QUEEN CREEK TRIBUNE, DECEMBER 4, 2022

QC beefing up town’s park and rec system

BY MARK MORAN Tribune Staff Writer

Queen Creek is in the final stages of in fusing nearly 150 acres of new green space into its parks and recreation sys tem for the town’s booming population.

The town’s existing parks are currently strained by double-digit population growth and a constant demand for sports fields.

Crews just broke ground on Phase II of Man

BY KEN SAIN Tribune Staff Writer

Parental rights advocates in Arizona are celebrating huge gains, both in the Leg islature and at the ballot box.

Purple for Parents, a parental rights orga nization, endorsed 38 candidates in Novem ber’s school board elections across Arizona and unofficial results show that 20 of them won seats – including two in Scottsdale, one each in Gilbert’s two main districts, one in Chandler and one in Mesa.

“We’re very happy,” said Michelle Dillard, the president of Purple for Parents. “It’s great to have school board members elected that support parents’ rights and will promote ac ademics in the classroom.”

sel Carter Oasis Park near the corner of Sossa man and Ocotillo roads.

Once complete, the 62-acre $13.5 mil lion facility will host a big, existing ship wreck-themed splash pad and other water at tractions, a 5-acre fishing lake and skate plaza, six new sand volleyball courts, four pickleball courts, an outdoor fitness zone, open green space, new restrooms, and half a dozen new tennis courts.

“What’s special about it is putting more

tennis courts together in one location instead of spreading them around to enable the ten nis community to build in Queen Creek,” said Adam Robinson, town community services deputy director.

“Whenever they go to play tennis, they are playing together, they are connecting with other tennis players and that just helps to grow the sport,” he said. “And so, we’re kind

James Knox, the Queen Creek Unified Governing Board’s newest member come next month, was one of the school board candidates across the county endorsed by Purple for Parents who won their campaign. (David Minton/Tribune Staff Photographer)

Lawmakers demand session on school spending limit

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Though home to numerous sports organizations and sporting events as well as other gatherings, Bell Bank Park, marking a year next month, has not generated enough revenue. (Tribune file photo)

Bell Bank Park tapping reserves to avoid default

BY SCOTT SHUMAKER Tribune Staff Writer

Bell Bank Park operator Legacy Cares received authorization last week to dip into its last $22 million in cash as it scrambles to find a way out of default on a $280 million loan and maintain oper ations during talks with prospective lend ers who might take over its debt and give the park more time to become profitable.

The 320-acre family sports and enter tainment complex in southeast Mesa has struggled to generate sufficient revenue to cover loan repayments since opening in February, despite claims by Legacy that the complex has brought in nearly a mil lion visitors and over 3 million visits so far.

The $22 million in question is in an ac count set aside and authorized currently only for loan payments.

amendment is so that we can continue to do our work, so that if and when this board approves the new refunding bonds … our audience, our clientele won’t miss a step. They can continue to have a good experience when they show up at Legacy Sports Park,” a representative for Legacy said at a Nov. 30 authority board meeting.

In October, Legacy Cares failed to make loan payments, and in an investor call later that month, the trustee for the bonds re ported that the park has never generated enough monthly revenue to cover loan pay ments since the completion of construction.

Additionally, Bell Bank Park has racked up $30 million in liens filed by unpaid con tractors who installed flooring, electricity, plumbing and other amenities at the facil ity. One of these contractors initiated fore closure proceedings to force payment.

sues,” Moss said.

Currently, Legacy’s bondholders are working with the sports nonprofit to buy the project time and try to fix the mess.

They’ve extended “forbearance” on the loan payments to help the park continue operations and they are cooperating with Legacy on plans to restructure its debt.

Bell Bank Park’s major bondholders are institutional investors who manage investments for large organizations with retirement plans and other large funds. One bondholder, Vanguard, manages $7 trillion in assets.

A representative for Legacy’s bondhold ers supported using the reserve funds because “looking at the cash flows, it was decided we need to be in position to write checks if we need to in order to continue propping up Cares,”

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The change approved by the Arizona Industrial Development Authority Board, which served as the issuer for the tax-ex empt municipal bonds that funded the park, clears the way for Legacy Cares to use that money for operations, consul tants and other expenses associated with its bid to raise additional capital.

“The reason we’re asking for this

During the AZIDA meeting, Legacy CEO Doug Moss blamed the park’s woes pri marily on the pandemic.

He said COVID-19 delayed the opening park and supply chain issues meant the facility wasn’t fully open until May.

“So as a result of all those issues, we encountered various financial difficulties with respect to paying vendors, the land lord, cashflow – a number of financial is

Tapping the $22 million reserve will buy Bell Bank Park some time to keep the lights on, and a court has given the project at least two months to work on paying its contractors.

On Nov. 23, a Superior Court judge granted a stay on litigation related to the contractors’ liens until Jan. 31, 2023.

The electoral victories follow success last spring, when the state Legislature passed and Gov. Doug Ducey signed the Parental Rights Bill. It further enhances the Parental Bill of Rights passed in 2010.

The newer legislation gives parents the rights to all written and electronic records from a school about their child. That includes any counseling records, even notes taken during a conversa tion. Parents can sue school districts if a teacher does not comply.

“I think that enforcement is going to be something that all parents are going to have to be keeping an eye out, we’re go ing to have to be very diligent and making sure that they actually follow the laws,” Dillard said.

She pointed to a school board meeting she watched where the board members changed the policy to comply with state law, but said repeatedly they were not happy to do so.

That was the case in Kyrene School Dis trict, where Governing Board members in September lashed out at laws preventing any mandate requiring kids to get COVID or HPV shots, requiring greater parental access and longer review policies for new library books, giving parents the right to get a list of all library books checked out by their children.

But the Kyrene board members’ harsh est criticism involved a ban on boys join ing girls-only sports teams.

They initially planned to just amend the district’s policy on sports to say Kyrene conformed with Arizona law, until a board member prevailed on her colleagues to in clude the specific citation for the statute so that parents could find it more readily.

Critics of the parental rights law say it will have a chilling impact on students.

For example, critics contend, a gay teen who knows his family will not accept his or her sexual orientation will not be able to reach out to a trusted adult at school to talk about what they are going through because they risk their parents finding out and possibly kicked out of their home or forced to go to conversion therapy.

There were similar concerns about stu dents who are struggling with their gen der identity.

Dillard said that is part of the problem: There’s too much sex in schools.

“We don’t want the sexualization of our children to be continuing on this, I mean,

it’s accelerated this upward trend,” she said. “The left, who has had control of our schools, wants comprehensive sex education. And I think they call it like age appropriate or whatever. Well, we have a disagreement with that.”

Purple for Parents started in 2018 as a reaction to the Red for Ed movement, in which. teachers were demanding higher salaries and more funding for school districts.

Forest Moriarty, a Mesa husband to a teacher and father to two special needs students, is credited as the founder. He did not return a message seeking an interview.

Dillard said Purple for Parents has no ties to Patriot Movement AZ, which has been identified as a far-right hate group and was ordered by a federal judge in 2019 to stop harassing churches across the Valley, including Chandler, that were offering clothing and food to newly bussed migrants awaiting transportation to other parts of the country.

Dillard said it is true that some of the founding members were also members of PMAZ, but rejected they were tied together.

“There were members of Purple for Parents that were in PMAZ,” Dillard said. “I mean, they’re parents too. They have children in schools. And so you know, they were in the group, but they had no influ ence, nor did they found it. That’s been a blatant lie that local media has pushed from the beginning.”

Purple for Parents really picked up mo mentum in 2019 after Fox News’ Tucker Carlson highlighted the Chandler Unified School District’s attempt to improve its diversity training. Carlson criticized the

Deep Equity program from the Corwin Company as indoctrination.

Angry parents began showing up at school board meetings in the Chandler and Kyrene school districts.

Stephanie Ingersoll, the executive di rector of marketing and communications for CUSD, said the district no longer uses the Deep Equity program. Instead, the dis trict developed an Equity Advisory Board which is made up of staff, students, par ents and community members.

Purple for Parents advocates for school choice and parental rights, and wants to keep Critical Race Theory (CRT) out of schools. That theory is a law school class that is not taught at K-12 schools in Arizona.

However, Dillard said it is used as a catchphrase for programs like Corwin’s Deep Equity because it’s a phrase people know, having heard it from former Presi dent Trump.

She said issues like that made it easy to find candidates willing to run in the 2022 election.

“I witnessed parents trying to stand up for their parental rights in education to be later ridiculed for doing so,” Heather Rooks wrote in an email about why she ran. She was elected to the Peoria Unified School District Governing Board.

“I heard from so many parents that their child was struggling and falling behind. I had heard from teachers who were afraid to speak up against the CRT ideology in the district,” Rooks said.

Parental rights issues were not the only reason for running.

