Queen Creek Tribune 052922 by Times Media Group

Gun measure may return / P. 10

Memorial Day reflection / P. 24

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An edition of the East Valley Tribune

INSIDE

QC police chief continues to build force BY JOSH ORTEGA Tribune Staff Writer

COMMUNITY...... 18 QC man motivates business leaders, others.

BUSINESS............ 22 450 apartments, 186 condos approved for QC.

SPORTS................ 25 How the pandemic saved golf courses.

COMMUNITY.........................18 BUSINESS...............................22 OPINION..................................24 SPORTS ...................................25 CLASSIFIEDS ........................27

Sunday, May 29, 2022

aking anything from scratch has its difficulties, especially a police department. On Jan. 11, the Queen Creek Police Department went live as the primary law enforcement agency in town with 64 sworn officers and a budget of $19 million for the fiscal year ending June 30.

The department began its 18-month journey in 2020 during a tumultuous time for law enforcement and Police Chief Randy Brice had nothing more than a basic outline of what needed to get done. “My job when I came in was to really just develop the whole program from scratch,” he said. Queen Creek’s previous law enforcement agency had long stood under the authority of the Maricopa County Sheriff ’s

Office since the town’s inception in 1990. “There were some bumpy parts of that road where the town was concerned about the level of service for the community,” Brice said. “So, they had tried different ways to augment that.” He served as the contract chief starting 2012 and had a great program until three years later, when he left for Gilbert Police

see CHIEF page 6

EV dad never forgets fallen warrior son A Memorial Day remembrance: see page 24.

BY KEN SAIN Tribune Staff Writer

oy Conrad, father of the late Staff Sergeant Alex Conrad of Chandler, has been busy since his son was killed in combat in Somalia in 2018 – either the last or second-last Arizona warrior felled by enemy fire in the last four years. There are a lot of Gold Star Family events

see

WARRIOR page 4

Roy Conrad of Chandler stands in front of the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Gilbert, which last month was renamed after his son, Staff Sgt. Alex Conrad, who died in combat in Somalia in 2018. Roy memorializes his son in many ways, including with a decal on the rear of his motorcycle. (David Minton/Staff Photographer)

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Census: Arizona per-pupil funding in the cellar again BY MORGAN FISCHER Cronkite News

ASHINGTON – Arizona was again among the worst states in the nation for per pupil spending on K-12 education in 2020, a ranking that advocates said was embarrassing but not surprising. The numbers from a recent Census Bureau report said Arizona spent $8,785 per pupil in 2020, ahead of only Utah and Idaho that year. And it was dead last – 51st among states and the District of Columbia – when it came to the amount spent on actual instruction, at $4,801 per pupil. Both were well below the national average of $13,494 overall and $8,176 on instruction per pupil for that year. The data “reflects the continued failure by Arizona’s legislature to appropriately invest in our state’s future,” a spokesperson for the Arizona Department of Education said in a statement.

But a spokesperson for Gov. Doug Ducey said the numbers “may not portray the complete picture of what’s happening in Arizona.” C.J. Karamargin said that higher spending does not equal a better educational system. “If spending were a measure of success, then Washington, D.C., and New York would have the best educated kids in the country,” Karamargin said. Many advocates remain frustrated by the state being historically and “generally underinvested” in public education in relation to the population, said Chris Kotterman, director of governmental relations for the Arizona School Boards Association. That was echoed by Beth Lewis, the director of Save Our Schools Arizona, who said many teachers and those involved with the education system have “kind of gotten used to” the state’s low ranking on school funding. “Schools are not able to afford a mu-

sic teacher, an art teacher, a classroom aide,” said Lewis, who is also a teacher. “Teachers are trying to be everything; counselors, assistant principals, nurses.” Arizona remains mired at the bottom of the rankings despite a 17.3% increase in per pupil funding between 2015 and 2020, according to the Census Bureau. But that still lagged behind the national average of an 18.5% increase during the period. Advocates are hopeful – but not optimistic – that the situation will change next year, with the state sitting on a budget surplus that could be as high as $5.3 billion. They also point to the will of the voters in the form of Proposition 208. Approved by voters in 2020, it would have dedicated more than $800 million in new taxes to schools in the first year, primarily to teachers’ salaries, but it has since been struck down in Arizona courts.

The Arizona Education Association has created an “educator’s budget” that calls for allocating up to $1.2 billion of ongoing revenue in the surplus to the public education system. It calls for increased spending on base salaries, full-day kindergarten, special education funding and career and technical education programs, among other initiatives. “We’re not asking to go from 50th to one,” said AEA Vice President Marisol Garcia of the educator’s budget. “We’re asking to go from 50th to 30th.” Garcia said the fact that Arizona voters approved Prop 208 proves that low education funding in the state is “not aligned with the priorities of parents, teachers, students.” But Kotterman said schools are likely to receive only a fraction of that request, although he hopes lawmakers can increase school funding closer to

see FUNDING page 11

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WARRIOR from page 1 An edition of the East Valley Tribune Queen Creek Tribune is published every Sunday and distributed free of charge to homes and in single-copy locations throughout Queen Creek CONTACT INFORMATION Main number: 480-898-6500 | Fax: 480-898-562 Circulation: 480-898-5641 Publisher: Steve T. Strickbine Vice President: Michael Hiatt ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT Display Advertising: 480-898-6309 Classifieds/Inside Sales: Elaine Cota | 480-898-7926 | ecota@TimesLocalMedia TJ Higgins | 480-898-5902 | tjhiggins@TimesLocalMedia Steve Insalaco | 480-898-5635 | sinsalaco@TimesLocalMedia Advertising Sales Executive: Jane Meyer | 480-898-5633 | jane@TimesLocalMedia NEWS DEPARTMENT Executive Editor: Paul Maryniak | 480-898-5647 pmaryniak@TimesLocalMedia Managing Editor: Cecilia Chan | 480-898-5613 |cchan@TimesLocalMedia Reporters: Josh Ortega | 480-898-5610 | jortega@TimesLocalMedia Ken Sain | 928-420-5341 | ksain@TimesLocalMedia Photographer: Dave Minton | dminton@TimesLocalMedia Design: Nathalie Proulx | nproulx@TimesLocalMedia Production Coordinator: Courtney Oldham | 480-898-5617 production@TimesLocalMedia Circulation Director: Aaron Kolodny | 480-898-5641 customercare@TimesLocalMedia Sports Editor: Zach Alvira | 480-898-5630 | zalvira@TimesLocalMedia

and dedications he has attended while he also volunteers with a number of organizations. “I was talking to one of the dads and I said, ‘You know, when does it slow down?’” Roy recalled. “And because his son was killed almost 10 years ago, he says, ‘You know, it slows down when you want it to slow down. OK?’ And he says, ‘You know, we’re here for you. But if you need the space, you take it.’” Roy finds that peace when he travels cross country on his motorcycle, something he does about a half dozen times a year. “That’s my space,” he said. His most recent trip across the country on motorcycle was earlier this month to visit his son’s grave on what would have been his 30th birthday. Alex Conrad was serving at a small outpost in Somalia about 200 miles southwest of Mogadishu as part of Operation Octave Shield when, on June 8, 2018, it came under attack from al Shabab militants. A human intelligence officer with the Army’s 3rd Special Forces Group, Alex – along with three other Americans and a Somali solider – was wounded by shrapnel from a mortar round. He had joined the Army 10 years earlier and had deployed twice to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. He later completed the French basic language course at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center in 2016, and was subsequently assigned to 3rd Special Forces Group as a human intelligence noncommissioned officer, according to the Military Times. His awards and decorations include

Queen Creek Tribune is distributed by AZ Integrated Media, a circulation service company owned by Times Media Group. The public is permitted one copy per reader. For further information regarding the circulation of this publication or others in the Times Media Group family of publications, please contact AZ Integrated Media at circ@azintegratedmedia.com or 480-898-5641. For circulation services please contact Aaron Kolodny at aaron@azintegratedmedia.com

