The Santan Sun News - 10.11.2020 by Times Media Group

October 11, 2020 | www.santansun.com

Relentlessly local coverage of Southern Chandler

An edition of the East Valley Tribune

Special ed families feel ‘disregarded’ by CUSD BY KEVIN REAGAN Staff Writer

Jane Andersen was willing to give Chandler Unified School District a pass when the pandemic first started back in March. She understood why schools had to close and had low expectations for how her 14-year-old son, Mattie, was going to be educated for the rest of the school year. Mattie is blind, mentally impaired and requires special help to accommodate his cerebral palsy. So, Andersen knew online learning probably wasn’t going to work. He is one of more than 4,600 special

Jane Andersen is frustrated with what she considers the lack of adequate attention CUSD has paid to educating her son Mattie, who is Blind and mentally impaired. (Courtesy of Jane Andersen)

quette while attending a movie theater – an activity Mattie normally wouldn’t do even if a global pandemic had not shut down every cinema in Arizona. “No learning really occurred there,” Andersen said about her son’s assignments. Then the next school year started in August and CUSD decided to keep its schools closed until the second quarter starts this week. Since mid-August, some students like Mattie had been allowed to visit their school for about seven hours per week to receive hands-on instruction with a

education students in the district who require individualized education plans. As Andersen’s other children finished out their school year doing assignments virtually, Mattie had to try and complete activities sent home by his teachers. “That fourth quarter was hard for all kids,” Andersen said. “But for my son.... online learning was really a joke. I mean it wasn’t even challenging. It was silly.” One assignment asked Mattie to practice good eti-

See

SPECIAL ED on page 8

A long ballot awaits Chandler voters BY PAUL MARYNIAK Executive Editor

This chart shows how many Chandler public buildings will deteriorate over the next 10 years, according to a consultant. (City of Chandler)

21 city buildings need $28M in repairs BY KEVIN REAGAN Staff Writer

Twenty-one Chandler public buildings have been found to be in “poor” condition and immediately require more than $28 million of infrastructure improvements, according to a recent assessment of city facilities. A rating system developed by Faithful and Gould, a real estate consultant, has determined the Chandler Center for the Arts, police headquarters and senior center each need millions of dollars’ worth of maintenance needs in the near future. Out of the 47 police stations, libraries and courthouses assessed around Chandler, Faithful determined 21 were in good condition, five were fair, and 21 were poor. None of the facilities were found to be unsafe nor were any recommended for demolition. If the city was to not make any maintenance investments over the next decade, Faithful predicts Chandler will have 36 buildings fall into poor condition and one – the senior center – may deteriorate enough to make it unusable. Faithful defines “poor” as a building nearing the end of its useful or service-

able life and “fair” as a facility subject to wear but still serviceable. Dean Leonard, Faithful’s technical director, said his firm’s assessment should be interpreted as a roadmap for how the city might want to prioritize infrastructure needs over the next few years. “It’s about creating knowledge and insight about facilities in order to make decisions,” he said. In an uncertain era like the COVID-19 crisis, Leonard added, cities across Arizona will need more data to figure out how to meet their maintenance needs without eating too much into their budgets. “Everybody’s still trying to get their arms around what budgets look like – what the new normal looks like,” he said. For example, the Arizona Department of Transportation canceled a slew of improvement projects across the state after revenue projections showed it would lose tens of millions of dollars to fund them. Faithful estimates Chandler will need to spend $65 million over the next 10 years in order to keep its highly-utilized See

BUILDINGS on page 10

Early ballots likely are – or soon will be – in the hands of many Chandler voters and it’s a good thing. They’ll need some time to wade through a rafter of names and offices up for grabs in the Nov. 3 General Election. Under a ruling issued last week by a federal judge, people who haven’t yet registered to vote can now do so until Oct. 23 as long as their registration applications are received by 5 p.m. In Chandler, people can register by going to recorder.maricopa.gov/elections/ registrationform or iwillvote.com. Beyond the marquee race for President and the hotly contested fight for the last two years of the late U.S. Sen. John McCain’s seat, there are judges to sort through, county offices at stake, two school board races and the battle for two House and one Senate seat in Legislative District 17 – which includes most of south Chandler. And if that’s not enough, there are two controversial initiatives, one that would legalize recreational marijuana and the other that would impose a surcharge on the state income taxes paid by single filers earning more than $250,000 annually and couples earning

more than $500,000 a year. The county is expecting a historic turnout. The 2008 General Election had the highest turnout at 79.76 percent and participation on record. “We just surpassed 2.5 million registered voters, which is the highest number ever recorded in Maricopa County,” said elections spokeswoman Megan Gilbertson. To accommodate the anticipated uptick of voters, the County Recorder is expanding access through a Vote Center model where voters can choose from any voting location than at one assigned site. The department also is adding new, drive-thru drop boxes in the parking lots of sport stadiums across the county from Oct. 24 to Nov. 3. To find sites and hours of operation, go to Locations.Maricopa.Vote. According to officials, close to 78 percent of Maricopa County’s 2.5 million registered voters have already requested a ballot in the mail. Before COVID-19, the county elections plan estimated about 2 million voters would cast a ballot in November with approximately 211,000 to 313,000 of those voters turning out in-person on Election Day.

F E AT U R E STO R I E S Study says city needs more recreation facilities . . COMMUNITY . . . . .Page 10 Chandler Chamber honors individuals . . . . . . . . . . . BUSINESS . . . . . . . . Page 31 Chandler brothers on the gridiron. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SPORTS . . . . . . . . Page 37 Couple wants to 'cure stupidity' . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NEIGHBORS . . . . . Page 44 Local artist wins Grand Canyon award . . . . . . . . . . . ARTS . . . . . . . . . . Page 50

See

ELEX on page 3

More Community . . . 1-30 Business . . . . . . 31-35 Sports . . . . . . . 37-40 Opinion . . . . . . . . 42 Neighbors . . 44-48 Arts . . . . . . . . . 50-53 Faith . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Directory . . . . 55-56 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

COMMUNITY NEWS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | OCTOBER 11, 2020

CUSD to post COVID-19 cases in schools BY KEVIN REAGAN Staff Writer

Five cases of the COVID-19 virus have been confirmed at Chandler Unified elementary schools since campuses started reopening three weeks ago. Data posted online shows Sanborn, Conley and Auxier elementary schools have all reported cases of the contagious virus among its students and staff after resuming in-person classes on Sept. 14. The district has decided to publicly disclose which schools have confirmed cases of COVID-19 by publishing data each week on the CUSD website. The move follows a similar one by Gilbert Public Schools and, like GPS, Chandler Unified will only report the number of cases without distinguishing between students and staff to protect individuals’ privacy. Although schools are obligated to report suspected cases of COVID-19 to their local health department, county and state officials have refrained from identifying which schools have had confirmed cases of the virus. Instead, they’ve given districts the option of deciding whether or not the information will be disclosed. Many districts and charter schools have avoided public disclosure of

COVID-19 cases, often opting to only notifying students who came into contact with an infected person. CUSD is listing the number of at each of its 42 campuses through a dashboard grid on its website. District spokesman Terry Locke said CUSD opted for transparency in order to gain the community’s trust during an uncertain time. “We are providing a sense of partnership with our families as we do everything we can to keep our facilities safe,” he said. Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman recently called upon districts and health agencies to share which schools have had cases of COVID-19 in order to keep rumor mills from getting out of control. “Having detailed communications protocols in place – and making them publicly available – can help provide some level of certainty in these very uncertain times,” Hoffman said. She added that greater transparency was needed because “while we can’t control every rumor that goes through a school, we – as school leaders – should prioritize consistent and transparent communication.” Health officials are offering the total number of school-related COVID-19 cases across Maricopa County, but have

declined to narrow the data down to a district level. County officials have often cited privacy concerns as a reason to not disclose specific information on where COVID-19 cases are being reported. Multiple media outlets have spent months suing government agencies to reveal which nursing homes have had COVID-19 cases after one Chandler facility had a slew of COVID-related deaths back in April. Chandler Unified will report a confirmed COVID-19 case on its online dashboard after classmates of infected students are notified. Classmates or teachers who have been within six feet of the infected student for at least a 10-minute span of time will be asked to quarantine for two weeks. CUSD will start adding the district’s middle and high schools to its data dashboard next week after in-person learning resumes at secondary schools on Oct. 13. The online data only lists “active” cases of the virus, which CUSD defines as an individual who has not yet been cleared by a school nurse of no longer having COVID-19 symptoms. Once a student or employee is cleared, their case is removed from the dashboard. The district doesn’t require infected students to prove they’ve tested

negative for COVID-19 before they’re allowed to return to class, said Health Services Director Lyndsay Hartley, because CUSD is restricted with what it can demand of families. “We cannot ask the parents to get them a test,” Hartley told the CUSD school board last month. “We can’t truly make them tell us.” The district will encourage parents to be transparent about the health status of their children, she added, and monitor the health of the student’s classmates to ensure a COVID-19 outbreak doesn’t take place. Regardless of any testing results, Hartley said CUSD will bring in county and state health officials if it suspects a school might have an outbreak consisting of more than one infected student. In that scenario, she said the county health officials would offer guidance on how to proceed with mitigating the virus’s spread. Any student displaying a COVID-related symptom at school will be sent home and may have to quarantine for several days, Hartley said, because the district can’t be sure whether the student is infected until they’re tested. “Without a test, you really can’t know whether they’re positive or negative for COVID,” she added.

Chandler athlete leads ASU vote drive BY ZACH ALVIRA Sports Editor

Arizona State softball player Olivia Miller, a Chandler native and Corona del Sol grad, is trying to ensure Arizona State University athletes and staff vote Nov. 3. The 20-year-old outfielder has been on a mission to register all of ASU’s athletes and staff since February, when she discovered only a small percentage of ASU athletes were registered. “I would say based on the conversations I had with people, only about five percent of athletes and staff were registered at ASU,” Miller said. “It was kind of disheartening. “We as athletes have an opportunity to use our platform to make a difference and letting our voices be heard at the polls is where it starts.” Miller shared her plan with members of Sun Devil Athletics’ administration, who helped set it in motion shortly before the pandemic forced classes online and canceled all sports, including her softball season. After the death of George Floyd in Minnesota, Miller put her initiative into high gear with the help of Sun Devil Athletics, the Andrew Goodman Foundation and the university as a whole. In late September, Miller took additional steps in an effort to have all athletes registered. “All of 2020 in all of its glory pushed me to make me realize something needs to change,” Miller said. “I don’t think voting is the only solution by any means, but at the end of the day, we have to start somewhere.

Chandler native and Arizona State softball player Olivia Miller took it upon herself to register as many Sun Devil athletes and staff to vote in an initiative she started in February. (Courtesy Sun Devil Athletics)

“If there is one thing from this crazy year you want to change,” she added, “I guarantee there is a position you can vote for.” Miller said her family always stressed the importance of voting in every election. At a young age, she believed it was something all U.S. citizens do when they turn 18. But as she got older, she realized voting was a choice many of her peers ignored. When Miller turned 17, her grandmother, Kimberly Carr, helped her and a couple of her friends register to vote. Miller said Carr has been a poll worker for Maricopa County for several years and has shared her interest in

politics with the rest of the family. Additionally, Miller’s aunts are also deeply engulfed in politics. One even quit her job in an effort to work in an election. However, after the pandemic hit, she wasn’t able to be hired. Instead, she’s volunteered. Miller said they’ve had several conversations about the upcoming election. But most importantly, they’ve highlighted why it is so important to vote. “A lot of the things her and I talk about is why it is so important to get young people, at least at ASU, to register,” Miller said. “There isn’t enough time to be complacent.

“A lot of people say what is going on doesn’t affect them or they don’t like the candidates, I hear that a lot and I understand. But at this point in time, there’s no ignoring it. Even if it isn’t directly affecting you, it’s constantly in your face and affecting someone you know.” Miller said she believes the number of student-athletes and staff registered to vote increased from her estimate of five percent to nearly 85 percent. Miller’s initiative didn’t go unnoticed. Her call to action echoed across the country, with other college programs jumping on board to encourage athletes to vote. Miller said fellow Pac-12 school UCLA registered all of its athletes and staff, while several college football programs took time to register all of their athletes. Additionally, the NCAA Division I Council passed legislation to give all athletes the first Tuesday in November off every year in order to vote – in cluding this Nov. 3. Beyond Arizona State athletics, Miller said several people she hasn’t spoken to in years have reached out to her about her initiative – including many of her former teammates at Corona del Sol who said they registered after witnessing her effort at ASU. Miller said she never expected for her initiative to make as much of an impact as it has. “I definitely did not expect to get nearly as many people registered to vote as I did,” Miller said, “and I know I’ve had a reach larger than just the athletic program. “I didn’t realize it would go as far as it did.”

COMMUNITY NEWS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | OCTOBER 11, 2020

Jack Sellers

ELEX

Jevin Hodge

Ajlan A.J. Kurdoglu

Liz Harris

tion as voters decide who will fill three openings on the Corporation Commission, which, among other things, over-

from page 1

Voters will have the choice of returning their early ballot by mail by Oct. 27 or dropping it off at any Vote Center or secure ballot drop box by 7 p.m. on Election Day. Voters can find out where to vote, see what’s on their ballot, sign up to vote by mail and more by going to BeBallotReady.Vote. Voters have until Oct. 24 to request an early ballot. Most voting centers and drop-off locations will open later this month and a full list can be found at recorder.maricopa.gov/pollingplace. On the federal front, besides the Trump-Biden and McSally-Kelly battles, Chandler voters also will be deciding whether incumbent Democrat and former Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton or Gilbert businessman Dave Giles should represent them in Congress. There is also one statewide elec-

We just surpassed 2.5 “ million registered voters,

which is the highest number ever recorded in Maricopa County.

”

– Megan Gilbertson sees electricity rates. (See page 14) But that’s just the beginning of voters’ decision making. Here’s a look at what else awaits.

State Legislature

The battle in Legislative District 17, which includes much of Chandler, Sun Lakes and a piece of Gilbert has partic-

Jennifer Pawlik

ular significance: Even though Republicans hold registration lead of 58,277 to 48,078 Democrats, the district’s 51,674 registered independents likely will have an impact on whether the district will flip from red to blue. Democrats have targeted incumbent Republican Sen. J.D. Mesnard, who is seeking a second term in the Senate and trying to fend off a challenge by furniture store owner Ajlan “A.J.” Kurdoglu. The historically Republican district bled some blue two years ago when teacher Jennifer Pawlik scored a win. Pawlik is the only Democrat running for the two House seats in LD17 against Republican restaurateur Jeff Weninger and first-time candidate and Realtor Liz Harris. Pawlik has picked up the endorsements of both the Gilbert and Chandler Chambers of Commerce and, according to the latest campaign finance statements available, had built up a far bigger campaign war chest than Harris.

Jeff Weninger

J.D. Mesnard

Kurdoglu, a native of Turkey and an engineer with an MBA from the Thunderbird Graduate School of International Management, is the owner of the Homemart furniture and interior design store. He notes on his website that Mesnard lost to Democrat Steve Weichert in 2018 by one percentage point – a margin of 1,744 votes. But Mesnard is a seasoned politician and legislator who represented LD 17 for eight years in the House before he was termed out. In the House races, Weninger, a former two-term Chandler City Council member, is looking to win his fourth and last term before he’s termed out. He was the only candidate who did not appear in the Clean Elections Commission’s virtual debate last month. To get a better idea of the other four combatants' positions on issues, go to youtube.com/watch?v=KadZ9VC5Tns See

ELEX on page 5

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COMMUNITY NEWS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | OCTOBER 11, 2020

CUSD board candidates set out priorities BY KEVIN REAGAN Staff Writer

The three candidates on the ballot for Chandler Unified School District Governing Board have a range of priorities and goals they’d like to achieve if elected by the voters on Nov. 3. But a former CUSD teacher has her sights set on upending one of them with a write-in campaign of her own. Normally, the county would have canceled the board election if there were only three candidates for three seats – which is what happened in the Gilbert Public Schools Governing Board race. But Sharon Tuttle’s emergence as a write-in candidate means the election is on. The candidates on the ballot include: Joel Wirth, the district’s former chief financial officer; Jason Olive, an architect and parent of two CUSD students; and board President Barbara Mozdzen, who is seeking her fourth consecutive term. Longtime board members David Evans and Karen McGee declined to run for re-election this year – opening the door for some new voices to be added to a board that presides over one of Arizona’s largest school districts. Questions submitted by the SanTan Sun News to the candidates revealed a broad spectrum of concerns they have about CUSD as it continues to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. Class sizes, budget woes and unstable enrollment were mentioned

by all three candidates. Tuttle did not respond. Chandler Unified’s current board members have spent the last six months making tough decisions about how the district was going to react to the tumultuous pandemic. The uncertainty surrounding COVID-19 often resulted in a split among the five board members on when and how CUSD would reopen its 42 campuses. Each of the three board candidates on the ballot expressed anxiety over how CUSD would continue to navigate the pandemic-related chaos. Mozdzen, who voted to reopen, said her first priority for the next year will be making sure the district corrects any learning gaps students experienced while schools were closed. COVID-19 also created a multitude of social-emotional problems that may have interfered with students’ learning, she said. “Family situations could be unstable due to loss of employment, or long stretches of confinement, and this can impact the ability of children to focus on learning which will also have to be addressed,” Mozdzen said. Mozdzen also expressed apprehension about the district’s finances in the coming months. CUSD administrators have already estimated a budget loss of $21 million due to a recent dip in enrollment. “The pandemic has impacted our bud-

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get negatively this year,” Mozdzen said, “and declining enrollment due to build out and aging communities will impact our budget negatively in the future.” Wirth, who retired from the district in 2018, has concerns about school funding as well. He believes the district’s first priority in the near future should be to find additional revenue streams to supplement the district’s budget. CUSD administrators have said the projected budget loss has been due partly to a decline in usage of the district’s community and after-school programs, which were canceled during the pandemic. Wirth said he would like to see these community programs broadened to generate more revenue for CUSD. “I would greatly expand our community education program which provides services to students in the summer, offering all programs indoors,” he said. “These programs would include but not be limited to sports, academics, fine arts and personal enrichment.” Olive thinks the district should be preparing for a future that could include a major decline in enrollment. Although CUSD had been expecting to see a major boost to enrollment over the next decade – so much so the district built another high school to accommodate future growth – the district started this school year with 1,600 fewer students than expected. “Our district is not growing like it once

was so (we) will have to shift our mindset around what we are doing,” Olive said. “We can’t be caretakers here. We have to get ready for what is coming.” When asked about his thoughts on how CUSD handled the pandemic, Olive said the district’s online schooling wasn’t always effective or constructive for his own children. “I thought that the initial response from the district was not as good as it could have been,” he added. “My child did not do well in the spring. Since the summer, the online teaching has improved but it is not a good substitute for in-person learning.” Wirth thought CUSD did an “adequate” job responding to COVID-19 while Mozdzen admitted online learning did not work for many families. Before COVID-19, the school district was routinely called out for its response to issues involving equity, race and students’ mental health. CUSD began offering services that address their social-emotional needs of students and Mozdzen said she wants to see these services to continue. “Learning these skills positively impacts the ability to achieve in school, career, and life,” Mozdzen said. “Strong social/emotional skills have been shown to improve student achievement.” Tuttle, now an English Learners teacher for Casa Grande Elementary School District, See

BOARD on page 5

COMMUNITY NEWS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | OCTOBER 11, 2020

ELEX

from page 3

and watch the debate.

County races

The offices of Assessor, County Attorney, Treasurer, Superintendent of Schools and Recorder are all up for election. But the county race that may be of special interest to Chandler voters involves the contest for District 1 supervisor. Former Chandler Councilman and State Transportation Board member Jack Sellers is hoping to win a four-year term to the office he won by appointment in 2018. He filled remaining two years of Denny Barney’s term after he resigned to become president/CEO of the Phoenix East Valley Partnership. Hoping to deny Sellers that four-year term is Democrat Jevin Hodge, who would become Maricopa County’s first African-American supervisor if he wins. Hodge’s career experience includes working as the national engagement director for LINK Strategic Partners and as chair of the Booker T. Washington Child Development Center. He has served as a board member for Best Buddies Arizona and as an advisory board member for the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition.

BOARD

from page 4

touts her “proven track record of com-

Sellers is on the GPEC International Leadership Council, the Arizona-Mexico Commission and Arizona Sister Cities. Two women are vying to be the County Attorney. Republican Allister Adel was appointed by the county Board of Supervisors after Bill Montgomery as named to the Arizona Supreme Court. She is facing a challenge from Democratic challenger Julie Gunnigle and both candidates are promising criminal justice system reforms.

an at-large seat on the seven-member community college board but Chandler voters also will be asked to choose their district representative to the panel. The District 1 community college fight is between incumbent Laurin Hendrix, who just won a two-year seat on the Gilbert Town Council – he is allowed to hold both offices – and Jacqueline Smith, the vice president at the ASU Foundation for a New American University.

