a division of Gannett Co. and a recognized leader in the publishing industry, operates printing & packaging facilities throughout the country.
Earn an extra $180-$300 per week. All routes are 7 days a week.
Work just 2-3 hours a day between 12:00AM – 6:00AM. Routes available now in your area (East Valley, West Valley, North Phoenix). Current Arizona driver's license, insurance and access to a vehicle are required. Visit deliveryopportunities.gannett.com or call 602-444-4243. Job Type: Contract Pay: $180.00 - $300.00 per week ***MUST INCLUDE HOME ZIP CODE AND PHONE NUMBER WHEN APPLYING.***
Prayer Announcements Thank You St. Jude For Prayers Answered - JRH
Merch andise
Wanted to Buy Cash 4 Diabetic Strips! Best Prices in Town. Sealed and Unexpired. 480-652-1317 Diabetic Test Strips by the box, unused. Any type or brand. Will pay top dollar. Call Pat 480-323-8846 WANTED BY COLLECTOR OLDER MODEL 22 CALIBER RIFLES AND HANDGUNS IN NICE CONDITION CONSIDER OTHERS I DO NOT SELL GUNS. CALL WITH WHAT YOU HAVE. LEE 602-448-6487
Sell Your Stuff! Call Classifieds Today!
480.898.6465
CLASS@TIMESPUBLICATIONS.COM
Real Estate
For Rent Apartments ALMA SCH & MAIN 1b 1 bath duplex Income verified UTILITIES INCLUDED Bad Credit OK. No Deposit Close to Lightrail $700 (602) 339-1555 APACHE TRAIL & IRONWOOD Secluded Cute Studio, A/C $650/Month Bad Credit ok No Deposit. Water/Trash Inc. (602) 339-1555
Manufactured Homes BRAND NEW NEVER LIVED IN 2 BED / 2 BATH HOMES $58,900 Financing Available 55+ Mobile Home Park in Great Chandler Loc. Call Kim 480-233-2035
Employment General Sr. SAP Basis Administrator (Chandler, AZ) Dvlp SAP ABAP/4 programs in support of their SAP BASIS Administration duties. Install, upgrade, & maintain SAP landscapes for SAP S/4 in the cloud. Conduct performance monitoring & tuning. Troubleshoot issues & provide resolution. Perform System Copies & Disaster Recovery testing. Support third-party tools as they relate to SAP. Provide guidance on the technical architecture for all SAP components to meet the biz needs. Coach other project personnel to ensure functionality is developed in a way that complies w/biz requirements & established methodologies & practices. Ensure changes to the SAP environment conform to all audit specs. Reqs: Bach's deg in Biz Admin, or a foreign equiv, & 3 ys of relevant exp. Mail resumes to HR Mgr, Array Technologies, Inc., 3901 Midway PL NE Albuquerque, NM 87109
THE MESA TRIBUNE | DECEMBER 27, 2020
21
The Mesa Tribune
1620 W. Fountainhead Parkway #219 • Tempe, AZ 85282 480.898.6465 class@timespublications.com
Deadlines
Classifieds: Thursday 11am for Sunday Life Events: Thursday 10am for Sunday
The Place “To Find” Everything You Need | TheMesaTribune.com Manufactured Homes
Air Conditioning/Heating
Concrete & Masonry
Garage/Doors
Glass/Mirror
THE LINKS ESTATES
Family Owned & Operated
Block Fence * Gates
GARAGE DOOR SERVICE
GLASS, MIRRORS, SHOWER DOORS
Why Rent The Lot When
Three Phase Mechanical
480-671-0833
YOU CAN OWN THE LAND And Own Your New Home
www.3phasemech.com Sales, Service & Installation
602-789-6929 Roc #057163 Lowest Prices * 30 Yrs Exp Serving Entire Valley
NO TRIP CHARGE • NOT COMMISSION BASED ROC# 247803 Bonded • Insured
ACCREDITED BUSINESS
FROM THE UPPER 100’S
ASK US HOW YOUR $105,000 CASH INVESTMENT AND OUR SENIOR LOAN PROGRAM ENABLES QUALIFIED 62+ SENIORS MAKING THE LINKS THEIR PRIMARY RESIDENCE HAVE NO MORTGAGE PAYMENT & NO LOT RENT AS LONG AS YOU LIVE IN HOME.
