Longtime Queen Creek Unified Govern ing Board member and President Ken Brague appeared headed for defeat along with the school district’s $198 million bond issue, according to the latest unofficial results released prior to the Tribune’s print deadline.
Brague’s defeat paved the way for a new face on the board come January as Arizona political
As Queen Creek continues to grapple between having affordable housing for the people it is attracting and resi dents’ calls for measured multifamily growth, the Town Council is moving ahead with a plan that it hopes will reach the right balance.
It is revising part of the General Land to re strict new apartment complexes to three ar eas and has directed planning staff to make the necessary changes as soon as possible.
“It is urgent and they want to see a series of options,” said Brett Burningham, town devel
newcomer James Knox garnered 36% of the vote behind incumbent Samantha Davis’39%.
Brague served on the board for 13 years, five as president, but that experience apparent ly did little for him in the race for two board seats. Davis, a resident of Mesa who lives with in in the Queen Creek school boundaries, was elected to a second four-year term.
“I am very honored and proud to have been re-elected to serve the students and families of the Queen Creek Unified School District,”
Davis wrote the Tribune.
“I am a mother who values parent involve ment and putting students first. I support teachers and understand that they are the foundation of our kid’s education. I hope that as a district and community we can continue to provide a quality learning experience and strive for excellence in the QCUSD.”
Davis worked with Brague on the board
If Connor Head looks like he’s having a good time, you’re right. And he wasn’t the only kid who had a blast Nov. 5 at the Horseshow Park & Equestrian Centre courtesy of the Town Council, which hosted a pancake breakfast and update on town projects, flu shots and a “touch-a-truck event for the children. For a look at other kids who joined in the fun, see page 10 (Quinton Kendall/Tribune Contributor)
vote for and that now nobody knows who called “golden ticket,” or a list of a political
“They know they’re angry. They know they hate inflation,” Brague said. “They suming that they don’t understand what it
not build a school,” he said. “The state’s not going to step in and cover it. And if you want to homeschool every kid in the state of Arizona, great. If you want all your kids to go to charter schools and not
“But if you think public schools have a value, which I do, you’re gonna have to ness for now and perhaps offer to mentor
Knox raised more than $8,400 for his campaign, far outpacing both Brague and quired for candidates to file a campaign
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Montana state legislator, Knox said, “I’ve had a long plan in place on getting in and how to win elections. This is not my first election. That’s for sure.
“I executed it and it’s always great to see any sort of project succeed. So, I was really excited. I had no doubt I was going to be on the board, it was just a matter of what that finally tally would be.”
Knox credits knocking on 10,000 doors and placing 120 campaign signs, far more than his opponents had, among his rea sons for victory.
He also credited his conservative polit ical credentials and vocal supporters that he encountered at his polling place on Election Day,
“I was more excited the day of the elec tion,” he said, and was encouraged by what people said to him when he was door knocking.
“’I like what you stand for,’” he said peo ple told him. “’I like that you’ve thought these things through and you realize that we have some issues that we have to ad dress and it’s going to be hard work.’”
Those issues will be pressing right out
of the gate, and will include finding a way to manage and pay for the rapid growth that the school district is facing now that the bond issue appeared head for defeat by a 56%-44% margin.
The district’s reaction to the measure’s failure was brief.
“QCUSD has been planning to install portable classrooms on certain cam puses to alleviate capacity during this period of hyper-growth,” district spokes woman Jessica Bautista said, adding that officials will continue to explore other funding options.
“District officials have been and will continue to seek funding from the School Facilities Oversight Board for future con struction projects,” Bautista wrote.
At a Chamber of Commerce luncheon earlier this fall, district Chief Financial Of ficer Jennifer Johnston laid out the need.
“The growth of our town and our school district is outpacing the buildings that we have right now,” she said. “We have seen extensive growth in our student enroll ment and we are working to maximize the facility space that we have.”
Queen Creek has built a new school in each of the last five years. There are more on the horizon with or without
bond money.
The bond would have been used to help pay for two new elementary schools, ex pansions, renovations and upgrades to athletics facilities at existing schools, the completion of Eastmark High and for major renovations to Queen Creek high school – among numerous other up grades and repairs..
The district has budgeted $5.5 for two dozen portable classrooms which, accord ing to Johnston, will meet the growth de mands, but only temporarily.
“We are approaching capacity rapidly at many of our school sites,” Johnston said. “We would love to build permanent class room space but those funds just aren’t there right now. These portables would just get us to 2025.”
Knox, who opposed the bond, said por tables will work just fine for students and teachers alike.
“I think we need to put our egos aside,” Knox said. “I say that because I hear a lot of people bashing the fact that ‘modulars are tacky. We’re above that.’ Those are words that I have heard some people on the board use. And we need to put out egos aside and get the space required and needed by our students first.”
Knox said that the portable class rooms can take care of the immediate space needs and provide an adequate student-teacher ratio. He acknowl edged that portable classrooms are not a long-term solution, but that continuing to ask voters to approve bond mea sures has proven to be a non-starter in Queen Creek.
The town defeated a $256-million bond initiative last year.
“Hey, I’d love to build a new school in the sense of brick and mortar but we’ve gone to the taxpayers multiple times and asked for money and they keep saying ‘no,’ Knox said.
“So do we keep doing the same thing expecting a different outcome, kinda the definition of insanity?” Or do we sit here and say ‘let’s work to make this work with what we have and that means taking a dif ferent approach, ’” he said.
Davis had the opposite reaction to the bond failing, expressing disappointment.
“We will continue to lobby the state to provide funding for education,” Davis said. “We will continue to pro vide a quality education for all stu
Two candidates endorsed at the op posite ends of the political spectrum lead the election for two Chandler Unified Governing Board.
Kurt Rohrs, who was endorsed by the Purple for Parents group, and Patti Serrano, endorsed by Arizona List, each had 23% of the vote in the latest unoffi cial results released before the Tribune’s print deadline.
Serrano would be the first Latina elect ed to the CUSD Board if she holds on and wins a seat and Rohrs will be sitting on the dais he has frequently stood before as a citizen to speak at board meetings.
Trailing them were incumbent Lara Bruner and Charlotte Golla, each with 19%, and Marilou Estes with 14%.
They are running for the seats currently held by Lindsay Love, who decided not to seek reelection and Bruner, who is seeking a second term.
The Purple for Parents group, which supports parental rights and opposes Critical Race Theory, which is not taught
PATTI SERRANO KURT ROHRin CUSD schools. He also opposes doing away with the Aggregate Expenditure Limit (AEL), which is a 1980 Constitu tional amendment that limits how much school districts can spend.