“[I decided to run after] having wit nessed the steady decline in merit-based

academics, with test scores tanking and teachers leaving the district in droves,” wrote newly elected Scottsdale Unified Governing Board member Carine Werner.

“Even the 8-year age gap between my oldest and youngest has revealed stark differences in how our children are edu cated,” Werner said. “I couldn’t sit on the sidelines any longer.”

Chad Thompson, newly-elected mem ber of the Gilbert Public Schools Govern ing Board, wrote:

“As a father of multiple children that at tend GPS schools, I was very concerned about the decisions made by our board over the last few years. As our race de veloped, I became even more concerned about where our schools are headed.”

He campaigned against social emotional learning and any sex education in schools and said at a candidates’ town hall:

“I think we’ve let way too much stuff come into our school that are distrac tions from education. Parents are awake; they are seeing this stuff especially after the pandemic. It seems like our schools today want to teach just about every thing except for education, actual math, science and language.”

Thompson also said that students need to be taught accountability and re sponsibility.

Parental rights candidates won two seats in each of three districts: Cave Creek, Dysart, and Scottsdale. Still, even with this success they will likely be in the minority when they are seated.

“It’s going to be frustrating for them to have to endure being in the minority,” Dil lard said. “But I do think that in all of these districts, there’s, a great group of parents … that will also be supportive.

“I think that they will have a voice on the board and so while they may not get cer tain items passed, or the votes aren’t go ing to land their way, at least they’ll have a voice and they can let the public and the community and the parents know that … it’s being voted on.”

Some candidates welcome the challenge of being in the minority on the board.

“School board members are non-parti san positions and parental rights are en shrined in state statute,” Anna Van Hoek wrote. She won election in the Higley Uni fied School District. “Politics should be set aside, and the law followed by all elected officials, administration and staff.”

Fox News host Tucker Carlson put his national focus on Chandler Unified School District’s Deep Equity program, which led to a number of protest at Governing Board meetings by parental rights supporters. (Fox News)

“If I am in the minority, I will work to bring transparency on what is discussed and voted upon and perhaps why I am not in support or support of a motion,” wrote new Queen Creek Unified board member James Knox. “Too often, items in QCUSD are put into the consent vote when they are not consenting items.”

Said Amy Carney, the other new Scott sdale Unified board member: “I plan to work alongside the other board members to strengthen our school communities by supporting our students and educators and ensuring that parents feel heard and welcomed on our campuses.”

Purple for Parents was strategic in how its endorsed candidates ran for school board seats. Dillard said the group did not endorse any more candidates than there were seats available, so they wouldn’t split

the vote.

In Chandler, she said they had their own caucus since there were multiple parental-rights candidates who want ed to run. She said each agreed to not run if they didn’t get enough support at the caucus.

Kurt Rohrs and Charlotte Golla ended up with the most support, so others stood

Turning Purple

down. Rohrs ended up with the most votes in his election. Golla finished third and did not win.

Dillard said she would like to see school board races become partisan, so voters can determine their candidates in a primary election and give them a better shot at winning in the general.

She said parental-rights board members

will want to put the focus back on academ ics when they take their seats.

“Especially coming off of the end of the pandemic,” she said. “There are kids suf fering a lot of learning loss, and there are achievement gaps. And I do think that there could be different programs that the schools can have and focus on to help get our kids up to speed.” 

The parental rights group Purple for Parents endorsed 38 candidates for school boards in the 2022 general election across Arizona. Unofficial results show 20 won seats. They are:

Scott Brown and Jackie Ulmer, Cave Creek

Kurt Rohrs, Chandler

Paul Carver, Deer Valley

Dawn Densmore and Jennifer Drake, Dysart

Madicyn Reid and Libby Settle,

the authority financially or reputationally.

Fountain Hills

Chad Thompson, Gilbert

Anna Van Hoek, Higley

Tom Carlson, Marana

Rachel Walden, Mesa

Sandra Christensen, Paradise Valley Heather Rooks, Peoria

James Knox, Queen Creek

Raul Rodriguez, Sahuarita

Amy Carney and Carine Werner, Scottsdale

Thomas Trask, Tanque Verde Val Romero, Tucson

One authorty board member asked Leg acy how long the $22 million left in reserve would last at the current cash burn rate. Before anyone could give a definite an swer, an attorney on the call jumped in to say Legacy was still negotiating with the bondholders on how it would spend the money.

Authority Program Manager Pat Ray sought reassurance that Bell Bank Park could climb out of default and asked direct ly what was going wrong with the project. “We don’t want to be associated with a default, particularly on a really large proj ect like this,” Ray said, while also stating his belief that a default by Legacy couldn’t hurt

“This may not be a totally fair question, but I need to ask it anyway,” Ray contin ued. “Whenever we see a default on one of our conduit projects it’s because of something bad happening – it’s bad luck, maybe COVID, its bad management, bad operations, bad underwriting, bad actors.”

“I don’t think there’s any nefarious stuff going on, but from the bondholders’ per spective, what is the issue here?”

In response, bond counsel for Legacy Cares Tim Stratton fell back on COVID, saying the project hit a “perfect storm” of pandemic-related hurdles, including sup ply chain and inflation issues.

“To the best of my knowledge, that’s the extent of the issues,” Stratton said.

Brian Barber, a representative for the majority of the bondholders, expressed optimism about the project and gave sup port for allowing Legacy to tap the $22 million in reserves and other measures designed to help fix the project.

“The holders have been very, very clear,” Barber said. “They want these bonds and they want them tax exempt. Also, they love the facility.”

“They have visited the facility, and they’re very excited about the success and commu nity impact,” Barber continued. “What we want to do is prop up (Legacy) Cares, be supportive of sports, and learn how to best monetize what we consider to be a very significant amount of attendance.”

As Bell Bank Park’s financial troubles be

gan to surface in the late summer, Legacy Cares has put up a cheerful, optimistic front, even as they nearing conditions of default.

Just before the authority board’s vote to authorize the use of the reserved funds, a representative with Legacy, continued to give a rosy outlook.

“We opened the park in a perfect storm in terms of supply chain, the inflation, the COVID,” the representative said, “but at this point, the park has had over 3.6 mil lion visitors and we expect that to hit prob ably 4 million by the end of the month.

“So this is the busy season and right now the park seems to be sustaining it self. So we’re on the right track, and I just wanted to add that the park is going full throttle, right now.” 

East Valley law firm leads fight to ban abortion pill

BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

AScottsdale law firm founded to defend what it says are Christian values in court is trying to block the most used method of abortion.

Attorneys for the Alliance Defending Freedom contend the “abortion pill’’ –technically, two separate medications used together – is medically unsafe and charge that the Food and Drug Adminis tration ignored that evidence when ap proving use, instead choosing “politics over science.’’

There was no response from the feder al agency to the lawsuit. But the agency, in its postings, said it has determined that mifepristone, the main drug in volved, “is safe and effective when used to terminate a pregnancy’’ in accordance with labeling instructions.

Brittany Fonteno, president of Planned Parenthood Arizona, said if the lawsuit is successful it will remove an important option for women here.

The state Court of Appeals is weighing whether to allow Arizona to once again enforce its territorial-era law that bans virtually all abortions.

If that occurs, the only option for wom en in Arizona would be to find a way to get a doctor from another state to pre scribe the drugs so they could manage

SPENDING from page 3

waive the spending cap if that is the lone issue in the session.

What is causing the current problem is the convergence of several unusual factors.

First, the limit is always based on the prior year’s school numbers. Enrollment remains down due to COVID.

The bigger problem is actually due to one the legislature created in seeking to provide financial help.

In 2000, voters approved Proposition 301 to levy a 0.6-cent sales tax to fund education, including teacher salaries, for 20 years. Voters exempted those revenues from the aggregate expenditure limit.

Facing expiration of that tax, lawmakers agreed in 2018 to a new, identical levy to

their own abortions. That would cease to be an option if the lawsuit is successful.

The lawsuit, filed in Texas, is in the name of several medical groups that are opposed to abortion, including the Alli ance for Hippocratic Medicine, the Amer ican Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the Christian Medical and Dental Association.

Erik Baptist, the lead attorney, said that President Bill Clinton, on his sec ond full day in office in 1992, directed his cabinet to legalize chemical abortion drugs in the United States. He said Clin ton then pressured a French company to donate for free the U.S. patent rights for mifepristone to the Population Council, an organization that does biomedical re search and has developed birth control methods.

It then got the approval of the FDA for use on Sept. 28, 2000, just over a month before the closely contested presidential election.

“The only way the FDA could have ap proved chemical abortion drugs was to use its accelerated drug approval author ity, necessitating the FDA to call preg nancy an ‘illness’ and argue that these dangerous drugs provide a ‘meaningful therapeutic benefit’ over existing treat ments,’’ Baptist wrote.

pick up when the old one expired. That would keep the money flowing through 2041 without interruption.

