Teen deaths spark alarm / P. 13
Housing market shifting / P. 23
An edition of the East Valley Tribune
INSIDE
NAU
NORTHERN
ARIZONA UNIVERSITY
GRADUATION SECTION
COMMUNITY...... 15 The new Crismon High School is steadily taking shape.
SPORTS................ 25 QC athletes shine in state track meet.
COMMUNITY.........................15 BUSINESS ..............................16 GRADUATION.......................19 REAL ESTATE.........................23 SPORTS....................................25 CLASSIFIEDS.........................26
FREE | QueenCreekTribune.com
Sunday, May 22, 2022
New budget boosts QC rec facilities bigtime BY KATHLEEN STINSON Tribune Staff Writer
T
own Council has approved a record $730.2 million budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1 that includes the promise of new facilities to address Queen Creek residents’ recreational needs. The budget, passed on May 18 on a 4-2 vote, includes $40 million for a rec-
QC losing luster for tiny owls
reation center and another $25 million to construct an aquatics center. Council members Leah Martineau and Emilena Turley cast “no” votes while Mayor Gail Barney was absent because of a continuing illness, Vice Mayor Brown said he is voting for the budget “very happily,” stating it provides “fully funded pensions,” increased public safety services, more funding for road and street improvements.
“In this budget, we are setting up ourselves to be a community that even more living-wage employers will want to locate to and when that happens, we will also get big ticket items,” he said. Brown cited money earmarked for parks, which he said “residents have been telling me for years (they want) – and a pool.”
A grand occasion
see
BUDGET page 10
BY CECILIA CHAN Tribune Staff Writer
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early a decade after Wild at Heart helped dig a habitat for the western burrowing owls at Zanjero Park in Gilbert the raptor rescue nonprofit returned to relocate the ground-dwelling birds – uprooted by the nearby construction of the Lindsay Road Interchange. With the removal of the 8-inch-tall owls that nest underground, so went the only known spot Gilbert had where the
see OWLS page 6
May 19 was a joyous day for about 450 Queen Creek High School seniors who gathered at Desert Financial Arena at Arizona State University to receive their well-earned diplomas and move on to the next stage of their lives. Eastmark High graduated the previous day. For a look at some of the sights from the QC High ceremony, see page 21. (David Minton/Tribune Staff Photographer)
Central Arizona College www.centralaz.edu
Paths to Great Careers
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Arizona’s ‘quit rate’ second highest in nation BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services
A
higher percentage of Arizonans quit their jobs in March than almost anywhere in the nation. Data collected by WalletHub find the “quit rate’’ hit 4.2%. That means for every 1,000 people employed, 42 of them decided, in essence, they can do better elsewhere. Only Florida posted a higher figure. The same data put the quit rate for the past year at 3.3%, the third highest figure in the nation. It’s not just the financial advice firm that finds employed Arizonans are increasingly looking elsewhere. On May 19, the Arizona Commerce Authority put the quit rate for March at an even higher 4.5% once seasonal adjustments are made. At the same time, the state said
the jobless rate in Arizona dropped to 3.2%. Doug Walls, the agency’s labor market information director, said that’s the lowest its been since the government began reporting unemployment data this way in 1976. All that is good news – for some. “For workers, this can reflect increased opportunities in the state,” said George Hammond, director of the Economic and Business Research Center at the Eller College of Management at the University of Arizona. “It can also offer workers the chance to increase wages by changing jobs. It could also reflect poor job quality.” But there’s a flip side. “For firms, this can mean increased costs as they experience high rates of turnover,” Hammond said. That also shows up in data that shows the number of job openings is now above 240,000. Compare that to 2009 during the re-
cession when there were just 40,000 slots for which employers were looking for workers. And the lack of availability of other -- and potentially better -- jobs during the recession was not lost on Arizona workers: The quit rate at that time dropped below 1.6. Danny Seiden, executive director of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said he doesn’t see the rising numbers as necessarily a bad thing. “Increasing quit rates are often a sign of confidence in the economy,” he said. “People tend not to quit their jobs when they don’t think they can go out and get another one.” And Seiden said it’s not surprising that Arizona is near the top of the list of folks who quit their jobs. He noted that Arizona shares one thing with some of the other states with high quit rates: A high reliance on jobs in tourism and the hospitality
industry, including hotels and restaurants. “People have left that industry,” Seiden said, a sector of the economy that traditionally has low wages. But he said that the data also shows that hiring is going on in other industries. “So I don’t think it’s an issue of people leaving and not going back to work,” Seiden said. But that shift in employment, in turn, is having ripple effects, leaving restaurant owners struggling to find workers. “They offered things like signing bonuses to get people through the door,” he said. “They’re paying higher than they ever had,” Seiden said. “So I do think employers have kind of raised the stakes for getting employees into the door.”
see QUIT RATE page 8
䴀䔀䴀伀刀䤀䄀䰀 䐀䄀夀 匀䄀䰀䔀
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NEWS
QUEEN CREEK TRIBUNE | QUEENCREEKTRIBUNE.COM | MAY 22, 2022
Airport clears Gulfstream hub for landing 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.com TJ Higgins | 480-898-5902 | tjhiggins@timeslocalmedia.com Steve Insalaco | 480-898-5635 | sinsalaco@timeslocalmedia.com Advertising Sales Executive: Jane Meyer | 480-898-5633 | jane@timeslocalmedia.com NEWS DEPARTMENT Executive Editor: Paul Maryniak | 480-898-5647 pmaryniak@timeslocalmedia.com Managing Editor: Cecilia Chan | 480-898-5613 |cchan@timeslocalmedia.com Reporters: Kathleen Stinson | 480-898-5639 kstinson@timeslocalmedia.com Ken Sain | 928-420-5341 | ksain@timeslocalmedia.com Photographer: Dave Minton | dminton@timeslocalmedia.com Design: Nathalie Proulx | nproulx@timeslocalmedia.com Production Coordinator: Courtney Oldham | 480-898-5617 production@timeslocalmedia.com Circulation Director: Aaron Kolodny | 480-898-5641 customercare@timeslocalmedia.com Sports Editor: Zach Alvira | 480-898-5630 | zalvira@timeslocalmedia.com 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
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BY SCOTT SHUMAKER Tribune Staff Writer
P
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 40-year 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 compa-
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 Gulfstream will be building a 225,000-square-foot $100 million hangar staff were hired locally. next to its runway at Phoenix Mesa Gateway Airport. (Courtesy of Gulfstream) The company plans to stay in the leased hanny’s sky limousines while they undergo gar until the new buildmaintenance, repair and overhaul. ing is ready for service. In explaining the company’s selection Rivera noted that the planned maintenance hangar was designed in a way that of Phoenix-Mesa Gateway, the aerospace the company could double the existing executive cited a partnership with the lospace in a future phase with relative ease. cal community college, which will help the Gateway Airport Business Development company recruit skilled workers. “A lot of credit goes to the Chandler-GilDirector Shea Joachim called the deal the “largest single private investment in the bert Community College,” Rivera said. “Today, we have a flight safety course going airport’s history.” He added that the Gulfstream hangar on. They’re teaching specifically our G650 will be “the first significant development (model jet) course to local students, our on the east side of the airport to really kick local employees, a lot of kids in school. … off what we hope will be a really dynamic That’s a win-win for all of us.” By the terms of the deal, Gulfstream future on the east side.” Gulfstream had been in talks with Gate- will pay the airport authority $446,121 way since 2018. The company was looking per year to lease the land. For its part, the for alternatives to its Long Beach, Califor- airport – in partnership with the city of nia, maintenance hub, which Rivera said Mesa – must complete infrastructure improvements to the site by April of 2023, the company had started to outgrow. He said Gulfstream considered 35 to 40 including roadways, utilities and a taxiway airports for its new West Coast hub before connecting the parcel to the runway. After the vote, the chair of the airport landing on Gateway. He attributed the decision to “our ability board, Mesa Mayor John Giles, thanked the to hire locally, our ability to develop locally, company for its local partnerships. “Years of work is coming to a crescendo the school infrastructures, and the collabtoday,” Giles said. “I’m particularly excited oration with the city and the airport.” Gulfstream started aircraft maintenance about the way that Gulfstream is coming operations out of a leased hangar earlier and being a part of the community.”