This plaque hangs in the lobby of the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Gilbert as part of a memorial to Staff Sgt. Alex Conrad. (Special to the Tribune)

the Meritorious Unit Commendation (second award), the Army Commendation Medal (third award), the Army Achievement Medal, the Army Good Conduct Medal (second award), the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Combat Action Badge,and the Basic Parachutist Badge. He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart and the Meritorious Service Medal. Alex also liked to ride and do pretty much anything to stay active, his father recalled. He also liked to hear stories. Roy said Alex loved to visit the World This photo of Staff Sgt. Alex Conrad was taken shortly before War II Memorial when his death. (Special to the Tribune) he was stationed near Washington, D.C., just so he could hear “Our veterans are not neglected, beveterans tell their stories from their cause they are remembered that way,” days on active duty. Roy said. “But it doesn’t do any good if Roy said one thing he likes to do on his nobody goes to them. And so many of motorcycle trips is visit the many me- them are, the memorials themselves, are morials set up to remember the fallen. forgotten. Somebody spent a lot of time “I’ll go through and see some of these and effort to do that memorial, to memlittle towns and, for example, Benson orize memorialize our veterans, and not and Wilcox, and even Bisbee, some of just our fallen veterans, but our veterans those hidden away little memorials that that are here with us today.” are nothing more than just a little markThe Veterans Affairs Medical Center in er sitting there,” Roy said. “But that com- Gilbert was renamed after Sgt. Alex Conmunity will gather together around that rad on April 23. Roy said hundreds of and just remember their fallen members people attended the dedication, not just from Arizona but from all over the U.S. from their community. One way that he remembers his son “It’s kinda cool to go and see that it’s all over the country, those little things is to visit Veterans Oasis Park, which with all the negativity that going on, and opened in Chandler late last year. Ray and the father of a former Chanbut you see those things, and those are like little community things that are im- dler resident who was killed in action in portant to that community, and they’ve Afghanistan, Major Brent Taylor of Utah, painted some big rocks there in the colnot forgotten.” This Memorial Day, Roy suggested or of their son’s beret. Alex Conrad’s is Americans seek out some of those for- red,and Taylor’s is tan. “I think it was a Girl Scout troop that gotten memorials and learn about the went through there and painted up a people who they honor. He pointed to the Chaplain’s Memorial whole bunch of rocks,” Roy said. “They in Scottsdale, which he said most people researched and found names of the fallen and painted their names on there and don’t know about. He said some have been neglected, put a little inscription on them just to reand are no longer in great shape. One member him, which I thought was really, really neat.” thing Americans can do is to fix that.

QUEEN CREEK TRIBUNE | QUEENCREEKTRIBUNE.COM | MAY 29, 2022

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CHIEF from page 1

Department. In his absence, Queen Creek struggled with some staffing issues, but the town continued to grow and residents and officials wanted to have more “localized control” over their police services. In 2018, the town hired a group of consultants that they came up with three options to move forward: stay with the sheriff ’s office, go to another agency as a contract or start our own police department. On March 18, 2020, the Town Council approved the creation of the town’s law enforcement agency. Then, a nationwide search began to hire a police chief.

QUEEN CREEK TRIBUNE | QUEENCREEKTRIBUNE.COM | MAY 29, 2022

On July 20, 2020, Brice hired on and began the work of building the department from the bottom up. With that mission occurring smack dab in the middle of the pandemic and its supply chain disruptions, Brice said the “robust” nationwide conversation on policing in America guided his decision-making. Brice’s primary focus in building the department became the connection that he and his officers would have with the community. “In every program, every person, everything that we did was always focused on the community and connecting with the community,” he said. From the equipment the town bought to the programs he created, everything became about how it

Queen Creek Police Chief Randy Brice started building the town’s police force from scratch last year and he’s far from done. (David Minton/Tribune Staff Photographer)

Queen Creek Officer Antonio Rodriguez was honored with the Phoenix Police Department’s Medal of Valor last week for saving a baby being held at gunpoint in January 2021 when he was still with the Phoenix force. (Facebook)

would impact officers’ engagement with the community and “co-producing” a law enforcement agency with the residents. “People don’t want to be policed upon. They want to be part of solution and solving problems together,” Brice explained. He said the town accomplished this by reaching out with surveys to the community and asking everything from uniform colors, badge style, car design, and the vision and mission. Through the first fiscal year, they eventually had a skeleton crew of lieutenants and administrators and began the task of hiring patrol officers after July 2021. On top of the having competent individuals who can perform the ba-

sic functions of policing, Brice made sure they understood the department would always have a connection with the community. He said that to have a good connection with the community, they had to start with recruiting officers who would understand and embody that philosophy. “Recruiting was really our number one way of building our culture,” he said. “Because people are our culture.” At a time when police departments have trouble hiring new officers, he said a major selling point to recruitment became the historic moment of joining this brand-new department. Queen Creek PD joins Maricopa

see CHIEF page 8

QUEEN CREEK TRIBUNE | QUEENCREEKTRIBUNE.COM | MAY 29, 2022

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CHIEF from page 6

and Grand Canyon University police among the youngest law enforcement agencies in the state. Another big draw included the agencies size and their agility to make decision and changes without the bureaucracy of agencies like Phoenix and Mesa. “That’s unique for people to have a voice in the inception and the development of an organization and we continue that as we go,” he said. Like how they reached out to the community: Brice gave residents a chance to help build their policies around what they wanted while adhering to the laws and regulations required of them. The town initially had to hire 63 officers after Brice and put them through a four-month mini-academy to bring everybody on the same page about the department’s policies. They taught more than 500 hours of more than 100 topics including useof-force, de-escalation, constitutional law, and hands-on scenario training. As diversity has become a big issue in policing, Brice said his officer’s racially diverse backgrounds have become over representative of the community. But while they will continue efforts to stay diverse, he said their hiring processes remain merit based. “You were hired based on your merit,” he said. “But we do recruit and try to attract as much people from a diverse group into the pool of applicants. That diversity has brought some ancillary benefits as well with the hiring of women officers in the department. The 30X30 Initiative looks to increase female representation in police recruit classes to 30% by 2030.

QUEEN CREEK TRIBUNE | QUEENCREEKTRIBUNE.COM | MAY 29, 2022

Currently, women make up only 12% of sworn officer and 3% of police leadership. On Jan. 11, Brice said the department had already surpassed that goal. Town Council earlier this month update the town’s strategic plan with new goals for Brice’s ongoing mission. It says the department will “continue to evaluate and respond to data and conditions within the community necessary to maintain low victimization rates, improve traffic safety, and minimize the fear of crime. It says the department will increase community support and “continue to support meaningful collaboration, engagement and partnerships within the community by focusing on building maintaining trust, transparency, legitimacy, and a safe social environment” while it continues “to research, identify and implement relevant technologies, innovations and smart practices that support public safety, community engagement, and a high quality of life for our residents and businesses.” The budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1 includes 15 new positions for the Queen Creek Police Department that includes 10 more sworn positions and five civilians, as well as funding for the necessary software, hardware, and equipment for the new staff. In the long run, everything comes back to meeting the community where it needs to be met because Brice’s officers meet people on their worst day. He said he tries to remind his officers that they can make a difference every day on every call. “They’ve had something bad happen to them, or there’s some sort of tragedy in their lives and here we are coming to their aid,” he said. “What a great moment to really lift people up.”

Chief’s latest report council details efforts TRIBUNE NEWS STAFF

o get an idea of Queen Creek Police Chief Randy Brice’s accomplishments, residents only need to consider his report to Town Council for the third quarter of the current fiscal year. In it, he calls Community-Oriented Policing (COP) “a core aspect of our daily operations,” noting “We have enabled and encouraged officers to engage the public during standard patrol operations, directed patrols, and problem-oriented policing activities. “We are utilizing our CAD/RMS system to track activities and manage ongoing efforts. We continue to host or facilitate outreach events within the community. On average, we have conducted at least three to five events per week.” Beyond that, he reported, “We have successfully launched our Records Management and Standards Systems. These two platforms provide the core of our reporting system. However, we have also launched several other ancillary systems that provide resources and adjuncts to the overall reporting process. We have continued to develop our auditing and oversight procedures that will work with these systems.” “We have successfully launched a suite of programs, software, and workflows designed to support our critical incident reviews, complaint processing, internal investigations,

field training, employee performance, and other critical reporting,” Brice continued. “We have also added a series of ‘feedback forums’ where employees are able to interface with management and/or provide critical feedback on a regular basis.” Brice said he’s also nearing completion of several projects “that will enhance our ability to measure our overall customer service. Both programs allow the resident/customer to provide specific feedback about responding officers and the overall handling of the call.” And the department’s public information officer is now “fully integrated into our programs and operations. “We continue to find ways to better reach our residents through social media platforms and average at least fve-10 posts per week.” He’s also overseen activities “on building department infrastructure and foundational elements including but not limited to” police procedures and policies, “has hired or extended final offers to 72 employees, including command staff, sergeants, officers, recruits, and professional staff.” He also has sent more than 30 different officers and professional staff to specialized training, conferences and/or symposiums and updated the department’s property and evidence room with new cameras, lockers, and other security measures.

