Queen Creek Tribune 06/04/2023

BY MARK MORAN Tribune Staff Writer

After more than 17 years running two restaurants, and with a few decades of experience as a professional chef, Queen Creek resident Blake Mastyk – owner of the popular and always busy Bistro restaurant –is hanging up the spatulas, apron, and crazy hours.

“The restaurant business is hard,” Mastyk said. “Especially when you’ve been doing it with your wife the past 14 years and then she’s not there anymore.”

Mastyk’ s wife, Nicole, developed cancer in 2018 which took her out of commission and away from Mastyk’s side at the restaurant, forcing him to go it alone and making an already difficult profession even harder.

“Since she developed cancer, she hadn’t been around too much anymore,” he said.

The good news is that her cancer is in remis-

Blake Mastyk of Queen Creek sold the Bistro Restaurant and has started a nonprofit to help the town in a number of ways with his dog Remy, a registered service dog. (David Minton/Tribune Staff Photographer)

Barrel racers thriving at Horseshoe Park events

BY MARK MORAN Tribune Staff Writer

Jill Starkey does not horse around. She started barrel racing horses for the thrill of it at age 6.

“I guess I like adrenaline,” said Starkey, now 52, a local resident and co-founder of the Queen Creek Barrel Racing Association,

which hosted the Too Broke for Vegas (aka “2 Broke 4 Vegas”) Barrel Race at Horseshoe Park and Equestrian Centre last weekend.

“There’s an element of danger to it so I guess that makes it exciting and thrilling all at the same time,” she added. “And I like going fast, so that makes it a lot of fun.”

So fast, in fact, the horses are timed to one one-thousandth of a second because the

contests are so close, as opposed to the one one-hundredth of a second typical of timing in most sports.

Barrel racing boils down to mastering accelerating a horse in quick, straight lines, decelerating quickly, and making tight turns around a series of three barrels as fast as possible – all of see

page 4

Growth gets Queen Creek an extra ZIP code

BY MARK MO RAN Tribune Staff Writer

In yet another sign of the town’s rapid growth, the U.S. Postal Service is adding a second ZIP code in Queen Creek.

“To provide efficient and cost-effective mail delivery now and for the future, the U.S. Postal Service is creating a new ZIP code in Queen Creek, AZ, effective July 1, 2023,” a Postal Service release said.

The new, additional) ZIP Code is 85144. The new ZIP code will encompass an area south of Empire Boulevard, west of Gary Road and north of Arizona Farms Road.

The town said there are currently 280 Queen Creek addresses in that area, including the Goldmine Estates subdivision, Earnhardt Queen Creek and U-Haul Moving & Storage.

Postal customers affected by the change will be notified by mail and the agency said people who do not receive written notification are unaffected.

The town also noted that the new ZIP code will not affect local services or deliv-

ery of election ballots.

The new ZIP code is not an addition that came out of nowhere.

“Generally, we look at long-range ZIP code planning for at least the next 5-20 years to determine availability of ZIP codes for future mail processing and delivery needs,” said U.S. Postal Service spokesman Rod Spurgeon.

“Monitoring delivery growth patterns helps us with facilities planning, delivery route planning, and other needs that keep mail delivery efficient and affordable,” Spurgeon added.

“In this case, we were nearing capacity on ZIP+4 numbers. Once we reach capacity, we can’t add any more addresses to the database. Adding the new ZIP code allows us to continue adding new addresses to the system.”

Mail for the 85144 ZIP code area will continue to be delivered out of the Queen Creek Post Office at 22424 S. Ellsworth Loop Road, according to the USPS.

Spurgeon said it will be important for postal customers to pay attention when

the new ZIP code becomes active because it is not just issuing new ZIP codes to new residents and businesses; the ZIP code for some existing customers will change.

“The new ZIP code became necessary due to the rapid growth in the area and allows for the addition of new delivery routes and new addresses in the area,” Spurgeon said, adding the new code will help the Postal Service “to sort, ship and deliver the mail more efficiently.”

The Postal Service encourages affected customers to notify family, friends, business customers and business associates.

Mail with either ZIP code will be delivered for one year following the change. Individuals should include their new ZIP code on any reply mail where the sender requests updated or corrected address information.

“Customers in the affected area should also use their new ZIP code when reordering stationery such as letterhead, envelopes, promotional literature, forms, and business cards,” the agency said.

The official, 5-digit ZIP Code dates to

1963 and was originally intended to allow for automated mail sorting methods, “but ended up creating unimagined socio-economic benefits as an organizing and enabling device,” according to a the U.S. Office of Inspector General’s website.

The report says the ZIP Code became a tool for organizing and displaying demographic information, but soon became useful for marketers and advertisers.

According to the Library of Congress, using a system that places every household in America into one of some 38,000 ZIP Codes and combining that information with census data, allowed marketing experts to pinpoint consumer tastes and lifestyles.

“This kind of detailed information became particularly useful to America’s thriving direct marketing firms,” the Library of Congress website said.

The town’s “Do I Live in QC” map helps people determine if their address is within the incorporated town boundaries and service areas at queencreekaz.gov/DoILiveinQC. 

CONTACT INFORMATION

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Display Advertising: 480-898-6309

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TJ Higgins | 480-898-5902 tjhiggins@TimesLocalMedia.com

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NEWS DEPARTMENT

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Circulation: 623-535-8439

BARREL from page 1

which is tougher than it looks, Starkey said.

“It’s a thrilling sport,” she explained. “People look at it and think ‘it looks so easy,’ but until you actually do it, turning a horse at full speed is not as easy as it looks.

“There’s a lot of people that fall off at barrels if you’re not centered or hanging on properly.”

Success is primarily about the horse’s footing in the dirt and Horseshoe Park provides the best there is, Starkey said.

She explained that for the horse and rider to perform at their best and safest, the soil needs to be different for barrel racers than it is for, say, bull riding events.

“We need a little bit deeper and thicker to be safe for a horse to come at full speed, stop on a dime and turn,” Starkey explained. “The ground has to hold them up and not let them skid and wipe out.”

She said the grounds crew team at Horseshoe Park goes to school to learn how to prepare the soil for all the different riding events. Starkey said riders love coming to Horseshoe Park because of it.

“Riders will travel long distances to be on safe ground,” Starkey said. “It’s safe, fast dirt. They (the grounds crew) knock it out of the park every time.”

The event last weekend at Horseshoe Park drew 400 mostly local riders over two days and was set up much like the National Barrel Horse Association’s Professional

Choice Super Show June 1-4 in Las Vegas. Starkey said for people who cannot afford that trip, the Queen Creek event was a welcomed substitute.

Like other specialty sports, barrel racing is now big business and getting into it can require big bucks. The higher up the ranks a rider climbs, the more it costs.

Top-level barrel racing horses carry a price tag of about $100,000 or higher.

tion to other traditional riding events, the best riders can win as much as $30,000 per round and there are 10 rounds at that event.

But only the top 15 money earners in the nation can qualify for the NFR, so they have spent money traveling the country and competing at other events to reach that threshold, Starkey explained.

And even a horse that has just been “broke” for barrel racing can require months of training that can cost $10,000.

Starkey added that success in barrel racing has a lot to do with the person in the saddle, not just the animal’s pedigree.