Weed and taxes

The race to fill three seats on the Chandler Unified Governing Board has three candidates o the ballot and a write-in effort. (See story on page 4). The oft-ignored governing board for the Maricopa County Community College District features two races that Chandler voters will be weighing in on. Ahwatukee educator Dr. Linda Thor, the former 20-year president of Rio Salado College, is facing former Queen Creek cosmetology instructor Shelli Boggs, who has gained some notoriety for posing for photos with a semi-automatic assault rifle. Boggs also served on the governing board of the East Valley Institute of Technology. Boggs and Thor race are vying for

Votes also will decide the fate of two propositions. The Smart and Safe Arizona Act, or Proposition 207, would legalize the possession and recreational use of marijuana for adults and impose a 16.0 percent tax on sales. (See page 12) According to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee, the proposition would generate an estimated annual $166 million in revenue from tax and licensing fees. Supporters include former Gov. John Fife Symington, Arizona Attorneys for Criminal Justice and Arizona Dispensaries Association. There were more groups opposed to the measure, which include Gov. Doug Ducey, the Yavapai County Attorney, the National Drug and Alcohol Screening

mended performance” as an educator. She describes herself on her website as “a staunch advocate for equity and social justice measures that affect the well-being of students, families, staff

and school systems. She also has worked with Stand Up Speak Up Save A Life, a nonprofit that addresses teen suicide and the issues that lead to it, and worked on the Ar-

Education candidates

Association, Saddle Mountain Unified School District in Litchfield Park, U.S. Rep. Debbie Lesko, R-Peoria, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Proposition 208, or the Invest in Education Act, would impose a tax on part of the income of high earners to help pay for teacher salaries, classroom support staff salaries teacher mentoring and retention programs and other education programs. (See page 14) If passed, a 3.5 percent surcharge would be added to the existing income tax of 4.5 percent for single filers earning over $250,000 a year and couples earning over $500,000 annually. Only the income over those amounts would be subject to the tax. The Joint Legislative Committee estimated the new surcharge would generate $827 million a year. Those that support the proposition include the Gilbert Education Association, Higley Education Association, Children’s Action Alliance, United for Education and Mesa Education Association. Opponents include Ducey, state Treasurer Kimberly Yee, Goldwater Institute, Arizona Tax Research Association, Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Greater Phoenix Chamber and Arizona Small Business Association.

izona Education Association’s Ethnic Minority Leadership Task Force, according to her LinkedIn web page. She taught in CUSD from 2016-19.

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COMMUNITY NEWS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | OCTOBER 11, 2020

High court denies eviction ban appeal BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

The state’s high court won’t overturn the order by Gov. Doug Ducey blocking residential evictions. In a brief order last week, the justices spurned a request by the Arizona Multihousing Association to determine if the governor could legally stop landlords from ousting tenants who have not been paying their rent because of COVID-19. The ruling does not resolve the legal claims by the landlord group about the scope of the governor’s emergency powers. That would take a full-blown trial, something that could take weeks, if not months. In fact, that’s exactly what the order signed by Chief Justice Robert Brutinel suggested. But it does mean that Ducey’s order, originally issued in March, will remain undisturbed through at least the end of October when it is scheduled to expire – assuming the governor does not extend it as he did in July. Courtney Gilstrap LeVinus, president of the landlord group, pronounced herself “shocked and disappointed’’ that the high court won’t hear the case. She said the ruling will have consequences not only for those who own rental properties but for the whole economy. “We can fully expect to see a rental home foreclosure avalanche in the

months to come, or certainly in the beginning of 2021,” LeVinus said. The only relief, she said, could come from $100 million that is supposed to be used for eviction relief. But LeVinus said only about $18 million has actually been distributed since the pandemic began. There was no immediate comment

natorial directive is violating both the property rights of landowners as well as their right to enter into contracts. In seeking review, the landlords acknowledged that the governor can exercise certain powers in a public health emergency but said unilaterally barring landlords from enforcing

The federal Centers for Disease Control and “ Prevention has warned that homeless shelters are often crowded, making social distancing difficult, and that homeless can exacerbate and amplify the spread of COVID-19.

from the governor on either the order or whether he intends to let it expire as scheduled at the end of the month. But even if the justices had taken up the case and overruled the governor, it would have had no immediate effect. Last month the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued its own anti-eviction order which runs through the end of the year. The landlords claim the governor lacks the constitutional authority to tell constables around the state not to process eviction orders, even those issued legally by judges. They also contend that the guber-

’’

the terms of lawful lease agreements created “an indefinite economic welfare and redistribution program, rather than a public health measure to contain the COVID-19 contagion.’’ The way the landlords figure it, by the time the order expires – assuming it is not renewed – it will have been 221 days that tenants have not had to pay rent. Economist Elliott Pollack, in a study done for the Arizona Multihousing Association, figures that if just 1 percent of the more than 919,000 Arizona households who rent did not make payments over a seven-month period that means a loss of more than $67.7 million.

Take that rent-withholding figure to 15 percent, he said, and the foregone revenues top $1 billion. Pollack said there also is a ripple effect as landlords cannot pay their employees, contractors and suppliers. But the issue before the court dealt only with the legal questions. Ducey said there is a direct link between his order and public health. “The fight against evictions is key in slowing the spread of the virus,’’ wrote Brett Johnson, the private attorney retained by the governor to defend him in all the litigation over the COVID-19 restrictions he has imposed. “The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has warned that homeless shelters are often crowded, making social distancing difficult, and that homeless can exacerbate and amplify the spread of COVID-19.’’ In a hearing earlier this year on a separate challenge to the governor’s order, Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Christopher Coury the evidence “demonstrates reality that Arizona leaders and the general population perceived COVID-19 to be an emergent problem and a virus to which swift and urgent attention was required.’’ The lawyers in that case are seeking review by the state Court of Appeals. But they also asked the Supreme Court to bypass that step and consider the case now, something the justices refused to do.

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SPECIAL ED

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special education teacher. Although Andersen thought seven hours was an “inadequate” amount of weekly instruction, she figured it was better than nothing and gave CUSD another pass. But Andersen is close to running out of patience with the school district. After the CUSD Governing Board narrowly voted to allow elementary students to come back to school in September, Andersen could no longer keep her frustrations to herself. The board’s decision notably left out middle and high school students, who have had to wait until Oct. 13 to return to campus. Andersen felt her son – who is starting his first year at Perry High School – could not wait another month. She began writing letters to administrators asking why special education students couldn’t come back sooner. “It was frustrating to me that my son was kind of disregarded,” the mother said. “It’s been really difficult because he needs full one-on-one attention all the time.” Chandler Unified has had to contend with several dilemmas over the last six months as it navigated the challenges of trying to figure virtually educate 46,000 students learning at home. Parents have been demanding for months to have the schools reopen and some have gone so far as to threaten to pull their child out of CUSD if the

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | OCTOBER 11, 2020

district didn’t comply. But parents like Jane Andersen can’t simply take her son to a private school. It costs up to $37,000 to enroll in a school that could accommodate Mattie’s needs, Andersen said, and the deadline for families to seek a scholarship or a state voucher already expired. So, the Andersens have been left to wait until CUSD decided to welcome back students like Mattie to its high schools. Waiting an extra month may not

reopening the school.” Elisa Taylor, another CUSD parent, said she has not been satisfied with the district’s reasoning for not allowing special education students to return earlier. Her 13-year-old daughter Ari should be attending Payne Junior High, where she’s involved in several extracurricular activities. Despite Ari’s epilepsy and cerebral palsy, she is a social butterfly who loves being around her peers at school,

It was frustrating to me that my son was kind “ of disregarded, it’s been really difficult because he needs full one-on-one attention all the time. ”

– Jane Andersen

seem like much to other families, Andersen noted, but it can feel like an eternity for a 14-year-old who has been receiving very little meaningful educational engagement for months. Terry Locke, a spokesman for CUSD, said the special education issue is a matter of shuffling resources. CUSD considered bringing special education students back sooner at the high schools, but Locke said it would have been impossible while the majority of them were still learning at home. “While we were one of the first districts to provide special (education) services,” Locke said, “it would have been difficult to provide full-time special education classrooms without

Taylor said. The last six months have been particularly challenging for Ari, her mother said, because unlike her siblings, Ari is physically confined to the family’s home and cannot easily stay connected with people her own age. “She can’t just ride her bike down the street, go to a friend’s house, text somebody – it’s just not the same thing at all,” Taylor said. Online learning has turned out to be a daily struggle for Taylor and her daughter. Each week, the teenager receives a few hours of in-person instruction and completes one 45-minute virtual lesson.

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But Taylor said she feels Ari isn’t getting the same level of engagement out of virtual learning compared to her other children. Furthermore, Taylor has to assist her daughter through activities and assignments sent home by Ari’s teachers and the mother doesn’t always feel qualified to offer the best one-on-one instruction. “I’m not a teacher. I may be educated, but this is not my specialty,” Taylor said. “And she’s sick of working with me half the time.” Taylor said she had foolishly presumed that when students started going back to school on Sept. 14, her daughter would be among the first pupils to return. It wasn’t made clear the older special education students would have to wait until October, Taylor noted, so the news turned out to be devastating for her family. Another of Taylor’s children has already transferred to a charter school because she didn’t want to wait any longer for classroom instruction. Taylor hopes her other children won’t have to follow because she still values and appreciates public education. Like Taylor, Andersen doesn’t want to perceive CUSD as an enemy in this situation. Yet she feels compelled to bring attention to an injustice when she sees one. “I believe in public education and I love our school district,” Andersen said. “But when they’re wrong, I will let them know.”

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | OCTOBER 11, 2020

Chandler student aiding isolated elderly people

BY SRIANTHI PERERA Contributor

A kind heart and a great-grandmother propelled Anikka K. Jeffries on her career path in gerontology. The Chandler woman, who is studying social work at the Arizona State University, chose the subject after being her great-grandmother Mary Keenon’s main caregiver until she died at age 95 in 2018. She saw firsthand how elderly people become lonely in care homes. The situation has worsened considerably in the age of the Covid-19 pandemic, with virtual chats, window visits and restricted in-person visits becoming the norm. Now, she has created a pen pal program that enables individuals in care homes and hospice houses to communicate with others via letters. “Many of them do not have family visits very often,” Jeffries said. “I like to hope that these letters brighten their day and that they feel like they have a support system surrounding them.” Jeffries, who graduated from the Chandler private high-school called Tri-City Christian Academy, reached out to more than 25 care facilities and heard back from four nursing homes and one hospice. She posted on Facebook asking for people who are interested in becoming a pen pal with an elderly person and heard from more than 150 individuals. She chose 100 because she felt she could only deal with that many. In

Left: Anikka K Jeffries created a pen pal program that enables lonesome elderly to communicate with individuals via letters. (Srianthi Perera/Contributor) Right: Anikka K Jeffries with her late great-grandmother, Mary Keenon. (Srianthi Perera)

matching them she is careful not to offend or upset anyone. “I asked the elderly person and the writer what their likes, hobbies, and interests were. I try to match everyone with someone they would actually like talking to. I also do not want to match someone who is against politics or religion with someone who is very into those things,” she said. So far, she has paired around 50, taking time from her busy student schedule to work about an hour a day.

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Jeffries said she was surprised at the number of replies she got in response to her post on Facebook. Most people who replied were between 30 to 50 years of age and a few of the younger individuals had their kids participate. “A lot of them commented that they had older relatives pass away that they were close to and were wanting to connect with someone that would remind them of that person,” Jeffries said. According to a 2016 report from

National Institute on Aging, America’s 65-and-over population is projected to nearly double over the next three decades, from 48 million to 88 million by 2050. The report also noted that people are living longer, but that does not necessarily mean that they are living healthier. Jeffries understands that communication is key to a better aging process. Her great-grandmother died of LewyBody Dementia after being in in-home hospice for the last year of her life. With help from her grandmother and mom, Jeffries she brought her from Globe to Mesa so they could take care of her better. With help of nurses and CNAs, Jeffries took care of her until she passed. “She and I were best friends and she is the main reason I choose to go into social work,” she said. Jeffries plans to graduate in summer 2021 and go on to a master’s in gerontology. For leisure, she plays the piano, sings and entertains her friends in the backyard. She loves to travel and Greece is high up on her list of places to visit. “I like to learn about other cultures and attend many events pertaining to that,” she said. She also cares for a Great Dane puppy named Tinsel. To help with this project, you may contact Anikka Jeffries at akjeffri@asu.edu.

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BUILDINGS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | OCTOBER 11, 2020

Other facilities – like the Tumbleweed Tennis Center and the Chandler Museum – are estimated to need fewer and cheaper improvements valued at about $100,000. City Manager Marsha Reed said Chandler’s current budget has dedicated $1.1 million for facility improvements across the city – an amount that’s subject to change each year when City Council passes a budget. Faithful’s assessment was imperative to understanding the lifespan of Chandler’s aging buildings, Reed added, and will hopefully help the city invest its resources wisely. “We will be having a lot more conversations around all of this as we start moving into a budget process later on into next year,” she said. Some council members are wondering how to factor the pandemic’s

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facilities serviceable to the public. About $28 million of those needs should be addressed within the next couple years, according to Faithful’s analysis. The Center for the Arts, which was built in the late 1980s, and the main police station are said to each need more than $6.5 million in improvements over the next decade – the most expensive needs among the buildings assessed around Chandler. Some expenditures these two facilities need include roofing, carpeting, plumbing and fixtures. The main library, community center, City Hall parking garage and public works building will each need between $3-4 million to maintain upkeep.

and ask voters to let Chandler obtain bond funding for infrastructure needs. Bonds provide about 52 percent of the city’s funding for its capital improvement projects and city officials have recently said Chandler can’t finance some needs without a bond election. “Without them, our ability to add new capital or maintain existing capital would be extremely limited,” Dawn Lang, the city’s management services director, said earlier this year. The passage of a bond election doesn’t automatically add more to the city’s debt or raise property taxes, Lang added, and are generally considered a sound option for maintaining a city’s financial health. The council recently created a committee of citizens to study the feasibility of holding a bond election.

impact into the findings of Faithful’s assessment. Because so many of Chandler’s employees have spent the last six months working from home, they want to know if some of the city’s buildings could become obsolete or unneeded in the near future. It may be a difficult question to answer, said Vice Mayor Rene Lopez, since the entire work environment and landscape has radically changed due to the pandemic. “We have a lot more remote (workers) but now those in the office require more space because of social distancing,” said Lopez, who called on city officials to conduct a study on space utilization at the city’s buildings. Furthermore, Faithful’s assessment may come up again as the city decides whether to hold an election next year

Study sees rec needs in west, SE Chandler BY KEVIN REAGAN Staff Writer

Chandler’s western and southeastern regions need more recreational facilities to meet projected population growth in the near future, according to a recent city needs assessment. A lack of gyms and indoor facilities in certain parts of the city has prompted planners to recommend the addition of at least 157,000 square-feet of new recreational space across Chandler.

Due to the aging status of Chandler’s other indoor recreational centers, the city has spent the last few months studying the need for new programming and the feasibility of constructing new facilities. The study’s authors determined the city’s southeast region, which stretches from the Loop 202 San Tan Freeway to Hunt Highway, will see “extreme” population growth of 53 percent over the next 15 years. West Chandler neighborhoods,

“I’m just struggling with that,” Mayor Kevin Hartke said. “I mean if we come up with a 20, 30-percent total – to me that’s about tapping us out.” And these regions are not completely vacant of any recreational spaces, as the west and southeast neighborhoods currently have access to some private fitness centers. The city’s north and southwest regions have considerably more options

which are located west of the Loop 101 Price Freeway, are projected to grow by about 24 percent. “There was a lack of comparable facilities in the west and southeast that indicates a new facility in either of those locations would be well attended,” the study concluded. Some city officials are skeptical of the study’s population projections since Chandler is already approaching build-out and is running out of developable land.

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | OCTOBER 11, 2020

Opponents say marijuana prop a mineﬁeld BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

The way Lisa James sees it, Proposition 207 is not about whether people should be able to use marijuana. She said if Arizonans want that there’s a simple solution: Repeal the laws that now make its sale and use illegal. But James, who chairs Arizonans for Health and Public Safety – which opposes the initiative – said that’s not what’s on the ballot. “If they wanted to do that, they could do that in a page and a half,’’ she said. James said it’s a complex set of regulations on 17 pages that is financed by for-profit organizations that will benefit if it wins approval. Prop 207 also has drawn the opposition of the Catholic church and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Chad Campbell, chairman of Smart and Safe Arizona, the industry-financed campaign which crafted and is backing the measure, does not dispute that there’s a of detail on all those pages beyond making it legal to possess up to an ounce of the drug and up to six plants. But he said that is necessary to ensure that marijuana is properly controlled, that there are limits on how it can be marketed and, potentially more significant, that it generates the esti-

Thousands of Arizonans sign petitions to get the marijuana initiative on the ballot. The petitions were dropped off at the Secretary of State’s office earlier this year. (file photo)

na facilities. mated $300 million a year earmarked James said it changes the laws for for education. What’s not necessary, said James, are medical marijuana dispensaries – such as removing the existing requirement some other provisions tucked into the that medical marijuana dispensaries be measure. operated as nonprofit entities. For example, it allows these new is pleased to introduce That was one of the selling points recreational marijuana shops to share premises with existing medical marijua- behind the 2010 measure that legalized

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marijuana for certain medical conditions. Prop 207 also eliminates the requirement for dispensaries to have a medical director. Campbell dismissed those concerns as irrelevant. He said even if medical marijuana now would be sold by those seeking a profit, that won’t necessarily boost the cost. “It will be market-driven,’’ Campbell said, calling medical directors unnecessary because the initiative includes requirements for testing as well as limits on the strength of edible marijuana products. There is no cap on the concentration of tetrahydrocannabinol – the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana – in the leaves and flowers that are sold. As much as James says the 17-page initiative is too chock full of provisions versus simple decriminalization, there also are more restrictions that she actually wants in the measure. There’s the issue of advertising and promotion. The measure would not only prohibit sales to those younger than 21 but also ban the sale of products that resemble humans, animals, fruits, toys or cartoons. And it specifically bans marketing marijuana products to children.

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | OCTOBER 11, 2020

Gov. Doug Ducey, seen here at his reelection celebration in 2018, benefited from corporate donations to his campaign through several legal financial maneuvers. (file photo)

State court OKs ‘dark money’ campaign gifts BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

The state Court of Appeals has reinstated a 2017 law that opens the door to “dark money’’ contributions to political races. In a unanimous decision last week, the judges said the Republican-controlled legislature was within its rights to decide that any group the Internal Revenue Service has classified as non-profit does not have to disclose its donors – even if it uses the money to finance independent expenditures to elect or defeat candidates. That change overturned the ability of the voter-created Citizens Clean Elections Commission to determine whether the group was really a charity or only a thinly disguised political action committee. PACs have to disclose donors. The ruling also allows political parties to spend unlimited dollars on behalf of their candidates without disclosure. It also means that individuals and special interests can pay the legal fees of candidates without it counting against the legal limit of how much financial help they can provide. But there was a key victory in the ruling for the Arizona Advocacy Network, which had challenged the law. The judges said lawmakers had no right to limit Clean Elections Commission to policing only independent expenditures made on behalf of candidates who are accepting public financing. This preserves the right of the five-member commission to require disclosure of all money spent on all candidates – publicly financed or not – even if they can no longer force reporting of the original source of those dollars. Appellate Judge David Gass said voters were well within their authority in giving that broad right to the commission to police independent expenditures. And having been approved by voters, lawmakers were powerless to

change it. The ruling is a reversal of fate for the challengers, who had succeeded in convincing a trial judge to void the entire 2017 law. Attorney Jim Barton said no decision has been made on whether to appeal. The commission was created by voters in 1998 as part of what proponents said was a bid to limit the influence of money on politics. It allows – but does not require – candidates for statewide and legislative office to qualify for public financing if they agree not to take outside cash. The amount is determined by the office sought. It also empowers the commission to enforce campaign finance laws. When business groups which have traditionally funded many candidates could not kill it at the ballot box, they sued to have it voided. Most of the provisions were upheld in a case that went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. The latest fight stems from efforts in 2017 by then-Rep. J.D. Mesnard, R-Chandler, to curb both the commission’s powers and campaign finance restrictions. He argued that existing laws requiring disclosure of donors interfered with the rights of free speech and people to participate in the political process with their dollars without giving up their right or privacy. And his measure paid special attention to the ability of people to contribute anonymously for independent expenditures, money spent directly by organizations in commercials, direct mailers or other campaign materials urging voters to support or defeat specific candidates Mesnard’s measure was approved on a largely party-line vote and signed into law by Gov. Doug Ducey. Now, once the IRS grants nonprofit status, the commission is powerless to investigate the validity of the charity and the names of donors are kept See

DARK on page 15

COMMUNITY NEWS

Marquez Peterson

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | OCTOBER 11, 2020

Mundell

O’connor

Sloan

Stanﬁeld

Tovar

Corporation Commission hopefuls clash at debate BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

The three Republicans running to become state utility regulators are warning that putting Democrats in charge of the regulatory panel would turn Arizona into California. And they don’t mean that in a good way. At a recent debate, all three criticized the self-named “solar team’’ of Democrats Bill Mundell, Anna Tovar and Shea Stanfield would mean higher rates as consumers are forced to buy what they contend is more expensive power from renewable resources, just as what has happened in California. “I am a free-market capitalist,’’ said Jim O’Connor. He said that the added costs borne by utilities to purchase power from wind,

solar, geothermal and other renewable sources is passed on to consumers, complete with utilities even taking a markup. “It’s a fantasy to believe that there’s some company with an endless pot of gold that can pick up the check for all this social redistribution,’’ O’Connor said. “Any time the commission mandates or subsidizes something, Arizonans end up paying more for something than they should have,’’ said Eric Sloan, estimating the current requirement for utilities to purchase more solar power has cost ratepayers $1.2 billion. Lea Marquez Peterson, the lone incumbent seeking one of the three open seats, said she sees the issue through a different lens. She said California has vigorously forced utilities to move away from fossil fuels and that that led to rolling black-