Know anything interesting going on in Queen Creek? Send your news to pmaryniak@timespublications.com

QUEEN CREEK TRIBUNE | QUEENCREEKTRIBUNE.COM | MAY 29, 2022

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Ducey ponders renewed effort on gun confiscation BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

eaten back two years in a row, Gov. Doug Ducey may make one more stab at enacting legislation to allow parents and school officials ask judges to take guns away from people who are a danger to themselves or others. “We thought it was good policy then,’’ press aide C.J. Karamargin told Capitol Media Services last week in the wake of the shooting in Texas that left 19 students and two teachers dead. “We still do,’’ he said. “And we remain committed to measures to increase school safety.’’ Ducey did manage to get his plan out of the Senate in 2018 by agreeing to dilute some of the provisions, only to have the House refuse to take it up. A subsequent bid in 2019 fared no better. And Ducey has not brought it up since amid opposition from the fellow Republicans who control both the House and Senate. “Politics intervened,’’ the governor told Capitol Media Services at the time. But Karamargin said his boss never has completely given up on the idea. “We thought then, and still do, it was a common-sense plan that protects the Second Amendment rights for law-abiding citizens while keeping guns out of the hands of dangerous individuals who are a lethal threat,’’ he said. The current legislative session is at a point where new policy bills are not supposed to be introduced. In fact, the session should have wrapped up a month ago. But lawmakers remain at the Capitol because they have yet to approve a spending plan for the new fiscal year that begins July 1. But Ducey has the constitutional power to call lawmakers into a special session – even one that runs concurrently with the regular session – to address specific issues. And Karamargin said he will not rule that out, saying a decision is “undetermined at this time.’’ Any bill the governor would ask be enacted would go to a highly divided legislature.

Gov. Doug Ducey may re-introduce legislation allowing parents and school officials to seek the confiscation of a dangerous individual’s guns. (Tribune file photo) In a floor speech Wednesday, Senate Minority Leader Rebecca Rios, D-Phoenix, said the reason children were murdered in Texas is directly attributable to the lack of action by not just Republicans in the U.S. Senate on gun-reform legislation but also “by state legislatures just like ours that refuse to act to end the gun violence epidemic in this country but rather send a nicely packaged ‘thoughts and prayers’ message.’’ That drew a sharp response from Senate Majority Leader Rick Gray, R-Sun City, who said that it’s not the lack of gun laws that lead to mass shootings. “For decades we’ve been teaching our children in school there is no God,’’ he said. “You can’t pray, you can’t even pray on the field,’’ Gray said. “There are no absolutes.’’ Sen. Martin Quezada, D-Glendale, said there are things that could help if only the Republican majority would allow them to be considered. He ticked off a list of measures introduced by Democrats this year which did not even get a hearing. These include requiring parents to ensure that children do not have access to firearms and requiring a background check for all gun sales, including those person-to-person sales at gun shows.

And there was something else: allow judges to order a “severe threat order of protection’’ to remove weapons, at least temporarily, from the hands of those who present a danger to themselves or others. That is pretty much what Ducey proposed in 2018 and again in 2019 -- and may be willing to make one more try before he leaves office at the end of the year. The plan actually was based on a study by the governor’s office of prior mass shootings, including what were at the time the deadliest school shootings in the last 20 years. Ducey said that requires increased law enforcement and increased mental and behavioral health resources. But the governor also said there are flaws in current laws on who can have a gun. “Individuals who either suffer from mental illness or appears to be a danger to themselves or others are not necessarily prohibited from purchasing or accessing a firearm,’’ his plan stated. And as proof he cited the 2008 shooting of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords by Jared Loughner, pointing out that he had been dismissed from Pima Community College, something he never completed. And Loughner’s parents had taken away his shotgun fearing he was a danger to himself and others. Ducey said a procedure for STOP orders could have prevented that -- and could prevent future incidents. It would allow family members, law enforcement, school administrators allowed to seek a court order to keep people from purchasing or possessing weapons for some period of time. Ducey, in an interview with Capitol Media Services at the time, defended the idea of letting others trigger a mental health exam of those who may be dangerous. “This law was brought together by superintendents and principals and teachers,’’ he said, people who want to remove guns from dangerous individuals before they show up at school. Part of what the governor said at the time may have been working against the legislation is that Arizona has not had the kind of school shootings that have plagued

other states. Ducey said that’s irrelevant. “Why would this only be the focus in response to one of these school shootings?’’ he asked. “Why can’t we do something proactively?’’ The governor acknowledged the opposition the measure faced from the National Rifle Association and the Arizona Citizens Defense League, both of which raised questions about the plan. Both are likely to raise renewed objections. But Ducey said that should not be a barrier. “I believe we can get the full school safety package passed,’’ he said. And Ducey said if there’s a problem with that, “the onus is on us as elected leaders, the onus is on the legislature to make the right vote.’’ But current legislators -- the ones who would have to consider such a plan -- have their own ideas about dealing with school shootings. “I think the solution is we need to arm our schools, plain and simple,’’ said Sen. Kelli Townsend, R-Apache Junction. And that, she said, includes volunteer veterans, police -- and teachers. “The thing that stops this is equal force,’’ she said. “Are you kidding me?’’ responded Sen. Christine Marsh, D-Phoenix, who is a teacher. And she said this comes as Republicans are saying the law needs to be amended because teachers can’t be trusted to decide how they can teach and what they can say about race, a reference to legislation to ban what foes call “critical race theory.’’ “And now you’re suggesting you do trust them, though, to carry guns to school?’’ Marsh said. “I mean, give me a break.’’ The governor himself has been cool to the idea, saying in 2018 in the wake of a mass shooting in Florida that he doesn’t see arming teachers as a way to deal with school violence. “I want to see our teachers be put in a position where they can teach our kids,’’ he said. And Ducey said security -- and weapons -- should be the job of school resource officers, “people that are there in charge of security so the teachers can go ahead and teach,’’ he said.

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QUEEN CREEK TRIBUNE | QUEENCREEKTRIBUNE.COM | MAY 29, 2022

FUNDING from page 3

the $500 million to $700 million range. The Legislature has until July 1 to approve a budget for fiscal 2023. The Arizona Education Department spokesperson said lawmakers “must pass a budget that supports fair pay for our state’s educators and meets the needs of every student in our classrooms.” The state Education Department has advised school districts that because of the prolonged budget impasse in the Legislature, school boards will have to approve a budget that they almost certainly will have to adjust whenever a state spending plan is finally approved. For now, advocates say, with teachers being forced to take on more and more in the classroom, many schools are struggling to hold it together. “Arizona is not providing even close to an adequate amount of resources for our children,” Lewis said. “We know that our poor children definitely bear the brunt much worse than more well-off areas.”

The lack of funding has led many teachers to quit their jobs because of burnout, said Garcia, who said schools are being held together “with a BandAid and a prayer.” Kotterman said new teachers in Arizona often only last three to five years before leaving the profession. “The trend is that teachers are leaving because they’re just so tired and they feel like they are not able to do the job anymore,” Lewis said. In September 2021, 25.9% of teacher vacancies in Arizona schools remained unfilled and 55.4% of the vacancies were filled by teachers who did not meet the state’s standard certification requirements, surveys from the Arizona School Personnel Administrators Association showed. Garcia said lawmakers need to listen to what voters said in passing Prop 208. “It’s the voters who are behind this, they’ve passed propositions,” Garcia said. “If parents didn’t want schools to be starved, they wouldn’t be sending their kids to public schools.”

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QUEEN CREEK TRIBUNE | QUEENCREEKTRIBUNE.COM | MAY 29, 2022

Audit rips state protection of nursing homes BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

tate health officials are doing a poor job of ensuring that people in nursing homes are properly protected, a new report concludes. And what’s worse, said Auditor General Lindsey Perry, is that the situation hasn’t changed since her agency pointed out the problems 30 months ago. In fact, she noted that auditors made five recommendations in September 2019 of things the Department of Health Services should implement to ensure that all complaints are prioritized, investigated and resolved in a timely manner. To date, Perry said, none have been implemented. Perry said her staffers, conducting a follow-up investigation, found multiple cases where the health department inappropriately closed most high-priority complaints without the required on-site investigation. She said that includes complaints about

lack of precautions to keep residents from getting pressure sores, patients being left soiled for extended periods, and incidents of abuse and neglect. And Perry said she found the agency inappropriately changed virtually all of its open high-priority complaints to lower priorities. What that did, she said, is artificially extended the time to respond to those complaints from 10 days to a full year. Even then, Perry said, some cases still ended up being closed without any inquiry at all. But what really got Perry’s attention was the failure of the health department to implement those 2019 recommendations. “We identified additional significant complaint-prioritization and investigation failures that have continued to put long-term care facility residents’ health, safety, and welfare at risk,’’ she wrote of the follow-up investigation. In a prepared statement, state Health Director Don Harrington said there were miti-