He called it protection for taxpayers.
Serrano said she would repeal the AEL and let the legislature decide how much money to give to the districts. The legis lature passes an override each year to get
around the AEL.
Serrano was born to immigrant parents in southern Arizona. She graduated from Hamilton High School and earned a Bach elor of Science degree in microbiology at Arizona State University. She specializes in children’s health.
Arizona List describes itself as a “state wide membership network that works to recruit, train, support and elect pro-
choice Democratic women running for office in Arizona.”
Rohrs has lived in Chandler since 1995 and sent his three children to CUSD schools. He has a college degree in chem istry and a masters of business adminis tration in finance.
He worked for 18 years as an executive at a tech company. He’s now a financial advisor who also substitute teaches at CUSD schools.
“I have talked to hundreds of people in the last two weeks or so,” Rorhs wrote the Tribune. “Most of them want to get back to academics as the primary goal of edu cation with a particular focus on job skills training so that students gain something useful when finish their time with us.”
Golla was also endorsed by Purple for People group and the Chandler Chamber of Commerce. She gave up her corporate job to be a stay-at-home mom to her chil dren. Golla has been volunteering at local schools, mostly as a fundraiser.
The Chandler Chamber also endorsed Bruner. Save Our Schools, the political arm of the Red for Ed movement, endorsed Serrano and Estes.
dents. We will continue to strive for ex cellence. I think that as voters we need to get more involved and gain a better un derstanding of why local schools districts are forced to ask the tax payers for bonds.
“There will be many discussions about the next steps in the coming months but I am confident that our district will thrive despite the failure of the bond because we have great families, amazing teachers and dedicated administrators who are going to fight for students,” she said.
Queen Creek Schools superintendent Dr. Perry Berry seemed to have an inkling that the measure could be headed for de feat. During that Chamber of commerce luncheon, Berry brought data, charts, graphs, and a cadre of PR people to ed ucate business leaders about the impor
tance of the bond measure, but said then that it was facing an uphill battle, and in asmuch predicted its demise.
“We’re trying to plan for a future with the bond and plan for the future without the bond. Either way, the growth is com ing,” Berry said.
NEIGHBORHOOD from page 1
opment services director said.
“So, we’re talking about going through the rezoning process using the Gener al Plan as a guide. Think of the General Plan as the town’s road map for growth, for land use decisions and for growth management.”
The plan includes a category called Neighborhood, and that’s whate Burning ham and his staff have been directed to consider amending.
At 2,825 acres, the Neighborhood cate gory was conceived with housing flexibili ty in mind in Queen Creek’s early days, al lowing for multiple construction options.
“So, we were essentially asked to review the Neighborhood category and come up with some options that might look at re stricting multifamily in the Neighborhood category,” Burningham said.
No one could have envisioned the growth that has occurred and the resulting rush to build apartments to accommodate it –some complexes with up to eight units per square acre – that wind up next to upper end single family residences.
And the growth is not slowing down.
Last fiscal year, Queen Creek issued 900 multi-family housing permits.
But Mayor-Elect Julia Wheatley worries such an influx of high-density residential units, if not well-planned, will threaten the integrity of the town’s original vision.
“While our general plan was well in tended,” Wheatley said, “it really did not envision a trend where in one fiscal year 1/3 of all of our housing permits were multi-family. I believe that’s a departure from our general plan, and from the orig inal founders’ vision for the community. “
Councilman Robin Benning worries that apartment construction will get out of hand if not addressed and well-managed.
“When I first came to Queen Creek and the mid-90s, I thought we would never see apartments to south of the Queen Creek Wash,” Benning said at the most recent Town Council meeting.
“And when I look at this map, I envision a whole lot of applications for multifamily even if it is high priced luxury multifamily, he said. “I still see a lot of applications on that map and you know the one that really scares me are the special places like the box canyon.
“If that whole thing would go to, you know, some really good land use attorney comes in here and says you’ve got to ap
prove it. I have concerns that my own kids could not live in Queen Creek except in my bedroom where I haven’t been able to kick them out yet. :
Benning admitted, “It’s moving a lit tle quickly for me. Because inflation and home prices and the price. What is consid ered affordable has moved so fast. I can’t keep up. I really struggle.”
Vice Mayor Jeff Brown and Wheat ley, during the council meeting, agreed that apartments should be restricted to three areas.
“Along the freeway corridor, near job centers, and the Town Center,” Brown said. “And I can agree with that. I don’t know exactly how you go about that.”
Going about that requires a General Plan amendment. Under that scenario, apart ments would be limited to the center of town, which already allows for apartments, “a lot like Gilbert,” Burningham said.
They also would be allowed in trans portation corridors, where Queen Creek borders the State Route 24, and in high employment centers.
Many of the employment centers are still in the planning process, such as the $2.8-bil lion LG electric vehicle battery plant at the corner of Germann and Ironwood roads.
Until a General Plan amendment is ap proved, Burningham said there is no offi cial slowdown or apartment moratorium in Queen Creek.
Multi-family applications are not on hold, nor will the existing ones be idled.
“My department’s job is to help shepherd those applications through,” he said, “So nothing will stop. Nothing will slow down. Our job is to help the development commu nity permit and process applications.”
But developer Jason Barney, who has worked collegially with the town on vari ous projects, said developers who are pay ing attention to the discussion in town are very likely to reduce forward momentum on multifamily housing plans.
That effectively will slow permit appli cations even before the town takes any official action.
But Barney said the town needs multi family housing, stating, “The conversation is no longer “no,” but “where.”
Even when the town sorts this out, Queen Creek will still face affordable single family housing options, and the jobs that the town is attracting are not paying enough to af ford a house or even an apartment.
With a median home price of $625,000 and a 2-bedroom apartment going for close
The town’s color-coded map shows areas targeted for certain types of development. (Town of Queen Creek)
to $2,500, many people who want to live here are simply priced out of the market.
“Just a few weeks ago, we were talking about a new employer coming into the com munity, all excited about what we consider to be well paying jobs,” Benning said. “And if I remember, the number was about $80,000.
“Which means not one, not one of those people could afford an apartment or a house in the town of Queen Creek and suddenly, those don’t seem like well-pay ing jobs to me at all.”