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outs this summer and utilities there trying to buy power from Arizona utilities. Democrats have their own arguments. On the financial side, Bill Mundell, who was a commissioner for nearly a decade until 2009 – and a Republican at the time – argued that the mandates that he helped approve at the time have saved $2 billion. The key, he said, is encouraging things like rooftop solar. “You don’t have to build big, gigantic new fossil fuel plants, you don’t have to build transmission lines,’’ Mundell said, noting utilities can legally pass new construction costs to ratepayers. Anna Tovar said making the state the “solar capital’’ of the nation “will be a win-win situation.’’ “It will create a new economy with green jobs ... that will be creating the thousands of jobs that we desperately

need,’’ she said. Shea Stanfield took her own swipe at utilities, saying they don’t appear interested in clean and affordable energy and that’s why they need to be “strongly encouraged with mandates and standards and held accountable for steps to get to those mandates.’’ Some of the debate about current and potential mandates could end up being academic. In a recent ruling, the Arizona Supreme Court appears to have narrowed the legal role of the commission strictly to setting rates. That could undermine the existing requirement by the commission that utilities generate 15 percent of their power from renewable sources by 2025. And it also would call into quesSee

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COMMUNITY NEWS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | OCTOBER 11, 2020

WEED

from page 12

James said that’s not enough. She wants to block promotion of marijuana ways that children can see. “They could have restricted their access on social media, for instance,’’ she said, saying youngsters are spending a lot of time on the internet. She conceded there is no such ban on promoting alcohol or tobacco. But James said that is irrelevant. “I can see a lot of things on the internet,’’ she said. “But that doesn’t mean I want to see more of them.’’ There’s also the issue of driving while drugged. The initiative spells out that it remains illegal to operate a motor vehicle, boat or aircraft “while impaired to even the slightest degree.’’ Only thing is, there is currently no technology, similar to a breath test, to determine the level of THC in someone’s blood. Even if such a device becomes available, there is no standard in the initiative to say that a specific THC level is a presumption of driving impaired, the way someone with a blood-alcohol

DARK

from page 13

secret. In the 2018 election, for example, the Arizona Republican Party ran TV commercials on behalf of the reelection efforts of Ducey and Attorney General

level is presumed to be driving drunk. Then there’s the issue of how Proposition 207 is structured. It limits the number of recreational marijuana facilities that can be set up. Campbell said Arizonans don’t want a situation like Denver where recreational outlets have popped up all over the city. But it pretty much guarantees that the operators of existing medical marijuana dispensaries will get one of the new licenses. “This is about big marijuana money and a whole commercial industry,’’ James said. That provision, in turn, helps explain why virtually all of the $3.5 million collected to hire the paid circulators to put the issue on the ballot and finance the campaign came from companies that already have marijuana facilities in the state. If the state simply decriminalized marijuana possession and use, those exclusive licenses to sell the product would be worthless. But Campbell said it makes sense to have some controls and make it safe. For example, he said, there are product standards and testing. And there even are some restrictions on how it can be marketed to ensure that ads are not targeting those younger than 21 for whom the drug would remain off limits.

“The entire point of this is to create a safe regulatory environment for the use of this product in a responsible manner,’’ Campbell said. He compared it to how the state regulates the sale of alcohol. There is a bit of a parallel there. Aside from age restrictions, Arizona limits the number of licenses for bars. But there are no limits on how many restaurants can serve alcoholic beverages. And there are no caps on the number of grocery and convenience stores that can sell alcoholic beverages. “Voters don’t want it to be unlimited,’’ Campbell said of retail marijuana outlets. He did not dispute that the operators of the existing 130 medical marijuana dispensaries would get first crack at the licenses for recreational sale of marijuana. But Campbell pointed out there also is a requirement to give out 26 new licenses under a “social equity’’ program to help those who are from communities “disproportionately impacted by the enforcement of previous marijuana laws.’’ And there are provisions for added dispensaries as population grows. The initiative does have some options for local control. It allows cities and counties in unin-

corporated areas to limit the number of retail outlets and marijuana testing facilities, regulate their hours of operation and outright prohibit both. But restrictions on recreational facilities cannot be more restrictive than those imposed on medical dispensaries. And there can’t be new restrictions on recreational marijuana outlets if they’re operated at the same location as an existing medical marijuana outlet – something that again gives an advantage to those already on the ground. Prop 207 also sets up a procedure for anyone who has previously been convicted of drug possession to have the criminal record wiped out. The arguments by foes that this isn’t a simple repeal of laws making it a crime to possess marijuana still leaves the fact that it is the only proposal on the November ballot to allow adults to use the drug for recreational purposes. James sidestepped the question of whether she and others who oppose this measure would support simple decriminalization. “I think that you would see differences of opinion,’’ she said. “There are some people who are fine with decriminalization,’’ James said. “But Prop 207 is not the way to do it.’’

Mark Brnovich. But the actual amount they spent on behalf of each was never reported because of the exemption created in the 2017 law. This became particularly significant because Ducey raised money not only directly for his own campaign but also took corporate and large-dollar contri-

butions that he could not legally accept personally and funneled it into a separate Ducey Victory Fund committee. Any dollars Ducey could not keep himself then were given to the Arizona Republican Party which, in turn, was free to use it to help the governor’s reelection, all without detailing how

much was spent on his behalf. The Arizona Democratic Party also put $3.3 million into the successful effort to elect Katie Hobbs as secretary of state. But that figure became public after iVote, which promotes the election of Democrat secretaries of state, put out a press release detailing the expenditure.

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COMMUNITY NEWS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | OCTOBER 11, 2020

Education tax debate focuses on classroom spending BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

Both sides of the debate on Proposition 208 appear to agree that the state is not spending enough on public education. But the outcome of the vote on whether to hike income taxes on the wealthiest Arizonans could come down to two issues: whether the money really winds up in the classroom and whether it’s fair or economically sound to have the burden borne by the top 4 percent of earners. On paper, the initiative lists how the cash raised will be divided is fairly specific: Half the estimated $940 million that proponents say would be raised is for schools to hire teachers and classroom support personnel, such as librarians, nurses, counselors and coaches. Those dollars also could be used for raises. Another quarter would be for support services personnel, including classroom aides, security personnel, food service and transportation. There’s 12 percent for grants for career and technical education program and 10 percent for mentoring and retaining new teachers in the classroom. And the last 3 percent goes to the Arizona Teachers Academy to provide tuition grants for those who go into education. “This money goes directly to school

districts and it very specifically says what the money can be used for,’’ said David Lujan, director of the Arizona Center for Economic Progress who helped craft the measure. “It cannot be used on administrative costs,’’ Lujan said. “It can only be used on very specific things.’’ But Jaime Molera, a former state schools chief, said he finds some wiggle room that could put some dollars into the pockets of administrators. Molera, retained by the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry to spearhead its opposition to the tax hike, said just that fact alone should give voters pause. “Who are the mentors of the teachers?’’ he asked. “I would imagine they’re going to be principals, assistant principals or even superintendents,’’ Molera said. “There’s no structure against that in this proposition.’’ He conceded that isn’t the way those programs work now, with most mentoring done by more senior teachers. The broader attack by foes of Proposition 208 goes to the claim that, overall, too much education money is being spent outside the classroom. In several commercials, Arizonans for Great Schools and a Strong Economy, the Chamber-financed opposition, says that just 55 cents of every dollar go to the classroom and the rest goes to

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administration and overhead. Those numbers are accurate. They come from the most recent report by Auditor General Lindsey Perry, who in March put the figure at 54.7 cents. The commercial tells voters not to put more money into education until the financing system is fixed. But as Perry’s report spells out, there’s more to this story. First, she points out that Arizona schools, on average, spend less on administrative expenses than the rest of the country, an average of $903 per student here versus the most recent national average of $1,383. Potentially more telling is that the 55-cent figure does not include other necessary instructional support like librarians and teacher training. And then there are guidance counselors, nurses, speech pathologists and social workers. Add the basic teacher salaries and the total is now 68.8 percent. What’s left, according to the Auditor General, are things like running the school buses, building maintenance and utilities. Perry wrote, using the most recent national data available, found teacher salaries here averaging about $11,500 less than nationally. Moreover, she noted, “Another factor that may account for Arizona’s lower percentage of instructional spending is class size.’’ In Arizona, there are an average of

18.4 students per teacher compared with 16 in the rest of the country. Molera said there are other alternatives, such as a proposal by several Republican legislators to increase the current 0.6-cent sales tax for education to a full penny. Legislative budget analysts said that could raise an extra nearly $473 million a year, versus the $940 million predicted by proponents of Proposition 208. But that idea, which has been around since last year, never got out of the Legislature, leaving Prop 208 as the only take-it-or-leave-it proposal for voters. Lujan defends the income tax proposal as being the fairest, given a series of tax cuts by state lawmakers in the past decade that he said have largely benefited business and the wealthy. And this is designed so that 96 percent of Arizonans won’t be affected. This proposal relies on Arizona’s tiered income tax system. Everyone pays the same rate on the same earnings. So any individual is taxed at 2.59 percent for the first $26,500 of earnings, 3.34% on everything between that and $53,000, 4.17 percent on income of $53,001 through $159,000 and 4.5 percent on everything over that. Proposition 208 would add a 3.5 percent surcharge on individual earnings above $250,000. See

PROP on page 17

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COMMUNITY NEWS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | OCTOBER 11, 2020

CORP

from page 14

tions other proposals – including some by Republicans – to wean utilities here away from fossil fuels. Despite the differences over such mandates, five of the candidates say they believe that climate change is real and that it is caused by human activity. Only O’Connor said he has his doubts. The other key issue in the race could come down to who voters believe is least likely to be influenced by the utilities they are supposed to be regulating. Next month’s election comes as the commission is coming off of years of low public trust, much of that directly related to the fact that Arizona Public Service, the state’s largest electric utility, funneled millions of dollars into prior campaigns for

PROP

from page 16

Put another way, a married couple earning $650,000 would pay no additional taxes on the first $500,000. But the rate on the balance would go from $6,750 to $12,000. Foes of the initiative said that would give Arizona one of the highest top tax brackets in the nation. But Lujan said that, given the tiered tax system, the overall burden on that couple making $650,000 a year would still be less than in 34 other states. Lujan said sales tax hikes disproportionately affect those with lower incomes. But he has conceded that hav-

Republicans in the 2014 and 2016 races. APS appears to have stayed out of the 2018 race after its practices were unveiled and there is no evidence it is backing any of the contenders, all of whom are running with public financing. “The dark money has corrupted the commission,’’ Mundell said. “It’s led to those non-justified rate increases and the crushing of rooftop solar.’’ Sloan countered that it hasn’t just been Republicans who have benefited from outside spending, noting the $2.8 million that Chispa Arizona, the political arm of the League of Conservation Voters, put into trying to elect Democrats in 2018. But Sloan’s own background made him a target. He ran the Arizona Coalition for Reliable Energy in 2016. That was the fund financed by APS which pushed for

election of Republicans. That $10,000 contract, said Mundell, makes him suspect as someone who could be an independent voice and properly regulate utilities. Sloan described his activities as simply a “get-out-the-vote’’ effort. That drew a sharp retort from Tovar. “It was a get-out-to-vote for three Republicans on the commission,’’ she said. Both Mundell and Tovar did not dispute that they took money from an APS political action committee when they were members of the legislature. But she said that was a different time. “We didn’t have these issues with APS,’’ Tovar said. Mundell also found himself defending his previous time on the commission, acknowledging he probably voted for some rate increases for APS but saying he also

voted against each other. Prior cash from Pinnacle West Capital Corp., the parent company of APS, also became an issue during the debate. Maquez Peterson not only got $2,500 for her 2018 congressional race from the company but also $5,000 from David Hutchens, chief executive of Tucson Electric Power. Marquez Peterson said that is irrelevant to the job she wants to keep after Gov. Doug Ducey appointed her. “It in no way unduly influences me as commissioner,’’ she said. And Marquez Peterson also said that she was involved since joining the commission in approving a new code of ethics for regulators. “I think that we’ve turned the tide’’ on the commission’s reputation. Beyond that, Marquez Peterson said that the individuals who were leading APS at the time are since gone.

ing a tax hike that affects perhaps only 4 percent of Arizonans is more likely to be politically palatable at the polls than one which hits more. That, in turn, has led to dueling economic reports. One prepared by the Goldwater Institute says the higher top tax rate will make it harder to recruit new businesses into Arizona and result in “out-migration of high-income individuals’’ to states with lower taxes. Its economic modeling predicts 124,000 jobs will be lost within 10 years with a reduction of $120 million a year in state tax collections. It also questions whether the promised revenues will be there, saying

income tax collections on the wealthiest are the most volatile. But Enrique Lopezlira, an economics professor at Grand Canyon College, says that after accounting for inflation and student growth, prior cuts in education funding have resulted in the state spending less per student now than it did a decade ago. He predicts that restoring funds cut from public schools actually would grow the Arizona economy. On a deeper philosophical level, Lopezlira said the cuts in education funding were not due to the recession but instead part of an “ideological shift’’ to reduce investment in public education and enact tax cuts. That included a 30

percent reduction in corporate income tax rates. Prop 208 opponents argue that the initiative would harm small businesses because many are organized not as corporations, where the taxes are paid by the business at corporate tax rates, but as sole proprietorships, partnerships and under a section of the Internal Revenue Code, all of which are situations where the business owes no taxes and all earnings are ascribed to the owner or owners. That, foes argue, makes the earnings subject to the higher taxes. Lujan noted that state income taxes

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COMMUNITY NEWS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | OCTOBER 11, 2020

Around Chandler Drive-thru free ﬂu shots offered in Chandler

Valleywise Health is offering a free flu shots 8-11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, on a drive-thru or walk-in basis at its community health center, 811 S. Hamilton St., Chandler. No insurance or appointment is needed. Vaccinations for adults 18 and over are available for drive-thru patients 6 months to 18 years old will be vaccinated outside the vehicle. Vaccinations are on a first come, first served basis while supplies last. Masks must be worn and Valleywise will provide one for those who need it. People are asked to wear short sleeves for easy administration. Information: valleywisehealth.org/ﬂushots.

Creative Expression contest open to Chandler students

Entries are sought for Chandler’s 25th annual Creative Expression Competition. Students living or attending school in Chandler may vie for awards in writing, visual arts and video. Entries must be submitted no later than 5 p.m. Oct. 30. This year’s theme is “Culture and Equity Across Time.” Students may express how their experience of culture or understanding of equity has changed with time. Submission guidelines and judging criteria are at chandleraz.gov/ CreativeExpression. Students may submit their writing,

visual or video entry online or mail or drop off entries to the City of Chandler – Neighborhood Resources Department, Attn: Rori Minor, 235 S. Arizona Ave., Chandler, AZ 85225. Winners will be notified in late November. The visual arts winning entries will be displayed on street pole banners downtown along Arizona Avenue during January. Winning entries also will be featured on the City’s website at chandleraz.gov/CreativeExpression. The first-place winners and their schools will be recognized during a City Council meeting in February. Information: Rori Minor at 480-7824329 or rori.minor@chandleraz.gov.

City slates orientation for block grant requests

Chandler’s Neighborhood Resources Department will host an orientation for organizations interested in applying for 2021-2022 Community Development Block Grant funds, Home Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) funds and general funds. The virtual WebEx orientation session will be at 2 p.m. Oct. 22. Interested organizations may participate at bit. ly/3imwNf1 or by calling 1-415-655-0001 and entering the following access code: 145 072 4771. The application and accompanying materials will be available at chandleraz. gov/community starting Oct. 19. The application will be open for submission on Oct. 22.

The Neighborhood Resources Department oversees the annual allocation of more than $2.5 million in local and federal funding for human services; housing rehabilitation and capital improvements; neighborhood revitalization; and affordable housing activities benefitting Chandler residents. City priorities for federal funds are at chandleraz.gov/PlansAndReports. Organizations should reference the 2019 Community Needs Assessment online at chandleraz.gov/NeedsAssessment for General Fund priorities. The orientation will include a review of priorities for each fund source, the application process and current contractual requirements. Information: 480-782-4349, or riann. balch@chandleraz.gov.

Chandler author Laurie Fagen reappointed to panel

Laurie Fagen of Fox Crossing will serve a second term as vice-chair of the Chandler Police Review Board/Citizens’ Panel for Review of Police Complaints and Use of Force, appointed by the mayor. Fagen is also a member of Citizens Police Academy Association of Chandler, having graduated from Chandler’s program in 2018. Fagen, founder and publisher emeritus of the SanTan Sun News, is an author and artist. - Laurie Fagen

Chandler woman promoted

at St. Joseph the Worker

A Chandler woman has been promoted to development director at St. Joseph the Worker, a nonprofit that assists homeless, low-income and other disadvantaged people become self-sufficent. Marcy LaRont was promoted from the position of grants manager. In addition to the two years LaRont has been with SJW, she has a decade of experience in development and two decades of experience in the corporate sector. LaRont will now oversee all fundraising activities, stewardship, volunteer and new programs to broaden SJW’s reach and visibility across the Valley. “The mission resonated with me when I first joined the team in 2018, but it resonates even more strongly today in the wake of the pandemic and Arizona’s overwhelming unemployment levels,” LaRont said. SJW Executive Director Brent Downs added, “Marcy was already an integral part of the team, so we were happy to have her step into such a critical role for the organization. She is passionate about the St. Joseph the Worker mission and committed to leveraging new opportunities. We could not be in better hands.” St. Joseph the Worker was created in 1988 when volunteers from André House, a shelter and soup-line, responded to a plea from homeless individuals receiving dinner in the park who said, “We want jobs, but we don’t

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Sun Lakes GOP hosts Biggs, radio personality

The Sun Lakes Republican Club will feature “Election Year Insights” with Congressman Andy Biggs and KTAR Radio morning personality Mike Broomhead at its monthly meeting at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 13 in the Arizona Room of the Sun Lakes Country Club, 25601 S. Sun Lakes Blvd., If the club cannot to meet there due to health restrictions, members will be notified of an alternate location. Broomhead moved to KTAR-FM, after hosting with KFYI since 2005. Rooted in fiscal and social conservatism, he will interview Biggs on the election year in view of America’s founding principles. State Sen. JD Mesnard, Rep. Jeff Weninger and LD 17 House candidate Liz Harris will provide brief updates. Information: slgop.org or contact Mike Tennant, 480-802-0178.

Chandler launches annual city budget planning survey

Mayor Kevin Hartke and the rest of City Council hope residents will provide their thoughts about the community and its future in the annual budget survey, which is available until Nov. 15. Residents are asked to answer at least the first five general questions and the remaining ones provide an opportunity to give feedback on Council's six strategic goals. Those goals address the following topics: transportation, mobility and technology as a connected city; communication and citizen engagement; financial services and cost of services; economic vitality and employment; arts, culture and recreation; and public safety, infrastructure and neighborhoods. The survey is online at chandleraz. gov/government/budget-and-capital-improvement-program/planning. Paper copies can be obtained at various city facilities or downloaded from the webpage.

Airco company seeks help on veterans giveaway contest

For the fifth consecutive year, Forrest Anderson Plumbing and Air Conditioning will honor veterans and current military personnel with a free installed ai-conditioning system Anyone can nominate a military hero by filling out a short application on forrestanderson.net/military-hero-giveaway by tomorrow, Oct. 12. A company panel will select up to five finalists and share their stories on Forrest Anderson’s website and Facebook Page, where members of the public can vote for their favorite between Oct. 21- Nov. 4. The giveaway is open to active duty military, retired service members and veterans who were discharged under general or honorable conditions who own a home in Maricopa County. Finalists will be announced on Oct. 21 and the winner will be named Nov. 11.

East Valley Hadassah seeks new members from Chandler The Devorah Chapter of Hadassah East Valley is seeking members. Although the group is not holding regular in-person activities, it also conducts Zoom socials, discussions and fundraising activities. Some activities include a food drive to benefit the community, online auction, book club, movie discussions, mahjong, and social get togethers just to see and meet other members. They also are open to other suggested activities. Information: Ann Baum at ann. hadassahmembership@gmail.com

COMMUNITY NEWS

Fall in love with your smile

National Charity League chapter seeks members

The Santan Chapter of National Charity League, Inc., a mother-daughter volunteer organization, is accepting applications from women with daughters currently in 6th through 9th grade. The Santan Chapter comprises nearly 220 members in Maricopa and Pinal Counties. Santan Chapter mother-daughter teams volunteered just under 1,625 philanthropy hours in the 2018-2019 year for 26 philanthropic organizations. Information: nationalcharityleague. org/chapter/santan or membershipsantan@nclonline.org Interested mothers are encouraged to attend one of the prospective member meetings. For an invitation, email membershipsantan@nclonline.org

Chandler Golf Challenge reservations sought

The 24th annual Chandler Golf Challenge swings into action Nov. 13 with reserved tee times and physical distancing guidelines at Chandler’s Bear Creek Golf Club, 500 E. Riggs Road. The challenge supports the Mayor’s Committee for People with Disabilities Scholarship Fund. The tournament contributes nearly $10,000 a year for the city Parks & Recreation Department’s programs for more than 300 children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families in Chandler and neighboring cities. Participation in the all-inclusive tournament is $85 for individuals and $425 to be a tee box sponsor and host a foursome. Presented by longtime sponsor, Dignity Health of Arizona, the tournament includes 18 holes of golf, player gifts, special contest holes, individual and team prizes and raffle tickets. There also is an auction. “The generosity of a host of corporate sponsors, community partners like RAD and the golfers themselves has helped to make the Golf Challenge one our most successful fundraising events,” said Collette Prather. Prather, a certified therapeutic recreation specialist and event organizer, explained that RAD stands for Recreation and Athletics for Individuals with Disabilities. That non-profit organizations was founded by parents of individuals with disabilities and other concerned citizens.