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gating circumstances. “Amid the COVID-19 outbreak, and on instruction from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the agency’s main focus shifted to infection control survey for longterm care facilities,’’ he said. The goal there, according to Harrington, was to reduce the chances of outbreaks that could endanger residents. He said the agency exceeded the federal requirements for those infection control surveys which staff conducted at all facilities and “handled rapidly when outbreaks were reported.’’ Perry, however, was not impressed. “While we understand that the state’s COVID-19 pandemic response has required significant department time and resources and the department experienced executive and licensing changes during this time period, neither mitigate its failure to appropriately prioritize and investigate complaints (and) self-reports alleging abuse or neglect of long-term care facility residents,’’ she

wrote in her report. Self-reports are incidents that a nursing home must report on its own to the health department. These range from resident injuries of unknown origin and allegations of abuse or neglect to misappropriation of a resident’s property. “It also does not justify changing high-priority complaints and self-reports to lower priorities that do not need to be investigated as urgently,’’ Perry said. And she said the numbers bear out the scope of the problem. It starts with the requirement to investigate high-priority complaints within 10 days. These are one step below those classified as “immediate jeopardy,’’ meaning there is an immediate and serious threat to health and safety. They have to be checked out within two days. High priority, by contrast, is defined to in-

see NURSING page 14

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QUEEN CREEK TRIBUNE | QUEENCREEKTRIBUNE.COM | MAY 29, 2022

Arizona traffic fatalities hit 15-year high in 2021 BY MORGAN FISCHER Cronkite News

rizona traffic fatalities hit their highest level in 15 years in 2021, when the state saw a 6.5% increase in highway deaths that experts blame in part on bad driving habits made worse during the pandemic. The 1,212 deaths on state roads last year were the most since 2006 and the latest in a steady increase since 2010, when deaths in Arizona bottomed out at 759. “We have had more fatalities because there are more people driving faster, speed is a major, major factor” that only got worse during the pandemic, said Alberto Gutier, executive director of the Arizona Governor’s Office of Highway Safety. “People are not following the rules of the road and putting themselves and others in danger.” Despite the “tragic and sad” rise, however, Arizona was still well below the U.S. increase of 10.5% for 2021, and its final numbers were sharp slowdown from earlier in the year, when highway deaths in the state were increasing at a pace of more than 18%. Nationwide, 42,915 people died on the highway in 2021, an average of over 117 people a day, according to the latest data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. That was the most in the U.S. in 16 years. David Harkey, the president of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, said he was “disappointed, but not surprised”

by the numbers. He said bad driving behaviors that were aggravated by the pandemic in 2020 are still affecting the traffic fatalities in 2021. With roads emptied of traffic by the pan- The above chart shows how the increase in traffic fatalities from 2020 to demic, he said, 2021 broken down by region. ( NHTSA) drivers got away from normal, safe driving habits, which underage drinking program in advance.” led to increased fatal crashes involving Joe Sullivan, manager of victim services alcohol and fewer seat belts being worn. for MADD Arizona, attributed the decline “We’re just trying to get back to nor- in Arizona deaths toward the end of the mal,” Harkey said, as cars return to the year to the state’s relatively strict drunkhighways. “Whatever the new normal is en-driving laws. A first offense for driving going to look like, but … those behaviors under the influence in Arizona carries a have not corrected themselves at this minimum jail time of 10 days and a fine, point.” while a second conviction has a 90-day That was true nationally, where alco- minimum sentence. hol-related crashes reported by police Arizona was also one of the first states rose 5% in 2021, which followed a 14% to adopt ignition interlock laws for drivincrease the year before. ers convicted of a DUI. The devices, which In Arizona, however, alcohol-related are connected to a car’s ignition system, fatalities continued a two-year decline, require a breath test and will not allow from 258 in 2019 to 228 in 2020 to 205 the car to start if the driver’s blood-alcolast year, according to Gutier. hol content exceeds the legal limit. “I think measures like that (ignition inStill, said Terri Bowen, the development officer for Mothers Against Drunk terlock devices), as well as some others Driving Arizona, the increases are “tragic that we have taken, are proving to be effective against drunk driving,” Sullivan said. and sad.” Still, the problem of traffic fatalities “I think it shows that we need to continue to do what we are doing,” she said. has been increasing since before the pan“Increase our reach, increase our brand demic, both in Arizona and the U.S. Naexpansion and continue to get in with our tionally, highway deaths fell to 32,479 in

2011 but have climbed almost 32% since then. In Arizona, the rise has been even sharper, growing more than 46% in the same period. “That’s horrific,” Harkey said. “We’ve been in this epidemic of traffic fatalities for a very long time.” In releasing the new data, NHTSA pointed to new programs under last year’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that it said will improve highway safety. The program invests $6 billion over the next five years to reduce crashes and fatalities in local communities through the Safe Street and Roads for All program, which opened its first round of applications this week. The U.S. Department of Transportation said Arizona is expected to get about $5.3 billion over five years to fund highways and bridges, and another $36 million for highway safety and traffic programs. The infrastructure bill also includes programs to decrease drunken driving through technology that could include monitoring systems outside or inside a vehicle, as well as alcohol detection systems. MADD advocated for this legislation. “It’s going to do wonders,” Sullivan said. “Essentially it would eliminate the ability for someone to drive drunk.” But Harkey said it will take a widespread effort for the nation to break the rising trend of traffic fatalities. “The real key here is that it takes partnerships,” Harkey said. “It takes engineers, the law enforcement community, the policy makers and legislators, the judiciary, public health professionals. Everybody has to be on board, everybody has a role to play.”

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NURSING from page 12

clude actual harm that impairs a resident’s mental, physical or psycho-social status. It also includes hazards to health and safety that may exist and are likely to cause a significant problem in care and treatment. Perry said the follow-up audit to the 2019 report found that 73% of the high-priority complaints the agency received still were not investigated within the 10-day window as required. “Failing to timely investigate high-priority complaints can have severe, adverse effects including compromised investigations impacting the department’s ability to substantiate allegations such as sexual abuse where time is of the essence,’’ she said. Perry said it also ensures that actions can be taken to protect not only that resident but others at the facility. She cited several actual examples. One was a January 2020 complaint from the wife of a resident of a long-term care facility who reported her husband had developed unexplained bruises on his arm. The wife also said that he had not been receiving doctor-ordered respiratory treatments and

QUEEN CREEK TRIBUNE | QUEENCREEKTRIBUNE.COM | MAY 29, 2022

had developed a pressure sore on his tailbone due to being left soiled for extended periods of time. The complaint noted that the man had severe cognitive impairment which would limit his ability to complain about the level or care or report instances of physical abuse or unreported accidents. Perry said the health department listed seven separate allegations and designated it a high-priority complaint. Only thing is, she said, the agency did not act on it until 15 months later when it downgraded it to a medium-priority complaint. “Approximately two weeks later, the department closed the complaint without investigating any of the allegations,’’ Perry wrote. In a similar situation, the department got a complaint from a daughter of a resident at a long-term care facility who had been hospitalized with a pressure ulcer resulting in dead skin and a bone infection. The complaint record said the man did not have that problem when he entered the facility. And because he was nonverbal, he could not complain about pain or other symptoms.

He eventually was placed in hospice care due to the pressure ulcer and bone infection and died at the end of the month. But Perry said while the health department classified it as alleged neglect and assigned it a high-priority level, it simply closed the complaint 18 months later without an investigation and took no further action against the facility. It is not just that high-priority complaints were not promptly investigated. Perry said the health department “inappropriately’’ changed 98% of its open high-priority complaints to lower priorities, “artificially’’ extending the time to respond from 10 days to a full year. She said her interviews her investigators did found that the health department staff sometimes made decisions about whether to downgrade complaints based on factors ranging from whether staff was available within the required time frame and whether the resident already had died. Perry also said the person who was responsible for assigning priority levels also told her investigators that it considers complaints that come from the Adult Protective Services program at the Department of

Economic Security to be not credible, saying that agency “often sensationalizes its reports’’ to the health department. And she said that complaints from family members also are not considered as credible by the health department, with the staffer saying that “the family is simply upset about the passing of the resident.’’ Harrington, in his prepared response, said Perry’s office has provided the data about complaints that were closed without an investigation or simply downgrade. “We have to begin a thorough review to see what improvements are needed,’’ he said. “The department takes very seriously any concerns about our oversight of longterm care facilities.’’ Harrington did acknowledge the agency has not met the recommendations from the 2019 report. He said, though, that there have been more than 1,000 visits to longterm care facilities since July 1, 2019, with an average of seven visits to each. And Harrington said all the immediate jeopardy and high-priority complaints received since the beginning of 2021 have been investigated within the required timeframes.