Gawthorp & Associates Realty 40667 N Wedge Dr • San Tan Valley, AZ 85140
602-402-2213
www.linksestates.net
HEATING & AIR CONDITIONING
Appliance Repairs
Drywall
Appliance Repair Now
JOSE DOMINGUEZ DRYWALL & PAINTING House Painting, Drywall, Intall Doors, Baseboards, Crown Molding Reliable, Dependable, Honest!
If It’s Broken, We Can Fix It! • Same Day Service • On-Site Repairs • Servicing All Major Brands • Quality Guaranteed
QUICK RESPONSE TO YOUR CALL!
We Also Buy, Sell & Trade Used Appliances Working or Not
Air Conditioning/Heating
QUALITY, VALUE and a GREAT PRICE!
Lifetime Warranty on Workmanship Furnace / AC Tune Up - $69 New 3-Ton AC Units - now $3,995 New Trane Air Conditioners NO INTEREST FINANCING - 60 MONTHS!
‘A’ RATED AC REPAIR FREE ESTIMATE SAME DAY SERVICE
Bonded/Insured • ROC #289252
480-405-7588
ItsJustPlumbSmart.com
YOU’LL LIKE US - THE BEST!
15 Years Experience • Free Estimates
480.266.4589
480-659-1400 Licensed & Insured
josedominguez0224@gmail.com
Concrete & Masonry
Electrical Services
DESERT ROCK
HONESTY • INTEGRITY • QUALITY
FOUNDATION DRIVEWAY SIDEWALK PATIO
PAVER • CONCRETE REMOVAL • HARDSCAPE BONDED & INSURED • ROC#321648 SATISFACTION GUARANTEED! FREE ESTIMATES • 16 YEARS EXPERIENCE RESIDENTIAL CALL JOHN: 480.797.2985 COMMERCIAL
Broken Springs Replaced Nights/Weekends Bonded/Insured 480-251-8610
Not a licensed contractor
DO YOU OFFER Lessons & Tutoring? Children need your help! Place your ad today Contact us: class@times publications.com or Call 480-898-6465
Family Owned with 50 years' EXPERIENCE. Shower and tub enclosures, Framed, Frameless or Custom Doors, We also install insulated glass, mirrored closet doors, window glass, mirrors, patio doors, glass table protectors. If it’s glass, we can help you. QUALITY SERVICE at Competitive Prices. FREE Estimates
WESLEY'S GLASS & MIRROR wesleysglass.com SERVICING THE ENTIRE VALLEY Call 480-306-5113
Garage/Doors OVER 25 YEARS EXPERIENCE SERVICING & INSTALLING GARAGE DOORS AND OPERATORS
OPEN 24/7
Not a licensed contractor.
CONCRETE & MASONRY BLOCKWALL CONCRETE RETAINING WALL BLOCK FENCE PLANTER BBQ
East Valley/ Ahwatukee
• Serving Arizona Since 2005 •
• Panel Changes and Repairs • Installation of Ceiling Fans • Switches/Outlets • Home Remodel
ALL RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL ELECTRICAL Call Jim Endres 480.282.7932 Over 28 Years Experience • ROC #246019 Bonded/Insured
• SERVING ALL OF METRO PHOENIX • HONEST AND REPUTABLE CUSTOMER SATISFACTION GUARANTEED
ANOZIRA DOOR SYSTEMS
Handyman LLC
• Drywall Repair • Bathroom Remodeling • Home Renovations
• Electrical Repair • Plumbing Repair • Dry rot and termite damage repair
Meetings/Events?
GENERAL CONTRACTOR / HANDYMAN SERVICES
Get Free notices in the Classifieds!
All Estimates are Free • Call:
Submit to ecota@timespublications.com
SERVING THE ENTIRE VALLEY
520.508.1420
www.husbands2go.com
Licensed, Bonded & Insured • ROC#317949 Ask me about FREE water testing!
THE MESA TRIBUNE | DECEMBER 27, 2020
22
HOME FOR RENT? Place it here!
Handyman HANDYMAN 37 years experience. Drywall, framing, plumbing, painting, electrical, roofing and more. Stan, 602-434-6057
81% of our readers, read the Classifieds!
Call Classifieds 480-898-6465
Marks the Spot for ALL Your Handyman Needs! Painting • Flooring • Electrical Handyman Plumbing • Drywall • Carpentry Decks • Tile • More!
