BY MARK MORAN Tribune Staff Writer
The Queen Creek Police Department envisions 100 hires in the next five years and spending as much as $189 million over the next two decades to accommodate its expanding ranks.
“We have taken every possible space where you could put people or stuff and we have shoved it in there,” Police Chief Randy Brice told Town Council recently. “And we continue to run out of space. We have kind of fina-
Queen Creek is bringing its cultural and historical roots into its present and future master plan for the arts, envisioning downtown gathering spaces where people learn about the town’s evolving story, can reflect on it or take a selfie by it.
It is called placemaking and it is the centerpiece of the town’s Master Arts Plan.
“The Downtown Arts and Placemaking Advisory Committee was established to work
gled our way into every municipal building possible.”
Brice said his department currently has staff in five different government buildings around town and that kind of decentralization can create inefficiencies in some areas. He said that problem will only get worse as Queen Creek’s population grows and the number of calls for service increases with it. He offered as evidence the department’s call response time, which the department has tried to get to five minutes or less. Documents show that time from dispatch to arriv-
al is still slightly longer than that.
Part of Brice’s plan is to eventually build a police substation on Queen Creek’s east side to enable officers to respond to calls more quickly without fighting traffic.
“Not to be alarmist, but we are in dire need of some space,” Brice said. “How do you function as a department when you don’t have all the tools you need?”
To attempt to remedy the space and storage problem, the town recently purchased
Ezekiel Pacheco was among the happy youngsters who hunted eggs, immersed themselves in suds and engaged in other fun activities March 25 during the annual Spring into QC event at Mansel Carter Oasis Park. For a look at the happy scenes, see page 15. (Quinton Kendall/ Tribune Contributor)
Queen Creek officials said they learned South Korea-based LG Energy Solution was quadrupling its investment in a battery manufacturing facility the same day the public did on March 24.
LG said a year ago that it would invest $1.4-billion in the facility, but told the town on March 24th they were upping that to $5.5-billion.
Based on a written response from Queen Creek Economic Development Director Doreen Cott, top officials in Seoul, South Korea, where LG is based, had not approved the investment until just before they informed Queen Creek.
“The Town was officially notified that LGES was nearly quadrupling their investment following the LGES board meeting on March 24,” Cott said.
The announcement originated in Seoul, which is 16 hours ahead of Arizona. The official press release came from Seoul at
10:58 pm on March 23, Arizona time.
Months of delays, study, evaluations, and difficult economic conditions in the U.S. created speculation that LG was considering scrapping its plans for the factory.
A source close to LGES told the publication Korea Business in January that abandoning the facility was never even considered and it was deciding how big it would be, the source said, adding that the company was recalculating its facility based on the rapidly growing rechargeable battery market in North America.
Cott said LGES kept Queen Creek in the loop, apparently just not about the size of the investment.
“Communication with LGES continued through 2022 while the company evaluated their initial investment,” Cott said. “We were thrilled that they had so much confidence in Queen Creek and the state that they decided to expand the initial project.”
The increased investment, and the fact that LG even appeared to catch Queen Creek off guard with a quick announcement, has created a bit of a scramble for
town planners and transportation officials, according to town spokeswoman Constance Halonen-Wilson.
“With the recent announcement of the expansion, we are working with the company to evaluate traffic, water resources, etc.,” Halonen-Wilson said. The (Pinal) county oversees air quality - that permit is submitted to and reviewed by the county, not the town.”
Pinal County has not responded to a request for comment on the status of the air quality permits, but on its YouTube channel, Air Quality Director Mike Sundblom said the county will measure potential air pollution and has been working on the LGES project.
“We address a wide variety of different emission sources, from gas stations to dry cleaners to industrial buildings such as the LG facility,” he said. “That is our responsibility to implement those rules, and we have oversight from ADEQ and the EPA in this process.”
The town is as up to date as it can be for the initial part of the facility to commence.
“The town oversees the site plan process and building permits (at this point, we have a submitted/approved site plan for the first phase, which was submitted in 2022,” Halonen-Wilson said.
While LG’s investment is substantially higher than it was last year, the facility will remain on the original $84.4-million, 650.5-acre site at Ironwood and Germann roads.
“When LGES was the successful bidder of the Arizona State Land site in April 2022, it was anticipated that the project would have multiple phases,” Cott said. “The company’s decision to move forward with and expand the first phase, in addition to moving forward with an additional phase, resulted in a substantial capital investment of $5.5 billion.”
“This investment will have a ripple effect on the town, the region, and the state. The Town is moving forward with roadway and infrastructure improvements in the area. LGES’ investment in Queen Creek will re-
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with staff to explore ways to incorporate art into this key area of town early on to ensure opportunities are not missed,” said Economic Development Director Doreen Cott.
“The Master Plan will help establish a clear vision and goals, as well as guidelines, policies and processes, which will be important as the town continues to grow and the downtown area sees new investment,” she added.
Josh Lapp, owner of Designing Local, an Ohio based firm that was awarded the $35,000 contract to take the lead on the downtown arts plan, added:
“We are focused on creating vibrant and engaging places when we are talking about a placemaking plan, that’s what our work is focused on is creating opportunities for people to engage with place.”
Lapp’s firm does this type of work around the country, including a project for Peoria. In a session with the town Economic Development Commission, he also extended the role of placemaking in taking selfies.
“What would be the thing that you would want to go take your picture by or that you want to go experience?” Lapp asked the panel as he presented the plan virtually and took input from members.
“Where have you traveled and seen things, and what are the things you went and took a picture in front of, or got that family photo?”
Placemaking can be accomplished with almost anything that starts a conversation, draws people together or creates art in a public space, Lapp said. That can be a mural, modern art, or other projects that promote urban vitality.
Think about the copper statues of children in downtown Mesa.
Queen Creek is facing a bit of a challenge that other, older more established municipalities are not. The downtown area is new and still developing.
There are no historical buildings to paint murals on, no shuttered factories or other buildings that the town can restore and capitalize on, like the now defunct American Crayon Co. which dates to the 1800’s in Sandusky, Ohio. There, Lapp helped to create a public gathering space using multiple, giant colored, light-up crayon replicas.
“What we have to start thinking about in Queen Creek is getting creative,” said Jennifer Lindley, Queen Creek’s downtown development manager.
“Because we don’t have the infrastructure or the buildings necessarily in the downtown area that we might create a mural on,” she added.
“However, we have other items. Those are the things that we creatively needto look at,” she said, pointing out Queen
Creek’s rich agricultural history and its long running relationship with water as examples of directions the project might utilize
“I think about our heritage and we want to make sure we incorporate agriculture and the animals in this area,” said commissioner and Councilman Bryan McClure. “Like roadrunners and Gila monsters.” McClure also suggested the project could incorporate horse likenesses to symbolize Queen Creek’s equestrian history. Developer Jason Barney agreed with McClure and also gave his thoughts on the project’s evolution.
“One cool thing about Queen Creek is water is essential to the history,” Barney said. “Canals, and water implements, and water tanks. Those kinds of icons. Even today, Queen Creek is innovating on water. It’s both part of the history and part of the future in Queen Creek, so that
would be cool.”
“I personally like, and have heard a lot of good feedback about, the downtown Gilbert area,” added Commissioner Perry Berry, also the Queen Creek Unified School District superintendent. “I like the water tower and the way they have kept the historical part of that town together with the new custom places and the restaurants that you can go to.”
Lindley said Lapp will come to Queen Creek and tour Gilbert as the arts plan takes shape. He will also be gathering input from community members during public workshops, surveys, and good, old-fashioned conversations with residents to see what sort of art and other opportunities people might want downtown.
“We are just starting this project, so it’s a good time to get your thoughts and ideas … what you want to see in Queen Creek,” Lapp said. “As part of this project, we’ll really be exploring the wants and needs of the people in the community.
“What do they want to see in the downtown area? What will draw them to the downtown area? For us, it’s typically not about just creating random public art or random placemaking elements that don’t mean anything. It’s figuring out how we can connect these elements and
create that sense of place for your community itself,” Lapp added.