CUSD raising fees for numerous activities, blames inflation BY KEN SAIN Tribune Staff Writer
S
chools are not immune to inflation and the parents of Chandler Unified School District students should expect to pay the price next year.
The CUSD Governing Board agreed to increase many of its fees for extracurricular activities at its May 11 meeting after CUSD Chief Financial Officer Lana Berry said the main reason is because of inflation. “So salaries increased, benefits increased, and we also have an increase
in supplies,” Berry said. “Pretty much, across the board, [there’s] a 4% increase on our community education fees.” The changes impact scores of extra-curricular activity fees. Some ex-
see FEES page 12
QUEEN CREEK TRIBUNE | QUEENCREEKTRIBUNE.COM | MAY 22, 2022
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NEWS
QUEEN CREEK TRIBUNE | QUEENCREEKTRIBUNE.COM | MAY 22, 2022
OWLS from page 1
public could view them up close. Queen Creek is no different, said Greg Clark, Wild at Heart’s Burrowing Owl Habitat coordinator since 2001. Blame the loss of farmland. “The remaining ag land is tiny where any burrowing owls could be living,” Clark said. “All of the ag land will soon be gone. “The big remaining land open space in Queen Creek is next to the new 24 freeway out to Ironwood (Drive). That is creosote flat and will almost certainly have some owls out there but few in number. We won’t know where or how many until development is underway and we get the call to survey or trap.” The burrowing owl is federally protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act in the United States, Canada and Mexico. In Arizona, it is listed as a “species of concern” or at-risk. But with farmland steadily giving way to houses, shopping centers and roads in Gilbert and Queen Creek,
A burrowing owl watches over its artificial burrow in Florence. The owls will remain in tents for 30 days; after that volunteers will feed them for a week to 10 days to allow the males time to develop good hunting territories and strategies. (Samantha Chow/Cronkite News) the burrowing owl is losing ground – literally. The National Audubon Society predicted by 2080 due to climate change, this species of owls could lose 77 percent of its current breeding range. “Right now, in order for us to find enough habitats for burrowing owls
Greg Clark, burrowing owl habitat coordinator for Wild at Heart, holds one of the diminutive raptors for volunteers to see before releasing it into its tent near Florence. The owls are placed in pairs into artificial burrows. (Samantha Chow/Cronkite News)
we bring them 50 miles west of Wickenberg,” Clark said. “The farms out there are still active and being irrigated.” Wild at Heart works with developers by relocating owls from a site before construction begins. Clark said Queen Creek has some green belt areas where owls could be relocated and new developments could plan for spots for displaced owls to live. “Otherwise, Queen Creek probably does not have significant numbers of owls,” Clark said, adding that an owl feeder reported seeing an owl near
Combs and Signal Butte roads. “There is a little farmland there,” he noted. “Other than the one owl, we don’t know of any other owls in Queen Creek. We are pretty sure that any that remain will soon be gone if the last tiny farms are converted to houses.” In Gilbert, the loss of the owls cost that town a tourist attraction. “It was a big draw for people who visited Gilbert,” said Clark. “There were people going to Zanjero Park from other countries who were interested in birds and they knew they could go to Gilbert’s Zanjero Park to see the burrowing owls and Google Map would say there are burrowing owls here.” A visitor from Wisconsin raved about the owls on Tripadvisor. “Imagine my delight in seeing numerous burrowing owls literally standing in front of these man-made burrows that line the perimeter of Zanjero Park,” the person wrote in 2019. “Even if I weren’t slightly obsessed with owls, I would recommend a visit to anyone who wants to see owls up close.” What made Zanjero Park a good habitat in 2011 was the adjacent active farmland, which was open with low-ground cover that the birds pre-
see OWLS page 8
The burrowing owls have been a worldwide attraction. (Samantha Chow/Cronkite News)
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NEWS
QUIT RATE from page 3
In March 2020, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said Arizona employers in the leisure and hospitality industry were paying an average of just $17.55 an hour. That figure is now $20.81, an increase of nearly 19% in just that time period. Seiden said this isn’t limited to the service industry. Consider, he said, the fact that companies like Amazon and Starbucks are not just paying higher than minimum wage but even offering fringe benefits like free college. All this, however, comes at a cost. “The more employers have to pay, the more goods are going to have to cost,” Seiden said. “One of the unfortunate things you see when there’s a tight labor market, that’s a contributing factor to inflation,” he said. That’s most immediately visible to consumers at the gasoline pump and what they’re paying at the grocery store. In fact, the consumer price index for the Phoenix area – the only measurement for Arizona – is up 11% year over year, compared with 8.3% nationally. All that, in turn, raises the question of whether the unemployment rate in Arizona is too low, with too many employers with job openings chasing too few folks out of work with offers of big raises that, in turn, fuels inflation. Hammond cites the fact that while the quit rate in Arizona has been going up, the “hire’’ rate – the percentage of employed workers added to a company’s payroll – has remained relatively flat. “This reflect increased churn in the labor market as firms seeking to rapidly ramp up product meets workers re-evaluating career opportunities,’’ he said, quitting one job to take an-
QUEEN CREEK TRIBUNE | QUEENCREEKTRIBUNE.COM | MAY 22, 2022
other at a different firm, a different occupation or an entirely different industry. “We are in unique times,’’ said Walls, with a sharp increase in employer needs for workers. The positive sign, he said, is there continues to be an increase in the Arizona labor force, the number of people working or looking for work. But putting those people into the available jobs is another matter. “It’s taking some time for these individuals to find the type of employment that they’re looking for,” Walls said. “With unemployment being as low as it is, they have likely more choices and can be pickier with the
jobs they’re deciding to accept.” Seiden said he will never say that the state’s jobless rate is too low. But he acknowledged there’s another side to that question. “Is the economy too hot right now and does it need to slow down a little bit to help lower inflation?’’ he asked. And that, in turn, leads to questions of whether the Federal Reserve Board will take action nationally to curb that, to the point that cooling the economy could lead to a recession. Still, Seiden said he believes that, whatever action the Fed takes, the Arizona economy is “resilient’’ and will weather all of this. It starts, he said, with the fact that
there is a much more diversified job base. In 2006, before the recession, one job out of every 11 was in the construction industry. That made Arizona particularly at risk when the bottom dropped out of the housing market. Now there are more jobs in the manufacturing sector than those in construction. “And those are high-paying jobs,” Seiden said. “We’re doing really well.” Thursday’s unemployment report showed that private sector companies added 9,600 workers between March and April, a growth rate of 0.4%. Year over year, the figure is 4.2%.
fer. The park was primarily used for horseback riding. The town has noted, however, “With this area expanding rapidly, it was determined that (the owls) would need to be removed in order to protect the species.” Clark pointed out that although the owls at the 20-acre park were removed, there may be others living all over Gilbert. “There is still agricultural land in Gilbert,” he said. “There (are) artificial burrows like pipes or erosion cut in a canal. They’ve lost their natural burrow dug by an animal and making do with something else. And when that doesn’t work as well it leads to a decline of the species.” A big help is the use of Bureau of Land Management lands that are next to farms. “Most of the owls are on BLM land next to farms,” Clark said. Asked how many burrowing owls are left, Clark responded, “No one knows how many.” “If we could count them all, it
would be listed as an endangered species,” he said, adding that on average, Wild at Heart rescues 200 displaced owls a year. These days, Clark travels great distances to find new habitat and check in on established ones. Last week he drove 230 miles – almost near the Mexican border – to an owl habitat set up about five years ago. In establishing the habitats Clark is mindful what land is planned for development in the future and what land can be accessed by volunteers, who are needed to help feed the owls for 30 days and bond with their new home. Captured owls are cared for by volunteers for a minimum of 30 days at the Wild at Heart facility in Cave Creek and then another 30 days at the new relocation site in tents to build “site fidelity,” Clark explained. “Our system works well,” he added. “We know how to make active translocation work so they don’t go back to where the development is.” Although the public can no longer readily observe the sandy-colored owls with bright-yellow eyes in Gil-
bert, there are East Valley locations where it’s still possible. Arizona State University’s Polytechnic Campus in Mesa became the home to four displaced burrowing owls in May 2021. The conservation project is in partnership with Wild at Heart. The organization also partnered on a habitat at Scottsdale Community College. And, Rio Salado Audubon Center, Wild at Heart and the city of Phoenix worked together to establish an owl habitat in 2013 at the Rio Salado Habitat Restoration Area, site of a former 600-acre landfill. Clark said he has been communicating with the Town of Gilbert about the possibility of establishing a habitat for burrowing owls at the 272-acre regional park at Higley and Queen Creek roads. The park is not yet fully built. “I got my fingers crossed that would happen,” he said. Spokeswoman Kelsey Perry confirmed that the Town “has had preliminary discussions with Wild at Heart regarding possible options for the future.”