There are currently 3,669 multi-family units existing, under construction, or with an approved site plan in Queen Creek. Because the housing stock is so new, Queen Creek trails neighboring suburbs in multifamily as a percentage of total hous ing units available in town at only 5%. That compares to 30% in Chandler, 28%
in Mesa and 17% in Gilbert.
However, according the town’s data, that number will rise to 13% in Queen Creek when projects that are under construction or have been approved are completed.
It does not take into account the proj ects that have been proposed.
Even if the council does approve a Gen eral Plan amendment to adjust the Neigh borhood land use category, that won’t do anything in the near term to reduce the demand for, and lack of, affordable multi family housing.
Burningham and his staff have already started looking for ways to amend the Neighborhood category that will both address the needs of the community and council’s concerns.
“We expect to be back in front of them in December,” Burningham said.
The Pinal County Attorney’s Of fice has filed two felony charges against d a 9-year-old boy who brought a gun and loaded ammunition clip onto the campus of a Queen Creek Charter school.
The unidentified youngster was charged with minor possessing a firearm and interference of disruption of an edu cational institution.
The County Attorney’s office said the charges came “after careful consider ation of the facts and evidence” – though Queen Creek Police also had recom mended those charges.
The statement went on to say that the boy’s parents, identified by police as Bri ana Juarez and Keith Martinez, will not face any charges, nor are they likely to.
“There is no reasonable likelihood of conviction against the juvenile’s parents for any crime.” Pinal County Attorney Kent Volkmer wrote.
He added, “Given the inherent danger involved with a gun being on a school campus, PCAO must take this seriously. However, it is important to appreciate that the juvenile justice system is fo cused on rehabilitation and correcting behavior and that will be our focus.”
The student brought the gun and ammunition clip to Legacy Traditional School in a backpack and showed a sin gle bullet to a fellow student, who then alerted their parents.
Those parents notified Legacy offi cials, who waited for the child to arrive at school the next day. At that point, they ushered the juvenile offender to a secure location, searched his backpack, seized the weapon and called police who and launched an investigation.
“QCPD commends the student who saw something suspicious at school the day before the incident and informed an adult,” Queen Creek Police Chief Randy Brice wrote when the incident became public.
“We encourage all caregivers to teach
their children to say something if they see something,” Brice wrote. “QCPD also urges all caregivers with firearms in their homes to secure them in a way that no child in the house will be able to obtain access to the firearm.”
Legacy promptly placed school Prin cipal Megan Alvarado on administrative leave after the incident occurred. She was reinstated following the police in vestigation after undergoing additional safety training.
“Prior to returning from administra tive leave, Principal Alvarado complet ed additional school safety and security training, and is currently working as part of a school safety team that will regularly review security procedures and emergency response,” a Legacy statement said.
“This incident was an opportunity for Legacy - Queen Creek to further improve its safety and communication protocol,” the statement read.
Legacy officials say that Alvarado and Legacy administrators now have
the ongoing responsibility of provid ing teachers and staff members with updates and ongoing training on security protocols to ensure they all un derstand measures in place to keep the school safe.
According to the Queen Creek Police Department’s investigation, the student who brought the weapon told detectives during an interview that “he carried the firearm for self-protection ‘from a poten tial abduction’ as he traveled to and from school by himself.”
Detectives found no evidence that the boy had any plans to use the weap on, collaborate with others or any specific motives to harm anyone with the firearm.
Town police said at the time of the inci dent, “In addition to protecting the com munity, the Juvenile Court System has the mission of nurturing positive change in the child.”
The Legacy Schools’ website says pos sessing a weapon on campus could lead to expulsion “even for a first offense.”
It’s not allowed in 44 states but the U.S. Supreme Court refused last week to void an Arizona law that allows crim inal trials to be conducted with juries of just eight people.
Without comment, the majority of the justices upheld the statute that says that a 12-member jury is necessary only when the crime charged carries a prison term of 30 years or more.
They saw no reason to even address the law given that Ramin Khorrami faced no more than 12.5 years on charges of theft and fraudulent schemes in connec tion with his bid to extort money from a married woman with whom he was hav ing an affair.
The high court in 1970 refused to dis turb a Florida law that allowed someone to be convicted by a six-member jury. But the decision not to even review the law drew a stinging dissent from Jus tice Neil Gorsuch, appointed to the court
in 2017, who said that 1970 ruling “was wrong the day it was decided.’’
“It remains wrong today,’’ he continued. “And it impairs both the integrity of the American criminal justice system and the liberties of those who come before our na tion’s courts.’’
Only Justice Brett Kavanaugh sided with Gorsuch.
According to court records, Khorrami began a romantic relationship in 2012 with a woman living in Arizona. She told him she planned to leave her husband.
A year later the relationship soured and he threatened to tell her husband unless she paid him $30,000 and continued the affair. Eventually, after paying him another $4,000, she realized he would not keep his end of the bargain and told her husband, who reported Khorrami to the police.
The eight-member jury unanimously convicted him of the two charges. He was placed on probation which included a two-month jail term.
Only later, on appeal, did he say he was constitutionally entitled to a 12-member
jury, an argument rejected by the state Court of Appeals which the Arizona Su preme Court refused to overturn. That led to his petition to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Attorney General Mark Brnovich urged the justices to spurn the request, citing the precedent of the 1970 decision. And he ar gued that reversing that ruling would up set not just the law in Arizona but also in Connecticut, Florida, Indiana, Massachu setts and Utah.
Gorsuch, however, called that 1970 rul ing an aberration to what he said has been centuries of understanding and precedent requiring a 12-member jury.
It starts, he said, with the Sixth Amend ment requiring a trial by jury.
“A mountain of evidence suggests that, both and the time of the amendment’s adoption and for most of our nation’s his tory, the right to a trial by jury for serious criminal offenses meant a trial before 12 members of the community – nothing less,’’ he wrote in his 10-page dissent, adding:
“By the time of the Sixth Amendment’s
adoption, the 12-person criminal trial was an institution with a nearly 400-year-old tradition in England.’’
Gorsuch also pointed out that the court itself addressed the situation as far back as 1898 when it concluded a 12-person jury was clearly the intent of Congress.
All that changed in 1970, he said, when the majority simply assumed that the 12-member rule “rests on little more than mystical or superstitious insights’’ and suggested there was no reason to assume a smaller jury would be less fair.
“None of this supplies a sound basis for judicial tinkering with an ancient tradi tion,’’ Gorsuch said.
In fact, he said, evidence presented to the justices eight years after the 1970 de cision suggested that smaller juries are less likely to foster effective group delib eration and raised doubts about the accu racy of results. There even was the con clusion that as juries become smaller, the variance works against the defense.