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COMMUNITY NEWS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | OCTOBER 11, 2020

Land donations boost ASU, help students BY GARY NELSON Contributor

Okay, here’s the pitch: Donate real estate to Arizona State University and you, too, can help save Planet Earth. That’s how it works, at least in a roundabout way, with one ASU student who benefitted from a gift to the university by getting an international perspective on the earth’s environmental problems while studying at a Dutch university. Cassandra Savel, a native of Tucson, is graduating in December with a bachelor of science degree in sustainability. She spent the spring 2019 semester at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands thanks to the Thelma G. Wolff International Scholarship, established after the sale of a donated vacation home in Pinetop-Lakeside, Ariz. “I’m really interested in sustainable development and sustainable energy in addition to community impact and outreach,” Savel said. She’s already putting her expertise to work as an intern in the corporate social responsibility department of ON Semiconductor in Phoenix, hoping for full-time work there after graduation. Not every gift of real estate to the university has such a direct personal impact on a student, but every gift helps. The donations are actually handled

ceived two single-family homes, a vacation home, a condo, a family ranch, three tracts of vacant land totaling 445 acres, two warehouses and an office property. Total proceeds for the university are difficult to quantify, Grannis said. “It would be in the millions of dollars but we don’t have an exact number.” On occasion the properties are not outright gifts, but are sold to the foundation at a discounted price. The difference between the sale price and the appraisal counts as a gift in the eyes of the IRS. That was the proceCassandra Savel spent a spring semester in the Netherlands thanks to a scholarship established after Arizona State University sold a dure with the waredonated vacation home in Pinetop-Lakeside. (Special to SanTan Sun News) houses. “One of them appraised for $3.125 The original 20 acres of pasture land through the ASU Foundation, a sepamillion,” Grannis said. “We gave them $2 for what then called the Territorial rate charitable entity that funnels its million. We improved the property, we Normal School was a gift in 1885 from proceeds to the university itself. fixed it up and we sold it and we made George and Martha Wilson of Tempe. Brad Grannis, real estate portfolio $1.5 million in profit in about a two-andmanager for the foundation, noted that The school opened a year later. Grannis began his stint with the without a donation of land there might See on page 21 foundation in 2015. Since then it has renot even have been an ASU.

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COMMUNITY NEWS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | OCTOBER 11, 2020

Police arrest Chandler man with molestation history BY KEVIN REAGAN Staff Writer

A Chandler man with a history of molesting and exploiting young women is facing more felony charges after authorities uncovered evidence suggesting there may be more girls who have fallen victim to his alleged schemes. Devon Sharma, 26, was awaiting this month on sex trafficking charges when Chandler Police filed additional charges, accusing the defendant of harassing and victimizing more women over the internet. On Feb. 29, Sharma allegedly began corresponding with a 15-year-old girl in Utah and soliciting her for nude images. The suspect allegedly disguised himself as women from modeling agencies on social media accounts, police reports say, in order to gain the trust of unsuspecting teenage girls. On March 2 – two days after Sharma allegedly started contacting the Utah girl – the suspect signed a plea agreement for similar criminal charges filed by Chandler Police in 2018. A county grand jury had indicted Sharma with sex trafficking, sexual assault, fraud, and computer tampering for offenses committed against a woman between 2013 and 2016. Some offenses were high-level felonies that carried lengthy prison terms lasting as long as 10 years. But the County Attorney offered Sharma a plea deal that would have guaranteed a much lighter penalty. According to the deal signed by Sharma in March, the defendant agreed to plead guilty to sex trafficking and attempted sexual assault in exchange for a six-month jail sentence and lifetime supervised probation. He would also have to register as a sex offender. It’s not clear whether prosecutors may attempt to rescind Sharma’s plea deal after reviewing the latest criminal charges. The County Attorney did not immediately respond to questions about his status.

LAND

from page 20

a-half-year hold.” Part of Grannis’ job is figuring out when to sell the properties. “Right now for the past several years everything has gone up,” he said. “If I can add value and get that money out quickly, I will do that.” On the other hand, he said, during a down real estate cycle he probably try to generate income from the properties while waiting for a market rebound. On occasion Grannis actually will look a gift horse in the mouth. “I’ve actually done some due diligence on some retail in Georgia,” he said. “I just didn’t know enough about the market and didn’t feel comfortable. They wanted some cash on top of it and we didn’t think it was the best use of our funds.” The real estate market during the COVID-19 pandemic has been a mixed

Devon Sharma Sharma has been the subject of criminal investigations since he was a teenager attending Mesquite High School in Gilbert. Court records show Sharma was disciplined by school administrators in 2011 after he allegedly sent sexually-explicit messages to his female classmates. He asked to interview girls about their sex lives and “dirty” thoughts for a book project. Gilbert Police later discovered a manuscript Sharma titled “The Book of Love,” which he said was “meant to help other teenagers discuss sex and related topics,” police said. A few months later, four teenage girls told authorities Sharma massaged and groped them in one of their school’s locker rooms. The girls claimed Sharma told them he was studying to become a massage therapist and asked to practice his skills. One girl said Sharma asked her to remove her pants so he could massage her back and legs. Another girl alleged Sharma unhooked her bra and massaged her breasts before she fled the locker room, court records show. Sharma, then 18, was charged with multiple felony counts of child mo-

bag, he said. “Single-family residential has just gone crazy. It’s gone nowhere but up and we’ve got a lot of people coming in from areas where Phoenix looks a little more stable.” The industrial market also is strong but “obviously hospitality and retail are taking a hit,” Grannis said. Grannis said if someone doesn’t want to deal with a real estate sale during the pandemic there could be advantages in donating property. “There’s a lot of different ways that we can accept gifts of real estate,” he said. For Savel, that may all be behindthe-scenes stuff. For her, the bottom line was a scintillating semester abroad and a broader view of her chosen career in sustainability. “I’m glad I got that international perspective because it’s an international challenge that we’re facing,” she said.

lestation and sexual abuse and faced a lengthy prison term because of the victims’ ages. Sharma later pleaded guilty to a lesser offense of aggravated assault and was sentenced to three years of probation. Before his sentencing, the defendant’s family and friends tried convincing the court Sharma was a well-behaved, caring person who made a mistake that was out of character. They told the judge about Sharma’s excellent academic record, volunteerism and struggles overcoming his diagnosed mental illness. Sharma had just been accepted into an internship program at Intel, his family told the court, and was excelling in all his courses at Arizona State University. Court officials found Sharma’s actions at Mesquite High disturbing, yet recommended he only get probation due to his young age and positive character. “Although the offense itself is quite concerning,” probation officers wrote before Sharma’s sentencing, “the defendant is a medium-low risk and his lack of prior criminal history suggests he is an appropriate candidate for probation supervision.” One year into his probation term, Sharma’s officer asked the court to terminate his probation early because of his low risk to reoffend and high level of compliance. The court concluded Sharma’s probation in June 2015.

the offense “itselfAlthough is quite concerning, the defendant is a medium-low risk and his lack of prior criminal history suggests he is an appropriate candidate for probation supervision.

”

One year later, Sharma was accused of extortion, sex trafficking, and fraud. Sharma’s most recent criminal case involves 20 felony charges of sex trafficking, identity theft, pandering, unlawful distribution of images, and luring a minor for exploitation. One victim in the recent case claims Sharma never paid her the money he promised if she sent him nude images. The girl further accused Sharma of threatening to post her pictures online if she didn’t continue sending him pornographic content, according to police reports. Chandler Police believe there may be more women who have been exploited by Sharma. Anyone with information on the defendant can call 480-782-4402.

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | OCTOBER 11, 2020

Last year saw increase in uninsured Arizonans BY JOSH ORTEGA Cronkite New

WASHINGTON – The number of Arizonans without health insurance jumped to more than 800,000 last year, the third consecutive year of increases for the state, according to the latest data from the Census Bureau. The number of uninsured also rose nationwide, but not as sharply as in Arizona. Nationally, the share of people without insurance rose from 8.9 percent in 2018 to 9.2 percent last year, the bureau said, while Arizona went from 10.6 percent to 11.3 percent in the same period. Health experts in Arizona note that the latest numbers do not reflect the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic earlier this year, which likely makes for an even gloomier picture this year. “Probably anything you look at that’s estimated, as far as our uninsured rate, is an undercount of where things are right now,” said Dr. Dan Derksen, associate vice president of health sciences at the University of Arizona. Analysts attribute the rise to a number of factors, not the least of which is uncertainty about the availability of coverage under the Affordable Care Act after years of attack by the Trump administration. Allen Gjersvig, director of outreach and enrollment services for Arizona Alliance for Community Health Centers, points to what he calls an “awareness and education problem” that has left some uninsured unaware that they might still qualify for affordable coverage under the ACA, or Obamacare. Gjersvig said “the vast majority” of the 809,000 uninsured people in Arizona could qualify for a tax credit that covers most of their monthly premiums, which could end up being less than $100 per month out of pocket. Some could even qualify for the tax credit and a reduction in deductibles and co-pay that Gjersvig said could cut out-of-pocket expenses to “less than $1 per month.” “Based on Kaiser Family Foundation for 2018 data, we estimate that 323,000 or more Arizonans are eligible for nocost coverage (AHCCCS) or low-cost coverage from the health insurance marketplace,” Gjersvig said. The number of uninsured has crept up steadily for the past three years, after sharp drops after 2014 when the state ex-

PROP

from page 17

are due on the net profits, after a business owner pays all costs of employees, utilities, supplies, equipment and other overhead. It is only what’s left as the net profits to the business owner, Lujan said, that is subject to individual income taxes. And he said any couple netting $500,000 a year after paying all the costs of their business operations probably can afford to pay some extra taxes for education.

panded eligibility for coverage under the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System, the state’s Medicaid system. Currently, families earning up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level can qualify for Medicaid coverage in Arizona. The federal poverty threshold varies according to family size. But in 2019 it was set at $25,926 for a family of two parents and two children under 18 – so a family of four making about $35,000 would meet the 138 percent threshold. Derksen said another factor behind the loss in insurance is the fact that U.S. health care remains “needlessly” complicated, with information so “fragmented” between different places that it requires navigators to help people understand the system. That is not the case in other developed countries, which deliver health care at a much lower cost per capita, Derksen said. He pointed to an article in the Journal of the American Medical Association that said wasteful spending on fraud, abuse and administrative costs contribute to almost $1 trillion of the $4 trillion that is spent annually on health care in the U.S. One resource Gjersvig recommends to people looking for insurance coverage is the Cover Arizona Coalition through Vitalyst, a coalition of resources throughout the state that helps people navigate the healthcare marketplace in Arizona. Anything approved by the voters is protected against legislative repeal or alteration. The Arizona Constitution allows lawmakers to make changes only with a three-fourths vote and only if they “further the purpose’’ of the original measure. From Molera’s perspective, that’s a bad idea as it locks the measure in place unless and until the issue goes back to voters. Lujan, however, sees that as a plus against legislative tinkering.

He also touted two national grants that he said have helped his organization work with more than 180 locations

across the state to have certified application counselors help consumers navigate the health insurance marketplace. Arizona’s 11.3 percent uninsured rate last year tied with North Carolina for ninthworst in the nation. Texas had the highest rate of uninsured residents, at 18.4 percent, while Massachusetts was lowest, with a 3 percent rate. With a pandemic raging and an election nearing, health care remains one of the top priorities for many Americans, Derksen said. He encouraged voters to consider all health care options this fall. “It doesn’t have to be a binary choice of Medicare-for-all vs. the private sector,” Derksen said. “Those aren’t the only two choices.” Open enrollment for coverage through the federally facilitated ACA Marketplace starts Nov. 1 and runs through Dec. 15.

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | OCTOBER 11, 2020

Birth certiﬁcates must list 2 dads, 2 moms BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

The state Health Services Department must amend its birth certificate forms to reflect the new reality of same-sex marriages – and the children that result – the Arizona Court of Appeals concluded last week. In a new ruling, the judges said that two women who were married and who courts have concluded are both the legal parents of a child born during that union are both entitled to be listed as “mother’’ on the state-issued form. Judge Peter Eckerstrom, writing for the unanimous three-judge panel, acknowledged that’s not an option on current forms. Instead there are two choices: mother and father or parent and parent, the latter added after same-sex marriage

became legal in Arizona. That did not satisfy Suzan Swanson who previously won a high-profile legal fight to have her parental rights affirmed. So, she sued, demanding to also be designated as “mother.’’ A trial judge rebuffed the demand, saying he could not order the Department of Health Services to redesign its birth certificate. But Eckerstrom said that’s not true. He said if a court orders a change in a birth certificate, the state agency has to comply. Swanson and Kimberly McLaughlin were legally married in 2008 in California. The couple agreed to have a child through an anonymous sperm donor, with McLaughlin becoming pregnant in 2010. Before the birth, the couple moved to Tucson, entered into a joint parenting agreement and executed mirror

wills, declaring they were to be equal parents to the child. After the 2011 birth, Swanson stayed home and cared for the boy while McLaughlin worked as a physician. When Swanson filed for divorce, McLaughlin attempted to argue that that she was not a “parent’’ as defined in state law. McLaughlin lost that case which went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. What that left is how the child’s birth certificate reads. McLaughlin argued she should be listed as “mother,’’ consistent with state law, or have the designation amended to “biological mother,’’ with Swanson listed as “legal parent’’ or “legal mother.’’ Swanson wanted both to be listed as “mother.’’ But, given the way the health department forms are written, she said she would settle for both being listed

as “parent.’’ Eckerstrom said there’s no reason Swanson can’t get what she wants, regardless of the birth certificate forms. “ ‘Mother’ is the semantically correct term for a female parent,’’ he wrote. More to the point, the appellate judge said state law requires the health department to comply with court orders to amend birth certificates. He acknowledged that law could be interpreted as limited to things like changing the names of the parents or the child. But Eckerstrom said that law also can apply to the “field identifiers’’ on the form. More to the point, he said that can specifically can include situations where courts have ruled that both parties are entitled to be considered the child’s “mother,’’ regardless of how the forms are now listed.

Chandler woman hosting 6th PowHer conference SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

A Chandler woman is hosting “Together, We Grow,” the sixth annual PowHER Women’s Leadership Conference at Arizona State University. The conference, which aims to empower women in areas that affect them by providing skills and education that encompass a wide variety of inclusive

RECREATION

from page 10

for both private and public facilities. The study found Chandler already has sufficient demand for some sort of multigenerational recreation center that could accommodate residents of all ages and replace some of the city’s aging facilities. “The Chandler Senior Center and Chandler Community Center are outdated and undersized,” the study found. “These facilities will require major capital improvements in the future to continue operating at current levels.”

topics for college women, is themed “Together We Grow” this year. In the last four years, over 1,100 women have attended the conferences, said Taylor Sebastian, to hear speakers on career development and networking, leadership development, work-life balance, body positivity and confidence, and communication skills for women.

This year’s conference is a free virtual event on Oct. 28 but registration is open only until 11:59 p.m. Oct. 14. Register at eoss.asu.edu/PowHER. Sebastian said that this year the conference “is being slightly redirected to emphasize inclusion.” It also is stressing new initiatives that include philanthropy, cultural topics and emotional development.

“Our benefiting philanthropies are the United Way, Girl Scouts, Girls Rule Foundation and AZ Helping Hands,” Sebastian said. “This year’s main focus is to recognize how we can empower and help other women while empowering ourselves.” This event also incorporates a service project help 70 Girl Scouts earn a badge.

Most of the city’s existing recreation programs have reached their capacity, the study found, and many have a waiting list to join. “The existing multipurpose rooms are largely used for recreation-related classes and there is little availability for use by the community,” the study concluded. The study further determined Chandler currently had a “deficit” of community center space and encouraged between 157,000 and 231,000 square feet of new facilities to be constructed in order to achieve equal coverage across the city.

Chandler’s current level of service breaks down to about 0.3 square feet per resident and the study’s authors believe that ratio should be between 0.8 and 1.1 square feet per person. The study offered a few options for how Chandler could broaden its recreational offerings with projects that ranged in cost between $5 and $60 million. One option includes constructing a $50-million recreation center in West Chandler next to Nozomi Park on Kyrene Road. This parcel of land is reportedly owned by the Tempe Union High School District and may not be

available for development. Another option proposes building a $57-million facility north of Mesquite Groves Aquatic Center and Basha High School in Southeast Chandler. The Tumbleweed Recreation Center, which is considered Chandler’s primary recreational facility, could benefit from an expansion of facilities – ranging in size between 9,000 and 62,000 square feet, the study concluded. City Council has recently reviewed the study’s initial assessments and no official actions have been taken on its recommendations.

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | OCTOBER 11, 2020

Report: Arizona among least safe for school reopening BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

A whole set of factors may make Arizona one of the most dangerous places in the country for children to go back to the classroom, according to a new report. The financial advice site WalletHub says its analysis of illnesses, spending and other classroom issues finds some things that Arizona appears to be doing well. That includes having comprehensive guidance for school reopening and even the fact that, in comparison to other states, relatively few youngsters take a school bus. The report notes that Arizona currently has a far below average likelihood of COVID-19 infections among all ages. But it ranked Arizona 47th among all states in terms of safest to reopen. WalletHub says the state’s rate of 1,225 coronavirus cases per 100,000 children as of Aug. 27 -- the date used in the report -- is the fourth highest rate in the country. And the death rate among children also is in the top 20 percent. Patrick Ptak, press aide to Gov. Doug Ducey, said that’s not a fair comparison. Arizona considers anyone younger than 20 to be a child. And even Diana Polk, spokeswoman for WalletHub, acknowledged that her data includes some states where reports on children take in only those through age 14. That still leaves the fact that these rankings are based on ratios per 100,000

Social distancing keeps students somewhat apart in Mesa Public Schools cafeterias. (Mesa Public Schools)

residents in the same age category. Ptak dismissed the report entirely as lacking scientific and public health merit. “The fact is, Arizona schools are handling the pandemic as well or better than any other state,’’ he said, citing increased COVID-19 testing and recent numbers which put the rate of people of all ages testing positive below 5 percent. But state schools chief Kathy Hoffman is not ready to say that everything is fine. “We want our lives to go back to normal,’’ she said. “But we are still in a pandemic and we need to take this really seriously because our behaviors today can really have a strong impact on those around us and those we care about.’’ She has her own theories about the numbers and the rankings. One, she

suggested, could be that Arizona’s high illness and death rate is what happened in May and June -- after Ducey lifted restrictions and the illnesses spiked -- and less reflective of current conditions. For the time being, Hoffman said she is relying more on the metrics developed by the state Department of Health Services, which provide a much more current picture of risks. And those numbers, she noted, say it is now OK for schools in 14 of the state’s 15 counties to begin “hybrid’’ instruction, a combination of in-person and online learning. Only Graham County is listed as needing to keep teaching at the virtual level. Hoffman said that there are other things going on in Arizona which could mitigate the risk of sending kids back to school. She said the state is requiring anyone age 5 and older to be wearing a mask and mandating “social distancing’’ of desks, all things that should help reduce the risk of spread of the disease. But the WalletHub rankings are about more than infection rates, whether current or historic. One is that Arizona has fewer nurses per student than most other states. “To me this points to the lack of sustained investment in our schools,’’ Hoffman said, citing similar shortages in counselors and social workers. There’s also the fact that, as of last year, Arizona as of 2019 had the highest

number of students for each available teacher. Class size also was near the top of the chart. That has been a perennial problem. But the state schools chief said that appears to be taking care of itself, at least for the time being. “A pretty high number of parents are choosing to keep their kids at home for online distance learning,’’ she said. “So there’s already a reduced number of children because of parents’ family choices to continue with distance learning.’’ Along the same lines, Ptak said Arizona has something else going for it as parents make decisions about what to do with their children as the pandemic continues: school choice. He said that includes not just traditional public schools but other alternatives, including charter schools, which may be offering entirely online courses if that’s what families want. Not everything in the WalletHub analysis of the risks of sending kids back to school safely is related directly to infection rates or even the education system and how it is funded. For example, the analysis says that one child out of every five does not have a room at home of his or her own, increasing the risk of spread to siblings. Wallet-Hub said no state did worse. And, at the other end of the age spectrum, nearly 6.2 percent of seniors – those most at risk – share a home with school-age children.