OWLS from page 6
Know anything interesting going on in Queen Creek? Send your news to pmaryniak@timespublications.com
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NEWS
In an interview, town Recreation Manager Adam Robinson said the idea for a town recreation center and aquatics pool dates back to the “early 2000s, when parks and roads and the master plan was adopted by council.” “On all the town surveys since then,” Robinson said, “a recreation center has been highly rated. Residents moved to Queen Creek from other cities that had public recreation centers and they wanted one in Queen Creek. A town survey of residents noted, “Visits to Parks and libraries remain the most popular activities for residents (82% visited parks in past year).” A total 404 residents participated in the survey, conducted “to gather residents’ perspectives, attitudes and approval levels on a number of issues and topics related to life in Queen Creek.” Another survey of 555 households last year also showed strong resident support for a recreation center and aquatics pool. In a council discussion of the latter survey last July, Marnie Schubert,
communications, marketing and recreation director, said three-quarters of the respondents supported either a combination aquatic/multi-generational rec center and/or a standalone aquatic center. A staff report said 39% of respondents favored a combined multi-generational and aquatic center. Robinson said the town will soon meet with the architects. “We’re excited to be kicking these projects off and getting them underway,” he said. The town just signed a contract with DWL Architects + Planners, Inc. The two centers which occupy separate buildings but operate in tandem with each other in the newly named Frontier Family Park, he said. The recreation center is projected to be 60,000 to 65,000 square feet, said town spokeswoman Constance Halonen-Wilson. “The aquatic center size is still being determined,” she added. “The recreation center and the outdoor aquatic center will have a combined footprint of approximately five acres. This will be located at Frontier Family Park and is included in the total 85 acres of the park.
As part of its commitment to expand recreational facilities for residents, Queen Creek Town Council last year directed staff to draw up plans for completing Mansel Carter Oasis Park, which includes this colorful play area. (Town of Queen Creek)
RYAN ROAD SIGNAL BUTTE ROAD
BUDGET from page 1
QUEEN CREEK TRIBUNE | QUEENCREEKTRIBUNE.COM | MAY 22, 2022
D.G. ACCESS DRIVE/PATH CONCRETE ACCESS DRIVE/SIDEWALK
F.O.F. YARD
MULTI-USE FIELDS
D.G. ACCESS DRIVE/PATH
PARK MAINTENANCE AREA RESTROOM/ CONCESSION PARK DRIVE
220TH STREET
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AQUATIC/REC CENTER - 5AC
VOLLEYBALL RESTROOM PICKLEBALL
SPLASH PLAZA PLAY ZONE
BALLFIELDS & PLAZA
LAKE - 5AC LAKE PUMP
BASKETBALL
FRONTIER PARK MASTER PLAN This site plan shows the early stages of the town’s vision for the rec center and aquatics facility at Frontier Family Park, although the plan is in conceptual stages and could change during the design process. (Town of Queen Creek) Frontier Family Park will be located on the southwest corner of Signal Butte and Ryan roads, just north of Queen Creek Road. Frontier Family Park had been called East Park and Queen Creek Sports Park before it was formally renamed by Council last month. The centers will resemble many of the family-oriented, multi-generation centers found in other areas of metro Phoenix, Robinson said. The recreation center will be mostly two stories and contain a multiuse gym space for basketball and volleyball, walking tracks, multi-use classrooms, a front desk for customer service, a lobby and locker rooms. The two buildings will share a customer service desk and locker rooms, he added. The aquatics center, estimated to cost $25 million, will be similar to other aquatics centers in Arizona, he said. “It will have an outdoor pool, which will include some version of a lap pool and a play pool (shallow depth). “We will be working with the architects to set this up,” he said, adding there will only be one pool. “We hope to open in the summer of 2024,” Robinson added. According to the Parks and Recreation 2018 Master Plan, the town
has five parks: Founders’ Park (11 acres), Desert Mountain Park (29 acres), Horseshoe Park & Equestrian Centre (38 acres, not reflected in total developed park acres), and Pocket Park for Pups (1 acre), and the first phase of 48-acre Mansel Carter Oasis Park. “In addition to these parks, Queen Creek also has an extensive trail system,” the master plan states. “Queen Creek’s trail system is primarily located along the washes that run through the community and includes nine miles of paved multi-use paths and 10 miles of equestrian paths along the wash bottoms.” Council last year directed staff to complete the design of Frontier Family Park and the remaining acres at Mansel Carter Park. A staff report last December noted that Council “has been considering building more parks and recreational facilities for several years. “As such, over those years, they have created unused capacity in the operating budget to pay for these new facilities in anticipation of ultimately making a decision. As a result, no new taxes will be created to build or operate these facilities. This approach mirrors the approach we have used to build new roads.”
NEWS
QUEEN CREEK TRIBUNE | QUEENCREEKTRIBUNE.COM | MAY 22, 2022
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2 on Town Council opposed parks bond BY KATHLEEN STINSON Tribune Staff Writer
N
ot everyone was on Queen Creek Town Council was in favor of the $115 million bond issue that was approved last December to pay for the first phase of the Park Master Plan. Two members - Emilena Turley and Leah Martineau – voted against it even after town Finance Director Scott McCarty explained that the bond issuance would not raise residents’ taxes. Councilwoman Julia Wheatley and Vice Mayor Jeff Brown said they voted for the bond because residents wanted more parks and recreational services. The two council opponents noted the number of residents who responded to the survey and said that the number was too low to suggest most people favored more park spending.
Before the debate among the members of the council ensued, McCarty detailed the town’s finances and how it would pay for the parks plan. “What I’m telling you is we can afford this plan in the near term and in perpetuity,” he said, saying it would not impact taxes. The $136 million parks spending in the budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1 comprises an estimated $21 million in park impact fees and the $115 million bond issue. McCarty said residents have been promised 51 acres in parks for every 10,000 in population. Since he has been at the town, Queen Creek has been working to increase the number of park acreage per population number every year, starting with 26 acres per 10,000 and now achieving 36 acres per 10,000. Although the town’s revenues have increased every year by about $20
million, the town has not been spending all of that, he said. “The town’s reserves are upwards of $100 million,” he said. If there was a downturn in the economy, the reserves could make up the difference. The town’s revenues are four times what the debt would be. Wheatley noted that the survey found that the No. 1 reason residents gave for supporting an increase in taxes was parks. The survey also found that the lowest area of satisfaction involved “services for taxes paid.” “Our residents are way-underserved,” she said referring to the promise of 51 acres per 10,000 residents. “We do owe it to our residents to spend this on parks.” Turley said the town could find a “more creative way” to fund the improvements to the park system “without spending $115 million in debt.” If the money was not spent, the res-
ident’s taxes could be lowered, she argued. “Economies rise and they fall and it’s never for a couple of months,” she said, suggesting the town explore some sort of public/private partnership or finding “other ways to do this.” But Brown said: “I don’t need a survey to tell me” what the residents think. “I have been hearing from residents for years,” he said. “The top three requests from residents are: 1. Build more roads 2. Build more parks and more facilities at the park and build a pool. “Sometimes the pool is at the top spot over transportation,” he said. “And 3, do it without raising my tax rates.” He added that residents want the same level of services they had in the municipality where they previously had lived.