Only thing is, the Legislature never ex empted what the new levy would raise from the expenditure limit. Chuck Essigs, lobbyist for the Arizona Association of School Business Officials, said that alone amounts to anywhere from $600 million to $800 million of the money now coming into schools.

Moreover, to balance the budget last de cade, lawmakers cut dollars from various capital funding accounts.

With the state flush in revenues, those accounts are now fully funded. But the additional dollars that were restored to schools also helped to push total state wide expenditures above the constitu tional limit.

of excited about that tennis community starting to grow there.”

Queen Creek opened the first phase of Mansel Carter Oa sis Park in 2018 and has had an eye on expanding it ever since.

“We are thrilled to be expanding the park, as promised when it opened,” Vice Mayor Jeff Brown said in a press re lease. “As a Council, we continue to prioritize public safety and critical infrastructure like roads and utilities. And, with much of that under construction or in design, we can con tinue to enhance the high quality of life that we enjoy here in Queen Creek.”

Mansel Carter Oasis is part of a double-barreled plan to increase Queen Creek’s park space in one fell swoop. It is being completed at the same time that crews are con structing the brand new, $67-million, 86-acre, Frontier Fam ily Park, which will feature six full-sized baseball and softball fields, three multipurpose fields, typically used for soccer, a pair of basketball courts and two sand volleyball courts. It will have a large playground for kids like the one at Mansel Carter Oasis Park, a fishing lake,and a walking track encircling it. There will be no shortage of things to do for all age groups.

To some degree, Queen Creek is playing catch up with its park space.

As part of its Master Plan, the town was focusing on creat

The town already is building the new, $67-million, 86acre Frontier Family Park, which will feature six full-sized baseball and softball fields, three multipurpose fields, typically used for soccer, a pair of basketball courts and two sand volleyball courts. (Town of Queen Creek)

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ABORTION PILL from page 8

“But pregnancy is not an illness, nor do chemical abortion drugs provide a thera peutic benefit over surgical abortion,’’ he said, calling the FDA’s assertions “trans parently false.’’

Baptist said the situation only has got ten worse, with the FDA in 2016 expand ing the permitted use of the drugs from the first seven weeks of pregnancy to 10 weeks, reducing the number of required office visits from three to one, and ex panded who could prescribe the drugs beyond medical doctors.

And just last year, he said, the FDA issued said it would stop enforcing its requirement that abortionists provide in-person dispensing of mifepristone and instead would temporarily allow

PARKS from page 10

ing the police department and expanding its fire department and increasing roads and other infrastructure elements. Park expansion took a bit of a back seat.

Then there were economic elements beyond anyone’s control that slowed progress still further, but turned out only to be a bump in the road.

“The town has been growing non-stop since the early 2000’s with only a slow down during the Great Recession and after the Great Recession. the town con tinued to grow and we weren’t able at that time to add park spaces to match the population figures,” Robinson said.

A lot of the focus in Queen Creek has been on schools, roadway infrastruc ture, the affordability and availability of housing in and around town, job cre ation, water security and other critical needs for any community.

Robinson said with those priorities now either met or being addressed, parks have come front and center.

“We’ve been in a hypergrowth mode. We are a very young community with lots of families,” Robinson said. “And providing these outdoor spaces is re ally what creates the quality of life that makes people want to live here.”

mail-order chemical abortions during the COVID-19 public health emergency. That was later made permanent.

“This decision not only harms women and girls who voluntarily undergo chemical abortions, but it also further helps sex traffickers and sexual abusers to force their victims into get ting abortions while preventing the au thorities from identifying these victims,’’ Baptist said.

Several states, including Arizona. have since approved laws that prohibit ob taining these drugs by mail regardless of the FDA policy.

But Cathi Herrod, president of the an ti-abortion Center for Arizona Policy which helped craft the state legislation, acknowledged to Capitol Media Services that blocking the drugs from being sent

Design, planning and construction of a park can seem staggering. There is far more to it than turning a piece of empty land into a place where people can gather for recreation or organized sporting events.

There is a massive amount of infra structure involved.

At Frontier Park for example, crews are even having to work with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation on irrigation issues, with utility companies on underground elec trical wiring and lighting, and with con tractors, engineers, and environmental ists on several issues.

Same goes for something seemingly as simple as naming a park. The bureaucra cy is surprising.

“We do have a park-naming policy,” Robinson said, “which we followed through.”

When a park project is initially con ceived by officials, it must endure scruti ny and several steps first.

“Ultimately, you get feedback from the community,” he said. “It goes through the Parks and Rec Advisory Commit tee, which makes a recommendation to council and Town Council makes final determination on a park’s name.”

Oasis was added to the Mansel Carter Park’s existing name because of the ad

into Arizona from a pharmacy in another state or even another country could be logistically difficult.

This lawsuit is about more than mife pristone, also known as RU-486, which is designed to terminate the pregnancy. Medical studies have said that drug does not always work by itself.

So the FDA added a second drug to the regimen–- misoprostal – to induce contractions to expel the fetus from the womb. Baptist wants the judge to order the FDA to withdraw it approval for that drug, too.

Removal of the drugs would affect more than half the abortions performed in Arizona.

“I think it would be terribly devastat ing if access to abortion were further eliminated by the abortion pill becoming

dition of the fishing lake, Robinson said. “Because water in the middle of the des ert is what people consider an oasis.”

Demands on the Parks and Recreation Department have grown to the point that Queen Creek has just hired a new recre ation supervisor to oversee people and programs associated with it.

Nia Fanaika will be in charge of things that run the age spectrum, from pro grams for preschoolers and seniors to managing staff, operations, and special events. Fanaika said her life experiences made her well-suited for the role.

“I was brought up in sports,” she said. “Recreation was always an avenue and direction I wanted to take. With the huge growth we are sustaining, I am excited and passionate about this career.”

According to a 2021 Citizen Survey, Fa naika will stay busy.

The survey said, “81% of Queen Creek residents reported visiting a Town Park in the past year with 33% visiting a park more than 10 times. In a separate survey also conducted in 2021, 75% of residents reported wanting a town aquatic center and/or recreational center.”

Parks were originally designed to encourage active lifestyles and reduce health costs, according to the City Parks Alliance. “Parks encourage active life

unavailable,’’ Fonteno said.

“We know that at Planned Parenthood Arizona, and actually across the country, most patients prefer the abortion pill as their method of termination,’’ she said. “This is just another attempt to try to block access to essential health care.’’

Alliance Defending Freedom defines itself as “the world’s largest legal organi zation committed to protecting religious freedom, free speech, the sanctity of life, parental rights, and God’s design for marriage and family.’’

Founded in 1994, it has been involved in a number of Arizona cases, including getting the state Supreme Court to rule that a Phoenix anti-discrimination ordi nance did not preclude two women from refusing to provide custom wedding in vitations to a gay couple. 

styles and reduce health costs,” its web site reads.

The Alliance calls itself the “only independent, nationwide member ship organization solely dedicated to urban parks.”

Queen Creek’s Parks and Recreation Master Plan Vision mirrors that mission.

“A sustainable, balanced recreation system that offers a wide variety of ac tivities serving people of all ages and reflecting the heritage and culture of Queen Creek,” it reads.

While there are certainly more amenities in today’s parks than there used to be, park use in Queen Creek has remained consistent over the last few decades, Robinson said. And the role that parks play has stayed almost the same, too.

“There is still the need for those pub lic gathering spaces,” Robinson said. “The parks become that core of what a community is built around. They create the opportunity for the community to connect, to get to know each other. And the more a community is connected, the higher quality of life that the community and the residents have.”

Frontier Family Park and Mansel Car ter Oasis Park are scheduled to open to gether by the end of next year.

Mesa couple in ‘Light Fight’ of their lives

BY JOSH ORTEGA Tribune Staff Writer

It started with a single strand of Christ mas lights 24 years ago, and now a Mesa couple’s holiday spirit will shine extra bright this year.

Tomorrow, Dec. 5, Mesa natives Michael and Shelley Pelky will appear on season 10 of ABC’s hit decorating competition series “The Great Christmas Light Fight,” com peting against three other families from across the country that have festooned their houses with holiday lights displays.

But the Pelkys want their display to shine for more than just a cash prize and a funny light bulb trophy.

“It’s a birthday card to Jesus. It’s his birthday and that’s the reason why we do it,” Shelley Pelky said. “We do it for our military. We do it for those fighting cancer who won and lost and for everybody. We just do it for everybody.”

The Pelkys’ appearance has been in the works for more than two years after the show’s producers found their display online.

For three days in December 2021, a team of producers and camera operators shot at their home at 1335 N. Papillon Cir cle in Mesa.

Some of that included the couple’s “little love stories” about some of the pieces they gathered over the years, including a set of eight reindeer that came from Sunshine Acres Children’s Home.

