10 4 2014stsn p1 15 community

October 4 - 17, 2014 www.SanTanSun.com

Chandler High School revels in centennial celebration

BY TRACY HOUSE

It’s quiet at Chandler High School—the students and faculty are enjoying fall break for the first two weeks of October. But events leading up to the end of the first quarter marked a momentous occasion in Chandler High School history: The

commemoration of 100 years of educating youth.

Ann Templeton, CHS assistant principal, says the celebration included inspirational speaker Travis Angry addressing the students about perseverance and overcoming obstacles. Kids also enjoyed ice cream, a DJ and decorations during lunch on Sept. 19.

Homecoming weekend, Sept. 26, through Sept. 28, brought together thousands of past, present and future Wolves. In honor of the occasion, Chandler High School celebrated with student activities, a parade, all-class reunion tailgating, a pre-game program honoring distinguished alumni, the homecoming football game, alumni reunion and social, a celebratory breakfast and campus tours.

Mayor Jay Tibshraeny proclaimed Sept. 26, 2014, as Chandler High School Day noting in the proclamation that the school was the first in Arizona to offer an International Baccalaureate Program, and the Old Main building is on the National Register of Historic Places. During the course of 10 decades, thousands of students have passed through the halls of the buildings. This year, there are more than

Police create LGBT committee

BY SCOTT SHUMAKER

When Sean Duggan took the reins as Chandler police chief in January, he says one of the first issues that caught his attention was the large number of impending retirements on the force.

To make the department more competitive in the hiring market for new officers, Duggan says he decided to send the message that the Chandler Police Department was an inclusive organization. In a move toward this goal, the department recently established an LGBT Police Liaison Committee to serve as a point-of-contact for the gay and transgender community.

The new committee is a mix of civilians and sworn officers serving as liaisons on the force to residents, job seekers or anyone else who would like to communicate with the department. It is also meant to enhance the department’s knowledge of issues faced by the LGBT community.

“I don’t want anything to inhibit

New venue, awards and businesses spark Chandler 100 celebration

BY JOAN WESTLAKE

The Chandler Chamber of Commerce’s annual Chandler 100 celebration, 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 14, takes place in a new venue this year— the Chandler Center for the Arts, 250 N. Arizona Ave.

Terri Kimble, chamber president and CEO, says that the event, which began as a breakfast gathering, has become so popular that it outgrew the available space at the Hilton, where it was held this past year.

A highlight of the annual recognition of the top 100 employers in the City is The State of the Business Community message by Mayor Jay Tibshraeny. Attendees anticipate hearing about companies achieving milestones, new businesses in town and possible previews of things to come.

Sean Duggan. Submitted photo

people from wanting to perhaps try to work for our organization,” he says. “So that was really the genesis of this committee. The other desire, across the board, is to have the police

Each business is featured in the 2014 Chandler 100 publication, and a chamber logo is placed beside each members’ listing. In a video by J2 Media, the chamber is showcasing a few of the businesses that have made significant changes recently, such as the Crowne Plaza San Marcos Golf Resort, which underwent a $4 million interior renovation and is finishing a $3 million golf course enhancement.

The Chandler chamber ranks the companies based on the following:

• Physical presence in Chandler and or infrastructure

ID theft, fraud focus of discussion

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI

With identity theft on the decline in Arizona, a Maricopa County prosecutor will speak about the trend and ways to avoid being a victim during a 1 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 16, talk at the Chapel House, 9240 N. Sun Lakes Blvd., Sun Lakes.

Sun Lakes Jewish Congregation Sisterhood is hosting Erica Mandigo, assistant bureau chief of the Fraud and Identity Theft Enforcement Bureau in the Organized Crime Division of the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office.

“This will focus on identity theft, primarily, and the different kinds of fraud,” Mandigo says. “It will be basically about what the offenses are, what the elements of offense are under the law, and talking about identifying why it may be happening to you and the prevention of it.”

Mandigo says that while Arizona used to top the list for identity theft crime in the country, it now levels off at “somewhere around No. 4.”