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NEWS
FEES from page 4
QUEEN CREEK TRIBUNE | QUEENCREEKTRIBUNE.COM | MAY 22, 2022
amples: • The instrument fee for either orchestra or marching band is going from $40 to $60 next year. It will rise again the following year to $80. • The fee for the cabinetmaking course is rising from $25 to $35 because of the jump in price for wood. There’s a similar raise in the culinary arts program, going from $30 to $40 because of the rising cost of food. • Casteel High School will charge students a $40 fee for auditioning. It’s only $25 at Arizona College Prep and Perry High. There is no charge to audition at the district’s other three high schools. • AP exam fees are jumping to $100. That price is set by the College Board, which administers the test. • Chandler High started a pilot program earlier this year where it gave all students a laptop to try and close the digital divide. Parents were given the option to purchase a
one-time $25 device protection fee, which would replace the device if it were lost, damaged or stolen. That charge will now be annual instead of one-time. • Most of the new fees are $75 or less. Some fees, such as the newspaper class fee at Chandler High School, are relatively small, $3. The district will also charge more for child care, raising fees about 4%. That’s because the Governing Board had earlier agreed to pay its child care staff higher wages. CUSD’s Lil Explorers program will go from $1,044 a month to $1,086 for infants. That’s for five days a week and does not include a $75 registration fee. There are waivers for families that cannot afford to pay the fees. The principal, or the site administrator, decides who qualifies for a waiver at each location. However, Berry said someone must still pay the fee. In order for the principal to grant a waiver, the school must have a gift from someone else to cover the costs.
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Chandler Unified School District Extracurricular Activity Fee Schedule ACTIVITY CATEGORY (A) Field Trips and Competitions (per participating student per trip, the fee charged will be related to approved cost of trip and may be reduced or covered by tax credit donations or other fundraising)
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Junior High School
*Does not include field trips or competition fees (D) All other extracurricular activities and clubs (per participating student per activity)
Field Trip Fee $150 or less $75 or less one day $350 or less overnight or out-ofstate $500 or less one day
Senior High School
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$20 Individual max: $60 family max: $120 $20-60 Individual max: $180 family max: $540 $30 Individual max: $60 family max: $120 $25 - 400 Individual max: $600 family max: $1,000 $25 or less
*Does not include field trips or competition fees Note: • The principal may waive the assessment of all or part of any fee if it creates an economic hardship for the family. Fee waiver forms are available at each school and must be submitted to the principal’s office for review and approval. • When a participation fee range exists, the Principal must approve the fee amount within the Board-approved fee schedule. • Extracurricular activity fee requirements can be satisfied by tax credit donations, fundraising participation or non-tax credit payments. • Maximum amounts are specific to the activity category. (Ex. Participation fees from athletics cannot be combined with band).
05/03/2022
NEWS
QUEEN CREEK TRIBUNE | QUEENCREEKTRIBUNE.COM | MAY 22, 2022
13
6 teen suicides, fatal ODs spark alarm in EV BY PAUL MARYNIAK Tribune Executive Editor
A
t least six Valley teens have lost their lives to suicide or unexplained drug overdoses since March and the trend has alarmed an educator who has been a longtime advocate for the mental and emotional health of Arizona youth. At least three of the deaths are confirmed suicides and advocate Katey McPherson says that trend underscores the need for parents, schools and government at all levels to pay more attention to the growing number of young people in crisis – a plea she has made for more than five years. The deaths also underscore a warning from Teen Lifeline, the nonprofit teen suicide prevention hotline and service, that parents of Arizona teenagers must be particularly vigilant about their children’s mental health at this time
of year. More young people tend to get depressed as they either lose daily contact with classmates, experience anxiety over their grades or for other reasons related to the end of the school year. “In the summer of 2017, we lost four students to suicide in 90 days in a neighboring school community” said McPherson, referring to Higley and Queen Creek school districts. “This is known as an ‘echo cluster’ that if not addressed using prevention science, can lead to contagion. “In May of 2021, two CUSD students – during this very same week of the school year – died, one by suicide in a public venue and the other overdosed on fetanyl,” she said. “Vigils were held. Thoughts and prayers were said. And here we all are, still whistling by the graveyard. “It’s as if kids dying is now normalized,” an angry and frustrated McPherson said. She said recent student vigils and pro-
tests underscore that “the kids are tired of the lack of care and concern for their well-being. Students planned a protest at Chandler City Hall today, May 22, circulating social media posts that said they are specifically targeting “bullying in schools and issues concerning minorities.” Additionally, a vigil was scheduled at Chandler City Hall last Friday in the wake of a Hamilton High student’s death. The student appears to have recently transferred to Valley Christian. That death May 16, as well as that of a Chandler High sophomore who died by suicide last weekend, followed by a few weeks the deaths of two Brophy College Prep students, one by suicide and the other an overdose. A Deer Valley high school student also died by suicide within the last month. And an Arcadia High student died by suicide in March at age 16 in his home. McPherson criticized efforts to ad-
dress teen mental health issues – even as countless studies have raised the alarm about the pandemic’s impact on young lives in a wide variety of ways. “Our efforts to locally, collectively, and collaboratively get in front of this ever growing epidemic and suicide contagion have been weak at best,” McPherson said. “There a number of people working in silos and not letting the subject matter experts in to do the work they are trained to do.” Calling the deaths part of “a public health issue that is a lethal hazard to the safety of our schools and community,” McPherson voiced frustration that drove her about five years ago to carefully track the teen suicides in the East Valley that she has become aware of. That total exceeds five dozen. “I am still waiting five years later for parents, city, state, faith, and district
see SUICIDE page 14
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QUEEN CREEK TRIBUNE | QUEENCREEKTRIBUNE.COM | MAY 22, 2022
SUICIDE from page 13
leadership to truly stand up, rise up, and champion youth mental health with policy, funding, and true compassion and conviction for our youth,” she said. In 2021, the American Academy of Pediatrics declared a state of emergency after its studies showed “suicide-risk screenings have yielded higher positive rates than during the pre-pandemic period.” In a study of teen death rates in 14 states, the journal JAMA Pediatric on April 25 wrote, “The proportion of overall suicides among adolescents increased during the pandemic. No other pandemic-period changes in adolescent outcomes were statistically significant.” The National Alliance of Mental Illness last September noted that teen suicide rates are higher than the national average in Arizona, where 17% of high school students said they’ve seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year. As school districts pull the curtain down on the 2021-22 school year – the second consecutive year of disruptions in campus and home life by COVID-19 – Teen Lifeline asked parents to pay close attention to their kids’ behavior. Both Chandler High and Hamilton High administrators emailed students and parents in the wake of the deaths, offering the services of counselors and the district Crisis Response Team. The mother of the Arcadia High student posted a heart-wrenching description of finding her son’s lifeless body at home and discovering that despite his 11 social media posts in one day in a private Instagram chat group shortly before his death that stated he was going to take his life, “not one peer took action.” “We are not about blaming of others or shaming others,” she wrote on seeandsay.live. “This is about looking at social media, dismissing statements of suicide, minimizing statements of suicide, glorifying statements of suicide, and the lack of accountability of a person who clearly is told that a person is going to commit suicide... and their lack of action. What has happened to our humanity?” Teen Lifeline volunteer suicide prevention peer counselors have seen an
Teen Lifeline Clinical Director Nikki Kontz said teens tend to get especially depressed when the school year ends. (YouTube) annual 10% increase in calls during the last two months of a school year. A study released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at the beginning of April showed more than 44% of high school students in the United States reported feeling sad or hopeless every day for two weeks or longer since the start of the pandemic. Disruption in normal activities, the loss of a close relative, isolation brought on by social distancing protocols and campus closures have all contributed to higher levels of anxiety and depression among young people, numerous experts have warned in the past year. The study also revealed nearly one in 10 teens made a suicide attempt and nearly one in five seriously considered attempting suicide. In Arizona, Teen Lifeline said it has experienced a rapid growth in calls to its teen crisis hotline the past two years, including a 20% increase in calls and texts from 2020 to 2021 and a 50% increase in calls and texts since the pandemic began in 2020. “Regular conversations about mental health could save your child’s life,” said Nikki Kontz, clinical director at Teen Lifeline. “It’s been a rough couple years
