SanTan Sun News - November 6, 2022 by Times Media Group

November 6, 2022 | www.santansun.com

Relentlessly local coverage of Southern Chandler

An edition of the East Valley Tribune

Legislature, inﬂation loom as city financial threats BY KEN SAIN Managing Editor

Chandler City Council got its first look at the 2023-24 budget at an Oct. 27 work session and learned there are some worrying issues on the horizon – so troublesome that members suggested staff look at increasing the budget stabilization reserve. That’s a fund the city uses as a stopgap if there’s an unplanned change to

the city’s finances. Council hopes that provides a three-year window to make adjustments. There are a number of reasons for budget concerns in the future, but the two biggest are inflation and state lawmakers. Dawn Lang, the city’s deputy city manager and chief financial officer, said the price of asphalt, concrete, pipes, data fiber, anything cement-based, or

anything with a computer chip are up 10% or more. Those increases mean the city may not be able to complete all the capital improvement projects officials promised voters in last year’s bond election. “The impact that it’s having is they always build in contingency on the capital projects,” Lang said. “They’re having to use that contingency upfront. So as they get closer to the end of those

projects, they’re having to have conversations around reducing scope, and things like that, or canceling a project.” That may lead to council going back to voters to ask for more bond money sooner than it usually does. “In the long run when it comes to our bond authorization, because projects are costing more, our bond authorizaSee

BUDGET on page14

Tempers ﬂare as Chandler Council debates NDO BY KEN SAIN Managing Editor

A feisty Chandler City Council on Oct. 24 began hammering out what a non-discrimination ordinance (NDO) would look like and the heated discussion led to confrontations, accusations, some shouting and pleas to follow decorum. “I’m desperately trying to get through this meeting and you are desperately getting in the way of that,” Mayor Kevin Hartke told Councilman OD Harris. “I

am reaching the end of my patience, and I would appreciate it if you would show the respect and the decorum that we have shown you.” Chandler is the largest city in Arizona without a NDO and Council has been exploring how to improve its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) for two years. “What I don’t like is that people are being discriminated in our ordinance in our city,” Harris said. “And we’re playing games [with] numbers. I don’t like that.

I want to live in a city where I can walk down the street and not be discriminated on. That’s what I want.” A non-discrimination ordinance would allow employees and customers to file complaints if they believe they are being discriminated against because they are a member of a protected class. There are federal and state laws that protect many of those classes already, but not all of them. The ordinance the city is looking at would include sexual

orientation, gender identity and veteran status, which are not protected now. The clock is running out on the current council as Vice Mayor Terry Roe’s and Rene Lopez’s terms end in January. The current council has not been eager to pass a NDO, with only Harris and Matt Orlando supporting one. Roe and Lopez are being replaced by Angel Encinas and Jane Poston, who See

NDO on page10

City honors veterans Chandler Council adding days to fireworks calendar BY KEN SAIN Managing Editor

Chandler City Council is expanding the number of days residents can legally light fireworks and one member wants to expand it even more. “There are so many other holidays that we have -- Chinese New Year, we have graduations, Juneteenth, weddings, all those kinds of things,” Councilman Mark Stewart said. “And so I’d hope that staff could help me write up an amendment to this so that we can include those holidays.” Other members, however, were not ready to do that at the Oct. 24 study session. “As the mayor indicated before, that’s probably the largest issue we get every year is the impact to the animals, the impact to the PTSD world,” Councilman Matt Orlando said, noting the “Amer-

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ican Legion right now is looking at a policy to help restrict the fireworks.” Mayor Kevin Hartke said he also opposed expanding the days beyond the change that was before them. Council was expanding the days to include Diwali, which is the India’s Festival of Lights and one of the most important Hindu holidays. It is usually celebrated over five days in late October or early November, based on the Hindu lunar calendar. State lawmakers approved fireworks for up to two days. The Legislature also gave the cities something that some municipalities have been asking for: the ability to regulate when people could set off fireworks. Cities and towns can now restrict fireworks between 11 p.m. and 8 a.m. for See

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Bob Dalpe, chairman of Chandler Military and Veteran’s Affairs Commission, stands in the Field of Honor at Veterans Oasis Park, ready to mark Veterans Day this Friday. Throughout the region, people will pay tribute to the men and women who served. Chandler will host a celebration and veterans throughout the region also will be marching in the East Valley Veterans Parade on Friday in downtown Mesa. For details, see page 6.

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | NOVEMBER 6, 2022

School board, LD13 races head to finish line Tuesday BY KEN SAIN AND CECILIA CHAN Staff

With the Nov. 8 General Election two days away, voters will settle a five-way race for two seats on the Chandler Unified School District Governing Board as well as the five-way race for three seats in the state Legislature. Charlotte Golla, one of five candidates, is getting campaign support from people outside of Arizona, according to financial reports field Oct. 15. Golla reported 19 people who live outside of the state contributed $50 or more to her campaign. “I was born and raised in Rhode Island and my parents have been in Vero Beach, Florida for 20 years,” Golla said. “I had my family members in both Rhode Island and Florida email fundraising appeals on my behalf.” Golla raise the most of any of the candidates as she battles incumbent Lara Bruner as well as political newcomers Marilou Estes, Kurt Rohrs and Patti Serrano. Golla reported raising more than $22,000 for this campaign. Bruner was next highest with nearly $7,200, followed by Rohrs at more than $6,500, Serrano at $5,200 and Estes at close to $3,900. Serrano’s numbers are from the second quarter. It appears she has not filed a third quarter report. Both Golla and Rohrs earned the

endorsement of Purple for Parents, a group that formed to oppose the Red for Ed movement of the past few years. They tout parental rights and opposed mask mandates. Save Our Schools, the political group that came from the Red for Ed movement, endorsed Estes and Serrano. The Chandler Chamber of Commerce endorsed Bruner and Golla. Lawyers representing the Arizona Democratic Party filed a complaint against Rohrs with the Secretary of State, alleging he accepted an illegal contribution from the Republican Party. The LD 17 Republican Party contributed $500 to his campaign. State statute limits parties to contributing only to the campaigns of their nominees. A school board race is non-partisan. “I checked with the Maricopa County Elections office before reporting the donation,” Rohrs said. “They were okay with it.” In the race to represent Legislative District 13, which covers south Chandler, Sun Lakes and part of Gilbert, Republican Incumbent J.D. Mesnard and Democratic challenger Cynthia Hans are evenly matched in the money race in the Senate race. Chandler resident and small-business owner Mesnard, who went unchallenged for his party’s nomination in the August Primary, has raised a total of $228,068 for his re-election bid, accord-

ing to his pre-general election campaign finance report. He was first elected to the state Senate in 2018 after serving eight years in the House. For the recent reporting period covering Oct. 1-22, Mesnard received a total of $49,462 from individuals and political action committees. Individual donors included Innitech CEO Jason Hope, who gave $5,300; Veritas Global Protection founder Elijah Norton, $5,200; MTI Tech Solutions Business Director Heather Mayor, $5,000 and New York stockbroker Travis Anderson, $5,300. PACs contributed a total of $23,812 in the month before the General Election. PAC donors included Educational Freedom Fund, $1,000; Global Medical Response, $2,000; American Property Casualty Insurance Asso., $2,500 and Zillow Group, $512. Hans, a retired teacher who won her spot on the Democratic nomination against Michael Morris in August, reported raising a total of $215,522 for her campaign, of which $68,540 came in during the October reporting period. Of the total raised, over half or $145,000 came from individual donors, who gave anywhere from $1 up to $1,000, according to her finance report. The donations came from throughout the country, including Boston, Chicago, Santa Fe, Seattle, New York and San Diego.

Hans reported receiving a total of $68,853 from PACs for her campaign with $22,502 coming in during October. Her latest donors included AFSCME People, a union, which gave $10,600; Healthcare Rising AZ, $5,300 and Sierra Club Arizona, which gave a total of $3,000, including $1,000 in the recent reporting period. LD 13 also has two House seats up for grabs with Republican challengers Julie Willoughby and Liz Harris doing battle against Democratic Incumbent Jennifer Pawlik of Chandler. Pawlik, who is seeking her third twoyear term, has opponents beat with a total of $199,000 raised – $111,144 from individual donations and $87,300 from PACs. For the recent reporting period, Pawlik, a former teacher, received a total of $8,077 from donors who gave money through the Democratic Party’s ActBlue site. PACs that donated to Pawlik in October totaled $20,400 and included American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union, $10,600; Emily’s List, $2,650 and Cox AZ, $1,000. Willoughby, an ER trauma nurse, raised a total of $98,000, of which $40,000 was a self-loan. Harris, a real estate agent, reported raising $60,465 . Her PAC contribution of $350 came from Realtors of Arizona.

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NEWS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | NOVEMBER 6, 2022

Chickens could come to roost soon in Chandler BY KEN SAIN Managing Editor

There were multiple warnings to residents attending the Oct. 19 Chandler Planning & Zoning Commission meeting: Yes, chickens were on the menu, um, agenda, but what commissioners could consider was very limited. “So before you start, Lauren, with your presentation, I just want to make a note to the audience,” Chairman Rick Heumann said. “That what is the commission’s purview tonight is really basically laying out what the definition of a chicken coop is. The fact that having chickens or not having chickens will be the purview of the mayor and the council.” Senior planner Lauren Schumann gave the same warning. So did a member of the city attorney’s staff. So while there appeared to be more than a dozen citizens in the audience opposed to backyard chickens, commission members were not going to decide that issue. It will be up to City Council to decide if Chandler will join most of the cities in the Valley in allowing backyard chickens in residential areas. That vote is expected at its Nov. 10 meeting. It will likely be discussed at the Nov. 7 study session. Councilmember Rene Lopez, whose term ends Jan. 12, pushed for the city to address this issue. According to city staff, only Chandler, Avondale and Glendale do not allow chickens on residential lots. Chandler does allow chickens on large lots that are zoned for agriculture. There was an attempt to allow backyard chickens in 2013. The P&Z Commission then recommended adopting the change, but it was ultimately voted down at the City Council on a 4-3 vote. Staff decided the best way to change city ordinances this time was to change the code under animals, not buildings. Therefore, it basically took the issue out of Planning & Zoning’s hands. The one area where P&Z would still be involved is chicken coops. Anyone who wants to put chickens in their backyards must have one. So commissioners worked out their definition for a coop and what it would mean for residents to build one. Here is what they decided: • The coop must be at least 5 feet from the edge of the homeowner’s property. This is to provide a buffer to neighbors. • A chicken coop would not count as an accessory building so long as it is not too large. This is similar to how the city considers small tool or storage sheds. Any coop that exceeds 7 feet in height, or a 120 square feet in size, would be considered an accessory building and would require a permit to build. Residents are allowed only one accessory building on their property. • Runways for the chickens would be considered part of the coop, so they will count against the 120 square feet limit. • Most of the discussion among the commissioners was about coops that are taller than the fences that separate properties. They decided to recommend

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www.santansun.com This map shows where residents who made comments in favor (yellow dots) and against (blue dots) a Chandler ordinance that would allow residents to keep chickens in their backyard. The brown areas of the map indicate homeowners associations, which likely will not allow backyard chickens. (City of Chandler)

that coops could not be taller than the fence line. If they are, then they would be considered an accessory building. Heumann pushed for this change to what staff had recommended, saying neighbors don’t want to see chicken coops. Two commissioners voted against his revision, saying it might be unfair to people who have a 4-foot tall fence. “If I lived next to them, I don’t want to have to look at them, and that’s my point,” Heumann said. Commissioner Michael Quinn pointed out most neighborhood fences are about 6-foot tall and that by adopting the change it creates different rules for different neighbors. Planning Administrator Kevin Mayo said the change would also add challenges to enforcement. Currently any structure that exceeds 7 feet would require a permit. This change would mean some coops below 7 feet would need a permit, but it would depend on the height of their fence. Schumann, the senior planner, said the city has been collecting feedback on backyard chickens starting in June. Most of the feedback came in via the city’s website. There were 185 comments submitted and 130 were in favor of backyard chickens, Schumann said. Only 39 were against. She also showed a map where those people lived. “As you can see, we’ve had an overwhelming support for backyard chickens within North Chandler in the non HOA subdivision,” Schumann said. South Chandler resident Les Minkus spoke against allowing backyard chickens. More than a dozen people gave up their time so Minkus could speak in depth about why the group opposes allowing backyard chickens in Chandler. Usually, residents only get three minutes to make their case. Heumann gave Minkus 15 minutes. “As you know, this is deja vu for me because it was nine years ago at this time that I stood in front of this cham-

ber and argued the same situation, that the city does not have the interest, and the voters do not have the interest in having backyard chickens,” Minkus said. He said allowing chickens on smaller properties is not a good idea. “You got a substantial, terrible nuisance that is going to be created for neighbors and others around them,” Minkus said. He argued backyard chickens will make too much noise, disturbing their neighbors. He said there are many examples of chickens escaping the backyards and getting into neighborhoods. They also attract predators, like hawks, coyotes, and racoons. Minkus said they are a health risk because many can become infected with bird diseases that might migrate to humans. He also argued it was putting more work on the code enforcement department. City councilmembers were clear, they do not want the police to deal with chicken complaints, it would be up to code enforcement. Chicken opponents have argued code enforcement is struggling to fulfill its current mission, and adding another major item like chicken enforcement would make matters worse. Shumann said that the experience of other Valley cities that allow backyard chickens is that there are relatively few complaints about them. Minkus said they have collected more than 300 signatures on a petition to keep backyard chickens out of Chandler. He also argued that the current Council should not be deciding a controversial issue, pointing out two new members will be joining on Jan. 12. Angel Encinas and Jane Poston will be sworn in on that date, replacing Lopez and Vice Mayor Terry Roe. “It would not be fair to residents for them to go out, spend a lot of money on coops and everything, just to have the next Council possibly reverse the decision,” Minkus said.

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NEWS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | NOVEMBER 6, 2022

Chandler veterans panel finally finds its footing BY KEN SAIN Managing Editor

The Chandler City Council approved a Military and Veterans Affairs Commission a year ago. It took a while, but the commission is ready to be part of the community. Its first events was a Veterans Appreciation breakfast held last Friday and a celebration for Veterans Day this coming Friday Nov. 11. It took months for the new commission to find its footing. “Part of it was we had to learn how to deal with the city,” said Bob Dalpe, who chairs the commission. “The city moves slow. Dalpe said that he and some friends were able to put together an event last year in three days. He said he learned government doesn’t work that fast. “Also you get the open meeting law. If four of us get together and decisions are made, we break the law. I’m not going to jail for a volunteer gig.” Andy Bass, the deputy city manager and primary liaison for the commission, said it wasn’t until May that the group of seven found its footing. “It’s fun to have a brand-new commission, but you have to formalize as a group, you have to team build, and then you formalize what you’re about,” Bass said. At the May summit, both Dalpe and Bass said the commission decided to focus on three events they wanted to do. The first was something for Veterans Day. “We’re going to keep it relatively simple, especially since this is our first major event,” Dalpe said. “I mean we

Chandler’s Field of Honor offers visitors an eye-popping tribute to those who served our country. (File photo)

can have all sorts of things go in here and go in there but those tend to fail. Simple is better.” The second event is a veterans’ town hall. They want to bring in veterans from the area to hear what their concerns are. A date for that has not been scheduled. The final event will likely take place in May. Dalpe said they want to recognize high school seniors who have chosen to enter military service. They also want to honor those who are retiring from military service. Bass said they view it as a mentoring opportunity, where those who are about to serve can learn from those who are leaving service. Dalpe said he’d like to hold it at the Chandler Center for the Arts, but they haven’t begun any

planning on that event yet. Dalpe said he entered military service when he was 19 in 1978 “to get away from my family.” His former girlfriend had suggested the Navy, which he dismissed. However, when he arrived at the military recruiting stations, he gave it another thought. He said he immediately ruled out joining the Army or Marines because they spend too much time in dirt. “I don’t want to be those people, they catch bullets,” he said. He ultimately chose the Air Force because the recruiting poster for the Navy showed a lonely aircraft carrier surrounded by ocean. He suspected the off-duty time was no fun. “I said to myself, ‘Self, I want my ... freedoms, beer and European women,

when I get off of work,’” Dalpe said. “So that’s really why I went to the Air Force.” He worked as a weather forecaster and served in Saudi Arabia during Desert Storm. He retired from the military in 1993. “It was good for me,” Dalpe said. “I got to see Europe, spent time in the Caribbean. The job itself was interesting. I may not have always been the best military personnel in the world. Don’t ask me to attack hills without giving me a good reason. It was an interesting experience.” Bass said he thinks the commission is on the right track. “Overall, I’ve been impressed,” he said. “There is a unity to try and make a difference, to try to have an impact.” He went to work in the corporate world, but wanted to stay active in veterans affairs. He has become an advocate, including advising state legislators. He was the one pushing the mayor and city council to create a veterans commission in Chandler. He said Councilman Matt Orlando – himself a veteran – helped make it happen. “We expect more events in the future,” Dalpe said. “This is our first year. So we’ve had some teething issues, but we’re getting certain parts down. I’m sure whoever my replacement is in the future will have some terrific ideas.”