“It’s going in the right direction, but we’re still pretty high up there,” she says.

Mandigo says she believes that the downward turn is because of multiple factors.

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3,000 students and 160 teachers.

Beginning in 1914 with four teachers and 19 freshman, Chandler High School initially held classes at the Chandler Grammar School and eventually moved to other sites as the class sizes grew. Ella Page Seward was the principal and superintendent—13 others have been principal, with Larry Rother serving as principal since 2013.

“Chandler High has a rich history, dating back to the founding of our city,” says Dr. Camille Casteel, CUSD superintendent.

“Many exceptional alumni have made remarkable contributions to our community, state and nation. Teachers, administrators and support staff should be proud of their accomplishments, and I hope that the entire community points to CHS with pride. The 100-year celebration is not only an opportunity to acknowledge the past, but also to look forward and plan for the next 100 years as a place where all students have an opportunity to achieve their potential.”

1984 reunion

For Jill Pritchard Tarwater, this celebration is special. A 1984 graduate, Tarwater headed up the reunion committee that celebrated 30 years alongside the centennial festivities.

Tarwater is a third-generation CHS alum, marrying her high school sweetheart, Darin Tarwater, a 1983 graduate. Her husband’s parents are Robert and J. Danell Tarwater, the namesakes of Tarwater Elementary School.

“My kids would have been the fourth

generation” had Hamilton not been built in South Chandler, says Tarwater. “That’s unheard of these days.”

She says there were a lot of people coming in from out of town for the reunion. From the 300 people in the graduating class, Tarwater says 100 were expected.

Tarwater says with excitement that two of her former teachers were part of the alumni committee. “It’s crazy to see some of these people who are still around. I love it; it’s awesome.”

Past, present and future

For two CHS teachers, Darla Tate and Janet Grant, the hallways hold special memories.

Tate graduated from CHS in 1978. The American/Arizona history and AP psychology teacher has been at CHS for eight years, returning to Chandler after moving to Holbrook for 25 years.

“I never, ever dreamed that I would work at the school that I went to,” Tate says. “First off, when I graduated from high school, I never thought I would be a teacher.”

Returning to CHS as a teacher, Tate says she loves it. “I think I have more connection, and it’s just weird. It’s a huge school, but you always run into somebody, who knows somebody who knew you.”

She explains she’s had children of friends she went to school with as students.

“You can’t do that anywhere else. It shows that Chandler is still a small town; it has that little small-town feel. Everybody knows somebody. It’s crazy.”

During her eight years at CHS, Tate has worked with teachers she had as a student.

“It’s just neat.” When she first started at CHS, it was under renovation to replace the old flooring. “I stole a piece of the floor and have it at my house.”

CHS is a very important to her family. Her husband and his parents are also CHS graduates. While her own children went to school in Holbrook, Tate says her granddaughter, Shaina, 17, is graduating from CHS. “She’s going to be in the 100th graduating class.”

Grant keeps returning to CHS. She

graduated from the school in 1967, taught for 31 years after college, retired in 2002 to work at ASU and returned in 2011 as a family and consumer sciences (formerly known as home economics) teacher. “My children say that I can’t work anywhere except for where I went to school,” she says.

Staying at CHS for so many years, Grant says, “I think it’s really their sense of community. For the longest time, the first 20-plus years I was there, we were the only high school. That really makes a difference in your sense of community and your role as far as a teacher in the community.”

As part of the community celebration, Grant attended the parade. “It was great for them to do it on Arizona Avenue again, like we did for years and years. That was a wonderful thing. The kids did a really nice job of the parade this year. They really stepped up.”

She says the atmosphere on campus leading up to the celebration was excitement and gave the students a strong sense of community as well. For Grant, it was a nostalgic time. “I certainly didn’t think I’d be around still teaching when it hit 100,” she jokes.

“Teachers look at me and ask, ‘Why are you still here?’” Grant explains. “I do it because I enjoy the kids. I really enjoy the teaching in the classroom and the interacting with them.”