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Mesa, AZ — The most common method your doctor will recommend to treat your chronic pain and/or neuropathy is with prescription drugs that may temporarily reduce your symptoms. These drugs have names such as Gabapentin, Lyrica, Cymbalta, and Neurontin, and are primarily antidepressant or anti-seizure drugs. These drugs may cause you to feel uncomfortable and have a variety of harmful side effects. Chronic pain and/or peripheral neuropathy is a result of damage to the nerves often causing weakness, pain, numbness, tingling, and the most debilitating balance problems. This damage is commonly caused by a lack of blood flow to the nerves in the hands and feet which causes the nerves to begin to degenerate due to lack of nutrient flow.

determined after a detailed neurological and vascular evaluation. As long as you have not sustained at least 95% nerve damage there is hope!

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As you can see in Figure 2, as the blood vessels that surround the nerves become diseased they shrivel up which causes the nerves to not get the nutrients to continue to survive. When these nerves begin to “die” they cause you to have balance problems, pain, numbness, tingling, burning, and many additional symptoms. The main problem is that your doctor has told you to just live with the problem or try the drugs which you don’t like taking because they make you feel uncomfortable. There is now a facility right here in Mesa that offers you hope without taking those endless drugs with serious side effects. (See the special neuropathy severity examination at the end of this article) In order to effectively treat your neuropathy three factors must be determined. 1) What is the underlying cause?

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Aspen Medical will be offering this chronic pain and neuropathy severity examination from now until June 30, 2022. Call 480274-3157 to make an appointment to determine if your chronic pain and peripheral neuropathy can be successfully treated. Due to our very busy office schedule, we are limiting this FREE consultation offer to the first 15 callers. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO SUFFER ANOTHER MINUTE, CALL Call 480-274-3157 … NOW! We are extremely busy and if your call goes to our voicemail, please leave a message and we will get back to you asap.

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QUEEN CREEK TRIBUNE | QUEENCREEKTRIBUNE.COM | MAY 29, 2022

Airport clears Gulfstream hub for landing BY SCOTT SHUMAKER Tribune Staff Writer

ublic board votes usually pass without fanfare, but the audience inside a conference room at the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport started clapping spontaneously a few moments after its directors voted on a contract May 17. The vote in question approved a 40year lease with Gulfstream Aerospace for 18 acres on the east side of the airport, where the business jet maker plans to build a 225,000-square-foot, $100 million hangar adjacent to the runway. Gulfstream Vice President Joe Rivera told the board that the Mesa hangar will be the company’s new West Coast service hub, where Gulfstream jet owners can send their planes for tune ups and “every solution to maintenance requirements for our customers in every region.” Gulfstream is a major player in the business jet market and airport staff appeared energized to have the company associated with the airport. “If you have to have an executive jet manufacturer in your family, Gulfstream’s the one that you want to have,” Airport Director J. Brian O’Neil said before the vote. Modern business jets are increasingly high-tech, powerful and large – one of the reasons Gulfstream is building a new facility in Mesa, Rivera said. Gulfstream’s latest model costs roughly $60 million and can fly from Los Angeles to Shanghai at Mach .925. The 13-passenger planes offer luxurious amenities, including a full kitchen, couches and seats that turn into beds. The planned Mesa facility will be large enough to hold roughly 14 of the company’s sky limousines while they undergo

Gulfstream will be building a 225,000-square-foot $100 million hangar next to its runway at Phoenix Mesa Gateway Airport. (Courtesy of Gulfstream) maintenance, repair and overhaul. Rivera noted that the planned maintenance hangar was designed in a way that the company could double the existing space in a future phase with relative ease. Gateway Airport Business Development Director Shea Joachim called the deal the “largest single private investment in the airport’s history.” He added that the Gulfstream hangar will be “the first significant development on the east side of the airport to really kick off what we hope will be a really dynamic future on the east side.” Gulfstream had been in talks with Gateway since 2018. The company was looking for alternatives to its Long Beach, California, maintenance hub, which Rivera said the company had started to outgrow. He said Gulfstream considered 35 to

40 airports for its new West Coast hub before landing on Gateway. He attributed the decision to “our ability to hire locally, our ability to develop locally, the school infrastructures, and the collaboration with the city and the airport.” Gulfstream started aircraft maintenance operations out of a leased hangar earlier this year, and has already hired 68 employees. “We like to establish a beachhead to start to hire staff,” he said, reporting to the board that the company is looking to hire 60 more employees. Rivera added that 98% of its new staff were hired locally. The company plans to stay in the leased hangar until the new building is ready for service. In explaining the company’s selection of Phoenix-Mesa Gateway, the

Know anything interesting going on in Queen Creek? Send your news to pmaryniak@timespublications.com

aerospace executive cited a partnership with the local community college, which will help the company recruit skilled workers. “A lot of credit goes to the Chandler-Gilbert Community College,” Rivera said. “Today, we have a flight safety course going on. They’re teaching specifically our G650 (model jet) course to local students, our local employees, a lot of kids in school. … That’s a win-win for all of us.” By the terms of the deal, Gulfstream will pay the airport authority $446,121 per year to lease the land. For its part, the airport – in partnership with the city of Mesa – must complete infrastructure improvements to the site by April of 2023, including roadways, utilities and a taxiway connecting the parcel to the runway. After the vote, the chair of the airport board, Mesa Mayor John Giles, thanked the company for its local partnerships. “Years of work is coming to a crescendo today,” Giles said. “I’m particularly excited about the way that Gulfstream is coming and being a part of the community.”

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Motivational speaker helps people “get unstuck” BY JOSH ORTEGA Tribune Staff Writer

e doesn’t sell things, he solves problems. That’s how motivation speaker Dr. Mark Leonard operates his businesses in Queen Creek. With a Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership from Pepperdine University, he’s owned businesses for more than 20 years and knows the challenges accompanied with that. “Entrepreneurs don’t have the support mechanism that so many other businesses do,” he said. Leonard said he’s owned several businesses with his wife including a jewelry store, ice cream shop and distribution companies, and works with entrepreneurs often. He said he’s has spoken to crowds all over the world including Australia, Canada and India. He said he averages between 50 to 200 people for his typical audience but has spoken to groups reaching up to a thousand, speaking mostly in one- or two-hour sessions although some workshops take several days.

Leonard’s coaching doesn’t just end after one seminar, considering he’s taken on clients whom he’s coached for several years. He said a common occurrence among his clients is when “their dream has become their nightmare” and their struggles have people tired, overwhelmed and relationships strained. “I reminded them of the things that helped them become successful in the first place,” he said. He said he started his “Happiness Breakthrough” brand only a couple years ago because he realized happiness doesn’t just mean walking around with a smile on your face. “If you want to have happiness in your life, you need to break through those things that are stopping you,” he said. Along with the professional success of his businesses, the 49-yearold has had success in his personal life as well. Leonard married his high school sweetheart two weeks after graduating from Redlands High School in Redlands, California, in 1991.

see MOTIVATIONAL page 20

Dr. Mark Leonard of Queen Creek is a motivational speaker who helps people overcome barriers to happiness. (Special to the Tribune)

Fallen warrior’s widow to speak at Memorial Day event TRIBUNE NEWS STAFF

rmy Staff Sgt. Jose Regalado would have been 37 this year but he was killed in action Nov. 12, 2008, while serving in Mosul, Iraq. Operation Iraqi Freedom was launched in March 2003 under

then-President George W. Bush with the mission of getting rid of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. By the time, the war ended in August 2010, 4,419 servicemen and women were killed while another 31,994 were wounded. Regalado was 23 when he died, leaving behind an infant daughter

and his wife, Sharri Detharidge. Detharidge is the guest speaker for a Memorial Day event, 8:30 a.m., tomorrow, May 30 at Park University, 92 W. Vaughn Ave., Gilbert, – one of several in and around the town honoring fallen warriors. She also is the president of the Caregiver Project, a nonprofit ded-

icated to ensuring that Gold, Silver, White, and Blue Star families are never forgotten by sharing their stories. The group also curates custom care packages for families of fallen service members. The Morning of Remembrance

see WIDOW page 19

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QUEEN CREEK TRIBUNE | QUEENCREEKTRIBUNE.COM | MAY 29, 2022

WIDOW from page 18

event is sponsored by HD South— Home of the Gilbert Historical Museum, the Town’s Veteran’s Advisory Board, the Town of Gilbert, and American Legion Post 39. The event will include a flag and wreath ceremony, the battlefield cross, the POW/MIA table, performance by a local area band, and remarks from local Gilbert dignitaries, including Mayor Brigette Peterson. The event is free and open to the public. Guests are encouraged to bring their own lawn chair for seating. The Gilbert Historical Museum will be open for free following the event from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Memorial Day is also the last day to see the 17th annual Art of Quilting show at HD South. For more information, call 480-926-1577. Meanwhile, Gilbert Memorial Park Cemetery and Funeral Home, 2100 East Queen Creek Road will host a Memorial Day fundraiser to benefit

Sharri Detharidge, a Mesa widow of a fallen warrior, will speak at the Gilbert Morning of Remembrance event at Park University tomorrow. Last fall she collected care packages for families of service members killed in Kabul, Afghanistan. (Special to GSN) the Pat Tillman Foundation. Memorial markers on veterans’ graves will be cleaned and flags placed on their graves from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Hot dogs and ice cream will be served from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and

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there is a coloring contest for kids under 12 with cash prizes. Mountain View Funeral Home and Cemetery, 7900 E, Main St., Mesa, is collecting hygiene items for unsheltered military veterans now through Memorial Day.