TRIBUNE NEWS STAFF
Navy Veteran Paul Anaya lost most of his teeth in a grenade ex plosion while serving in Iraq.
“I have lived for a long time looking like a jack-o-lantern,” said Anaya, who served three tours overseas in the Gulf. “You know when someone is looking at you and they try to not stare at your mouth. Well, I got that every day. It gets to you and impacts your confidence.”
But thanks to Advanced Dental Im plant Center in Gilbert, the 52-year-old Mesa resident received the gift of a new smile, valued at $48,000.
Dr. Frank Nelson and his team gave Anaya a full-mouth dental implant that secured a permanent bridge or new teeth on the upper and lower arches of his mouth.
The dental procedure, commonly known as fixed-arch dental implants, is an advanced procedure that Nelson com pletes daily for patients.
“It’s as close to real teeth as you can
get,” Nelson explained. “But even be yond what the transformation will do for Paul’s physical appearance, we see every day the impact it has on our patients’
overall well-being.
Dr. Frank Nelson of Advanced Dental Im plant Center, left, gave Iraq war veteran and retired U.S. Navy sail or Paul Anaya of Mesa a welcome gift: new teeth to replace the ones he lost in com bat. (Special to the Tri bune)
honor him for his service. Our hope is that with a healthy smile, his health will improve, he will become more hireable, and this will lead to a more stable life.”
Anaya noted that the last time he bit into an apple, his remaining tooth fell out.
“I would like to be able to eat steak again and actually chew it will be great,” he said.
According to the American College of Prosthodontists, 178 million Americans are missing at least one tooth and more than 35 million Americans are missing all their teeth on one or both arches.
For most military veterans, like Anaya, dental care is not included in their mili tary benefits.
“I am most looking forward to having people look at me like I am not a mon ster,” Anaya said. “I want to be able to smile and not worry about my mouth.”
“This is a new start for Paul and we feel privileged to be able to help Paul and to honor him this Veterans Day for his sac rifice and service to our country.”
Nelson said he wanted to help Anaya after he came to the practice in need of dental care and could not afford it.
“We learned how he has devoted a lot of time trying to help others, working with other veterans,” Nelson said.”He was not able to eat very well, which af fected his diet choices and this affected his health.
“Due to his accident, dentures would not have worked well because of his bone loss. We knew we would be able to help him and decided to help him as a way to
“For someone to alter your life like this and help you like this, it just doesn’t seem to happen anymore,” he said. “When I served in the Navy, I spent more time away from my family and for someone to recognize that and want to help me now, I am just so grateful.”
Advanced Dental Implant Center clin ics specialize in providing lifelong alter native to dentures through fixed-arch dental implants.
Its doctors doctors are among the few in the country who routinely place zygomatic- and pterygoid-style dental implants, allowing patients with severe bone loss to receive permanent implants.
Information: advancedimplants. com.
And Gorsuch said there has been other research since.
“These studies suggest that 12-member juries deliberate longer, recall informa tion better, and pay greater attention to dissenting voices,’’ he said.
The bottom line, Gorsuch said, was the 1970 decision abandoned the historical understanding that a trial by jury meant 12 members on the panel “and enshrined in its place bad social science parading as law.’’
“That mistake continues to undermine the integrity of the nation’s judicial pro ceedings and deny the American people a liberty their predecessors long and justly considered inviolable,’’ he said.
“Today’s (Arizona) case presented us with an opportunity to correct the error and admit what we know the law is and has always been,’’ Gorsuch continued. “Respect fully, we should have done just that.’’
Youngsters enjoyed the “touch-a-truck” feature that Queen Creek Council sponsored as part of a pancake breakfast, flu shot event and other activities on Nov. 5 at Horseshoe Park & Eques trian Centre. Kids and adults got to peek inside the construction, utility and emergency vehicles that move dirt, dig holes, fix traffic signals and respond to emergencies. Among those who enjoyed the activity were 1) a tot whose parents identified as Blair; 2) Ava Vermeyes and Kenny Vermeyes; 3) Sylas McCurdy and Indie McCurdy; 4) Zane Marrill; 5) Zoey Marrill; and 6) a youngster identified only as Liliana.
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 antidepressants 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, numbness, balance problems. A lack of nutrients causes the nerves degenerate – an insidious
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 “Band-Aid” over a situation that will only continue to deteriorate without further action.
Thankfully, Mesa is the birthplace of a brandnew facility that sheds new 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.
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-of-the-art electric cell signaling systems worth $100,000.00.
Th is 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
As displayed in figure 1 above, the nerves are surrounded by diseased, withered blood vessels. A lack of sufficient nutrients means the nerves
Effective neuropathy treatment relies on the following three factors:
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 than 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.
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Depending on your coverage, your peripheral neuropathy treatment could cost almost nothing – or be absolutely free.
Aglobal pandemic couldn’t stop Bill Miles’ Summer Breeze from blow ing into town.
In 2019, Bill Miles started the Summer Breeze Music Project to rekindle interest in the feel-good tunes of the 1960s, 70s, and 80s. With the pandemic blowing over, Miles said interest in his musical stylings has been renewed.
“My goal is every time I perform is to just make people feel good and enjoy it,” Miles said.
The 60-year-old Mesa musician started his career when he was 14 as an orchestra pit percussionist for the Illinois Theatre Center equity theater in Park Forest, Illi nois. Miles said it snowballed from there.
Miles attended Northern Illinois Univer sity in Dekalb, Illinois, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in music education in 1985.
Bill Miles is the former Queen Creek High School band direc tor. He now lives in Mesa and has launched a project called Summer Breeze. (David Min ton/Tribune Staff Photographer)
world after Canada’s Montreal Interna tional Jazz Festival.
Miles also recalled a performance in the town of Wolfenbüttel, Germany, with the most unique venue and compensation for his services.
“We played out in the street on the cob blestone,” Miles said. “They gave the band payment in bratwurst and beer.”
Miles spent much of his career perform ing as a drummer and singer for various bands around Chicago. That’s where he met his wife Pam.
In 1994, Miles played at a Greek restau rant in Itasca, Illinois, and the singer in the band he played for introduced them. They married in 1996 and have two daughters, Amber and Maddie.
In 1998, Miles moved to Queen Creek and took a role as the Queen Creek High School band director and left in 2005 to begin a corporate job as a web developer by day.