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | OCTOBER 11, 2020

Mesa slaying underscores rise in domestic violence BY JIM WALSH Staff Writer

Janell Mora accomplished many things in her life. She gave birth to two boys, earned two master’s degrees and represented Arizona State University on student recruiting conferences in China and other countries. But in the end, all Mora, 40, wanted was peace and safety for her two children and herself. After her marriage to Stephen Mora soured, she thought she had made arrangements to end the relationship amicably and had a meeting set up with Stephen on Sept. 28. The meeting never happened. Instead, the Scottsdale Realtor, 53, is suspected of fatally shooting his wife of three years and four months on Sept. 26 as she jogged near her Mesa home at Power Road and the Loop 202, leaving her in the road. Mora then drove to the Mesa Police Department’s downtown headquarters, where he shot himself in the head in his vehicle. He remains in the hospital in critical condition. Detective Nik Rasheta, a Mesa police spokesman, said officers responded to a reported shooting in the 3100 block of N. Power Road “and located Janell Mora deceased on the roadway,’’ with witnesses present.

her,’’ said Amy Hall, Janell’s sister. “They were going to get together and sign some documents in a couple days. She was trying to escape the situation.’’ Hall said her sister was a devoted mother of her two boys, 8 and 9, from a previous marriage. She said Janell’s motivation was to protect her children

sometimes believe the myth of anger “andPeople being out of control. Domestic violence is actually about control, the ultimate form of control is murder. If they can’t have them, nobody can. ’’

– Gordon Sims

“The suspect fled the scene and called 911 to say he shot his wife and was now suicidal. He stated he was at the police station and when officers arrived at the Main Police Headquarters, they heard a single gunshot and then observed Stephen exit the vehicle bleeding profusely from a head injury.’’ Mora is expected to face homicide charges if he survives. “She was out for a jog. He ambushed

Stephen Mora

Janell Mora

and herself from Mora after the marriage unraveled, though she declined to elaborate. The couple met in early 2016 on the dating app Tinder, two years after she divorced her first husband. They married on April 26, 2017 – 10 months after Mora divorced his first wife. At the time they were married, Janell posted numerous pictures of their wedding, writing, “I married the

most charming, kind-hearted, loving, supportive, family-oriented, handsome, hilarious and FUN man I’ve ever known." It’s unknown how long Janell and Stephen had been living apart before he apparently decided to take his wife’s life and attempt a murder-suicide, Hall said. “They had an agreement to mutually separate. They were going to meet,’’ Hall said. “She was smart. She was trying to get away. She was trying to get out.’’ Janell’s slaying was one of two fatal domestic violence cases in the Valley last weekend. The morning after her slaying, a Laveen woman was killed by her husband only a few minutes after police had left her home. They had answered her 911 call about her husband but he had fled by the time the officers arrived. They told her how to file for a protection from abuse order and left. Minutes later her husband returned, shot her and then killed himself. The two slayings occurred only a few days before the beginning of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, an annual effort in October that spotlights a chronic problem that has become

worse during the pandemic. The month is devoted to educating the public about domestic violence, encouraging people – mostly women – to leave abusive relationships and raising money to support shelters and other services focused on saving lives. But the pandemic has given special significance to those activities. In the East Valley and elsewhere, social service agencies say the problem has been inflamed by the social isolation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the recession it ignited, increasing financial pressures as jobs vanished. With more people working from home, there are fewer opportunities for survivors to escape, for intervention by friends and employers who might notice bruises, for family members to visit and notice something is wrong with a relationship, or even for a survivor to report abuse without an abuser overhearing the conversation. Gordon Sims, director of philanthropy for Phoenix Sojourner Center, said Janell Mora’s murder is tragic but not surprising. “People sometimes believe the See

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DOMESTIC

from page 28

myth of anger and being out of control. Domestic violence is actually about control,’’ Sims said. “The ultimate form of control is murder. If they can’t have them, nobody can.’’ Domestic violence also cuts across all socio-economic segments of society, he said. “All of us as Americans say, ‘that will never happen to me,’’’ Sims said. But that attitude is a misconception. “They believe that because they are educated,” he said, “they are not susceptible to it.’’ He said the breakup of a marriage in an abusive relationship is always dangerous and that Janell did nothing wrong. “So many times, the women we work with have done everything they are supposed to do. So many times, the abuser seems to get wind of it,’’ Sims said. He said all Maricopa County shelters are full, not only because of demand during a stressed time, but because social distancing requirements forced a reduction in capacity. That eventually impacts funding, with the state Department of Economic Security reimbursing shelters only for beds used. Laura Bode, director of community engagement for A New Leaf, a multi-faceted Mesa social service agency, said hotlines operated by her agency get 16,000 domestic violence calls a year. A New Leaf’s Autumn House shelter in Mesa provided a safe haven for 155 women last year, while Faith House in Glendale provided shelter for another 255. Another 388 survivors took refuge in a hotel that serves as an overflow shelter when necessary through the DV Stop program. And that was before the pandemic increased stress in households, isolation of victims and aggravated an already serious problem, Bode said. She said A New Leaf is receiving more new calls and reports of more severe threats. “We have more callers who say, ‘he’s starting to get violent. I’m really scared for my life. Please help me,’’’ she said. She said some callers are whispering, “hiding in a bedroom, trying to call for help’’ in the hopes their abuser won’t hear their pleas for help.

Bode said the opportunities for women to escape from abuse are less frequent, with both the abuser and the survivor working from home. The abuse can also be harder for friends and family members to spot. “The victims aren’t getting out and accessing their normal safety network,’’ Bode said. “Sometimes, it’s work colleagues who will see the bruises’’ and ask if something is going on at home. Rasheta, the Mesa police spokesman, said a domestic violence detective told him, “we have not had any spikes in cases. Our numbers have been pretty steady through the year with no abnormalities in the numbers.’’ But police in Phoenix, Chandler and other cities around the state and nation have noted an increase in domestic violence reports. Between March and August, Chandler police responded to 2,782 domestic disturbance/fight calls in 2020 – a period spanning the onslaught of the pandemic to the latest month statistics are available. In contrast, there were 2,536 such calls during the same period in 2019. In a report to the Phoenix City Council, Phoenix police noted a spike in domestic violence- related calls during the first six months of 2020, including an 11.5 percent increase in dispatched calls, a 31 percent increase in incident reports, a 27 percent increase in arrests, a 34.8 percent increase in aggravated assaults and a 20.7 percent increase in criminal damage. Through the end of August, the Arizona Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence had recorded 73 domestic violence slayings statewide this year, compared to 63 through the same period in 2019. Coalition CEO Jenna Panas said domestic violence homicides are 16 percent higher this year. She said the coalition noticed a decline during the early stages of COVID in women seeking shelter, probably because of confusion about whether shelters were open. No shelters closed during the pandemic. “Most of our shelters, while they may have reduced capacity, we’re not turning people away,’’ Panas said. Janice Podzimek, interpersonal violence liaison with Brain Injury Alliance of Arizona, said it is “a grave concern’’ that victims in Mesa may not be reporting incidents of domestic violence because they fear it will trigger an attack. “It’s every aspect of their life that is

controlled and manipulated,’’ she said. Normally, a survivor might have an opportunity to escape while her abuser is at work or leaving the house for another reason. For Podzimek, who is an abuse survivor, her opening came when her then-husband was arrested by police. “My abuser was put in jail. That gave me two or three days to gather my things, pack my car and get out of Dodge,’’ she said. When survivors get to a shelter, they should be assessed for potential traumatic brain injury, a problem that can be caused by repeated beatings, but is sometimes overlooked because it is invisible, she said. It’s an ugly side of life that seems to stand in sharp contrast with Janell Mora, who was described in a series of condolences left on her obituary through Beard’s Funeral Chapel in her native Fayetteville, Arkansas, as a ray of sunshine, a positive person who loved her children. Many of them worked with Janell during her more than 15 -year career at Arizona State University, where she most recently served as associate director of Global Career Initiatives until 2018, when she took a job recruiting Master’s in Business Administration students for internships and full-time positions with Cognizant, a professional services company. “Janell was a treasured member of the W. P. Carey School of Business family at ASU. First as staff, then student, then alumna. We are collectively grieving her loss and a life ended far too soon. Our deepest sympathy for all her

family and friends,’’ wrote Dean Amy Hillman. Cindy Parnell, ASU’s dean of career and professional development services, also wrote of her fond memories of Janell. “Janell brought so much beauty to everyday life. She was a kind soul, strong woman, loving mom, and amazing professional. I loved working with Janell. Her energy was contagious. I’ll remember Janell for so many things, but most of all, her positive spirit and generous heart. Your ASU family will miss you, Janell,’’ Parnell wrote. Hall and other family members came to Mesa and established a memorial for Janell, near the place where she was shot, after receiving numerous condolences from friends. A celebration of Janell’s life is scheduled for Oct. 7 in Arkansas and a GoFundMe account has been set up for Mora’s sons that can be found by searching under “trust fund for Brighton and Owen McClelland.” “She will not be forgotten. I know that for sure. She was too important to people,’’ Hall said. “She did not deserve this as no one deserves this.’’ Hall said she is hopeful that her sister’s death will encourage domestic violence victims to seek help and escape from their abusers during Domestic Violence Awareness Month. “Domestic violence is not right. We all know that,’’ Hall said. Funeral services for Janell are set for Wednesday in Arkansas, where she will be buried under her maiden name.

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | OCTOBER 11, 2020

Remaining SM Freeway pieces opening Oct.19 BY PAUL MARYNIAK Executive Editor

Ten months after vehicles were allowed to roll along the South Mountain Freeway, an opening date has been set for the final two pieces of the $1.7-billion project. The Arizona Department of Transportation has set Monday, Oct. 19 for the opening of the 32nd Street Interchange and the 6-mile multi-use path along the freeway’s southern edge. “The date could change if something unexpected - for example, severe weather - happens between now and then,” ADOT spokesman Tom Herrmann said. “For safety reasons the path will remain closed until it officially opens,” he said. “Construction equipment will remain in the area until the work is complete and we want to protect both the general public and construction crews.” Last year the agency had hoped to open the interchange by September “but delays related to COVID-19 have slowed the work,” it said. Both the interchange and the multiuse path have a long history that took a long time to iron out as the former was an off-again on-again component and the multi-use path the result of persistent lobbying by the high-speed bicycling enthusiasts. For years, bicyclists across the Valley flocked to Pecos Road, which was considered a premiere training facility where they could cruise up and down hills

while reaching speeds of up to 40 mph for stretches between traffic lights. But it was a far from perfect place for cycling, given that motorists reached hit higher speeds. Two cyclists were killed in 2004 and 2014. Cycling community leader Joe Struttmann saw the imminent disappearance of Pecos Road to make way for the freeway as a perfect opportunity to build a safe path for cyclists that would be the first of its kind in the country – and far safer than Pecos Road. “We would be negligent not to build this facility. It screams to be done,’’ Struttmann said in 2016. “We’re losing Pecos Road. We need to have a place for cyclists to go.’’ As the result of months of negotiations by a slew of political and cycling community leaders, ADOT in 2017 agreed to build the path. Even before that agreement was reached, city Councilman Sal DiCiccio told the Ahwatukee Foothills, Village Planning Committee that it had the potential to become “a national landmark for the city” that would draw cycling enthusiasts even from outside the state. “We have very specific types of parks in our community. No one has created a park for the cycling community,’’ DiCiccio said. “It’s all about quality life.’’ The negotiations didn’t end with ADOT’s agreement to build the path, which will be accessible at each freeway cross street, including 40th, 32nd and

24th streets, Desert Foothills Parkway and 17th Avenue. Struttmann and other cycling community leaders have spent months meeting with ADOT, haggling over a number of safety and other issues that he calls critical, especially because pedestrians, parents with baby strollers and others will be allowed to use the path. In an email last month, Struttman told ADOT, “We are close to opening an unprecedented, for the state (maybe the nation), Shared Use Path that we have all worked very hard on...This path is going to be very popular seven days a week.” But Struttmann complained that ADOT and freeway builders Connect202Partners “have not followed through” an October 2017 commitment to install bicycle facilities at the arterial roads and the path. “What we proposed is very common sense and well supported by” several highway agencies,” he said. “It is not expensive and easy to do with a little paint and signs, a drop in the bucket. If I thought it would be productive, I would just scream in a meeting that we are building a great facility, we are a federal focus state and city due to the high number of bike/pedestrian fatalities.” Herrmann told AFN that ADOT officials and biking community representatives toured the entire 6-mile stretch of the path “to make sure it accomodates all users. “At this time we’re confident we have

made the necessary adjustments,” he said. The 32nd Street interchange also has had a politically rocky history. ADOT said that in 2005, a citizens advisory committee that it had been dealing with when planning the freeway opposed the interchange and so it decided not to include it. But around the same time the cycling community was clamoring for a bike path, lawmakers and various community leaders also became concerned about the lack of an emergency route for the various schools that aren’t too far from that area. They feared that if any kind of emergency at Desert Vista High or any of the other nearby schools a mass evacuation would be difficult. ADOT initially offered to leave a nearby path made for construction vehicles, suggesting it could be padlocked and opened only when an emergency arose. But then in 2018, neighborhood and political pressure for a full interchange became so loud that the agency decided to take a second look. ADOT officials sought public input, and hundreds of emails poured into the agency with the overwhelming number begging for an interchange. After several months of engineering and environmental study, the agency in November 2018 bowed to popular demand and said it would shell out the estimated $10 million needed to build a full interchange.

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | OCTOBER 11, 2020

For more community news visit SanTanSun.com

MEGAN VOGUS

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MARY KAYE ALLEN

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Chandler Chamber honors local individuals, companies SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

The format was different but the Chandler Chamber of Commerce kept alive its 33-year-old tradition of honoring individuals and local businesses recently with its annual Community Awards presentation. Instead of a gala gathering at a local hotel, the Chamber was forced by the pandemic to hold the celebration virtually as it honored six local companies, five educators, two other individuals and Chandler-Gilbert Community college. In addition, the Chandler Chamber Community Foundation awarded a scholarship to Michael DiMatteo. The fact that participants couldn’t gather in person did not diminish the event’s significance, said Chamber CEO/ President Terri Kimble, who told the viewers:

“One of my favorite things about Chandler is being the smart city that we are. When adverse conditions arise, we set the bar higher and reach for the stars.” Presented by Gila River Hotels and Casinos and hosted by ImprovMANIA co-owner Dave Specht, the celebration honored the Salt River Project as the Large Business of the Year; AvAir, the Medium Business of the Year; Laser Creations, the Small Business of the Year; and NOW Financial, Micro Business of the Year. Dunston Simpson of Cox Business announced the Community Cup award for Chandler-Gilbert Community College, calling it “a resourceful anchor in the community” as a public servant and an academic institution “guided by: innovation, exploration, sustainability, engagement and inclusiveness.”

Mary Kaye Allen was awarded the Chamber cup by sponsor Dignity Health, which praised her friendly and helpful demeanor as Chamber’s frontdesk recipient. A retired Chandler-Gilbert Community College administrator who helped create the New Adventures in Learning program in Sun Lakes, Allen drew kudos as one of the Chamber’s “mighty pillars.” The Chandler Cup went to the Douglas Allred Company for its partnership with the city. Mayor Kevin Hartke said the company “is “a critical factor in our community’s economic competitiveness” and that one of the reasons behind the city’s job growth is the fact that it “continues to drive opportunities for corporate recruitment.” Chandler Police Lt. Shawn Hancock won the James R. Snedigar Public

Service Award. John Nissen of sponsor Earnhardt Ford said Hancock, the former president of the Chandler Law Enforcement Association, “is an accomplished instructor and was awarded for advancing the Chandler P.D. training program.” After his promotion to lieutenant in 2014, Hancock launched the Chandler Police Leadership Cohort, “which serves emerging leaders across all City of Chandler departments,” Nissen noted. Hancock also is board chair of ICAN and a member of the Chandler Chamber Community Foundation Leadership Institute. The Business Diversity in Action Award went to Dr. William Crawford of the D.W. Consulting Group. A former Phoenix Police DepartSee

CHAMBER on page 35

Chandler woman cleans up with her business SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

Olga Moya’s story is the kind that would inspire any foreign resident who wants to become an American citizen. But it’s also a story that any native American can look to for inspiration on the value of determination and hard work. Moya came to America from Bogota, Colombia, 28 years ago, eventually settling in 1995 in Chandler, where she lives with her husband Fabio, sons Rowvingson and Brandon and two dogs. This year she’s also celebrating the 25th anniversary of her business, Alert Cleaning Services, Inc., which cleans both commercial establishments and homes. It’s also a celebration of achieving the American Dream. Six months after Moya started working for a cleaning company in 1993, the owners decided to sell the business. “When they notified all their clients of the new changes, a few of them asked the owner if I could continue providing the cleaning for them and without any hesitation, they handed me a few customers in the Sun Lakes area,” Moya recalled. “My boss and clients agreed that I took pride on my work and were confident I would continue exceeding their expectations as a solo cleaner. Here I’m 25 years later.”

Olga Moya is celebrating the 25th anniversary of her Chandler residential and commercial cleaning business, Alert Cleaning Services. (Tim Sealy/Sealy Media)

It wasn’t an easy slide into becoming a small business owner. “I didn’t know the industry or speak English fluently back them,” she said, “Finding the time to educate myself about it and learning the language was a challenge while working on my business, being a mom and a wife. “However, I was determined to do it if wanted to take my business to the next level.” Today, she’s built a business that has drawn raves online for Alert’s special rotation system and sanitizing process and a green cleaning service that uses effective, nontoxic and eco-friendly cleaning products.” “I have hired many cleaners over the years and I must say the quality of cleaning I received from Alert Cleaning was above and beyond any other cleaning I’ve had,” one client wrote. Said another: “We were preparing our home

for sale and we needed it to be spotless and really shine. Alert Cleaning knocked it out of the park.” Other praised the courteous and friend staff. Now running her own business and employing 12 people, Moya said her big challenges these days involve “business automatization, finding the right tools to make the booking process fast and efficient, reducing email time. “I’m old school so this has been an interesting process,” she joked. She said the time it takes her crew to clean a house depends on a number of factors, ranging from size to whether it is vacant or lived-in. “Residential cleaning has been the core of the business,” she said. “However, we have grown quite of bit on the commercial side. We serve different industries such as medical practices, multipurpose rooms, fitness studios, office spaces, etc.” And the pandemic has created challenges as well. “Even though we are considered an essential business 45 percent of our residential clients put a hold on their cleaning or canceled, so keeping our employees working during the slow months was difficult, but we pulled through. I’m so grateful we didn’t have to let go of people or closed our doors.” Information: 480-786-3838, contact@alertcleaning.com.

BUSINESS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | OCTOBER 11, 2020

Why Americans don’t save lots of income tax BY HAROLD WONG Guest Writer

According to the Tax Foundation, America will spend more on taxes – including federal, state, and local – than it will on food, clothing, and housing combined. This is especially true for retirees that own a free and clear primary home. When I gave talks to annual conventions of dentists, their main goal is to retire 5-15+ years earlier. This is also the goal of other medical professionals such as physicians as well as other high-income households with $250,000 or more annual gross income. By saving $50,000 per year of income taxes for 20 years, if we can average an 8 percent return, this will be an extra $2,471,146 in their retirement fund. For lower-income households, the impact of saving $20,000 per year of income taxes for 25 years, averaging a 7 percent return, will be an extra $1,353,529 in their retirement fund. This is enough to retire early!

Typical goals of clients that I see are: retire early; afford major fun and bucket list items in retirement; never run out of money; investments that don’t lose; increase spendable income; grow assets; pass a financial legacy to kids and grandkids; and save income taxes. By saving substantial amount of income taxes, one can achieve these goals without taking a lot of risk in the stock market. By keeping what you earn, you avoid losing 15-30 percent of your hard-earned income in taxes every year. This is safer than volatile stock market investments that lose 25-50 percent of your life savings each stock market crash. It only took five weeks for a major stock market index to crash 35 percent due to the 2020 coronavirus panic. The Tax Reform Act of 1986 targeted tax shelters and eliminated 90 percent of the major tax-savings strategies one could use at the end of the year, such as the 10 percent investment tax credit. Instead of the 15-year depreciation on rental houses and residential apartments allowed by the Economic Recovery Act of 1981, residential property

depreciation was increased to 27.5 years life and 39 years for all other classes of real estate (deemed commercial). Stiff penalties on tax preparers and CPAs discourage major tax savings. In addition, a number of tax laws starting in the 1980s added stiff penalties on any tax preparer or CPA. Due to the 18 percent mortgage rates and 22.5 percent prime interest rate in 1981, there was a terrible recession with major unemployment. The federal government estimated that 10 percent of the economy was underground (meaning not taxed). The solution was to use stiff penalties on tax preparers and CPAs to discourage them from saving major tax for their clients. In other words, the federal government turned them into quasi-IRA agents. If it was a choice of losing their license or saving major tax for clients, it was clear that they wanted to protect their license. The field became mainly tax preparation. In contrast, it’s major tax planning strategies that are needed to save you

major income taxes. Then there is the fear of the IRS and unwillingness to pay for tax planning. According to a 2018 study by Lexington Law, 25 percent are afraid of an IRS audit. For those over the age of 65, one in three fear being audited during their lifetime. These are understandable but irrational fears because the current audit rate by the IRS is 0.5 percent. However, older Americans remember the decades of higher audit rates and illegal bonuses paid to the auditors who extracted the highest dollars from taxpayer audits. In addition, most taxpayers are unwilling to pay top consultants $200-500 per hour for advanced tax planning. Free information on income tax savings, retirement planning, and solar business investments can be found at drharoldwong. com or solarbusinessinvestments.com. To schedule your free consultation, contact Dr. Harold Wong at 480-7060177 or harold_wong@hotmail.com. Dr. Harold Wong earned his Ph.D. in economics at University of California/ Berkeley and has appeared on over 400 TV/radio programs.