Marks the Spot for ALL Your Handyman Needs! rks the Spot for ALL•Your Handyman Needs! ✔ Painting Painting Flooring • Electrical “No Job Too ✔Small Flooring Painting • Flooring • Electrical Plumbing • Drywall • Carpentry Man!” Plumbing • Drywall • Carpentry ✔ Electrical Decks • Tile • More! Quality Work Since 1999 Decks •Affo Tile • More! rdable, ✔ Plumbing 2010, 2011 2012, 2013, 2014 Call Bruce at 602.670.7038 ✔ Drywall Ahwatukee Resident/ References/ Insured/ Not a Licensed Contractor “No Job ✔ Carpentry Too Small Marks the Spot for“No Job Too ALL Your Handyman Needs! ✔ Decks Painting • Flooring • Electrical Small Man!” “No Job Too Man!” ✔ Tile Plumbing • Drywall • Carpentry
Small Man!” Decks • Tile • More! ✔ Kitchens ✔ Bathrooms 2010, 2011 2012, “No 2013, Job Too And More! 2010, 2011 Small Man!” 2014 Call Bruce at 602.670.7038 2012, 2013, 2014 dent/ References/ Insured/ NotResident a Licensed Contractor 1999 Since Ahwatukee / References Work ty Affordable, Quali 2010, 2011 2012, 2013, rences/ Insured/ Not a Licensed Contractor Insured / Not aCall Licensed Contractor 2014 Bruce at 602.670.7038
Since 1999 rdable, Quality Work BSMALLMAN@Q.COM 9 Quality Work Since 199
uce at 602.670.7038 at 602.670.7038
Ahwatukee Resident/ References/ Insured/ Not a Licensed Contractor
Hauling
HOME REMODELING REPAIRS & CUSTOM INTERIOR PAINTING Move a wall; turn a door into a window. From small jobs and repairs to room additions, I do it all. Precision interior painting, carpentry, drywall, tile, windows, doors, skylights, electrical, fans, plumbing and more. All trades done by hands-on General Contractor. Friendly, artistic, intelligent, honest and affordable. 40 years’ experience. Call Ron Wolfgang Please text or leave message Cell 602-628-9653 Wolfgang Construction Inc. Licensed & Bonded ROC 124934
• Yard Waste • Concrete Slab • Remodeling Debris • Old Tires
TNTExteriors2018@gmail.com CALL FOR A FREE ESTIMATE 480-532-5606
ROC# CR326937 #CR322178 #CR321443
Bath & Kitchen Remodels • Car-Port to Garage Conversion Drywall & Stucco Repairs • Plumbing • Electrical • Can Lights Windows • Doors • Cabinets • Painting • Block Fences Wrought Iron Gates • Remodeling • Additions • Patios Tenant Improvements
East Valley
480-833-7353 - Office 480-430-7737 - Cell
I -S
NC
E1
9
78
LIC/BONDED/INSURED Res/Comm’l ROC#218802
aaaActionContractingInc.com
General Contacting, Inc. Licensed • Bonded • Insured • ROC118198
Add a Background Color to Your Ad! Classifieds 480-898-6465 Irrigation
One Call, We Do It All! 602-339-4766 Owner Does All Work, All Honey-Do Lists All Remodeling, Additions, Kitchen, Bath, Patio Covers, Garage, Sheds, Windows, Doors, Drywall & Roofing Repairs, Painting, All Plumbing, Electrical, Concrete, Block, Stucco, Stack Stone, All Flooring, Wood, Tile, Carpet, Welding, Gates, Fences, All Repairs.
Free Estimates with Pride & Prompt Service!
MORE CLASSIFIED ADS ONLINE! www.EastValleyTribune.com
Repairs • Modifications • Installs
ALL Pro
T R E E
S E R V I C E
L L C
Prepare for Winter Season! LANDSCAPING, TREES & MAINTENANCE
Tree Trimming • Tree Removal Stump Grinding Storm Damage • Bushes/Shrubs Yard Clean-up Commercial and Residential PMB 435 • 2733 N. Power Rd. • Suite 102 • Mesa dennis@allprotrees.com
480-354-5802 Painting
WE WILL MATCH OR BEAT ANY WRITTEN QUOTE FROM A LICENSED COMPANY!
A+
Home Improvement
Sprinkler & Drip Systems
Family owned & operated company specializing in: • Residential & Commercial Garage Doors • Roofing • Rain Gutters
WE DO IT ALL!
• Old Paint & Chems.