He performed as a percussionist with the NIU Jazz Ensemble all over the United States and Europe. He said some of his most memorable performances include playing in Swit zerland’s Montreux Jazz Festival, the second-largest annual jazz festival in the
People will have a chance to help a Gilbert horse rescue and meet a lo cal girl who is among the world’s youngest female authors at Wildhorse Ranch’s annual bake sale and boutique. The event will be held 10 .m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 19, at Wildhorse Ranch at 11811 S. Lindsay Rad, Gilbert. Overflow parking is five minutes away at the CVS on the northeast corner of Lindsay and E. Warner roads, though handicapped park ing is available at the ranch.
While learning more about Wildhorse’s mission and choosing from what the res
cue promises will be “delectable goodies” and the wares of local vendors, people also can meet Kyra Mishra, who at age 6 ½ published a book titled “Kids, Horses and Apples: Come Join My Horsey Fun” earlier this year.
Kyra, who received an appreciation letter from The World Book of Records in London for publishing a book at such a young age, “has been contributing in kind and monetarily towards horse res cue organizations; following the book sales on Amazon and during her book signing at Barnes & Noble,” said her mother, Isha Mishra.
Kyra will have a table at the bake sale,
Kyra Mishra of Gilbert is among the world’s youngest published female authors. (Tribune file photo)
Miles briefly performed at night in a lo cal classic rock band called Mojo Jam for
selling autographed copies of her book, with proceeds going to Wildhorse Rescue.
Kyra has been supporting a horse named Dewey at Wildhorse Rescue. Dewey is a
private parties and small events.
In 2015, with his two daughters grown and out of the house, Miles said he got an idea.
Miles sat playing his grand piano at his new home in Mesa and said he felt the time was right and spent the next few years col lecting “feel good favorite” song ideas.
In February 2020, Miles played his first Summer Breeze Music Project gig at the Chandler Senior Center.
Miles said his favorite song growing up was “Summer Breeze” by Seals and Crofts, and that inspired him to use it as the name for his project.
“I used to hear it all the time and it just gave me a really good feeling,” Miles said. “And since the whole concept of Summer Breeze Music Project is feel good, favorite music, I thought what a great name for it.”
Miles covers more than 100 other songs from various artists including Elton John, James Taylor, Neil Diamond, and The Doo bie Brothers.
He performs those at various venues around the East Valley such as Las Sendas Patio & Grill in Mesa, Gold Stallion restau rant in Gold Canyon, and Pier 54 restau
rant in Tempe.
As the threat of the COVID-19 subsided, Miles said his gigs have continually in creased but there are still some challenges.
“Even though my act receives high praise pretty much everywhere I perform, finding new bookings at various new ven ues has been a challenge,” Miles said.
Miles said “music is an addiction” and the feeling it gives the audience and him keeps him coming back for more.
“The great thing about music is you can do it forever,” Miles said. “I think that kind of keeps you young at heart.”
Miles has a well-rounded repertoire that makes his one-man show entertaining with acoustic guitar, he enjoys playing the piano.
“It’s just so logical to me,” Miles said. “I kind of take to it like a duck to water.”
Miles said he eventually wants to grow his one-man act to add a lead guitarist and a saxophone player and grow the band to at least a quartet.
But for now, Miles said he just wants to “to perform and entertain for people who appreciate that genre and that era of music.”
To learn more about his music and how to arrange a gig: summerbreezemusicproject.com/Bio
$10,000 in prize winnings but then lost his vision in an accident.
“His owner abandoned him and sold him to an auction house for a kill pen,” Isha said, “but then, Wildhorse rescued him and he is now very healthy and well taken care of.”
She added that her daughter even wrote a poem about Dewey, which attendees at the bake sale can see.
Kyra’s book is based on her experiences as a 4-year-old with a horse named Cow boy, the first one she ever rode.
“He’s a grumpy horse and everybody told me to stay away from him,” Kyra recalled.
But remembering her mother’s advice to trust her instincts, Kyra did trust the horse and the two became fast friends.
“They were good for each other,” Isha said in an interview several months ago. “She would give apples to Cowboy and he started recognizing her and started neigh ing. They just connected.”
Kyra’s primary interest since becom ing a published author is seeing her book raise money for horse rescues.
“I thought that abandoned horse need ed help,” Kyra said. “And I wanted to share
my story with lots of kids.”
The book has been getting kudos, with mostly five-star ratings on Amazon.
“What an excellent book. Bless this girl for writing it,” one customer noted while another wrote, “It is educational and inspiring book for children, espe cially for those children and parents who love animals.”
Another wrote, “Amazing book for young children. Inspiring, educative and fun! My 8-year-old enjoyed reading this book. Excellent book with a great story and very educative!”
The title for the youngest to publish a book belongs to a British girl, who was 5 years and 211 days old, according to Guin ness World Records. The youngest boy to achieve that distinction was 4 years and 356 days old.
Kyra put pen to paper in 2021 as a kin dergartener and wrote the book in bits and pieces, taking one to two weeks to accomplish her task. She’s dedicated the book to sister, Amaira, who’s soon turning 4 months old.
The book is available in paperback and on Kindle on amazon.com and is available at Barnes & Noble.
Withthe pandemic subsiding, wedding bells have been toll ing more frequently this year –much to Shayna Clute’s delight.
Clute is president and owner of True So ciety Bridal Shop, a global retail collective that opened its eighth location in Mesa.
The wedding industry expert said she draws upon her own experience to help brides of all shapes and sizes walk down the aisle in style.
“We just want to delight her senses as much as we can surprise her,” Clute said.
According to The Wedding Report, ex perts predict 2022 could see nearly 2.5 million weddings in the U.S. Many of those ceremonies were rescheduled from 2020, when the pandemic force months-long shutdowns of any public gathering spot.
Clute has worked in the wedding in dustry for more than 20 years, nearly the same amount of time she’s known her husband, Scott.
She said that while some traditions re main, more couples want to make their weddings unique – including their attire.
“They’re still clinging on to tradition, but I feel like they’re infusing more of who they are as a couple into the wedding,” Clute said. “And they’re making their day their day.”
Clute said the dress “sets the tone for the day” and remains the focal point for most brides today.
She reminisces on her own experience in selecting her gown as she helps her clients.
“I draw upon that moment, like finding my dress and my dress shopping experi ence, because it makes me stay grounded,” Clute said.
Clute said her stylist helped make her wedding special and that’s why she has
carefully picked her team of stylists – the ones who help a bride pick the right gown and accessories.