Grand marshal

Zona Mae Shepherd says it was an honor to be asked to be the grand marshal of the 100-year celebration parade for CHS. “It went really good,” she says. “I waved. It was

great. They were all so nice. Really, really nice.” She was impressed with Rother and his attention to her. He asked questions and took her on a campus tour.

Shepherd says the city has changed a lot since she was a student.

“All the houses I remember are all gone,” says Shepherd, 95.

“I lived just across the street from the back gate (on California Street). I just had to go across the street, and I was in the back door. I was never late to school. There was a little building back there, and all the boys would sit on it until school time, and I would wait until the last minute so they wouldn’t whistle at me,” she recalls, smiling.

Shepherd was born in Tolleson, but moved to Chandler as a baby. She had two older sisters and a brother who also attended Chandler schools. She was one of 38 students who graduated in 1938.

While Shepherd never had children, she has a niece and nephew who live here, as well as their children and grandchildren. “Everybody’s gone to Chandler (High School),” she says of her family. Shepherd was accompanied at the parade by her niece, Maxine Dick, and Dick’s grandchildren, who are CHS students.

Shepherd says she was honored to be asked to be the grand marshal. “You know why I got it? Because I was the oldest girl they could find still living that started and graduated from Chandler High. So there wasn’t anybody else,” she says, laughing. “So they had to take me.”

Tracy House is the news editor for the SanTan Sun News. She can be reached at tracy@santansun.com.

“I think that maybe it is because we do have a lot more of an elderly community,” she says. “I think people wrongly feel that the community is sort of ripe for the picking, in terms of fraud and ID theft, simply because they view older individuals as more trusting. I think that’s what criminals like to look for.”

She adds that it is gratifying to speak with the public about crime and her work on getting the offenders behind bars.

“We always want to remember to do our jobs with an eye toward serving the public,” Mandigo says. “When we get an opportunity to go out—not so much in a courtroom setting—and have contact with the public and talk about prevention and talk about questions that just the everyday person on the street may have on how to protect themselves from these offenses, it is a nice thing.”

She has a few suggestions for avoiding identity theft.

“Shred all your documents,” she says. “Don’t leave your purse in your car. I say this from personal experience. Even prosecutors are not immune to crime. My purse was stolen from my car.

“Clip up all of your credit cards when they expire. Don’t just throw anything in the trash that has sensitive identifying information on it.”

She says that residents can look into programs like LifeLock, or other identity protection firms, but she suggests just putting a fraud alert on credit-reporting agencies.

“I would recommend that more highly than a service you would pay for simply

much,” she says. “Don’t open unfamiliar emails, and do not give personal information to people over the phone who have called you. You don’t know where these calls are coming from. These are a few of the big ones. It comes down to being vigilant and protecting your identity.”

A prosecutor for seven years, Mandigo began her career with the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office in the Preliminary Hearings Bureau. Afterward, she became a line attorney, trying everything from simple marijuana cases to dangerous, aggravated assault trials. She moved into the Fraud and Identity Theft Enforcement Bureau in February 2012. Now she’s the assistant bureau chief. Over the years, she has been encouraging folks to report if they’re

a fraud-type situation, where someone has actually schemed them out of their money, there’s a definite embarrassment factor there.

“No one likes to admit they got rooked. I want to make sure people don’t shy away from reporting these kinds of schemes that are happening and, when they become a victim, it’s the only way we can hold these people out there committing offenses accountable and that they don’t do this again.”

For more information about this free event, call Barbara Reiss at (480) 802-3281.

Christina Fuoco-Karasinski is the executive editor of the SanTan Sun News. She can be reached at christina@ santansun.com.

• Number of employees in Chandler

• Number of employees in Arizona

• Being a stakeholder in the community Kimble points out that because there are always a few ties for number of employees, more than 100 are recognized. Last year, 105 made the list. The Top 10 of the 2013 Chandler 100 are:

5. Chandler Unified School District

6. Chandler Fashion Center

7. Gila River Gaming Enterprises

8. Bank of America

9. Wells Fargo

10. Kyrene School District #28

“The Chandler 100 celebrates the diversity of businesses that contribute to our local economy, from Intel to our school districts and call centers to medical services,” says Kimble.