Area mom’s candle business is burning bright BY MONIQUE SELEEN Contributor

Amidst the chaos and uncertainties of the pandemic, Amy Harris has been melting her stress away. She’s pouring her extra time into a candle-making business, a dream that has burned bright for her for a while. “I’ve always been a huge candle person,” Harris waxed enthusiastically. “My mom worked at Yankee Candle and always had candles around.” Harris, who works full-time in public affairs for State Farm, said she got inspired about a year ago after she had purchased several candles and was frustrated by their cost. An idea flickered and she began digging on the DIY-ing of candle-making. When COVID-19 hit, Harris said she was able to devote more attention to starting the business.

Amy Harris prepares another batch of candles in her Gilbert home. She donates a portion of sales to a nonprofit that helps families of the Stephen Stiller Tunnels to Towers Foundation, named after a firefighter who died on 9/11 (Pablo Robles/SanTan Sun News Staff)

“I’m working from home right now so I no longer have a commute to work, which saves me like an hour each day,” said Harris.

M.C. Candle Co., named after Harris’ children Mali and Casey, officially launched in April, “I researched different techniques, learned about the types of waxes, wicks, and vessels. I joined candle making groups on social media and started watching YouTube videos on the process,” she said. Once she had the basics down, she said she recruited volunteers from her neighborhood to find out how the candles’ different scents might play in the marketplace. “This was one of the hardest parts,” said Harris. ”I didn’t want to have too many choices. Having other people’s opinions really helped.” Harris still relies on the same group of neighbors every time she launches new scents. Her family also plays a role in helping with the business.

“My daughter likes to sample all the scents. She’s 4 so she gives me her honest opinion,” said Harris. Harris’ said her 3-year-old son enjoys handing the packages to the mailman and credited her husband who helps manage their kids while she works on the candles. Harris also honors other members of her family through her partnership with Stephen Siller Tunnels to Tower Foundation, donating 15 percent of her sales to the nonprofit, which helps families of fallen first responders. While Harris said the business has had its challenges, she said it’s been rewarding to see the business grow. “We’ve been way busier than what we expected,” she said. “People love candles. It’s been extremely gratifying knowing all this time and effort has paid off.” Info: mccandleco.com

Rubber meets a golden road on local man’s websites BY PAUL MARYNIAK Executive Editor

Talk to Roger Falcone for a little while and it’s easy to understand how his office on Chandler Boulevard in Ahwatukee has become the nerve center for one of the most successful set of websites on the planet, pouring $750,000 into the local economy last year alone. With a dash of motorhead, a sprinkling of computer geek – and a whole lot of business savvy and foresight – the 20-year Ahwatukee resident has developed a skein of automobile websites that command the attention of millions of people around the world and employ 27 people in Ahwatukee.

Through the websites that Falcone birthed and nurtured over the last 13 years, owners of classic and collector cars meet each other, sell to and buy from each other and – as of a month ago – also auction vehicles. As the CEO of the Collector Car Network, Falcone presides over the world’s most comprehensive collection of resources for buyers, sellers and owners of classic and collector vehicles. His enterprise has twice been inducted into the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing privately held companies in America that, as his website explains, serves “the passions and lifestyles of classic automotive enthusiasts” who can easily and safely buy and sell classic and collector vehicles of all ages and

makes. His flagship brand, ClassicCars.com, is the largest online collector car marketplace in the world and ranks 2,954 out of a billion domains for web visits and engagement, according to Alexa Rank, the Amazon tool that measures such internet activity. Among millions of U.S. websites, it ranks 612. His ClassicCars.com Journal is a regularly updated site with hundreds of articles on everything automotive – or, as the site puts it, “steel, rubber and soul” – from how to pick a good restoration service to backroads where you can see vintage car shows in motion to the latest concept designs and even 50s movies like the 1958 “Hot Rod Gang.” It also has been voted the second

most influential automotive blog in the country. Another brand under the Collector Car Network umbrella, called futurecollectorcarshow.com, features pictures of souped-up cars and hot rods from Falcone’s Future Collector Car Show that kicks off Arizona Auction Week. That show will be held Jan. 17 on High Street in North Phoenix, where, since 2016, owners have a free chance to show vehicles of any make, model, year and condition. Now, Falcone has added another brand to the Collector Car Network. AutoHunter.com is his new online auction for collectible vehicles – ofSee

CARS on page 33

BUSINESS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | OCTOBER 11, 2020

CARS

from page 32

fering people to sell and buy vehicles on a bid basis like the restored 1948 Ford Super Deluxe Woody Resto-Mod powered by a 2019 GM engine that had a high bid of $7,000 with 16 days left to raise the ante or the 1996 Porsche that, with three days to go, had a top bid of $3,000. Right now, you can place a bid on a 2003 Red Ferrari 360 Modena F1 with a mere 33 miles or a 1960 MG MGA Roadster with a 5-speed manual transmission. The possibilities on Falcone’s sites are almost endless – as is his business. Classiccars.com, the backbone of his enterprise, pulls in a monthly average of 4.5 million visitors who can peruse over 35,000 vehicles for sale. So popular is the site that the pandemic barely made a dent. Indeed, from March to July, Falcone said, traffic grew 34 percent year-overyear. Falcone’s top two people in the enterprise say it’s easy to understand how all that traffic has become a major force in the local economy. It not only has created fulltime jobs for people who vet the vehicles, the owners and potential buyers, but also has provided business for local vendors and services like mechanics and transporters who can connect buyers halfway around the world with a vehicle they bought from someone in the Valley.

Roger Falcone of Ahwatukee is the CEO of the Collector Car Network, whose websites draw millions of visitors from around the world who are interested in buying or selling collectible and classic cars. (Special to SanTan Sun News)

“The collector car industry and hobby, by its inherent nature, consists of being able to get out on the open road to enjoy the innate passion for the automobile,” said Mike Langthorne, vice president of ClassicCars.com. “With the COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacting in-person gatherings, the expansion of our digital platform has helped to feed and foster the passion of collector car enthusiasts, providing a much-needed bridge to the collector car community as we eagerly await a return to some sense of normalcy.” As for auto hunter, Thomas Bechtel,

classiccars.com operations director: “We’ve leveraged the operational and transactional knowledge that comes with listing millions of vehicles over the last 13 years to build an effective, safe and engaging new online auction platform.” Falcone didn’t expect to settle in Ahwatukee when he moved out here from his native Boston to sell his company, an online site that carried stories about motor sports, to a buyer that made products for the same industry. “It was supposed to be three years and turned out to be 20,” he quipped.

Before he ever got into online businesses, he had worked for an energy company in Massachusetts, where he was in charge of several computer-related departments. Then, “I started to break out on my own and start my own business.” He had started the motor sports site in 1994 – when the internet was barely a baby to the world at large – and at the same time bought the domain name classiccars.com. He had gone to a couple conferences and learned about the internet, then “I decided to take the lead.” “I first had to explain to my wife and family what the internet was – that shows you how long ago it was,” said Falcone, who with his wife Diane has two grown children. What followed can only be described the way Falcone explains it: serendipity. “I’ve always had an interest in cars,” he explained. “I’m not a mechanic or mechanically inclined in any way, but I’ve always had an interest in cars and I was introduced to this gentleman at the time and told him I was I was interested in starting the company and it just so happened that he owned a racetrack.” In 2007, Falcone decided to do something with the classiccars.com domain. “I’ve always loved the history and the beauty and the stories and the passion behind classic cars, so I thought I’d give that a shot,” he said. The only problem: The next year saw See

CARS on page 35

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | OCTOBER 11, 2020

EV mom’s studio mixes dance, fitness BY CECILIA CHAN Managing Editor

For 20 years, Natalie Germaine would lace up her sneakers and run 6-8 miles a day until one morning, she realized she couldn’t do it anymore. “It’s hard on my joints,” the Gilbert mom recalled telling herself. “I’m bored with it. I hit a wall.” Today, Germaine finds her runner’s high in dance-based cardio classes as the owner of AKT, which recently opened its doors at San Tan Village Parkway, near Williams Field Road, in Gilbert. It’s the first and, so far, only AKT franchise in Arizona, where members are promised a full-body workout that combines cardio dance intervals with strength and toning. The fitness studio offers four signature classes – Dance, Bands, Tone and Circuit – that together burn calories, strengthen and develop muscle definition. Dance alternates between choreographed dance sections and shortstrength intervals while in the Bands class, members perform sports-based exercises with the use of a plyometric box. The Tone class pairs full-body strength with isometric movements and in the Circuit class a full-body workout using weights is offered. Each class is an hour long, with new original programming created every three weeks. “To optimism your workout we advise you take each class each week,” said Germaine. “I take one to two classes a day and have taken three on occasions. The classes are fun and I enjoy being with the members.” The studio’s concept was the brainchild of fitness guru Anna Kaiser, who is a personal trainer of celebrities such as Kelly Ripa, Shakira and Alicia Keys. Kaiser began her company in 2013 and five years later offered franchises with reportedly over 60 locations sold across the country. Germaine, a 15-year Gilbert resident, learned about the workout through a seven-day trial on Kaiser’s streaming

Natalie Germaine owns AKT in Gilbert, which combines four signature classes to burn calories, strenghten and develop muscle definition. (Pablo Robles/SanTan Sun News Staff Photographer)

The staff at AKT in Gilbert includes, from left, owner Natalie Germaine, trainer Paige Wolfe and sales rep Jaili Wolf. (Pablo Robles/SanTan Sun News Staff Photographer)

she needed to franchise her program. “She never responded and about nine months later she announced she was franchising,” Germaine said. “I saw the light, I had the vision but she probably had it before I did.”

are still trying to recover economically, “a lotPeople can’t afford $189 right now. So I’m running

the promotion for as long as I can. I would rather have more people in the gym as they recover and get back in shape and taking care of their physical health than make more money.

”

– Natalie Germaine

program called AKT On Demand. After the try-out, she sent a direct message to Kaiser on social media, praising the “amazing concept” and telling her

t? o G ws Ne

After Kaiser’s announcement, Germaine said she emailed to indicate her interest in the franchise. But by the time the company con-

tacted her back, it was not a good time because it was the start of football season, Germaine recalled. Her husband, Joe Germaine, a former NFL quarterback who received a Super Bowl ring with the Rams, is head football coach at Queen Creek High School and both are co-general managers for a Southeast Valley football club named the Buckeyes. It wasn’t until January 2019 when Germaine’s interest piqued again after catching Ripa on her morning talk show featuring Kaiser demonstrating one of her classes. “I said, ‘I got to get back into it,’” she recalled. “I called them after the show aired and put my name down.” She was flown out to California to explore the concept more and then paid a visit to New York to one of Kaiser’s studios. In March 2019, she inked a deal for a franchise location. This is Germaine’s first business venture but she said she’s always had her

foot in some aspect of business. She worked as a pharmaceutical rep for Pfizel after she graduated from college and later part time for a financial advisor while raising her children, 5, 8, 12 and 15. What typically should have taken three months from the signing of the franchise agreement to opening up for business instead ran much longer for Germaine. “I didn’t have a history of starting a business,” she said. “At the time no one wanted to lend money.” When she finally found the financial backing in October 2019, the ball got rolling and construction of her studio was completed this past January. But before she was ready to open, COVID-19 hit and the mandated shutdowns followed. Looking back, Germaine said she is lucky with the delayed opening because if she had been up and running last year and then had to deal with the forced closures, she doesn’t know if her studio would have survived. But with gyms given benchmarks for reopening by Gov. Doug Ducey in August, Germaine finds her studio is doing well. “Everybody is ready to get back and ready to get their pre-COVID body back,” she said. “I’m grateful for the timing.” Although studio members are from all backgrounds, the majority are women 35-65 years old, Germaine said. “I love our clientele,” she added. “It’s just a super group of women.” During the pandemic, the studio has safety precautions in place such as limited class sizes, deep-cleaning protocols between each class and contactless check-in. The studio offers monthly memberships for unlimited classes and drop-in classes. Right now, the studio is offering a 20-percent discount on its monthly membership. “People are still trying to recover economically,” Germaine said. “A lot can’t afford $189 right now. So I’m running the promotion for as long as I can. I would rather have more people in the gym as they recover and get back in shape and taking care of their physical health than make more money.” Germaine said she has a license to build a second franchise location somewhere in the Valley sometime in the future. “My body is stronger, has more muscle and more muscle tone,” Germaine said. “I carry myself better and my knees don’t hurt. I never thought I would find something that would replace running. I don’t miss it at all. When I see people running, I say ‘I feel bad for you because you could be dancing.’” Information: 2484 S Santan Village Pkwy.; Current promotion: monthly membership for unlimited classes at $152. 480-878-2877 or aktgilbert@ theakt.com.

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

BUSINESS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | OCTOBER 11, 2020

CHAMBER

Chandler Unified School District Elementary Choral Festival for eight years. “Her choir at Basha Elementary brings her unparalleled joy and she can think of no better job to have than to make music with children,” Davis said. The School Administrator of the Year went to Dr. Kymberly Marshall, who oversees Chandler Unified”s special education programs. “She has a knack for developing talent and she brings out the best in her peers and colleagues,” the Chamber said. Sheila Boyns, a paraprofessional at CTA Freedom Elementary School was named School Support Staff of the Year. Boyns also works for the city’s Therapeutic Recreation Department, which provides sports and activities for developmentally disabled children and young adults. The Red Apple Award went to Victor Serna, Seton Catholic Preparatory principal for his community leadership. He was praised for strengthen relationships between the business community and educational institutions and working “tirelessly to ensure the safety of his students and faculty throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.”

rom page 31

ment employee and Maricopa County Community College District administrator, he is senior vice president of an education services company, a minority-owned firm. He also co-chairs the Chamber’s diversity committee, is president of the Arizona Justice Educators Association, chairs the city’s merit board and is vice chair of city’s retirement boards. The Chamber’s Ambassador of the Year went to Robert Sinkule, CFO of Yoga’s Arc. The Veteran’s Advocate Award was given to TurbineAero. Kelly Bello of Ghett’Yo Taco noted that 70 percent of the company’s employees are military veterans and each is honored on a “wall of fame” it maintains at its headquarters. Megan Vogus, a music teacher at Basha Elementary School, was named Educator of the Year. Amy Davis of Northrop Grumman, which sponsored the educator awards, said Vogus is known for “encouraging children’s joyful imagination and musical spirit” and has coordinated the

CARS

rom page 33

the advent of the Great Recession. “Yeah, so my timing wasn’t always great,” he chuckled. “But we managed to grow throughout that whole ordeal. We were really really fortunate. We were able to still grow the company.” “Now we’re the largest car marketplace and we’re right here in Ahwatukee,” He has also built a reputation among car lovers for his company’s efforts to protect buyers from shady sellers – and vice versa. Sellers have to prove they actually can come up with the cash for vehicles. Buyers get a protection plan that insures them against ending up with a car that has no title or has undisclosed damage or hose make and model year were misrepresented. And between his automotive specialists and other employees who assist owners and buyers with all facets of the online operation, his enterprise has

won customer service awards for the last five years. Falcone is psyched about autohunter. com. The difference between classiccars. com and autohunter.com, he said, is that the latter “is not just classic cars and certainly not old or older classics…. This is about interesting and collectible vehicles. And so, if you go to the site you might see a 2003 Ferrari or a 1992 Toyota. We wanted to broaden our reach.” And Falcone gets a chuckle that while people around the world know his brands, you’d barely notice the nerve center where his global enterprise is based – right across Chandler Boulevard from the Safeway supermarket. For passersby, he said, “the trees are blocking every once awhile until they trim them a little bit. It’s probably the world’s best kept secret in a way.” But he’s happy to be here, stating: “We’re proud to be in Ahwatukee and we’re certainly proud of having so many of our Ahwatukee folks working here. It’s a very special place.”

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | OCTOBER 11, 2020

2020

Community Award Winners The Chandler Chamber honored local businesses, first responders and educators for their outstanding contributions to the community at the 33rd Annual Chandler Chamber Community Awards live stream event. Congratulations to all the winners as we celebrate your efforts during these uncertain times in continuing to make Chandler an outstanding community to live, work and play. Thank you to all our sponsors who make this event possible.

Ambassador of the Year Robert Sinkule Yoga’s Arc

Red Apple Award Victor Serna Seton Catholic Preparatory

Veterans Advocate Award TurbineAero

Business Diversity in Action Dr. William Crawford, III D.W. Consulting Group

James R. Snedigar Public Service Award Lieutenant Shawn Hancock Chandler Police

Educator of the Year Megan Vogus Basha Elementary School

Scholarship Recipient Michael DiMatteo

Micro Business of the Year NOW Financial

Administrator of the Year Dr. Kymberly Marshall Chandler Unified School District

Chamber Cup Mary Kaye Allen Chandler Chamber

Small Business of the Year Laser Creations

Support Staff of the Year Sheila Boyns CTA Freedom Elementary School

Chandler Cup (Mayor’s Choice) Douglas Allred Company

Medium Business of the Year AvAir

Community Cup Chandler-Gilbert Community College

Large Business of the Year Salt River Project

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | OCTOBER 11, 2020

For more community news visit SanTanSun.com

Skates or cleats? Gibson brothers finding own paths BY ZACH ALVIRA

Sports Editor

Kellen and Cayden Gibson admittedly don’t have much free time. If the two aren’t on the gridiron with Arizona College Prep’s varsity football team, they can often be found on the ice playing double-A club hockey. Sometimes, they can even be found on the wrestling mat or practicing discuss and shot-put throws. But when all else fails, they’re likely navigating their way through rigorous course loads as part of ACP’s curriculum. “It’s definitely tough, time management is a big part of it,” Kellen said. “I was still doing travel my freshman year, so I would have a workout for football then be on the ice for hockey. I just had to find a time for homework any chance I got. “I think my brother will have to figure that out, too.” Kellen, a senior linebacker for the Knights, has emerged as a captain and among the several players now receiving attention from college programs. Cayden, while only a freshman, mirrors his older brother’s 6-foot-2 frame from the defensive end position. The two didn’t start playing football until they entered high school. Their first love while growing up in Anchorage, Alaska always involved ice skates and hockey pucks. Even when they moved to the Valley in 2012, their love for hockey carried on.