Landscape/Maintenance Insured/Bonded Free Estimates
TNT Exteriors LLC
ACTION CONTRACTING INC. • Furniture • Appliances • Mattresses • Televisions • Garage Clean-Out • Construction Debris
Irrigation
Home Improvement
• Sprinkler/Drip Repairs • New Installs Poly/PVC • Same Day Service
NTY 5-YEAR WARRA
480.654.5600 azirrigation.com Cutting Edge LLC • ROC 281671
• 20 Years Experience • 6 Year Warranty
480.345.1800
HOME IMPROVEMENT & PAINTING Interior/Exterior Painting 30 YEARS EXPERIENCE Dunn Edwards Quality Paint Small Stucco/Drywall Repairs
ROC 304267 • Licensed & Bonded
We Are State Licensed and Reliable!
Landscape/Maintenance Superstition Landscape Maintenance
Junk Removal PLUS House Cleaning Call or Text Adrian 480•376•9803 or 480•925•1418
Honest & Reliable
FREE Estimates
Irrigation Repair Services Inc.
Free Estimates • Senior Discounts
480-338-4011
ROC#309706
East Valley PAINTERS Voted #1 Paint Interior & Exterior • Drywall Repair Light Carpentry • Power Washing • Textures Matched Popcorn Removal • Pool Deck Coatings Garage Floor Coatings • Color Consulting
10% OFF
Licensed • Bonded • Insured Technician
We Beat Competitors Prices & Quality
Specializing in Controllers, Valves, Sprinklers, Landscape Lighting, P.V.C. & Poly Drip Systems
Free Estimates! Home of the 10-Year Warranty!
Call Lance White
480.721.4146 www.irsaz.com
ROC# 256752
480-688-4770
www.eastvalleypainters.com Family Owned & Operated Bonded/Insured • ROC#153131
Now Accepting all major credit cards
THE MESA TRIBUNE | DECEMBER 27, 2020
23
Painting
Pool Service / Repair
Plumbing
Jose Dominguez Painting & Drywall SEE OUR AD IN DRYWALL! Quick Response to your Call! 15 Years Exp 480-266-4589
PLUMBERS CHARGE TOO MUCH! Beat Any Price By 10% • Lifetime Warranty Water Heaters Installed - $799 Unclog Drains - $49 FREE RO UNIT w/Any WATER SOFTENER INSTALL NO INTEREST FINANCING - 60 Months!! ‘A’ RATED PLUMBING REPAIR Free Estimates • Same Day Service
Not a licensed contractor
Plumbing
HYDROJETTING
480-477-8842
SEWER CABLE COMPREHENSIVE, FULL-SERVICE PLUMBING COMPANY
Public Notices
Juan Hernandez
Pavers • Concrete • Water Features • Sprinkler Repair
PPebbleOcracking, O L Plaster R Epeeling, P ARebar IR showing, Pool Light out? I CAN HELP!
FALL SPECIAL! $500 OFF COMPLETE REMODEL! 25 Years Experience • Dependable & Reliable
480.898.6465
CLASS@TIMESPUBLICATIONS.COM
Roofing
Not a licensed contractor.
Tiles, shingles, flat, repairs & new work Free Estimates • Ahwatukee Resident Over 30 yrs. Experience
480-706-1453
Licensed/Bonded/Insured • ROC #236099
ROC 3297740
Public Notices
Public Notices
LEGAL NOTICE
EDUCATION PUBLICA SOBRE TUBERIAS DE GAS SUBTERRANEAS
To be published in the Odessa American on Thursday, November 14, 2019
PIPELINE PUBLIC EDUCATION America has over 230,00 miles of pipelines carrying natural gas and products across the United States. These pipelines have a safety record second to none in the transportation industry... and we want you to help us keep it that way. When you see signs like those shown below, they tell you that there’s a pipeline nearby. If it’s underground, you can’t see it, of course.
• LEAVE THE AREA IMMEDIATELY • Avoid driving near escaping gas • Avoid direct contact with the escaping gas or liquid. • Avoid creating sparks or sources of heat which could cause the natural gas to ignite and burn. If you find yourself in a suspected gaseous area, do not light a match, start an engine, or even switch on an electric light. ARIEL MARKER
DANGER GAS PIPELINE GROUND MARKER
Call Classifieds Today!
480-720-3840
480-405-7099 ItsJustPlumbSmart.com
20+ YEARS OF EXPERIENCE FAMILY OWNED & OPERATED LICENSED, BONDED & INSURED
Need to hire some help?