That’s also why Clute “painstakingly” picked accessories that coordinate with the gowns, so every bride can experience their signature “say yes” moment with no regret.
“I’ve been in the industry for so long that I’ve tried just about every collection that’s out there,” Clute said.
Clute opened Luxe Bridal shop in Minne sota in 2010 with her husband. It sold wed ding dresses for plus-size women and was even featured on the Today Show in 2013.
Now, Clute joins the international True Society brand, which presents itself as “a positive and inclusive destination for brides of every shape, size and style,” ac cording to a press release.
“I think a woman’s shopping experience should not change because of her size,” Clute said.
Clute brings new levels of luxury to the Valley with international award-winning designers Essense of Australia, Stella York, Martina Liana, All Who Wander, and Ox ford Street.
From classic to boho, lace to sparkle, the shop offers styles to meet a variety of tastes and budgets and offers gowns in sizes 2-34.
“I’m passionate about that because I’ve been all shapes and sizes throughout my life,” Clute said.
While wedding dress sizes derive from a European size chart, Clute said she wants to help all her customers find the perfect dress.
“So, we want to make sure that it’s less about the size, and more about the con struction and quality of the gown, and the fit,” she said.
The Wedding Report also found that couples will spend an average of more
than $24,000 on their wedding.
While budget cuts and guest count re ductions are consistent this year, The Wedding Report found 87% of couples ar en’t having issues finding what they need.
Unlike other industries when the economy gets tough, Clute said the brid al dress industry remains somewhat “recession-proof” because it hasn’t seen too much of an increase in the price of ma terials.
“They’re not jumping historically at all,” Clute said. “There’s just small increments that we’re seeing, but we’re really not see ing it affecting us in our stores.”
Despite the pandemic in 2020 and infla tion in 2022, Clute said brides still want to walk down the aisle looking special.
“I think it goes back to people willing to pay for experiences coming back from COVID who want to celebrate with their family and friends,” Clute said.
As a family operation, Clute said she has conversations about the business with her husband every day, though he works on the corporate side.
Clute said she’s really excited for what the future holds for the store and how she can work other small businesses in the area.
Featuring custom-built fitting rooms along with all the signature touches that put True Society on the bridal map – in cluding cupcakes, candies or cookies – Clute said she’s looks forward also to collaborating with other businesses to heighten the experience of the dress shop ping experience.
“I think that’s really important to us in being a part of that collective here in the East Valley and just reaching out and working with other small businesses and helping them,” Clute said.
Information: 1837 W. Guadalupe Road, Mesa; 480-590-7988, truesociety. com/locations/mesa-az
you read this column, the 2022 Elec tion will be over.
Unless, of course, Joe Biden’s “friendly warning” of Nov. 2 has become reality.
In a screed that White House speech writers titled “Standing Up for Democra cy,” the current occupant at 1600 Penn sylvania Ave. attempted to make the po litical case for Democrats by demonizing those who oppose them.
“Extreme MAGA Republicans,” he again called the group traditionally known as “the loyal opposition.”
And because so many Democrat office holders were falling behind in opinion polls, Biden sought to inoculate any fel
low party members who might have had a hand in supervising the polls where Americans cast their ballots, and the way in which those ballots were counted.
WhenAfter citing the millions who opted for early voting, the Chief Executive rational ized why the American people ought to expect and accept delayed results.
“That means, in some cases, we won’t know the winner of the election for a few days—until a few days after the elec tion…it’s important for citizens to be pa tient as well.”
While patience is a virtue, most citizens see nothing virtuous in rising prices, rising crime rates, and rising numbers of illegal aliens invading across an open border.
Instead, they see America in decline.
Unable to make the case for his own misguided policies, Ol’ Joe turned to his
marketing experts. They, in turn, con cocted a slogan for the remaining days of the 2022 Campaign.
“Democracy itself is on the ballot!”
Huh?
Not exactly “ I Like Ike!”
A far cry from “54-40 or Fight!”
Light years behind “Tippecanoe and Tyler Too!”
Democrat consultants may have hon estly believed that their latest word com bination would unlock urgency in the hearts and minds of enough voters to make a difference, but that modern slo ganeering simply led to jeering.
Finding the slogan both overwrought and insulting, one right-of-center voter responded thusly: “I heard what Biden had to say, so I took a very close look at my ballot when I went to vote early. I didn’t see any candidate named ‘Democracy,’ so
I guess Joe is just confused again!”
Granted, that response wasn’t as snap py as the rejoinder to Barry Goldwater’s 1964 slogan in his pursuit of the White House. That year, the GOP appeal was as unfortunate as the outcome of the elec tion: “In your heart, you know he’s right!”
Almost reflexively, Goldwater’s oppo nents countered, “In your guts, you know he’s nuts!” The result, of course, was the landslide validation of the Democrat slo gan, “All the way with LBJ!”
Now, almost 60 years later, voter atti tudes have once again changed. That’s why the reaction to both Joe Biden and his desperate-sounding slogan were so dismissive.
Simply stated, Ol’ Joe was confirming the bitter partisanship he equates with
story claimed headlines early on an August Thurs day as a perfect sign of the times. A fourth-grader from Queen Creek, 9 years old, was arrested at Legacy Tra ditional School for toting a gun to school stuffed in a book bag.
The armed child showed another stu dent a bullet. That kid saw something and said something that night at home. The concerned parents contacted the school. The next morning, school officials searched the child’s backpack and found the gun and an ammunition clip loaded with 16 rounds. The Queen Creek cops were summoned.
The story resurfaced last week when the Pinal County Attorney, Kent Volkmer,
announced he would be pursuing two fel ony charges against the 9-year-old, who told police he brought the gun to school to protect against a “possible abduction” since he traveled from home to school and back solo.
TheVolkmer charged the student with two Class 6 felonies: being a minor in posses sion of a firearm and interference with an educational institution.
“Given the inherent danger involved with a gun being on a school campus, PCAO must take this seriously,” said Volk mer in a press release.It’s a charging de cision I agree with, especially given Volk mer’s mention that “the juvenile justice system is focused on rehabilitation and correcting behavior, and that will be our focus.”
That’s where I’ll part ways with the County Attorney, however. Volkmer punt ed when it came to the parents in this
case, deciding not to charge Briana Juarez and Keith Martinez while citing the ageold prosecutor’s excuse for the free pass:
“There is no reasonable likelihood of conviction against the juvenile’s parents for any crime,” said Volkmer
I disagree. So did the Queen Creek Police Department, which in September recom mended that the parents each be charged with one misdemeanor count of contrib uting to the delinquency of a minor.
