Gilbert Sun News: Neighbors - March 2016

Quilts run the show at Gilbert Historical Museum

BY SRIANTHI PERERA

For the 11th year in a row, the Gilbert Historical Museum will showcase the community’s quilts during its “Art of Quilting Show” from March 1 to May 30.

Each year, when the museum sends a call out to the community to submit their quilts for display in the non-juried show, it receives a good response. About 100 quilts are brought in, featuring many designs, sizes and colors, from various eras, either hand-stitched or machine-made.

“People seem to appreciate that we have the quilt show. Almost everybody says they enjoy coming. That’s kind of nice to hear,” said Iva Ruth, a quilter from the museum’s own quilting program.

To complement the display, the museum also organizes a special exhibit. This time, it’s a collection of traveling miniature quilts from the American Quilt Study Group, patterned after the Colonial Revival period of the early 20th century.

has her hand on the town’s quilting pulse, said that interest in the craft doesn’t wane.

“Right now, quilting is a very popular thing,” she said.

Ruth and Reid are among a dedicated core group of about 15 volunteer quilters who work at the museum during the week.

They complete unfinished quilts that are brought to them, preparing backing and batting and attaching it to the patterned tops to make a complete coverlet.

The Lincoln, Nebraska-based national group sets the standards for quilt studies and provides opportunities to increase knowledge about quilts and textiles, their history and their place in society. The group is planning to hold its annual seminar in September in Tempe.

The public may also watch monthly quilt demonstrations from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. March 26, April 16 and May 21, buy quilts or participate in a silent auction and raffle.

Darlene Reid, another quilter who

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“People bring the quilts when they’ve just made them or a long time later,” Ruth said. “They’re cleaning out their house, grandma has died or mom has died, and they find a quilt top that she never finished.”

The quilters finish about 10-12 quilts a year, and there’s always a backlog. About 45 quilts are waiting in line.

For their considerable labor, the quilt owner pays $7 per square-foot, which goes to the nonprofit museum kitty.

“I think we quilt there because we get to see the most interesting quilts. And we have become good friends,” said Reid. “It’s a wonderful addiction.”

The Gilbert Historical Museum is located at 10 S. Gilbert Rd. It’s open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday. Admission is $5 adults, $4 seniors 60 and older and $3 children ages 5 to 12. Admission applies for entrance to the show.

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Local author pens book of hope

BY TIM J. RANDALL

Gilbert resident Reginald Russell experienced his share of challenges, defeats and tough times in his youth

growing up in the inner city of South Phoenix.

In his recently released book “Altered Conscience,” the 34-yearold first-time author presents a compelling look at the trials and tribulations of a young person struggling to come to grips with his intentions to live a spiritual life, while at the same time acting in a contrarian manner.

“There is no main character in the book, but the central composite of the work is essentially about me,” said Russell. “God’s word was etched in my heart, but I did not always live that way.”

“Altered Conscience” presents a powerful message—rebirth from the depths of despair and depression to the ultimate reward in the service of Christ—through a collection of poems utilizing an amalgam of language, imagery and contexts.

“The work shows fragmented relationships, peer pressure and behavioral inconsistencies,” said Russell. “Ultimately though life has a bigger calling with Christ as savior.”

Russell, who works for the Arizona Department of Economic Security assisting individuals who are developmentally disabled, assembled his collective writings over a period of years and thought about the

possibility of a book.

“I wanted to see if I could get a work published based on experiences that influenced me,” he said. “I thought that those stories could have an impact on others and provide some relief and a guiding light.”

Raised along with two older brothers, Russell fought through the tough neighborhoods of South Phoenix and ultimately attended the University of Arizona. “We were a two-parent home, but a oneparent income,” he said. “I was never expected to go to school, but got to Arizona on an academic scholarship. I was also a walk-on for the football team.”

After leaving the University of Arizona, Russell earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Western New Mexico University. He also suffered two ankle injuries while playing football in college.

“That demotivated me from furthering my career,” he said. But, Russell never forgot the impact sports had on his life. “I also run a nonprofit, Empowerment Through Sports, which builds and maintains a support mechanism for the young men and women that possess the ambition and drive to be successful in life through sports,” he said.

It seems also that his years at

Western New Mexico provided a helpful lift with the book. “I had a professor proofread the draft, who said that the stories needed to be directly about me,” Russell said.

But, that was the plan for Russell all along, as he intends a second book to incorporate his two brothers into a narrative that tells stories they experienced from three different perspectives.

Russell’s life, just as his book demonstrates is filled with success, love and hope. He and his wife, Brandi, have five children: Analicia, Ajai, Arie, Aumree and Alijah.

To order a copy of the book visit: www.tatepublishing.com/bookstore, barnesandnoble.com or amazon.com.