“One thing I don’t like is when I go to a city and I see stuff that’s random and doesn’t mean anything, doesn’t tell a story, or even is kind of cheap looking,” Barney said.
“It doesn’t have to be an explicit type of ‘bonk you on the head’ storytelling, but certainly some kind of context and reference to the place that gives it some meaning is really important.”
The Town Council formed a subcommittee two years ago to talk about arts and placemaking, specifically in the downtown area, according to Lindley.
Cott said that got the ball rolling on the Arts Master Plan.
“The Town Council recognized art as an opportunity to share the Town’s history and culture with others,” Cott said. “Arts and Placemaking helps to differentiate a place, making it memorable and unique.
“As a growing community, placemaking, arts, culture, and design can also be leveraged to promote economic development, and leads to increased innovation and civic engagement.”
There are already a few small projects around town that have been approved by the committee and done by local artists, but there has not been a coordinated, concerted effort focused on downtown.
the former Barney Sports Complex on E. Queen Creek Rd. for $11-million and will spend an additional $45-million to remodel the 65,000-square-foot building into a public safety facility for data and evidence storage, among other things.
It is scheduled to be open this summer and is part of the first phase of the infrastructure plan, which is broken down into 4 categories and spending schedules.
The department plans to spend $108-million in the first five years of the plan to develop training facilities, storage areas for its SWAT and other large vehicles, a facility for the department’s new K-9 team, renovate its existing headquarters, make radio and other communications investments and to purchase land for the eventual department substation, as well as making space for its current and future employees.
“In our first five years, this is pretty aggressive,” Brice said. “But it does meet the need. We are staffing based on what our needs are and we will continue to do that. The capacity of the buildings do not meet the need that we have for our staffing.”
Brice said the department has done a good job of providing the officers and other staff the tools they need to be successful, but that growth puts the focus now squarely on space.
“It’s the infrastructure that has been really difficult to put our finger on,” Brice said. “Being fiscally responsible, how do we get us to a point where we are running on the front edge of that wave and being just aggressive enough?”
Brice said staying ahead of the growth is critical to the department’s success, trust and credibility with town residents, and he credited finance director Scott McCarty with finding a responsible way
to pay for the plan.
“Randy is just behind the eight-ball,” McCarty said of Brice’s proposal to spend $108-million in the first five years to keep up with growing needs. “We are suggesting that we front-load the amount that he needs in those first five years for the reasons he has articulated.”
McCarty pointed out that the town does not have cash on hand to pay for the infrastructure needs out of its general fund and will borrow to pay for the phases of the master plan over time.
“Well, how do we pay for this? The recommendation is that we issue debt,” McCarty said. “That is matching the expense to the resident or the business that is receiving the service, as opposed to if we just pay for it up front. Then the person who comes five or seven years from now really doesn’t necessarily have an expenditure related to that particular infrastructure.”
McCarty said the town has taken the same funding approach to parks, transportation, and fire departments.
“So, we are applying that same strategic objective to the police department,” he said.
“Truth be told, we need that,” Vice Mayor Jeff Brown said of the $108-million front-loading request as McCarty prepared to speak to the council.
The police master plan will cost another $33.5 million in years 6-10 for the proposed substation as well as a repair shop for the growing vehicle fleet and other items.
Beyond that, another $47.5-million would be spent on a detention center, municipal court and a prosecutor’s office, though Brice said the department will continue to monitor and adjust those costs as time and needs dictate because the details of that phase are still “fuzzy.”
Town Council passed the proposal unanimously.
Councilman Robin Benning said the department has been a victim of its own success given how fast the town has grown and admitted to having worried that Queen Creek was not aggressive enough in planning for the staffing and infrastruc-
ture needs of its police department.
“Part of that is because, frankly, our residents, as soon as they saw what a great thing we had, and the data backs me up, they are asking for more service because they know they will actually get it when they call,” Benning said.
“It helps incredibly to know that we have a finance department that is behind you that is going to figure out a way to do this so that we don’t have to go back to the residents and say ‘oops, it’s costing this much more and we are going to have to put a tax on you,’ ” Benning said.
Along the same lines, Councilman Travis Padilla credited Brice and McCarty with being responsible to the Queen Creek taxpayers who ultimately foot the bill for police and other services, and Padilla said he is especially sensitive about spending taxpayer dollars.
Padilla added that while he is hesitant to spend large chunks of taxpayer mon-
ey, he would make an exception for the police master plan because of what it offers residents.
“I want, personally, my children and grandchildren to be raised here in Queen Creek, and I want this to be the kind of town that criminals second guess themselves and say ‘hmm … Queen Creek? Maybe we should go over to the next town.’
“Hopefully, we catch them so they don’t go anywhere,” he added. “But I want them to question whether this is a place to commit a crime when QCPD is on top of it.”
Councilwoman Dawn Oliphant added,
“It’s taken a long time to get to this point. We knew that there would be an initial investment at first. Now the real work really begins, trying to find places and trying to expand and build on what decision we made.”
Added Councilwoman Leah Martineau: “We want Queen Creek to stay safe as it is and for the community to know and rely on such great service.”
Two Queen Creek Unified elementary schools will have new principals in the 2023-2024 school year.
Stacey Martin has been named principal at Frances Brandon Pickett Elementary and Dawn Harrington will be the new principal at Katherine Mecham Barney Elementary.
Martin has an 18-year career as a teacher, coach and administrator in the Chandler Unified District, the last five of which have been as a dean and assistant principal.
The Baylor University grad has earned master’s degrees in elementary education and educational leadership.
“QCUSD is an excellent district,” said Martin. “I am thrilled to now join all of the exceptional educators within Queen Creek in our work to educate our children.”
During her 16-year career in public education, Harrington has been a
teacher, a school improvement specialist, and an assistant principal before arriving at Queen Creek schools.
She earned her bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Arizona State University and a master’s degree in educational leadership from Northern Arizona University.
“I am honored and proud to be the next principal of Katherine Mecham Barney Elementary and to be joining the Queen Creek Unified School District,” Harrington said.
“I will lead with a commitment to ensure all of our staff and students feel safe, cared for and are given the opportunities to realize every one of them has genius!”
Both principals will begin their new roles in July.
“We’re proud to welcome Stacey Martin and Dawn Harrington to QCUSD and we’re looking forward to seeing them lead our students and staff to continued success,” district superintendent Dr. Perry Berry said.
Gilbert police arrested a 22-yearold karate instructor for allegedly engaging in sexual conduct with a 15-year-old girl.
Dyllon Frederick DePalma was taken into custody March 18 at his family’s business DePalma’s Team USA Martial Arts studio on Lindsay Road, Gilbert, police said on social media March 23. The business has several locations, including Mesa, Queen Creek, Surprise and Prescott Valley.
DePalma, who was a Queen Creek High School varsity football player graduating in 2019, is facing three counts of sexual conduct with a minor. He was released on March 19 after posting a $25,000 cash bail. He was outfitted with electronic monitoring and placed under house arrest, allowed to leave only
ing at Gilbert Police and to not have any contact with minors. He is to be represented by a county public defender after the court found him to be indigent.
According to charging documents, DePalma was the girl’s instructor and employer.
Her mother reported to police on March 6 that her daughter informed her that she had sex with DePalma on three occasions.
The victim had met DePalma through karate approximately seven years prior to the report and maintained contact with him during the past seven years, police said.
In October 2022, DePalma asked the victim to work for him at the karate studio’s front desk. As a condition of employment, the victim provided her age to DePalma, which was 15, police said. The pair also exchanged cell phone numbers
the victim went into an office in the back of the facility and had sex and the next
ma, where he identified himself and stated that the victim could not be pregnant because “nothing happened…in her,” “nothing went inside of her,” that she couldn’t be pregnant because his “semen doesn’t work anyways.” He also admitted to knowing she was 15, police said.
When the victim asked DePalma why he didn’t use a condom, he responded, “No, I would have still loved to use a condom but I just didn’t anticipate doing that, that night so I didn’t bring one,” according to police.