for everyone. Check in with your teen and ask how they’re feeling, if they’re worried about anything or if they have any concerns about the end of the school year,” she added. Kontz encourages parents to be on the lookout for signs their teen may be having thoughts of suicide. These include: • Major changes in sleeping or eating habits • Feeling depressed, sad or hopeless for two weeks or longer • Extreme mood swings • Isolating themselves or withdrawing from friends, school or social activities • Talking or writing about death, wanting to die or feelings of falling apart “If you notice any of these signs, don’t be afraid to ask your teen if they have had thoughts about suicide,” Kontz said. “Research shows asking the question won’t plant ideas in a child’s head and it may give your child the opportunity to share their struggles.” Even if you haven’t noticed any of these suicide warning signs, Kontz says it’s still important to talk to your teen about their mental health and how they are feeling going into the end of the school year. “Ask open ended questions that en-
courage them to talk about school, friends and life in general,” she counsels. “Then take the time to really listen.” Kontz provides the following four tips for talking with teens: Be genuine. Acknowledge how your teen is feeling in a real way. You can tell when other people are faking it, and your teen can, too. Avoid using slang terms you don’t usually use in an effort to connect with your teen. While it might be well intentioned, using slang terms is likely to make both you and your teen feel more awkward. Be present. Choose a time to talk with your teen when you will be free from distractions and able to focus on what they’re saying. Listen carefully to what your teen says. Sometimes talking while completing a task or activity that requires little eye contact, like walking the dog, doing the dishes or driving, can make conversations more comfortable. Be quiet. It can take time for a teen to formulate what they want to say or to work up the courage to tell you something important. While the silence might feel a little uncomfortable, it gives your teen time to think and respond. Resist the urge to interrupt a silent moment and be especially careful not to interrupt while your teen is talking. Be empathetic. Teens don’t have the benefit of prior life experience like you do. Be sure to take your teen’s concerns seriously. While something like missing prom, losing a sporting event, a bad grade or even just an argument with a friend, may seem insignificant to you, it can feel immensely overwhelming to a teenager. Teens who are struggling with thoughts of suicide, depression, anxiety or who just need someone to talk with are encouraged to call the Teen Lifeline hotline at 602-248-TEEN (8336) or 800-248-TEEN. The 24/7/365 service is staffed by teen peer counselors daily from 3 p.m. until 9 p.m. daily, including holidays. Trained counselors are available at all other times. Teens can also text the hotline at 602248-8336 between the hours of noon and 9 p.m. on weekdays and 3 p.m. and 9 p.m. on weekends. Information: TeenLifeline.org.
COMMUNITY
QUEEN CREEK TRIBUNE | QUEENCREEKTRIBUNE.COM | MAY 22, 2022
Community QueenCreekTribune.com
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@QCTribune
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Crismon High School steadily nears ompletion BY JOSH ORTEGA Tribune Staff Writer
P
ardon the dust but it will settle in time for classes to start in a few months. Queen Creek Unified School District gave a tour to see the progress on Crismon High School. District Construction and Operations Director Jim Lamb led the tour of the 76acre property, including the athletic fields, basketball gym and Maker Spaces. Principal Elyse Torbert attended the tour as he prepares to take the reins for the school this July. “Opening another high school is exciting and I look forward to building upon the success already achieved by Queen Creek High and Eastmark High,” Torbert said. Lamb said the master plan will allow for approximately 3,300 students and there’s more than 700 signed up for the 2022-23 school year. “We’ll build the school as the school population builds with the area in the community,” Lamb said. Lamb said the district focused on three key facets in constructing the school: student safety, student and staff experience, and operational efficiency.
A welder joins steel pieces of the lighting catwalk in the auditorium at Crismon High. (David Minton/Tribune Staff Photographer)
Construction workers install ceilings in a hallway as work continues at Crismon High School. (David
Minton/Tribune Staff Photographer)
A unique safety feature only seen at Crismon is the office for Queen Creek Police Department officers on the north side of the main building near the main entrance. An experience that students have taken a liking is the grill stand that serves hot food for students to purchase. Lamb also said they planned the locker room to allow for better supervision of students by placing an enclosed office for the coaches in the middle of the locker room. “Locker rooms tend to be a place where kids find themselves getting into trouble a little bit because it’s hard to supervise,” he said. Although safety remains paramount to the school and the district, Lamb said the experience will be what makes students want to come to school. One of those experiences that has kept students eager to go to Queen Creek and Eastmark High is the grill area. Students will have the opportunity to get hot grilled barbecue items from a food stand in the quad area near the main entrance. Lamb said it’s a feature that started at Queen Creek High and has gained immense popularity among the students throughout the district. “The students like it,” he said. “Making
sure that we have different food options for the students.” He also said a major aspect in making the school stands to make it a part of the community and the auditorium will become that focal point. The 200-seat auditorium will have the potential to seat approximately 500 with the use of the “learning stairs” that students can sit on and utilize as an alternative classroom. Lastly, the district remained cognizant of taxpayer dollars and designed the school to remain durable by way of operational efficiency.
The polished cement in the walkways has a 15 to 20-year lifespan that requires minimal upkeep – outside of mopping and the occasional buffering. Principal Tolbert said she enjoyed walking through and watching the progress unfold as the first day of classes quickly approaches. Though this isn’t her first rodeo as a school principal, coming from the Boston area, Tolbert said it’s special to stand as part of the groundwork. “My goal is to be the best high school in the state and to watch that be built from the ground up is exciting,” she said. She said she’s most excited about the 18 different pathways that students can use to chase their individual interest and passions. “Those are the spaces that will make us unique,” she said. “It’s what’s going to set us apart from other schools.” The four main career path academies include Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM); Health Sciences; Business and Leadership; and Design and Construction. Along with Maker Spaces that will help foster a 21st-Century learning environment, these pathways will help students become the leaders of tomorrow. “Our goal is to make kids into effective global leaders.”
Workers install support framing for the wooden court floors in the gymnasium at Crismon High. (David Minton/Tribune Staff Photographer)
16
BUSINESS
QUEEN CREEK TRIBUNE | QUEENCREEKTRIBUNE.COM | MAY 22, 2022
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Carrington College displays offerings in Mesa TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
T
he best way an enterprise can celebrate an anniversary is by showing what it can do and that’s exactly what Carrington College did recently to mark 30 years serving the East Valley. It sponsored a student nursing simulations and lab demonstrations, games, prizes, food trucks and a campus tour for guests to meet with faculty and staff. “It is an honor to celebrate our 30th anniversary and reflect upon the impact we have made in the Mesa community,” said Campus Director at the Carrington College Mesa campus, Antonio D. Thompson. “For example, the dental hygiene programs at Carrington College has provided complimentary dental services for more than 21 years. Under the supervision of a licensed dentist, dental hygiene students provide X-rays, teeth cleanings, fluoride treatments, polishings, fillings, and sealants to patients who are often unable to afford these services,” added Thompson. “Within Arizona, 29 percent of all the dental hygiene graduates were from Carrington College. That’s an incredible achievement and we are proud of our graduates and the work they do to improve our community.” Carrington College was founded in 1967 and provides students with a career-focused education in the medical, dental, veterinary, trades and industrial fields. With locations in Phoenix and Glendale as well as Mesa, the college “is committed to student learning and achievement with a skills-based approach to education,” a spokesman said. Carrington is accredited by the
Dental Assisting Instructor Lena Guerrero leans in for a look as Storme Yorgason checks to see if a plastic vacuum mold is ready at Carrington College’s 30th anniversary open house May 12. (David
Minton/Tribune Staff Photographer)
Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges, Western Association of Schools and Colleges. Its Mesa campus offers programs such as: • Associate degree in nursing that helps prepare students for RN licensure.