“The $10,000 horse with the right rider can turn that horse into the $40,000 horse. “So, it’s expensive. It’s not cheap and horses in general are pretty high right now.”

On the other side of the ledger, there is prize money at stake.

At the National Finals Rodeo, which features barrel racing in addi-

“You can win a lot of money if you’re winning every round,” she added. “But it costs a lot, too.”

She pointed to Marana resident Sherry Cervi, a four-time world champion who has won over $3 million barrel racing. Typically, in local events, like the 2 Broke 4 Vegas race at Horseshoe Park, about 70% of what race organizers collect in entry fees is paid out in prize money, so the winners’ purses depend on the number of event entries.

Barrel racing has come a long way since its inception.

When the sport got its start, prize money was not even part of the equation. It comes from humble beginnings and is thought to have sprung up during the early days of rodeo.

One of the first formal rodeos in recorded history happened in Prescott in the late 1800s.

While it is not clear if that is where bar-

Felicia Buechle guided Sonitas Last Legacy through the maze last weekend at the Queen Creek Barrel Racing Association 2 Broke 4 Vegas barrel race at Horseshoe Park and Equestrian Centre.

(David Minton/Tribune Staff Photographer)

Raina Umbenhauer road RUAPlayer was among the riders participating in the barrel race. (David Minton/Tribune Staff Photographer)

BARREL from page 4

rel racing began, Starkey said what is certain is that it was born as a sport when the cowboys’ wives were not satisfied with just watching their husbands compete in the roping and bull riding events.

“The sport of rodeo was always a man’s sport, and the women would be sitting around having nothing to do,” she said. “So, someone came up with the idea ‘well, how fast can we run around these three barrels in a pattern?’ The men were roping and doing all the men’s events and it gave the women something to do.”

Much of that equestrian history is still alive and well in Queen Creek and the town has made a strong showing in the barrel racing community in just the last few years.

Until 2014, barrel racers had to travel to the West Valley for local competitions.

That was when Starkey, along with her business partner and fellow Queen Creek resident Stacy Portonova, decided the east side needed barrel racing venues, too.

“It was a jaunt traveling over there with a four-horse trailer in 110 degrees,” she said of the West Valley events.

“There were a lot of us that were going over there so its good to establish barrel racing here on the East side. Especially at Horseshoe Park. It is the premier equestrian facility in the Southwest if not in the

whole western half of the United States. It’s a phenomenal facility.”

The Queen Creek Barrel Racing Association was instrumental in getting a second arena covered at Horseshoe Park, which in turn has helped draw more riders to barrel racing events.

QC recycling center now taking glass containers

Queen Creek has joined with Waste Connections of Arizona and Strategic Materials, Inc., to launch a glass recycling pilot program at the Queen Creek Recycling Center.

By adding glass to its list of recycled items, Queen Creek is addressing a difficult material and not backing away from it as some neighboring communities have done.

“Glass recycling requires special treatment due to its unique properties,” said a town press release. “Separating glass from other recyclable materials reduces the risk of contaminating other recyclables, fosters a safe work environment for recycling sorters and promotes closed-

loop recycling.

“Glass that is properly separated from other recyclables has a higher value and can save the town money.”

Glass currently only accounts for 9% of what comes to the town recycling center, but even that amount can present problems.

That’s why the town is partnering with Waste Connections to handle it.

Glass often shatters, contaminating other items like cardboard and paper and making recycling impossible.

It is also extremely heavy which presents its own set of problems, making it less cost effective to recycle.

Town officials said some communities

Starkey said the association hopes to use that momentum to cover more arenas at the park and “bridge the horse community and the normal, nonhorse community.”

And she loves Horseshoe Park, calling it “a really cool multi-purpose arena and space.”

“I think Queen Creek is really lucky to have it.”

She explained that because of Horseshoe Park’s location near Riggs and Ellsworth roads, it is accessible to lots of neighboring residential areas which also makes the it easy to reach, and many do so on horseback.

“You can ride the Sonoqui Wash right to Horseshoe Park so you don’t even have

to trailer over,” she said. “People just hop on their horses and they ride over there so they come to our races that way, which is super cool.”

Starkey said that accessibility helps bolster Queen Creek’s equestrian heritage that has been challenged by the town’s rapid growth.

She argues that keeping that heritage alive for the town and surrounding communities is important, especially as people move in from places that do not have this kind of history.

“Not everybody gets to have horses and see horses and this is really a phenomenal thing for non-horse people to be around,” Starkey explained. “It’s really cool to keep that western heritage alive.”

She said Horseshoe Park and the Queen Creek Barrel Racing Association’s partnership is also unique in that it caters to barrel racers at all levels.

The sport is accessible to all ages and abilities and offers skills that will stick with the rider, new and experienced, forever.

“It’s a big sport.” Starkey said. “It’s a lifelong sport. Because it is a lifelong sport, I think we will always have it.” 

TRIBUNE NEWS STAFF

Tvlee Grantham, riding As Bad As Corona, shined during the 2 Broke 4 Vegas Barrel Race. (David Minton/Tribune Staff Photographer)

School voucher costs skyrocketing for taxpayers

BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

The system of universal vouchers enacted by Republican lawmakers is going to cost Arizona taxpayers $900 million this coming school year – 63% over what lawmakers put into the budget just a month ago.

In a memo to legislative budget staff, Christine Accurso, director of the Empowerment Scholarship Account program, said by the end of the next school year there will be about 100,000 students who will get state funds to attend private and parochial schools.

That compares with just around 58,000 who are now in the program, with another 3,000 who already have submitted their applications.

Accurso said the state will need to come up with about $900 million to fund all those vouchers – about one dollar out of every eight now earmarked for public education. That compares with the $552 million estimate prepared just months ago by

the Joint Legislative Budget Committee.

Despite that, state schools chief Tom Horne argued last week there really is no

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additional cost to the state.

“The 39,000 additional students that are being projected for the next year are go-

ing to be educated someplace,’’ he said. “They’re either going to be educated in the public schools or their going to be educated in ESAs.’’

And that $900 million estimate, he said, includes money following those students from traditional schools to private schools.

But that’s not true.

Even Horne’s own staffers acknowledged that three out of every four of the students who have applied for the new universal vouchers to date already were going to private schools on their parents’ dime. Now their tuition will be borne by taxpayers.

And even assuming Horne’s projections that just half of the additional 39,000 expected to sign up before the end of the next school year already are in private schools, with the median voucher running $10,000, that alone adds up to an additional $200 million.

The fact that there has been a burst of parents seeking to shift the costs of their

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John Ward, an auditor at the Department of Education, explains how and when he came up with the new estimate that vouchers will cost Arizona taxpayers $900 million next school year as state Superintendent of Public Schools Tom Horne looks on. (Howard Fischer/Capitol Media Services)

children’s private school tuition to the state should come as no surprise to lawmakers. They were warned earlier this year by their own budget staffers before the new spending plan was adopted that would happen.

“We expect that most of the growth in universal ESA participation will likely occur among private school and home school students,’’ said the report by the Joint Legislative Budget Committee.

“They have already decided to opt out of the public school system and would be likely to receive a financial gain from ESA program participation.’’