Chandler honors veterans

When: 7-8 p.m., Nov. 11 Where: Veterans Oasis Park, 4050 E. Chandler Heights Road Cost: Free

EV Veterans Parade honors those who served SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

“Raise the Flag” is the theme of the 2022 East Valley Veterans Parade at 11 a.m. Friday, Nov. 11, in downtown Mesa. “Throughout our history, raising the Red, White and Blue has been an enduring symbol of freedom, sacrifice and unity,” organizers said in a release. "As a nation, we have stood for the U.S. flag since June 14, 1777, when the Continental Congress declared that our flag would have 13 stripes, alternating between red and white, with 13 stars on a blue field," they contineud, adding: "Thirty-seven years later, Francis Scott Key was inspired to write the lyrics for the Star-Spangled Banner after the burning of the White House and U.S. Capitol, when he witnessed the flag flying victoriously at the end of the battle at Fort McHenry. “Our flag is perhaps most revered by our military members who serve beneath it and have fought to protect all that it represents. More than 1.2 million Americans have died because of war. Many more have suffered physical and emotional injury as a result of their service to our country and our flag. “As we Raise the Flag at this year’s Veterans Parade, we join together as

Americans to remember, salute and honor the service of our military veterans, active military and their families.” Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Col. Bruce Crandall (ret.) is the 2022 Grand Marshal for the East Valley Veterans Day Parade. He received the Medal of Honor for valor in the Vietnam War as a helicopter pilot and company commander in the 1st Air Cavalry and some of his heroic actions are recounted in the movie, “We Were Soldiers.” On Nov. 14, 1965, Crandall’s flight of 16 helicopters took troops on a searchand-destroy mission from an area called Plei Me to Landing Zone X-Ray, a remote spot in the Ia Drang Valley. As depicted “We Were Soldiers,” Crandall waited under intense fire for wounded men to be loaded into his unarmed Huey, refusing to take off until he had filled the cargo bay with soldiers in desperate need of medical attention. As he headed back to base, he heard radio chatter from infantrymen still on the ground, badly outnumbered by enemy soldiers and running low on critical supplies and ammunition. After unloading the wounded back at base, he and Captain Ed Freeman, who

Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Col. Bruce Crandall (ret.) is the 2022 Grand Marshal for the East Valley Veterans Day Parade.

also earned the Medal of Honor, volunteered returned with their helicopters loaded with as much water and ammunition as they could carry. Taking enemy fire inside the actual landing zone after they off-loaded the supplies, they reloaded their helicopters with wounded men and raced back to the base hospital. Many considered the 22 flights made by Crandall and Freeman in the first

14 hours of the three-day battle to be suicide missions. The “Medal of Honor” third edition states that Crandall “kept coming back into the heavy enemy fire because he knew there was only a ‘magic minute’ to get badly wounded soldiers off the battlefield and into medical treatment. “That day, Crandall and his wingman See

PARADEon page7

NEWS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | NOVEMBER 6, 2022

PARADE

from page 6

evacuated more than seventy wounded and delivered the ammunition and supplies that kept the Americans from being overrun.” In honor of and recognition for his courage, valor and service, he was awarded Crandall two Distinguished Flying Crosses, a Bronze Star, and a Purple Heart, in addition to the Congressional Medal of Honor. He has been nominated for a second Medal of Honor. “We are honored to have Colonel Bruce Crandall serve as this year’s Parade Marshal,” said East Valley Veterans Parade Association President Lisa Sandoval. “He typifies the outstanding work and sacrifices made by our veterans and active military who we seek to recognize and thank through this annual parade.” The Veterans of Foreign Wars Done Morris Post 1760 and Disabled American Veterans East Valley Chapter 8 comprise the leading entries in the East Valley Veterans Parade. The beginnings of the East Valley Veterans Parade came directly from the concerned members of the post, led by Gunny Frank Alger and others in 2006 when the City Council of Mesa decided they would not hold or fund a parade that year. The Dode Post veterans came together with the community to organize what is now known as the East Valley Veterans Parade Association.

This year’s parade entry honors the “Raise the Flag” theme and is the result of the efforts of a large group of volunteers. Dode Morris Post 1760 also puts out a call each year for volunteers to canvas the parade route and sponsors an open house all day at the VFW Post for people to come and meet the veterans who have served our country and who continue that mission by serving our community. VFW Dode Morris Post 1760 of Mesa encourages the region to come out and experience the camaraderie and celebration of our common values that are key to maintaining our freedoms, and to salute our veterans. Disabled American Veterans East Valley Chapter 8 is dedicated to empowering veterans to lead high-quality lives with respect and dignity. It works to ensure that veterans and their families can access the full range of benefits available to them; fight for the interests of America’s injured heroes on Capitol Hill; and educate the public about the great sacrifices and needs of veterans transitioning back to civilian life. Participating in the East Valley Veterans Parade is “an important way for us to show solidarity with other Veterans organizations and the organizations/companies that support Veterans,” said Dr. Carl Forkner, CDR, USN(Ret), Commander of DAV East Valley Chapter 8. “Veterans represent both the history and future of our community and our nation.” Forkner said, “Support for the parade provides an opportunity to show the

The East Valley Veterans Parade is the region’s tribute to those who served our nation. Here’s a map of the parade route. (Special to Santan Sun News)

value of our veterans and our Armed Forces to the next generation of service members, while providing an opportunity for Veterans to reflect positively on their service.” The U.S. Department of Defense contributed to this report.

If you go

Parade info: evvp.org VFW info: mesavfw.org Disabled American Veterans info:

azdav08.org

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MCRO-00095 - Print - San Tan - Phase 2 - October 2022- 4.9x6.6.indd 2

10/4/22 1:32 PM

NEWS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | NOVEMBER 6, 2022

Distemper outbreak closes county pound BY CECILIA CHAN Staff Writer

Maricopa County Animal Care and Control’s shelter in Mesa remains closed to the public for the unforeseeable future as testing for distemper kicked off for over 200 dogs. County pound officials reported that they feared they “are on the cusp of a distemper outbreak” after multiple dogs tested positive for distemper and several others started showing symptoms of the illness. “Thanks to the amazing support of

FIREWORKS

from page1

most holidays. The hours are shortened for the Fourth of July and New Year’s Eve to 1 a.m-8 a.m. Council approved making those changes to city codes though Stewart offered an amendment to expand them immediately to other holidays. “Last night I was out for Diwali in my neighborhood. The kids were shooting off fireworks in the street, the little fountains, and they’re just having a blast,” Stewart said. “It was just the best time to walk around the neighborhood. Everybody was outside.” There are two types of fireworks, legal and illegal. The fireworks you can buy at street corners and in stores

our community, there were several adoptions and rescues this weekend and we are now testing 213 dogs today instead of 300-plus,” said department spokeswoman Kim Powell last week. “We do not have an estimate yet on when the East Shelter will reopen,” she said. “We are using three different vendors to run the lab tests, so result wait times may vary.” Powell said she didn’t have available the number of tests that have been completed yet but as of Oct. 28, there were 21 dogs that tested and eight came

back positive for the highly contagious viral disease. “Unfortunately, dogs who test positive for distemper are humanely euthanized,” Powell said, adding that the last major outbreak at the East Shelter was in 2019. In September, the department issued a call for adoptees and fosters due to an overload of dogs at its two shelters – 855 animals in 755 kennels – prompting some dogs to bunk together. There is no cure for canine distemper, which is often fatal. Dogs that do sur-

vive usually have permanent, irreparable nervous system damage, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association. However, other experts say it’s entirely possible to recover from the disease, depending on the strength of the dog’s immune system and the strain of distemper. It can take up to two months to fully recover. Initially, infected dogs will develop watery to pus-like discharge from their

are legal, having all been checked out by the Fire Department. They do not shoot into the air. The ones that do shoot into the air and explode are illegal in Arizona. They are usually bought in neighboring states and brought here. Right now Arizona residents can only set off legal fireworks for 29 days during the year, including for Cinco de Mayo, Independence Day, Christmas and New Year’s. Stewart asked they were forbidden on Chinese New Year and Juneteenth and suggested they be legal even to celebrate birthdays, weddings and graduations? Councilmember OD Harris supported the idea but Hartke and Orlando said it needed more study.

“I think there’s probably more work to be done,” Hartke said. “I know I would want to have further regulation on some of those, rather than just someone shooting off fireworks and say, ‘Well, it’s my birthday.’” He mentioned that some pets are terrified by the loud booms with their heightened hearing. Orlando pointed out that some veterans with PTSD also don’t like the loud sounds. The suggested a subcommittee look at the issue and bring it back for the full Council to consider. Stewart didn’t like that idea. “I don’t think we need a subcommittee or study session for this,” he said. “It is just adding a few extra holidays in the name of equity to make sure that everything is fair.”

Council approved the changes to add Diwali and restrict hours. Hartke said he was hopeful that after some research, Council could consider expanding fireworks further in December. He said he was happy they were limiting the hours fireworks could be set off. “Earlier this spring, in particular, after the New Year’s, we heard loud and clear from residents that were concerned about the fireworks,” Hartke said. “While an illegal firework is illegal, regardless of what it is shot, this will give some more parameters and hopefully some relief to veterans who might struggle with loud noises and our pets that also respond negatively to such things.”

See

DISTEMPER on page15

NEWS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | NOVEMBER 6, 2022

Residents skeptical about noise declines at data center BY KEN SAIN Managing Editor

Chandler Planning Administrator Kevin Mayo says the number of complaints about the noise coming from data centers has dropped in recent months. He said he hopes some of that is because of steps taken by owners to mitigate noise levels. “We have been working closely with the primary data center that is just west of Dobson Road, and they’ve done a lot of things,” Mayo told the city’s Planning & Zoning Commission, saying the center has wrapped the chillers “in these acoustic blankets. They’ve added these sound attenuation panels, they’re screen walls, they’re actually sound absorbing panels. So they’ve done a lot of that I’m not aware of any current noise concerns.” Residents in the Clemente Ranch subdivision east of the CyrusOne data center on Dobson aren’t convinced. They say complaints will likely start up again as the weather cools. “Well considering it has been summer and everyone’s homes are completely buttoned up,” Jennifer Goehring wrote to a question on the Dobson Noise Community Facebook page. “When walking out to my car I hear it just as much if not more than normal.” She was not the only one to say the summer heat account for the drop in noise complaints to the city. “With windows closed and [air conditioners] always on I’m sure it drowns

• Would mandate annual noise level tests during peak operations for the first five years after the data center opens. Data centers prefer a place like Arizona because it’s a safe area (i.e., no hurricanes, no earthquakes, no tornadoes, etc.) Cities have been a little more hesitant to build data centers. They bring in few jobs, take up a lot of space, water, electricity and usually generate noise complaints. Mayo said data centers prefer to use water cooling, which is quieter and cheaper. However, during a drought they have been switching to electric coolers to save water. The coolers are not the only noise maker, Mayo said. Because a data center needs to be reliable, even during a power outage, they Homeowners near the data center, marked in red, don't believe noise levels will drop. have to have a large number of genera(Special to SanTan Sun News) tors so they can keep servers running if the power is out for an extended period. out some noise,” Jenny Lowry wrote. some clarity about the steps they need “Kind of like your car, you don’t leave “Now that it’s cooling down and winto take. the car in the garage for four years and dows are going to be open I’m sure the Here’s some of what the proposed then go turn it on,” Mayo said. “Backcomplaints will pick up.” changes would do: up generators are cycled monthly, “It is better than four years ago, but • All future data centers would be des- and then they run in full bore about it’s still an obvious presence in the ignated primary use. That would require every 90 days to ensure that they’re area,” Katherine Saba wrote. them to go through the planned area ready when that half a second trigger is Mayo was before the Planning & Zon- development process. turned on.” ing Commission to ask for changes that • Would require all developers to hire Mayo said his department would try might prevent other residents living a sound engineer and conduct tests to to steer any future data centers to innear a data center from complaining establish a baseline for noise levels bedustrial areas that are not near residenabout noise levels. fore any construction starts. Then they tial neighborhoods. It would also give any business seekcould mandate the data center not The proposed changes will now go to ing to build a data center in Chandler increase levels above that baseline. City Council for consideration.

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NDO

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | NOVEMBER 6, 2022

from page 1

both said they support passing a NDO. If the vote to pass one is not there now, it likely will be after Jan. 12 when they are sworn in. That context might explain why the Oct. 24 work session became so confrontational. The current council was accused of trying to pass a toothless NDO to prevent the next one from passing a measure with more teeth. “If we have to wait for the next council, because two new council members got elected on this issue, I’ll wait,” Orlando said. “If we can’t get there, we’ll wait three months. The last thing I want to do, councilmembers, is to usurp two new councilmembers who ran on this in the election … and come back and fix it because they feel strongly another way.” City Attorney Kelly Schwab outlined what a Chandler NDO would look like, based on previous comments from council members. It would prohibit discrimination, harassment, and retaliation based on actual or perceived race, color, religion, sex, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, disability, marital status or familial status. It would cover all city contractors, vendors, and consultants. It would also provide equity in employment and places of public accommodation. In cases where there are existing laws and regulations, the city would forward complaints to the appropriate body. For example, if someone claims they

(Left) Councilman OD Harris pushed for tougher ordinance. (Center) Councilman Mark Stewart favored exempting more businesses. (Right) Mayor Kevin Hartke got annoyed with Councilman OD Harris. (YouTube)

did not get a job because of their race, their case would go to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. There would be exemptions. Nonprofit private clubs, such as the YMCA, would be exempt. So would religious organizations or people holding bona fide religious views. The City of Chandler is exempt because it already has its own rules prohibiting discrimination. Businesses that give senior discounts would still be able to do so and not be forced to give everyone those discounts. The biggest point of contention was for a small business exemption. Schwab had proposed businesses with five or fewer employees being exempt. Councilman Mark Stewart suggested they should go with the Chamber of Commerce’s definition of a small business and make it 500 or fewer. Roe suggested they use the number the federal government used during the pandemic of 50 or fewer. “Five, 50, it should be none,” Harris

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shouted. “No one should have the ability to do this. Nobody. I don’t care how big or how small they are, no one should discriminate on nobody.” Chandler’s economic development office lists two dozen companies that employ 500 or more people in the city. The Chandler Chamber of Commerce says there are 28 that employ that many. Most companies of that size, like the city, already have their own policies to prohibit discrimination. Council members backing a higher exemption number said they did not want to burden small businesses with legal matters, especially because some complaints may have no merit. “I thought a mom or pop organization was not in the best position, so I’m the one that threw that in there,” said Hartke, who suggested an exemption for five or fewer employees. “I just thought it would be something that a very small company is not equipped to address.” The Chandler Chamber of Commerce, which looks out for business interests, is one of the groups that have been calling for a non-discrimination ordinance. There were more disagreements when discussing penalties as well. Councilwoman Christine Ellis said she thought mandatory training was enough. Schwab had proposed public censure and suspension or debarment for city contracts for a period of three years. Hartke asked Schwab to craft a proposed ordinance that would focus on training and not include public censure. He left open the debarment, which would mean a city contractor found to be discriminating would not be awarded any city contracts for three years. Schwab had begun the discussion on a NDO speaking about how it has played out in the nine Arizona cities that have

passed one. They are Flagstaff, Glendale, Mesa, Phoenix, Sedona, Scottsdale, Tempe, Tucson, and Winslow. She said that most complaints get worked out before reaching the final step of the process, which involves penalties. Only one case went that far, and that was appealed to the Arizona Supreme Court. The court ultimately decided against the City of Phoenix and for the business, saying it had a right to religious exemption when it had refused to print wedding invitations for a same-sex couple. There was even a disagreement on what to call the ordinance. Harris said they could give it a new name, but everyone would still call it the non-discrimination ordinance. Stewart said that title had a punitive feel. He suggested the title should be the “Chandler Embraces Diversity Ordinance.” Harris offered a compromise: “Chandler Embraces Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.” The other members did not go for that. It did not appear a final decision was made. Harris said he felt he had been undermined during the entire process. Some of his colleagues disagreed with him. The next step is for Schwab and her staff to work out the actual code changes based on the feedback they received from Council. They will then put it on an agenda at a future meeting for their consideration. “I’m glad conversations are taking place,” said Eduarda Schroder, who is president of Chandler Pride, a LGBTQ+ rights group. “I’m with Councilmember Harris when he says you should not be discriminating,” Schroder said. “As described in the meeting today, the businesses wouldn’t be penalized in anyway, they wouldn’t even be censured. That’s another thing that I disagree with.”

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | NOVEMBER 6, 2022

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NEWS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | NOVEMBER 6, 2022

CUSD students’ test results approach pre-pandemic levels BY KEN SAIN Managing Editor

Chandler Unified School District students’ performance on standard tests show their achievement on average is close to pre-pandemic levels. The district’s Governing Board took an in-depth look at its statewide assessment results at the Oct. 19 meeting. Those results took a steep decline during the pandemic, as students stayed home and switched to online learning. But it appears that decline is over. About 58% of CUSD students were proficient in English language arts last year. That was up 2% from 2021 and only down 1% from the pre-pandemic year of 2019. In math, CUSD students were 53% proficient last year, an increase of 4% over 2021. There was no testing in 2020. CUSD students tested at 58% proficient in 2019 before COVID-19. Those numbers were significantly higher than the state averages of 40%

for English language arts and 33% for math. “No surprise: we always are outperforming the state, right?” said Dr. Jessica Fletcher, the district’s executive director of accountability, assessment and research. “But what is really important that I want us to focus on is given we’re returning from a pandemic, our (English Language Arts) results are only 1% away from 2019, which are pre-pandemic. “We did make some great strides in math, we moved from 49% to 53%. But we still have a 5% return that we need to get back to those pre-COVID proficiency rates.” Chandler Unified continues to rank among the best in Arizona among public schools. Higley and Scottsdale had the highest proficiency in the state in math, both at 57%. Neither is as large at Chandler. Queen Creek was the only other district higher than Chandler with 54% in math proficiency. That district has fewer than 11,000 students. Scottsdale

has about 22,000 and Higley has about 13,000. Chandler Unified has more than double each of them with about 45,000 students. Only Mesa Unified, with about 64,000 students, is larger. Mesa scored 33% in math proficiency and 39% in English language arts. In English language arts, only Scottsdale and Higley tested better than Chandler at 62% and 60% respectively. Deer Valley Unified had the same 58% as Chandler did. “Despite those improvements, though, you’ll notice we are still not to pre-pandemic proficiency rates,” Fletcher said. “The good news is we are still continuing to improve in math. We know that it’s not a one-year tackle and we’re done and we move on. So we are continuing in a math focus.” The results were broken down by grades and there was a sharp drop among middle school students. Fletcher said that is seen statewide and said it’s probably caused by many factors,

including social impact. The Grade 6 proficiency was 60% in English language arts and 55% in math. Grade 7 fell to 59% and 42%, respectively. Grade 8 scored even worse at 50% and 43%, respectively. Girls do better on the English Language Arts test, and boys do better on the math test. Asian students scored highest among race/ethnicity in both tests. Fletcher said the district improved overall in both English language arts and math. Several of the racial subgroups have returned to pre-pandemic levels. And CUSD continues to outperform the state by grade and subgroup level on both tests. “Not surprisingly, we need to continue to work to close gaps between all of our subgroups, programs,” Fletcher said. “So race, ethnicity, and then male, female. And because our results have not yet returned us to pre-pandemic for math, overall, the district will continue with a focus on math.”