RNs coordinate patient care, educate patients and the public about various health conditions, and provide advice and emotional support to patients and their families. • Medical Assisting, which prepares students fora vital part of any health-
TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
Oliver Mill’s five-course family-style dinner will include optional, professional wine pairings and recipes that incorporate the flavors of the culture such as Balsamic Vinegar of Modena, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Prosciutto di Parma and more. The tables will be set 6:30-9:30 p.m. at the Olive Mill, 25062 S. Meridian Road, and reservations are required. They can be made at queencreekolivemill.com. Cost is $99.95 and $40 for wine pairings. The menu includes: Antipasti. Prosciutto Di Parma Rousseau Farm melons, burrata and basil finished with the Olive Mill’sMey-
care office, completing administrative and clinical tasks in the offices of physicians, hospitals, and other healthcare facilities. • Veterinary Assisting, which trains students to help care for animals, helping veterinarians and veterinary technicians. Students can prepare for a career in veterinary medicine in as few as nine months with the Carrington program. • Dental Hygiene, which prepares students for handling the majority of patient care in a routine, preventive visit. The Carrington program uses hands-on instruction to help students prepare for this important job. • Dental Assisting, which trains students to keep a dental office running smoothly by assisting patients, dentists and dental hygienists with the routine tasks associated with oral
see CARRINGTON page 18
Olive Mill celebrates special region of Italy
T
he Queen Creek Olive Mill is bringing together family and tradition with a special Tavolo Dinner June 2 to celebrate the flavors and dishes of Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region. Emilia-Romagna is one of the wealthiest and most developed regions in Europe, with the third highest gross domestic product per capita in Italy. and is renowned for its standard of living and cultural, economic, and tourist attractions. It’s also home to one of the Europe’s finest food traditions.
er Lemon Olive Oil; Mortadella Crostini Con Gnocco Ingrassato, which is Modenese pork fat flat bread with thinly sliced mortadella finished with the Olive Mill’s Peach White Balsamic Reduction. Primi. Tagliatelle Al Ragu. Fresh house-made tagliatelle pasta, served with a ragu of succulent lamb & pork slowly braised with onions, carrots, celery, tomatoes, and hardy herbs finished with the Olive Mill’s Balanced Extra Virgin Olive Oil & Parmigiano Reggiano. Secondi. Maiale Al Latte: Pork Loin
see OLIVE MILL page 18
BUSINESS
QUEEN CREEK TRIBUNE | QUEENCREEKTRIBUNE.COM | MAY 22, 2022
QC fitness studio offers summer profgrams TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
Q
ueen Creek’s newest fitness has got some ideas for summer fun for kids and adults alike. he Foundry,18625 S 187th Place, will offer both an eight-week Youth Performance Camp for kids and teens and an ongoing six-week Forge program for adults, which grants participants unlimited access to the studio’s group training sessions. The Youth Performance Camp kicks off June 6 and welcomes young athletes 9-17 years old. Aimed at educating and empowering young athletes and helping them excel within their respective sports, this twomonth training program builds strength though age-appropriate, Olympic-style weightlifting and powerlifting while teaching youths about injury prevention and sportsmanship. Adults looking to tone up and shed pounds this summer can sign up for The Foundry’s Forge fitness program, an intensive, six-week training program that combines unlimited group workouts with weekly accountability meetings with a per-
sonal coach and starts whenever you are ready! “It’s a great opportunity for families to channel their energies during the summertime – parents can get their workouts in while the kids are at camp,” said Will O’Connell, who co-owns The Foundry with Brittany Kohnke. “Then, when the kids head back to school and start fall sports, they’ll have a whole new set of tools in their arsenal.” The Foundry owners say their studio is one of few fitness studios in the area that focuses on time-tested workouts and techniques, rather than trends and fads that do little as far as long-term results. Foundry trainers look to help athletes of all ages develop the foundational skills they need to build strength, avoid injury and otherwise perform at their physical best. “What we’re here to do is help athletes of all ages get the training and tools they need to finetune their workouts and see lasting results,” O’Connell said. “Tell us what you want to do as far as your health and fitness goals this summer, and we’ll help formulate a way for you to achieve them.” Information: TheFoundryGymQC.com.
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BUSINESS
QUEEN CREEK TRIBUNE | QUEENCREEKTRIBUNE.COM | MAY 22, 2022
CARRINGTON from page 16
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health. • Pharmacy Technology. While becoming a pharmacist can take years of specialized training, becoming a pharmacy technician is a much faster path to working in the pharmacy field with plenty of benefits. The Mesa campus helps prepare students for this role in as few as nine months. • Medical Billing and Coding, which trains students in a variety of roles in the administrative side of healthcare. • Physical Therapist Assistant, which helps students in as little as 19 months learn to help patients with a variety of exercises and functional activities through the use of therapeutic interventions. • Physical Therapy Technology. Here, students in as little as nine months can learn operational activities and work with patients by scheduling appointments and bringing them in and out of the therapy areas. Information:.Carrington.edu.
OLIVE MILL from page 16
from The Pork Shop braised in milk and fresh Herbs, served with creamy polenta & roasted garden vegetables. Insalata. Olio E Aceto:- Fresh greens from Steadfast Farm lightly tossed in
Instructor Jamie Brabeau walks students Lidia Ortiz and Daniel Avalos through the steps as they make lip balm in the pharmacy lab at the Carrington College open house. (David Minton/
Tribune Staff Photographer
Instructor Jamie Brabeau walks students Lidia Ortiz and Daniel Avalos through the steps as they make lip balm in the pharmacy lab at the Carrington College 30th anniversary open house. (David Minton/Tribune Staff Photographer)
the Olive Mill’s Balanced Extra Virgin Olive Oil and QCOM White Balsamic Vinegar from Modena. Dolce. Latte Della Regione :Parmigiano Reggiano Panna Cotta and parmigiano reggiano with fig balsamic reduction.
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An elegant table setting accompanies the Queen Creek Olive Mill’s June 2 Tavalo Dinner. (Special to the Tribune)
QUEEN CREEK TRIBUNE | QUEENCREEKTRIBUNE.COM | MAY 22, 2022
Career success on your terms. nau.edu
GRADUATION SECTION
Boundless
DECA seniors bid QC High farewell
CELESTE GARCIA Parent: Erica Garcia On the way to: Chandler Gilbert Community College, then the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising. Career pursuing: Business owner
GLORIA FELIX Parents: Mario and Elizabeth Felix On the way to: Chandler Gilbert Community College Career pursuing: General business
HAILEY PARKER Parent: Amanda Parker On the way to: Arizona State University Career pursuing: Business
ANDY MARTINEZ Parent: Marlen Liseth Acosta On the way to: W.P. Carey School of Business at ASU Career pursuing: Entrepreneurship
HANNAH COHRS Parent: Sherri Cohrs On the way to: Wingate University Career pursuing: Veterinary medicine
KYLER SEARS Parent: Scott Sears On the way to: ASU Career pursuing: Real estate
Queen Creek High Class of 2022 leaders Valedictorian
Salutatorian
PIYAPAT KOMENKUL Parents: Piya and Nattaya Komenkul On the way to: Arizona State University Career pursuing: Computer science, software engineering Extracurriculars: Carpentry program, computer science program, works at family restaurant.
MALLORY FORMANACK Parents: Hilary & Marcus Formanack On the way to: Arizona State University Career pursuing: Secondary education Extracurriculars: National Honors Society, orchestra and guitar. Has a rock band and a string quartet named Death Planet.
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GRADUATION SECTION
QUEEN CREEK TRIBUNE | QUEENCREEKTRIBUNE.COM | MAY 22, 2022
GRADUATION SECTION
QUEEN CREEK TRIBUNE | QUEENCREEKTRIBUNE.COM | MAY 22, 2022
Graduation Day
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Photos by David Minton Tribune Staff Photographer The Tribune dropped into graduation ceremonies May 19 for the Queen Creek High School Class of 2022 as (1 and 2) seniors rejoiced over their momentous achievement. Prior to the ceremony, 3) many grads checked their phones while some, 4) like Shea Deaton, checked their mortarboard hat for the right fit and 5) Kaiana Nerona donned dozens of leis to spruce up her graduation gown and 6) others like Marcos Carrasco got help from people like Ann Mohrhauser making sure their tassels stayed in place. and 7) grads like Trinity Miranda and Wesley Lyczynski relied on folks like Rosie Miranda to capture their elation after picking up their diplomas.
