SanTan Sun; 07-18-15: Opinion

Community Commentary

What every child needs to succeed

BY COUNCILWOMAN NORA ELLEN

In a perfect world, every child would have the opportunity to grow up in a loving, nurturing environment and be equipped with tools to become the best he or she can be. First Things First, a statewide, voter-approved initiative, funds programs to support young children and their families to achieve this crucial goal. Every child, up until the age of 5, can benefit from First Things First’s services, regardless of the parents’ income level.

Scientists recognize that 90 percent of a child’s brain is developed by the age of 5. During this time, a child needs proper nutrition, sleep, health screenings and related treatments, and brain stimulation through nurturing and educational activities to thrive and be ready to succeed in school. Because the most important developmental years of a child begin at birth, it is critical that all parents and caregivers embrace and take full advantage of the many free resources very early on.

First Things First partners with community organizations to offer programs and services in areas that have the greatest needs. In Chandler, the CARE Center and Chandler Christian Community Center (CCCC) are two of the sites where families can take advantage of activities led by staff and volunteers in English and Spanish. In addition to storytimes and parenting classes, the CARE Center and CCCC offer free dental screenings, food and diapers. These organizations also collaborate with the Chandler Unified

School District and other nonprofit agencies to reach out to more families. Early literacy is a key component of First Things First’s childhood development initiatives. Through Read On Arizona, cities such as Chandler have committed to encouraging caregivers to read to children from the time they are born. The Chandler libraries offer an array of programs to help families develop a love for learning and reading from infancy to adulthood.

Raising young children can be a challenge, especially for firsttime parents or those working fulltime. A free helpline, (877) 705KIDS, is available to all families looking for information about child development. Registered nurses, disability specialists, mental health counselors, early literacy specialists and child development experts are available to answer questions from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m., Monday through Friday, except on holidays.

For more information about First Things First and related programs, call the helpline, or follow the agency on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ azfirstthingsfirst. Every child deserves a great start in life, and we are fortunate to have outstanding resources in Chandler that are entirely free. Let us ensure that every parent and caregiver takes advantage of these opportunities.

Bicyclists depend on the connectivity of bike routes

BY COUNCILMAN RICK HEUMANN

I’ve been following the new construction plan for the South Mountain Freeway section of Loop 202 that will run along Pecos Road, continuing north, and connecting the two ends of Interstate 10. This project is managed by the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG) and the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT). Sadly, during the planning efforts, bike lanes were not recommended and are currently not included. The addition of bike lanes would be a great enhancement for bicyclists that use Pecos Road and ride around the South Mountain area. I strongly believe that a well-planned and cohesive bike route system is important to daily commutes and quality-of-life. Hopefully, MAG and ADOT will agree before the project gets built. Luckily, Chandler knows the importance of a well-designed bicycle network and is continuing its efforts to grow and sustain its bike-friendly status. The League of American Bicyclists recognized Chandler as a “Bicycle Friendly Community” in 2004, 2006, 2009 and 2013. Bicycling is a great form of exercise, a fun way to spend time with family, and for some, a means of transportation. In Chandler there are 327 miles of paved bike lanes and multiuse paths for bicyclists of all abilities and levels.

more defined bike lanes and multiuse trails. To date, staff continues to follow this as a guide for future bike lane and path development, including necessary amenities like secure bike lockers and refuge islands. It also outlines plans for bike lane connections to neighboring cities as well as the regional bike route system. For more information on the regional bike route system, visit www.azmag.gov.

Bike lanes along arterial streets have been installed for commuter bicyclists wanting direct connections to major employers and retail centers. Chandler continues to invest in the necessary infrastructure during new street construction or street improvements. There are more than five miles of new bike lanes planned for the coming year. Staff will also be working on a connectivity project that will remove gaps within existing bike lanes.