Other pieces of the couple’s collection come from all over the world – like a 12foot deer, a snowman, an octopus, a 12-foot tree, a desert scene that includes a camel with lights, a kangaroo from her cousin in Australia, a “Frozen” winter wonderland with Elsa and Olaf and two items Shelley acquired by chance back east.

Six years ago, on a flight to Maryland to visit her cousin just diagnosed with ALS, Shelley had met a couple and after some conversation offered to help check on their aging grandfather, who lived near her cousin.

Three months later, the grandfather passed away and the couple asked Shelley to help go through some of his stuff.

Among the belongings, Shelley found a two-and-half-foot Santa and Nativity scene, both hand-painted, that she now has on full display for the world to see.

“It means so much to me because I met these people that are now friends of mine, and they gave me such a beautiful manger scene that I can now display,” Shelley said.

The entire collection takes the Pelkys approximately two-and-a-half months of daily work to set up.

The couple met in March 1998, married in October of that year and started their lights tradition that December.

But it was Christmas 2017 when they

realized just how special their collection means to those who visit it.

In November 2017, Michael had a bone marrow transplant due to a low white cell count and his weakened immune sys tem at the time. So, the sociable couple couldn’t have guests over their house.

Despite the social distancing, the couple became curious about who came to visit their display and started to “spy” on their visitors, and that’s when it hit them.

The look on people’s faces when they visit the display told the whole story: even if for a moment, they forget about all their worries of bills, health and family.

“They can enjoy and remember just happiness for a moment,” Shelley said. “They’re not thinking about anything ex cept for that moment, and that literally changed us.”

The Pelkys also have an assortment of pink items, including an angel, gazelle and pig, in honor of those who fought cancer.

The cancer warriors in their family in clude Shelley’s dad, who survived several bouts with various cancers; Michael’s sis ter, who survived breast cancer; Michael’s mom, who lost her battle with cancer; and Shelley’s cousin, who died of ALS.

“But we have that for all of those that know that we support them as well,” Shel ley said.

Five years later, the Pelkys have their health and their display is ready for the world to see.

This season, the show returns to take viewers to the most elaborate holiday displays across the country as they once again see four families face off in each onehour episode to compete to win $50,000 and the coveted Light Fight Trophy.

This year’s series includes the help of celebrity judges and Christmas décor afi cionados – lifestyle expert Carter Ooster house and interior designer Taniya Nayak.

Despite the massive light display that impressed Oosterhouse, Shelley said watching the show in the past scares her today because of the impressive displays from other families.

“The Great Christmas Light Fight scares the tar out of me because I watched the show,” Shelley said. “And these people are, oh my gosh, it’s amazing these homes that they decorate.”

That said, Shelley estimates the couple has spent approximately $50,000 over their entire marriage on the collection, which has more than 150,000 lights.

For many years, the only Grinch that spoiled the fun arrived in the form of the electric bill which cost a record $775 one year.

The couple spent three years switching from incandescent to LEDs light, and for the last decade has gotten their electric

The Pelkys estimate that over the years, their display has cost a total $50,000, but they say it’s worth it. (David Minton/Tribune Staff Photographer)

Michael and Shelley Pelky’s Mesa home will be starring in a featured role tomorrow, Dec. 5, on ABCTV’s popular competition series, “The Great Christmas Light Fight,” but they say the prizes pale in comparison to the joy they have sharing the brilliant display with the world.

(David Minton/Tribune Staff Photographer)

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

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.

Aspen Medical will be offering this free chronic pain and neuropathy severity evaluation will be available until October 31st, 2022. Call (480) 274 3157 to make an appointment

Due to our very busy office schedule, we are limiting this offer to the first 10 c allers Y OU DO NOT HAVE TO SUFFER ANOTHER MINUTE, CALL (480) 274 3157 NOW!!

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

Aspen Medical 4540 E Baseline Rd.,

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:

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

‘Big trains’ rolling into region for holidays

BY JOSH ORTEGA Tribune Staff Writer

Model trains remind many people of Christmas as a child and for one local organization, that nostalgia lasts year-round.

The Arizona Big Trains Operators will hold its annual Christmas Open House tour 4-8 p.m. Dec. 10 and 11 and Dec. 17 and 18 with 14 homes across the Valley firing up their festive layouts that help keep the history of locomotives alive and keeps these grown adults kids at heart.

While their pastime can be expensive, the one thing these operators enjoy more than tinkering with the trains is the joy their displays bring to visitors.

“A lot of people still enjoy the history of railroads,” said Don Sorenson.

Sorenson joined the organization in 2006 but had an interest in trains long before that because his dad worked as a brakeman for Union-Pacific Railroad for five years.

He said some of the members have me chanical and engineering backgrounds and this keeps their minds occupied with something familiar.

Amtrak said it has seen a 5% decrease in its Arizona station usage between fiscal year 2018 and 2019.

“People don’t ride the trains anymore,” ABTO President Darrell Woolfolk said.

“There’s not many of the youth that have been on a train.”

That’s why sharing their hobby –espe cially with children – represents an inte gral part of the organization’s purpose “to promote and advance the interest in and educate the general public about Rail roads and large-scale model railroading,” according to their bylaws.

Much to his surprise, Woolfolk said the nonprofit’s membership has seen an uptick in the last two years with 19 new members, bringing their Valley-wide total to 77.

Woolfolk joined the organization in 2013 and has served as its president for

•

•

•

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• Jim and Joanne Gardner 1355 E. Glenview Circle, Mesa

• Don Sorensen 6130 E. Colby St., Mesa

• Danny and Amy Farrow, 767 E. Ivanhoe St., Chandler

• David Kitchin 9401 E. Jadecrest Drive, Sun Lakes

Children will be fascinated and adults will be remind ed of their own childhood when they visit Arizona Big Trains Operators member’s holiday displays the next two weekends. (Special to the Tribune)

the buildings with the appearance of snow throughout the setup for the holidays.

The layouts can have multiple zones and take anywhere from two to four weeks to get up and running, but prep work and layout begins as early as June.

The nonprofit holds seven public events throughout the year including one in the spring, but the Christmas Open House is the group’s biggest.

Besides the two open houses, ABTO maintains train layouts at Banner Chil dren’s at Desert and Hospice of the Valley at Ryan House.

Woolfolk said those layouts remain re stricted to patients at the medical facilities due to COVID-19 protocols, but members will still maintains the tracks weekly for the patient’s enjoyment.

the last five years.

He said that while only half of their members have layouts, they all meet to help each other collaborate and build “ex tremely elaborate” holiday villages.

“It’s not like setting up on a card table when you were a kid,” Woolfolk said.

The individual cars measure approxi mately 4-1/2 inches tall by 24 inches long with a handful of cars connected that run on tracks up to 500 linear feet winding through a festive holiday village.

The villages can take up a person’s en tire backyard and some include railyards, tunnels, ponds, and functioning lights on

“With COVID, everything’s been pretty much locked down,” he said.

Woolfolk said Christmas event draws hundreds of people per weekend to mem ber’s backyards to watch the layouts light up at night.

Woolfolk said trains have “gone by the wayside” with younger generations and the nonprofit helps rekindle that interest.

Sorenson said it’s an important part of our nation that young people should re member.

“I find that people are very enamored by railroad,” he said. “They’re part of our history.” 

Dementia education comes to a doctor near you soon

BY LIN SUE FLOOD Tribune Contributor

t’s staggering to think that 6.5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s. You may even know a relative, friend or neighbor who has it.

With the highest growth rate for demen tia in the nation, Arizona is projected to reach 200,000 cases by 2025.

Family members who are suddenly thrust into the “caregiver role” are desper ate for support, unprepared to face a dis ease that lasts years and becomes more challenging as it progresses. The lack of healthcare professionals trained in de mentia care affects us all.

Hospice of the Valley’s Dementia Care and Education Campus is launching an un precedented education project aimed at training more than 3,000 health providers over the next 14 months to enhance de mentia care for those with early and mod erate stages of the disease. The extensive campaign is being funded by the Maricopa County Department of Public Health.

“Half of all primary care physicians feel the medical profession has little to no

preparation for serving the burgeoning numbers of people living with demen tia,” said Hospice of the Valley Dementia Program Director Maribeth Gallagher, citing a recent Alzheimer’s Facts and Fig ures Report.

“There is a tremendous and critical need for dementia care education and train ing that will help providers deliver evi

dence-based skillful and compassionate care,” Gallagher said. “And that need will only grow as the incidence of dementia rises each year.”

This education project covers a wide variety of topics, from assessing and di agnosing mild dementia to understand ing which medications help or harm de mentia patients.

The presentations also give doctors practical tools they can share with family caregivers, such as the soothing effects of “Vitamin M” — music — or ways to de code behaviors that express unmet needs like fear, anxiety or pain.

Hospice of the Valley already offers an inhome Supportive Care for Dementia pro gram at no charge to family caregivers who are caring for loved ones — from pre-diag nosis through the early and middle stages of dementia. This new initiative focuses ex clusively on medical professionals, equip ping them with tools to help their patients manage early and moderate stages of the disease with knowledge and dignity.