“And, there are new additions this year such as Nationstar and the GM I.T.

Innovation Center.”

Selected companies receive a

Military discounts wanted for veterans list and expo

The City of Chandler is compiling a list of businesses that offer military discounts to veterans. The info is at www.chandleraz.gov/veterans and will be printed and handed out during the annual Military Members and Veterans Benefits Expo, 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 25, at the Chandler Center for the Arts, 250 N. Arizona Ave. A brief survey at the website requests the business name, location and the type of discount provided.

The expo is a partnership with the City, Arizona Department of Veterans Services, Phoenix VA Health Care

System and the Veterans Benefit Administration. New to the event this year is the ability to sign up for VA Healthcare as well as check eligibility and receive advice from VA health and benefits counselors.

Dozens of vendors are available to provide information about benefits and programs for Chandler veterans and their families, including health care, education and employment opportunities. For more information, call (480) 558-2052 or visit www. chandleraz.gov/veterans.

traditional certificate and recognition by the mayor plus—another addition to this year’s event—a handmade glass award created by famed downtown Chandler-based artisans di Sciacca. What remains the same at the Chandler 100 festivities is the

opportunity to network with some of the East Valley’s most powerful and innovative leaders. The social hour from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. is ideal for catching up with industry colleagues and for meeting some of the Valley’s most influential luminaries. Tickets, $50 for chamber members and $60 for the general public, must be purchased in advance. Register at www.chandlerchamber.com or call (480) 963-4571.

Joan Westlake is the Community editor for the SanTan Sun News. She can be reached at news@santansun.

Funding awarded for PD training

The Governor’s Office of Highway Safety awarded the Chandler Police Department’s Forensic Services Section a $4,800 grant for continuing education and training for criminalists on topics relating to blood analysis, alcohol impairment and other disciplines related to blood-alcohol analysis.

The grant allowed a department criminalist to attend the International Association of Chemical Testing conference in Newport Beach, California, which offered training on topics including developments in alcohol research, injury severity and driver responsibility associated with buzzed drivers and a blood-alcohol

sample stability study. This grant also provided an opportunity for a supervising criminalist to attend the Forensic Management Academy in Morgantown, West Virginia. This interactive program features forensic management concepts including developing effective leadership styles; process imp rovement; metrics, measurement and management; and how to develop and manage a federal grant.

department best represent the community it serves.”

Duggan says he originally put out a call for a single person at the Chandler Police Department to serve the LGBT community, but he received so many responses from interested staff that he decided to create a committee.

“There are six committee members,” Duggan says. “We have a sworn sergeant, and then a civilian manager are co-chairs, then we have a variety of officers and civilians, male and female, that comprise the committee itself.”

Duggan says the activities of the month-old LGBT committee are still evolving. There is a page on the Chandler Police Department website with contact information for two of the LGBT committee members, so residents and job applicants can contact a liaison with questions or concerns directly.

“This is a really great, positive step for the Chandler Police Department,” says Angela Hughey, president of ONE Community, an Arizona-based coalition of businesses and individuals supporting greater protections against discrimination for LGBT consumers, workers and residents. Hughey says she met with City of Chandler officials several times while they planned the new committee.

“It’s important to have a really sound police force, that you have a force that really mirrors the constituency that they’re serving,”

Hughey explains.

“And certainly there are LGBT citizens in Chandler, so I think it’s great that the chief is very mindful of diversity and being inclusive and having a very inclusive police force.”

Community Register by Oct. 10 for neighborhood academy

Chandler Community Resources and Diversity Manager Leah Powell says the department consulted with other advocacy groups, including Equality AZ and the local chapter of the Human Rights Campaign.

Human Rights Campaign (HRC) maintains a “Municipality Equality Index” that rates cities across the country for laws and practices that affect the LGBT community. One of the criteria that HRC monitors is whether or not law enforcement maintains liaisons with the LGBT community, so the move by Chandler PD will immediately upgrade its score.