The victim told DePalma that they had sex three times and described each incident to which DePalma responded, “we’ve only actually done it, maybe half a time,” according to court documents.
Later, he stated, “Yep, all three…don’t regret none of it because it was with you.”
The victim, however, remained in contact with DePalma through the karate school, as she still attended classes at a
On Dec. 9, 2022, DePalma and the victim engaged in sex at his home in Gilbert. He had picked up the victim and the pair drank shots of Fireball whiskey before
After sex, Depalma asked to see the victim’s phone and deleted his number from the phone, which the victim didn’t realize until she returned home, police said.
She then communicated with DePalma on Facebook Messenger and according to the victim, the communications included receiving nude images of DePalma and her sending nude or partially nude images of herself to him, according
On March 2, DePalma and the victim had sex in a car down the street from her home in Queen Creek. She had snuck out of her bedroom window to meet him. He did not use a condom on this occa-
On March 3, the victim messaged DePalma on his personal Facebook Messenger, asking him to buy her a Plan B pill, an emergency contraception pill. These messages were captured via photographs from the victim, which she sent to a friend.
On March 10, the victim called DePal-
Police said that DePalma also is involved in a report out of the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Department from Nov. 17, 2021. That report states the deputy who responded to the scene observed a conversation between DePalma and a 13-yearold victim, where “DePalma was asking the 13-year-old for nude photographs after acknowledging she was 13 years old.”
DePalma was a karate instructor at the time of the MCSO report as well.
On March 18 during his police interview after his arrest, DePalma “denied ever having a sexual relationship with the 15-year-old, further stating he was never alone with her in private and she had never been at his residence.”
Over 70 people by Friday morning, March 24, commented on the arrest on social media.
Some parents complained that they were not notified until 10 p.m. March 23 that Dyllon was no longer on staff. Gilbert Police posted the arrest on social media just hours earlier.
“I know he was at Ryan Elementary’s fall festival in early Nov promoting that martial arts place,” wrote one woman on Gilbert Police’s Facebook page.
While another wrote, “I always found him to be an obnoxious creep. He was my son’s instructor for a while before we pulled him out. Gross and so so sad for the child involved.”
Gilbert Police are encouraging any additional victims or anyone with information to call 480-503-6500.
AMesa teacher drinking alcohol in the classroom, a Higley High School teacher arrested for improper behavior with a student and a Gilbert Public Schools teacher using inappropriate physical force on a special-needs student.
The three bad apples were among approximately 75 Arizona educators who surrendered their teaching certificates in 2022 for misconduct and faced the state Board of Education. The board is responsible for imposing discipline on educators, certified and non-certified who’ve committed unprofessional or immoral conduct.
That year also saw the highest number of surrenders since 2012, according to the agency’s “2022 Enforcement Action Report,” released earlier this year.
The report includes the sources of complaints, discipline by gender, the type of certificates held by the educator and the types of cases.
The report, however, does not break the 2012-2020 data down to the school or district level. (The examples of the teacher misconduct in 2022 came off of the board’s agendas for that year).
“This is not data that are currently readily available,” said Sean Ross, executive director of the board. “However, our team is working on a project, starting with the 2023 enforcement data, to break it down by county, district and school.”
The board is on track to adjudicate at or above 200 cases this year – a projected 264% increase from cases in 2012. The number of enforcement actions taken last year was 172. To date, the board has adjudicated 1,279 cases since 2012.
Enforcement actions in 2021 tallied 146 due to the pandemic and its effect on the scheduling of hearings, according to the report.
And although 2022 saw an increase of adjudicated cases, it failed to meet the projected target because of a lack of assistant attorneys general – positions
see TEACHERS page 11
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The only way to effectively treat chronic pain and/or peripheral neuropathy is by targeting the source, which is the result of nerve damage owing to inadequate blood flow to the nerves in the hands and feet. This often causes weakness, numbness, balance problems. A lack of nutrients causes the nerves degenerate – an insidious
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from page 3
sult in thousands of jobs locally and for the region,” Cott added.
Neither the town nor LGES have speculated on a specific number of jobs but the company said in its press release that it will make most of its decisions based on data-driven information, which could potentially mean automating jobs.
The town has already been working to expand roadway and other infrastructure, including in the northeast sector, where Queen Creek is anticipating and is trying to attract more industrial development to what the town is calling an advanced manufacturing corridor.
“Ironwood Road will be widened with one additional northbound lane from Germann to the new SR 24 improvement providing for three northbound lanes,” the town’s website said.
“Traffic signals will be designed and constructed at the intersection of Pecos Road and one-half mile north of Germann on Ironwood. In addition to these improvements, roads will be constructed adjacent to the facility allowing for additional roadway capacity in the area, this includes Pecos Road from Ironwood to
LG says it will make two different kinds of batteries at its Queen Creek operation. (Courtesy of LG Energy Solution)
Kenworthy,” it said.
LGES announced it will break ground this year on the facilities, one of which will produce 2,170 cylindrical batteries for electric vehicles in 2025, and another for lithium iron phosphate “pouch-type” batteries for energy storage systems, used in rechargeable devices like power tools, electric bikes, solar panels and laptops, production of which are slated to begin in 2026, according to LGES’ latest timetables.
The Arizona Commerce Authority recently opened trade offices in South Korea and Taiwan to bolster ties.
“We couldn’t be more excited that LGES has chosen to expand their initial invest-
ment four-fold with plans to construct another high-tech manufacturing facility,” authority President/CEO Sandra Watson said in a March 24 release.
“We are immensely grateful to CEO Youngsoo Kwon and the entire team at LG Energy Solution for their continued commitment to Arizona,” she added.
Landing LG has been a long process. Cott, who with other town leaders work to attract development to town, recalls when she first learned that they had been successful in luring LG.
“We had been working with the ACA on a number of potential projects (which remain anonymous to the Town until a cer-
tain point),” Cott said.
“When the ACA was able to share that the company was LG I thought ‘wow, this will be a legacy project that truly embodies the strategic planning we had been doing for the northeast area of Town.’”
which the board is working on hiring more.
Assistant attorneys generally play a vital role in the adjudication of all cases, especially complaints, application reviews and cases settled by negotiated settlement agreements.
The bulk of the enforcement actions or 61% over the 10 years involved male educators while 39% involved women with no discernible trend seen for that stretch of time.
Nearly a third of the enforcement or 27% was against secondary teachers followed by 19% against elementary school teachers and 18% for substitute teachers, the report stated.
Action involving administrators was 6% and 2% for those with an emergency teaching certificate. Non-certificated educators such as physical education, JRTC and adult education comprise 3% of the cases.
For 2022, disciplinary action against secondary teachers came in at 18%, elementary school teachers, 17% and substitute, 17%.
Educators with administrative certificates saw an increase in enforcement at 9%. Non-certificated educators represented 5% of the cases adjudicated in 2022.
According to the report, sexual misconduct represented over half of the cases for educators holding no certificate, subject matter expert, CTE and secondary teaching certificates.
Fewer educators with substitute, special education, elementary and behavioral-health certificates are involved in sexual misconduct cases.
Disciplinary actions by the board over the 10 years included 489 surrenders of certificates, 210 suspensions, 149 revocations and 102 letters of censure.
The report said that suspensions and surrenders of teaching certificates increased from 2018 to 2020 and revocations increased from 2019 to 2020.
The complaints fall into five categories – sexual offense, assault, substance abuse, fraud/theft and breach of contract.
Of the 1,279 cases, the largest share of enforcement actions involved sexual misconduct at 37% with substance abuse at 22% and assault at 21%. Breaches of contract accounted for 9%.
In 2022, 29% of the cases were sexual misconduct, followed by 27% associat-
ed with assaultive behaviors, the report said. Substance abuse cases dropped to 19% while breaches of contract came in higher at 14%.
According to the report the largest source of misconduct reports to the board’s Investigative Unit come from school officials at 43%, followed by the Department of Public Safety, 34%.
And 13% of the cases come to the unit’s attention from parents, Google alerts and traditional media sources.