“We can educate providers — and through them, families — to improve qual ity of life for people living with all types and all stages of dementia,” said Support ive Care for Dementia Medical Director Gil lian Hamilton.

Call 602-767-8300 or email education@ dementiacampus.org to schedule presen tations for healthcare providers.

Lin Sue Flood is director of Communi ty Engagement at Hospice of the Valley. Visit hov.org. 

Favorite songs engage and enliven people living with all stages of dementia. (Cour tesy Hospice of the Valley)

QC native, his wife add ‘pub owners’ to resume

BY JOSH ORTEGA Tribune Staff Writer

After working in real estate in the East Valley for 27 years, Realtors Karen and Jesse Herfel felt it was time diversify their investments with the recent influx of development in the area.

“There’s just nothing like this around here,” Karen said. “So we started looking into different concepts and we just fell in love with this [place] because of that.”

“This” is The Brass Tap, which the Herfels hope to be opening Dec. 12 at Verde at Cool ey Station, 2442 S. Recker Road, Suite 101 –depending on supply chain issues that have slowed their construction timeable.

The Tampa-based craft beer bar and en tertainment venue has become known for its extensive localized brewery offerings, specialty cocktails and premium wines and the Herfels’ pub is its second in Arizona.

That’s what Karen said attracted to such a brand, with a full list of wines, cocktails, food fare and “all the craft beer that you can possibly imagine.”

“Everybody can get what they want at The Brass Tap,” Karen said.

Verde at Cooley Station sits on the cor ner of Williams Field and Recker roads in a high-density area, Karen said, with over 30,000 residences within walking distance.

With a robust roster of restaurants, bars and retail in development, Jesse said Verde at Cooley Station “is going to be the place to be.”

She also pointed to an empty lot that will eventually become a two-story, 24,000-square-foot office building.

As owners of Keller Williams Integrity First Real Estate franchise and Jesse Herfel

Real Estate Group, the Herfels have an in sider’s look at the local real estate market.

Increased mortgage interest rates have cut home sales by 35% year-over-year and prices have fallen only 4% in the last three months.

Both factors have caused homes to sit on the market longer, Jesse noted.

“However, unless you bought within the last 12 months here, the majority of homeowners have equity,” Jesse said. “So, it’s not a 2008-type scenario.”

With more than 3,500 units closed per year, the Herfels’ business is one of the top brokerages in the country.

Growing up on opposite sides of the Val ley – Karen in Buckeye and Jesse in Queen Creek – the couple met through real estate business and have had three children dur

ing their 15 years of marriage.

Jesse entered real estate to avoid corpo rate America.

“I loved real estate and the opportuni ties it provides, both in sales and a career, and then also from an investment stand point,” Jesse said.

Karen didn’t want “a ceiling over my head” nor tie her worth to an hourly wage, as was the advice she received growing up.

“People were always telling you what your worth per hour,” Karen said. “And it was a career that I could determine that for myself.”

After stumbling on the land in 2020 that would become Cooley Station, the Herfels said it was a “no-brainer.”

“We’ve always been interested in doing a really kick ass bar,” Karen said. “And we’ve

talked about it for years and then the tim ing just kind of worked out perfectly.”

Perhaps their timing wasn’t that perfect, considering they’ve had to wait nearly two years since signing their lease at the be ginning of 2021, but the Herfels have the finish line to their dream in sight.

Tentatively, they plan to open on Dec. 12, but the couple remains flexible due to the recent supply and labor issues.

On Nov. 18, contractors were still hard at work installing the 60 draft taps and the 24 TVs planned for the wall remained outstanding.

But the Herfels said they will do their best to have 146 seats ready for cus tomers to sit and enjoy a drink in the 3,100-square-foot 50/50 layout.

Large sliding doors divide the con cept’s floorplan that takes advantage of the year-round Arizona sunshine so people can enjoy a drink inside the bar or outside on the patio.

Finding 45 employees to fill the posi tions for kitchen, servers and bartenders, came a little easier than completing con struction of the building.

“I think that the staff that we have hired is attracted to the concept,” Karen said. “We’ve been really surprised at how well we’ve done with attracting staff here.”

With plans for 60 craft beers on tap at all times, a DJ playing music Thursday through Sunday and open seating, Karen said she’d like the vibe to make The Brass Tap become “Cheers in Gilbert.”

“This is a place where you’re going to come and hang out three or four days a week and everybody’s going to know ev erybody,” Karen said. “This is going to be the spot.” 

Gilbert Realtors Karen and Jesse Herfel are excited about the opening of their pub, The Brass Tap, at Cooley Station located at 2442 S. Recker Road. (David Minton/Staff Photographer)

County officials adopt grim comedy routine on election

BY JD HAYWORTH Tribune Columnist

You can forget all about “Abbott and Costello…” ditto for “Martin and Lewis.”

A new comedy team with a familiar name has suddenly emerged in Arizona.

These days, Maricopa County residents are treated to the escapades of a real-life “Mutt and Jeff.” And unlike the original comic strip duo, this modern-day pair isn’t confined to the funny papers.

Board of Supervisors Chairman Bill Gates and County Recorder Stephen Rich er have made headlines in the aftermath of Election Day. Unfortunately for them, their act—or more accurately, their ac tions—are not receiving rave reviews. Still, their “political performance art”

played to a full house and a large internet audience during the supervisors’ “special meeting” Nov. 28.

Gates unwittingly affirmed the perfor mance emphasis in his opening remarks, referring to the meeting agenda as a “run of show.” And what a show!

As pure entertainment, it fell some where between the efforts of earnest am ateur thespians giving their all in a “com munity theatre” production and “open mic night” at a comedy club where most stand-up aspirants would be well-advised to remain seated.

The county’s lead players could be found in that latter category.

Our taxpayer-subsidized comedy team relies upon the maudlin schmaltz of mu tual admiration.

With a presentation style reminiscent of “Mister Rogers,” Gates introduced Rich ter: “The Board is very grateful for your

work, Stephen, and thanks so much for addressing us,”

Richer recited some specific numbers: 1.87 million ballots mailed to county vot ers; 1.3 million completed and returned, 290,000 of those dropped off at voting centers on Election Day and needing signa ture verification which was completed by Thursday afternoon; then the processing of those ballots, done by Sunday afternoon.

In other words, those early ballots dropped off on Nov. 8 – a record number for any election and almost 120,000 more than arrived on Election Day 2020—took until five days after Nov. 8 to be prepared for counting.

And left dangling in Richer’s account was this oratorical gem: “Over 100 people of all parties contributed to the signature verification process.”

That sounds mighty inclusive, but it is devoid of a key detail: what was the par

tisan composition of that signature check ing group?

After expressing his 100 percent con fidence “in the integrity and character of the people working the other half of the election operation,”— the Election Day balloting, so plagued with problems— Richer spread a heavy dose of verbal frost ing on this slice of rhetorical flattery:

“That starts with Chairman Bill Gates, who has continued to lead, despite per sonally and probably going through per sonal hell.”

As for the majority of concerned citizens in attendance, Richer was disdainfully dis missive.

Saying the focus needed to be on “real issues,” the recorder characterized the grassroots skepticism as “conspiracy the ories promoted on social media by people

Election deniers take crazy to a new level

BY DAVID LEIBOWITZ Tribune Columnist

We begin with the good news about the pro cess of certifying Arizona’s November 2022 election.

After all the conspiracy theories, death threats, and fact-deprived screaming about rigged results, only a few hun dred protesters showed up for the Mar icopa County Board of Supervisors’ Nov. 28 special meeting to certify the county’s results.

In a state of more than seven million people – and in a county where 1,562,758 of us voted on Nov. 8 – a few hundred “nayscreamers” amounts to a raindrop in a river.

The bad news? The people who did show up to scream at the five supervisors were bull goose loony.

Like election denier and podcaster Joe Oltman, who traveled from Castle Pines, Colorado, to lament the Board’s lack of transparency – in a public meeting broad cast around the world online – and to accuse them of “gaslight(ing) the Ameri can people.”

That was tame compared to speakers who threw around terms like “evil,” “trai tors,” “crooked,” “clowns” and “violent rev olution.”

Heck, one lady from Wickenburg, Lyd ia Abril, used her two minutes to share “what God has to say to all elected offi cials,” courtesy of the Book of Psalms. She thundered about “high and mighty politi cians” and “giving justice in exchange for bribes,” before asking God to “break off their fangs” and “let them be as snails that dissolve into slime.”

That got quite the round of applause from her fellow zealots.

Later came my personal favorite speak

er, failed Board of Supervisors candidate Gail Golec, a Trump-endorsed Scottsdale Republican, who got pasted in the primary by Supervisor Tom Galvin. Golec demand ed a halt to the certification “until we can get some more audits.”