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GRADUATION SECTION
QUEEN CREEK TRIBUNE | QUEENCREEKTRIBUNE.COM | MAY 22, 2022
s n o i t a l u t a r g n o C Graduates
GATEWAY 19705 E Germann Rd, Queen Creek, AZ 85142 • (480) 461-4400 • hagateway.com
REAL ESTATE
QUEEN CREEK TRIBUNE | QUEENCREEKTRIBUNE.COM | MAY 22, 2022
Real Estate QueenCreekTribune.com
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@QCTribune
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@QCTribune
QC housing market cooling down slightly BY MELANIE NEMETZ Tribune Guest Writer
W
e all knew the time would come. Housing demand at the level we have seen for the last two years is unsustainable. So it should come as no surprise that our demand has started the cool down process, just as our temperatures begin to rise for summer. Likely the only ones in denial of this shift in demand are current and soon to be sellers. Sellers have held the cards for the last two years. We have seen and read about unbelievable offers buyers
have made just to be the one to secure the home. It wasn’t uncommon to see buyers offer 10% over list price, with waived inspections, and waived appraisal contingency. As the demand shifts, so do these offer terms. The homes that are priced at market value, not above, and that are in good to excellent condition and show well, may still fetch multiple offers as well as above asking price. The sellers that have haphazardly thrown their home on the market and above market value, are finding themselves on the market longer than expected as well as facing a possible reduction in their list price.
The current Queen Creek market has an average 13 days on market, meaning it is taking 13 days from the day the home lists to the day the home goes under contract. Most homes over the last two years sold in a day or a weekend. Thirteen days on market is nothing to be concerned about. In a balanced market, one that doesn’t favor a buyer or a seller, could have approximately thirty days on market - and that’s ok! The recent shift in days on market is simply another sign that the market is starting the cool down process. Let’s not misunderstand where we are exactly in this market. We are still in a seller’s market. We just are no longer in a complete seller’s frenzy. We still have
a ways to go before we are in a balanced market. What should we expect from a cooling down process in Queen Creek? To start, let’s review where Queen Creek is currently in the housing market. As of May 2022, Queen Creek has onemonth supply of homes to sell. That means, if no new homes were to come onto the market, it would take one month to sell the current supply. A balanced market would be around a four-month supply. Supply is typically a slow correction in real estate. Keeping that in mind, we have
Our extensive, high quality marketing of your home combined with our thorough preparation of listing the home for sale, will help your home sell faster and for more money. Here is a sample of the marketing for our listings:
see MARKET page 24
◆ Home Staging Report by Interior Designer & Stager ◆ Professional video of home ◆ Professional photos of home ◆ Twilight photos ◆ Community photos ◆ Aerial drone video/photos ◆ 3D Interactive floor plan - Matterport ◆ Open house first weekend on the market BESTOF
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REAL ESTATE
QUEEN CREEK TRIBUNE | QUEENCREEKTRIBUNE.COM | MAY 22, 2022
Address legal damages up front with an attorney BY BEN GOTTLIEB Tribune Guest Writer
An often-overlooked aspect of evaluating one’s legal case by clients assessing legal damages. It is not always as straightforward as it seems. Let’s suppose you live in a homeowner’s association and your neighbor begins construction in June of a second-story addition without your consent or approval while away in your summer cabin. When you arrive home a few months later, you are very upset to learn of the new structure because you no longer have the mountainous views you previously had serving as a backdrop to your backyard. Instead, all you can see is your neighbor’s
close-up second story structure. You took great pride in your backyard views and guests routinely admired the views when over. You review the governing documents applicable to your HOA and learn that your neighbor and the HOA are in violation of the governing documents. Without hesitation, you hire a lawyer and file a lawsuit. Since the structure was completed or substantially completed over the summer months while you were away, it is unlikely that the court will force the neighbor to take down and demolish the structure. That leaves you with a case for legal damages. Up to this point, you have not put much thought into legal damages and just assumed they exist and for a lot of money – after all, you’ve lost your mountain views in your backyard!
Even your friends have commented on the loss of view. As part of the litigation process, after consulting with appraisal experts, you learn that no appraiser is comfortable testifying to a diminution in value of your property because the “data” does not support damages. In other words, the appraisal experts inform you that while they personally and subjectively believe you have suffered damages, there is not sufficient data (in the form of comparable sales) to prove that the loss of your mountain view means your property is worth less. While you may be able to present diminution in value evidence through your own testimony, it could prove difficult to make out a case for legal damages. And, while there
Made for horsin’ around
This 2,445-square-foot house on E. Cloud Road in Queen Creek sold recently for $1.8 million. Located on nearly five acres of established horse property, the three-bedroom, two-bath house, built in 2010, boasts a pool, detached two-bedroom apartment and separate studio, a shop/ RV garage, irrigated pasture, fully lighted riding arena with a nine-stall barn and an additional eight covered stalls with a number of other amenities. (Special to the Tribune)
may be other legal damages you can assert in this case, the lack of an appraisal expert is a setback. Of course, this is just a hypothetical example, and there are many cases where appraisal experts would testify to damages in the above example. But the point is, it should not be assumed you have legal damages. Among other things, it is vitally important to address legal damages upfront with an attorney in a litigation case. Attorneys Patrick MacQueen and Benjamin Gottlieb created a different kind of law firm using state of the art legal software and technology combined with award-winning legal minds to provide the best real estate representation available. Ben can be reached at ben@mandglawgroup. com or 602-533-2840.
MARKET from page 23
a way to go before we have a balanced supply of homes for sale. Queen Creek currently has 308 homes under contract with only 211 listed as active in the mls. his ratio will be changing as our demand continues to weaken. Interest rates have been having the biggest impact as of late, likely slowing the demand even more with future rate hikes. The good news for buyers is they now have more homes to choose from, more time to decide on which home they feel is the best fit, as well as less competition on each home. Sellers are still in the driver’s seat, as long as they approach the sale of their home strategically with a market value list price and the home is in good condition. Queen Creek housing market can expect ongoing changes. Sellers should embrace the shift and buyers can celebrate small wins with more inventory and less competition. Melanie Nemetz, the owner and founder of The Melanie Nemetz Team with Keller Williams Integrity First can be reached at 480)-221-3034 or.fosteringre.com
SPORTS
QUEEN CREEK TRIBUNE | QUEENCREEKTRIBUNE.COM | MAY 22, 2022
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Hubler sweeps hurdles, QC shines at state track BY JAKE BROWN Tribune Contributing Writer
A
fter a long week of preliminaries, the track and field state championships concluded on Saturday with 19 track events across four divisions. Desert Vista’s boys ended up winning the 2022 Division I title with 107 points. Perry’s girls won the Division I title with 87 points, edging five-time defending champion Chandler in the process. American Leadership Academy – Queen Creek fell just short of the Division III title in both boys and girls, placing second. That, especially on the boys’ side, was thanks in large part to the standout performance from senior hurdler Logan Hubler. “It feels good (winning),” Huber said. “All the hard work you put in all season long, it feels great.” Hubler took gold in the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 14.21 seconds, good for a spot in the top-10 in Arizona. He was joined by teammate Kawai King, a junior, who placed second in the event. Also a standout quarterback who led the Patriots to the Open Division playoffs this past fall, Hubler went on to win the 300 hurdles later in the day in 38.08 seconds. King finished fifth. “I went back-to-back this year,” Hubler said. “So, it feels good that all the hard work we put in this offseason is paying off.” Hubler and King were also part of the ALA-Queen Creek 4x400 relay team that took gold in a time of 3:23.52. Ashton Miner and Elijah Peters joined them in the race. ALA-Queen Creek’s girls were anchored by strong performances in a variety of events throughout the week-long meet. Junior Evelynne Carr took second in the Division III 1600-meter run on Tuesday, May 10. She also took fifth in the 800. In Tuesday’s field events, Tatum Matheny, Tatum Rollins and Paris Magee all had
YOUTH
ALA – Queen Creek senior Logan Hubler swept the competition in both Division III boys’ track events during the final day of the state track meet, winning gold in both events to cap off his high school career. (Dave Minton/Tribune Staff) standout performances in the javelin, high jump and triple jump, respectively. The momentum built earlier in the week by some of ALA-Queen Creek’s girls carried over to the final day as Remy Romney took second in the 100 hurdles. Romney was also part of the 4x100 team along with Alexandra Carroll, Tatum Matheny and Ellie Moulton that took gold. Queen Creek High School’s boys’ team placed third overall in Division I while Casteel’s girls took second in Division II. Eastmark junior Mack Molander captured the Division IV state javelin championship for the second year in a row. Molander is also the quarterback for the Firebirds football team that should contend for a 3A title in the fall. Queen Creek was led by its field events, which saw senior Payton Barlow win gold
in the triple jump and Viann Vanderwall win the girls’ high jump. North Canyon once again captured the girls’ Division II crown, while McClintock narrowly edged Gilbert for the championship on the boys’ side. In Division III, Salpointe Catholic’s girls took the crown, beating second-place American Leadership Academy – Queen Creek while Snowflake edged the Patriots on the boys’ side. Valley Christian proved to be a dominant force yet again on the track in Division IV as the boys captured their fourth state title in a row and 15th in program history. St. John’s won the Division IV title for girls. Several other standout performances took place at the meet, including Red Mountain senior Yan Vazquez finishing just .64 seconds short of the 300 hurdles record.