School personnel are required to report instances of misconduct to the board’s Investigative Unit. The public can submit a complaint at azsbe.az.gov/ educator-discipline.
The report noted that the board can only take action against individuals who are employed in a district or charter school in Arizona.
If, for example, a teacher is employed at a private school in the state and commits a violation, the board is unable to prevent the educator from legally obtaining another teaching job in the state, the report added.
To ensure student safety, the board provides a list of educators who were disciplined at its most recent meeting to schools.
And before hiring both certified and
Scores of college students, some with electric skateboards tucked under arms, flocked to the student union on Arizona State University’s Polytechnic campus in southeast Mesa last month for a standing-room-only Q&A with executives from electric-vehicle startup Lucid, which makes cars in Casa Grande.
They asked questions about the electric vehicle industry and afterward students crowded around Lucid employees outside like they were celebrities, with knots of students breaking away to inspect some of the high-end EVs parked nearby.
While Lucid’s leaders were in demand, in many ways the students were the stars of the networking event.
With the passage of the CHIPs and Inflation Reduction Acts, a race is on to grow U.S. production of microchips and energy technologies, but to onshore these industries, the U.S. and Arizona will need thousands of more engineers and technicians than they currently have. Even before those bills, pandemic supply chain disruptions had renewed interest in onshoring manufacturing – a movement which Mesa is trying to get a piece of.
Polytechnic School Director Kurt Paterson said there is already an “insatiable” demand for skilled workers, with some juniors on the 5,000-student campus lining job offers more than a year before graduation.
Paterson was worried Lucid Day might see a lower turnout since fall is the prime recruiting season, but the turnout was huge, something he credited to students’ enthusiasm for EVs.
“This is one of the signs that the EV revolution is happening,” Paterson said, gazing at the crowd. “It resonates with students.”
The enthusiasm may also bode well for Arizona’s ability to develop the talent pool it needs to become a manufacturing hub, particularly in electric vehicles and batteries, two industries that have taken root.
Today, the campus boasts advanced manufacturing equipment like metal 3D printers, which are million-dollar pieces of equipment, and partnerships with major manufacturers in the region like Boeing, which helps the school develop curriculum.
But plans are underway to significantly expand the campus to meet the current moment.
“ASU Poly is going to be one of the growth areas for Arizona State University,” said Dr. Binil Starly, a manufacturing researcher who was tapped last fall to lead the new School of Manufacturing Systems and Networks.
He said ASU wants the Polytechnic to be the “center of focus” for its various manufacturing programs, so it can support companies in the East Valley looking to ramp up operations or companies outside the state interested in relocating.
According to Starly, ASU Poly has a lot of room to grow, with just 100 of its 600 acres developed.
At this year’s State of the City address, ASU President Michael Crow told the crowd his goal is to triple or quadruple the current enrollment of ASU Poly.
He also announced a $200 million investment in the ASU Poly campus.
Starly said much of that money is earmarked for a planned 180,000-squarefoot Polytechnic Engineering Research Building slated to open in fall of 2025. Once built, it would become the largest building on the campus, and will “scream manufacturing in every shape and form,” Starly said.
Tucked in a cul-de-sac of land adjacent to Mesa Gateway Airport on 600 acres of the former Williams Air Force Base, ASU’s Polytechnic campus can be easy to miss amid all the high-profile developments in the Southeast Valley.
However, ASU Poly’s presence has already aided the economic explosion in the area, helping to build the case for manufacturing in the East Valley with the promise of skilled workers nearby and collaborations between industry and ASU.
The first floor of the building will be “laid out like a mini factory that enables students or parents or prospective industry to come and walk and actually experience how things are being made and built and tested,” he said.
The mini factory will include “some of the most advanced equipment that already you can buy or that you’re going to build.”
Some of that money, Starly added, will also be used to upgrade infrastructure on the World War II-era campus.
He said one piece of critical infrastructure needed for manufacturing that surprises people is network connectivity,
LUCID from page 12
because modern factories are “very data intensive.”
“Our metal 3D printers, I was just informing our architects, these things are going to generate terabytes of data for a single part to be built,” Starly said.
A terabyte is enough data to store 250 full-length movies.
But manufacturing, unlike other domains, also requires plenty of physical space, and the ASU Poly campus provides that, too.
Starly believes ASU Poly could play an even greater role in the local economy than it already does.
He said that the manufacturing research conducted at the campus could persuade more companies to locate their research and development facilities in Mesa, in addition to their factories.
Lucid’s engineers, for example, work from California, but build the cars in Arizona. Why can’t they do both here?
Starly believes an expanded ASU Poly could also have national significance in the rush to make more things within U.S. borders.
For one, he said, moving production to the U.S. where labor costs are higher, will require greater automation.
But research is needed to figure out how to automate some processes. Starly said that manufacturing semiconductors is a challenging process to automate, and
ment of Education’s public and internal systems for possible discipline or open investigations for immoral or unprofessional conduct.
The board’s Educator Discipline Lookup system allows public access and is
The Lucid Day panel discussion at Arizona State University Polytechnic included Lucid officials, from left: Steven David, senior vice president of operations; Bobo Odunaiya, director of manufacturing engineering; Jeri Ford, vice president of operations; and David D’Amato, senior manager of plant vehicle engineering. (David Minton/Tribune Staff Photographer)
figuring out how to produce the chips with fewer employees could be a critical area of research in the near future.
An even bigger hurdle may be figuring out how to train the thousands of engineers needed to meet the current national goals.
Starly thinks ASU Poly could be on the cutting edge of this.
“For the last 20 years, we have seen a decline of manufacturing facilities going outside the U.S., and now we see ever
also used by school districts such as GPS and Higley Unified School District
“We check each certified candidate’s certification and look for any possible discipline or open investigations,” HUSD spokeswoman Teresa Joseph said. “Once reviewed, a copy is made and placed in the candidate’s file.”
ASU polytechnic alumnus Ben Heckthorne, a thermal engineer for Lucid based at the Casa Grande plant, said ASU Poly provided good experience for his role with the car maker.
Heckthorne, a third generation Arizonan, said he became fascinated by electric cars after the release of the Tesla Roadster, and at ASU Poly, he participated in the school’s Baja team, a nationwide competition between student-built off-road vehicles.
“I loved the hands-on experience,” he said of ASU Poly’s project-based curriculum.
since the pandemic a resurgence of manufacturing back into the U.S.,” Starly said.
“ASU is taking this novel idea of college and a school entirely focused on manufacturing systems, and many other universities are watching this exercise,” he said.
“So it is critical this particular school be successful, not just for ASU, but really for the entire country. Because if ASU is successful in this experiment, other universities are going to copy it.”
GPS’s spokeswoman Dawn Antestenis said it’s a tool the district uses in hiring employees.
“We find it helpful as it notifies us of any criminal or disciplinary history for candidates,” she said.
Additionally, the two districts ensure that their certified and classified candi-
dates have a valid IVP Fingerprint Clearance Card and pass a required background check.
The hiring procedures in place for both also include formal interviews, reference and background checks, certification checks and candidate recommendation.
Sunny skies helped make the town’s Spring into QC event March 25 a joyous and at times competitive event as kids scrambled for Easter eggs and engaged in a wide range of other fun activities. 1) Ari Bellinghiere hunted down Easter eggs while 2) the various groups of Artistic Motion Dance students performed and 3) young and old alike cheered on the racing turtles. 4) The race to hunt eggs was reminiscent of an Old West land rush. 5) Some kids had a ball playing with pets while 6) this youngster kept his eye on the prize – and the Easter eggs that came with it.
Mary Kolodny, a Queen Creek resident known for her “superb wit, brilliant mind and caring heart” died Feb. 14. She was 97.
“Mary was an exquisite person, an unforgettable personality,” recalled her grandson, Aaron Kolodny. “Even her laugh was memorable, if you were in another room, to hear it was to draw you in to be in her presence.”
Mrs. Kolodny, also known as “Maa” or “Maaaarrr” to her three kids and “Bubbe” or “Memma” to her grandchildren and great grandchildren “had a certain air about her . . . like a glamorous movie star, a quasi-celebrity type status she didn’t ask for, but certainly earned,” her grand son said.