Only two Valley school districts had better test scores in English Language Arts than Chandler Unified. (CUSD)

Chandler Unified students’ performance in English Language Arts standardized tests compared favorably with other area districts. (CUSD)

Here’s a look at how CUSD students performed on standardized math tests over the last three school years. (CUSD)

Proficiency in math among CUSD varied at different grade levels. (CUSD)

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NEWS

BUDGET

from page 1

tion isn’t going to last us as long,” Lang said. “With costs going up, I’m glad that we left these somewhat looser categories that might be things that are going to have to be shifted, or kind of booted out, or we might have to come up for a bond quicker than 13 years in the last one in order to complete these,” Mayor Kevin Hartke said. Inflation is not the only problem. State lawmakers are another source of concern. In July, Gov. Doug Ducey vetoed the transportation bill, surprising most people including many in his own party. That included authorization for Maricopa County to hold an election on an extension for Prop. 400, which funds most of the transportation projects in the county. Prop. 400 is a half-cent sales tax that voters approved in 1985 and extended in 2004. It is set to expire in 2025. The state’s most populous county is the only one that needs approval from Legislature and governor to hold an election like this. Most of the big-ticket transportation-related items in Chandler

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | NOVEMBER 6, 2022

have already been built, with the construction of the Loop 101 and 202 freeways. However, if that money goes away, the city will feel the impact. “Although we’re not building freeways in Chandler, there’s a lot of other things that will fall back upon us,” Hartke said. Hartke said he’s hoping the governor will call a special session of the Legislature in the next couple of months to authorize the election. Ducey said at the time that he vetoed it over inflation worries for Arizona families. That’s not the only issue at the state capital. Lawmakers are considering changing sales tax codes, forcing every city to adopt a uniform policy. Chandler has among the lowest sales tax rates in the Valley. One way it can keep them low is getting creative with some other taxes. That includes a tax on rentals and food for home consumption, which bring in $20-$25 million a year total. If lawmakers adopt a statewide sales tax code, Chandler would likely lose that money. “So depending on how things are shaking out with that we may have some significant challenges in the

next year, how we’re going to cover that shortfall in funding because those are ongoing funds,” said Matt Dunbar, the city’s budget manager. There are other issues that are adding to the cloudy future. Every time Intel does a major expansion, the city gets more revenues because of the construction. Intel is expanding two of its Chandler campuses now, so the city has seen a big increase in funds. It allowed them to make a $50 million payment to the state’s retirement fund this past summer. But at some point, that expansion ends and the added revenue goes away. Lang said that in previous Intel expansions, the city retained about 50% of the increase it saw once the construction ended. But revenues did go down. Another concern is the state’s adoption of a flat tax rate. The city receives a portion of income tax from the state. Dunbar said the state increased how much Chandler is getting from 15 to 18% to help the city prepare for the flat tax taking effect next year. But he said they don’t know what the flat tax rate will do to the amount the city gets in shared revenue.

If the state brings in significantly less revenue, then cities will likely get less too. But until those numbers are known, they don’t know what the impact will be and how to prepare for it. There is some good news. The increase in inflation actually brings in more revenue, because sales taxes are higher. The city continues to have a AAA bond rating with all three agencies that track that market. Chandler will not have to negotiate with its labor associations this year, having reached agreements with all of them last year. Chandler officials are meeting earlier than usual for the second straight year. They moved their first look to October to give the Council a chance to offer direction before each department’s directors began working on their budgets. They will meet again in February and March, before doing an all-day work session in April. This was the final budget meeting for outgoing Councilmember Rene Lopez and Vice Mayor Terry Roe. The two incoming councilmembers, Angel Encinas and Jane Poston, both attended the work session. The current year budget total is $1.35 billion.

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NEWS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | NOVEMBER 6, 2022

Arizona

GUN SHOWS Some dogs have to be doubled up in cages at the Maricopa County Animal Care and Control’s shelter in Mesa as the number of animals increases. (Sophie Oppfelt/Cronkite News)

DISTEMPER

from page 8

eyes and then develop fever, nasal discharge, coughing, lethargy, reduced appetite and vomiting, according to the association. As the virus attacks the nervous system, infected dogs develop circling behavior, head tilt, muscle twitches, convulsions with jaw chewing movements and salivation, seizures and partial or complete paralysis, it added. All unvaccinated dogs, regardless of age, are vulnerable to distemper and it’s an issue facing many shelters throughout the country this year, according to Powell. However, critics were quick to bash the county. “These poor dogs,” one woman wrote on social media. “This is all just gonna get worse for them. It was going on for a while. Last year I adopted a sick pup I couldn’t meet because he could possibly have distemper!” And another wrote, “what happens to the remaining dogs at East today? “I can answer they probably leave in trash bags… this group doesn’t care. If they did we would have proper protocols back to protect the dogs from exactly stuff like this.” Powell discounted the criticism. “Everyone has the right to express their opinions on social media,” she said. “Distemper has been in our community for a long time. “It finds its way into the shelter because dogs come in under-vaccinated,” she continued. “It is not a productive use of our time to review and respond to online comments.” Powell outlined the shelter’s protocol with new arrivals. “When an animal enters our shelter, we often do not have the vaccine history, which is why they are vaccinated on intake,” she said. “One of the vaccines given is for distemper (DA2PP), which requires a booster after about two to four weeks.” She said dogs entering the shelter are

not initially quarantined typically as the shelter doesn’t have the space to make that possible but that there is an area to quarantine dogs. And, until further notice, all dogs at the East Shelter will remain in their kennels to help reduce the potential spread of illness, according to Powell. Dogs will not be permitted to leave their kennels for walks, enrichment and meet and greets, she said. Infection spreads through airborne exposure through sneezing or coughing. The virus also can be transmitted by shared food and water bowls. Powell said it’s business as usual at the county’s much larger West Shelter in Phoenix with adoption fees waived until further notice. “There are currently no signs of a distemper outbreak at our West facility, however once testing is completed and East is reopened, we may look into testing dogs who are showing signs of illness just to be safe,” she said, adding: “It’s important to note, dogs who are showing signs of illness may also have a different upper respiratory infection, like kennel cough.” Animal activist Lorena Bader said “many of us knew it was just a matter of time before this would happen again.” Bader, a retired school teacher, is circulating a petition on change.org demanding change at the county’s two animal shelters, including its management staff. “They did nothing after the 2019 distemper outbreak at East except to give dogs a booster shot,” Bader claimed. “Then in June 2021, West had an outbreak. I had an anonymous staff member send me several emails detailing conditions that led to the outbreak. They quarantine dogs for over two months in some cases. I do not feel that they ever got rid of it, but what they did was quit testing and quit tracking dogs that likely had it.” Bader, who used to volunteer at the county shelter, said there are shelters that have had outbreaks and have “saved the vast majority of dogs.”

NEWS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | NOVEMBER 6, 2022

Chandler approves Villas subsidized housing project BY KEN SAIN Managing Editor

The City of Chandler is moving forward with a plan to build more public housing. The City Council approved a development agreement with Gorman and Company for a 157-unit complex to be called Villas on McQueen. The project was called Trails End the last time it was before Council. The units would be built on the southeast corner of McQueen Road and Chandler Boulevard. It would consist of units with one to five bedrooms, community space and a park area. Residents who qualify for public housing pay 30% of their monthly income toward the rent with the federal government picking up the rest. Everyone who wants to live in public housing is vetted to ensure their reported income is correct, and they are legally allowed to live in this country. “So no one is illegal,” Councilman Matt Orlando asked Amy Jacobson, the city’s housing and redevelopment manager. “Because this keeps coming up over and over again: no one who is illegal gets stay in the housing unit?” “That is correct,” Jacobson said. “They have to meet eligibility requirements, which includes any individuals that are non-citizens that have eligible and legal immigration status.” The city has been operating 303 public housing units at a variety of sites

The 157-unit Villas on McQueen will provide partially subsidized housing in Chandler mostly to seniors and families and illegal immigrants are not allowed to even apply. (City of Chandler)

since the 1970s. Most of those units are in poor shape and in need of an upgrade. Chandler plans to use a variety of funding sources to pay for the new construction. None of the money needed to build the complex would cover from the city’s general fund. Instead, it’s coming from a mix of federal and state grants, and other private entities. The developer is responsible for obtaining all financing. The project is expected to cost about $1.6 million and is expected to be completed in 2025. It will house mostly families and seniors. City officials said they intend to upgrade the existing sites by moving residents out of them and into the

Villas project. That would increase the number of public housing options. The city briefly accepted applications for public housing in 2021, but closed it when they received 2,000 applications. In other Council news, more than 100 residents showed up at the Oct. 27 session to show their opposition to the proposed Landings on Ocotillo affordable housing project. The project for more than 500 apartments for lower-income and senior residents is being considered by Maricopa County. The city has lodged its objections to the project because it does not fit in with its general or airpark plans. The residents who spoke said they know it’s a county decision, but they wanted to urge the Mayor and Council

to continue to oppose it because they said that area (just east of Arizona Avenue and Ocotillo) cannot handle more traffic. Mayor Kevin Hartke addressed the crowd. “We acknowledge your presence, we acknowledge your concerns,” Hartke said. “The city has sent a letter of opposition to the county. I have sent personally a letter of opposition to the county related to this project. Other council members have communicated as well. So apart from that, this is not, as you all know, this is not our vote.” The next step in the approval process is a public hearing the developer must host. No date has been announced. It will likely be in early December. Meanwhile, Chandler is hiring a pre-construction manager to oversee the softball and baseball fields being added to Tumbleweed Park. The city plans to build four lighted By: artificial turf fields Sponsored and a restroom facility with construction scheduled to begin in the spring. It is expected to be completed within 180 days after it gets notice to proceed. The $137,000 contract was awarded to Hunter Contracting Company. The city also is entering into an agreement with the Maricopa AssoFree Community Educ ciation of Governments to explore

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | NOVEMBER 6, 2022

2 unique projects heading to Chandler Council use high-end products and a quality design, including plenty of shaded walkways for pedestrians. “I think you hit it right at the end of the presentation,” Planning & Zoning Chairman Rick Heumann told senior planner Lauren Schumann. “I think this is a link to the downtown – it’s come so long, so far, in the last 15 years or so. … I think just taking special care to make sure that’s it’s outstanding in terms of aesthetics and materials and all that, I think you’ve nailed that.”

BY KEN SAIN Managing Editor

The Chandler Planning & Zoning Commission is recommending the City Council approve a large project that essentially welcomes folks to downtown and a mixed-use development that combines nine businesses with a home on top of each. The District Downtown would be located on nearly 45 acres at the southwest corner of Arizona Avenue and Pecos, just north of the Loop 202 freeway. It would contain a wide range of buildings, including apartments, a hotel and retail and office space. McQueen Live Work is much smaller in scale, sitting on about an acre and a half at the city’s northeast border with Gilbert. However, it would be only the second vertical mixed-use property. The plan calls for nine businesses, each with a house built on top of their business. Here is a more detailed look at both projects, which still must be approved by the City Council.

McQueen Live Work

The District Downtown About 800 apartments would be built in two phases around a parking garage in the middle, making it easier for people to get to their homes. The hotel would have 180 rooms. There are four office buildings planned, two with two stories, one with four stories and the largest at six stories. Those could change depending on market conditions. The two two-story office buildings and one of the apartment buildings would be the first built. There are 11 retail buildings planned, only two of which would be drive-thru restaurants.

(Above) The District Downtown project would have 800 apartments and include a splashpad amid the retail component of the development. (Below) The McQueen Live Work project has nine businesses, each with a home on top. (City of Chandler)

There are two mixed-use buildings planned near the hotel. They would most likely be retail on the ground level, and office space upstairs. However, the developer has the flexibility to ad-

just to whatever the market conditions are at that time. One of the new features added to the plan is a splash pad between retail buildings. The developer says they will

City officials say there is only one current place where a business owner can wake up in his bed, then after their morning routine, head downstairs and open up their shop. That would be the Crossing at Gila Springs at the corner of Gila Springs and Chandler boulevards. This project would double that. McQueen Live Work is located on McQueen, just north of Warner Road. The developer is proposing nine homes/ businesses. There would be a two-car garage behind the business on the ground floor and separate entrances to the homes. They would be built in two buildings, with a pedestrian breezeway between them. The conceptual plans show a false front on the second level of the front of the buildings, making them look connected from the street. The floor plans show each home would have three bedrooms, however the description only promises two bedrooms and two bathrooms. The square footage for the business area is about 700. The home area is about 1,200 square feet.

City strikes deal for big downtown multi-use project BY KEN SAIN Managing Editor

Matt Orlando is praising his fellow Chandler City Council members for holding firm and finally getting exactly what they want in a major development in the center of town. “I’m glad we stuck together on this,” Orlando said during the Oct. 24 study session. “We actually said to the developer, ‘Look, you could do this: you could buy this piece of property, but you’ve got to give the residents something back from a long-term perspective.’” The development is One Chandler, to be built around the Jack in the Box at the southeast corner of Arizona Avenue and Chandler Boulevard. The mix-use plan includes space for retail and offices, plus multi-family housing. There would be 290 housing units, 13,000 square feet of office space, and 16,000 square feet for retail on the ground floor. The Jack in the Box restaurant in the middle of the currently empty lot would remain. The developer, Jackson Dearborn Partners, initially wanted to build only

Developer Jackson Dearborn Partners’ One Chandler development in downtown Chandler will include apartments as well as retail and office space. Here are four different views of how it would look.(City of Chandler)

126 multi-family housing units, with about 3,500 square feet for retail on their part of that lot. The city is selling the developer the other half of the lot for the appraised value of $2.94 million. That will allow them to build a bigger project. The developer has two years to start construction. The project must be completed within 54 months of the

agreement becoming final, which is expected to happen in February. The entire project must still go through the usual procedures, including a review by the planning staff, public hearings, Planning & Zoning Board review before it could get final approval by Council. Changes to the plan could be made along the way.

The city owns the portion of the lot starting behind the Jack in the Box south to Buffalo Street. Jackson Dearborn owns the northern half of the lot on Chandler Boulevard. The city has the right to buy back the property it is selling if Jackson Dearborn Partners is unable to fulfill the agreement. “We understand that this is a very important intersection in downtown,” said John Carter Owens, the city’s redevelopment specialist for downtown. “Chandler Boulevard is the gateway to our downtown. So we’re thrilled to be working with such wonderful partners to deliver a project that’s worthy of that corner.” Owens said the city has been trying for two decades to get a full block development done in that space. “When we had the opportunity to do so in August … Council gave us direction to pursue a development agreement negotiation with Jackson Dearborn partners to make that nearly whole black development possible. See

DOWNTOWN on page20

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | NOVEMBER 6, 2022

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NEWS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | NOVEMBER 6, 2022

CUSD takes new steps on student mental health BY KEN SAIN Managing Editor

After months of student-led criticism for how it’s handling mental health issues, the Chandler Unified Governing Board took steps to address the issue. The board approved contracts with three firms to provide mental health services for students. They will also provide support for the district’s mental health professionals and parents. The firms are The Hope Institute of America, LLC; Lighthouse Wellhealth; and Southwest Behavioral and Health Services. However, there are still some unknowns. Traditionally when the district

VILLAS

from page 16

adding more protected bike lanes in the city. Chandler currently plans to build four protected bike lanes on city streets. They are spending about $4,500 to see where else they might

DOWNTOWN

from page 18

Orlando said it took a lot of patience to get to this point, but in the end the city got what it wanted out of this project.

approves a contract, there is a maximum cost included, but not in this case. Stephanie Ingersoll, the district’s executive director for marketing and communications, said the cost will be determined based on student needs. She also said officials are still figuring out which firm will be working with which grades or schools. Superintendent Frank Narducci said earlier this year the district intends to spend about $5 million to bolster its mental health services. That was in response to an increase in teen suicides involving CUSD students, including three in a 10-day period in May.