Golec really hit it out of the park with her finger-wagging tirade: “These ma chines have come into play and have tak en over countries. South America right now is almost gone because of selections! Thank God for Brazil or we would lose a continent – a whole continent – to these machines!”

Lady, for heaven’s sake, please burn your collection of Terminator DVDs, pronto. After four hours of this nonsense, the su pervisors – four Republicans and a Demo crat – voted to certify the county’s election results, as required by law. Fourteen out of Arizona’s 15 counties have done the same, with only tiny Cochise County, population 126,000, as the lone holdout.

So Election 2022 continues to sputter to its conclusion, despite some national and local press coverage portraying Arizona and the Valley as something of a laugh ingstock, populated by nuts and dolts and those who see a conspiracy around every corner and every time a computer printer runs out of toner.

My assessment, which I previewed for you in a column several weeks ago, is this: The 2022 election was imperfect, in part because all elections are. But there were no hijinks afoot.

If it took two weeks to count the ballots, that’s because (a) it always takes long, and (b) a record number of voters listened to MAGA leaders who told them to hold onto their early ballots until Election Day, thus creating the very issue – slow counting –that they later lambasted.

Given the relatively few people who

who know nothing,” drawing a loud, angry reaction from the crowd.

Once the recorder finished, the presid ing officer made a pronouncement that was shockingly premature: “This election was run extremely well, as you pointed out,” Gates told Richer.

Despite a parade of eyewitnesses re counting mechanical problems with tabu lators and printers, as well as a plethora of other Election Day problems, it was clear that this “public hearing” didn’t result in officials truly listening.

After 90-plus minutes of comments, con cerned citizen Michelle Dillard summed it up: “This election is not certifiable…it was targeted voter suppression by the Coun

ty, including elected officials with glaring conflicts of interest.”

Among the elected officials with “glaring conflicts?” The recorder and the chairman.

Richer started a dark money political ac tion committee, “Democracy Republicans PAC,” targeting Trump-endorsed candi dates; Gates spoke out publicly against those same GOP nominees, calling their primary victories a “catastrophe.” and telling Politico he hoped for Republican “humiliation at the ballot box.”

There’s humiliation all right, but it’s Gates and Richer who should be embar rassed – along with all the members of the Board of Supervisors, who voted unani mously to certify the 2022 election.

Mutt and Jeff may be smiling, but few vot ers in Maricopa County are laughing. 

showed up to protest the supervisors – a far smaller crowd than your average JV football game – I’d suggest that 99 percent of us have moved on to bigger issues and real problems.

You remember those, I’m guessing.

Inflation. Rising crime. Our troubled public school system. The lack of housing supply in our state. The fentanyl epidemic. Our porous border.

These were the issues would-be elected leaders used to campaign on, before they turned to false tales of stolen elections and machine takeovers.

I miss the old days, when the other 1 percent – not the crazy 1 percent – got all the attention. 

How to get a letter published

E-mail: pmaryniak@timeslocalmedia.com

Queen Creek Tribune welcomes letters that express readers’ opinion on current topics. Letters must include the writer’s full name, address (including city) and telephone number. Queen Creek Tribune will print the writer’s name and city of residence only. Letters without the requisite identifying information will not be published. Letters are published in the order received, and they are subject to editing. Queen Creek Tribune will not publish consumer complaints, form letters, clippings from other publications or poetry. Letters’ authors, not Queen Creek Tribune, are responsible for the “facts” presented in letters.

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Scottsdale native Kenny Dillingham introduced as ASU coach

BY ZACH ALVIRA Tribune Sports Editor

Kenny Dillingham became emo tional after his two-word initial statement Sunday, Nov. 27 at Sun Devil Stadium.

“I’m home. This is literally home. Home,” Dillingham said before taking a brief pause to gather himself. “So, I say that because this place is special. This state is special. The people in this room are special.

“Pretty emotional. That’s just who I am … I’m fired up to be here. Fired up to be a Sun Devil.”

Dillingham, an alum of Chaparral High School in Scottsdale, was introduced as the next head football coach at Arizona State. It was a search school Athletic Director Ray Anderson said months to perform.

It began in September when former coach Herm Edwards and the schools agreed to mutually part ways and opened the door for Anderson and university President Michael Crow to search for a

candidate that they believed would truly love leading the Sun Devil program. They believe they found that in Dilling ham.

Eastmark football wins first school championship

BY ZACH ALVIRA Tribune Sports Editor

Eastmark vividly recalls the first time it lined up against Thatcher on the football field back in late August.

The Firebirds held a 21-7 lead at the half, but that was quickly taken away by the Eagles run game. Eastmark ended up losing on a last-second field goal. So, when the Firebirds again led Thatcher 21-7 at halftime of the 3A state championship game on Saturday, Nov. 26 at Desert Vista High School, they knew they couldn’t let off the gas.

And they didn’t.

Instead, Eastmark continued to show case its high-powered offense en route to a

42-21 win over the Eagles, which secured the school’s first state championship.

“The first time we played them we didn’t have three of our key players,” East mark coach Scooter Molander said. “To shut down their offense is very difficult. Thatcher has a lot of tradition and they’re extremely well-coached. We’re proud to get this victory, for sure.”

The Firebirds simply fired on all cylin ders. Senior quarterback Mack Molander saved one of his best performances of the season for the biggest game of his career.

Even when pressured by Thatcher’s defense, he extended plays with his legs. When he was given time to throw, he

“This was a coast-to-coast extensive search,” Anderson said. “We looked at multiple candidates at various points of their career of all varieties … This new

head coach had to be in tune with and relatable to the new era student-athlete. Energetic, flexible, adaptable, collabora tive, innovative, great partner, great per sonality, great listener, great experiences winning and learning from others, strong, passionate about this place.

“As young as he is, the multitude of accomplishments and successes Kenny Dillingham brought to the table was un deniable.”

Dillingham’s coaching career began as a senior in high school at Chaparral. An inju ry derailed his playing career, but he stuck around under former coach and current Idaho State head coach Charlie Ragle.

He quickly moved up through the ranks at Chaparral and eventually became of fensive coordinator before he graduat ed from Arizona State in 2013. He then joined former ASU coach Todd Graham’s staff as a graduate assistant, where he re mained until 2015.

Scottsdale native and Chaparral alum Kenny Dillingham was announced Sunday, Nov. 27 as the next head coach of Arizona State. He was introduced during a press conference at Sun Devil Stadium alongside Arizona State Deputy Athletics Director Jean Boyd, “left,” Athletic Director Ray Anderson and President Michael Crow. (Katelyn MacCrory/Sun Devil Athletics)

The Eastmark Firebirds, in just their third season, captured the 3A state championship Saturday, Nov. 26 by defeating top-ranked Thatcher 41-21 at Desert Vista High School in Ahwatukee.

Contributor)

DILLINGHAM

from page 22

Dillingham’s coaching career then took him to several schools. He went to Memphis with Mike Norvell where he remained until 2018, where he eventually became the of fensive coordinator. In 2019 he joined Gus Malzahn’s staff at Auburn before recon necting with Norvell at Florida State.

He spent this past season as the offen sive coordinator at Oregon.

“I knew the best way to get this dream opportunity was to be the very best I could be every day,” Dillingham said. “That’s who I am. You wake up every single day and try to be the best version of yourself. It motivated me more to work.”

Dillingham’s ties to the Valley and state of Arizona run deep. He spent the last season actively recruiting the state for Oregon and emphasized Sunday during his introductory press conference how important it is to keep talent in-state at Arizona State.

EASTMARK

from page 22

picked apart the Eagle secondary. Behind his arm Eastmark jumped out to an ear ly lead and only extended it as the game went on.

Eastmark’s first score of the game came early in the second quarter. Mack, scram bling out of the pocket, took it in himself from 15 yards out. A fumble by Thatcher allowed the Firebirds to capitalize on the short field and Mack again ran into the end zone on a 1-yard quarterback sneak.

Thatcher managed to close the gap late in the second quarter, but Mack quickly led the Firebirds down the field again. He found senior wideout Austin Johnston, who made a leaping grab along the side line, to set up the offense inside the red zone. From there, the two connected again to take a two-score lead into the half.

“I honestly have no idea,” Johnston said of his catch along the sideline. “I don’t practice that. It just worked out. It was just a great feeling. The coaching staff put trust in me, and I was able to make a play.

“We’ve worked so long for this moment and it’s great to see it finally pay off.”

Everything was working for Eastmark. The offense couldn’t be stopped and the de fense, led by linebacker Kaden Armstrong and defensive lineman Ramarr Williams, limited Thatcher’s patented ground attack.

Thatcher found some momentum out of the break as quarterback Brandon

Part of that, Dillingham said, will have to do with who he has on staff.