“The City as a whole, and in particular the police department, wants to make sure that we are reaching out to the entire community—that we’re being inclusive of all of Chandler,” Powell says.

Powell explains that residents who would like to learn more about the City of Chandler’s diversity and inclusion initiatives can attend the next meeting of the City’s Human Relations Commission at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 22, at the Neighborhood Resources Office.

Scott Shumaker is a freelancer for the SanTan Sun News. He can be reached at news@santansun.com.

Mayor Jay Tibshraeny invites residents of non-HOA neighborhoods to sign up for his Traditional Neighborhood Academy, a four-week series from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on consecutive Tuesdays from Oct. 14 to Nov. 4 in Chandler City Hall, Training Room B, 175 S. Arizona Ave.

The free academy is modeled after the City’s HOA Academy, but uses curriculum that addresses the needs of neighborhoods without a formal governing structure. The first class discusses neighborhood characteristics and boundaries, as well as development of a survey to identify key neighborhood

concerns and challenges.

Subsequent classes cover neighborhood identity and partnerships, communication, leadership characteristics and brainstorming concepts for logos and neighborhood identification signs that promote a sense of community.

Those who complete all four classes receive a Certificate of Completion and are recognized at a future Chandler City Council meeting. Applications can be downloaded at www.chandleraz.gov/ neighborhoods, or call (480) 782-4354 or email cristabel.dykstra@chandleraz.gov.

Arts and crafts fair at Springfield Adult Community

Springfield Adult Community, 6495 S. St. Andrews Blvd., Chandler, is having an arts and crafts fair from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25. The fair will be held in the San Tan Ballroom, card room, lobby and patio. The fair will have more than 40 vendors with plenty of arts and crafts to start the holiday shopping season.

The back gate and front gate will be open during the event.

For more information, call Marilynn at (480) 883-3312.

Community

Rodriguez is graffiti busterJoin holiday light parade

Nearly 1,800 incidents of graffiti were removed in Chandler last fiscal year by a single graffiti-abatement technician, Sal Rodriguez. His job is painting over the markings left by taggers, vandals and street gangs. Before painting over graffiti, he uses a city app called Public Stuff to enter information and photograph the markings. The information is shared with the police, who closely monitor graffiti activity. The app is available to residents to submit requests to the City regarding a variety of issues that need fixing, such as potholes, graffiti, broken streetlights, downed trees and water leaks. The app is available for the iPhone, Android and BlackBerry and allows users to choose an option to receive updates on the status of their request. Find app information at www.chandleraz/mobileapps. Graffiti can also be reported to a hotline, (480) 782-4322.

Rodriguez matches wall colors where possible when painting over graffiti and limits overspray by using a piece of plywood so his paint lines up with the edges of adjacent blocks or bricks. Chandler’s City Code requires that all sidewalks, walls, buildings, fences, signs and other structures or surfaces on public and private property be kept free from graffiti. He is on the job each Tuesday through Saturday, and he has a message for

those who deface public and private property with their graffiti, “I have more paint than you do! You’re not going to wear me down.”

In addition to painting over graffiti, Rodriguez removes grease paint and stickers from metal surfaces such as light poles and street signs. He also carries plastic safety netting in his truck to screen off backyards where downed fences have left unattended pools open to streets or alleys.

“People appreciate what we’re doing,” Rodriquez says. “They sometimes come up and thank me or give me a thumbs up when driving by. It feels good to know I’m making a difference.”

Chandler calls Sal Rodriguez when they want to eradicate graffiti in town. Photo courtesy City of Chandler

Enter a holiday float, decorated vehicle or marching band in Chandler’s parade Saturday, Dec. 6, held in conjunction with the 25th annual Parade of Lights and the 58th annual Tumbleweed Tree Lighting Ceremony. Some spots are still available in this year’s parade lineup. Entries that represent local schools, churches, businesses and community organizations are given priority. Parade spaces designated for walking groups are filled.

The Parade of Lights entry form, online at www.chandleraz.gov/ parade, must be submitted by 5 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 22. A representative from every parade entrant must attend a mandatory pre-parade meeting at 6 p.m. on Nov. 5 at Chandler City Hall.