Another student died by suicide about two weeks into this school year. The suicides prompted the formation of Arizona Students for Mental Health. They have sent speakers to most of the Governing Board meetings since June, and led a walkout at Chandler and Hamilton high schools on Sept. 29. The district also held a town hall last week to raise awareness and reduce the stigma of mental health. “Due to the mental health services needed district wide, it was determined that awarding multiple vendors would be the most advantageous to the district to meet the needs of our

students,” Narducci said. A request for proposals had gone out and the district notified 335 vendors of its intent. Seven vendors applied. The district put together a panel of seven evaluators to look at the firms and they scored each. Contracts were awarded to the top three. The contract is for one year with an option to renew for up to four years. Ingersoll said this is a starting point, and the district plans to reevaluate how the programs are working and adjust as needed. She said there is no starting date yet. The district is contacting each of the three firms to work out next steps.

make sense. Chandler is taking an expensive step toward addressing climate change. The city will begin switching out all light bulbs to LED, which use less energy and last a lot longer. Over the long term, it will likely save the city money because they

will be changing them out over decades. They have an expected life of 20 years and come with a 10-year guarantee. However, the upfront cost is substantially higher. Council authorized spending nearly $10.2 million for the new lights. All city lights are expected to be

replaced with LED lighting in about 12 months. The Council also annexed 13.4 acres of county land at the northeast corner of Queen Creek Road and Union Pacific Railroad. The land will be part of a bigger development that still must be approved by Council.

“Like you said, we’ve been working for over 20 years,” Orlando said. “There’s been a lot of proposals come out … some good, some bad. They never really had the money and financing. I’m glad council and staff stuck together and made sure that we got a retail

element, and the office element.” Adding retail brings more jobs to the city, officials said, and will generate more tax dollars. Orlando indicated the city could have just put apartments on that space years ago, but held out for more.

“What’s in it for the city,” Orlando said. “Apartments are great, multifamily is great. But the key is we need retail to keep paying for those police officers, firefighters and other services. And the key is we need the places for businesses to grow and expand our community.”

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | NOVEMBER 6, 2022

CUSD, other districts face massive cuts BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

Chandler Unified and most other Arizona schools districts will have to cut their current spending by nearly 18% unless state lawmakers act to authorize them to actually use the money they already have. State schools chief Kathy Hoffman warned legislative leaders last week that the constitutional spending limit for the current school year is $6.4 billion. Only thing is, lawmakers have approved more state dollars than that. Moreover, districts already have prepared budgets and are on target to spend nearly $7.8 billion based on those actions. Absent legislative action, however, that nearly $1.4 billion difference remains off limits to them. Only thing is, current Republican legislative leaders are showing no interest in acting before the end of the calendar year, saying the issue can wait until the next legislative session. “When session begins in January, the issue will be taken care of, just as we have done for numerous years in the past,’’ said Senate President Karen Fann, R-Prescott. House Speaker Rusty Bowers, R-Mesa, said he’s willing to consider bringing lawmakers back to the Capitol after the election. But he said he’s “not optimistic’’ that he can find enough support for such a session, particularly as it would take a two-thirds vote to waive the limit. And C.J. Karamargin, press aide to Gov. Doug Ducey, said his boss won’t call a special session absent a showing of support. “Show us the votes,’’ he said. It is true that schools have bumped up against the limit in prior years. And there have been what amount to last-minute, one-time fixes. But Fann and Bowers will not be coming back. And with a fresh crop of legislative leaders, that runs the risk that this won’t be a priority. What makes that particularly problematic is the possibility of having to cut $1.4 billion with less than a full fiscal year left. So even if lawmakers were to act in January, that effectively would force schools to cut 36% of what they were planning to spend in the last half of the school year. “A lot of schools will be shut down,’’ said Chuck Essigs, lobbyist for the Arizona Association of School Business Officials, as the law requires those cuts to be spread among all schools, large and small. Hoffman said the need for immediate action by lawmakers is acute. “They’ve already waited far too long and this issue needs to be addressed immediately,’’ she said.

Hoffman said legislative inaction “is strangling the decision making of our school leaders who want to move forward with budgeting and want to be implementing the additional funds the legislature allocated last session.’’ “They want to put that money into teacher raises and operational needs,’’ she said. It isn’t just Hoffman who wants to avoid that possibility with a more immediate solution. “This is the only issue with which I agree with Kathy Hoffman,’’ said Tom Horne, the Republican candidate running against Hoffman. And Horne said he’s not convinced that the plan by GOP leaders to shelve the discussion until next year is a good idea. “It’d be a lot safer if they do it now,’’ he said. The limit was approved by voters in 1980. Based on figures at that time, it is adjusted annually for inflation and student population growth. What is causing the current problem is the convergence of several unusual factors. First, the limit is always based on the prior year’s school numbers. Enrollment remains down due to COVID. The bigger problem is actually due to one the legislature created in seeking to provide financial help. In 2000, voters approved Proposition 301 to levy a 0.6-cent sales tax to fund education, including teacher salaries, for 20 years. Voters exempted those revenues from the aggregate expenditure limit. Facing expiration of that tax, lawmakers agreed in 2018 to a new, identical levy to pick up when the old one expired. That would keep the money flowing through 2041 without interruption. Only thing is, the Legislature never exempted what the new levy would raise from the expenditure limit. Essigs said that alone amounts to anywhere from $600 million to $800 million of the money now coming into schools. Moreover, to balance the budget last decade, lawmakers cut dollars from various capital funding accounts. With the state flush in revenues, those accounts are now fully funded. But the additional dollars that were restored to schools also helped to push total statewide expenditures above the constitutional limit. Lawmakers can and have raised the limit in prior years, but each time only on a one-year basis, and each time waiting until there were just months remaining in the school year. Essigs said there are dangers in waiting until next year in hopes there will be the votes to waive the limit for the current school year. And it starts with See

SPENDINGon page24

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NEWS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | NOVEMBER 6, 2022

Around Chandler Fundraiser set for Chandler teen Isaiah Marin

The Children’s Organ Transplant Association is hosting a Nov. 15 fundraiser for Chandler teen Isaiah Marin. He’s been diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia. The fundraiser is scheduled for 5 to 9 p.m., Nov. 15 at the Chandler Forum, 1975 S. Price Road. There will be food and drinks as well as a silent auction. COTA is a nonprofit that benefits young adults who are transplant ready, raising funds to help them with the medical bills so they can focus on getting well.

Chandler Chuck Wagon Cook Off set for Nov. 11 The Chandler Chuck Wagon Cook Off takes place with proceeds benefiting the Chandler Museum’s children’s programs and Tumbleweed Ranch. West Alley BBQ and Smokehouse is catering the event, which will be in a wagon camp setting. The Pardners of Tumbleweed Ranch are staging the event. Tickets for the sunset dinner are $45. There will be a raffle as well. Visit www.pardnersoftumbleweedranch.org. The fun continues Saturday with the Dutch oven cooking competition. It takes place at Tumbleweed Park, 2250 S. McQueen Road. The cost for Saturday’s lunch is $15.

Chandler Pride to host pub crawl, other activities

Chandler Pride, a local LGBTQ+ advocacy organization, has announced the official line-up for its fall event, “Pride in Chandler ‘’ 3-8 p.m. Nov. 12 at Quarthaus, 201 S. Washington St. Billed as a family event, it will feature featuring food, face-painting, arts and crafts, a photo booth and LGBTQ friendly nonprofit organizations. In partnership with downtown bars and restaurants, it will also feature a Pub Crawl at local Chandler businesses starting at Quarthaus at 3 p.m. The $10 tickets to the Pub Crawl are available at chandlerpride.com and provide exclusive access to special drink prices for ticket holders. The mission of Chandler Pride is to educate the Chandler community on issues affecting the LGBTQ community and to advocate for policies and practices to advance the equity and inclusion of this community, as well as the broader Chandler community. Chandler Pride President Eduarda Schroder said the event promises “a safe, fun and welcoming environment for the LGBTQ community and their friends, families and allies.” Sponsors include Dignity Health, the City of Chandler, Copper Summit Real Estate, NeverNot Social, Out is the New In and Quarthaus. Information: chandlerpride.com.

Vocalist Jesse Washington to stage pre-Thanksgiving concert

Vocalist Jesse Washington plans to perform his fourth pre-Thanksgiving concert at 2 p.m., Nov. 13 at the Iron Oaks Country Club banquet room in Sun Lakes. Washington was a member of the San Francisco Opera Company and is a regular performer in community theater productions. Tickets are $12 and can be purchased in advance in the Iron Oaks Country Club lobby.

Woofstock set for Chandler’s Tumbleweed Park Nov. 19 The City of Chandler is hosting Woofstock on Nov. 19 at Tumbleweed Park. Dogs and their owners can come for a variety of services. There will be pet adoptions, low-cost vaccinations, canine sporting demonstrations, pet caricature drawings, and pet physic readings. It is scheduled to take place between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Chandler PD gets task force grant for DUI enforcement The Governor’s Office of Highway Safety has awarded the Chandler Police Department a $290,338 grant to support several traffic safety-related activities The Traffic Section was allotted $28,000 of this grant to fund civilian motorcycle training, with an additional $25,000 to enforce Arizona’s seat belt

and child safety seat laws. An additional $50,000 was awarded to combat excessive speeding, as well as distracted and aggressive driving. The DUI Unit will use $97,338 to fund officer overtime, related equipment and supplies to work DUI enforcement during select times of the year to combat impaired driving, and $35,000 for the Know Your Limit non-enforcement, education program, the department said in a release. The Traffic Section was also allotted $50,000 to fund pedestrian and bicycle safety overtime associated with the campaigns to raise awareness through education and enforcement. The Vehicular Crimes Unit got $5,000 for accident investigation training related travel, materials, and supplies associated with collision investigation.

Chandler accepting applications for CIVIC program The City of Chandler is accepting applications for residents who want to be part of its CIVIC program. The deadline for applications is Dec. 2. The program is 13 sessions that provide a behind-the-scenes look at how the city is run. Participants meet with city leaders and tour facilities. The program launches in January and most sessions will be between 4:30 and 7 p.m. Wednesdays. For more information, visit chandleraz.gov/CIVIC.

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | NOVEMBER 6, 2022

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from page 21

the anticipated turnover of lawmakers. “We’re going to have a lot of new people at the legislature,’’ he said. And Essigs said while there was an understanding among the lawmakers who approved the current education budget to follow up and raise the limit, many who are familiar with that arrangement – which does not exist anywhere in

writing – will be gone. Complicating that is the requirement for a two-thirds vote. “You’re going to have a whole bunch of new people, depending on what happens next Tuesday, who have not addressed this problem before,’’ Essigs said. “Hopefully they will understand the problem,’’ he continued. “But I don’t see that there’s any guarantee.’’ House Minority Leader Reginald Bolding, D-Laveen, who also will be

gone next year, said he hasn’t given up hope there will be a special session to address the problem. “Hopefully, after the election, cooler heads prevail and we can actually get this thing done,’’ he said. And Bolding said it’s only appropriate that the current crop of lawmakers deal with the issue. “This Legislature is the one that approved the spending,’’ he said. “So we need to go ahead and finish the next step.’’

Bolding also said he believes that two-thirds of lawmakers would vote to approve the waiver if a special session is called and the item is put up for a vote. That, however, would be contingent on Ducey, who also will not be back next year, who has the power to call lawmakers back to the Capitol to address the issue. Hoffman said the lawmakers who want to address the issue now are being “hamstrung’’ by his inaction.

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J170506_2_Mesa East Valley Tribune_AZ_10x4.9_CM23EWEWC90554HP.indd 1

d City Council races hea BY KEN SAIN Managing Editor

incumbent Ruth Jones’ bid to upset Tuesday’s election Mayor Kevin Hartke in air while the race to is a true underdog aff City Council pits fill three other seats on four challengers. an incumbent against two terms on Hartke, after serving as mayor, has Council and one term also has a huge name recognition. He funds. nance fi advantage in campaign Those three And he’s the incumbent.

Valley Tribune An edition of the East

Chandler coverage of Southern Relentlessly local

nsun.com July 31, 2022 | www.santa

to the ﬁnish line

because I’ve here. I’ve listened, and 16, giving him I care.” from April 1 through July into the final done that, they know to victories. races, incumIn the other council advantages usually lead There have more than $216,000 going campaign. seeking a second However, not always. weeks of the primary bent Matt Orlando is where a scrapamount of Rene Lopez and Jones raised the least been a handful of cases term while members on the able to pull off out. Lopez is one py underdog has been any of the seven candidatesa spot on Terry Roe are termed the nominafor the upset, said his challenger. ballot who are running of six Republicans seeking Jones said raising about District 4 to run al reported She Congression Council. “Don’t count me out,” in the tion the final days Stanton. Roe is campaign finance after second quarter $8,900 and headed into against incumbent Greg July 16th. a balance of $216. two Republican candidates the of reports were filed through in the of the campaign with one it’s never LD12, which covHartke raised only $17,226but entered “It’s not about the money, “The for the state House in said. year, second quarter of this been about that,” Jones win is I’ve gone $229,000 in the to on page 16 See that period with nearly reason why I’m going who live most recent finanand talked to the people bank, according to his out $28,600 about cial statement. He spent

ELECTION

ned Mega development plan

for Pecos-Arizona corn

property owners. ty owner, it was several that they This is only an application.review, “My understanding is soon. An way to go, and staff That could be changing It has to go through couldn’t agree on which the Planning submitted to the those partners, application has been neighborhood meetings,, and finally City so there was one … of BY KEN SAIN Department other ones, [it Managing Editor city Development Services t that will and Zoning Commission [who] bought out the become reality. It do that. So now for a multi-use developmen Council before it can took] a long time to nearing owner is ready and retail space change as it goes With the City of Chandler of open include a hotel, office is likely the plan will that particular property amount the submitted plans.” housing. buildout, meaning and multi-family through that process. to move forward, he sit undevelneighborDistrict, the on is dwindling, space left to develop Called the Downtown So why did the property The first of two required 93% of was at Arizona Aveof city high-qualia the property as corner the with on the southwest project “is designed oped for so long hood meetings t that will stands out. – after this newsnue and Pecos Road ty mixed-use developmenretail and buildout? scheduled for July 28 acres of open there were t, the Crown Plaza It comprises nearly 50 “My understanding is that were interestcreate vital employmen the gateway paper’s deadline – at of downtown at property owners who space close to the heart housing opportunities on page 10 Loop 202 freeway, wrote Brennan several corner,” said city Planning Manager See Chandler,” a and sitting just off the Downtown in to ed on behalf of most desirable just one propermaking it perhaps the Ray of Burch & Cracchiolo David de la Torre. “It wasn’t in Chandler. Meridian West. open space left to develop empty land. developer And for years it has been

PECOS

Making history

July 20 at The Tucson and Yuma arrived fresh clothborder crossings near get them food, showers, Asylum seekers from where volunteers help the country. Grove Church in Chandler, steps in getting to their sponsors around next ing and help with the

Chandler church extends helping hand to refugees

(David Minton/Staff

Photographer)

BY KEN SAIN Managing Editor

to the For some refugees coming a Chanlife, United States for a betterfirst steps on the dler church is one of

that journey. Road, is The Grove, 2777 S. Gilbert churches that one of five East Valley for refugees host a welcome center first stop after seeking asylum. It is theirthe Southern at turning themselves in time in detention border and spending

centers. because “We give them welcome, they’re going, they don’t know where Magdalena said and they’re scared,” Church in Schwartz, pastor of Vineyard Gilbert. in this country The refugees are not have asked for illegally. Because they move about to asylum, they are free outcome of a in America pending the hearing on their request. See

REFUGEES on page 14

ent of pride and accomplishmrst is beaming with a sense city’s fi Elaine Woods of Chandlerthe neighborhood of Southside Village the after the city designated did on page 4. district. Read what she historic conservation (David Minton/Staff

Photographer)

ORIES F E AT U R E D ST Residents balk at city housing Chandler eatery devoted to High school sports

plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . News . .

More . . . . . . . . .Page 3

avocados . . . . . . . . . . . Business.