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Nora Ellen, whose term expires in January 2017, can be reached at nora. ellen@chandleraz.gov. mailing address:

The 2010 City of Chandler Transportation Master Plan Update provides guidance and insight to the goals and objectives of achieving an integrated bicycle network. The plan identifies corridor and focus areas needing

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The Paseo Trail and Western Canal provide multiuse paths for those looking for recreational cycling experiences. In an effort to increase safety along these paths, bike/pedestrian crossing signals were recently installed at several arterial street crossings. Depending on the route you take, you may find yourself in Gilbert or Tempe, but remember Chandler is home. As an avid bicyclist, I’m proud of the efforts the City has made and continues to make to ensure the residents have the bike routes and amenities they need for a pleasant experience. For more information on the City’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan, visit www.chandleraz.gov/transportation.

Councilman Rick Heumann, whose term expires in January 2017, can be reached at rick.heumann@chandleraz.gov.

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12 p.m. Thursday, July 23, 2015, for the Saturday, August 1, 2015, issue 35,000

Total Circulation 27,250+ Driveways

Fifty square mile coverage area from Price/101 to Greenfield and from Frye to Hunt Highway.

Proud member of the

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Tracy House

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Community Commentary Opinion

Risks of drinking reclaimed water low

BY TRACY HOUSE

The summer sun is hot and it is possible to run out of water. That happened to my son, Sean, who drank melted water from an ice chest on a golf course. He didn’t realize it wasn’t meant for quenching one’s thirst.

“I didn’t see the red and white sign,” he said of the posted warning on the back of a golf cart.

“A buddy pointed it out to me on the next hole.”

The small sign, covered by straps holding the ice chest in place, read: “Ice not for human consumption.”

reclaimed,” Jain said.

Jain added: “All the water from the sewage system goes to our water treatment plant. There is another kind of water that is from dishwashers and washing machines, that is called gray water that does not go through treatment. Most of the water that you see around, at golf courses and that, has gone through our waste water treatment plant. It has gone through rigorous treatment and is all reclaimed water.”

Sean made himself vomit, hoping the water wouldn’t have any ill effects.

As a dutiful mother, I called poison control and urgent care, and looked up info on the Web, but couldn’t find any instructions about what to do. We finally called Sean’s doctor, who told him he’d probably done the right thing by making himself vomit, and then prescribed an antibiotic. She told him if he got sick, to call back. Luckily, he didn’t develop any symptoms

Later, Sean realized that the ice and melted water probably wasn’t made from reclaimed water, but was thankful we called the doctor anyway. It just shows that you need to be sure to carry plenty of water out on the course, but it got me thinking, what are the dangers to humans and animals if they were to drink non-potable water?

As it turns out, the risks of drinking reclaimed or non-potable water are low, but probably not the best option to stay hydrated during the summer season. Reclaimed water is used at parks, golf courses and green belts throughout the city and is identified by purple signs, pipes, valve boxes and sprinkler heads.

Water from the tap or a hose, as well as water used in dishwasher or washing machines, is not reclaimed water.

Anupa Jain, water quality adviser with Chandler Municipal Utilities, clarified that non-potable water has two categories: gray water and reclaimed water. “We do not have a lot of gray water in the city. It is more

The waste water is collected and treated, then tested daily, she said. Most of the contaminants test most of the time at the drinking water quality level. The water also meets the bacteria level, after being disinfected with ultra violet light.

“City of Chandler’s reclaimed water is Class A plus,” she said. “If you were to drink water right out of the treatment plant it would not harm anybody. It meets all the contaminant levels, as well as the bacteria levels. It would not harm.”

Jain said the water in the parks and golf courses comes from suppliers that contract with the City to purchase the water. While it is aesthetically pleasing, her concern is that the water has been sitting and is open to contaminants.

“When we send it to them it meets all the criteria,” she said.

Once the company gets the water, “My concern is the bacteria. My concern would not be the contaminants. If a kid or a pet drinks it, if they are not sick within 48 or 72 hours, it’s not harmful at that time. The incubation period is 48 to 72 hours.”