Vouchers originally were designed specifically to help students who fit certain categories who may have needed help beyond what they could get in public schools. These included those with special needs, foster children, children living on reservations and those attending schools rated D or F.

The Republican controlled Legislature, at the behest of then-Gov. Doug Ducey, voted to lift all restrictions, making state funds available to all who want.

Gov. Katie Hobbs instead proposed to return to the way the situation was before. And she sought to redistribute the cost of the expanded program – then pegged at only about $144 million – for other education priorities.

But closed-door negotiations between the governor failed to rescind the expansion. In fact, Republicans refused to even put a cap on the number of new students who could enroll to help control costs.

And, in the end, Hobbs signed the $17.8 billion spending plan for the coming year, saying she got other key victories, including $300 million in one-time funding for K-12 education.

Informed of the new estimate, Hobbs went back to her January talking points.

“The school voucher program in its current form is not sustainable,’’ she said in a prepared statement.

“Legislative Republicans need to ex-

plain why they are forcing this runaway spending on Arizona taxpayers and making working families foot the bill for private school tuitions,’’ the governor said.

Lawmakers will be back at the Capitol on June 12. But whether Hobbs will try to renegotiate the deal she agreed to just a month ago is less than clear.

“We are evaluating our options,’’ said press aide Christian Slater.

There was no immediate response from either Senate President Warren Petersen, R-Gilbert, or House Speaker Ben Toma, R-Peoria, about the ballooning costs of the universal voucher program they supported.

Horne’s report also contends that students switching from public schools to private ones actually saves money for the state. That is based on a law that the base voucher – the amount that is available for a student with no additional needs like special education – is supposed to be based at 90% of what the state pays on a per-student basis if that same student were attending public schools.

But that is misleading.

That 90% figure is based on aid to charter schools, private, for-profit schools that qualify as public schools that cannot charge tuition. And the state gives them an additional $1,986 for each K-8 student and $2,314 for high schoolers above what they give to traditional public schools.

Figures provided by the Arizona Association of School Business Officials show the basic voucher for this year at $6,764 for elementary and middle school students. That’s $424 more per student than state aid to district schools.

And vouchers for high schoolers are worth $7,532, about $540 more than the state provides to public schools.

Several Republicans who support vouchers said they were not concerned about the price tag.

Rep. Jacqueline Parker, R-Mesa, said in a Twitter post that $900 million is “not enough yet,’’ calling it “a drop in the bucket to the other $7+ billion spent on the useless indoctrination camps that are ‘government schools.’ ‘’

The memo may have energized Democrats who were unhappy about Hobbs giving in on the issue of universal vouchers during the budget talks.

Sen. Catherine Miranda, D-Phoenix, wants to raise the issue again when the legislature reconvenes on June 12.

John Ward, an internal auditor for the Department of Education, said his agency was not hiding the true cost of the expanded voucher program when lawmakers adopted the budget a month ago with its $552 million cost estimate.

He said state law requires only that a report to be prepared every year by May 30 of anticipated voucher enrollment and the cost for the coming school year.

“We just completed that analysis a few days ago,’’ he said. “It was at that point that our estimate of 100,000 students by the end of next fiscal year – June 30, 2024 – at a cost of $900 million.’’

Horne sidestepped the question of whether there is enough money in the $17.8 billion budget to support the increase in the number of private school students.

“If we conclude that more is needed, we will have to deal with that at the time,” he said,

Horne, who at one time was a member

of the Paradise Valley Unified School District governing board, has become a major champion of vouchers.

“Competition is good for everyone,’’ he said.

Traditional public schools must accept anyone living in their district. Even charter schools – privately run for-profit schools –also generally cannot discriminate against applicants.

Private and parochial schools, however, are free to accept -- or reject -- any student for any reason. And that can include those who may be the hardest to teach like those with learning disabilities and language skills.

Horne brushed aside the question of whether the comparisons are fair.

“If a public school is worried about losing students to ESAs or to charter schools, it’s motivated to improve its academic performance so it won’t lose those students,’’ he said.

“The test scores have not been good right now because the focus has been too much on things other than academics,’’ he said. “I can name them: critical race theory, social-emotional learning, inappropriate sexual lessons, all kinds of things that detract from academics.’’ 

Water curbs some development in Maricopa County

BY HOWARD FISCHER

Capitol Media Services

State water officials said Thursday they won’t issue any permits for new subdivisions for some areas on the fringes of Phoenix, the first real acknowledgment that the state’s water supply cannot support all of the anticipated growth.

Tom Buschatzke, the director of the Department of Water Resources, said a newly completed analysis of the groundwater in the basin in and around Phoenix shows there simply won’t be enough to provide the legally required 100-year supply of water. State law requires such assurances in the major metropolitan areas before construction can take place.

He put the shortage at 4.9 million acrefeet over the next century, about 4 per-

REMY from page 1

sion and her health has improved. But due to a combination of things, not the least of which is wanting less stress and more time with his wife, this was the time to change gears.

Mastyk survived the roller coaster ride of finding and keeping reliable employees and a pandemic that forced him to close and keep the business afloat with catering, takeout orders and mobile food delivery services.

But nothing prepared him for egg prices that went from $15 to $85 per crate recently. When combined with higher bacon prices, he was shelling out an additional $1,100 a week in expenses just to keep up those two items in stock.

While he sold the Bistro to a husbandand-wife team with decades of restaurant experience, Mastyk is not done being an integral part of Queen Creek.

He is channeling his energy into being an even bigger community service that combines his expertise as a chef with people’s ever-growing love of animals.

Together with his registered service dog, a 3-year old yellow lab named Remy, he has created the Mastyk Foundation, designed to combine his skills as a food expert and his dog’s skills as a service animal to help in a variety of situations.

“There is a whole spectrum of stuff we could do,” he said. “You’ve got a chef and a

cent of the anticipated need. An acre foot is generally considered enough to serve three families for a year.

What that most immediately means is that developers in affected areas who were awaiting the go-ahead to build won’t get them.

But nothing in the new order will bring all development in the Phoenix metro area to a halt, at least not at this point.

That’s because all existing municipal and private water companies are currently presumed to have their own 100-year supply. And so anyone seeking to build homes within that service territory that the utility agrees to serve is presumed to have the amount of water required and can start construction without further state approval.

But the order could bring some of the

service dog so the possibilities are a pretty cool little mix.”

Mastyk is hoping to focus and build on the human-animal bond, which the American Veterinary Medical Association calls “a mutually beneficial and dynamic relationship between people and animals that is influenced by behaviors essential to the health and wellbeing of both.”

“Scientific data and common sense tell us that the human-animal bond is critical to who we are as people,” added former CEO of PetSmart Charities and veterinarian Dr. David Haworth, who worked with the Phoenix-based Translational Genomics Center. “When organizations can capitalize on the incredible powers of dogs and other therapy animals, they make us better as people, communities and society.

The Mastyk Foundation’s mission of “enhancing the town of Queen Creek with Remy and Blake’s combined skill se,” is intentionally broad, Mastyk said.

He has been taking Remy to Lakeview Assisted Living Center and Faith Mather Elementary School to give the residents and students, respectively, opportunities spend time with a dog professionally trained to provide emotional support.

“At the school there were probably 20 kids who have never petted a dog in their life,” he said. “You’re in fourth or fifth grade and they are scared or they have some level of trauma where a dog bit them or something, they can pet Remy.

urban sprawl around Phoenix to a halt.