. . . . . . Page 25

. . . Sports . . . . . . . . . Page 31 on live TV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Chandler kids in big musical

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GETOUT

. . . . . . . Page 34

Business . . . . . . . 25 Neighbors . . . . . 28 Sports . . . . . . . . . .31 Faith . . . . . . . . . . 33 GetOut. . . . . . . . 34 Directory . . . . . . 37

©Wellcare 2022 10/31/2022 3:52:52 PM

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NEWS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | NOVEMBER 6, 2022

Default threatens owners’ hold on Bell Bank Park BY SCOTT SHUMAKER Staff Writer

The organization that built the $280 million, 320-acre youth and amateur sports complex known as Bell Bank Park in southeast Mesa is in default of its loan that covered the project. A formal notice issued Oct. 18 by bond trustee OMB Bank to investors states that Legacy has missed monthly payments on interest and principal, failed to submit audits and financial statements, and has unpaid construction company liens on the property. Over the summer, at least 10 subcontractors that worked on the project filed liens totaling millions of dollars against the property owner for non-payment for services, according to the Maricopa County Recorder’s Office. Legacy Cares doesn’t own the land, but leases it from Pacific Proving LLC, a joint venture between William Levine and Arturo Moreno, owner of the Los Angeles Angels MLB baseball team. Levine and Moreno were partners in the billboard company Outdoor Systems, which they sold to Infinity Broadcasting for $8.7 billion in 1999. Pacific Proving purchased 1,800 acres of the General Motors testing facility, which has provided land for Mesa’s tremendous expansion in the southeast. Liens make the 320-acre property difficult to sell or mortgage, and one of the terms of Legacy’s lease with Pacific

Hopes were high among investors and some East Valley officials when ground was broken for Bell Bank Park, now the focus of a widening financial and legal mess. (SanTan Sun file photo)

Proving is that no liens be allowed on the property for more than 20 days – a time frame that has long passed. Executives for Legacy Cares told the Tribune on Sept. 14 there was no danger of the facility defaulting on its loans, saying, “We’re right on track in the fall and winter heading into a position where we don’t anticipate having any shortfalls whatsoever.” On Oct. 4, though, the trustee informed Legacy that conditions exist for a “default,” including the failure to make its monthly loan payments. After

managers for the sports complex failed to resolve the conditions, the trustee issued the notification and called a meeting of bondholders for Oct. 25. Stephen Griffin, a whistleblower in Rhode Island who is a former executive and investor in a failed youth sports company in Boston, has been predicting trouble for Bell Bank Park since September. Griffin, an accountant for major firms before becoming an investor, doesn’t think the Mesa project is capable of generating the revenue needed to cov-

er its current obligations. He said the revenue potential and economic benefits of destination sports facilities like Bell Bank Park have been over-hyped to communities across the country. That’s also been true in the East Valley, where Mesa and Queen Creek officials have been especially enthusiastic about the park and its future potential as a magnet for visitors to their municipalities. Although some GilSee

BELL on page26

BELL

NEWS

from page 25

bert officials were concerned about the park’s impact on the town’s Cactus Park sports venue, they too took a broader favorable view of its tourist potential. Griffin pointed out that a similar sports complex in Indiana, the 400-acre Grand Park, was recently appraised for just $85 million. Griffin said in his experience the youth sports market is “a mom and pop industry” that’s “impossible to do at scale.” “The destination youth sports complex concept is a bubble,” he said. He said when he heard about the project and looked into it, he was surprised Bell Bank Park was financed with municipal bonds, and he thought the 7.5% interest rates offered were “really high for bonds.” It all seemed too good to be true. Having read the loan documents “five times,” Griffin believes there are omissions and distortions in Legacy Cares’ sales pitch “meant to excite bondholders.” Griffin said he is providing information to the Securities and Exchange

t? o G ws Ne

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | NOVEMBER 6, 2022

Commission about Legacy Cares. He shared an email exchange with the Tribune showing communication with Rebecca Olsen, deputy chief of the SEC’s Public Finance Abuse Unit. A spokesman for the SEC said the agency “does not comment on the existence or nonexistence of a possible investigation.” Griffin said the notice of default and bondholder meeting could likely be the start of “a very complicated, messy, litigious situation for the next 12 months.” He said that a possible next step in the default process is bondholders could hire an outside consultant to manage the facility. If the principals of Legacy Cares and Legacy Sports, the for-profit group that manages the facility, resisted giving up control, it could unleash a “hornets’ nest of lawyers and litigation.” Legacy Cares did not respond to a request for comment before press time, but the organization may be seeking a way out by refunding the bonds, or finding new investors who will put up the capital to cover the current bonds and loan to Legacy under new terms. On Oct. 5, Legacy notified bondholders of a potential “refunding and defea-

sance of all or a portion of the Bonds by defeasance, redemption, open market purchase and/or exchange.” Griffin said it might be difficult to find new investors, saying that in addition to possible concerns about revenue potential of the project, the investors would be on the hook for paying the interest through at least 2027, increasing the cost of taking over the debt. There are also millions in contractors’ liens on the property that have to be taken care of before proceeding. Most of the contractors that filed liens with the county this summer are based in Phoenix or other Valley cities, and most of the lien amounts are in the high six figures, several over $1 million. For example, Kearney Electric in Phoenix filed a lien for $1 million on July 21 and Siteworks Landscape Development filed a lien for $826,000 on the same day. As its troubles have mounted, Legacy Cares has also gotten pushback from athletes and their families. Under pressure from its bondholders to maximize revenue, the facility has started collecting parking fees Friday through Sunday. It also enforces prohibitions on outside food and beverages,

except water. Some visitors to Bell Bank Park have complained in online reviews about having to pay for parking and admission to see their children play in addition to tournament fees, as well as paying for food and beverage in the venue. One sentiment is that visitors are being “nickeled and dimed” and not getting a return on value for the fees. Bell Bank Park has a two-star rating out of five on review website Yelp. The rating is 3.4 on Google, but several recent viewers have savaged the facility for the fees. “They charge $5 per vehicle per day to park in their dirt lot,” one poster wrote. “This place is at the ends of the earth in Mesa, why is there a charge to park?” Whatever the outcome of Legacy Cares’ default and upcoming bondholders’ meeting, a statement Griffin posted in early September to kick off his whistleblowing campaign is resonating today. “Whoever said municipal bonds are boring has never been to Mesa, Arizona. Stay tuned – this story is incredible,” he wrote.

Contact Paul C P l Maryniak M y i k at 480-898-5647 480 898 5647 or pmaryniak@TimesLocalMedia.com ppmaryniak@timespublications pmaryniak@timespublications.com y i k@ i p bli i com

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NEWS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | NOVEMBER 6, 2022

EV ghost hunters on spirited chases BY JOSH ORTEGA Staff Writer

If you hear or see something strange in your neighborhood, who you gonna call? East Valley Paranormal! Paranormal investigators Michelle Vincent and Heather Rhyneer founded East Valley Paranormal after a chance meeting at a local events committee. Despite a lifetime of occurrences with the occult, the ladies said even they don’t believe some of the menacing moments they’ve experienced. “We are skeptics, honestly,” said Vincent, a graphic designer. “Because if I’m not shown something, I’m not going to believe it.” Ryneer, a dance instructor and choreographer, said that skepticism drives them to investigate every possibility for something that goes bump in the night. “We love to try to debunk things,” Rhyneer said. “When someone tells us a story, we’re like let’s get in here and try to figure it out.” Vincent said her first ghost experience happened at age 5 during a funeral – when she spoke to the man the ceremony was for. “I really had no idea that I wasn’t talking to an actual person,” Vincent said.

Heather Rhyneer, left, and Michelle Vincent formed East Valley Paranormal not long after meeting at an event at Mesa Artspace Lofts in downtown Mesa, where they eventually investigated some ghostly occurrences. (David Minton/Staff Photographer)

Rhyneer said her first experience happened at her grandmother’s farmhouse in Missouri. Against her grandmother’s orders, Rhyneer said she ventured to the second floor of the house and opened a door to find a larger-than-possible room full of nurses and men in bandages lying in beds. “They were all walking past me like if I wasn’t there,” Rhyneer said. “And I felt like I was in a different time

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period.” In 2018, the women met working on an event committee at Mesa Artspace Lofts in downtown Mesa. Vincent said decorating in the artist-residences’ main gallery had led to numerous ghostly occurrences, such as lights flickering in an empty utility room and a balloon she had to bat away for more than 15 minutes. “There was a lady sitting [nearby] and her mouth was just on the floor

hanging open,” Vincent recalled. One of their first official investigations came from the gallery’s utility closet. Vincent said they use” open-line investigations” that involve leaving an iPhone in the room with a recording device and walking a good distance away to listen to what happens on another iPhone. After a long night of listening to “weird” sounds interrupting the static, Vincent said they returned to the utility closet “completely trashed” with chairs, tables and broom handles so strewn about that they had to crawl across the floor to retrieve their recording equipment in the far corner. “That whole night was pretty scary,” Vincent said. Rhyneer said they learned many lessons that night that have shaped their investigations ever since, one of the most important being to use a video recorder. “For that to be our first one, I think that was a good wake-up call on how we need to move forward in other investigations,” Rhyneer said. Over the last four years, East Valley Paranormal has investigated dozens of historical places – such as The Nile Theater, Mesa Historical Museum – as See

PARANORMAL on page28

NEWS

PARANORMAL

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | NOVEMBER 6, 2022

from page 27

well as dozens of private residences across the state. Vincent said homes become a special priority if children become involved, such as when they collected a set of “creepy” stuffed animals because “they were bothering the child.” “If there are children involved, we go right away,” Vincent said. The equipment they use on investigations include and electromagnetic field reader, a “spirit box” that uses radio frequency white noise to hear spirits and motion detectors that light up when ghosts pass it. Vincent said real-life ghost hunting consists of “a lot of dirty, smelly, nothing happening.” The ladies said they spend hours listening to their equipment emit white noise – which can become almost too boring only to have a brief encounter. “It’ll amp up and then you might get a really great 15 minutes out of a threehour investigation,” Rhyneer said. From lights flickering at Terror Trader collectibles store in Chandler to strange shadow figures in Guild of the Vale in Mesa, Vincent said some of their experiences can get to her sometimes. That’s all part of a lifetime of paranormal experiences, she said. “When you grow up and you’re used to these things, you think everyone is used to these things, so

Heather Rhyneer and Michelle Vincent of East Valley Paranormal say that this ordinary storage closet at the Mesa Artspace Lofts is a hotspot of paranormal activity, with lights that have a mind of their own and vibes that give some people odd feelings. (David Minton/

Staff Photographer)

it becomes normal for you,” Vincent said. “I just found a best friend who it’s normal for her to thank goodness because it’s very strange.” Vincent said their investigations are as much about the apparitions and poltergeists as they are about the history of each location that they learn.

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“One of the things that has always gotten me about visiting a location is that people not knowing the history of what was there,” Vincent said. “This is the stuff we learned about in our history classes for Arizona history.” Now, East Valley Paranormal has expanded beyond investigations into other ventures, including a ghost tour through downtown Mesa. The Rydables Downtown Mesa Ghost Tour is a 90-minute tour that spans about four blocks and covers all the paranormal hot spots around Main Street. Rhyneer said they play a lot of the audio and video evidence on the tour that helps people learn historical facts and stories that many don’t know about – such as the tunnel system that’s under downtown Mesa. Participants can “hear actual testimonials from local shop owners the residents who have experienced the paranormal,” Rydables says on its website. The Rydables tour costs $69 for people 12 and older and $39 for kids. Each Rydables cart can hold up to 400 pounds but the women limit each cart to one

adult and one child 11 years or younger. Rhyneer said Rydables approached East Valley Paranormal about a downtown Mesa ghost tour and asked if they wanted to collaborate with them. “They reached out to us after talking to some of the people who work and own businesses in downtown Mesa that brought up our name to them,” Rhyneer said. Eventually, the women plan to open a coffee shop as their home base, but can’t say any more about the location except “it’s one of the most haunted buildings on Main.” For now, Rhyneer said they’ll continue to investigate the supernatural because she has a quest to answer the why behind each ghostly occurrence. “We always walk away from an investigation and I’m always a little bit more confused,” Rhyneer said. “I want to solve it. I want to know what happens.” To learn more Rydables Downtown Mesa Ghost Tour: rydables.com/ghost-tours. East Valley Paranormal: East Valley EVPinvestigates.com.

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | NOVEMBER 6, 2022

Marc Broussard brings the blues to Chandler BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Staff Writer

“Bayou Soul” singer-songwriter Marc Broussard recently explored the Grand Canyon State. As he and his family left, he got emotional. He’s thrilled to be back in Arizona to play the Chandler Center for the Arts on Saturday, Nov. 12. “My wife and kids and I passed through the area about two or three months ago,” Broussard said. “I cried when we left, to be honest with you. We went to Slide Rock for a day and then Sedona at a beautiful resort there. I didn’t want to leave.” Broussard is previewing new material from a forthcoming EP during this jaunt. The first single, “Fire,” is out and he’s expected to release a second track soon. “Fire” is Broussard’s love song to his wife, and he has a salacious tale about it. “To be honest with you, my wife just gets hotter and hotter,” he said. “I cry thinking about. She’s so hot that she gets me going in every way conceivable. I wanted to write a song that really summed that up. “I had been chasing that vibe for quite a long time, a number of years. I never really got there until I heard the track for ‘Fire’ and I immediately jumped into action. I have this little home studio and I got as high as I possi-

bly could and dove right in.” The new collection comes on the heels of his 2019 release, “A Lullaby Collection,” and serves as a bridge to a new studio album produced by blues legend Joe Bonamassa to be released in early 2023 “It’ll be my first foray into the blues,” Broussard said about the album. “It’s part of an album series I use to raise money for charitable organizations. I called up Joe and said, ‘Take me to school on the blues.’ He jumped at the chance, and he ended up producing the album for me. “It was going so well that we had to establish some rules because we were going too fast. We threatened to burn through the entire thing in two days. We had to slow everything down and enjoy each other’s company more. He’s a doll of a human being, a very, very gifted individual and extremely humble.” The two used Bonamassa’s band and tracked the songs at Sunset Sound in Hollywood. “It was just so much damn fun,” he said. “There’s something about the blues that’s very in my wheelhouse in a lot of ways. Some of these tunes fell right out of my mouth onto the microphone and onto the tape. “It was really, really a natural fit for Joe and I to get together on this thing. His band is a world-class band. They

knocked it out of the park.” The son of Louisiana Hall of Fame guitarist Ted Broussard of The Boogie Kings, Broussard nurtured his musical gifts at an early age, and the vibrant Lafayette, Louisiana, music scene allowed him to practice his craft consistently from childhood through early adulthood. After releasing a successful independent EP at age 20, Broussard made his major-label debut with “Carencro.” The album featured the hit “Home” and sent him into the national spotlight. Broussard released multiple albums with major labels over the next 10 years but has recently returned to his independent roots, having released several acclaimed original and charitable cover albums via his SOS Foundation (Save our Soul). The beneficiary of the new album is still tentative. Broussard said he is vetting an organization that advocates for post-incarceration work. He longs to educate businesses about the benefits of hiring ex-cons. “That may sound crazy to most people,” he said. “The state of Louisiana has billions of dollars for vocational training and it’s going to waste. These guys are getting the training and not getting hired. We’re looking to make those connections to the business community.” After all, everyone deserves a second

chance, he adds. “They ‘served their time’ and paid their debt to society,” he adds. “If you have the kind of life that requires sitting behind bars for a decade or more, they’re probably the kind of person who could hold down a job and be grateful for the opportunity. They are indeed good people, just caught up in a wrong spot.” Broussard is looking forward to bringing his views and music to the Chandler Center for the Arts. “I’m negotiating with a team of jugglers. They juggle knives and chainsaws,” he said with a hearty laugh. “Seriously, we like to have a good time. We like to make sure people have an opportunity to dance. That’s what can be expected. Bring your freaking dancing shoes. We’re going to try our best to burn up the dance floor. It’s an old school, wholesome kind of a party with some making out in the back row. That’s about it. It’s a G-rated party. I don’t want drunk creepy guys feelin’ up the gals.”

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When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 12 Where: Chandler Center for the Arts, 250 N. Arizona Ave., Chandler Cost: Tickets start at $32 Info: chandlercenter.org

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | NOVEMBER 6, 2022

For more community news visit SanTanSun.com

Optometrist eyes bright future in Chandler BY JOSH ORTEGA Staff Writer

Perhaps God’s vision helped Dr. Anh Tieu to found her optometry office. Tieu owns Agape Eye Care, 2055 W. Frye Road, Chandler, choosing the biblical word for unconditional love as its namesake. Tieu said it perfectly also describes her values and her story, explaining it is “the only kind of love that is not attached to human emotion, and it was my story.” Her family came to the United States from Vietnam, which was where her great grandparents settled when they migrated from China. Tieu, whose family arrived in America when she was about 2, she grew up in Orange County, California. In 1995, she graduated as valedictorian from Artesia High School in Lakewood, California, where she won a science award that earned her two scholarships from Bausch and Lomb eye health company and the University of Rochester. The first in her family to go to college, Tieu completed her undergrad work at the University of Rochester in

Dr. Anh Tieu recently opened Agape Eye Care optometry clinic at 2055 W. Frye Road, Chandler. (Special to SanTan Sun News)

Rochester, New York, and graduated from the Southern California College of Optometry in Yorba Linda, California, in 1999. She obtained several internships, including one at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Santa Barbara,

California. An internship on the Gila River Indian Reservation in Sacaton brought her to Arizona and changed her life forever. At age 25, Tieu said she started to open her eyes to the Christian faith and still remembers purchasing her first

Bible at the Barnes and Noble in the Chandler Fashion Center. Tieu said it wasn’t one person but a series of events in her life that introduced to her faith, and she said it has grown ever since. “The Lord started showing me signs and almost like almost a cue,” Tieu said. “I saw there was signs of God everywhere I went.” Tieu moved to Arizona in 2004 and floated around several positions for some time before she focused on one place. In 2006, she opened Market Street Optometry inside a Costco in Gilbert and built a large practice for 16 years. “I put all my heart into it,” Tieu said. “And I’ve had so many patients that have followed me through the years that we see each other like family.” But in February, Tieu said she suddenly received a 30-day notice to vacate the location. “Unfortunately, something happened and I wasn’t welcomed there anymore now,” Tieu said. “They didn’t give me a reason why.” See

AGAPE on page32

‘Plant Lady’ helps people grow a green thumb BY JOSH ORTEGA Staff Writer

Noelle Johnson didn’t set out to do any of this but the fruits of her labor have really paid off. Over the last 20 years, the Chandler woman has watched Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting blossom. With her first book set to hit store shelves early next year, Johnson said it all started with her own gardening faux pas. “In fact, all the plants I added when I had my first garden – they all died,” Johnson said. “And so that’s what kind of inspired me to go back to school.” Johnson said that inspired her to go back to school and earn her bachelor’s degree in horticulture from Arizona State University in 1998. Starting her career in January 1999 as a horticulturist, Johnson said her first jobs at Eagle Mountain Golf Club and Rio Verde Country Club became like “a playground to learn.” Though she worked on everything but the grass, Johnson said residents still admired her work and asked for her help with their own gardens. “I didn’t set out to do this,” Johnson said. “I was just hired because of people knowing the work I did around the golf course.” After losing her job as a horticulturist in the Great Recession, Johnson started a blog in 2009 because “that’s what

Noelle Johnson’s first garden died, and that put her on a path that led to her becoming known as AZ Plant Lady. (Special to SanTan Sun News)

everybody was doing.” “I saw a need for showing people how to garden the right way in the desert,” she explained. “Because we’re different from all other parts of the country.” Johnson said her interest in landscape consulting came from the amount of misinformation and gardening advice out there that doesn’t apply to Arizona’s climate. “There’s a lot of misleading information out there,” Johnson said. “And the

typical gardening rules that apply to other parts of the country don’t really apply here.” Over the last 36 years of living in the desert, Johnson said she has come across many misconceptions about growing a beautiful garden in the desert. One of those fallacies is that the dry landscape means there is a lack of beautiful flora to build out a desert garden.