All entries are considered for the Judges Choice award. Parade of Lights award categories are:

• Best Lit Musical or Dance Group

• Best Lit Community Group

• Best Lit Automotive Group

• Best Lit Business

• Best Lit Animal

• Best Lit Mascot

• Biggest and Brightest

On Dec. 6, the festivities begin at 4:30 p.m. in Dr. A.J. Chandler Park in historic downtown Chandler. The parade begins at 7 p.m. and travels north on Arizona Avenue from Frye Road to Buffalo Street, then turns

east to Arizona Place, then turns and proceeds south to its conclusion at Boston Street. The Tumbleweed Tree Lighting Ceremony is held in the park immediately following the parade at approximately 8 p.m. Find out more about upcoming festivals and events from Chandler’s Event Hotline at (480) 782-2735 or go to www.chandleraz. gov/special-events.

Nominate your neighborhood for an Excellence Award

Capt. Mike Pallas named Firefighter of the Year Battalion Chief Van Horn retires in Sun Lakes

The Firefighter of The Year Award was presented to Capt. Mike Pallas at the recent Chandler Fire, Health and Medical Department’s 28th annual awards ceremony at the Crowne Plaza San Marcos Golf Resort. Pallas, who joined the department in July 1997, was chosen by his peers for his constant involvement in community service projects and exceptional leadership within the department.

The Paramedic of the Year Award was presented to Firefighter Paramedic Raul Rios, while Firefighter Tyson Bruder was named EMT of the Year. The Derrel Crisp Memorial Award was presented to Fire Engineer Ramon Verdugo. Assistant Chief Tom Carlson received the annual ROX Career Achievement Award for providing exceptional service to the department and the community during his 23-year career in Chandler.

In recognition of her outstanding management of the department’s Crisis Response Unit, Jessica Westmiller was presented with the Civilian Employee of the Year Award. In addition, Chandler Regional Medical Center was honored as the Business of the Year for its continued partnership with the department, support of CFHM medical personnel in the field and for opening a Level I trauma center earlier this year.

FIREFIGHTER HONORED: Capt. Mike Pallas, center, receives the Chandler Fire, Health and Medical Department’s Employee of the Year Award from Mayor Jay Tibshraeny, right, and Councilwoman Trinity Donovan during a recent City Council meeting. Photo courtesy of CFHMD

Neighborhoods have until Friday, Nov. 21, to submit a nomination for a Chandler Neighborhood Excellence Award in the following four categories:

The Best Neighborhood Event: a one-time or ongoing neighborhood event that encourages neighborhood participation and promotes ongoing communication.

The Most Active or Engaged Neighborhood: neighbors are actively engaged in activities that promote community with communication structures in place and ongoing activities that keep residents engaged.

The Best Revitalization Story: a neighborhood that was diminished either socially or physically and

residents took positive actions to unify and rejuvenate it.

The Neighborhood Leader of the Year: an individual whose leadership inspired positive changes in her or his neighborhood.

A panel of judges, lead by the mayor, reviews applications and the public has an opportunity to vote for their favorites. Winners are announced at the Mayor’s 2015 State of the City address.

To enter, communities must be a registered neighborhood through Chandler’s Neighborhood Programs Division, call (480) 782-4354. Registration is open to traditional neighborhoods and HOAs. Apply at www.chandleraz. gov/connect.

The

Event last year. Submitted photo

Uptown Art, Arizona Coyotes partner for event

Uptown Art and the Arizona Coyotes have partnered to create a paint-and-social-art experience for the hockey team’s fans. The package deal includes an exclusive painting event before the Saturday, Oct. 18, Arizona Coyotes vs. St. Louis Blues game. Price includes a Coyotes’ painting from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. outside the area before the gates open and premium lowerlevel tickets to the game at 6 p.m.

Uptown Art’s team of artists will walk fans through step-by-step to paint and create a team painting on a 9-by-12 canvas. All supplies and instruction are included. Fans will be seated in the “Uptown Art” section and may be

recognized during the game for the special event.