Affected areas include some of the largest tracts of undeveloped land in the fringe suburbs.

That includes much of Queen Creek, which doesn’t have its own 100-year certificate of assured water supply. Instead, it has been seeking to import water from other areas.

Buschatzke said, though, construction can take place continue if developers find source beyond the water under their development which can range from another community’s stored water credits to obtaining an allocation of surface water, perhaps from Native American tribes who have their own water rights.

Gov. Katie Hobbs viewed the new analysis as proof that there is no reason to put curbs on future growth.

“Same with assisted living. They don’t have to worry about Remy jumping up on them, that kind of thing.”

Mastyk’s goal is to eventually be of service to police officers and firefighters who may be able to put Remy to work in critical emergency situations.

“If there is a scenario where there is some kind of trauma going on and the kids are going to be stuck there for four or five hours, you know, Remy can just come hang out with them, keep their mind off whatever has happened with their family or if they were in an accident,” he said. “He is great with kids.”

For his part, Mastyk intends to bring his culinary skills to the table, making meals for people in need, charity events or first responders.

Mastyk is particularly interested in serving firefighters after seeing them at the Bistro during an especially challenging day when they might have faced multiple back-to-back calls with no time for food.

Mastyk said he can show up ready to cook in his portable kitchen with Remy “just kind of hanging out to offer support and some relaxation – kind of like the town mascot.”

Away from trauma and emergency situations, Mastyk is also planning to use his skills as a chef to create memorable events in the community, even making volunteer opportunities available for people who want to be involved.

“My message to Arizonans is this: We are not out of water and we will not be running out of water,’’ she said.

“It is also incredibly important to note that the model relates only to groundwater and does not concern surface water supplies which are a significant source of renewable water for our state,’’ Hobbs said. “What the model ultimately shows is that our water future is secure.’’

But all those assurances are based on something that even Buschatzke could not guarantee: that Arizona won’t see further cutbacks in its allocation of Colorado River water.

Arizona and other lower-basin states just entered into an agreement to cut usage in exchange for federal cash.

“My time as a chef, you couldn’t pay for most stuff like that,” he said. “We could be doing five or six-course dinners. We could be doing wine pairings,” he said. “It’s not like we’re going to be dropping off Sloppy Joes to 20 people or anything like that.

“That’s where the culinary part comes in. It’s finding our niche where we can make the difference in the town. Whether it be on the food side or support side emotionally with the dog.”

Mastyk has invested $10,000 in the foundation so far, even wrapped his truck with its logo. Most of his investment has come from the money he made selling the Bistro. He is looking for support and donations from the community but is ready to put more of his own resources behind the foundation.

“I’m going to put in as much money as it takes to do it,” he said.

Mastyk hopes his time running the Bistro and The Deli before it, will help him now as he launches this new venture with Remy, scheduled to make its official start later this month.

“People have trusted us for 17 years to be part of their family, part of the community with the two restaurants,” Mastyk said. “It’s the same thing now. They can trust us for the next few years to be doing right in Queen Creek. Queen Creek is our family.”

Information: Themastykfoundationqc.org. 

State water chief Tom Buschatzke details new restrictions on development in the far fringes of the Phoenix area due to groundwater shortage. With him is Gov. Katie Hobbs (Howard Fischer/Capitol Media Services)

WATER from page 8

But that deal lasts only into 2026. After that, Buschatzke said, is an unknown.

A particularly wet winter has improved the flow into the river and dampened talk that Lake Mead could reach “dead pool,’’ a point at which no river would flow past the dam. But what that means beyond 2026, Buschatzke said, is unknown.

“The cuts are going to be based on what the hydrology provides every year on the river and what the levels of Lake Powell and Lake Mead are,’’ he said.

Hobbs, flanked by a developer and the head of the state’s economic development agency, sought to give a message -- presumably meant for outsiders -- that things are not bad in Arizona despite the latest announcement.

It starts with that fact that none of this has any immediate effect on developing vacant land in communities that have their own assured water supply.

The governor also said nothing in the new order affects 80,000 lots in the areas where the state won’t issue new permits. The Department of Water Resources already has provided the required certificate of assured water supply. And Buschatzke acknowledged that a “lot’’ can translate to more than a single-family home.

And Hobbs said there are no limits on industrial development. Nor are there new restrictions on everything from fountains to golf courses that dot the Phoenix area.

Hobbs also crowed about the fact that reservoirs controlled by Salt River Project are full. While these are a source of water for agriculture in the area, SRP also has deals with cities to provide them with surface water.

Even with all that, there’s still that 4% gap between water pumping and recharge.

“We have to close this gap and find efficiencies for our water use, manage our aquifers wisely and increase our utilization of renewable supplies,’’ the governor said.

But Hobbs has yet to seek, much less try go impose any form of conservation. The closest she came to acknowledging that people should use less was setting aside $40 million in COVID relief funds to promote water conservation.

The question of Colorado River supplies beyond 2026 will have an affect on not just the Phoenix area.

Other areas of the state, particularly the Tucson region, also rely on this supply. And Buschatzke’s agency has no firm date for when it will perform the same evaluation of groundwater in the Tucson area and possibly could issue similar orders for development in that basin. 

WARNING!

PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHY AND CHRONIC PAIN TREATMENTS NOT WORKING!!

Mesa, AZ - When it comes to chronic pain and/ or neuropathy, the most common doctor-prescribed treatment is drugs like Gabapentin, Lyrica, Cymbalta, and Neurontin. The problem with anti-depressants or anti-seizure medications like these is that they offer purely symptomatic relief, as opposed to targeting and treating the root of the problem. Worse, these drugs often trigger an onset of uncomfortable, painful, and sometimes harmful side effects.

The only way to effectively treat chronic pain and/or peripheral neuropathy is by targeting the source, which is the result of nerve damage owing to inadequate blood flow to the nerves in the hands and feet. This often causes weakness and numbness.

As displayed in figure 1 above, the nerves are surrounded by diseased, withered blood vessels. A lack of sufficient nutrients means the nerves cannot survive, and thus, slowly die. This leads to those painful and frustrating consequences we were talking about earlier, like weakness, numbness, tingling, balance issues, and perhaps even a burning sensation.

The drugs your doctor might prescribe will temporarily conceal the problems, putting a “BandAid” over a situation that will only continue to deteriorate without further action.

Thankfully, Mesa is the birthplace of a brand new facility that sheds light on this pressing problem of peripheral neuropathy and chronic pain. The company is trailblazing the medical industry by replacing outdated drugs and symptomatic reprieves with an advanced machine that targets the root of the problem at hand.

Effective neuropathy treatment relies on the following three factors:

1. Finding the underlying cause

2. Determining the extent of the nerve damage

(above 95% nerve loss is rarely treatable)

3. The amount of treatment required for the patient’s unique condition

Aspen Medical in Mesa, AZ uses a state-ofthe-art electric cell signaling systems worth $100,000.00. This ground-breaking treatment is engineered to achieve the following, accompanied by advanced diagnostics and a basic skin biopsy to accurately analyze results:

1. Increases blood flow

2. Stimulates and strengthens small fiber nerves

3. Improves brain-based pain

The treatment works by delivering energy to the affected area(s) at varying wavelengths, from low- to middle-frequency signals, while also using Amplitude Modulated (AM) and Frequency Modulated (FM) signaling.