“There’s a lot more variety in the types of plants available to us that will thrive in our hot, dry climate,” Johnson said. Before the City of Mesa enacted the Stage One Water Shortage awareness in May, Johnson said she had already seen a dramatic shift in many people’s efforts to reduce their water usage. Along with not wasting time and money, Johnson said drought-tolerant plants also don’t waste on looks. “There is this myth that landscape lower water-use plants are ugly,” Johnson said. “Nothing could be further from the truth.” Johnson said one of the best resources to find gorgeous low water-use plants are local plant nurseries. Like most of her gardening advice, Johnson said she looks to dispel some other common misconceptions, including that what may work in other parts of the country may not work here in Arizona. “If you read a plant label and it says full sun, it doesn’t mean it can handle full sun in the desert necessarily,” Johnson said. For that reason, Johnson said every fall brings an onslaught for her consulting business because cooler temperatures help create ripe conditions for See

‘PLANT LADY’ on page33

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | NOVEMBER 6, 2022

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BUSINESS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | NOVEMBER 6, 2022

Filipino couple serve family favorites in Chandler BY MELODY BIRKETT Contributor

At My Place Cafe is a family affair, both in terms of its ownership and its offerings. Liza Obregon and her husband Carlito opened the restaurant six years ago in Mesa and moved it last December to Chandler. And throughout that time, they have been serving up family favorites that reflect the flavors of their native Philippines The couple met while working at Intel in their the Philippines and when Carlito decided to move to the United States in 1985, Liz recalled how she felt: “When he told me about his plans, I said, ‘You’re not coming back, I’m sure,’” said Liza. Turns out she was wrong – kind of. He came back for a visit but had America on his mind. “He asked my mom, ‘What do you think Liza would do when she gets to America?’ My mom said, ‘Liza is a hardworking lady. She loves to eat. She likes to cook.’…My mom told my husband for sure that I’ll want a restaurant. He fulfilled that dream and sent me to culinary school while I was still working.” Since she was 5, Liza had helped her mom in the kitchen. “My mom was a very good cook,” she said. “Same with my aunt and my grandmother. So, it’s on my mom’s side.” It wasn’t until 1998 that Liza moved to the U.S. to join her husband because she was her parents’ caregiver. “I’m the oldest among the siblings so I had to take care of them,” said Liza, who credits the late Sen. John McCain for expediting the paperwork once she was ready to make the move. After moving to Arizona, Liza first worked at Sears while her husband worked at Motorola and NXB. Liza attended culinary school in Scottsdale from 2004-06, finally able to begin the career she had long wanted.. Most of the recipes Liza uses are her mom’s, though she modifies them a bit. “Like the pork sisig – it’s supposed to be the face including the ear, the nose, the chin of the pig. I don’t do it that

AGAPE

from page 30

Although she holds no animosity against the company now, Tieu said she felt so heartbroken that it felt like a divorce. Over the course of five months, Tieu said she began frantically looking for a new location. “Before work, during lunch, after work, I would go and see these locations out,” Tieu said. “But amazingly, I found my location here.” Three week after she left her previous location, Tieu said she had several people helping her find a new location and one struck pay dirt. Unfortunately, Tieu said she had a previous appointment that day but

Kare kare consists of oxtail, Asian vegetables like bok choy, eggplant, beans and banana blossom. (Special to SanTan Sun News)

way because I’m sure it’d be too fatty because of the skin. Here in America, they’re very particular about healthy food. “I’ve thought about making it with pork belly. Instead. I bake the pork belly. I put it in a walk-in all night and then the next day it’s defried and chopped,” she said, adding it’s one of the more popular menu items. Another customer favorite is the karekare. “It consists of oxtail, Asian vegetables like bok choy, eggplant, beans and banana blossom,” explained Liza. “If Americans eat it, they always get surprised by the banana blossom. If you see the banana before it becomes a fruit, there’s a blossom first. The dish is made with peanut sauce. If you love peanut butter, you’re going to like that.” What distinguishes Filipino from Chinese and Japanese cuisine is the sauces according to Liza. “We have salty. We have sour. Our soup – we call it our comfort food. We call it sinigang. Sinigang is a tamarind base, hot soup. It’s sour.” Beef, pork and chicken dishes can be found on the menu. “We have the bistek and the caldereta which is beef,” Liza said. “We

have the Bicol Express made with pork. These dishes come from all different kinds of provinces in the Philippines. ..Bicol itself is the name of the province. It’s salty with coconut milk and we put different kinds of pepper so it’s spicy.” Liza said she can adjust the spice level based on the customer’s wants. Menu items are fresh and made to order. Breakfast is served all day and includes garden fried rice and fried eggs. Protein can be added such as marinated beef tenderloin. No brown rice is served. “We will upgrade from white rice to garlic fried rice,” added Liza. “Rice with garlic is served with every meal but no veggies are added to the fried rice as you’ll find at some Asian restaurants.” Among the more unique dishes is the bistek tagalog. “There’s lemon in there, a lot of onions. We sauté the onions, caramelize them, and we put them on top of the steak. And it’s made

from soy sauce, lemon and pepper only. That’s it. And you have to tenderize it with that flavor. The lemony flavor should be balanced with the saltiness.” Liza recommends patrons try everything. “We make our food with love,” Liza explained. “Try our food and you won’t regret it. Most of my customers – new or old – will say it’s consistently done well.” The couple is just happy they made it through the pandemic, crediting their faith in God. “ I give everything to Him every day,” said Liza

the friend insisted on showing her the location at 11 a.m., despite not having an address yet. After her appointment, Tieu said she had received an address for the potential location and inputted it to her GPS. “So, I luckily got out at 10:40 a.m. and input it into my GPS,” Tieu said. “And then it said to go straight and turn right, and I said, ‘What?’” The location was across the street from her appointment. Tieu said she fell in love with the location, which previously had been a physical therapist’s office. Despite supply chain issues and contractor cancellations, Tieu built her new home with the help of her faith. “It’s a miracle to me,” Tieu said, who believes she withstood the disappoint-

ments of finding a new shop because “I chose love instead of anger or hate or resentment.” Though she had testimonies from her patients about her great work at her previous location, Tieu said it feels like fate goaded her out of her comfort zone to something greater. “It almost gives me a push to do something better that I didn’t realize that I could do,” Tieu said. Though currently with a staff of about five employees and two parttime doctors, Tieu hopes to expand to offer full-time services. About two-thirds of her customers have stuck by her for more than 10 years. Tieu said she’s enjoyed serving them and watching their kids grow up.

Tieu said the biggest struggle is getting the word out about her new location to a large customer base that she considers family, but looks forward to serving them in her new location. “My heart is always to serve. And I wanat to give the best of what I know that in my capacity to give my patients,” Tieu said. “I want you to be able to serve them and provide them that and just know that it’s always from the heart first.”

Liza Obregon and her husband Carlito, both from the Philippines, moved their At My Place Café from Mesa to Chandler last December. (Special to SanTan Sun News)

If you go

At My Place Café 3450 W. Chandler Blvd. suite #9, Chandler 480-838-1008 orderatmyplacecafe.com

Agape Eye Care

What: Open House When: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Nov. 12 Where: 2055 West Frye Road, Suite 2, Chandler. Info: agapeeyecare.com

BUSINESS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | NOVEMBER 6, 2022

Scares a draw at Chandler bakery year-round BY KEN SAIN Managing Editor

Forget Halloween. Business is going so well for Spooky’s Swirls that the owners have to close their Chandler bakery for four days just just to prepare for the three days they are open any time of the year. “Have you ever been to a place like that?” asked chef and co-owner Lola Forbes. “We work four times longer than we’re open, and somehow it still works.” In addition to a gluten-free bakery, Spooky’s Swirls is also home to a museum filled with props from well-known horror films. “This theme came about a couple of different ways,” said Chris Szydlowski, who is also a chef and co-owner. “We had been food trucking for a while, and we wanted to open up a brickand-mortar bakery. I have also been collecting props for about 25 years now. “We had a couple of other owners who are prop collectors, who wanted their own museum. I said, we want our own bakery. So we decided to combine the two.” The combination of tricks and treats worked. And yes, they do see an uptick in business just before Halloween. “We didn’t know how it was gonna work out,” Szydlowski said. “But, you know, we’d like throw it at the wall and see what sticks. And we not only were embraced by the horror community, but especially the gluten free community.”

‘PLANT LADY’

Lola Forbes is chef and co-owner of Spooky’s Swirls in Chandler, where in one way or another, it’s Halloween all the time. (David Minton/ Staff Photographer)

from page 30

gardening. “But that way it gives plants three full seasons in which to establish a good root system so that it can handle the heat and stress of the coming summer,” Johnson said. In 2019, Johnson said she saw such an increase in customers, she decided

She said that may be the ultimate key to their success. Szydlowski said there was a need for a gluten-free bakery offering desserts in Chandler and they filled it. The highlight of the museum before Halloween was the original Sam costume from the film, “Trick R Treat.”

That, however, has been replaced now that the holiday has passed. One of the fan favorites, Szydlowski said, is their collection of the wardrobe from the 1988 classic “Beetlejuice,” which are screen matched (the top of the line for collectors). But there are plenty of other scares

in the collection, including a ghost from “Ghostbusters,” Freddy Krueger’s face from “A Nightmare on Elm Street,” and half of the “Swamp Thing.” Parts of the collection are swapped out and replaced by other items. And

to start an online class, called “Desert Gardening 101,” on her website. In the three years since starting the class, Johnson said she’s had nearly 1,000 people go through the course. Her biggest tool since starting has come from social media, where she’s known as “AZ Plant Lady.” Johnson said she constantly posts on her website and social media because she enjoys showing people what’s pos-

sible for people to grow in the desert landscape they live in. “It’s so fun to dispel the myth that the only thing that you can have in a desert garden is cactus and rocks,” Johnson said. “It’s so rewarding to show people, and very easy to do with pictures.” Along with her other outreach efforts across the East Valley including for the City of Mesa, Johnson said

there’s a heap of resources for people interested in desert landscape for their own yards. That includes her book “Dry Climate Gardening: Growing beautiful, sustainable gardens in low-water conditions” debuts on February 7, 2023 on Amazon, but is currently available for pre-order for $28.99. Information: azplantlady.com, amwua.org/plants.

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BUSINESS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | NOVEMBER 6, 2022

Strategies for combatting the impact of inﬂation data from Edmunds, for new vehicles the average auto loan is 70.4 months and the monthly payments exceed $700/month. Example: In 2006, I bought a used, 8-year-old 1998 Lexus ES 300 vehicle. I paid $8,500 which was ¼ of what the original owner paid for the car when new. It had 85,000 miles on it and I now have over 272,000 miles. Yes, I’ve had to do normal maintenance and, original parts of the car such as the front end and all shock absorbers have had to be replaced. The cost of insurance and annual AZ vehicle registration is way less than half of what it would be for a new car. Suppose I had an average $50-a-month car loan because I bought a new car every six years. The total payments over the last 16 years would have been $96,000. This is the 3rd car I’ve owned that has gone over 200,000 miles. Rent out part of your house via Airbnb, Vrbo, or a normal lease. I have one client, a nurse practitioner, who rents out part of her house for $1,500 a month on a one-year lease. Another client, a psychologist who

BY HAROLD WONG Guest Writer

In 2022, the US inflation rate hit the highest since 1981. According to recent U.S. Labor Department data, the annual inflation rate was 8.2% for the 12 months ending in September, 2022, after rising 8.3% the previous month. Some reports indicate that 60-70% of American families are living paycheck to paycheck. Many surveys show that inflation and the economy are the most important issue to voters before the midterm elections. So, what are potential strategies that you can use to fight how inflation affects your family? Buy a used car instead of a new car. For most car models, there is tremendous depreciation in value during the first 5 years. People have no idea how much a new car costs. The inflation of the last two years has raised the price of both new and used cars to record levels. According to new

works with veterans, spent $100,000 to build a casita by the pool at his house. He expects to receive $30,000+ a year in annual rent. Check with your city and HOA first to find out if there are any restrictions on short-term rentals. Green energy equipment strategies. Especially with the new Inflation Reduction Act, which has allocated at least $370 billion of grants and loans for green energy technology, there are opportunities. In one solar equipment leasing strategy, the client saves half of his investment amount in taxes. There is nothing more powerful in the tax code than a 30% solar tax credit and the ability to deduct 85% of the cost of equipment through either Section 179 or 100% “bonus” depreciation. For many upper-middle-income families, income taxes are the single biggest expense item, even exceeding housing costs. Increase the income from your investments. The average dividend yield from S&P 500 companies from January 1, 2000 through December 31, 2021, has

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The Horror and SciFi Prop Preservation Association Museum is located inside Spooky’s Swirls Gluten Free Bakery in Chandler and features a number of props actually used in horror movies. (David Minton/Staff Photographer)

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the desserts also change. “Right now the movies that are featured in the bakery are “Halloween Ends,” “Trick R Treat,” Forbes said. “We just finished a big round with “Hocus Pocus” and ghostface is always … you know the “Scream” killer is always super popular.” Szydlowski said they opened the bakery in 2019 and that most of the collection in the museum is hers. She said horror films are so popular because people want that escape. “It gives people an opportunity to see all this terribleness and kind of be able to be a voyeur perhaps,” Szydlowski said. “That psychologically, I think it helps a lot of people. “I think embracing it was a way for me to handle psychologically, maybe to deal with some of my personal demons.”

averaged 2.02%. One has the risk of having to own the stock in order to receive the dividend. Until the spike in interest rates during the past year, 2% was what one received from buying a 10-year or 30-year US Treasury Bond. There are equipment leasing, real estate investment, and private pension strategies that can generate a 7-10% annual yield, with less risk than the stock market. However, because few have invested in assets other than Wall Street stocks, bonds, and mutual funds, there is a time period required to get educated and feel comfortable. Always research any investment carefully. To schedule a free consultation on taxes or retirement planning, contact Dr. Harold Wong at 480-706-0177 or harold_wong@hotmail.com. His websites are drharoldwong.com or solarbusinessinvestments.com. Dr. Wong earned his Ph.D. in economics at University of California/Berkeley.

They sell so many treats on weekends that they’ve been known to run out of some of their products on Saturdays. They no longer take custom orders. “It’s just her and I,” Szydlowski said. Forbes was featured on the Food Network during Season 8 of its Halloween Baking Championships. That season is currently airing so the final result is not known. “Even if you’re crazy and you’re not in the mood for a chocolate chip cookie, you’re still going to have a good time when you come in here,” Forbes said.