Jain compared reclaimed water to the water in a lake where you might accidently gulp a mouthful while swimming. But in the event that someone does get sick, such as a fever or upset stomach, it’s suggested to contact a doctor right away.

Visit www.chandleraz.gov/water for a PDF with more information about Chandler’s reclaimed water.

Tracy House is a freelancer for SanTan Sun News. She can be reached at news@santansun.com.

Library needs improvement

I recently had an opportunity to tour a couple of out-of-state libraries and was amazed at the wonderful things going on, besides reading. Other libraries have group activities, classes, game nights, coffee/chat clubs, drop-in meet ups, genealogy classes, board game nights, many different types of book clubs, based on genre, fiction or nonfiction and other interesting programs including authors. Some even have support groups. We have nothing like this. Is it a lack of money or what? Chandler is big enough to take notice and do some work on their libraries.

Our libraries also are in need of comfortable seating which would encourage more people to come and read or take out materials. Why were new chairs put into the Hamilton Library that have desktops and not overstuffed, comfy cushioned chairs? I don’t usually stay very long because it’s so uncomfortable sitting there.

My last comment is that too many of the shelves are empty. We can use a lot more books in our libraries.

Barb Hedstrom Chandler

Library responds to criticism

Thank you for providing Chandler Public Library with the opportunity to share some information about the many diverse programs and services offered to Chandler residents and visitors. Our dedicated library staff strives to provide our patrons with an enjoyable experience, and we thank Ms. Hedstrom for sharing her concerns. In addition, we think each of our four unique locations is pretty amazing, and we encourage customers to explore all of them to find the programs, environment and user experience that best meet their needs.

While a variety of activities take place in each location, the following highlights include more Hamilton and Downtown programs, because those are the nearest locations to Ms. Hedstrom’s address. Some highlights include:

• Electronic device assistance—for those wanting to learn more about eReaders, eBooks, tablets, downloading digital media or streaming video—is available @ Java Spot, where library staff provides coffee and donuts while answering your questions.

• Book Discussion Groups—throughout the system there are six book clubs offered—some in the evening, one at lunch, another for mothers and daughters, one for teens, one for families. It includes several genres, including fiction and mystery.

• Get Reel, the documentary film series, is showing award-winning documentaries on Tuesday evenings this summer at the Downtown Library in collaboration with PBS and the series POV. It includes, “The Storm Makers” (chilling exposé of Cambodia’s human trafficking underworld); “Beats of the Antonov” (explores how music binds a community in the war-ravaged Sudan region); and “Neuland” (“New Territory” immerses

viewers in a Swiss integration class).

• Creative Aging in America’s Libraries programming (through a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services and in collaboration with Lifetime Arts) is presenting “Myths & Masks” by master teaching artist Will Clipman. This nine-week program incorporates art, mask-making, poetry and public performance.

• Programs range from “Computer Basics Bootcamp,” to “Line Dancing for Adults,” to “Stitch’n Time,” for those who love to knit or crochet, quilt or embroider. Events include the Acoustic Blend music series with Brian Kabala, the Fall Seed Swap for local gardeners, and the VERTEX: Maker Day featuring hands-on activities for the whole family. There is also the Job Center, the Learning Lab, and Talk Time, an English conversation group meeting to improve English speaking and listening skills and learn about American culture.

To find more information about our book collection, programs, and services, please speak with a librarian at any of our locations, or you can visit www.chandlerlibrary.org.

As for seating in the Chandler libraries, spaces are designed with multipurpose functionality in mind. At Hamilton, it was recognized that customers with laptops and other devices would benefit from the attached “tables” for using such equipment. Soft seating is available in the magazine area and along the south wall of the Downtown Library. Likewise, there are soft seating areas at the Sunset and Basha branches.

Warm Regards, Kris Sherman Assistant Library Manager Chandler Public Library