Arizona was one of a handful of states where the number of veterans in homeless shelters increased during the first year of the pandemic, according to a congressional report. The number of veterans increased by 10% in Arizona between January 2020 and January 2021 and decreased nationally, according to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development’s 2021 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress. People can drop off toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, lotion, shaving cream, razors, shampoo, conditioner, combs, brushes, soap, sunscreen, first aid kits, lip balm, wash cloths, loofahs, flip flops, baseball caps, and similar items at the facility. The drive officially ends on Memorial Day when Mountain View holds its annual Memorial Day Ceremony 9-10:30 a.m. May 30. Coffee and donuts are served to the public while live entertainment plays and the crowd honors local heroes.

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MOTIVATIONAL from page 18

QUEEN CREEK TRIBUNE | QUEENCREEKTRIBUNE.COM | MAY 29, 2022

After 31 years of marriage, his wife Becky and him have six children and 12 grandchildren. He opened Jeremiah’s Italian Ice located at 20784 E Victoria Lane, Suite 107, in June 2021 and said he practices what he preaches. “We also love teaching our employees about business,” he said. “Giving them the skills that help them grow.” Leonard said in this very different world we live in the past several years has shown that the adage still rings true to this day that the only thing a millionaire wants at the side of their deathbed stands their family. He offers three ways to have a better connection with any of your relationships including family, friends and coworkers: Connection, Some of the biggest distractions many speakers talk about include TV and social media, but there’s so much more that you

need to identify. “Identify what’s distracting you,” he said. “And look to see how you can mitigate or how you can lessen the impact.” Intention. To become “phenomenally successful” in life and relationships, you need to know how you’re spending your time. “You need to be incredibly intentional with how you spend your time. With those that you love,” he said. Understand. Amid contention in your relationship, do not judge nor point fingers, and instead seek to understand their viewpoint. “It’s all about seeking to understand first,” he said. “In the relationship, you have to understand the other person.” He said if the past few years has shown us anything, it’s that people need to consistently connect with each other more. “Let’s figure out how we can support each other rather than tear down,” he said.

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With JAN D’ATRI Queen Creek Contributor

ome things are worth the trip. Especially when they’re hand-crafted food products that are local, organic and gourmet. Yes, it’s worth the drive out to Queen Creek to visit The Queen Creek Olive Mill, where you can take in a factory tour or stroll the orchard, savor gourmet olives, sample fig or pomegranate white balsamic vinegars, try tasty tapenades and take home fresh pressed extra virgin olive oils infused with chocolate, white truffles, bacon, roasted garlic, Meyer lemon or blood orange. Then there’s the Tuscan-inspired eatery, wine tastings, music and dancing. The Queen Creek Olive Mill is agritourism at its best, and the booming town of Queen Creek has had Arizona’s only olive working farm and mill all to itself for the last 17 years. If Queen Creek is too far of a trek, you can visit Queen Creek’s Oils And Olives at Kierland Commons in Scottsdale. But the Olive Mill is certainly worth the drive.

Queen Creek Olive Mill ingredients a treasure Owner Perry Rea started with 10 acres, 1,000 olive trees and a retired career in the automotive industry. Now with 25 acres, 16 varieties of olives and 40 products under the Queen Creek label, Tribune Columnist Jan D’Atri found the Queen many of us Creek Olive Mill a treasure trove of ingredients to bring a new dimension to any salad. are happy that (Instagram) Rea switched from motor oil to olive oil. of bacon without any of the At the heart of everything bacon fat. What better way to that Rea does is creating a fun enjoy this dynamic duo of olive friendly atmosphere where fam- oil and bacon than with a good ilies can gather around the table old-fashioned spinach salad and enjoy good food, whether with warm bacon dressing, it’s at the olive mill or in your the flavor richly enhanced by own home. full-bodied Queen Creek fig balSo that brings me to my new samic vinegar? This recipe was favorite product from QCOM: ba- created just for you by Perry – con-infused extra virgin olive oil. for olive us to enjoy! What that means is you now Information: queencreekolive get all the tantalizing flavor mill.com

Ingredients: • 2 tablespoons Queen Creek Olive Mill Fig Balsamic Vinegar • 3 tablespoons Queen Creek Olive Mill Bacon Olive Oil • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds • 6 cups baby spinach • 4 green onions with tops, thinly sliced • 1 /4 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese

Directions: If sesame seeds are not toasted, in a small dry skillet, toast sesame seed over medium high heat until golden brown in color. Set aside to cool. In a skillet, add vinegar, bacon olive oil, lemon juice, and sesame seeds. Stir to combine over medium heat until hot. In a large bowl, combine the spinach and green onions. Add the warm dressing and toss to evenly coat. Sprinkle with Gorgonzola cheese and serve. Serves 4.

QUEEN CREEK TRIBUNE | QUEENCREEKTRIBUNE.COM | MAY 29, 2022

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BUSINESS

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Planning panel OKs 495 apartments, 186 condos TRIBUNE NEWS STAFF

ueen Creek is poised to see a small surge in multi-family development after the Planning and Zoning Commission recommended Town Council approval of a 495-unit apartment complex and an unrelated rezoning and site plan for 186 condominiums on about 16 acres of land. The commission on May 11 agreed with a town staff recommendation for site plan approval of Trammel Crow’s Alexan Queen Creek on 20 acres on the southwest corner of Signal Butte and Germann roads for the apartment complex. “The Alexan brand represents Trammel Crow’s luxury living rental homes that feature well-appointed units and a highly amenitized open space program,” the developer said in its presentation. Alexan Queen Creek will feature

The Alexan Queen Creek apartment complex will feature 495 units in 17 three-story buildings. (Town of Queen Creek) 495 rental homes that comprise studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom units ranging in size from 600 –1,450 square feet, it said, adding, “The project is gated and offers an attractive design and strong package of amenities for the residents.” Primary and secondary exit-entry to the development will be along Signal Butte with the primary entrance leading to a clubhouse.

The complex will comprise 17 three-story buildings along three two-story garages with residential units on the second level. The plan calls for 850 parking spaces, with 30 in garages, 466 under canopies and 354 open. “We have positioned two residential buildings along the Signal Butte frontage to provide an urban presence along the street as well as to

al by the developer, Barclay Group of Phoenix, and the owner, GM Gabrych Family Limited Partnership. The residential portion is a gated community with 240 one-story residences of varying lot sizes. The units would include 42 one-bedroom units and another 36 with garages as well as 108 two-bedroom units with surface parking and 54 with garages according to the site plan. “The landscape palette includes an inventory of low-water maintenance tree and brush species that are desert friendly and comply with the desert themed landscaping required by

Queen Creek,” the developer’s presentation stated. The staff report noted there will be a 20 to 30-foot buffer between he residential and commercial portions of the development that will include shaded trails as well as a 10-foot multi-use trail along Queen Creek and Signal Butter

minimize the view of the parking areas from this public right-of-way,” the developer’s presentation said. “All of the buildings are positioned around the site to avoid large clusters which elongate walking distances and limit visibility. A minimum distance of 25 feet is provided between buildings to avoid a canyon like effect and where

see PLANNING page 23

Residential-retail development gets planners’ nod TRIBUNE NEWS STAFF

he Queen Creek Planning and Zoning Commission has recommended Council approve plans for a residential-retail development on 91 acres on a former dairy farm the southwest corner of Queen Creek and Signal Butte roads. The Hudson Station plan includes the 24acre strip mall development with a Fry’s supermarket, pharmacy and gasoline fueling station, three unspecified shops, three unidentified drive-thru restaurants and an EOS Fitness center, according to the propos-

see DEVELOPMENT page 23

Hudson Station, a mixed-use residential and retail development, will be located on the southwest corner of Queen Creek and Signal Butte Roads. (vizzda.com)