Cost is $75 and includes the painting class and tickets to the game. All tickets will be emailed directly to customers one week before the game.

The Paint, Puck and Power Play night will take place at Gila River Arena, formerly known as Jobing.com Arena, at 9400 W. Maryland Ave., Glendale.

To learn more about Uptown Art and to register for the event, visit www.uptownart.com/chandler. All event details are listed on the monthly calendar. Click on the Arizona Coyote game image and follow the registration process.

Battalion Chief Cheryl Van Horn is retiring from the Sun Lakes Fire Department after 27 years with the organization.

“It was very rewarding working with wonderful people who do amazing things every day in the Sun Lakes community,” she says.

Van Horn was one of the first professional paramedics in the department. She was hired in 1987 while the department was in the process of changing from a volunteer to a paid department. She very shortly trained to be a firefighter, doing both jobs until she was promoted to captain in 1992.

She served as a station captain from 1992 to 2004, when she was promoted to battalion chief. Along the way, she has been responsible for or originated plans for the Community Assistance Program, community outreach and emergency medical services.

Van Horn plans to spend her retirement with her husband, Dennis, her extended family and friends. She is enthusiastic about golfing, hiking and dog-agility competition.

Van Horn’s replacement is Robert Helie, who was hired as a firefighter/paramedic 11 years ago. He has been a captain since 2008.

Helie, who earned a degree in fire science technology, is the lead fire-cause investigator for the SLFD and a member of the Maricopa County Task Force. He is also a certified member of the International Association of Arson Investigators.

Helie is married to his wife, Shawn, and together they have two girls, Johana and Vienna. Helie was also a volunteer firefighter in New York from 1994 to 2001.

“I look forward to serving the Sun Lakes fire district with professionalism, knowledge and innovation,” Helie says.

Firefighter/EMT Michael Molite is the new captain, filling the vacancy left by Helie’s promotion. A member of the SLFD since 2006, Molite earned a degree in fire science technology.

Molite has been an acting engineer since 2009 and an acting captain since 2012. Molite is married to his wife, Valerie, and they have a daughter, Capri.

“We wish Battalion Chief Van Horn the best in her retirement, after 27 years of service to the Sun Lakes community,” says Chief Paul Wilson.

Joint venture selected for plant improvements

A joint venture between McCarthy Building Companies Inc. and Sundt Construction Inc. was recently selected as general contractor for the $120-million Ocotillo Water Reclamation Facility expansion-andprocess-imp rovement projects for the City of Chandler. It includes $100 million in new construction and $20 million in upgrades to the existing plant.

Located near the southwest corner of Queen Creek and Price roads in Chandler, the Ocotillo expansion includes upgrades to the existing 10-mgd wastewater treatment plant and the construction of a facility for

a future capacity of 30 mgd. The new facility uses membrane bioreactor technology, which is the combination of activated sludge treatment together with a separation of the biological sludge by micro- or ultra-filtration membranes. The technology allows for a smaller footprint and reduced sludge production.

The 10-mgd facility was named 2010 Wastewater Treatment Plant of the Year and is considered an innovator, as it recycles all its treated water. The water is placed in storage lakes, recharged to the aquifer, sent to an industrial user or sent to an adjacent Indian community for agricultural use.

The new project is expected to begin in January and be completed in December 2017. McCarthy recently completed a large-scale expansion project at the City of Chandler Airport Water Reclamation Facility, taking the facility from a 15-mgd wastewater treatment plant to 22-mgd. The $105million project, located at 905 E. Queen Creek Rd. was awarded a STAR designation as part of the Arizona Division of Occupational Safety and Health’s Voluntary Protection Program, which demonstrates exemplary and comprehensive safety-and-health management systems.