It’s completely painless!

THE GREAT NEWS IS THAT THIS TREATMENT IS COVERED BY MEDICARE, MEDICAID, AND MOST INSURANCES!!

Depending on your coverage, your peripheral neuropathy treatment could cost almost nothing – or be absolutely free.

The number of treatments required varies from patient to patient, and can only be determined following an in-depth neurological and vascular examination. As long as you have less them 95% nerve damage, there is hope!

Aspen Medical begins by analyzing the extent of the nerve damage – a complimentary service for your friends and family. Each exam comprises a detailed sensory evaluation, extensive peripheral vascular testing, and comprehensive analysis of neuropathy findings.

Aspen Medical will be offering this free chronic pain and neuropathy severity evaluation will be available until June 30th, 2023. Call (480) 2743157 to make an appointment.

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We are extremely busy, so we are unavailable, please leave a voice message and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

Arizona sues firms over ‘forever chemicals’ clean-up

BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

Attorney General Kris Mayes is suing several major companies for producing and selling “forever chemicals’’ that they knew or should have known are hazardous.

The lawsuit filed May 26 in Maricopa County Superior Court charges that 3M, DuPont and Chemours were negligent in the design, manufacturing, marketing and sale of per- and polyfluroalykl substances which have been used for decades in everything from nonstick cookware and stain-resistant fabrics to some firefighting foams.

Mayes says 3M began publishing peer-reviewed literature in 1980 showing that humans retain one form of these substances in their bodies for years.

And she said DuPont has been studying the potential toxicity of these chemicals since at least the 1960s and knew it was contaminating drinking water drawn from the Ohio River.

“Yet DuPont did not disclose to the public or government regulators what they knew about the substance’s potential effects on humans, animals, or the environment,’’ the lawsuit states.

In 2005 the company was fined $16.5 million by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for violating legal requirements that it report to the agency substantial risk information about the chemicals they manufacture, process or distribute.

Despite that, Mayes said, the companies continued to make, market and sell their products in Arizona and other states for years –and, in some cases, apparently still do: Forbes reported that 3M promises to discontinue the use of the chemicals by 2025.

“It’s had a very detrimental and, in some cases, devastating impact to the state of Arizona,’’ Mayes told Capitol Media Services. “We have multiple sites throughout the state where our water has been contaminated by PFAS.’’

The lawsuit says the state Department of Environmental Quality has detected these compounds in groundwater near Davis-Monthan Air Force Base and in

both groundwater and drinking water supplies at several locations across the state, including what DEQ said was one utility around Luke Air Force Base notified of problems in early 2021.

“We’re going to make them pay for the cleanup of these chemicals,’’ Mayes said. “These are cancer-causing agents.’’

One place Mayes said the chemicals are commonly found in firefighting foam. What makes PFAS so dangerous, the lawsuit says, is their chemistry.

They are highly water soluble, according to the legal papers, which increases the rate at which they spread, contaminating soil, groundwater and surface water. And that is complicated by the fact that are resistant to breaking down.

Then there’s the argument that these chemicals are readily absorbed in animal and human tissue after oral exposure and accumulate in organs like the kidney and liver as well as “human serum,’’ the liquid portion of blood. And the lawsuit says they have been found globally in human food supplies, breast milk and umbilical cord blood.

“A short-term exposure can result in a body burden that persists for years and can increase with additional exposures,’’ the lawsuit claims. And that, the state says, is backed by 3M’s own data that it could take a person up to 18 months just to clear half of the chemicals from their body after all exposures had ceased.

“The effects of the contamination are wide-ranging,’’ the lawsuit says.

“Citizens may be unable to consume public drinking water, rely on private drinking water wells, use water resources for agriculture and livestock, or engage in water-based recreational activities including fishing and swimming,’’ according to the state. “Individuals who are exposed to PFAS may face risk of serious health conditions including cancer.’’

Strictly speaking, Arizona is not filing suit over the harms that were suffered by individual residents.

Anyone who believes he or she has been injured would have to file separate legal actions. And they do exist.

Last December, for example, a federal

appeals court upheld a $40 million verdict against DuPont on behalf of a cancer survivor who claimed his two instances of testicular cancer were due to prolonged exposure to a type of PFAS. Instead, the lawsuit seeks to require the companies to pay for the state’s cost of investigating, monitoring, testing, removal and disposing of the contaminants in soil and water.

According to the legal papers, DEQ is helping fire department statewide to remove, dispose of and replace their film-forming foams with foams that do not contain PFAS. To date, it says, the state had paid to replace 6,200 gallons of the PFAS-containing firms with 4,010 gallons of PFAS-free foam.

There was no immediate response from the companies. 

from page 5

have removed glass from their recycling programs, and Queen Creek’s recycled cardboard would be more valuable without glass in it.

They said cardboard is currently worth about $70 a ton when it is contaminated with glass, and would fetch upwards of $90 a ton without it.

As part of the partnership with Waste Connections, a container designated for glass bottles and jars has been installed at the QC Recycle Center.

Glass should be sorted by color, with sections for green, clear, and amber glass. Glass bottles and jars should be emptied, gently rinsed, unbagged, and properly sorted, a press release from the town said.

All material recycled at the QC Recycling Center should be placed without a plastic bag into the containers. Bags can be recy-

The town is now accepting glass containers for recycling only at its recycling center. Bins indicate how to separate different types of glass. (Town of Queen Creek)

cled at most grocery or big box stores. The glass recycling pilot program only affects the recycling center and does not impact residential curbside recycling. Glass jars and bottles can still be recycled in your blue recycling cart at home, according to the town.

Queen Creek has an online “Recycle Wizard” to help residents know how and where to recycle other things, such as light bulbs or mirrors.

Information:  QueenCreekAZ.gov/Recycle. 

Nonprofit recycles tech for teaching

BY JOSH ORTEGA Tribune Staff Writer

For 25 years, Arizona Students Recycling Used Technology emphasizes a future of technical education and sustainable living.

Earlier this month, AZStRUT held a “Ribbon Cutting and School’s Out Celebration” to commemorate a quarter-century as the Valley’s “best-kept secret.”

Executive Director Tom Mehlert welcomed staff, volunteers, and current and former students to the nonprofit’s warehouse at 1720 West Broadway in Mesa.

Mehlert ensures the nonprofit puts the newest and latest discarded technology in the hands of students, not the landfill.

“We use used technology to create technical education experiences,” Melhert said.

In 1997, tech companies Intel and Motorola wanted to donate their used equipment to Arizona schools and nonprofits and started partnering with schools to so some of their computer repair programs could assist in the refurbishing efforts.

And in 1998, that led to AZStRUT as it became a registered nonprofit with Arizona and, two years later, earned that status with the IRS.

Since then, AZStRUT has partnered with over 20 schools through “Techie Labs” that provide them with computers and facilitate hands-on learning for their STEM curriculum.

“They have a computer that they can dig into hands on, put it back together, and if something screws up, it’s not a big loss,” Mehlert said.

By 2017, AZStRUT donated more than 56,000 computers to public and nonprofit charter schools supporting STEM programs with hardware such as desktops and laptops.