BUSINESS

QUEEN CREEK TRIBUNE | QUEENCREEKTRIBUNE.COM | MAY 29, 2022

PLANNING from page 22

we were able to extend those distances, we did.” The planned 4.6 acres of open space equals 23% of the total site and besides ramadas, pool, jacuzzi spa, cornhole court and other amenities, two dog parks also are planned. Using the town’s 2017 Water System Master Plan, Trammel Crow estimates an average day demand for water will be around 78,500 gallons. In its recommendation to the Planning Commission, town staff noted that the parcel had been rezoned a year ago from employment to high-density residential. The complex is west of the Fulton Homes Barney Farms subdivision now under construction and south of a planned commercial area. Staff noted the breakdown for apartments included 60 studio units, 237 one-bedroom units, 195 two=bedroom units, and 9 three-bedroom units. “The architecture was developed using design features, character elements, and theming,” staff said, adding that the development “satisfies the maximum density requirement” in the General Plan Meanwhile, the Planning and Zoning Commission recommended Council’s approval of a request for rezoning and site plan for a proposed 186-unit condominium development near the southeast corner of Sossaman and Rittenhouse roads. Called Mayberry on Rittenhouse, the development by Mesa-based Property Design Develop LLC calls for 186 attached and detached condos in single-story and two-story buildings with a total 342 parking spaces. The developer’s presentation called the complex a “boutique‐ home living community” that includes a large clubhouse, “a lush landscape/open space plan, and resort lifestyle amenities that con-

The Mayberry on Rittenhouse condo complex calls for 186 units. (Town of

Queen Creek)

This map shows the location of the 495-unit Alexan Queen Creek complex. (Town of Queen Creek)

tribute to a high‐quality use that compliments and enhances the surrounding area.” “Mayberry On Rittenhouse will provide generous building setbacks and landscape buffers along its shared boundaries with single family residential land uses to the east, south, and west, which is larger than what is required per the Town of Queen Creek Zoning Ordinance,” the developer said. Stating the development’s highend character blends in with the “existing fabric of the town’s approved neighborhoods,” the developer also said: “Mayberry on Rittenhouse will contribute to the Town’s economy in many ways. The additional esidences will support the Town’s local businesses, and therefore, the

Town’s economy, which is a major element of the Economic Development Strategic Plan. The proposed open space amenities will provide a higher quality lifestyle that will increase the value of neighborhoods in the area, which will indirectly contribute to neighborhood stability and a sustainable economy.” “Ultimately, this proposal will increase property assessments,” it added. The staff recommendation said four building types are proposed – a single-story duplex with two one-bedroom units, a detached single-story two-bedroom home, a two-story townhome with two two-bedroom units and is a two-story carriage house building with six single=bay garages at the first floor and two, one-bedroom units at the

second floor. “The unit types vary in size from 752 square feet up to 1,376 square feet of livable space. A total of 82 one-bedroom units and 104 two-bedroom units are proposed,’ the report said, adding that the buildings “are modeled after Santa Barbara/Old Spanish and Hacienda architectural styles. “Identifiable elements and characteristics of these elevations include decorative accents such as corbels, columns, trim, wrought iron, shutters and metal shade awnings; varied rooflines with sloped roofs, gabled ends, dormers and hipped roof elements; and variations in the vertical and horizontal plane achieved by shading through massing, undulating patios, porches, balconies, and pop-outs,” it added.

roads that connects to the town’s master trail system. “The conceptual site plan includes a centrally located community amenity area with pool, open space, and community building,” the staff report said. “Each unit includes a covered front porch and private fenced in rear yard ranging in depth from 10-feet to 20-

feet.” “The grocery anchor and fitness facility buildings provide for wide building foundations that will provide plenty of space for planters, bike racks and pedestrian circulation. Landscape planters and benches have been placed at the front of the grocery store and fitness facility building and will provide shading and areas for pedestrians to sit or relax.”

It said the fueling area will have gas tanks on the facility’s north side with special sensors to detect leaks. The tanks’ location “helps to minimize any conflicts between the refueling tanks and pedestrian activity from the convenience store and dispensaries,” the. developer added. The staff report said seven letters of opposition had been filed against the development.

DEVELOPMENT from page 22

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OPINION

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Bracelet calls to mind Memorial Day’s meaning BY TRUDY THOMPSON SHUMAKER Tribune Guest Writer

lovely woman has helped me with my nail care for 15 years. She gently removes my wedding ring, then The Bracelet. She carefully places them in a pretty glass bowl. She is as careful with The Bracelet as she is with my wedding ring. It’s sturdy stainless steel, scratched and a little lopsided from years of wear. For more than 50 years, I’ve worn it. Nobody ever asks about it. Except for an observant paramedic once. I told her no, it’s not a medical alert bracelet. Just load me up and take me to the hospital, will you? And last week an Uber driver asked about it. Her dad had served in Viet Nam but had come home safe. Physically safe, she emphasized, leaving the rest unsaid. The Bracelet isn’t jewelry. The now-battered band of stainless steel cost me $10 in 1969. I made

money by babysitting for 50 cents per hour. All my classmates were buying them. I bought mine at the Fort Worth Fat Stock Show. Earnest, long-haired college students were there to sell us bracelets and tell us how important it was to wear them in support of POWs in Vietnam. My friends and I dug $10 from our bell bottoms and we made the solemn promise: we’d “wear them ‘til they come home.” Our bracelets were shiny stainless steel then, and the black block letters engraved on them told us the name of a young American and the date he had been lost. Mine read: CAPT. JERRY ROE 2-12-68 At home that night, the television news showed young American soldiers fighting a war, just like we saw every night at dinner. Walter Cronkite droned on about the day’s casualties. I didn’t really realize that meant dead soldiers just a couple of years older

How to get a letter published E-mail: pmaryniak@timespublications.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. The Foothills Focus 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.

than me. My dad asked me about The Bracelet. I did my best to explain what it meant. I told him about my promise. He looked at my mom and neither said anything. Did any of us high school students understand what our shiny new bracelets really meant? I didn’t. But now, more than 50 years later, I think I do. Mine meant that a young wife in Texas was left with a hole in her life. Was she a widow? She didn’t know. She hoped he would come home. A mom and a dad had lost a son – or had they? They hoped he would come home. Word spread through the friends that Jerry was missing. Was he ever coming home? They hoped so. Jerry had been born into a close-knit family on March 16, 1943 in a safe little town called New Boston, Texas. He left for Vietnam after college and flew helicopters for the Army in Vietnam. Jerry’s family and friends kept him in their prayers, praying that someday he would come home But it’s been more than 50 years, and there’s still no word. Yet. On Feb. 12, 1968, Jerry, his crew and his helicopter disappeared without a trace into the jungles of Vietnam. Every day, until they died, those who loved him wondered what had happened to Jerry and his three crewmen: Wade L. Groth, Alan W. Gunn and Harry W. Brown were with Jerry that dark night. Jerry’s parents, his beloved cousin Sandy and many others have died with-

Know anything interesting going on in Queen Creek? Send your news to pmaryniak@timespublications.com

out answers. What about the Groth, Gunn and Brown families? They have never gotten clear answers, either. That happens in war. Jerry’s family knew the US Army helicopter he piloted had disappeared from the radar screen of his home base about 20 minutes after he and his crew departed. They were on an urgent medical evacuation mission. Jerry’s family knew there had been an intensive three-day search, per Army protocol, then all four crew members had been declared missing. U.S. military members searched for signs of the helicopter and crew. Nothing. Many years later, there were reported sightings and other evidence that some of the crew were alive and imprisoned in Vietnam. But nothing about Jerry Roe. I remember feeling guilty as I went to college, because I was a girl, unconcerned with being drafted to go to Vietnam. So I did what I could, which was pathetically low-impact on my life. I kept wearing The Bracelet. I started donating blood through the American Red Cross. I started volunteering with the American Red Cross. I read books about how the American Red Cross had been founded during the war, and was still serving during blue skies and gray skies. Fast forward to Memorial Day 2022. Captain Roe is still not home. He’s almost 80 now. I’m almost 69. I’m still giving blood. I’m still volunteering with the American Red Cross. And I’m still wearing The Bracelet.