He announced former Chandler coach and running backs coach Shaun Aguano, who served as the interim head coach after Edwards’ departure and re-energized the program, would remain on staff. He said some of the rest of his staff would be put in place quickly while others will take time.

Dillingham said he aims to have a staff that is dedicated to Arizona and knows how important it is for Arizona State to be successful. He didn’t go into further de tail about who he is targeting for his staff, but rumors have swirled that it would in volve current Arizona high school football coaches and some athletic directors.

“Our staff is going to be people who will build relationships in this Valley because they love this Valley,” Dillingham said. “We’re going to hire a staff that has roots and connections here in Arizona.”

Dillingham showed passion, humili ty and an overall love for Arizona State

Napier orchestrated a long drive that resulted in a touchdown.

But Mack connected with Johnston twice more in the second half and ran another in himself to put the game officially out of reach.

“Everything worked,” Mack said. “We had counters to everything. Coaches came with a great game plan. They would switch up the four or five-man front. But we would just adapt to everything they threw at us.

“(Coaches) did a great job preparing us for that every single week.”

Mack finished 14-of-19 for 268 yards and three touch downs through the air. He added 67 yards and three more touchdowns on the ground. Johnston caught seven passes for 171 yards and three touchdowns.

Jaxon Baily added 53 receiving yards of his own on four receptions. Thatcher running back Cody Jones found success on the ground, accumulating 139 yards and a touchdown. But Eastmark’s smothering defense forced three fumbles, all of which resulted in points.

The win for the Firebirds was met with

during his press conference. He said coaching the Sun Devils is his “dream job,” and became emotional and animated on several occasions.

The 32-year-old is the youngest coach among Power Five schools. And while he comes in with no prior head coaching ex perience, he understands along with re cruiting the state and hitting the transfer portal that Name, Image and Likeness has to become a priority moving forward.

The Sun Angel Collective was estab lished by Sun Devil Athletics to assist ath letes in NIL deals. It came with an initial million-dollar donation from boosters. But on Sunday during Dillingham’s intro duction, booster and ASU alum Nap Law rence pledged another million to the 501 (c) (3) public charity.

Dillingham stood and applauded.

“We’re ready when everybody is ready,” Dillingham said of Arizona State’s read iness level to compete from an NIL per spective. “We need everybody. We just got

a million dollars. That’s unbelievable. He did that to inspire everybody else.”

Dillingham said his first initiative as head coach will be to meet the players and become involved within the Arizona State community.

His energy was infectious within the room. The overall reaction from the crowd was similar to the way Aguano won over media in September when he took over head coaching duties. From media to his family and friends he played Little League baseball with as a kid growing up in Scott sdale, many were pleased with Dilling ham’s initial message.

Not only does he want to make Arizona State into a championship contender, he wants to do it with the support from those across the Valley and state.

“We need the Valley behind us. We need the state behind us,” Dillingham said. “We need butts in seats. We need everything this Valley has, all in. Because I am. All in.” 

“It doesn’t happen unless you envision it,” Scooter said. “Those original 13, I’m so happy for them. And the sacrifices fami lies make. It’s not like 35 years ago when I played. It’s a tremendous sacrifice. It’s worth it, I would say now.”

Eastmark’s first season of football took place during the COVID-19 year. The Fire birds made the playoffs for the first time last season and lost in the first round. That gave them a chip on their shoulder.

They knew they had the talent to make a run. And even with key players transfer ring out of the program to 6A and Open Di vision Basha before the 2022 season, they still were among the favorites all season.

The loss to Thatcher in Week 2, accord ing to Scooter, changed the mentality of the team. They wanted to leave no doubt about who they were. They had some slip ups, including the first half of the game against 4A top seed ALA – Gilbert North. But even in that game they came back to win in overtime.

tears and boisterous cheers from Scooter and the rest of the coaching staff. When he was first hired, 13 players showed up to a camp. He told them they would be the ones to help grow the program into a powerhouse.

It took some help from key transfers, including his own son from Queen Creek, but they accomplished the goal.

Overall, it was a special season for a team that will likely be in the 4A or 5A conference during the next realignment. But for now, they plan to enjoy their 3A championship and the start of yet anoth er dynasty in the southeast Valley. And Scooter has credited his players for the program’s success.

“It’s not about me, it’s about us,” Scooter said. “I wanted to get that trophy out of my hands and into the hands of the players.” 

Eastmark senior wideout Austin Johnston caught three touch down passes in Eastmark’s win over Thatcher. He, along with quarterback Mack Molander and others, were pivotal to the Firebirds’ success this season on their way to the state title.

(JJ Digos/Tribune Contributor)

Annual cat show returns to Mesa next weekend

GETOUT STAFF

The cats are coming back. No, fortunately it’s not the disastrous movie rendition of the Broadway mu sical – or even a musical – but the real thing.

The 29th annual Cat Fanciers Associa tion’s car show is coming back next Sat urday and Sunday to the Mesa Conven tion Center.

Arizona’s largest all breed cat show, dubbed “It’s Feline A Lot Like Christmas,” is hosted by Phoenix Feline Fanciers, a club of The Cat Fanciers’ Assoc. Inc., and will also include an adoption center spon sored by All About Animals AZ Rescue.

Over 40 distinct breeds of cats will be on hand for observers to watch, from the lean and swanky Siamese, the charmingly “na ked” Sphynx, the intoxicating Abyssinian, the giant Maine Coons, and the extrava gantly groomed Persians.

They also will be competing in eight judging rings for awards like Best in Show and Top Household Pet in Show.

The family-friendly event features both

RIGHT: Some cat owners and rescues decorate cages for the animals at the show. BELOW: A broad array of cat breeds will be on hand at the Mesa Con vention Center next week. (Special to GetOut)

pedigreed and household pets.

For cat owners who aren’t in the com petition, a “supermarket” of cat supplies and gifts will be available from a myriad

of vendors, including unique clothing, ar tifacts, jewelry, specialty foods and toys as well as top-of-the-line cat furniture. There will be a raffle and book sale as well.

Lights at the Farm illuminates Mesa

BY JOSH ORTEGA GetOut Staff Writer

An East Valley tradition that’s sure to brighten the holiday mood has once again opened in Mesa.

Daniel Dille, owner of Lights at the Farm, said his fifth year at Ver tuccio Farms will be the first with a revamped color spectrum.

The display, which runs through Dec. 30, covers more than 10 acres at Vertuccio Farm, on Power Road between Elliot and Warner roads.

It has more than three million en ergy-efficient LED and RGB lights with over16 million color options in multiple themed section syn

chronized to Christmas music.

“We also want to provide an ex perience that can be enjoyed by everyone from toddlers to grand parents,” Dille said “Our displays offer something for everyone, no matter what their age is.”

The entire light setup will also have a “concert-level” audio system with 85 speakers throughout that will keep guests “fully-immersed” in the experience, Dille said.

“You’re not walking into a dead zone here at all,” Dille said. “You’ll always be in the audio field.”

Dille has worked in the lighting business for 20 years creating resi dential, commercial and municipal shows across Arizona, Oregon and

Washington.

Rather than a drive-thru event, Dille said this “complete walkthrough” show allows people to spend more time with their fami lies in a festive holiday setting.

“It’s a little bit more of an inti mate feeling for their family be cause they can spend the time that they want,” Dille said. “Rather at drive-thrus, you get 12 minutes, get through, get out as fast as you can.”

Along with the well-lit holiday see LIGHTS page 26

Brightly lit snowglobes are part of the attraction at Vertuccio Farms in Mesa this season. (Special to GetOut)

And contestants will be competing in a kitty costume contest and another for best decorated holiday cage.

All About Animals AZ Rescue has been the only rescue partner for 12 years with Phoenix Feline Fanciers to facilitate all adoptions of purebred cats that have com pleted their showing career. Adoption fees are from $30-$900 and all the proceeds go to the rescue. Over 50 cats and kittens will be up for adoption, including: Abyssinian, Oriental Shorthair. Siamese, Persian, Oci cat, Manx and Savannah.

The show runs 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 10 and 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday at the convention center, 263 N. Center St. Build ing C, Mesa and parking is free.

Tickets are $12 adults; $10 seniors/mil itary; $7 for children 3-12 accompanied by an adult, under 3 free,

A family pack is also available for two adults and two children under 12 for $28.

Family 4-pack $28 (2 adults, 2 chil dren 3-12). Information: phxfeline.com, which includes a $1 off coupon on adult admission. 

Salt River Fields ‘Enchants’ with radiant display

BY ALEX GALLAGHER GetOut Staff Writer

Patrons passing by Salt River Fields at Talking Stick off Loop 101 and Indian Bend at night may have no ticed that the baseball field beckons with a sparkling holiday wonderland.

Enchant presented by Hallmark Chan nel, which touts itself as the world’s larg est holiday light display, has witnessed success with its Scottsdale debut since opening Nov. 25.

Because of that, Enchant manager Ryan Harris said his team thought the area would be perfect a display that dazzles.