From 2020 to 2021, the nonprofit donated over 7,000 laptops to low-income children throughout Arizona.

Along with refurbishing a computer to take home and bridge the gap in “digital equity,” students in the program can also

earn an A+ Certification Scholarship.

A+ is an entry-level computer certification for service technicians that signifies competency of entry-level professionals in installing, maintaining, customizing and operating personal computers.

The program also offers Techie Camps that introduce groups of 10-15 students to the world inside a computer and that in turn gives them confidence to explore careers in technology.

Mehlert moved to Arizona in 1980 at the invitation of his aunt and uncle when economic struggles in his hometown of Mt. Auburn, Iowa, made him consider a new career involving copy machine repairs.

From the start, the nonprofit has had to overcome some challenges – like getting a two-week notice to move from its old location near Metrocenter shopping mall in Phoenix to its current headquarters on Broadway Road in Mesa.

But it has thrived despite challenges,

starting every week with its part-time and volunteer staff sorting through seven to eight tons of used electronics to determine what can get refurbished and what gets recycled.

Staff provides a complimentary wipe of all data on hard drives 80 gigabytes or larger while destroying older, smaller hard drives by drilling a hole in them

Unusable or end-of-life equipment gets recycled on a price-per-pound basis by an R2-certified recycler, providing 80% of the nonprofit’s revenue.

“We recycled last year over 70 tons of printers at no cost just to keep them out of Arizona landfills,” Mehlert said.

He noted that the R2 (Responsible Recycling) certified recycling standard is set by Sustainable Electronics Recycling International, which is dedicated to the responsible reuse, repair, and recycling of electronic products.

Now, the nonprofit has grown with four

full-time and seven part-time employees, and a plethora of volunteers to sort through the tons of electronics they receive every week.

AZStRut makes jobs in technology accessible to everyone.

For example, Bruce Thornhill spent nearly 12 years with the Arizona State University Police Department, where much of his work focused around its technology.

“I never actually had any certification kind of thing going on, I just did the work,” Thornhill said.

From 1982 to 1994, Thornhill worked on both computer investigations and also helped computerize part of the department’s operations.

He retired from law enforcement and worked as a consultant performing office integration but still didn’t have his certification to work in technology.

AZStRUT teaches teens about electronics though hands-on learning with recycled electronics at its Broadway Road headquarters. (David Minton/ Staff Photographer)

AZSTRUT from page 14

When Thornhil decided to finally pursue an associates degree in cybersecurity, he enrolled in classes at South Mountain Community College and adjunct professor Thalya Nero introduced the 66-yearold to AZStRUT in November 2022.

Since December 2022, Thornhill has worked part-time two days a week for the nonprofit.

He a larger facility would help the its ability to serve a greater portion of the community.

“That’s what I would like,” Thornhill said. “If somebody came along with a grant for even more equipment, more facilities to store space because it’s kind of cramped.”

With the technological divide exposed by the pandemic, AZStRUT has helped to close that gap and Thornhill said more students realize a career in technology is possible.

“I see the potential a lot of the students that work here can do this stuff easily–way easier than I could ever do it,” Thornhill said.

To learn more about AZStTRUT: azstrut.org. 

Golf-pickleball store finds permanent home

BY JOSH ORTEGA Tribune Staff Writer

After a decade at the Mesa Marketplace, ShadeTree Golf and Pickleball has found a permanent home.

ShadeTree Golf and Pickleball in East Mesa is a family-owned store that features a full range of golf and pickleball equipment, shoes, bags and apparel as well as a hitting cage for golfers. It also repairs, regrips and customizes golf clubs.

The 3,400-square-foot store serves a strong client base that ShadeTree has built over the last 10 years.

Owner Jeff Brown said his new location on the southeast corner of Sossamon and Guadalupe roads will operate year-round with wider selection, greater amenities and a new push into pickleball, the fastest growing sport in the Valley.

“We’ve developed a really good, loyal local customer base,” Brown said. “And we really want to keep that going forward here with just being a good part of the neighborhood.”

Brown started in the golf industry 12 years ago working part time for ShadeTree’s previous owner but teed off in the sport at age 12.

For the last decade, ShadeTree operated on a seasonal basis from mid-October to the end of April in a 2,000-square-foot area at Mesa Marketplace.

After a previous 2,500-square-foot brick-and-mortar location fell through, Brown said he waited patiently for just the right place for his store.

Though construction took longer than expected, Brown said the new venue’s greater visibility has brought with it a more customers.

ShadeTree’s a putting green and hitting cage enables customers to try before they buy – which he calls a vital feature in the golf industry.

“Just selling clubs off the rack, it’s not gonna work for most people,” Brown said. “So, we want to make sure we’re getting

them the best product we can.”

That’s an aspect of the industry Brown prefers the most and something that he takes as a fulfilling achievement, even more than breaking his personal best.

“A customer tells you that you helped them out and they’re enjoying what

they’re doing a lot more – I really take a lot of satisfaction from that,” he said.

Dabbling a bit in pickleball while he was at the Mesa Marketplace, Brown said he saw the “writing on the wall” and decided to take a swing at it.

With new courts popping up across the

ShadeTree Golf and Pickleball

2853 S. Sossaman Road, Suite 102, Mesa. 602-565-4069, shadetreegolf.com

customers to try out

East Valley, Brown said pickleball goes well with golf for a retail concept because they both are played outdoors with “fairly low impact.”

“A lot of our winter visitors are big pickleball players,” Brown said. “But what we really found out recently is that it’s a sport for all ages, and it’s just blowing up with popularity.”

Eight years ago, Brown would’ve said pickleball is a sport for the 55 and older communities.

But now, he sees customers age demographics “run the gamut,” from 80-yearold grandparents to teenage grandkids alike shopping for the sport.

“I couldn’t put a percentage on what it was but it’s a pretty even mix now,” Brown said.

According to the Professional Pickleball Association, 16-year-old Anna Leigh Waters ranks number one in the world rankings in Women’s Singles, Women’s Doubles, and Women’s Mixed Doubles. For that reason, Brown said he predicts he will start seeing high school teams competing in the area soon as more teenagers discover the surging popularity of pickleball.

“I think you’re going to see some high school teams start popping up,” Brown said.

With a growing presence of national chains popping up across the Valley, Brown said ShadeTree helps maintain the local presence and ensure ShadeTree meets the needs and shapes how to expand what they offer to them.

“We want golfers and pickleball players to have everything they need to make their experiences on the courts and the course experiences fun and memorable,” Brown said.

Within the first month-and-ahalf, Brown said he has a positive viewpoint on the store’s future in the neighborhood.

“I’m pretty pleased where we’re at right now and I have a pretty optimistic outlook moving forward,” Brown said. 

The putting green at ShadeTree Golf and Pickleball enables

a putter before buying it. (David Minton/Tribune Staff Photographer)

Jeff Brown said his new permanent location for ShadeTree Golf and Pickleball has increased customer traffic. (David Minton/Tribune Staff Photographer)

Border crisis continues to be ignored in Washington

BY JD HAYWORTH Tribune Columnist

These words are being written as America observes Memorial Day 2023.

But don’t expect another lecture in this space about how our leisure pursuits on Memorial Day obscure the sacrifices made for the freedoms we enjoy.