Above: Kellen Gibson began playing triple-A club hockey when he was in the eighth grade. Since then, however, he has dropped down a level in order to free up his schedule for football and to play with his little brother, Cayden. (Tim Sealy/Arizonan Contributor) Left: Arizona College Prep senior Kellen Gibson, left, and freshman Cayden Gibson not only have gained recognition for their play on the gridiron but on the ice, too. (Zach Alvira/SanTan Sun News Staff)

The two play at the double-A level in the Junior Coyotes club organization. Practices take place at the Ice Den in Chandler. They previously competed at the triple-A level, which is among the highest for club hockey. It involves traveling out of state for games at least once a month, often playing teams from states nearby and on occasion, some from the East Coast, where Cayden says most of the talent is for the sport. “In order to really progress super far

in hockey, you have to go to the East Coast,” Cayden said. “That’s where all the talent is and that’s where you will get noticed.” Kellen began playing hockey at the triple-A level when he was in the eighth grade. That level of hockey is the highest for players in the high school age group. Once he began playing football at ACP, however, he realized the demand was too high to continue and compete in other sports. After dropping down a division to

double-A, his love for football grew. Still a four-sport athlete with football, wrestling, hockey and track and field, he’s beginning to find himself put hockey on the backburner a bit in favor of pursuing a collegiate football career. “Just looking at all the opportunities with football, I knew I had to try it out,” Kellen said. “I knew I couldn’t play football and then immediately travel for triple-A hockey. I dropped down a level to still play competitively as a way to kind of keep that door open just in See

BROTHERS on page 40

Pandemic may help Arizona athletes’ recruitment chances BY BRANDON JONES

Cronkite News

Many high school seniors competing in fall sports have aspirations to play in college and the pandemic may have helped their dreams. For those in states where sports are on pause, that goal might be difficult to reach if they don’t already have offers – creating opportunities for Arizona athletes. “We’ve had three guys that have committed already and 24 guys (on our team) that have Power Five, (lower) Division I, Division II, (and) Division III offers,” Chandler High School coach Rick Garretson said. He said being able to play in their senior year was important to athletes. “I think your senior year is without question your best year. You’re the biggest and the strongest and the most experienced that you’ve (ever been). “It’s gigantic that the kids are going to be able to play and have an eight-game season and then put together whatever string of playoff games that we have there as well,” Garretson said. Five in the West and Southwest and 11 others have opted to not play sports in the fall, according to the National Federation of State High School Associations,

Chandler High’s Brandon Buckner, second from left, committed to the University of Oregon after he had a chance to take an in-person recruiting visit. (Courtesy Brandon Buckner)

while Arizona and 20 others have shorter schedules and later starts. Although Brandon Buckner, Chandler’s outside linebacker, is committed to Oregon, he said this season is still important. “I feel like it’s pretty important, just solidifying and seeing all my four years of coming through Chandler,” Buckner said. “Just putting the icing on the cake, just playing well last season with my friends, just going out and get in another championship, and just accomplishing our goals and expectations that we have for this year.” Buckner seemed more excited for his teammates than he was for himself now that they know they’ll be able to play this season. “It’s going to be helpful for them to show off their own talents and abilities,” Buckner said. “Because we are going to be able to play this fall, so I’m just happy to see all of them succeed and just see onball out this year. I feel like they’re really going to step up and just make plays on Friday nights.” While there’s a clear advantage for athletes who are able to compete this fall over the athletes who can’t, Garretson believes it’s not all bad for the See

RECRUIT on page 40

SPORTS & RECREATION

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | OCTOBER 11, 2020

Fall League’s cancellation viewed as a loss BY HARRY CROTON

Cronkite News

News of MLB’s decision to cancel the 2020 Arizona Fall League season left some players reminiscing on how the experience shaped their bond with the game. While there had been speculation about the AFL being canceled this year after the 2020 minor league season was scrapped, MLB cited safety precautions and lack of stadium accommodations as primary reasons. The cancellation is viewed as a significant loss by those who have played in the Fall League. “Guys are just missing out on that ultimate competition level,” Atlanta Braves prospect Trey Harris said. “For some guys, it exposes some things you need to work on, and for other guys it elevates their game.” Founded in 1992 as a way to extend the seasons for 180 of MLB’s top prospects, the AFL operates across six ballparks in Scottsdale, Glendale, Mesa, Peoria and Surprise. Each of the 30 MLB clubs sends six of their best young players. “The competition that the AFL provides is top-notch all across minor league baseball,” sports commentator Dominic Cotroneo said. “You’re facing all of the best. Every inning you can’t take a pitch off.” With the addition of coaches,

Usually Mesa’s Sloan Park has plenty of Arizona Fall League players at this time of year. The cancellation of the season means far less activity there. (Kevin Hurley/Cronkite News)

trainers and other necessary team staff, along with 180 players, MLB determined the facilities would not be able to accommodate the numbers, let alone adhere to social-distancing requirements in 2020. At this point, however, MLB expects the AFL to return in 2021. Over the years, the AFL has hosted some of the sport’s most exciting prospects, some of whom are among MLB’s

elite in the shortened 2020 season. Perennial All-Stars like Mike Trout, Nolan Arenado and Mookie Betts have competed in the AFL, as have Hall of Famers as Derek Jeter and Mike Piazza. Getting the call to report to the Valley is regarded as an honor for young players, as it not only speaks to their development in the minors, but allows for them to compete on an elite stage. “Everybody’s got goals that they

want to accomplish,” Miami Marlins prospect Vincenzo Aiello said. “In the 2019 campaign, mine was definitely (to) prove to Miami and prove to baseball that I deserve a shot.” Aiello, a right-handed pitcher who last played for the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp of the Double-A Southern See

FALL LEAGUE on page 39

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | OCTOBER 11, 2020

FALL LEAGUE

from page 38

League, won the 2019 AFL Championship as a member of the Salt River Rafters. What he remembers most fondly about his experience in the AFL is developing new perspectives and adding to his experience. “You learn from other guys,” Aiello said. “You learn different routines, different tactics or whatever it might be to get you ready for the game.” The AFL has existed as a source of growth in many departments for players, whether it be skill, maturity, camaraderie, chemistry or adaptability. In past years, competing in Arizona has benefited players off the field as well. As clusters of players were often housed together, the AFL helped to create new friendships and cultivate a lasting sense of respect. In the AFL, the focus was never about fan attendance and ticket sales. According to MiLB.com, the average attendance at AFL games in 2019 was just 500 fans per game.

Former Arizona Fall League players, like Tyler Mark, who is from Los Angeles, left, and Bo Takahashi, who is from Brazil, are grateful for the friendships they made playing in the league. (Erica Block/Cronkite News)

While the Fall Stars and Championship games have been known to draw thousands, the AFL has often been viewed as a mecca for scouts and diehards. “Regardless of how many fans are in the stands for a Fall League game, it is something that people are watching,”

said Jacob Pomrenke, director of editorial content for the Society of American Baseball Research. “You’ve got the most talented prospects coming up and these small, intimate environments (where) you can sit anywhere in the park and watch these future stars up close.”

With COVID-19 restrictions looming over the 2020 season, MLB expanded player pools to 60 players and incorporated alternate training sites across the country for select prospects and minor leaguers. Many players have reported to these sites and some have earned early callups to the Majors, which would have lessened the amount of immediate candidates available for the AFL. The good news for minor leaguers not selected to report to the alternate training sites, however, is that MLB is still allowing Fall Instructional League ball to take place, which creates opportunities for players in the second echelon of development. “If you get invited to (instructional ball), the team you are playing for thinks you’re doing something well and they want to make it even better for you,” Cotroneo said. “That’s the ultimate compliment for a minor leaguer – to get that respect.” Although there will be no fans in attendance, the Instructional League this year could be preparing for one of its biggest seasons yet, with some teams – like the San Diego Padres – doubling up for a potential 40-game slate.

Have an interesting sports story? Contact Zach Alvira at zalvira@timespublications.com and follow him on Twitter @ZachAlvira.

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | OCTOBER 11, 2020

Pandemic impact athletes’ mental health BY CHRISTOPHER HOWLEY

Cronkite News

For the past six months, high school athletes have been left holding their breath. The pandemic clouded the future of Valley sports in the fall for most of that time. “One day we’re playing, one day we’re not … now we are playing with a ‘maybe,’” Brophy College Preparatory football coach Jason Jewell said. “We’re out there practicing and doing our best to get prepared, but we don’t have the green lights yet. It’s tough.” This constant roller coaster has brought an unwelcome side effect: an increase in anxiety and depression among high school athletes. Just after the pandemic began in late February, the University of Wisconsin began researching the correlation between the mental health of student-athletes and the cancellation of sports. In a study consisting of 3,000 Wisconsin high school athletes, researchers recorded that 65 percent of participants showed signs of anxiety, including 12 percent moderate and 13 percent severe. Researchers also found that 68 percent of Wisconsin student-athletes showed symptoms of depression, with 35 percent being mild and 33 percent being moderate to severe. “Since March, the mental health of our kids has been an increasing concern every week, every month that we have not been able to get back to some type of normalcy,” AIA Executive Director David Hines said. “It’s a very real issue

BROTHERS

from page 37

case.” Cayden, however, hasn’t quite made the transition like his brother. He missed the first two Monday’s of official practice for the Knights to skate in front of coaches for the same club as Kellen. Their parents have always imagined them playing on the same team in any sport, and despite them being four years a part in age, they have that opportunity this season. As for his favorite sport, he still

RECRUIT

from page 37

athletes who won’t be able to go out and compete. “The college coaches have had a chance to really sit down and evaluate, I think film, that maybe in the past, they haven’t been able to do so,” Garretson said. “It’ll hurt some kids, not having college recruiters on campus, like in the springtime when they can actually eyeball them and see what they can actually do in a live situation.” The recruiting process for the next year

Chandler High School’s Eli Sanders (left) said returning to practice during the pandemic “is just a blessing to be out with everyone.” (Kevin Hurley/Cronkite News)

lines and staying safe has added some unforeseen stress. “It takes kind of a while to adjust because this is all new to us,” Chandler running back Eli Sanders said. “We’re still working hard. It’s just a blessing to be out (at practice) with everyone.” In order to combat the formation of the potential long-lasting effects from depression and anxiety, the AIA and high school coaches are hoping that the return of sports can help ease some students’ minds. “The kids are juiced to be out there and we practice early in the morning,” Jewell said. “We go from 5:30 a.m. to 7 a.m. and the energy is good, attendance is not an issue.” Although his team practices in person and the players have been cleared to play, Jewell said they still host meetings online and that he has found it challenging to be there for them off the field. “I make it very known that if they need anything they can reach out to me, all my kids know that,” Jewell said. “It’s tough because I haven’t been around [the players] a ton. Everybody can put up a good front when you’re on an hourlong zoom meeting and you have 75 little one-inch squares to see their face and to see how they really are.” The AIA last month changed its COVID guidelines to increase the chance of high school sports in the fall. “It’s about the kids, I want to do what’s right for them,” Jewell said. “We’re just trying to figure out ways to make this thing work and hopefully we get to play Oct. 2.”

that we are dealing with.” Neurologist Javier Cárdenas predicts these symptoms of anxiety and depression will have long-term effects on these athletes even after the pandemic ends. “There likely will be (long-term effects from these depression and anxiety symptoms),” Cárdenas said. “People respond incredibly different to these conditions, just like they do to COVID itself. For many there will be long-lasting consequences, we just don’t know what they are going to be.”

Cárdenas said there is no way to tell how this time without sports will affect high school athletes’ brains because a pandemic is extremely uncommon. “This (pandemic), should be a once-in-a-generation experience,” Cárdenas said. “(What were things for people with anxiety and depression) is something I have not seen published from the previous pandemic over 100 years ago.” For those students who have had the chance to practice their sport over the past month, adjusting to new guide-

favors hockey. “I would probably say hockey is still my favorite,” Cayden said. “First of all, it’s cool. It’s indoors. When I play I just feel free. I think it’s the speed of the game. It’s a team sport but there’s no other feeling than when you score a goal in hockey.” ACP head football coach Myron Blueford expects both Kellen and Cayden to make a dramatic impact this season for the Knights. Blueford knows what to expect from Kellen, who was the starting middle linebacker last season. While he was slightly unsure of what to expect from Cayden heading

into summer workouts, Blueford’s confidence in the freshman becoming an impact player right away for the Knights has grown. He’s shown constant improvement on a daily basis and adds depth to a defense that already returns some of the most talented players in the state, let alone the 3A Conference. “When Cayden walks in, he doesn’t look like a freshman,” Blueford said. “Kellen set the bar for this program when he came in. Now, Cayden has had the chance to look up to that and realize what it takes to get to his brother’s level in terms of college attention.” Arizona College Prep opened the

2020 season on Friday against San Tan Foothills. Ahead of the game, the Gibson brothers expressed their excitement. For Kellen, it was to have a chance to play his senior year after a summer of uncertainty due to the pandemic. For Cayden, it was his first shot at playing the sport at the highest level in high school. But both also enjoy the fact they get to share the experience together. “We’ve definitely gotten closer through all of this,” Kellen said. “It’s been fun so far. Just to help him see where he fits in with this team and learn the game, it’s awesome.”

or so will shift more to watching recruits’ film instead of watching them live in person. Arizona State coach Herm Edwards understands how this can cause angst for some athletes. “The thing that I’m learning probably more than anything else is a lot of these young men are worried about maybe in their area, there might not be high school football,” Edwards said. “So, kids now are committing a little early. Because they might not have senior film if there’s no football,” he said. Arizona high school players will try to make the most of the situation. “Your film is your resumé, and our

kids are fortunate to have the technology, with our huddle system and the highlights that go along with it to show what they can do on the field and then ultimately get to film themselves as a senior if they haven’t made a decision yet,” Garretson added. As for golf, the recruiting scene has been very different during the pandemic. Brophy golf coach Jon Shores and his seniors are adapting. “I just approached this year with an asterisk on it because we all know that 2020 is going to be the COVID-19 year and lots of crazy things have happened,” Shores said. “I think that’s especially tricky for seniors with what college is

going to look like and then those that want to play college sports.” For an individual sport like golf, much of the recruiting happens away from the high school team matches. Almost every elite high school golfer in Arizona competes on various junior golf tours, which is where they get their recognition and attention from college coaches. College coaches have very few interactions with high school coaches, instead contacting the golfers directly. Fortunately for high school seniors, most junior tours resumed tournaments this summer, allowing college coaches to watch the leaderboards.

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | OCTOBER 11, 2020

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Monitor young children’s screen time BY DONNA SHOTT Guest Writer

As families continue to practice social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic and many parents remain at home with their young children, it’s important to monitor the amount of time young children spend in front of a screen. “Families should recognize that this is a unique time in everybody’s lives,” said Katherine Willard First Things First’s senior director of family support,. “While access to technology has been a resource during COVID-19, it’s important to remember that the best way children learn is through interactions with a trusted caregiver.” First Things First, Arizona’s early childhood agency, knows that now, many families do not have the option to shield their child from a screen at all times. Instead, parents can follow some simple guidelines to manage screen time for their young kids.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no exposure to screens for children 18 months old and younger. The exception is using live video chat so that children can connect with family and friends who are far away or who can’t visit in-person because of social distancing. As the child gets older, families can use technology and interactive media to strengthen relationships. The recommendations say that between 18 months and 2 years old, you should limit the watching to educational programming with a caregiver. For example, if you’re watching Sesame Street and Elmo is doing the happy dance, encourage your child to dance along. Find ways to interact with your child, based on what he is watching. For children between ages 2-5, high-quality educational content is recommended for a limit of about an hour a day, the AAP says. Make sure that whatever your child is watching, that it is age appropriate. Even

Disney movies, like The Lion King are not appropriate for young children. One of Willard’s recommendations is the Arizona PBS app, which gives age ranges for their shows for young kids. Ultimately, parents of toddlers and preschoolers should give themselves a break while trying to balance working from home and caring for young children, Willard said. “Instead of focusing on what you can’t do, focus on what you can do with your child after your work day is over,” she said. Willard said she knows that sometimes the only option is to offer an educational video, if parents have a video meeting or phone call that they must attend to, but make a plan for positive interactions later in the day. “Have them help you set the table or cook a meal,” she said. Turn off the television or computer, which is sometimes used as background noise, during dinner time. “Talk about your day. You have another opportunity for that back and forth con-

versation during mealtime,” Willard said. As noted earlier, the one exception to screen time limits is live video chat, like FaceTime, Zoom and Skype, among others, which allow the kind of responsive interactions that are good for helping babies and toddlers develop language. When the baby communicates through nods, gestures or expressions, they are able to see that the person on the other end responds to them. “On FaceTime, kids can have time with grandparents, who can play peek-aboo, or sing songs, or even read a book to them,” Willard said. “It’s the personal connection that is really helping brain development. And it’s so important to maintain that social connection during this time.”

-Donna Shott is a spokeswoman for First Things First, a voter-created, statewide organization that funds early learning, family support and children’s preventive health services to help kids be successful once they enter kindergarten. Information: FirstThingsFirst.org.

High court fight brings out the worst on all sides BY DAVID LEIBOWITZ Columnist

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg had been dead mere hours when the argument over replacing her on the U.S. Supreme Court exploded among those Americans who live and breathe politics. After observing their screaming for days on end, I can say we appear divided into three camps. There are Republicans who agree with President Trump and want a conservative justice announced posthaste. Their main line of argument is that the Constitution – a document most of them have never read – assigns the President the power to nominate a Supreme Court justice, with confirmation handled by the U.S. Senate. That’s a pretty persuasive argument,

except it flies in the face of everything the Republicans said last time we had this same food fight – in the months before the 2016 election after President Obama nominated Judge Merrick Garland to replace the late Justice Antonin Scalia. Garland dangled in judicial limbo for nearly 300 days. He never got a hearing. Said then-candidate Donald Trump in a March 2016 CNN interview: “I think the next president should make the pick, and I think they shouldn’t go forward, and I believe I’m pretty much in line with what the Republicans are saying. “I think that the next president should make the pick. We don’t have a very long distance to wait. Certainly, they could wait it out very easily.” That gaping hypocrisy has predictably outraged Democrats like Joe Biden. Two days after Ginsburg’s death, Biden’s stump speech focused on letting the

American people exercise their voice in the process through the Nov. 3 election. “To jam this nomination through the Senate is just an exercise in raw political power,” said Biden. “And I don’t believe the people of this nation will stand for it. President Trump has already made it clear. This is about power. Pure and simple. Power.” I’d be far more sympathetic to Biden’s cause had he not said this in 2016 about the Garland nomination: “It’s a plain abdication of the Senate’s solemn constitutional duty. It’s an abdication, quite frankly, that has never occurred in our history.” Biden concluded: “Dysfunction and partisanship are bad enough on Capitol Hill. But we can’t let the Senate spread this dysfunction to the Supreme Court of the United States.” There – on the subjects of dysfunction and partisanship – I agree with Biden. This explains why I may be alone as

the third camp in this screaming match: An American who cannot stomach the sanctimonious garbage being peddled by partisans of both sides. You folks really should listen to yourselves sometime, to your solemn pronouncements about “what’s at stake for the future of our country,” the endless screeching about how you’re ready to “fight, fight, fight” with your dying breath to stop the encroachment of evil. Save the country? Please. Like bawling siblings begging mommy to decide who gets the last piece of candy, all you want is to get your way. And that inability to see past your own egos and your own points of view continues to jackhammer away at the foundation of this nation. Both sides screech away, as out of tune as Nero’s fiddle. Meanwhile, America burns like ancient Rome. You have to wonder if one day there will be nothing left.

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Chandler podcast aims to ‘cure stupidity’ I think our world is “increasingly curated,

BY KEVIN REAGAN Staff Writer

A Chandler couple has launched a new podcast to explore the complexities of human behavior and teach listeners how to be a little more accepting of other people’s flaws. Eric M. Bailey and his wife Jamie are putting their relationship on public display each week by recording a frank, open conversation between themselves and then posting the audio online for a podcast they’re calling “The Cure for Stupidity.” The cure for someone else’s stupidity is not a simple one and yet the Baileys think their podcast has some good advice for how to be a bit more compassionate and tolerant. The couple delve into their personal lives and share past experiences that tie into topics covered in a book – also titled “The Cure for Stupidity” – written by Eric last year. The self-help book deploys brain science to teach readers why they’re so frustrated by seemingly clueless, apathetic people and Bailey’s new podcast is meant to be an extension of his book’s teachings. “It’s really to continue the conversation and to put into practice the lessons that you learn in the book,” said Jamie. “It kind of puts them into practice and (we’re) calling ourselves out on

everyone is putting out this museum on the best parts of their lives.

”

– Eric M. Bailey

Jamie and Eric M. Bailey of Chandler engage in some fairly touchy subjects, like their arguments at home, in podcasts they call “The Cure for Stupidity.” (Tim Sealy/Sealy Media)

where we fall victim to them.” Each week, the couple take one of the book’s lessons and spend 30 minutes sharing anecdotes from their private lives to demonstrate their relevance. The Baileys are seemingly unafraid to dive into touchy subjects that others may be too fearful to make public.

So far, the podcast has had conversations involving troubles with parenting, their interracial marriage and recapping past arguments. One recent episode covered a fight the Baileys had over Eric’s messy kitchen habits and his inability to observe the chaos he was creating for his wife to later clean up.

“I didn’t really even realize it was a thing,” Eric said. The podcast helped correct his neglectful behavior, Eric said, and allowed him to do so without being too confrontational. That’s the great benefit of starting a podcast, he added: it allows creators to tell relatable narratives that can help listeners make discoveries about themselves. “We want to tell a story in a way that makes people feel something,” Eric said. But being so transparent every week has not always been comfortable for the Baileys. Jamie said she wasn’t so keen at first about the idea of sharing stories of their family’s personal lives in a public format. But transparency has become See

PODCAST on page 45

Chandler photographer brings out masks’ beauty BY KEVIN REAGAN Staff Writer

A Chandler photographer is using her artistic skills to document the COVID-19 pandemic through a more positive perspective. Emily Vance, a digital photography student at Arizona State University, has snapped dozens of portraits over the last few months depicting models showcasing a variety of face masks. She has photographed a mother adjusting her child’s mask, college students displaying their ASU-branded masks and local politicians demonstrating their own mask-mandate policies. The collection of photos has been published online in an album Vance has called “The Masked Portrait Project” and she hopes will exhibit the beauty and kindness that comes with putting on a mask. “We need more positivity in the world right now,” the 28-year-old student said. Vance started the project after assisting her history-student husband Marc take some photos for an archiving assignment he was completing in response to the pandemic. Vance was dispatched to document long lines stretching outside supermar-

Emily Vance has put together a collection of photographs she shot of people wearing masks to convey the beauty and kindness that comes with wearing them. (Courtesy of Emily Vance)

kets and citizens stockpiling shopping carts with toilet paper – familiar scenes that could be seen across the country as the COVID-19 virus first started to proliferate back in March. Vance said taking the disturbing photos every day quickly grew to be too taxing on her mental health and she longed for an escape from the pandemic’s grim reality. “I just started to get really depressed from it,” she recalled. “It was a really scary time back at the beginning.” And the pandemic wasn’t only hurting Vance emotionally. Its economic impacts quickly began to hinder her finances after many of her freelancing

gigs were abruptly canceled due to COVID-19. Despite these setbacks, Vance still wanted to continue taking photographs and wondered how she could utilize her creativity to give back to the community. Vance was in the midst of completing a course on portrait photography and thought she could find a way to snap portraits that could positively reflect society’s current turmoil. The pandemic has sparked anguish and rage across the country, Vance noted, and much of that hostility has been the result of local governments forcing citizens to put on a mask.