“Our creative team and operations team source markets and venues that can ac commodate such an extravagant expe rience as this –where we take over 10 acres of space. So, what’s most important is space,” Harris said. “We also look for a city that loves Christmas and Scottsdale seemed like the perfect choice.”

The next task became finding a venue large enough to accommodate the colossal lights festival.

“In years past at other ‘Enchants,’ we’ve discovered that a baseball stadium lends itself perfectly to the type of events (we do),” Harris said. “It is common to find an Enchant that is laid out where we have the ice trail and the light maze on the field level.

“So when you walk over the overlook of the concourse and peer down into the light maze, ice trail and some of our mar ket vendors, it looks like you’re peeking over into a Christmas Village.”

Because of that, the team selected Salt River Field at Talking Stick – the Arizona Diamondbacks spring training facility.

“There’s just something about descend ing into what was once a baseball stadium that is now an all-encompassing atmo sphere that looks like something that can be seen inside of a snow globe that is en chanting,” Harris said.

After locking in a site, a year of planning and months of assembly began.

“Our creative team and operations

teams have been working all year since Enchant locations in 2021 closed and we began installing in Scottsdale right before Halloween since it’s about a month-long process to build Enchant,” Harris said.

After arriving in late October, crews be gan 10- to 12-hour days hanging lights, erecting sets, and laying the foundation for an expansive ice rink made of real ice. Once finished, the expansive light festi

val covered 10 acres of the spring training facility filling the grounds with over four million sparkling lights, a 100-foot-tall holiday tree, and myriad entertainment — including a place to visit Santa.

Harris says guests can expect plenty of fun for the entire family during their visit to Enchant.

“We keep everyone in mind,” Harris said. “For the little ones, we have a little elf play place where they can frolic and have Sto rytime with Mrs. Claus and they can also meet the big guy himself and take photos.

For adults, we have our Merry Lodge, Our Tipsy Tree Tavern, and a Polar Ice Bar – which is chilled at 14 degrees and guests can sample three different types of vodka at a bar where the inferior is made entire ly of ice.”

With all the options for fun at their feet, Harris expects guests to enjoy themselves and make merry memories that will last a lifetime and hopes Enchant becomes a staple at Salt River Field at Talking Stick moving forward.

“We know that the guests are going to enjoy themselves, they’re going to be over whelmed by the 100-foot pine tree that’s completely made up with lights, they’re going to be overwhelmed by our RGB light tunnel as they walk through it, and I know that we’re going to see just lots of joy on faces of children of all ages, adults, grand parents,” Harris said.

“The whole family is just going to be filled with joy and making them happy is going to make us happy.” 

If You Go...

What: Enchant at Salt River Field at Talking Stick

Where: Salt River Field at Talking Stick, 7555 N. Pima Road

When: Through Jan. 1

Cost: Tickets start at $34

Info: enchantchristmas.com/ scottsdale-az-salt-river-fields

The Enchant presented by Hallmark Channel lights display at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick will dazzle guests. (David Minton/Staff Photographer)

Harper Plum, Sabrina McDonald, Megan Plum and Chloe Plum seem positively enchanted as they take a group photo in front of a light tunnel at Enchant presented by Hallmark Channel at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick. (David Minton/Staff Photographer)

With JAN D’ATRI

GetOut Columnist

Bubble-Top Brioche is a good-anytime recipe

Beautiful brioche. With its irresistible buttery, light and tender crumb, brioche has holiday written all over it. Breakfast, lunch or dinner always seems a bit more special when rich and slightly sweet bread is served.

If you have time to bake this holiday season, give it a try. If not, save the recipe for this Bubble-Top Brioche, or “Brioche a Tete,” (12 servings) for a rainy day and then serve it up with rich, hot cup of cappuccino.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup warm water

• 1/4 cup warm whole milk

• 3 teaspoons active dry yeast

• 2 3/4 cups all purpose flour

• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

• 3 large eggs, room temperature

Directions:

Combine warm water and warm milk in mixing bowl fitted with paddle attachment. Sprinkle yeast over liquid and gently stir. Let stand until yeast dissolves.

Add flour and salt to yeast mixture. Blend at medium-low speed for 2 minutes scraping down sides of bowl. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until blended after each addition. Mix in sugar. Increase mixer speed to medium and beat until dough is smooth, about 3 minutes.

Reduce speed to low. Add butter, one tablespoon at a time, beating until blended after each addition, until dough is soft and silky, about 4 minutes.

Increase speed to medium-high and beat until dough pulls away from sides of bowl and climbs paddle. Lightly butter large bowl. Place dough into bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let dough rise in warm area until doubled in volume, about 1 hour 30 minutes.

Lift dough around edges to deflate, then let dough fall back into bowl. Turn bowl and repeat. Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and chill. Repeat deflating

• 3 tablespoons sugar

• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

• 1 large egg beaten with 1 teaspoon water (for glaze)

• 12 Brioche molds or muffin tin

process one or two more times during the next two hours while dough is still rising. Chill overnight.

When ready to bake, grease 12 fluted individual brioche molds (approx 3-inch) or large muffin cups. Pat the chilled dough into a 12x6-inch rectangle. Cut dough into 12 equal portions.

From each remove a small piece and roll into 12 (1/2-inch balls.) Roll remaining portions into 12 larg er balls; place in prepared pans. Using your fingers, make a deep indentation in the center of dough ball. Brush with water.

Press small balls into indentations. Cover; let rise in a warm place until double in size, about 45 minutes.

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 400 degrees. Place muffin pan on rimmed baking sheet. Gently brush egg wash over risen dough, being careful that glaze does not drip between dough and pan.

Bake brioches until golden brown, about 20 min utes. (Cover with foil if browning too quickly.) Transfer pan to cooling rack. Cool for about 10 minutes before removing brioches from pan. Serve warm or at room temperature. 

cheer, Lights at the Farm offers a minia ture golf course, pony rides, petting zoo, pallet maze, family games, a rotation of lo cal food trucks and refreshment vendors selling treats such as cocoa, fudge, cook ies, pancakes, and popcorn.

A holiday festival wouldn’t be complete without skating on a synthetic NHL-grade ice-like surface.

Dille said the outdoor skating surface is made of “the world’s fastest synthetic panels” has garnered praise from former NHL players who use similar surfaces to train in the offseason.

An enhancer that allows the skate blade to keep traction to the surface as if you’re on ice, Dille said.

“That enhancer that’s built into the plas tic when you’re skating around, that en ables the blade to keep the traction that it needs to be able to push off and stop as you’re going.,” Dille said. “It’s a very, very hard plastic surface that we use, it all snaps together at the seams. You don’t have any gaps or any bumps in it anywhere.”

The 4,000-square-foot skating rink can hold approximately 70 skaters comfort ably and doesn’t require a Zamboni to re surface the ice.

Instead, Dille said they pressure-wash it initially and then use a rideable floor sur face cleaner in between sessions.

In the five years of using this skating surface, Dille said they’ve never had to call the manufacturer for a problem and have only had an occasional complaint from people who’ve never ice skated before.’

“If a skating rink was 10 out of 10, this is probably 8 out of 10,” Dille said. “You’re just not going to have that exact same feel as ice.”

Dille approached farm owner Cono Ver tuccio five years ago to host the event at Vertuccio Farms and it seems to have paid off for them.

According to Dille, it could outpace the

24th annual Fall Festival at the farm that ran from late September to the end of Oc tober this year.

That’s something that makes Cono Ver tuccio very happy he invested in such a deal.

“It’s like just a winter wonderland here,” Vertuccio said. “We just got a lot of fun.”

With 75,000 people that visit the farm annually, Vertuccio estimates 40,000 visit ing for the Fall Festival.

“It’s kind of a tradition,” Vertuccio said. “There’s so many people that come in and then they’re grown up now and then they’re bringing their kids.”

Dille estimated last year’s Lights at the Farm brought in more than 80,000 peo ple, with most of that coming from presale tickets.

Due to labor costs, Dille said he had to raise ticket prices $2, but he still estimates around 100,000 tickets sold this year.

That price increase comes from hav ing to hire people to update some props and displays to accommodate the full col or-change equipment.

That change may prompt past frequent fliers of the show to say that there’s less displays but Dille insists it’s more of an ef ficient system they use now.

“If a light goes out in that now, all we have to do is cut one lamp and replace the lamp and we’re done rather than a whole string of 100 lights,” Dille said. “It changes the game completely.” 

If You Go...

What: Lights at the Farm

Where: Vertuccio Farms, 4011 S. Power Road, Mesa.

When: Through Dec. 3, 5:30- 9:30 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, and 5:30-10 p.m. Friday-Saturday

Cost: $18 Friday and Saturday, $15 Sunday-Thursday; Skating, $10. ood and beverages are not included in ticket prices. Parking is free.

Info: LightsattheFarm.com.