Actually, the enthusiastic embrace of those pursuits serves as the best testament to those hard-won freedoms – provided we don’t forget about the significance of the day.

That’s why “R & R”—Rest and Recreation—should always carry a “Memorial Day addition” along with that acronym: Reflection and Remembrance.

No less a warrior than Rob O’Neill, the Navy SEAL veteran who dispatched Osa-

ma Bin Laden from this earthly existence, reflected on comrades-in-arms who died in battle, and how to best observe Memorial Day during a recent episode of “The Operator” podcast.

“All my friends that were killed in combat, they would want you to have the day off….On Monday when you crack open that first cold one, raise it up to the sky, give them a toast and they’ll toast right back to you. They’d want you to have it.”

What we have to confront in this temporal realm are the “curious times” in which we live, tenuous times which demand yet a third usage for “R & R”: Recognition and Reaction.

Recent news stories clearly indicate that the way of life we have long enjoyed is under withering attack.

But for whatever reason, it would appear

that most of us either ignore or readily dismiss the seriousness of the situation –sadly and most especially, those in elected positions – apparently unwilling to help stop the madness.

Consider the long-term effects of a government policy that clearly borders on insanity.

Geopolitical jeopardy presents itself undisguised along our southern border, where an alien invasion continues, aided and abetted by the current crowd in charge.

The Biden Bunch isn’t just biding its time – it has taken technological and administrative steps to erase the international boundary between the United States and Mexico.

The latest outrage? Use of a cell phone app, “CBP One,” available to foreign aliens

in Northern Mexico, so that the process of admitting illegals into the United States is “streamlined.”

Never mind that our tax dollars are being used to subsidize an unlawful act against the United States— Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas dodges the outrageous illegality by faulting Congress for “not fixing a broken immigration system.”

Absurd and untrue? Absolutely. Impossible to stop? Not with a proper display of political courage.

On Capitol Hill, Republicans huffed and puffed about impeaching the DHS Secretary, but the Speaker of the House failed to give voice to a stark-yet-simple strategy. Kevin McCarthy could have made it clear to the Biden White House during negotia-

see HAYWORTH page 18

Coyotes a likely losing proposition here

BY DAVID LEIBOWITZ Tribune Columnist

The Arizona Coyotes lost 40 hockey games last season and that’s the good news about this franchise.

Then there’s the bad news: The Coyotes took their worst loss of the season May 16 at the hands of Tempe voters. That’s when 33,147 folks turned out to vote on three propositions that needed to pass for the Coyotes to build a new arena near Tempe Town Lake.

All three measures got steamrolled by double digits.

If I’m being honest, I wasn’t entirely surprised by this result.

I spent years working with the team on the arena issue, first to keep the Yotes in Glendale and later to help negotiate a move to points east. That relationship ended a few months after the latest owner, Alex Meruelo, bought the franchise.

It’s bad business to discuss former clients, so I’ll keep my opinion of Meruelo

to myself. But the landslide in Tempe did leave me feeling sympathy for two groups: Coyotes’ employees and Coyotes’ fans, both of whom remain in limbo as this soap opera continues to crawl along.

How does it end? There’s what I think will happen and what I wish would happen. Let’s take them in order.

I suspect any minute now the team will announce that it has all sorts of new possibilities in the East Valley or perhaps on tribal land near the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community.

They’ll claim cities and towns are dying to have the Coyotes move there and that a deal is imminent. Maybe they’ll even announce “a letter of intent” or some other document that’s relatively meaningless, but has a really impressive title.

An old PR adage applies here: If you shout something often enough, it might actually come true.

The reality is, after the Tempe shellacking, I can’t imagine that elected leaders anywhere are all that anxious to stick out

their necks for the team.

While the Coyotes have trumpeted what they call a “privately financed arena,” the reality is, they want to recapture a few hundred million dollars of any tax revenue the $2 billion project would create.

It’s that gift I believe Tempe voters objected to at the ballot box – mostly because it’s a sweetheart deal not available to regular folks who go into business.

Say you open a restaurant, for example. You lease a building, you hire managers and servers, cooks and hosts. You buy equipment, silverware, plates, tables, food. Then you open the doors and pray to the heavens that customers show up before you go bankrupt.

While you might qualify for a piddling tax credit here or there, what you won’t get is a massive rebate from the government on the tax dollars you create.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman has long been committed to the Valley, which makes sense based on population size, corporate dollars and the number of

transplanted hockey fans who live here.

I imagine the Commish’s patience is about to wear thin, however. That could create a scenario where the Coyotes threaten to move to somewhere like Salt Lake City or Houston.

Which brings us to what I hope happens: This team and its diehards finally land the deep-pocketed, visionary owner it so richly deserves.

Owners don’t play the games, but they do set an organization’s culture and provide resources. Generally speaking, sports ownership can go one of two ways: The road to nowhere traveled by the Bidwill family and the Arizona Cardinals or the direction it appears new Suns owner Mat Ishbia is poised to take our NBA franchise.

Coyotes’ fans deserve a happy ending. But there’s only one thing this team has done consistently since relocating from Winnipeg in 1996.

Lose.

I wouldn’t bet on that changing anytime soon, hockey fans. 

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Arizona needs open primaries to curb extremist candidates

I enjoyed reading the Opinion article in the Queen Creek Tribune. I personally feel we need open primary elections. Party primaries tend to support the extremes of both parties instead of the moderate candidates.

I use to vote almost totally for Republican candidates. Unfortunately, over the last few years, mainly since 2016, the candidates have been too extreme or lacking

HAYWORTH

from page 17

tions over the Debt Ceiling—either cease and desist in aiding this “alien invasion,” and instead join with Congress to reallocate funds to actually enforce the border and deport illegals—or prepare to default.

Instead, the Speaker offered poll-tested comments about renewing work requirements for welfare, saying “I don’t think it’s right that we borrow money from China to pay somebody with no dependents and who is able-bodied to sit on a couch.”

True enough, but in reality, it’s just “ear candy” that satisfies the political sweet

integrity. I prefer moderate candidates. That is one of the main reasons I voted for Sen. Kyrsten Sinema. I will do the same in the next election unless more moderate candidates win the primary elections. I’m however, not holding my breath.

Working out compromises is the only way to adequately govern our republic. I hope and pray the President and Congress figure that out before we run out of money or society degenerates into chaos.

-Kyle Robinson

tooth, and avoids a sour label for the Speaker—another “e-word”—extreme.

What this all demonstrates is that even now, at the last nanosecond of the eleventh hour, the Washington “smart set” still views the border as a political problem to be managed instead of seeing it for what it really is: a national security threat that must be stopped.

A “Day of Reckoning” will come, but that sobering thought prompts a question. Wanna crack open a cold one?

The elbow is bent in this instance, not to remember and honor bravery, but to try and forget cowardice. 

Spring recap: EV schools dominate on track, courts and fields

BY ZACH ALVIRA Tribune Sports Editor

The countdown is on for a new sports season for high schools across Arizona and the East Valley.

The 2023-24 athletic year will bring some changes along with it, most notably adding girls’ flag football as a sanctioned sport under the Arizona Interscholastic Association.