Cellphone scammers charge big for callbacks

Police are warning residents about the “one-ring phone scam,” which uses auto-dialers to target cellphone numbers across the country. The danger is not in receiving the call, but in calling back. Scammers let the phone ring once and then hang up, prompting a missed-call notification. When an intended victim returns the call, police say they hear a message like, “You’ve reached the operator, please hold,” while being slammed by a hefty per-minute charge on top of an international rate. Calls come from

phone numbers with threedigit area codes that look like they are from within the United States but are actually associated with international phone numbers. The area codes used by scammers include 268, 284, 473, 664, 649, 767, 809, 829, 849 and 876.

Police advise ignoring a call like this and for those tempted to call back, check the number on online directories

or search engines first to confirm where the phone is registered or see if it’s listed as a scam phone number.

For those who have become the victim of the scam, police say to try to resolve the charges with the cellphone carrier and, if that doesn’t work, file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission and the Federal Communications Commission.

Arizona Center for Civic Leadership names resident fellows

The Arizona Center for Civic Leadership has chosen two Chandler residents among the 35 in Arizona in the Flinn-Brown Civic Leadership Academy. Kevin Hartke, City Councilman and pastor of Trinity Christian Fellowship as well as Erik Lee, executive director, North American Research Partnership in Chandler, are among the 2014 Fellows.

As members of a network of nearly 200, the fellows share a commitment to state-level civic leadership and public service. They participate in a variety of intensive, ongoing training opportunities to expand their capacity to serve as future state-level elected officials, agency and organization executives, policy advisers and members of boards and commissions. Fellows are chosen annually.

The Arizona Center for Civic Leadership, administered by the Flinn Foundation, was launched in 2010 to strengthen civic leadership at all levels throughout Arizona. The Flinn-Brown Civic Leadership Academy is one of the center’s major programs in partnership with the Tucson-based Thomas R. Brown Foundations.

German Society of Arizona to present award Oct. 6

The German Society of Arizona will present the Arizona German of the Year Award on German American Day, Monday, Oct. 6. The inaugural award will be presented during a dinner from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Thirsty Lion Pub and Grill in Tempe Marketplace.

“The German Society of Arizona is proud to present the Arizona German of the Year Award to the individual who has distinguished himself or herself as a champion of German language and culture in the state,” says Dierk Seeburg, spokesman for the German Society of Arizona. “We are delighted to recognize those individuals who have made contributions to the German community in our great state of Arizona.”

The award will take place on German American Day, which commemorates the date in 1683 when 13 German families from Krefeld near the Rhine landed in Philadelphia. Tickets to the dinner event are $30 and available on Eventbrite at www.eventbrite. com/e/arizona-german-of-the-yeartickets-12983519055 and at the door, pending availability. Space is limited to the first 100 guests.

DEADLINES FOR SANTAN SUN NEWS

The deadline for news and advertising is 5 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 8, for the Saturday, Oct. 18, issue of the SanTan Sun News.

All news must be submitted to news@santansun.com by that day to be considered for the next issue or by filling in the “submit a news release” form on the newspaper’s website at SanTanSun.com. To send an item for consideration in the SanTan Family Fun, email it directly to STFF@SanTanSun.com.

Send advertising files and information to account reps or contact ads@santansun.com. For deadline information, visit www.santansun.com and click on “About us” and call (480) 732-0250 for advertising rate details.

ICAN wins national award

ICAN won the 2014 When Work Works Award for its use of effective workplace strategies to increase business and employee success. The free, familycentered youth service in the East Valley provides programs proven effective in equipping youth to achieve personal and academic success by tackling substance abuse, gang involvement and juvenile delinquency. This prestigious award, part of the national When Work Works project administered by the Families and Work Institute (FWI) and the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), recognizes employers of all sizes and types in Arizona and across the country.

“We are thrilled to receive this

recognition for our workplace practices,” says Becky Jackson, president and CEO of ICAN. “We put our employees first and work very hard to ensure that our workplace flexibility practices meet their needs. We offer telecommuting opportunities, part-time positions and flexible schedules.”

“The When Work Works Award recognizes organizations that foster a culture of workplace flexibility and effectiveness, which gives them a competitive advantage. Their practices set them apart from other organizations,” says Lisa Horn, director of SHRM’s Workplace Flexibility Initiative.

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