“When she was paying you attention, you felt special,” he added. “You wanted to do things for her, to receive a blessing from her, but internally you warmly knew her favor was already yours.
“The relationship she had with her children was secured by a rare bond, it was an unexplained love that was both an honor to behold as well as a clinic on how to treat one’s mom.”
The widow of Brigadier General Stanley Charles Kolodny, Mrs. Kolodny was recalled as “the apple of their family’s eye.” She and her late husband had been married for 71 years before he passed away in 2018.
“Ironically, we were also the apple of her eye,” Aaron said, adding “people would brag about simply knowing” her.
Mrs. Kolodny is survived by a daughter, Kathleen Kolodny, and two sons, Carter Kolodny and Stanley Kolodny. Funeral services were held in Texas.
We are here to make this difficult time easier for you. Our 24 hour online service is easy to use and will walk you through the steps of placing a paid obituary in the East Valley Tribune or a free death notice online. Visit: obituaries.EastValleyTribune.com
Abigail Cramer of Queen Creek is being honored by the Daughters of the American Revolution.
The DAR Desert Wells Chapter in Queen Creek gave her its DAR Good Citizens Award and she also won the state and regional competitions. Abigail is “an outstanding Air Force JROTC Cadet and graduating honor student of Higley High School,” the DAR said.
“The DAR Good Citizens Award is intended to encourage and reward the qualities of good citizenship in senior high school students,” the Desert Wells Chapter spokeswoman explained.
Nominees must demonstrate dependability, service, leadership, and patriotism. Only one student per high school is selected for this award.
The selected student may also enter the DAR Good Citizens scholarship contest, which requires a timed essay submitted with grade transcripts and two letters of recommendation.
“The Desert Wells Chapter selected Ab-
Southwest region-
the
igail for the DAR Good Citizens Award for 2023 after reviewing her essay, resume,
transcripts and letters from Higley High School Principal Alan Fields, and her AFJROTC Instructor, Col. David Vaughn,” the spokeswoman said.
Abigail competed with students nominated from 40 Arizona chapters for the state award.
From the state level, she was selected to represent Arizona in the DAR Southwest Division, which is composed of seven other western states’ chapters.
On March 19, Abilgail was notified by Cindi Newbold, the national chair of the DAR Good Citizens Committee, that she is the Southwest Division winner and is receiving a cash award of $1,000.
She now is in the final competition at the national level with seven other nominees for a DAR scholarship.
Abigail will be honored by the Desert Wells Chapter with a medal, certificate and gift card at Higley High’s award ceremony on May 15 and at the DAR Arizona conference in Mesa on May 20.
Abigail was described by her Air Force JROTC Instructor as a “generational cadet—quite capable in her capacity, capability and character.”
Alan Fields said “Abigail is a hard worker and an outstanding person who will take the initiative to accomplish any task set before her.”
Abigail is group commander in her Air Force JROTC unit and the top- ranking cadet. She is a member of the National Honor Society and Honors Academic Decathlon. In 2022 her GPA was 4.21.
She has been awarded numerous academic awards and AFJROTC Department awards.
Some of her community volunteer activities include Feed My Starving Children, blood drives, campus beautification projects, church volunteer and Wreaths Across America.
She plans to attend Texas A & M University and join their Corps of Cadets while earning a nursing degree and participating in. the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps.
She also hopes to join the Air Force as a flight nurse after graduating from Texas A&M.
Abigail lives with her mother Chelcie Darling and her stepfather Brian Darling.
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With Easter on the horizon, Blake Mastyk is bracing for another jump in egg prices at The Bistro Queen Creek restaurant at the corner of Ellsworth Road and E. Sierra Park Boulevard.
Dramatic price spikes have changed his business and ability to engage with the community, Mastyk said.
“In the past five years or so for Easter, I would just give a case of eggs to my neighbors or people who were boiling eggs and doing egg hunts and stuff,” he said.
“I’d give them a $15 case of eggs and they would have all the kids come over and color them all together as one big family. And now, you know, it’s like I’m embarrassed to tell them that I can’t afford to do that anymore.”
The same case of eggs that once cost $15 now commands $52, he said.
For a relatively small restaurant with an expansive breakfast menu, Mastyk orders a lot of eggs.
Each case consists of 15 dozen, or 180 eggs, and he orders between 10 and 12 cases per week.
At 12 cases, that adds up to more than 2,000 eggs a week. So, the cost just for eggs can get nearly out of hand quickly.
And for several months this year, it did.
“When it went from $15 to $85, that was an extra $750 a week, at least just in eggs compared to what I was paying before, you know?” Mastyk said.
While eggs has been the biggest ticket item, he said the sharp hike in food prices has not stopped there.
“Bacon was right behind it,” he said. “I’m getting 12 cases of bacon and that bacon went from $45 to $85, as well, so that one almost doubled. In one week, I was paying $1,100 a week extra just for eggs and bacon. And that went on for almost three months. It was crazy.”
That is an additional $4,400 a month
just on eggs and bacon.
Mastyk was forced to raise his prices three times in one month, which then led to the cost of reprinting menus.
He said he is expecting price hikes every three months until things stabilize.
“I almost had to come to the point where it was like if you ordered anything with eggs it would be another $2 upcharge or something like that. But then they started to come back down before I made that move,” he said.
“It was like a spending nightmare there for a couple months. What’s the other option, tell them you don’t have eggs?’
Eggs prices grabbed the headlines, but they caused a ripple effect on pretty much everything else his restaurant needs that has anything with eggs in it.
“When that goes on, you know, the bread people making bread. Each loaf goes up 50 cents,” he said.
“So, now I’m spending more on that. All your pastries go up. Some of those things are still going up right now or holding up way higher than they used to be.”
Beyond the eggs, Mastyk said, prices on most everything he orders for his restaurant are up by as much as 25%.
Mastyk has also confronted the increase in Arizona’s mandatory minimum wage, making it costlier to pay his employees and challenging to operate The Bistro Queen Creek.
“I gotta bump up all my employees pay as well,” he said. “So, on one side you’re getting hit with all the price increases. On the other side you’re getting hit with
trying to bump your people up. It was like a restaurant nightmare.”
That perfect storm came on the heels of the pandemic, when his restaurat, along with omost others in the Valley, was forced to close temporarily.
Mastyk received money from the Paycheck Protection Program that allowed him to reopen when indoor dining became permissable.
But even then Mastyk said items went from nearly impossible to get during the pandemic shutdown to extremely expensive now. He credits loyal customers for helping the Bistro survive.
“Luckily after nine years, we are established and have a pretty good clientele,” he said. “So, we’ve known people around town for a long time. But say you just opened up a restaurant in the last year and that’s something that could close you, you know?”
Mastyk never envisioned any of this when he got into the restaurant business as a dish washer at age 14.
But he has managed to work his way up through the ranks and achieve the goals he set for himself, despite economic setbacks and a global pandemic.
Thanks to scholarships, Mastyk attended culinary school in Florida and was a head chef at 23 and started his first Queen Creek restaurant, called The Deli, at age 28.
He opened The Bistro Queen Creekin 2014 and, so far, has weathered every storm that has come along.
“Pretty much all I’ve ever done is the restaurant business. I love it,” he said. “I don’t think any business is ever going to be easy. It keeps me on my feet all day and I never really have to worry about eating. I like that.”
The Bistro Queen Creek
22721 S Ellsworth Road, Ste 107, Queen Creek.
480-987-6874
As two Republican lawmakers defected from party ranks to defeat a measure forcing two cities to not raise the minimum wage, a Gilbert legislator lamented the concept of having a minimum wage at all – or most government regulations.
“I say, be very careful what you ask for because once you’re in this arena, you never get out,’’ said Rep. Travis Grantham.
Grantham spoke as two fellow GOP members joined all Democrats on a House panel March 29 to defeat a measure designed to make Tucson and Flagstaff go higher than the voter-approved minimum wage.
Echoing his party’s long opposition to any mandate that businesses at least pay some set standard, his criticism went further to include any government regulation.