Their crime? The parents failed to se cure the weapon, giving the kid a chance to snatch the gun and endanger an entire school.
The mom, Juarez, told police they kept the weapon locked away in a dresser, a point she later clarified by saying the dresser wasn’t locked, but the gun had a lock on it.
Regardless, case documents indicate the gun lock was missing in action when
the 9-year-old grabbed the gun.
Fortunately, the student had no plans to shoot up Legacy Traditional, according to police. The court documents instead depict a boastful child, a kid who showed off a bullet and also told his classmates he could get his hands on pills, wine, guns and booze.
It’s no wonder the incident managed to frighten kids like third-grader Jared Arizmendi, who told AZFamily reporters, “My teachers told me it was all going to be fine. (But) I thought we were all going to die in that moment.”
I believe in the Second Amendment as many Arizonans do. I don’t want to take your guns away – though these parents are a notable exception.
That’s because I believe with equal in tensity in responsible gun ownership and
his own political survival.
It’s what Biden and others of his ilk left unsaid—the attitude behind the slo gan—that both amuses and infuriates Republicans. Conservatives believe the true sentiment expressed is this: “De mocracy is only served when Democrats are elected!”
That’s why the betting here is that the successful two-word slogan House Re publicans used way back in 1946 will prove as successful this year.
“Had enough?”
responsible parenting. Keeping a loaded handgun in a drawer when you have a 9-year-old in the house? That’s courting disaster.
Queen Creek Police Chief Randy Brice nailed it when he urged “all caregivers with firearms in their homes to secure them in a way that no child in the house will be able to obtain access to the fire arm.”
Arizona law defines delinquency with crystal clarity. It “means any act that tends to debase or injure the morals, health or welfare of a child.”
Maybe Volkmer couldn’t have found a jury to convict the parents of contribut ing to their kid’s delinquency, but it would have been worth having a jury or judge decide if this isn’t criminal bad parenting, then what is?
Share Your Thoughts: Send your letters on local issues to: pmaryniak@ timeslocalmedia.com
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PedroGomez’s death on Jan. 7 in his Ahwatukee home sent shockwaves throughout the sports industry.
The ESPN reporter was immensely pop ular, most notably for his coverage of base ball for several years on the broadcast gi ant’s family of networks. It also shocked the Ahwatukee community, where he moved his family to 25 years ago.
Gomez was only 58 when he suddenly passed away. He was honored for his work then and now, almost a year later, was honored once again. On Tuesday, Nov. 1 at Chateau Luxe in north Phoenix, Gomez was among the six individuals inducted into the Arizona Sports Hall of Fame. His name now resides alongside other im pactful sports icons the state has seen.
“This is just an incredible day, an in credible experience,” Rio said. “I think the Arizona Sports Hall of Fame really embodies him. Baseball was his passion but Arizona, he loved. This was always his home. To be able to have both of those – Arizona and sports – come together, it’s as good as it gets.”
Rio was joined by his brother, Dante, and other family members at the ceremo ny to represent their father. To this day he still wears a bracelet in honor of his father. He said he never takes it off.
Looking down and touching the brace let while on the red carpet at the Hall of Fame induction ceremony, Rio smiled at the thought of his father being there with him in spirit. The two were close. The en tire family was.
Rio knows his father would appreciate the honor of being among Arizona’s elite.
“It feels like there’s always a little piece of him with me,” Rio said. “So, right now, we’re walking the red carpet. I think he would be really proud of the moment.”
Gomez was inducted into the Hall of Fame alongside several other icons, includ ing Xavier girls’ basketball coach Jennifer
Gillom, former NAU Lumberjack basket ball player Peggy Kennedy and philanthro pist and active member of premier Arizona sporting events Michael Kennedy, who was represented by Dawn Kennedy.
Arizona Cardinals great Larry Fitzgerald was also inducted as well as Seton Catho lic girls’ basketball coach Karen Self, who is already in the Hall of Fame at Seton and the Arizona Basketball Coaches Associa tion and will be inducted into the Chan dler Sports Hall of Fame next year.
“I think I said, ‘You’re kidding me,’ about 15 times,” Self said. “And then I said, ‘I can’t believe it,’ another 15 times. It’s just incredible and hard to believe … I feel like this is a really good opportunity to look back over the course of my career and be grateful for the amazing people I’ve en countered along the way and who have helped me in this process.”
Self’s resume speaks for itself.
The longtime coach of the Sentinels has won 12 state titles during her tenure. In
2020 she was named as the head coach of one of the McDonald’s All-American teams, the All-Star game dedicated to elite high school basketball players from across the country.
She’s helped develop several high-level Division I college basketball players and currently boasts a 775-155 record as a coach at Seton, which third all-time for the most wins by a coach in Arizona high school girls’ basketball.
This season she will pass Winslow leg end Don Petranovich, who finished his ca reer with 780 wins as a coach. Self could also pass Miner Webster before her career is over. Webster, who retired in 2018 from his position as head coach at Highland, leads the state with 816 wins. He was just recently named the new head girls’ bas ketball coach at Desert Ridge.
Despite her accolades, Self remains humble. She doesn’t like to have the rec ognition or spotlight, even though she ap preciates it. To her, it’s all about the girls
she coaches and people who have been with her at various points of her career.
“It feels amazing,” Self said. “And it feels like a great opportunity to thank the peo ple around me along the way.”
Self has no plans of slowing down any time soon. She’s excited for the upcoming season, and to showcase what some of her young players can do at the varsity level.
Her excitement level keeps her going every year. Until she wakes up and isn’t looking forward to the season, she plans to remain in the game and as a head coach.
“As long as I can still say that I am su per excited to start the season and that I love my team, I’ll be coaching,” Self said. “I feel like we’re going to be the typical Seton team, scrappy on defense and we’re excit ed about the shot clock.
“We’re going to try to be the best version of ourselves and see where it ends up.”
Oneof the most successful tour ing acts of the last decade, the Zac Brown Band is making the last on its “Out in The Middle Tour” at Chase Field on Saturday, Nov. 19.
Coy Bowles, who plays guitar and keys for the decorated country band, said the tour “has been going really, really well.”
“It’s pretty cathartic and there has been a lot going on in the world so not getting to play music for a considerable amount of time and then jumping back into a really well designed, well thought-out tour” has been great,” he said.
Bowles said the audience can expect a concert that features three different acts.
Phoenix, has always been a rewarding stopping point for the Zac Brown Band, and Bowles said the band is looking for ward to the concert.