Stonebridge Family Care owners yearn to make clients comfortable

BY JASMINE KEMPER

At the end the day, Stonebridge Family Care wants its residents to feel at home.

Just over a year ago, Stonebridge opened its doors in Gilbert, thanks to husband and wife Bill Wall and Nancy Wares. Wares is a CNA with a background in hospice care and Wall earned a master’s in health care administration.

“My master’s thesis was really around health care and specifically elderly care and it just was a perfect storm of exposure and knowledge to say we could make a place that’s really awesome for people,” Wall said.

Together, the two shared a passion for helping others and that’s when the idea for the assisted living facility was born. Coincidentally, that same building caught Wares’ attention back when it was still a hospice facility. She cared for some of its residents and loved how cozy the home felt.

When the hospice moved out of the building, the pair was immediately interested in transforming it into a 24hour assisted living facility.

“When this place came available we just figured it was a perfect opportunity. It was kind of the right timing and we just jumped on it,” Wall said.

The quaint, yellow house brings country living to the desert, complete with 1.5 acres of beautiful greenery, a gazebo, fruit trees and gardens. It emulates a farm atmosphere with horses and chickens in the backyard.

Stonebridge is unique because it offers a flat monthly fee with plenty of

amenities at no additional cost, something other places don’t have.

They are licensed for 10 residents with eight rooms, with shared and single rooms available. Unlike larger corporate facilities, Stonebridge has the freedom to give each resident a room to fit their personalities, complete with wardrobes, an electric adjustable bed, dresser, nightstand, lamps, 32-inch cable televisions, Wi-Fi capabilities and space for personal items.

Another important aspect they strive for at Stonebridge is giving residents as much personal freedom as possible.

“We do want our residents to feel like they have free will to make decisions,” Wall said.

Residents receive a home-cooked menu with three meals a day plus snacks, but there are no scheduled eating times.

“Everyone is able to keep their own unique schedule as they’ve kind of grown accustomed to. Not everyone wakes up at 6:30 in the morning. We’re OK with that,” Wall said.

One of the many advantages of having a cozier facility is having the ability to keep it as comfortable as possible.

“This is home and that’s what we’re doing different. We have breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks, however they’re allowed to eat in their rooms if they want, they can eat in the living room if they want. There is not a set dining room like a lot of places do,” Wares said.

Many facilities have to run on these strict schedules to keep organized

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because of how big they are, which limits the amount of personalized care. Wares said she’s worked in places that weren’t able to give residents enough attention, and she’s made that one of the focuses at Stonebridge.

“They get them up and showered and then they sit in chairs all day. We don’t do that here. We do activities, we take walks around the house, we sit on the patio and we’re always doing stuff,” Wares said.

Stonebridge provides hair care services on-site, as well as manicure and pedicures. They’ve also done music and pet therapy, games and family-oriented activities during holidays.

“If they’re not in the mood, then they’re not in the mood, they don’t have to,” Wares said.

One of the best pieces of technology

made available is the house iPad that they use to Skype or Facetime with their friends and family from out of state.

They’re also working on improving their care everyday with things such as virtual visits with the doctors.

“We’re talking with some of the physicians about opportunities to do realtime monitoring of the residents. There are a lot of opportunities to expand how we do elderly care,” Wall said.

“Big hospital companies out there, Banner mainly, do a really good job of reaching out and having a community outreach for their hospice and I think [by] emulating some of these companies that do it really well we can create a standard on how elderly care should be done.”

One distinctive thing about Stonebridge is that they licensed for every level of care—supervised, personal and direct. From the moment residents arrive

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• Specially trained 24-hour onsite Caregivers

• Daily life-enrichment activities

• Open Door Policy with all family members

• Three delicious well-balanced meals daily

• Assistance with special and therapeutic diets

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• Incontinence Management

• Assistance with all daily living activities (ADLs)

• Care planning for each Resident’s unique needs

• Weekly linen and housekeeping services

• In-room cable television and Wi-Fi internet

until end of life, they are welcome to stay without a change in price.

“We are licensed for all three levels of care. Many facilities are not. We don’t charge more for the level of care. Every other facility charges for that and we don’t,” Wall said.

Their hand-picked caregivers are specialized in dementia and Alzheimer’s training, so they know that continuously talking to the residents about their lives, current events and other topics on a daily basis keeps them sharp. Many volunteers will come in and do the same as well.

“We get to know them. I ask them questions about themselves [and] their lives. It gets them thinking. We want our

residents to stay mentally alert. So many places you go you just see them laying in bed and it’s just depressing and sad,” Wares said.

In the short time they’ve been in business, Stonebridge has touched the hearts of so many families. They’ve made a name for themselves just based on the fact that the families know their loved ones are receiving the best care possible and are happy and comfortable.

“That’s what we strive for, just making everybody happy,” Wares said.