SPORTS

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Modernization, COVID-19 pandemic help revitalize golf BY BRANDON BONAPARTE Cronkite News

fter a boom in golf’s popularity that followed the emergence of Tiger Woods as a sports superstar, the game slipped into a post-Tiger effect downtrend. Over a 15-year period from 2003 to 2018, the number of golfers declined in the United States by 6.8 million. Then along came a global pandemic. At first, people were confined to the indoors when COVID-19 struck. Eventually, social distancing and small gatherings were encouraged. Outdoor activities were deemed safer, which aligned perfectly with golf. In 2020, especially over the second half of the year, numbers for golf suddenly improved. And they’ve continued to skyrocket. “The golf course was considered a place for people to escape the pandemic,” Longbow Golf Club general manager Bob McNichols said. “You don’t play golf indoors where you’re restricted in the air you breathe and the access you have to the environment. So, golf became a popular activity for people who were no longer doing things the same way they always did and looking for not only activities, but a way to get better at the game.” According to the National Golf Foundation, 2020 saw an increase of golfers by 500,000, a 2% uptick from 2019. An estimated 502 million rounds of golf were played in 2020, compared to 441 million played in 2019. The popularity increase has helped golf course businesses boom. “We got to the point now where we don’t really have enough tee times,” said Andrew Frazier, vice president of Paradigm Golf Group and director of

YOUTH

Golf has returned with a vengeance, attracting players young and old, thanks to attempts at modernization and a pandemic that drove people outdoors. (Susan Wong/Cronkite News) sales and services at Dobson Ranch Golf Course, a municipal 18-hole course in Mesa. “There’s only so much sunlight.” At the beginning of the pandemic, golf seemed to be still on a downward spiral. However, by November 2020, golf was well on its way, with a 56.5 percent increase in rounds played compared to November 2019. In recent years, it’s apparent that more people are going out to the course and buying gear. While the COVID-19 pandemic is a big factor in the sport’s growth, golf courses and other sports entertainment companies are taking a more modern approach to their facilities and brands. Golf courses such as Dobson Ranch

bump music throughout their course, on the driving range and even on golf carts. The atmosphere at Dobson Ranch Golf Course is modern and represents the changing culture of the sport. Cheyanne Stewart, the lead junior instructor at Dobson Ranch, said golf is adjusting to make everybody feel welcome and comfortable. “When I started playing, it was the 50plus (age) and older always here every day of the week,” Stewart said. Golf’s appeal appears to be changing, but one may think courses are now faced with an identity crisis. The old-timers of the game want to play a full 18 in collared shirts and slacks, while the next generation of golfers prefer to wear

shorts, compete to see who can hit the ball the farthest and play a quick nine instead of 18. Still, the fusion between traditionalists and the modern, younger generation has gone smoothly. “It’s almost like a fountain of youth,” Frazier said. “You put on the music, you start doing games, you do contests. I mean, we’ve got cornhole out here. It’s just kind of bringing a breath of fresh air to (the older participants).” Today’s golfers, many of them of a younger generation, crave shorter, more frequent competition. Courses are finding ways to appeal to them. That’s where businesses like Topgolf, which “gamify” golf, have flourished. “I think it all goes back to that you have a younger crowd that is super into games and competitions,” Frazier said. “Finding ways to gamify golf for the traditional driving range experience is one thing.” Despite the recent uptick in popularity, those in the golf industry are still looking for innovative ways to draw newcomers to the sport or make it more enjoyable for those who already play. At Longbow Golf Club in Mesa, golfers can use GolfBoards to move between shots instead of two-person carts. The single-rider electric boards are reminiscent of electric scooters and are being used at more than 300 courses across the country, according to the company’s website. Both Dobson Ranch and Longbow also utilize Toptracer technology on their driving ranges, giving golfers the kind of feedback on their swings that pros get, while also adding some fun to the experience. “I guess the best way to explain it is

see GOLF page 26

SPORTS

GOLF from page 25

that we have outfitted our range with Toptracer technology, which is a system of cameras and monitors that track your shots and allow patrons to practice with detailed information as well as play games like virtual golf, long drive, and accuracy contests on the monitors as opposed to just hitting range balls out at stationary targets,” Frazier said in an email. The sudden spike in golf’s popularity isn’t just showing up on golf courses, driving ranges and game centers. It also is reflected in television ratings. According to golfweek.usatoday.com, the last round of the 2022 Masters attracted more viewers than any other golf telecast on any other network since the fourth round of the 2019 Masters, a tournament in which Tiger Woods emerged as the champion after a long hiatus from winning a major. Woods again factored into the ratings, returning at the Masters from a one-car

QUEEN CREEK TRIBUNE | QUEENCREEKTRIBUNE.COM | MAY 29, 2022

crash that left him severely injured and with a reconstructed right leg and ankle. Woods also has played a part in another potential factor in the increase in golf’s popularity – diversity. Diversity of race and gender are a recurring issue for golf. Zippia.com reports that 88.7% of professional golfers are male, compared to 8.6% women. Additionally, 67% of pro golfers are white, compared to 14% who identified as Hispanic or Latino and 9.5% identified as Black or African American. However, Stewart believes diversity in golf is improving. “A personal friend of mine, Christyn Carr… Grant Thornton, it’s an insurance company. They got in touch with her,” Stewart said. “She’s a college student right now and goes to an HBCU (North Carolina A&T). They reached out to Mariah Stackhouse and two other pros as well to do a commercial. They played a couple holes, and instead of the hole saying it’s a par 5 or a par 4, they called it equality or inclusive.”

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480-898-6465 • Must pass background check

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course, but also to freshen the overall IDENTIFY YOUR USP look. Everything should be written in Everyone has a unique selling point, a clear, concise way, preferably with or USP. It’s a niche factor that makes two or fewer pages. When it comes to job candidates (and the products busy job interviewers, less is definitely and brands they make) desirable to Peter while Piper Pizza’s commitment toSimilarly outstanding service more. update the details on customers, also differentiating your professional social media page, it all from their competitors. startsPerhaps with our employees. which often serves as a recruiter’s first you have some specialized training, • Competitive benefits and landing spot. or a combination of experience andrewards personal interests that stand out in Day, Evenings, NightOnce positions BE ORIGINAL a pile• of prospective résumés. Remember that an active presence on you’ve figured out your USP, you’re Flexible Management hours - goprofessional to school social and work mediafull-time sites says a ready• for the next steps in marketing lot about your career engagement. yourself. • Opportunities for growth - we promote from within Find ways to connect with others on relevant topics, either by sharing links SHARPEN YOUR PROFILE • Early paycheck access or joining industry discussion groups. The first impression most people get Everything you learn there, along with of any prospective candidate can be Miller Road • (480) 947-9901 related publications and websites, will found McDowell on your résuméand and professional Apply at: 7607 E. McDowell Road, 85257 helpScottsdale, down theAZ road at the interview social media presence. It’s important between Haydenup Road and Scottsdale Road on the southwest of Miller builds, Road. stage, too. As yourcorner confidence toLocated keep your résumé to date, of

LOVE Full and part time positions available LOVE TO WRITE? Monday – Friday schedule JOB WE MAY HAVE THE PERFECT Paid Holidays and PTO after 90 daysFOR YOU! Starting pay dependent position and experience YOUR on COMMUNITY?

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If interested, email clips and your resume, along with a cover letter whyemail you areNicole a good ﬁPellistri t, to Pleaseexplaining apply by at

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future career growth. Decision makers Call: 623-937-0000 are always looking for smart, involved candidates. When the next position comes open, you’ll be front of mind.

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ALL ABOUT PERSPECTIVE If you remain tentative about taking these steps, try adopting a new perspective on marketing yourself: Sharing expertise with others in your field can be looked at as a helpful action aimed at uplifting others who need career guidance, rather than simply a networking opportunity. Think of yourself as a mentor to others. It might someCall: of the Toalleviate Advertise awkwardness you’re feeling, while also 480-898-6465 orgetting email try sharing your own personal takes improving your chances of through short original posts. You’ll be Class@TimesPublications.com hired: Job recruiters are looking for establishing credibility with industry that kind of leadership, too.

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Career Growth Opportunities for Teachers (& many more!) NOW Aspen HIRINGSchool District INSIDE SALESAspen, Colorado TEAM PLAYER IN TEMPE Our schools (elementary, middle, and high) are located on one campus in the beautiful Maroon Creek Valley, serving Salary + Comission, Beneﬁts, approximately 1500 students from preschool to grade 12. and Sick Time CityVacation of Aspen parks surround the schools.

Times Media Group is the largest publisher of community news in Arizona. With a complete digital advertising suite and over 300,000 copies a week – our reach is a must-have for local businesses, and we Benefi t Highlights: offer advertising solutions to fit any business in any community! We are hiring inside advertising sales • Signing Bonus for Certified Staff representatives to help with inbound and outbound sales.

Health insurance TMG has grown 500% in the• past six years, and we expect this growth trajectory to continue. Come join us! Do you get excited when you• sell? We get it - it’s excitingt to(ski sell! Do you have an interest in selling solutions Wellness Beneﬁ pass!) and not just ads? If you are a fast learner, tech savvy and familiar with Google and other digital advertising • Employee solutions, you should contact us. If you want toHousing learn how, weOptions have you covered too! Will train. This is a full time job with the hours of 8:30-5pm Mon-Fri. Childcare in Tempe near the Broadway Curve. • Onsite Employee Need we say more? Contact us TODAY!

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See our open positions and apply at: Please send your resume and cover letter to: Elaine Cota, ecota@timespublications.com www.aspenk12.net/careers

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QUEEN CREEK TRIBUNE | QUEENCREEKTRIBUNE.COM | MAY 29, 2022

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QUEEN CREEK TRIBUNE | QUEENCREEKTRIBUNE.COM | MAY 29, 2022