Call Juan at
Bonded/Insured • ROC #223709
BOOK ONLINE! STATE48DRAINS.COM
Notice of guardianship/conservatorship hearing for Joan Holcomb on January 7, 2021 at 11:30am at Maricopa County Superior Court. For more information, inquire about Case #PB2020092387. Published: East Valley Tribune Dec 20, 28, 2020, Jan. 3 2021 / 35173
GASING VENT
But it’s there, working quietly to provide energy for you and other consumers throughout this nation. Some of these signs list the commodity transported in the pipeline, the name of the operator, and a telephone number where the operator’s Representative can be reached at all times. Although pipelines have an exceptionally good safety record, once in a while a leak can occur. Indications of a leak might include: 1. A strange or unusual odor in the vicinity of a pipeline. 2. A hissing of roaring sound (caused by natural gas or product escaping from a pipeline.) 3. Flames originating from an opening in the ground. 4. If you become aware of a pipeline leak...
• Notify the pipeline operator as soon as you reach a safe area. Call collect. Give your name, a description of the leak and its location. If you do not know who the pipeline operator is, call your local fire, police, or sheriff’s department, or the state police. Advise them of the nature and location of the emergency. If you see someone digging near a pipeline or doing other construction work.. or if you plan to do such work near a pipeline yourself.. please call the telephone number show on the sigh and let the pipeline company know so damage can be avoided. It’s in your interest... and the nation’s.
This notice is provided by United Dairymen of Arizona 24 hour Emergency Phone Number 480-310-1516 or 480-303-1322
America tiene sobre 230,000 millas de tuberia de Gas Natural y productos a traves los Estados Unidos. Estas lineas tienen un record de seguridad Segundo a nada en la industria de transportacion... y queremos que usted nos ayude a menteneria de ase manera. Cuando usted mire señales como estas que se muestran en seguida, le dicen que hay una tuberia cerca y si usted no la pueda ver es que de sequro es subterraneano (bajo tierra).
• ABANDONE EL AREA (LUGAR) INMEDIATAMENTE • Evite manejar (conducir) cerca de la fuga de gas. • Evite contacto directo con los gases o liquidos que estan escapando. • Evite crear chispas, usar cosas calientes que puedan cousar que el gas se encienda y se queme. • Si usted se encuentra en una area sospechosa de fuga de gas, no encienda un cerillo, no cominse un motor o encienda un interruptor de electricidad. ARIEL MARKER
DANGER GAS PIPELINE GROUND MARKER
GASING VENT
Pero esta alli, trabajando calladamente para proveer energia para ti y otros consumidores atraves los Estados Unidos. Algunas de estas señales numbran las comodidades transportadas en estas lineas, el nombre del operador y un numero de telefono donde el representante del operador pude ser locallsado todo el teimpo, aunque las tuberias tienen un record de seguridad excepionalmente bueno de ves en cuando puede ocurrir una fuga. Indicaciones de una fuga puede incluir: 1. Un extrano olor en la vecindad de las tuberia de gas. 2. Un ruido extrano causado por el Gas Natural o Producto escapando de las tuberias. 3. Llamas (lumbre) originando de una abiertura de la tierra. 4. Si usted se da cuenta de alguna fuga en las tuberias...
• Notifique (avise) al operador de tuberia en cuanto o lo mas pronto que alla alcansado un lugar seguro, llame por cobrar, deles su nombre, describa la fuga y donde se encuentra (localidad). Si usted no sabe quien es el operador de la tuberia, hable al departamento de Bomberos, Policia, Sheriffs o Policia del Estado, adviertales la naturaleza y lugar de EMERGENCIA. Si usted mira a alguien que este escabando o haciendo otra clase de trabajo de construction o si usted esta planeando hacer un trabajo cerca de tuberia...por facor habla al numero de telefon que indica en el marcador y avise a la Compania de la tuberia para que los daños sean evitados. Esto es por interes de usted...y de la Nacion.
ESTEAVISO ES PROVEIDO POR EL SERVICIO DE TUBERIA DE UNITED DAIRY MEN OF ARIZONA NUMERO DE EMERGENCIA 24HRS AL DIA 480-310-1516 OR 480-303-1322
THE MESA TRIBUNE | DECEMBER 27, 2020
24
Memory care as distinctive as she is. Serving those with a form of alzheimer’s or dementia isn’t an afterthought—it’s the only thought.
Find out why stand-alone memory care matters.
(408) 906-8396 / silvercreekinnarizona.com 6345 E. Baseline Rd. / Mesa, AZ