Stonebridge Family Care is located at 13639 E. Ray Rd., Gilbert. For more information, call (480) 726-2302 or visit www.stonebridgefamilycare.com.

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Local author explores France in new book

BY TIM J. RANDALL Gilbert resident

Lorice Sherman has always had an affinity for traveling. She has visited more than 40 states and 30 countries, and sailed to exotic destinations on 25 cruises. However, a 2013 expedition, chronicled in her new memoir, may have been her fondest—two

weeks with her husband, daughter and mother to Northern France and an 18th century farmhouse replete with magical memories.

“The trip was so unbelievable, we learned so much and it was a lifechanging experience,” Sherman said.

“Beyond the Blue Gate” takes a reader from start to finish on the journey into the rural Picardy region of France, and the experience of French culture, its citizenry and its history.

“Our three-generational family was able to completely immerse ourselves in the French way of life, not to mention the historical education we received,” Sherman said.

Despite the breadth of their travel, Sherman said that the family hadn’t previously rented a home abroad. The

travel site HomeAway provided a rustic abode made of 200-year-old stone, but with modern amenities.

“The only convenience the home did not have was a clothes dryer,” she said while chuckling. “We had to air dry our clothes.’

Located near a tiny hamlet with a population of nine, the charming living quarters had a blue gate entrance, which ultimately became the title of the book.

“This gate became our portal to learning and exploration,” Sherman said. “Each day as we traveled beyond the gate, we knew we were embarking on another special journey.”

Sherman’s new book is actually her second effort. The first, 2010’s “Murder on the Med” is a whodunit set on a Mediterranean cruise ship, much like the one she and her husband enjoyed during an excursion.

While each day had its special memories, several stand out for Sherman. The first was the visitation of the American Cemetery at Normandy, which is a chapter in the book, Our Longest Day. The family was up at 6 a.m. and returned home at midnight.

“I can’t express the immensity of experiencing that place,” she said. “It was simply awesome.”

According to Sherman, Normandy was harder to find than expected, and on the return trip the group got lost. “It was 18 hours in all, but so worth it,” she said. Other notable adventures included encountering World War I history at Verdun, and visiting the champagne region of France. “We were able to experience both World Wars,” Sherman said.

It was the blue-gated home that really made an impact on her.

“We could have stayed in a nice hotel, but you don’t get imbedded into the culture and get to know people,” she said. “Our last night we had dinner with the home’s caretaker at her residence. We brought flowers and a bottle of champagne, because I learned that a French custom is to bring gifts when you visit their home.”

While Sherman loves to travel, she ironically does not like one form of transportation. “I don’t like flying, but I get over it,” she said.

Sherman who is the mother of two daughters, loves to take care of her family and write. She is penning a third book, with a working title of “Murder on the North Shore,” a sequel to her 2010 effort. “Some of the same characters will return,” she said.

“Beyond the Blue Gate” is available through Amazon and on the author’s website www.loricesherman.com.

Islands Chiropractic warns patients of ‘text neck’ injury

A Gilbert chiropractic clinic is warning patients against the dangers of ‘text neck’—a condition caused by continually looking down at your smartphone.

If you’re like millions of Americans, you probably own a smartphone, tablet or similar device. And, if you’re like the vast majority of them, you spend a considerable amount of time staring at the screen daily. But, as Dr. Daniel Carlow of Islands Chiropractic and Massage wants patients to know, this could be greatly impacting your health.

“Your grandmother probably warned you to sit up straight for your overall posture,” Carlow explained. “But what she didn’t know about was how prominent cellphones would become in our lives. This continuous bending of the neck to pay attention to social media or texting causes most people to position their head unnaturally. What we’re seeing is added stress on the spine, which can cause serious health effects over time.”

According to industry experts, “text neck” can lead to pain, spinal degeneration, and even the need for future surgery.

The reason for this has to do with the weight of your skull. On average, the human head weighs about twelve pounds. The further you bend your neck to look down, the more stress that is placed on the joints in your cervical spine.

At around a 15-degree angle, this equates to around 27 pounds. But at a 60-degree angle—where most people bend when looking at their phone for large amounts of time—that figure

jumps to a whopping 60 pounds. To put things in perspective, that’s like carrying around a small child on your neck for multiple hours per day.

With experts suggesting an average lifetime figure of over 5,000 hours spent hunched over our cellphones, this phenomenon is hitting epic proportions. In fact, young people are the most at risk for developing a problem associated with neck position and smartphone use as time passes.

So, what can a patient who is addicted to their phone (or at least one who uses it frequently) do to prevent this sort of issue and relieve pain? “Look up occasionally,” advised the chiropractor. “Use your eyes to look at the device and not your neck whenever possible. Good posture leads to good neck habits when using your smartphone. It really does matter.”