Before looking ahead to a new season, it’s time to reflect on this past spring, which saw numerous area championships, standout performances and finales to flag football as it is set to enter a new era.

“Without these past two years in the spring and the 15 years before that, every game led us to what is going to be an explosion next year,” Hamilton coach Matt Stone said in May. “Nobody understands how big this is going to be. It took Florida 17 years to split into two divisions and they’re the number one state for flag football.”

The final club season of flag football came and went this past spring with a large increase in the number of participating schools.

In total, six districts and Xavier Prep competed in what previously was a league featuring only Chandler Unified School District teams. A regular season was played, and tournament held with the top eight programs.

Casteel matched up with Hamilton for the title. The Colts came away victorious — their first win over Hamilton — for the championship.

Casteel coach Rae Black said after the win it felt good to be a champion of the club season. But her sights are now set on the fall.

“I am excited,” Black said. “Our best strategy is to come out and still play good. Now, we can really start planning on the fall and having a strategy to keep our team strong.”

Casteel as a school had an impressive showing this spring.

The boys’ volleyball team, nationally ranked all year, won the 5A title by sweep-

ing Ironwood. The baseball program, an early favorite given the talent and level of coaching from Matt Denny, was also a preseason favorite.

The Colts answered with a 15-run

outing in the title game to beat Catalina Foothills. It’s the first championship in program history.

“These guys, all year long, this is an incredible season with come-from-behind

wins,” Denny said after his team’s win. Other area programs also shined.

Queen Creek baseball made it to the championship game where it fell to Hamilton. The softball program made a run to the semifinals before it was upset by Basha.

Catherine Littlewood, a senior who missed most of track season with a Jones fracture, returned two weeks before state to set a new state record in long jump. She said after the meet coming back to compete is what she had aimed for.

“All of my effort was shown today,” Littlewood said. “I’m happy for myself but at the end of the day this isn’t for myself. Records come and go but the glory of God is forever.”

Like Queen Creek, several Chandler programs found success — which has become a norm as of late.

Hamilton captured its second straight 6A baseball championship while the Basha softball program knocked off district rival Perry for the title.

Chandler’s boys and girls relay teams shined at the state track meet. The girls,

The Queen Creek baseball program made a run to the championship game where it fell to Hamilton. Despite a young team, interim coach David Lopez helped them navigate through a difficult 6A tournament where they fell just short. (Courtesy Queen Creek High School)

Casteel’s girls’ flag football team took home the fall club flag football championship, one of the several impressive performances from Queen Creek and Chandler schools this spring. Now, teams look ahead toward the fall, which is when the first sanctioned season will be held.

(Dave Minton/Tribune Staff)

which was comprised of Kya Kisler, Amiyanee Harris, Drycaea Berry and S’Niyah Cade, placed first in the 4x100 relay.

The boys — Geremiah Flunder, Sammie Hunter, Ca’lil Valentine and Andereya Nsubuga — tied for first in the 4x100 with West Point. Even after judges sorted through single frames, it was deemed a tie for the event state title.

“It was down to the end so we really wished we could’ve held on to this,” Valentine said. “As a team we worked really hard in practices day in and day out. Thankful for my coaches and my teammates. It was really nerve wrecking waiting.”

In Gilbert, Perry’s boys’ volleyball program, a nationally ranked team, battled Highland, which was also nationally ranked heading into the 6A final.

It took five sets, but the Pumas came away with the upset to secure their second state title in three years. It was a banner year for both teams, as they were the two best all season long while gaining the national exposure.

Highland’s girls’ track team made up for the title loss by winning the first Open Di-

vision track championship the same night.

The win by the girls allowed Highland to tie the record for most state titles in a season, a record that was set by Seton Catholic at nine. Including cheer and spirit line, Highland matched the number.

“Heartbroken about volleyball,” Highland Athletic Director Brandon Larson said in a text. “Should’ve been 10.”

The Mesa community was led by Red Mountain and Mountain View this season, as the Mountain Lions Boys’ won the first Open Division track championship, and the softball team made a run to the semifinals.

Red Mountain junior Tyler Mathews shined on the track, securing three state records and the fastest time in the 800 in the nation this season.

Mountain View also saw some impressive performances this spring, most notably in track with Zack Gaumont placing second in the 100.

Eastmark was also represented by Bryson Nielson, who was one of the only small school athletes to go toe to toe with big schools at the state track meet. Overall, it was yet another banner year for East Valley schools. And like it does every season, it paves the way for what will

New Rail Line

Submit Your Comments

The Surface Transportation Board’s (Board) Office of Environmental Analysis (OEA) announces the availability of a Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) for public review and comment. The Draft EA analyzes the potential environmental and historic impacts of approximately 6.0 miles of new rail line in southeastern Mesa, Arizona. Comments are due to the Board by June 30, 2023.

The Draft EA is available on the Board’s website, www.stb.gov, by clicking “Search STB Records” and searching for “Decisions” using docket number “FD 36501.”

Despite

“Next

YWith JAN D’ATRI GetOut Columnist

This treasured treat will be a welcome dessert

ou know this scenario. You’re invited to someone’s house for a get together. You flip over a dish they’ve prepared for you. You beg for the recipe and cross your fingers that they are willing to share it with you.

That’s how I got this treasured treat from a friend’s family recipe archive. The dinner they prepared was delicious, but this dessert was over the top. How I love it when people share and don’t mind at all if you pass it along.

So, I think you should rescue this recipe and make it your own. Oh, and I’ve thrown in a recipe for homemade vanilla ice cream just for grins. 

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 cups butter, softened

• 3 cups sugar

• 5 large eggs

• 1 tablespoon vanilla

Directions:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 cup baking cocoa

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 12 ounces chocolate-covered peppermint patties

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine the dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture and mix well.

Spread two-thirds of the batter in a greased 13x9-in.

Fudge Frosting

• 12 tablespoons butter, at room temperature

• 4 cups powdered sugar, more as needed

• 1 cup cocoa powder, Hershey’s

Directions:

In the bowl of a stand mixer, add butter and beat to soften. Add powdered sugar, cocoa powder and espresso powder alternately with heavy cream. Blend well.

Easy homemade vanilla ice cream

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 cups butter, softened

• 3 cups sugar

• 5 large eggs

• 1 tablespoon vanilla

Directions:

Using a blender, electric beaters or whisk, blend the milk, sugar and salt together until the sugar has dissolved. Stir in the heavy cream and vanilla. Blend or whisk to fully incorporate.

baking pan. Arrange peppermint patties over top. Spread remaining batter over patties. Bake at 350 degrees for 3540 minutes or until edges begin to pull away from sides of pan and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely and cut into bars.

• teaspoon instant espresso powder

• 1½ cups heavy cream, more as needed

• 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract

Add vanilla and continue to mix to achieve spreading consistency. If too runny, add more powdered sugar. If too thick, add more heavy cream, a teaspoon at a time.

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 cup baking cocoa

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 12 ounces chocolate-covered peppermint patties

Pour the mixture into the frozen freezer bowl of an electric ice cream maker and let run until ice cream is thick. This generally takes about 25 minutes. Spoon the mixture out of the ice cream maker and scoop into a bowl. Freeze until ready to serve. Ice cream will set up and harden in about 2 hours. This recipe makes about 1 quart of ice cream. .