“Then we just regulate more and more and more, we make it more and more costly and more and more difficult and this is what we’re now figuring out with mandated minimum wages,’’ he continued.
“Eventually, they’ll go away because the whole system will topple and everything will crumble.’’
The two defecting lawmakers in the minimum wage vote did not vote against the measure because they like the voterapproved pay boosts.
Instead, Republican Rep. David Livingston said a better approach is for the cities to repeal their minimum wage laws and even help repeal the initiative that boosted the statewide minimum wage and allows individual cities to raise it above the state base.
That, he said, is what is driving inflation in those cities and across Arizona and the
nation.
The measure from Sen. Wendy Rogers, R-Flagstaff, would have given businesses in those cities a tax credit equal to the difference between their wages and the statewide minimum wage of $13.85 per hour. For Flagstaff, that’s a $2.95 per hour difference. Tucson’s wages are set to rise to $14.25 by the end of the year.
Voters in both cities approved the increases.
Under Rogers’ plan, the state would recoup the tax losses by withholding income tax payments that are funneled to those cities – estimated by the Legislature’s budget analysts at $17 million a year for Flagstaff and $120 million for Tucson.
But the state’s taxpayers would still be on the hook, since the analysis figured the business tax credit would far exceed what the state is able to hold back from the cities.
“Where the real answer is, the tough message – and this is the love part to the chambers (of commerce) – the answer is to repeal this terrible law. That is the answer,’’ Livingston said. “And as far as I’m concerned, we should take it a step further.”
“Flagstaff could lead that, and then we should do a statewide repeal of the law that was passed that has increased inflation,’’ he said. “Because inflation is a No. 1 factor that reduces someone’s net worth and real wages.’’
Rogers’ bill is championed by the local chambers and small businesses, whicho argue that the higher minimum wages have increased their costs to the point where they no longer want to invest in those businesses.
SB 1108 previously passed the state Senate with only GOP backing.
At the heart of the fight is the fact that Arizonans voted in 2006 to set a state
minimum wage above the federal figure. They renewed that approval a decade later by a 58-2 margin, complete with a provision to allow local communities to impose their own.
Lawmakers are powerless to repeal what voters have approved. What Rogers sought to do was an end-run of sorts, creating a financial disincentive for cities to impose or keep their own higher minimum wages.
“What I like about this bill is that it does not prohibit any city who wants to decide to unilaterally raise the minimum wage,’’ said Rep. Justin Heap, R-Mesa.
“It simply says that if a city government is going to pass on a cost by fiat to all the employers in their districts, that the city government has to shoulder some of that cost themselves,’’ he continued. “It actually puts a consequence for bad policy in my cities.’’
But Democratic Rep. Andres Cano, DTucson, called the whole Republican claim about minimum wages a false narrative. He praised the chambers for taking on
the inflation issue, which he said “is really an international and national issue’’ that has hurt working families. And Cano and other Democrats said they backed the notion that businesses need some relief.
Cano said that there is an answer for those who claim the higher local minimum wages are harming the local economy.
“Ask the voters … the people of Flagstaff, if they wouldn’t be OK with any initiative to take away their hard-earned resources,’’ Cano said.
“Put (up) a ballot referral to repeal the minimum wage and see if it passes or fails,’’ he said. “Don’t come to this Legislature seeking solutions that are sound bites and not solutions.”
Like all measures, it could later be revived, but that would require earning support from either Livingston or Carbone.
The GOP-controlled Legislature has made several attempts to penalize cities for raising their minimum wages under the 2016 voter initiative that authorized the higher wages, but has so far been successful.
BY JD HAYWORTH Tribune Columnist
He was never a candidate for public office, but Scott Celley ran plenty of races.
Not only did he attend George Fox College (now University) on a combination of academic and athletic scholarships, he was part of the Bruins’ 1979 Hall of Fame Track and Field Team.
And later, a continent away from his Alma Mater, he repeatedly enjoyed admission to the “Winner’s Circle” in Washington, D.C.
Olympians Bob Matthias and Jim Ryun both served at different times in the House of Representatives, but history records that a one-time Senate staffer by the name of Scott Kenneth Celley won the Nike Cap-
ital Challenge three-mile race a total of eight times.
Suffice it to say that Scott Celley may have been the best runner you’ve never heard of.
That’s not to say that you haven’t seen his name in newsprint before. If you’ve lived in Arizona for any length of time, chances are you encountered his name at some point… in articles focused on others.
You know those other names: John McCain. Jon Kyl.
And the one on the by-line of this column.
Given the passage of time, it is scarcely recalled today that the late Sen. McCain encountered re-election difficulties in 1992 due to headlines concerning the “Keating Five” and “Tailhook.”
Because the hyperbole of political campaigns can fan flames of suspicion and jeopardize electoral success, it is import-
ant to have a spokesman who can answer hostile questions in a calm, concise, and –above all – actual manner.
Scott Celley performed capably in that role as McCain’s press secretary and communications director.
Two years later, when then-Rep. Jon Kyl mounted his own campaign for the Senate, he recruited Celley to move to Arizona full-time. While Washington would always a remain a place Scott would visit on work-related matters, the Celley Family made Phoenix their home.
And one outspoken Republican congressman came to understand that having Scott Celley in Arizona would help him “renew his lease” in the House.
In 1996, that first-term GOP congressman, representing a district with a narrow Democrat majority, was about to discover how tough a first re-election campaign could become.
While Republicans had ended a 40-year “exile” as the House minority in 1994, Democrats were intent on reclaiming a majority that most of them regarded as something close to a “birthright.”
Accordingly, the Dems and their allies focused their attention and their money on what was then Arizona’s Sixth Congressional District. Big Labor contributed an eye-popping $3.8 million dollars, which bought almost 300 thirty-second television ads a day, claiming that the Republican was intent on destroying Medicare and Social Security.
The GOP congressman desperately needed a “campaign renovation” in the form of a disciplined, demanding, energetic manager.
Scott Celley was just what the “political doctor” ordered.
In a few days, I’ll mark 28 years since I packed up a 20-foot Ryder truck, inked a route that spanned 2,300 miles from New Jersey to Mesa, and began the threeday drive west. To say I’ve never looked back isn’t quite true. I sometimes wonder why I didn’t flee “back East” sooner.
Arizona has captured my heart. But let’s be real. The state isn’t perfect.
You want evidence? I give you a peer-reviewed study published last week by The Lancet, one of the world’s most respected medical journals. Its conclusion?
Once the data was adjusted for population age and comorbidities, Arizona experienced the highest standardized rate of COVID-19 deaths of any state in America.
Between Jan. 1, 2020 and last July 31, researchers found that we lost 581 Arizonans per 100,000 residents – a death rate
that compares to Peru and Bulgaria, the two hardest-hit nations on Earth.
In all, more than 33,000 Arizonans have died from COVID so far. If our state’s death rate had been that of the nation’s safest state – Hawaii, at 147 deaths per 100,000 residents – about 25,000 lives might have been saved.
What happened here, in a nutshell?
To hear the researchers explain it, “A lower poverty rate, higher mean number of years of education, and a greater proportion of people expressing interpersonal trust were statistically associated with lower infection and death rates.” Arizona checked none of those boxes.
Also, “access to quality health care … was associated with fewer total COVID-19 deaths,” and “state governments’ uses of protective mandates were associated with lower infection rates, as were mask use, lower mobility, and higher vaccination rate.” Again, Arizona scored poorly on all
fronts.
“I think Arizona is a state with inequality, some poverty, and ultimately some of the vaccination rates and behaviors didn’t line up to have good outcomes,” explained Prof. Joseph Dieleman, the study’s senior author.
The study also found that “worse COVID-19 outcomes were associated with the proportion of a state’s voters who voted for the 2020 Republican presidential candidate.”