“I was just trying to get my steps right and get the state record,” said Vazquez, who is now third all-time with a time of 36.86. Red Mountain shined as a whole, placing third overall. Sophomore Tyler Matthews won the 800m race while Vazquez, along with his win in the 300 hurdles, also won in the 110 hurdles. “I was really excited that my gameplan paid off,” Matthews said. “My plan was to go out a little bit slower than Brian [Fair Jr., who] got ahead of ahead of the rest of everybody and then to slowly catch him on the second lap.” In Gilbert, Campo Verde and Williams Field excelled in Division II, especially on the girls’ side. Williams Field junior Saira Prince and Campo Verde sophomore Lea Spindell won the 100-meter hurdles and the 400-meter dash, respectively. Despite hitting a few hurdles on the way, Prince said that she doesn’t let those mistakes bother her. “I was definitely feeling the pressure, but I was prepared,” Prince said. “I was ready.” For Spindell, she didn’t have much preparation for the 400 because she had just competed in the 4x100 relay. She finished fourth alongside teammates Ni’yah Pratt, Zaria Ayoola and Amber Thompson. “We’re all so excited,” Spindell said. “And honestly, I just had to get up and run my best race.” ALA-Queen Creek’s Logan Hubler played a key role in the Patriots’ second place finish as he swept the hurdles competition for the second year in a row. Also a standout quarterback for the team, he was happy with the way he capped off his career. “I went back-to-back this year,” Hubler said. “So, it feels good that all the hard work we put in this off-season is paying off.”
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QUEEN CREEK TRIBUNE | QUEENCREEKTRIBUNE.COM | MAY 22, 2022
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LOCAL PEOPLE.
Do You Have a Resume Gap?
Resume gaps have always been around, often the result of sabbaticals, continuing education or pregnancy. As with many things, however, the pandemic supercharged this trend. GROWING NUMBERS Nearly 115 million jobs were lost in 2020 as a COVID-19 spread. In the U.S. alone, women’s participation in the work force declined to 57%, the lowest since back in 1988. Reductions in working hours led to people applying for multiple jobs to replace lost income. (Entrepreneur magazine said the equivalent of 255 million full-time jobs were lost through these cuts alone.) The job market has bounced back. Still, in early 2022, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities reported that about 3 million fewer people were employed compared with pre-pandemic numbers. Attempting to enter the workplace is always daunting, but in particular when asked to explain a break in employment. You’ll need to control your personal narrative in order to overcome this so-called “red flag.”
COMING TO TERMS Focus on overcoming the natural discomfort that comes with talking about time spent out of work. Your uneasiness will translate in any interview, making for an awkward or tentative talk with a prospective employer. That’s not the way to land the job. Work through any residual anger, self doubt or resentment — in particular if the choice to leave a previous job wasn’t yours. Come to terms with your life experience, and you’ll be better able to explain an employment gap — and then move on.
ended questions meant to allow you to speak extemporaneously about what happened. Practice your response, beginning with why you separated from the last company. Maintain a proper level of honesty, but create a response that allows you to smoothly move on to the next topic: Why you’re a great candidate for this position.
Be a part of something DEVELOP A NARRATIVE Interviewers are, by their very nature, inquisitive. They’re going to notice a period of unemployment, and ask questions — perhaps even open-
CMC Steel Arizona is growing!
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ACCENTUATE THE POSITIVE Accept responsibility, if appropriate. But focus on highlighting things you did to grow personally and professionally in the interim. Employment gaps are often great opportunities to further
your education, to become more involved with charitable or civic organizations, or to gain leadership and collaborative skills through parenting. Look to the future. Things that happened far away from any office can also form a foundation for what your career evolves into next.
We are hiring immediately for multiple
open positions in operations, maintenance and more!
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NOW HIRING
The Art of a Thank You Note
The long journey to securing a job interview can leave us so exhausted that we forget one of the most important steps in the hiring process: Saying thanks. Here’s a primer on the art of the thank you note. EXPERTS AGREE Recruiters, human resource professionals and others in job-hiring positions recommend that you send a custom letter of appreciation within 24 hours of your interview. This is a great way to show appreciation for the opportunity to discuss their job opening. You’re reinforcing your interest in the open position, while showcasing your attention to detail and good manners.
where your letter might get lost in the inevitable early-morning wave of work-related emails. With that in mind, aim for an early-afternoon submission window, after they’ve filtered through the morning’s correspondence. GET SPECIFIC A bland, obviously generic thank you note might be almost as damaging to your candidacy as forgetting to send one in the first place. Be specific to the company and the interviewer, reminding them of a key moment from your talk. If you discussed a future project or a shared past business contact, reference that directly so the hiring professional is sure to remember you.
to go overboard. A thank you note is not supposed to be so details that it reads like a synopsis of your meeting, nor so conversational that it grows boring. Try to keep your note to about three sentences: Thank the person who met with you, mentioning the specific date of your interview. Add a sentence tailored to your experience, then a line that reiterates your interest in the open position.
Be a part of something
WHEN TO WRITE It may occur to you to compose this note as you’re wrapping up your day, but timing can be important. Try not to fire off a word of thanks at midnight, since hiring professionals aren’t likely to be at their desks. You’re putting yourself in a situation
KEEP IT SHORT By the same token, don’t be tempted
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DON’T PITCH AGAIN This is not the venue to pitch yourself again for the job, to further explain how you’re perfect for the job, or to correct any missteps you may have made in the interview process. You’re interview will stand on its own. Simply focus on letting company officials know that you appreciate
the interview opportunity and would welcome their consideration.
CMC Steel Arizona is growing! We are hiring immediately for crane operations, maintenance positions, machine operators and more!
TEACHER STARTING PAY:
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We also have current openings for Core, our career path rotational program Fully Funded Employee Benefits
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Union Elementary School District 3834 S. 91st Ave. Tolleson, AZ 85353 623-478-5025 | www.unionesd.org
480-898-6465
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CMC Steel Arizona is growing! We are hiring immediately for multiple growth opportunities. Times Mediain Group is a digital andmaintenance print media company operating in the Phoenix, Tucson, and open positions operations, and more!
Los Angeles markets. We have experienced significant growth in recent years due to our commitment to excellence when it comes to providing news to the communities we serve.
We also have current openings Job for Description Core, our career path rotational program We that are seeking a highly you organized, andexposure outgoing individual excels at making customers and keeping provides withfriendly, broad andwho cross-training across happy CMC’s lines the office environment functioning. A good candidate will have strong computer and communication skills and an ability to build rapport and communicate with customers, usually by phone. of business, helping build the foundation you’ll need for a long career of
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