Chiropractic care can also help with text neck. After low back pain, neck pain is also a common reason why people see a chiropractor. Adjustments will help reduce muscular tension and restore normal joint function.

For more information about this condition or to schedule an appointment, contact Islands Chiropractic and Massage at (480) 545-4580.

Authentic Pomo serves the right amount of flavorful fun

BY KATHY KERBY

Gilbert is a Mecca of stellar restaurants, with many shining jewels to lure us and our discerning palates. Pomo Pizzeria Napoletana is one of them.

Pomo Pizzeria Napoletana opened its doors on June 30, 2015, in the Heritage District and it has been packed with pizza and pasta lovers ever since. Pomo prides itself on using the “same techniques practiced for hundreds of years in Napoli, Italy.” It is certified as authentic by the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (A.V.P.N.) which verifies the cooks, ovens, flour and other ingredients and preparation methods.

Walking into this upscale eatery, the first thing we noticed was the massive, round, copper-tiled pizza oven. It’s a work of art! Made from pressed bricks and volcanic sand from Southern Italy, this oven uses oak and pecan wood to reach 950 degrees. Adding to the ambiance is a mural of an Italian street scene covering an entire wall. Stefano Fabbri, the owner, took the picture on his last visit home to Italy.

A granite bar and ample bar stools line the south wall and the list of wine, beer and cocktails would please even

the most astute customer. The outdoor patios on two sides add extra space to this urban, industrial eatery tastefully decorated in red and black with touches of gray.

Our waiter, Ernest, greeted us with menus and asked if we had been to Pomo before. He explained all about the special cooking methods including the special sourdough which takes 24 hours to rise. The pizza is then baked for just 60 to 90 seconds in the woodfired oven. A knowledge of Italian would be useful when perusing this menu so we needed some help from the very competent Ernest. Many

people would appreciate the fact that the menu selections are marked gluten free, vegetarian and vegan.

As we waited for our food, the manager, Thierry Nas De Tourris, came by our table and delighted us with tales of his worldwide cooking and traveling adventures. We also watched Jovani with his massive pizza peel as he carefully placed the pies in the oven. I don’t think I’ve seen another restaurant with a bar around the pizza oven, but it is a great show as the food goes in and out of the massive copper oven.

For our Insalate (organic salad) we chose the mango ($9.95) and we weren’t

disappointed. The fresh sliced mango sat atop the baby lettuce, crumbled gorgonzola and arugula all coated with tangy raspberry vinaigrette.

Next, our Principe pizza ($16.95) arrived piping hot from the oven. Just picture prosciutto, mozzarella, arugula, shaved parmigiana and fresh basil drizzled with extra virgin olive oil. The crust is crispy on the outside and moist in the center and the freshness of each individual ingredient adds to the delicious taste. There are 24 different pizzas to choose from ranging in price from $10.95 to $17.95. We also enjoyed the Strozzapreti Salsiccia ($15.95) and this blend of fresh pasta with Italian sausage, tomato sauce, cream, rosemary and parmigiana was creamy yet spicy. The pasta in every dish is hand rolled and this particular tubular pasta was made historically for the village priest because it is rolled between the hands as if they are praying. We ended our meal sharing a fabulous crème brulee ($7.95), which was a perfect finale.

Gilbert resident makes history at King of the Hammers race

Bailey Campbell of Gilbert became the first female driver to complete the King of the Hammers race with a Top 5 finish in Johnson Valley, California. Campbell, a driver for Team Nitto, representing a manufacturer of off-road and street performance tires, raced in early February in the challenging King of Hammers race, in which drivers can be racing through the desert at 100 mph, then the next minute picking their way through technical rock crawls with names like

“Boulderdash,” “Wrecking Ball” and “Chocolate Thunder.”

Campbell finished in the elite 4400 class, which was another first for a female driver in this year’s race, its 10th running.

Campbell, daughter of Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame inductee and two-time King of the Hammers winner Shannon Campbell, finished the race in fifth place, just minutes behind her father, with whom she had been running neck and neck throughout the

eight-hour race.

Bailey Campbell has been around off-road racing and rock crawling all of her life. From the time she was able to work a steering wheel, her father had her in the driver’s seat. By the time she was 17 years old, Bailey had started her racing career in the W.E. Rock Crawling Series where she finished in third place her first time out.

In 2014, she progressed into the Dirt Riot Series. She got her first podium with her father as co-driver

and eventually finished fifth in season points. It was that year that she also got her first taste of the big leagues in Ultra4 racing.

“We couldn’t be more proud of Bailey,” said Chris Corbett, Nitto Tire U.S.A.’s events and motorsports manager. “Over the past three years, she has really come into her own as a driver—working her way up into the Ultra4 series and now to her Top 5 finish at King of the Hammers.”