Since we know – as reported by noted genius Kari Lake – that 100 percent of Arizona voters cast their ballot for Donald Trump, that probably explains everything. I jest. Though this is no joking matter. If you couple this study with metro Phoenix leading America in inflation, our state’s troubled school system, the extreme drought, and the fact that it’s 117 degrees in July, you have to wonder why anyone moves here – and why the rest of
Yet move here we do. Within hours of the COVID study, the U.S. Census Bureau released a population update: “Maricopa County, Arizona, remained the largest-gaining county in the nation, adding 56,831 residents in 2022, a gain of 1.3% since 2021.”
When I moved here in 1995, Arizona’s population was 4.3 million. Today, the state is home to about 7.2 million of us. Why do people stream here in such enormous numbers?
There’s geography: We’re close to California, which people are fleeing in droves and the cost of living here is 30 percent lower. There’s sunshine: With the sun out 85 percent of the time, Phoenix ranks as the sunniest city in the U.S.
And there’s jobs: According to a 2022 state report, Arizona will add about
He took a leave of absence from Sen. Kyl’s office, and immediately made his presence felt within the congressman’s campaign, demanding accountability from the staff, and providing much-needed encouragement to the shell-shocked incumbent.
The result that November was a hardfought, narrow GOP victory in AZ-6.
As passionate as Scott was about politics, his faith and his family superseded any in-
terest in electoral endeavors. Upon joining the aforementioned 1996 campaign, he confessed what most concerned him.
“We’ve just joined a new church, and I’m teaching a Bible study,” he told the congressman. “That requires a good bit of time.”
To ensure that Scott could spend a bit of time with his young daughters, his wife, Pam and his girls, Maddie and Caroline, would make a daily drive to campaign headquarters for a “milkshake break.”
Almost 27 years have passed. Time enough for daughters to grow up. Time
enough for parents to move from politics to the private sector. Time enough for weddings…and a funeral.
Scott Celley died on Feb. 22 at age 62 from a rare and aggressive neurological disorder, diagnosed only a few weeks earlier. When family, friends, and colleagues from across the political spectrum gathered to celebrate his life a month later, they recalled the words from the Apostle Paul’s second letter to Timothy:
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”
720,000 jobs by 2030, making it one of the nation’s fastest growing economies.
Arizona captured my heart from the first day I arrived. This state holds more beauty than the death rates and growth statistics capture, more opportunity, more freedom, more heart. It’s a great place to live.
And apparently a great place to die. You’ve been warned, people. Now be safe and thrive.
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When Amos Augustine, Ryder Noche and Gregory Riddell began playing flag football at different points of their lives, none of them realized how far the sport could take then and the opportunities it could present.
The three junior high students embraced their time on the field, using it as a chance to improve their skills outside of the tackle football season — which they all plan to play in high school next fall. But flag football has evolved over the years.
It’s more than just a game where players run routes and pull the flags that dangle from a belt around the waist of players. It’s become physical with route concepts, specific defensive assignments and more organization than one could imagine.
With that, come opportunities. And the three boys received the ultimate opportunity in March as they were named to the Team USA U15 team.
“I was just proud of myself that I made the team,” Augustine said. “I’m just excited because, especially going into high school, it’s the national level so I can really get my name out there and get people looking at my name. Exposure.”
Both Augustine and Noche play wide receiver and defensive back in football. Riddell said he can play anything, but figures to find his spot along the edge of the defensive line in high school.
Noche, an Ahwatukee resident, and Riddell, who attends online school in the Kyrene School District and lives in Phoenix, have both already decided on attending Brophy Prep for high school to play under head coach Jason Jewell. Beyond that, they have the opportunity to receive a top-notch education, something their parents look forward to.
Augustine, meanwhile, is still decid-
ing on which high school to attend. He currently resides in Gilbert and attends
Casteel Junior High in Queen Creek. Wherever he ends up, the program will
get a shifty wideout with speed and good hands. Brophy will also receive two talented players who have both played youth tackle and flag football at a high level.
All three were part of the Chandler Bears youth football team in 2019 that went on to play at nationals. Now all three are part of Elite Youth Flag Football, a team that stems from the Elite Community Foundation and Elite Athlete Management headquartered in Chandler.
Their ability to remain together and be successful doing so has been special for the three boys.
“We were the only people from the West Coast over there,” Noche said. “There’s different levels of competition over there. It’s a different type of style. Different mentalities, physicality, that’s what I saw.”
To make Team USA, the boys had to head to Charlotte for a tryout and combine of sorts. They went through various drills for each position, and did drills similar to that at the NFL combine — 40-yard dash, shuttle, etc.
Coaches for Team USA also wanted to see them live in action during a 7-on-7 period. They opened the eyes of many on east coast, including the players they attended the combine with.
“Honestly, it was a good time,” Riddell said. “Just being able to be around a whole bunch of athletic people and learning and getting better. New experiences. I had never done this before so I didn’t know what it would be like.”
The boys’ first game with the Team USA U15 Team will take place in July. Teams from Canada and as far as Japan — among others — are set to compete in the tournament.
The rules from flag football seen in Arizona and across the nation, where some contact is now welcome, are different. Contact is not allowed.
“I’m
Places! Productions’ next show is no garden variety musical.
The East Valley community theater company will present “The Secret Garden,” a musical reimagining of Frances Hodgson Burnett’s beloved children’s novel.
The show will be on stage April 6-8 at East Valley High School and April 14-16 at the Mesa Arts Center.
Two casts will bring the mystical, magical garden to life: a youth troupe comprising performers ages 8-18 as well as a community cast featuring kids and adults of all ages.
Set in the early 1900’s, the musical tells the story of a young girl, Mary Lennox, who is left orphaned by a cholera epi-
demic in colonial India. She is sent to live with her reclusive Uncle Archibald at a secluded – and haunted – country manor in
Yorkshire. His crippled young son, Colin, also lives as a shut in, spending his days and nights alone and in bed.
Two Queen Creek performers were cast as Colin.
“Colin is a 10-year-old boy who has been told his whole life that he’s never going to grow up, and he’s going to die,” said Audra South, 11, who plays Colin in the youth cast.
“He’s a spoiled brat and gets whatever he wants because all of the adults in his life think he is going to die, but then Mary shows up and changes everything for him.
Rigley Kirkpatrick, 13, plays Colin in the community cast.
“He is a very bratty person who just wants to get his way and screams – a lot,” said Rigley.
The story reaches a turning point when Mary discovers her late Aunt Lily’s hidden garden and is determined to restore its
see SECRET GARDEN page 25
Turn Zero vocalist Emily Grieve has always viewed music as an outlet that has gotten her through some of the toughest times of her life.
“I’ve been through some pretty dark spots in my life where music was the thing that I turned to because I felt like I was alone. But music made it so that I knew that I wasn’t,” said Grieve, a graduate of Dobson High School in Mesa.
Inspired by the bands that emerged during the pop-punk movement of the late 90s and the early 2000s and the rhythms that followed during the metalcore explosion of the late 2000s that carried into the 2010s, Grieve ventured into a music career.
In 2018, she started the band Turn Zero – a reference to a phrase
called out during timed competitive Pokémon card matches when a player is in the middle of their turn as the clock hit zero.
Since then, Turn Zero has gained a reputation for dynamic live shows as well as its recorded material.
Though the band started with a slightly softer sound, it has recently begun venturing into a heavier sound.
“It’s the type of music that I’ve gravitated towards since my Sophomore year of high school and it’s the type of music that I’ll listen to while doing menial tasks around the house,” Grieve said.
“It’s also perfect because if I want to cry, I can listen to the lyrics and if I don’t want to cry, I can also have the music.”
Adding to its heavier sound has been the addition of bassist and Scottsdale resident Eli Fabrega and drummer Ryan Hart. Grieve met
while the two when they attended Hamilton High School in Chandler.
“The sound that we have now is actually closer to the sounds that I wanted in the beginning,” Grieve said.
“And with the current lineup we have, everybody is so talented and open-minded so when it comes to writing or picking out new songs to play, everybody is involved.”
This chemistry is best displayed during the band’s energetic live performances, like the one it has planned on April 4 at Pub Rock Live in South Scottsdale.