The shows so far have been “feeling real ly good,” he said. “When you leave, you’re like, ‘Wow, that was a lot of music. We gave everybody what they came and showed up for.’ So, it’s been really cool. It’s exciting to get to take that to all these different cities, and Phoenix has always been great to us. We’ve always had great shows out there.”
If Bowles had to pick a favorite track that he and the rest of the band have per formed on the tour, he said the answer is easily the title track for the band’s latest album, “The Comeback.”
“When we were recording that song in the studio, it was really kind of an anthem of what it’s going to be like for everything to come back around,” he said. “
For Bowles, the track “paints a picture of what we just went through and where we’re at now.”
After the pandemic, he added, “It’s real ly hard not to just go, ‘Wow, man, I’m real ly grateful to be able to be with my friends
again on stage and make music.’”
Getting to perform at baseball fields is a sticking point for the Zac Brown Band. The Georgia natives are made up of “die hard” Atlanta Braves fans, so getting to go on tour and play at baseball fields, such as Chase Field, is something the band really enjoys doing and has almost a “majestic” feel to it.
In the past, the group has performed at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Truist Park in At lanta and Fenway Park in Boston – where they currently hold the record for most consecutive sold out shows.
“When we go play these baseball fields … it’s almost like wearing a superhero cape or something,” Bowles said. “Being able to be a part of what you are so into, there’s this super majestic part about the stadiums…You wouldn’t think it would be really good for music necessarily, but it does allow for a very chill, relaxing night for music in the way of the baseball fields are laid out.”
To date, the group has won three Gram my Awards, sold more than 30 million sin gles and 9 million albums, amassed over 10 billion catalog streams, and achieved 16 No. 1 radio singles. And while Bowles knows the band has released some incred ibly special work, he said “The Comeback,” may be the band’s best work to date.
“I remember leaving the studio and driving back home to Atlanta from Nash ville and just going, ‘Wow, this might be the best album we’ve ever recorded,’” Bowles said. “Something is going to hap pen because there’s just too much energy bound into this music and in this collec tion of songs for it not to.”
Speaking of awards, Bowles said he and the rest of the band try not to get too caught up in it all. While they are always beyond grateful for the recognition, the group re mains humble and focused on the “why.”
“It feels really good to be nominated. It feels really good to be to receive the awards and the accolades and things like
that, but that’s not really why we do it.” Bowles said, “The Comeback” feels simi lar to the albums “You Get What You Give” and “Uncaged,” but just more “seasoned.” To boot, he said Zac Brown, the Zac Brown Band’s frontman, sounds as good now as he ever has.
“We’re older now; we’ve got kids kind of thing, but we still have that magic exists within us collaborating with each other and whatnot,” Bowles said. “We decided that we were going to do things in a similar recording style that we had done before — let it (the music) be the band, not try to get into a lot of overdubbing and stuff like that. Try to let it be raw in the band.
“There’s something about being some one who’s in the prime of their life… and I think Zac’s voice sounds as good on this album as it ever has.”
The band released “The Comeback (Deluxe)” back on Sept. 30 and it fea tures Blake Shelton, James Taylor (who is Brown’s biggest influence), Cody Johnson and Ingrid Andress. Despite the deluxe al bum featuring some huge names, Bowles said the Zac Brown Band remains who they were when they released “The Foun dation” back in 2008 — “Georgia boys who love music.”
“If you were to have told me when I was 16 or 17, playing in my bedroom at my mom and dad’s house loud as hell, that I was going to be playing baseball fields and touring around and all that stuff, I would have told you are crazy,” he said.
What: Zac Brown Band w/Sam Hunt and Robert Randolph Band
Where: Chase Field, 401 E. Jefferson St., Phoenix
When: 6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 19 Cost: Tickets start at $30 Info: ticketmaster.com
I’malways looking for “the one.” You know, the one recipe that you can count on time and time again to be a crowd pleaser.
Sometimes you’ll send me recipes with in-depth stories about the memories behind the meals, which I love. Sometimes I’ll simply get a recipe saying it’s a family favorite.
I’ve come to know that if you believe the dish is good enough to pass along, more than likely it’s a win ner, and I’m grateful that its landed in my lucky hands. Now you have another one in the Southwest cui sine category – a fabulously simple, incredibly tasty recipe for New Mexico Chili Verde. There’s a great technique in the recipe that really adds to the flavor of the chile verde, one that I have come to use often in stews and chili.
Ingredients for Chili:
• 1 cup flour, browned
• 2 TBSP butter
• 1 large sweet yellow onion, diced
• 5 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 lb. lean pork meat (boneless pork chops, pork loin or pork shoulder), small cubed
• 2 TBSP cup olive oil, divided
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 tsp salt or more to taste
• 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
• 1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes
• 3-4 cups green chilies – roasted, peeled and chopped
Directions:
1. In a heavy frying pan over medium high heat, cook flour, stirring constantly, until flour is a light toast color. Set aside to cool.
2. In a Dutch oven or large skillet, add the butter and sauté the onion for 10 minutes, or until soft and translucent. Add garlic and cook for 3 minutes. Remove to a plate and set aside.
3. In the same skillet, over high heat, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and brown the pork until seared on the outside and cooked.
4. Add the onion and garlic mixture and salt, stirring to combine.
5. Stir in the browned flour, mixing thoroughly.
It’s flour that you heat up in a dry skillet until it turns light brown and imparts an amazing toasted nut aroma. Get those flour tortillas warmed up and pour yourself a big bowl of New Mexico Chile Verde.
• 1 tsp fresh oregano or dried Mexican oregano
• Toppings:
• Chopped green onions, grated cheddar cheese, sliced avocado and tortilla chips.
Ingredients for Dumplings:
• 1⁄2 cup all-purpose flour
• 3⁄4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1⁄2cup yellow cornmeal
• 1teaspoon baking powder
• 1 egg, beaten
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1 1⁄2 tablespoons cooking oil
6. Add chicken broth and over medium heat, cook until thickened.
7. Add tomato sauce, tomatoes green chile and oregano.
8. Cover and simmer for 50 minutes.
9. Meanwhile, make the dumplings. In a medium bowl, combine flour, cheddar cheese, cornmeal, and baking powder. In a small bowl, mix beaten egg, milk, and oil.
Add to flour mixture, and stir with a fork until just combined.
10. Drop dumplings by tablespoonfuls into chili.
Cover and cook for 15 minutes or until dump lings are cooked through.