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For more community news visit SanTanSun.com

NFL ties a catalyst for Chandler football’s success BY ZACH ALVIRA Sports Editor

Ties to the National Football League run deep in the Chandler High School football program. Several former players have gone on to play at the game’s highest level, including recent Super Bowl Champion Bryce Perkins, potential star defensive end Cam Jordan and newcomers N’Keal Harry and Chase Lucas, among others. Many of those former players often come back to Chandler when in college and praise coaches for preparing them to play at a high level. Not only does that come from years of experience from head coach Rick Garretson, coordinator Collin Bottrill and longtime running backs coach Eric Richardson, but the assistants they have around them, some of them former NFL players. “For me, growing up, I didn’t really know a lot of NFL guys,” Chandler passing game coordinator Chad Carpenter said. “You’ve got guys in here that have been there. Our players can look at these guys and see that it isn’t just about talent. It’s about hard work and putting the time in.” Carpenter is one of four former NFL players on Chandler’s coaching staff. He was drafted in the fifth round of the 1997 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals where he played three years as a

From left: Chandler juniors Dylan Raiola and Kennedy Urlacher have benefited their entire lives being around NFL players. Now, they are being coached by them, too. Chad Carpenter, Dominic Raiola, Leonard Davis and Kelvin Ingram, who are all former NFL players, have helped Chandler’s rise to national prominence. (Dave Minton/Arizonan Staff)

wideout and one in Cleveland for the Browns before wrapping up his career. He had stops at other local high schools in the East Valley before making his way to Chandler under former head coach Shaun Aguano, who is now the interim at Arizona State. Carpenter has been part of Chandler football’s growth into a national power. He’s done it alongside other former

professional players, including offensive line coach Leonard Davis. “We take pride in what we do,” Davis said. “Just to be able to share something, share our life’s experience, game experience with the kids and then see them go out and do the job, you smile. When they don’t do it right, we coach them hard, but we still love ‘em.” Davis was the No. 2 overall pick by

the Cardinals in the 2001 draft. He spent six seasons in Arizona before playing four with the Cowboys where he was named to the Pro Bowl three times. He also played for the Lions and 49ers. While in Detroit, he played alongside Dominic Raiola, a longtime center for the Lions who is now a coach alongside Davis for Chandler’s offensive line. The two have brought a different dynamic to the Chandler front. The big men that make up the line have no choice but to be physical daily going up against one of the best defensive fronts in the state. “We get to block one of the top defensive tackles in the country every day,” Raiola said. “It’s a great measuring stick for them. We also have to block the rest of the defense. I take great pride in saying that we practice against those guys. “You wanna talk about battling in the trenches, they compete early in the week.” The battles between Chandler’s first-team offense and defense can get intense at times. Major recruits on both sides of the ball bring out the best in every player. It’s the type of competition found in college and the NFL. Sometimes, it involves chatter beSee

NFL on page37

Veterans apply experience, discipline to coaching here BY ZACH ALVIRA Sports Editor

Veteran’s Day has a different meaning for everyone who has served in the military. Some use it to reflect on those who enlisted before them, who gave them the opportunity to choose their path to fight for the country. Some honor those who they fought or trained alongside. Others begin to think about those who will serve after them. It’s a special holiday honoring the men and women in uniform. And it becomes more special when veterans are able to share it with high school-aged kids they now coach. “I really think about the history,” said Justin Artis, a trainer with the Arizona National Guard and football coach at Hamilton High School. “When I first got in, we were at the tail end of Iraq. The stories I heard, they were horrific. “When I think about Veteran’s Day, I think about the sacrifices of the people that came before me, all the people I’ve trained. I think more about them.” Artis has worked for the Arizona National Guard for 14 years now. The former standout All-State defensive end played for Hamilton from 2004-08 before going on to continue

his career at Adams State University as a linebacker. He transferred back to the Valley and attended Arizona State, but quickly found out he couldn’t afford the tuition. He volunteered with the Army as a military police officer and then enlisted in the National Guard with the intent of going on to continue playing football. However, that never happened. He began coaching shortly after he began working for the Guard. He eventually found his way back to Hamilton where he now serves as the head junior varsity coach and offensive quality control coach at the varsity level under head coach Mike Zdebski. He cherishes the opportunity to coach at his alma mater, even with a difficult schedule at times based on trainings with the National Guard. But he approaches coaching with the same mindset as his full-time job, with discipline and building character at the forefront, even while his approach is different. “One of the first things I really noticed, organizationally, was being able to be in charge of a large amount of young soldiers. It’s the same as being in charge of young men,” Artis said. “It’s little things like putting a bus schedule together and who is going to sit with who. Those things are very similar. “Discipline, it’s a little different. When

Hamilton head junior varsity coach and varsity offensive quality control coach Justin Artis takes pride in his job as a trainer for the Arizona National Guard. He extends some of the discipline he learned and teaches to young soldiers to his team at Hamilton. (Dave Minton/Staff)

you volunteer for the military, you know what you’re going to get. Football, that’s a piece of it but there’s a difference in how you treat a military soldier and a high school football player.” Myron Blueford shares the same values with his players at Arizona College Prep High School less than 4 miles away from Hamilton. Blueford enlisted in the Army in 2002 where he did one term as an Army reserve. After basic training in Virginia, he came back to Fort Huachuca in southern Arizona to finish his term. His family

has a history of military service, and Blueford saw it initially as an opportunity to forego school. He quickly realized the level of discipline it takes to succeed in the military. Simply put, it isn’t for the weak-minded. “They really do test you,” Blueford said. “When I got out and got into coaching, I used that. If you have a strong mind and a strong background, you’re going to be able to be successful. See

VETERANS on page37

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | NOVEMBER 6, 2022

NFL

from page 36

tween coaches. Raiola and Davis are quick to let the defense know when their line has a good rep. Defensive line coach Kelvin Ingram, who spent time with the Saints and Seahawks before he became dominant in arena football, isn’t afraid to fire back. The banter is friendly yet brings out a different level of intensity for both sides of the ball. Overall, it makes the entire team better on and off the field. “It’s a way to keep our competitive juices going with each other,” Ingram said. “We don’t just teach the game of football, we teach the game of life with these guys. That’s one thing I like about

VETERANS

having this group here.” All four coaches know what it takes to be successful. They’ve added on to what Chandler had already started to become before their arrival. Just having the presence of former professional athletes has helped raise the level of expectations from Chandler players. They’re coached hard and have lofty goals they are expected to meet. But more importantly, they are required to hold themselves to a higher level of accountability on and off the field. Just like professionals. “It’s a blessing to have four former NFL players coaching you now,” Dylan said. “You don’t see that very much. I think for us it’s about observing what

they do and do everything you can to do what they did. It’s really just about going to change my life. It would be a fun journey.” Chandler junior safety Kennedy Urlacher had a similar childhood. Growing up as the son of an NFL great in linebacker Brian Urlacher, he recalls the advice given to him by his father throughout his long career with the Chicago Bears. Chandler’s success isn’t a secret. The Wolves have won five out of the last six state championships. Talented players were key to those state title wins, but the coaches around them played a major role, too. This year’s team, however, has taken

from page 36

I use a lot of that in how I coach and how I approach things.” Along with coaching, Blueford has become the go-to person on campus for kids with questions about what they can expect if they were to enlist. He’s had students outside of his football program come to him at times. He’s also had current players question whether it’s a route they should consider for a specific career path. While he enforces that it is their own decision, he explains the pros and cons of what it could do for them as individuals. His goal is to leave them with enough information they can then present to their parents to make a decision that is best for them. “I’m a huge advocate for a lot of different reasons,” Blueford said. “I’m very

Arizona College Prep head coach Myron Blueford, who served one term in the Army, makes sure to always share the significance of Veteran’s Day with his players. To him, it honors those who give him the opportunity to be a head coach. (Dave Minton/Staff)

patriotic but I think what you get out of it, there’s no other environment you’re

going to get that.” ACP in the past has honored veterans

on a new mindset after losing to Saguaro last season in the Open Division state championship. The 2022 season is all about a “reset.” And the Wolves have done that so far. It’s a mindset they have learned from their coaching staff. Players in the NFL are forced to bounce back from adversity on a weekly basis, whether it be a loss, overcoming a deficit or something in their personal lives. Chandler’s players now know how to do the same. “We’re all really lucky to have them,” Urlacher said. “Just watching them and using them as examples has really helped all of us as football players and people.” by wearing special American Flagthemed jerseys. This year, they plan to put special decals on their helmets to go along with the American Flag. They also have a presentation or conversation about his experience or the experience of another veteran he brings in to speak with the team. He wants to make sure his players understand the significance behind the holiday and what it means. “I have a lot of friends that are active and a lot that aren’t here anymore,” Blueford said. “Just like football, you’re in the trenches with these people. The thought that they went out and sacrificed for me to be able to do this and have what I have, I don’t take it for granted. “I make sure anyone I encounter or anyone I have an influence over, they understand that, too.”

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | NOVEMBER 6, 2022

For more community news visit SanTanSun.com

Tarwater teacher gives her $5K prize to her school BY KEN SAIN Managing Editor

Tarwater Elementary School teacher Sophia Limjoco said it didn’t take her long to figure out how she wanted to spend a $5,000 check she had been given. “I knew immediately,” the second-grade teacher said. “I did go home and let my family know. And I said, ‘this is what I’m planning on doing. What do you guys think?’ And they said, ‘it’s your money. We think it’s a great idea.’” The nonprofit Honored had awarded Limjoco the check for $5,000. The group is dedicated to keeping great teachers in the classroom and inspiring a new generation of talent to pursue teaching. Limjoco had been nominated by the mother of one of her former students. There were no restrictions on the money. She could have paid off bills, took a vacation, bought herself and her family something nice. Instead, she decided to give back to the school where she works. “I had a student … I heard you got a lot of money.” Limjoco said. “He said, ‘are you gonna buy a new house?’ I’m not going to buy a house. ‘What are you gonna do with it?’ I said, I’m we’re gonna try and build us an outdoor garden, the one that we’ve been wanting.’” She plans to use the money for an

Tarwater Elementary School second grade teacher Sophia Limjoco won the Honored National Teaching Award and is giving her $5,000 prize back to her school to build an outdoor classroom space. (David Minton/Staff Photographer)

outdoor classroom at the school. When Chandler Unified School District Superintendent Frank Narducci heard of her generosity, he said he would ask the Governing Board to match the offer. Limjoco said the look on that boy’s face after she said she would use the money to improve the school was all the thanks she needed. “His face said it all,” she said. “I’m going to try not to cry, but that is why I teach. It’s not for the grades, yes, that’s important. But it’s that moment, that I think for that child specifically, he’ll remember that.

“You give back. And hopefully, he’s going to remember that someone really cares about his future, you know, not just his parents and not just himself but there are other people who are invested.” The space where Limjoco plans to construct an outdoor classroom is a bit of an eyesore on campus. It had been a habitat for a desert tortoise that parents had built years ago. The tortoise was moved, and the enclosure became neglected. It’s now overrun with weeds. Limjoco asked if she could use it for

planting and composting. She began to introduce those concepts to her students, who were amazed that the tiny seed in her fingers could transform into a large pumpkin. The additional money that the district would contribute has helped other teachers get involved in the project, Limjoco said. “That extra money helped the staff get excited and people that really weren’t interested, now they’re saying, ‘Well, what about this?’ And you know, ‘what I’ve always wanted to do is this.’ And it’s kind of spurred on more collaboration between the staff and outside organizations. And so it’s kind of broadened the participation to support a sustainable garden.” Limjoco said it’s important for students to know where their food and air comes from, so that they can consider the long-term implications of protecting that as they get older. Chandler’s roots as a farming community are deep, but also mostly in the past. Many of today’s students don’t even realize that Tarwater sits on what once was a dairy farm. And they have a lot to learn before they’re ready to plant seeds. “These kids, they’re pulling up weeds and they’re going, ‘what is this brown stuff?’ Limjoco said. “‘That’s dirt, it’s soil for plants to grow.

Chandler entrepreneur goes ‘old school’ with kids BY MELODY BIRKETT Contributor

Fifth-grade students in the Chandler Unified School District are learning the art of public speaking for about 30 days under a pilot program. “In some ways, public speaking is a lost art,” said Instructor “Diva” Danielle Williams, Entrepreneur and owner of Diva Strong Media, LLC, who’s teaching three classes at three schools. “When it comes to the younger generation, speaking is sort of on the back burner because technology has replaced it with emojis, different symbols and text messaging,” Williams said. “There are fewer words. Language has taken on a whole different meaning. And the art of conversation has shifted and it’s no longer an eloquent way we speak.” Chandler Councilwoman Christine Ellis recommended the program to the district. “I believe education is a door that once we open it for boys and girls, we can see their lives transform, whether it’s taking them out of poverty or continuing to grow educationally on their journey of life,” Ellis

said. “Connecting educators with children or students and those in our community willing to help – together is the way to do it.” Williams explained, “Being able to help these children understand the power of their voice, enhance their vocabulary and articulate their thought process into an elegant form of speech, gives them a way to communicate for a life skill that’s going to take place throughout their life. “It’s a life skill and a part of a training technique to get them to another level as they become young adults.” Part of the curriculum is bringing back some of the basics used a few decades ago. “I love everything that’s old and bringing it into what is new because I’ve always believed you can learn from our past,” Williams said. “So, I’m incorporating some basic techniques and tools – things that I learned when I was younger - that are still applicable today in the classrooms even though they’re on laptops.” For one, Williams is bringing in her old dictionary. “I encourage kids to fill those pagSee

SPEAKING on page41

Danielle Williams, owner Of Diva Strong Media, is teaching public speaking to fifth graders at three schools. (Special to SanTan Sun News)

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | NOVEMBER 6, 2022

Sun Lakes Rotary names teachers of the month

BY DR. HONORA NORTON Guest Writer

The Rotary Club of Sun Lakes presented the Club’s September 2022 Teacher of the Month Award to Linda Murphy, music teacher at Chandler Unified School District’s Elementary Connect and the October 2022 Teacher of the Month Award to Lindsey Lara, second grade teacher at CUSD Auxier Elementary. The award s based on teacher’s total years of service in the field of education; examples of how the teacher goes above the normal requirements and enhances student education; the respect shown for the teacher by her/his peers, students, and parents; and the teacher’s involvement in extracurricular activities and service in the community. The $500 award to each teacher includes $200 from the Rotary Club of Sun Lakes, $200 from Earnhardt Automotive Center and $100 from Trust Bank. Linda is a community creator – which is a crucial need for an online school. She doesn’t just teach music. She gets kids and families in clubs and activities after school. She seeks what the students might be missing and finds a way to provide it to them online. On her own time without being paid she has built events that our families are coming together for. She

Lindsey Lara, left, a second grade Teacher at CUSD Auxier Elementary, was the October Teacher of the Year designated by the Sun Lakes Rotary Club and CUSD Elementary Connect music teacher Linda Murphy won that award for September. (Dr. Honora Norton)

has created craft club, sing along night, talent shows, Art Masterpiece and Ukulele club. These activities serve to build connections among the students and foster collaboration in the classroom. Col-

laboration in the classroom increases academic output. She was instrumental in coordinating, creating, and scheduling a music/band/orchestra option for students who might not otherwise get this option because they attend an

online school. Teachers on campus are thrilled to work with her because of the opportunities she creates for students. Linda also worked with school staff to create a Patriot Day activity. Linda is always going above and beyond to make educational and extracurricular activities an option for our students’ enrichment. Lindsey Lara is an exceptional teacher and colleague who sees the best in all her students. She cares and works hard to build relationships with students and their families. She buys school supplies for students in need. She has purchased shoes and birthday gifts for students in foster care. She attends her students’ extracurricular events on the weekends and has even left a vacation early to show up for a student. She has a positive outlook, is a great team player, and communicates effectively. She is the second grade Team Lead and regularly keeps her colleagues updated on the students’ activities. He colleagues called her thoughtful, dependable, and kind. She is an intuitive helper. She is often heard saying, “I’ve got it!” and quickly fills whatever need she sees, such as covering a duty, making copies, writing up emergency sub plans, or taking a staff member’s child home from school.

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BASIS Chandler junior a prodigy on the chess board BY EGAN ADLER Cronkite News

At the end of every match, Sandeep Sethuraman looks his opponent in the eyes and mutters one word: checkmate. “The expectation is 36-0 every year. Winning every game I play within the year. The goal is again to win the state championship,” said Sethuraman, a 15 year-old worldwide ranked chess player who is a junior at BASIS Chandler. “There are five boards and we need three-out-of-five every match to win.” The high schooler has risen through the chess world since he first started playing when his grandma taught him the rules as a young kid. Midway through seventh grade, Sethuraman had qualified as a National Master and by 2021 he reached the title of FIDE Master. He currently ranks 2,532 out of all active players in the world, according to the International Chess Federation. These titles, which take years to earn, are decided through national and international tournaments and follow the Elo system, chess’s most commonly used rating system. The system breaks down international chess players into number categories starting with novices and continuing until the Super Grandmaster, the unofficial title for players with a rating of above 2700. Sethuraman currently sits at 2371 – a mere 29 points below the title of International Master, according to the Elo system. “I am pushing to become an International Master. I have two out of the three required norms and I am at 2370ish and need to reach 2400 to become an International Master. I hope to become one by the end of this school

A budding prodigy, BASIS Chandler junior Sandeep Sethuraman aims to lead the school’s chess team to a third state championship as caption. (Cronkite News)

year,” Sethuraman said. However, his quest for chess supremacy will not distract his commitment to the BASIS Chandler team. In last year’s AIA season, Sethuraman swept the individual competitions along with defeating the highest-ranked player in the championship, Brophy’s Mason Miller, to capture the state championship for BASIS Chandler. One year later, Sethuraman’s role is both captain and coach for his fellow teammates. He has become so good that even his coach, Radhika Guruju, has realized she has little to teach him. Instead, Guruju aids her superstar in the mental side of the game. “Chess is a very mental game. Teams can intimidate you, opponents can intimidate you so (you) don’t want to look at them too much and listen to their trash talk,” Guruju said. “Ignoring everything around you makes your

game the most important game of the day.” With Sethuraman poised to captain the BASIS Chandler team for the next two seasons, anything less than a state championship would be a disappointment. However, Guruju is accustomed to lofty expectations. After gaining approval to join the AIA, she is the only coach the BASIS team has ever known and has never finished below the top five since the program’s inaugural season. “We feel the pressure, because you win so many years and you have this reputation and expectation to win again,” Guruju said. “I tell my team just play the board, do not play the person sitting across from you, the team across from you. “Make your game the most fun game for you, so you aren’t focused on a teammate’s game. From the time you

step into a tournament to the time you step out you have to stay focused.” Matt FritzMiller, BASIS Chandler’s principal, has taken a backseat while watching his chess program become one of the state’s best. “What I do is, I don’t hold them back. I let them do whatever they need. They are so talented and such amazing chess players, and years ago they wanted to join the AIA so we let them, and it’s gone really really well,” FritzMiller said. “The best thing I can do for them is let them do their thing and support them anyway I can. Sethuraman is primed to take the next step in the international chess world. He plans on bypassing the state’s individual tournament in November to focus on the U.S. Masters tournament in Charlotte over Thanksgiving weekend, where a successful showing will put him on the path to the International Master rating. He also has used chess to give back to the community having created The Chess Effect, a non-profit that is designed to teach chess to underprivileged children. Through his efforts he had raised $900 for Arizona Helping Hands, an organization focused on providing essential services to foster care children. The chess prodigy has no doubts that the sport will continue to play a significant role in his life. Nevertheless, he knows it is just one of many paths that his future holds. “I am going to try and get the Grandmaster title,” Sethuraman said. “I want to continue to play chess for the rest of my life and while I want to go to college and may not be able to put the same amount of time into it, I still want to be a player and or coach.”