“We really are huge on crowd
East-Valley-based rockers Turn Zero are excited to venture back to Pub Rock Live in Scottsdale for a gig on Tuesday, April 4. (Special to AFN)
beauty. She is helped along the way by the Dreamers, a chorus of ghosts from Mary’s life in India.
Queen Creek’s Allison Houston is the director of “The Secret Garden” and founding artistic director of Places!
“As director, I always begin my process by going back to the source material,” she said. “The novel is very different from the musical, especially the concept of ‘The Dreamers.’
“They are crucial in the storytelling of the musical, and we’ve incorporated them into several additional moments as Mary remembers her past and finds purpose and belonging in this new chapter of her life that the musical portrays.”
Sonya Etchamendy plays Mrs. Medlock, the head housekeeper, and is also part of the Dreamers chorus.
She and two of her children, Gabriel and Collette, are part of the community cast.
“I wanted to do this show to be with my kids and participate in something they love to do,” said Sonya. “
“My character, Mrs. Medlock, is advanced in age, serious about obeying or-
participation. So when we play “Drown” – a cover of the ‘Bring Me The Horizon’ track – we like having everybody singing that last chorus and when we play ‘Animal.’ we like hearing the crowd clap their hands to the bridge,” Grieve said. “Making sure that we know how to get everybody moving is our goal.”
However, it is Grieve’s voice that usually captures the crowd’s attention.
“With Emily, I feel like we are a very solid band,” said Hart, a resident of Chandler. “When people see Emily up on stage singing to them, they just feel captivated by it. I feel like Emily is what makes us stand out among the rest.”
ders and maintaining proper order at the manor. I am also one of the ghosts, or ‘Dreamers,’ who help Mary Lennox discover the many secrets of the Craven Manor,” she said.
For the King family, “The Secret Garden” is a family affair.
Mary King plays Alice, a Dreamer in the community cast. She shares the stage with her husband, Kevin, and 13-year-old daughter, Mady.
“It’s such a cool opportunity to be on stage together with my daughter and husband,” said Mary.
Kevin plays the role of Major Shelly, who guides Mary as one of the Dreamers.
“Participating in the show is fun for me because of the people on set. I enjoy the camaraderie of the cast,” he said.
Over the past two months, cast members have spent long hours at rehearsal to perfect the production. This includes mastering the musical’s soaring musical numbers.
“This is one of the most beautiful scores I’ve ever heard,” said Houston. “I think it’s impossible not to be moved by the music.”
Added Sonya, “My favorite part of the rehearsal process is listening to the mu-
Although Grieve usually captures the spotlight, she gladly shares it with a cast of talented musicians that includes the band’s enigmatic rhythm guitarist John Curtis-Sanchez, who may have a special move planned for the show.
“John does a lot of work for the live show. He runs and jumps across the stage and he’s working on a super-secret move for the show right now,” Grieve teased.
“I think that the amount of fun that we all have up on stage is just contagious.”
The band is hoping to spread the energy not just to the crowd but to the headline act of the 4/4 bill, Denver-based rockers Suitable Miss.
“We’re playing with some really cool bands like Suitable Miss from Colorado
sic and all the beautiful voices. The cast is so talented.”
Audra agrees.
“The thing I like best is the jaw-dropping talent of everyone in the show.”
“I think this show has something for everyone,” said Mary. “There are actors of all ages bringing this heartwarming story to life. There are moments of joy, moments of sadness, intense moments, incredible music and beautiful dancing.”
Agreed Sonya, “The story line is very touching and relatable. The music, the voices, the talent! It’s a great group of kids and adults.”
The directors and cast are eagerly anticipating the audience’s response.
“The cast is made up of both actors with long resumes and several making their stage debuts. Each actor is bringing something so special to this production,” said Houston.
“I’m beyond proud of all of the actors who have worked so far out of their comfort zones. I think audiences will be astonished by this performance.”
Said Kevin, “There is so much action and movement going on from scene to scene. I think the audience will stay engaged and,
and one of our goals is to go and play out of the state,” Hart said. “We’re hoping this show will help us get to that point.”
Because of this, the band plans to jam its four recorded and released tunes as well as a new single titled “Gaslight” and a cover of a Taylor Swift song during its 30-minute set.
Although the band members hope the show helps advance the group’s career, they also hope to give fans a memorable experience with a lot of entertainment value.
“I always just hope that people feel like they had a good time after the show because that’s the main point we’re selling,” said Fabrega, an alumnus of Chaparral High School.
“If they’re not they’re going crazy and
at times, be on the edge of their seats.”
“What I think the audience will like the most is the transition from a dead garden to a beautiful garden,” Rigley said. Places’ production includes direction by Allison Houston, music direction by Jung Lee and choreography and assistant direction by Rachel Espericueta.
Tickets for the April 6-8 run at East Valley High School are $15. Tickets for the April 14-16 performances at the Mesa Arts Center are $17. Matinee and evening performances are available. Discounts are offered for teachers, seniors, veterans, first responders and students. Group discounts are also available.
What: The Secret Garden Presented by Places! Productions When and where:
April 6-8: East Valley High School, 7420 E. Main St., Mesa
April 14-16: Mesa Arts Center, 1 E. Main St., Mesa
Tickets: placesproductionsaz.com
having a fun time while listening and if Emily’s not making them cry with her with her vocals at the same time, then we’re not really doing our jobs,” he added.
What: Suitable Miss with special guests An Awful Mess, Turn Zero and The Spacers
When: 7 p.m. April 4
Where: Pub Rock Live, 8005 E. Roosevelt S., Scottsdale
Tickets: $12
Info: linktr.ee/Turnzeroband, pubrocklive.com
If you’ve spent any time following the tormented lives of the Dutton family on the Yellowstone Ranch, you may remember the scene from the bunkhouse food debate: when it comes to chili, it is beans or no beans?
The argument among the ranch hands was as rich and robust as a good bowl of chili should be.
With JAN D’ATRI GetOut Columnist
The same question was asked by Delish.com on their Instagram Stories page and the arguments for and against beans in chili was just as spicy and heated. Care to take a guess as to what nearly 90 percent of voters decided?
If you don’t give a hill of beans, you’re on the wrong side of the debate. Almost all who voted agreed that if you don’t have beans in chili, well, you can call it chili, but it’s really just meat sauce. (Texans, please stand down!)
I don’t think we’ll settle this age-old controversy in this column, so instead, let me share one of my all-time favorite chili recipes! With three different meats and authentic chili seasonings, do you suppose beans add or take away from this glorious pot of flavor?
Read on and see for yourself.
Ingredients:
• 1 lb. stewing beef, cut into half-inch cubes
• 1lb. ground beef
• 1/2 lb. ground pork
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• Flour for coating meat
• 1 sweet yellow onion, chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cumin
• 2 teaspoons red chili pepper flakes
• 2 teaspoons Mexican oregano
Directions:
Dredge stewing beef in flour and brown all meat in large frying pan with oil. (Jan’s Note: I slightly brown the flour in a dry skillet for a rich, nutty flavor! Cook and stir often until flour is a very light golden-brown color.)
Sprinkle one half of the chili powder, cumin, oregano, pepper flakes and jalapeno powder over browning meat. In large Dutch oven or soup pot, add diced tomato, tomato paste, bullion, water, cider, sugar and remainder of spices. Bring to boil then reduce heat to low. Sauté onions and garlic until soft and translucent and add to soup pot.
• 1 small jalapeno, minced
• 3 beef bouillon cubes dissolved in 1/2 cup of hot water
• 1 (16) can diced tomato
• 1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
• 16 ounces water
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• Optional, ½ cup corn flour mixed with water into a paste
• Salt and pepper to taste
Add spiced meat to pot. Cook on medium heat for 30 minutes, stirring frequently. Turn to simmer and cook for minimum 2 hours. Stir chili frequently so meat doesn’t stick to bottom of pot and burn. Add corn flour and water mixture to chili during the last thirty minutes only if chili needs thickening. Add salt and pepper to taste. Important: Stir pot especially during last half hour so flour doesn’t stick to bottom of pan.
Serve with bowls of heated beans, cheese, sour cream and flour tortillas..