Sun Lakes Rotary Club Supports Amanda Hope kids’ blankets BY DR. HONORA NORTON Guest Writer

The Rotary Club of Sun Lakes considers the non-profit Amanda Hope Rainbow Angels one of its special Valley charities. The support and educational organization was founded in 2012 in celebration of Amanda Hope’s life. Amanda Hope’s mission is to bring dignity and comfort into the harsh world of childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. The club recently supported Amanda Hope was through the Club’s $300 donation to be used to purchase fleece to make blankets for hope and comfort to children in need – one blanket at a time. In response to the Club’s donation,

t? o G ws Ne

RCSL Rotarian and Sun Lakes resident Kandi Skrabala volunteered to hand make several hope blankets. Additionally, several RCSL members along with ASU Rotaract members will be on hand for a Trunk and Treat event held at Amanda Hopes headquarter parking lot. Rotarians, with the support of ASU Rotaract Rotary Club members, put on Halloween costumes, decorated their car trunks, and passed out candy to childhood cancer warriors. To donate or volunteer see amandahope.org for more information. For information about the Rotary Club of Sun Lakes: sunlakesrotary.com. Sun Lakes Rotary member and Sun Lakes resident Kandi Skrabala volunteered to make several Hope Blankets. (Dr. Honora Norton)

Contact Paul C Contact Paul P l Maryniak Maryniak M y i k at at 480-898-5647 480 898 5647 or or pmaryniak@TimesLocalMedia.com p pmaryniak@timespublications.com pmaryniak@timespublications y i k@ i p bli i com

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | NOVEMBER 6, 2022

SPEAKING

from page 38

es, look up the words and get a real true sense of what it’s like to have what they call an archaic form of an educational tool at their fingertips. What if the electricity or WiFi goes out and you can’t utilize the technology?” Williams said. “You need to know how to use those books, be able to look up those words do additional research. The old manners of what we had cross-referencing in textbooks, dictionaries, encyclopedias, Thesaurus, all those different things - help you because sometimes you don’t have your phone, or laptop. So, being able to have tangible books to turn those pages is important.” Williams is also bringing in a typewriter. Before computers, she said, “We started with the typewriter and the components of developing the technology to advance to the computer. But when kids use a computer it’s very different than a typewriter. “And in this day and age, you want to drive home the point of the reason why we’re using the typewriter. When you type on a typewriter, you have to take your time and have patience, understanding and taking your time. Collecting your thoughts and developing word choices and selection because if you make a mistake, there’s no autocorrect.

“It’s not going to autocorrect for you so you want to know what words to use and how to spell them. That’s where the dictionary comes into play. And it makes your thought process a little bit more creative. It makes you appreciate what you’re writing on that piece of paper because you’re taking the time to put it all together. “And those components play into your critical thinking, and your cognitive skills. And it also makes what you’re trying to say a little bit more elevated and eloquent.” Williams even brings in an old telephone. Even if students don’t plan on a career where public speaking is needed, Williams said the skill is important to learn because “when you write, knowing the difference between word choices, selections and how to position yourself when you are typing a memo, an email, makes a huge difference to the way people receive your information and respond to you. “Ultimately, it can open a door of opportunity or it can shut a door of a possible opportunity.” Williams said public speaking is a “tool and a component you will use throughout your life, no matter what type of job you get. At some point, you do have to speak on behalf of yourself to clarify something, to straighten up something.” At the end of the workshop,

Williams will give the students the opportunity to write a paragraph on the title subject, “This is Me.” “They’ll have to stand up in front of the class by the end of the five weeks and share who they are with confidence and learn the techniques of body language, posture, pitch, tone, enhancement, vocabulary and structure of writing a speech,” Williams said. “I want them to have the inner mechanisms of knowing that they can do this and build their inner confidence to share those unique qualities about who they are as a child in the 5th grade and what they aspire to do.” She added that teachers are rallying behind this. “They want this in their classroom,” she explained. “They feel like it’s an asset where the kids aren’t getting this component on a regular basis.” Williams got the idea by talking with Ellis, explaining, “ I told her about the public speaking workshop I created, called The Junior Public Speaking League. She put me in touch with the individuals in the Chandler School District and the conversation started there.” Not only does Williams have an extensive journalism background, but she’s now an entrepreneur, using her journalism skills in a unique way. She also has been fighting stage 4 lung cancer as a non-smoker for the last four years.

“I was down to 94 lbs.,” explained Williams. “Cancer spread to my lower spine, my pelvis and the top of my right shoulder. And in the course of 3 1/2 years, I went through everything from radiation to chemo to surgery on my spine. “But I fought my way back because I literally live my life like I don’t have cancer. I told myself I was going to kill my cancer with kindness and treat it as a positive thing in my life. “Through all of that, I continue to push and create. I created my own business. I created my own talk show on YouTube. And then I created this workshop because I love and passionately feel that non-profits are the backbone of our community. And through my volunteering with them, it opened up many doors for me to utilize my journalism to help the children in the non-profit community.” She said it’s important to have a positive attitude. “Never count yourself out,” added Williams. “Stay true to who you are and follow your passion and find your niche. I found my niche working in the community, driving and developing things that really spoke to me and the things I really love…I never gave up on myself and now I’m able to give back Information: danielledivastrongmedia.com

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | NOVEMBER 6, 2022

Gilbert author Linda Jones lost her son Nathan Thomas Jones to drug and alcohol addiction eight years ago. She has now published a book about the tragedy. (Courtesy of Linda

Jones)

Area author turns heartbreak into comfort BY PAUL MARYNIAK Executive Editor

It’s nearly impossible to say chance alone was involved when Gilbert author Linda Jones found a broken seashell in Discovery Park last year. Yes, as she noted, “It seemed so out of place on a dusty trail in the Arizona desert.” And yes, it reminded her of her eldest son, Nathan Thomas Jones, who “loved seashells and collected them as a little boy.” But it also seemed a symbol of her broken heart, which shattered on Jan. 22, 2014, when her son lost his struggle with drug and alcohol addiction a little more than 28 years after she brought him into the world. Linda saw her discovery as something more. “It was then that I felt Nathan telling me to write a book,” said the 11-year Gilbert mother of three other sons. And now she has published that book. “Love Soars the Skies, A Mother’s Quest to Reach Her Son,” Not long before Nathan’s death, Jones quit her legal assistant job to market her series of children’s books full-time. Her four-book “Alphabet Anatomy” series, she explained, “creatively personifies the alphabet letters according to their unique graphic features. “The first two books present a fun, easy rhyme for each alphabet letter that facilitates visual and auditory recall of each letter’s name, sound, shape, and how to write it. It’s a playful, effective way for kids to learn because rhyming is a form of play.” But it wasn’t long after she started to market the series full time that “my world came crashing down.” “I never intended to write a book about losing my son,’ she said. “It shattered everything I ever believed in and almost destroyed me.” That broken seashell was among several “signs and synchronicities” she saw coming from Nathan that “became more spectacular and supernatural.”

So she wrote the “Love Soars” to “give people hope that they truly can connect with their loved ones.” “My book is a memoir about the heartbreaking devastation of losing my son and my steadfast belief in the supreme, unyielding power of a mother’s love to soar past the stars and reach him in the place he now resides,” Jones said. “I want readers to know there’s an invisible world that we cannot see with our mere five senses because earth – the heart planet – is tuned into one dial and one frequency. Yet that world really does exist and love is the abiding force that connects them.” She recalls how she “implored the universe to mercifully expand and lower its invisible, life-sustaining bridge to connect heaven and earth” and believes the two worlds “merge together and prove that LOVE really does soar the skies.” “I have to believe that all of us are capable of sharpening our vision,” she writes at one point, “so we may glimpse the wonders of eternity and fathom, in all its powerful glory, the mighty bond of love that forever weaves and sustains it.” Her motto for writing has always been “Say what’s in your heart and touch someone else’s.” And while she recommends the book especially for “grieving mothers because there is no greater sorrow than losing a child,” she also hopes “anyone who has lost a loved one can benefit by reading it.” Writing the book wasn’t exactly therapeutic for Jones, who recalled that the process “was brutal for me, having to relive the parts about losing Nathan and baring the most intricate portions of my soul. “I had a lot of anxiety about it, and I’m so relieved it’s done,” she said. “I feel better now that I’ve put it out into the world and I believe it will help those whom it is meant to help.” Her book is available at amazon.com and many other online book platforms.

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | NOVEMBER 6, 2022

For more community news visit SanTanSun.com

Faith in God is the light amid the darkness BY RABBI IRWIN WIENER Columnist

How many times have we gazed out into space without remembering the reason for our hesitation? I would guess, more times than we care to remember. It can be scary because we do not know if we are forgetting everything or just having a temporary memory lapse. Some people I know will purposely leave their keys or some such object in a non-familiar place to see if they are losing their memory. It is an exercise that can be frightening. Perhaps even listening to stories about such episodes can, in most instances cause us angst. I recently watched a movie titled, “Still Alice.” I sat their glued to the screen, not only because of the superb acting but also because I see so many instances of what was depicted. There was a sing written many years ago, “Memories,” in which can be found the lyrics: “I can smile at the old days. I

was beautiful then. I remember a time when happiness was….” Just think-the past is recalled, but the present fades from view. People abandon us; families find it an endless journey into a darkness that sees no light. And we are left with emptiness because we do not know who we are, or who we were. Do we remember spring? Do we understand what is happening? Can we function normally? Can we find the place we want to be? Who are you? Where are we? Rational people of sound mind will ask all these questions. Not us. We can’t even express our feelings, let alone ask sensible questions. We try. We search. We endeavor to hold onto the last remnant of our memory. If that is not darkness, then perhaps I do not know what darkness is. And as the memories fade, the darkness gets darker – until there is no day, just an endless night. Now I cannot remember the smile of old days, or how beautiful I was, or a time when happiness was. I cannot

function as an adult person. I am once again a child, dependent on others, back in the womb of time. I cannot even reach out to ask for help because I do not understand what that means either. How about those who watch this once vibrant life ebb until there is no more? How do those closest to this journey of nothingness deal with the reality of a disease so daunting that we would like to also disappear into the abyss? Who will console the caregivers? Who will offer the comfort and solace needed to accept the inevitable? The questions are endless, and the answers are few. Sure, there are support groups and the usual sympathizers, but then alone there is the realization that no one will be there except those who truly care. I suggest that help is found in Scripture. The Psalmist explains that the Lord will help us lie down in green pastures; God will restore our souls; God will be with us; God will shepherd us so that we will have no need or worries (Psalm 23).

Life needs some altitude these days BY PASTOR MARVIN ARNPRIESTER Guest Writer

Several years ago, a colleague in the Iowa Conference shared the following information about the common fly in a

devotional. At heights above eight to ten stories in buildings, people don’t have to worry about trying to keep the flies out. Flies only inhabit the lower levels. He said, “This illustrates an important

principle of faith; we can rise above the things that ‘bug’ us.” I don’t know about you but the political ads this year continue to “bug” me. I continue to shake my head at the accusations and promises thrown by candidates and other groups trying to get us to vote for a political candidate. Rev Frank Nichols said we need to get in touch with those nagging things in our life and choose to live above them. He said, “Life needs some altitude.” The apostle Paul said, “So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated

at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things that are above, not on things that are on earth” - Colossians 3:1-2 So instead of swatting at those things which “bug” me, maybe I need to use my energy to lift my life to God. Maybe I need to put more energy into positive attitudes and opportunities which add to life rather than expending time, energy and worry on things which “bug” me. After all, life needs some altitude. Rev. Marvin Arnpriester is senior pastor of Sun Lakes United Methodist Church

Sun Lakes U.M. Church slates ‘TNT,” concert SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

Sun Lakes United Methodist Church, 9248 E. Riggs Road hosts “Tuesday Nights Together” (TNT), a series of free programs every month. Topics vary from light and entertaining to serious and informing. A meal will be offered for a free-will offering at 5:30 p.m. and the presentation starts at 6 p.m. On Nov. 8, Rev. Jim Wood, whose strange sense of humor appears to be genetic. “Rev. Jim not only tells ‘Jokes My Daddy Told’ but shares some things about

GOT NEWS?

his father and his influence on Jim’s life,” said Cathy Smoot. “Sharing some of his jokes and humor, too. It promises to be a fun night.” R.S.V.P at 480-895-8766 so organizers can make sure they have enough food for everyone. Meanwhile, the church will present an evening of patriotic music featuring the Hamilton High School and the Sun Lakes United Methodist choirs in the sanctuary at 4 p.m. Nov. 9. The event will honor and recognize

the veterans by service group and there will be a sing-along of old favorites with a free-will offering taken. The Veterans Circle of Honor Team will host a brief ceremony at the Veterans Circle of Honor to raise new service flags and the POW/MIA Flag. The group will place wreaths, sing “God Bless America” and pray. For more information, please call the church office at 480-895-8766. The church is located at 9248 E. Riggs Road (west of Robson Library).

Contact Paul Maryniak at pmaryniak@TimesLocalMedia.com

The lesson is that things happen, some of which we have no control or understanding. God’s role is not in preventing suffering or despair, but rather to help us bear the burden and gain the strength to endure. And, for sure, those dedicated to enhancing our lives through their example and teaching, will always be there. Perhaps remembering the good times, as well as the bad, will give us a better insight into the journey we all embarked upon when the breath of life was breathed into us. Perhaps recalling the experiences will enable us to appreciate that which we had and that which is yet to be. Perhaps the love we display in the care and concern we show those afflicted will help us realize that through love can we forgive and be forgiven. “Still Alice,” can be an instrument in learning the greatest lesson of all: There is no darkness in the light offered by God. It is called faith! Rabbi Irwin Wiener, D.D., is spiritual leader of the Sun Lakes Jewish Community.

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3 Chandler artists in annual ‘Hills tour’ this month GETOUT STAFF

Three Chandler artists will exhibit their work in the Sonoran Arts League’s Hidden in the Hills Studio Tour this month. The popular exhibit runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 18-20 and Nov. 25-27. Sandy Ashbaugh, founder of Ocotillo Artists Group in Chandler, and fellow members Carol McDonald and Phil Webster are participating artists in the 26th annual event. This year over 170 artists will be showing and selling their artwork in 47 studios in the Scottsdale, Carefree and Cave Creek area. It’s the first time Ashbaugh and Webster are taking part, and McDonald’s second. Ashbaugh will be in Pat’s Glass Studio #20, 26420 N. 82nd St., Scottsdale; Webster joins J. Bruce Studio #4, 7162 E. Stevens Road, Cave Creek; and McDonald returns to Hummingbird Haven Studio #8, 8601 E. Carefree Drive, Carefree. “Ashbaugh uses traditional hand building methods of slab construction and graffito when working in clay, and handcrafts ceramic saké sets, functional and statement wall pieces in bold colors with a modern twist,” said Chandler author-artist Laurie Fagen. A classically trained violinist, Ashbaugh obtained her fine arts degree from Florida Atlantic University and has been working in clay for more than 30 years. She draws inspiration from architectural and interior design elements, like

Phil Webster

those from the Bauhaus movement, Frank Lloyd Wright and Frank Gehry. “My music background also resonates throughout my work,” she added. “It imparts a lyrical quality that speaks of beauty and harmony with classical proportions.” Ashbaugh also displays her work at The Finer Arts Gallery in Cave Creek. Info: sandyashbaugh.com Fagen calls Webster “a self-taught artist fulfilling a lifelong love affair with geometric form.” “His creations lie at the intersections of mathematical patterns and shapes, historical design traditions, sacred geometry and modern technology,” she said, adding:

Artist Carol McDonald is drawn to abstract art in vibrant colors and dynamic, flowing movements. (Special to GetOut)

Sandy Ashbaugh, who works in ceramics, founded the Ocotillo Artists Group. She will be at Pat’s Glass Studio #20, 26420 N. 82nd St., Scottsdale. (Special to GetOut)

“He takes ancient geometric traditions – particularly, in recent years, Islamic geometric patterns – and combines them with modern mathematical concepts like fractals and polyhedra to create unique, contemporary art and sculptural décor in a variety of mediums including pencil, pen, ink and watercolor; laser-cut wood, paper and acrylic; and digital prints on paper, canvas, and metal. “My goal is to create works that capture the essence of these traditions but with a modern twist, and to bring meditative order, beauty and peace into people’s private spaces,” said Webster, who lives in Liv Avenida. He showed an early flair for math, science and music, and studied mathematics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, graduating with a degree in brain and cognitive science with a minor in music. He also did graduate work in jazz composition and vocal performance at Berklee College of Music. He continues to pursue both art and music while working in IT management. Webster is a Sonoran Arts League juried member whose art has been exhibited in more than 40 shows worldwide. Info: philwebsterdesign.com McDonald, a resident of the Vineyards, paints primarily in acrylics and is drawn to abstract art in vibrant colors and dynamic, flowing movements. She says the

process is fluid and never the same. “I paint for the joy of painting … because it makes me happy,” she explains. Her mother painted and guided McDonald during her younger years. As an adult, she squeezed in art classes between raising a family and working full time in administrative management roles in healthcare, real estate and finance. After meeting met her husband in 1999, art took a more serious role for McDonald. She and her husband enjoy going to art shows and galleries and have collected artwork along the way. When retirement neared, her husband encouraged her to pursue her passion of painting. “I’ve always been such a left-brained workaholic,” McDonald said, “and for the first time in my life, I have such peace! Painting excites me and calms me at the same time, and I get completely absorbed in the process.” A juried member of the Sonoran Arts League, McDonald is also displaying her artwork at On The Edge Gallery in downtown Scottsdale. Info: carolmcdonaldfineart.com, Hidden in the Hills is considered Arizona’s largest and longest running studio tour, with free admission where the public can learn more about the artists in a self-guided tour over six days. For maps and more artist information, visit sonoranartsleague.org/hidden-in-the-hills.

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | NOVEMBER 6, 2022

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