If there was an album of portraits that normalized face masks, the photographer thought, some people might change their attitude. “It doesn’t have to all be negative,” Vance said. “I think there was a lot of negativity about wearing masks in the beginning.” Vance began by posting a couple pictures on Instagram and their popularity quickly escalated to a Facebook group, followed by an entire website dedicated to Valley residents modeling their favorite face masks. The pictures have even caught the attention of Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego, who recently agreed to pose for one of Vance’s portraits outside City Hall. “It’s already bigger than I thought it would be,” Vance said about the project. The project’s sudden success has helped to affirm the photographer’s lifelong ambition of becoming a working artist. Vance said she grew up knowing she was never going to follow a traditional career path and instinctively knew she’d pursue some sort of artistic endeavor. Though her family warned she’d never make money in the arts, Vance See

PHOTOGRAPHER on page 47

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | OCTOBER 11, 2020

Chandler teen’s poem accepted by national publication SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

A Chandler teen has had her poem on the dynamics of mother-daughter relationships accepted for publication in the National High School Poetry Contest. Katherine Wei of East Kaibob Place in Chandler saw her poem, titled “Mother Says,” make the recent edition of the American High School Poets “My World” anthology. Katherine, 15, is the daughter of Dong Wei and Yueli Liu is a junior at BASIS Chandler under the tutelage of Jon Hanson. “My World” is a meaningful study of introspective poems written by teenagers from all over the country. It explores how today’s teens view their world and where they see them-

PODCAST

from page 44

increasingly important in an age when everyone is presenting a false version of themselves on social media, she said. The Baileys are disturbed by the lack of authenticity that currently exists in internet culture because it creates an illusion that everyone’s lives are seemingly glamorous and perfect. “I feel like that is so unsustainable for a community,” Jamie said.

selves fitting into today’s complex moral and social issues. It is a quarterly publication and is published by the Live Poets Society of New Jersey in conjunction with JUST POETRY!!!, the National High School Poetry Quarterly Magazine. It advises young poets, ”Our vision is that for every poem in our anthology, there will be someone, somewhere in this country, who reads it and says, ‘I wish I’d have written that, because I know that feeling well’ and that that one poem will remain in their hearts forever.” Katherine has been writing poetry since her freshman year. She said she her poem “is about the pains of growing up and the dynamic mother-daughter relationship throughout life.”

Chandler resident Katherine Wei wrote a poem on mother-daughter dynamics that has been accepted for a national high school poetry anthology. (Special to SanTan Sun News)

The couple hope their podcast may encourage listeners to let their guard down and be more willing to expose some of their vulnerabilities in front of others. “I think our world is increasingly curated,” Eric added. “Everyone is putting out this museum on the best parts of their lives.” When the Baileys aren’t podcasting, the couple stays busy running a local consulting firm that helps businesses and government agencies improve communication skills among their employees.

Eric’s recent book compliments many of the ideals and principles he tries teaching clients about how they interact with others. He said the book tries to teach readers how to move past the “garbage” and hurt feelings they carry around and start finding ways to have more meaningful relationships. That’s the key to beginning to understand why someone may judge or insult another person, Eric said. “The reality is everything we would judge as stupid – all those things can be

explained rationally using psychology,” he said. The book or podcast could potentially put a mirror up to someone and get them to realize their judgement is more about themselves and not someone else, the Baileys said. “It’s not about changing them,” Eric added. “It’s about changing how we judge them.” The podcast can be heard by visiting ericmbailey.com or on Spotify, Google Podcasts, Apple and Stitcher.

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | OCTOBER 11, 2020

Area man marks a century of service BY COTY DOLORES MIRANDA Contributor

The year 1920 that launched the Roaring Twenties and the decade ended with the stock market crash that ushered in the Great Depression. It also was the year Wilbert ‘Bill’ Chesbro was born in Hollywood, California. It was a shaky start. “When I was born, they didn’t think I would live,” said Chesbro, a long-time Ahwatukee resident with Betty, his wife of 74 years and a former pastor at Cornerstone Church in Chandler. “I only weighed 3 pounds and was born at home.” Yet he did survive – and he’s seen a lot of water flow under the proverbial bridge in the ensuing 100 years, during which Chesbro has lived a life of service to others while raising three children. The couple emanates good cheer and humor as Bill recalled many of his life’s highlights and his wife occasionally popped in with tidbits he’d not mentioned. They laugh together often. While attending Hollywood High School, Chesbro worked for the Hollywood Reporter. “I worked in the bindery and had a 36-mile paper route,” he said. In 1936, also while still in high school, Chesbro joined the National Guard and,

Roosevelt incorporated the National Guard into the U.S. Army, he served in the South Pacific and – presaging his future – was stationed on various islands of the Philippines. After the liberation of the Philippines, Chesbro headed home with no thought of seeing the islands again. “As I was on deck with the guys and leaving the Philippines I said ‘Goodbye. I’ll never be back.’” But, he says, God had other plans. It was while fighting in the Philippines that he said he had a word with his Creator about his future wife. Wilbert “Bill” Chesbro, a onetime pastor at Cornerstone Church in Chandler, “While I was in celebrated his 100th birthday with Betty Chesbro, his wife of 74 years. the service, I got a letter from a girlas his son said, possibly fudged his age friend I had intended to do so. to marry and she told me ‘I don’t love In 1940, after President Franklin D. me anymore.’ I was in a foxhole in the

Philippines and I’d pray at night and say ‘God, I want you to help me find a wife that will love and serve you the way I do.’” After the war, while working for the telephone company, he met the answer to his prayer while waiting on the streetcar they both rode to work. Elizabeth, or Betty as most address her, was 8 years younger and was living with her grandmother in the very neighborhood in which Chesbro was born. “I was being transferred across town with the telephone company and I knew that it was my last day on that streetcar and I’d better ask her out,” recalled Chesbro. “She didn’t say no, she said, ‘Ask my Grandmother.’” Because they resided in the same neighborhood, her grandmother could easily vet her granddaughter’s suitor who had lived there all his life. And that was that. After their marriage on July 5, 1946, in the first war-free summer for the U.S. in four years, Chesbro felt called to attend Biola College, now University, in La Mirada, California. “I’d had no idea of being a missionary, yet I went to Biola with the aim of becoming one,” Chesbro said. “They thought I was too old – at the time I was 30 and married. My first child was born just as I was starting school.” See

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | OCTOBER 11, 2020

PHOTOGRAPHER from page 44

explored her creative side until she found her calling. “I would love to draw and paint but I just don’t have the patience for it,” she joked. Photography ended up becoming

CENTENARIAN from page 46

And where did he go as a missionary? The Philippines. “We told the mission board we didn’t have any place in mind but because I’d been there during the war, and Betty had experience with heat in Arizona, they thought it would be the best place.” The Chesbros spent 11 years there, establishing churches on several islands and welcoming their third child, John Chesbro, while living there. Their only daughter and middle child, Debra Bennetts of Denver, said she had “a million stories” she could tell of their time in the Philippines. But one remains especially vivid. “We lived on the island of Masbate and it was April 12, my mom’s birthday. We were planning on going to the beach,” Bennetts recalled. “My mom came into my bedroom to wake me up and I looked out my window and the

Vance’s passion and has given her the opportunity to document pivotal life moments of both friends and strangers. She’s been present at weddings, graduations and most recently photographed her first childbirth. It’s a job that opens up a window into a person’s life, Vance said, and allows someone to observe a moment that can never be recreated again.

If there’s one lesson Vance has learned through enduring a six-monthslong pandemic, it’s to give thanks to the power of technology and the internet. The pandemic restricted artists from leaving their homes, Vance noted, and yet everyone still found ways to exercise their creativity by snapping photos off of their iPhone and sharing them online.

“It’s made me appreciate the fact that more people do have access to art and photography,” she said. “I am a firm believer in community over competition. The more artists we have get involved, the better.” Vance’s pictures can be seen at themaskedportraitproject.com.

sky was red. The town was on fire and my dad was down there fighting the fire! Needless to say, we didn’t go to the beach. “When dad came home, all his eyebrows were singed off. He was our hero!” Returning to the states, Chesbro accepted a pastorate at Sun Valley Baptist Church, later pastoring at a Cornerstone Church in Chandler and all the while supporting his family repairing dry cleaning equipment. His son John, an Ahwatukee resident and software presales engineer, said his father didn’t retire until his 94th birthday – and celebrated it by doing a boiler inspection. Chesbro continued conducting Bible studies until he was 98. He and Betty are members at Ahwatukee’s Pima Canyon Church, formerly Friendship Community Church, on S. 48th. It had been anticipated there would be a festive open house at the church as there had been for previous milestones. “We expected about 200 people to

attend, that’s what we had for his 99th birthday, but with COVID, we didn’t feel comfortable having a gathering,” explained Betty. Instead, last Saturday, a drive-by of well-wishers offered their birthday greetings. It was estimated more than 100 cars were in the parade, many of them decorated. ‘I can’t believe Bill’s turning 100, but then I can’t believe I’m 92,” laughed Betty. “He’s such a very special man; he’s loving, kind, supportive and he was a great pastor.” Added her husband: “I’ve been through quite a bit in my life. There have certainly been a lot of changes,” he said, pointing out the leaps in technology, from the candlestick phone of the 1920s, the hand-cranked generators for WWII field phones, to today’s ubiquitous SmartPhones. “I was a master sergeant of communications with the 160th Infantry and now here I sit holding a cell phone in my hand,” he laughed.

He remains unabashed in his love of his country. “I love America; I’m thankful I was born here and I’m thankful I had the privilege of serving, even under harsh conditions,” he said. “And I’m proud to be a citizen. Every day we fly the flag,” he said proudly. “I have faith in America, and in our system. And we have the privilege of voting according to our conscience.” The Chesbros’ oldest son Bill passed away in 2018. They say they’re grateful to have their youngest son John and his wife Jodi around to look in on them. John Chesbro said it’s he that is blessed. “Dad and mom have always filled every room with laughter, and make every person feel special, accepted and loved,” John said, adding: “They are rare examples of what Christians should be, and they’ve had such an impact on so many people around the world. I’m lucky and blessed to have them as my parents, and to have them with me still.”

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | OCTOBER 11, 2020

Chaplains help our community in challenging times BY LIN SUE COONEY Guest Writer

The spiritual support that chaplains offer at end of life has always been an essential component of Hospice of the Valley’s holistic care. This pandemic has underscored their impact — in bringing comfort to patients and families, and also in guiding our community through uncharted waters. In the last two months, chaplains Stephen Gardner and Bob Barrett have both held virtual presentations on coping with grief and loss — feelings that are magnified by social isolation. Nearly 200 people registered for the free Zoom events, including many who run or work in facilities that banned visitations to prevent the virus from spreading. “The pandemic has really heightened our awareness of how spiritual support is needed now more than ever, and especially when spiritual care is harder than ever to deliver,” Bob said. “At a time when family and friends want to draw closer together to face this crisis, this health crisis has enforced social distancing on us — the exact opposite of what people who have faced tough times for long centuries have done,” he continued. Bob praised stressed family and professional caregivers, saying: “Be sure

Hospice of the Valley chaplain Bob Barrett holds zoom presentations on coping with grief and loss. (Hospice of the Valley)

to reinforce your own positive self-talk — you are doing all that you can and your efforts make a difference.” To stressed spouses suffering burnout, Stephen warns: “There’s a huge need to take care of oneself, to make proper investments in our own mental and spiritual well-being, if we’re going to be good caregivers.” As we celebrate Chaplain’s Week, Oct. 25-31, we are grateful for each of Hospice of the Valley’s 16 chaplains,

who provide added strength to overcome challenges together and find silver linings. They work long days, odd hours and lots of weekends. Whenever a need arises, they answer the call. David Kaminski joined the agency in 1998 and serves as a beacon of light for colleagues, as much as the families he serves. “David comforts with amazing grace, a timely sense of presence and an

intuitive knowing of when people are at their most vulnerable,” says care team leader Deborah DiBiase. “He is such a positive inspiration to so many, especially in these uncertain times we are all experiencing.” Marge Lane worked as a nurse before discovering her passion to help hospice patients living the last chapter of their lives. David Wilsterman is affectionately called an “emotional and spiritual rock” for his steadfast guidance and support before and, even more so, during the pandemic. And Cristiano Artigas put on his mask and rushed to baptize a patient after receiving an emotional call from the man’s sister. The patient died the next day. “We are privileged to this work,” Cristiano says simply. For the time being, much of the comfort chaplains provide will take a different shape. Instead of face-to-face conversations and a gentle brush of the hand, they are embracing technology to connect with loved ones and each other. “It’s very special to be able to reach so many people in the community through our virtual presentations,” Bob shares. “We love to support our community with the same commitment we extend to our patients, families and caregivers.” Lin Sue Cooney is director of community engagement for Hospice of the Valley. Information: hov.org.

Chandler Girl Scout earns Gold Award BY AUTUMN JARRETT Contributor

After Chandler resident Robin Bozik, a Girl Scout with the Arizona Cactus-Pine Council, faced discrimination related to mental illness first-hand and witnessed it among friends, Bozik knew it was decided something needed to be done. Bozik wanted to develop a tool to educate others about mental illness in hopes of reducing the stigma. “What I saw was that my friends and classmates weren’t able to achieve everything that they were capable of because people saw their mental illness first and then limited them because of that,” said Bozik. “It’s the stigma that limits them, not the illness,” Bozik explained. “And this inspired me to do something to help reduce the stigma with my Gold Award.” The Gold Award is the highest honor available to high-school-aged Girl Scouts, requiring a minimum of 80 hours of work on a project that creates a sustainable solution to a problem that they have identified in their communities. After spending nearly 10 years as a Girl Scout, the Gold Award is something that Bozik dreamed of achieving since her early years of Scouting. Historically, many Gold Award recipients go on to become leaders in their community, with 60 percent of former Girl Scouts currently involved in

Chandler native Robin Bozik earned her Gold Award, the highest given to Girl Scouts. (Special to SanTan Sun News)

volunteer work, community service or public office. Bozik soon realized that working towards this goal did not come without some challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic which created a challenge of its own. “My original plan was to create signs as permanent public fixtures in a park,” Bozik said. “But due to city building

codes that wasn’t something I could do and then COVID-19 happened, which really impacted my motivation to continue the project.” While fighting through the extra stress of COVID-19, Bozik revised the original Gold Award plan to instead create a website “Stigma Ends Here,” found at robinontheinternet.wixsite.com/stigmaendBozikre. It provides information on mental health issues, offers tips for people to counter stigma when they see it and experience it in their own lives and provides external resources for further education as well as research and downloadable educational content. While becoming a Gold Award Girl Scout, Bozik has learned two valuable lessons along the way: “I struggle with being a perfectionist which made me apprehensive to release my project because even though it was done, I felt there were more ways to perfect it,” Bozik said. “I had to learn that you can’t carry the world alone but to be content with doing my absolute best. I also learned that it is ok to ask for help and to trust those that you ask to help you.” By doing research for free alternatives for elements that Bozik wanted on the website, the project and website were both executed at no cost. “After COVID-19 hit, I knew I wanted to make sure my project was accessible to as many people as possible,” says Bozik. “I was able to share my website

through an email forum at MIT to reach both current students and alumni and share it with Girl Scouts around the country.” Since its launch in August 2020, Bozik’s website as reached almost 300 unique visitors. “My Gold Award project and experience in Girl Scouts made me the person that I am today,” Bozik said. “As a non-binary person, I found acceptance within the Girl Scouts and through the years I have learned how to advocate for myself, do what is right, and not let fear hold me back.” Bozik is currently a freshman at Clark University in Massachusetts, double majoring in biology and English with plans to attend graduate school for biology and pursue a career in genetic counseling. “I was scared that going across the country for college would be too much for me, but I had the strength because of Girl Scouts,” Bozik said. “Through the years, Girl Scouts provided me with the foundation to take a risk and because of that, I am having a great college experience.” In the future, Bozik also looks forward to being a role model to both trans and non-binary people in Girl Scouts. “There are great opportunities in Girl Scouts and people that will support who you are, even if the socialized norm of female identity doesn’t apply to you,” Bozik said.

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | OCTOBER 11, 2020

FALL CLEARANCE

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | OCTOBER 11, 2020

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Chandler artist earns Grand Canyon award DAVID M. BROWN Arizonan Contributor

Chandler artist Matt Sterbenz is not only one of a number of artists who participated in last month’s 12th annual Grand Canyon Celebration of Art at Grand Canyon National Park; he also walked away with the People’s Choice Award. The show attracts professional artists nationwide who paint “en plein air” – or, on location – at various South Rim spots. “It seems like I always learn something new, no matter where I paint at the Grand Canyon,” said Sterbenz, who participated for the fifth year. “Since I am usually camping, I like painting near the Yavapai Geology Museum for the sunrise; it’s closest to the campground, so I don’t have to wake up too early,” he said. “Art played a crucial role in the formation of our national parks and continues to do so in our appreciation of them, and the Celebration of Fine

Scenes from the Grand Canyon like this one are a major part of Chandler artist Mark Sterbenz's repertoire. (Special to SanTan Sun News)

Art helps to keep the artistic tradition part of the Grand Canyon experience,” said Mindy Riesenberg, spokeswoman

for the Grand Canyon Conservancy, the official nonprofit partner of Grand Canyon National Park.

Among its many supportive activities, the nonprofit organization operates retail shops in the park, provides educational programs, maintains trails and historic buildings and protects wildlife. In this case, the money raised from the online and onsite arts sale will raise funds to build an art venue at the Grand Canyon, she explained. The studio pieces created by each artist are available for purchase on online at shop.grandcanyon.org until Jan. 18. Sterbenz, a Phoenix native, recalled, “I spent a lot of time looking out the car windows on family road trips and painting from photos in old ‘Arizona Highways’ magazines. “Family camping and fishing trips gave me an appreciation and love for the outdoors, and it seemed like only a matter of time before I brought my easel along with me.” He started painting as a kid. See

ARTIST on page 52

Pandemic-altered Halloween marked in Chandler SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

The pandemic may have altered some events, but the Halloween season in Chandler still has some family-friendly activities to mark the season. “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released Halloween guidelines to help parents and caregivers keep Halloween happy, healthy and safe,” the city said on its website. “With these guidelines in mind, Chandler Parks & Recreation has reimagined its Halloween events, putting additional precautions in place for families to safely celebrate the ‘spooky season.’” “Halloween is one of my favorite holidays and we do not want to cancel this year, we are simply going to do Halloween a little bit different to be safer,” said Andy Bass, city community services director. “By continuing to practice proper physical distancing, limiting capacities and offering personalized experiences at each event we’re hoping to help families mitigate the risks as festivities get underway.” From an at-home candy catapult to a drive-thru Halloween Spooktacular to a floating pumpkin patch, Chandler Parks & Recreation is hosting a variety of ways to safely scare up some fun this month. The “Play for Life – Zombie Apocalypse Tennis Social” will be held 6-9 p.m. Oct. 24 at the Chandler Tennis Center, 2250 S. McQueen Road. Zombie doubles are invited to take to the court after dark and put their survival skills to the test as the undead rise for a night of competition and camaraderie. Registration is required to play at chandleraz.gov/explore/special-events/tennis-social-play-life-zom-

Scenes like this photo from the city’s website harken to the pre-pandemic days of in-person Halloween celebrations in Chandler., This year, the city is taking its costume contest online, encouraging residents to upload pics of themselves in costumes. (City of Chandler)

bie-apocalypse. The Halloween Spooktacular Drive-Thru will is scheduled 6-9 p.m. Oct. 29 and 30 at Dr. A.J. Chandler Park, 178 E. Commonwealth Ave. From the comfort of your vehicle, journey through a not-too-spooky, Halloween-themed cul-da-sac featuring a special soundtrack, festive décor, and hundreds of lights. Admission to drive through the event area is free. People also can enter the costume contest by submitting a photo at chandleraz.gov/explore/special-events/ halloween-spooktacular-drive-thru-session-1. Prizes are awarded. Meanwhile, the annual Pumpkin Dunk will round out the month at

noon-2 p.m. Oct. 31 at Mesquite Groves Aquatic Center 5901 S. Hillcrest Drive. Registration is limited and if you got to chandleraz.gov and couldn’t get a reservation, the Environmental Education Center. Also on Halloween, Science Saturday gets the spooky treatment online from the Environmental Education Cente, which will teach kids to make fake blood and a candy catapult. Videos will be broadcasted on Facebook and be available in the Chandler Rec At-Home Hub virtual recreation center on chandleraz.gov. The Chandler Museum also is providing a season-appropriate exhibit called “A Celebration of Souls: Day of the Dead in Southern Mexico” that can be

viewed until Nov. 29. Every year on Nov. 1 and 2, families in villages across Mexico gather to welcome home the visiting spirits of departed relatives on the Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. Museum visitors can check out the holiday’s colorful traditions with engaging panels in English and Spanish and stunning color photographs that capture Day of the Dead celebrations in and around Oaxaca. “A Celebration of Souls” focuses on the lives of villagers as they prepare centuries-old recipes, scatter marigolds to guide the dead home and celebrate this annual event. Information: chandlermuseum.org.

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | OCTOBER 11, 2020

ARTS

Schnepf Farms’ Halloween tradition is a go BY PAUL MARYNIAK Executive Editor

The pandemic has cost the Valley scores of annual public events this year – from fundraising galas and community gatherings to well-established traditional celebrations like the Ostrich Festival and even the Arizona State Fair. But Mark and Carrie Schnepf are refusing to bow to COVID-19 and scrap one of the East Valley’s signature fall events – the Chili and Pumpkin Party on their 300-acre farm at 24810 S. Rittenhouse Road, Queen Creek. “Someone needs to do normal because for families, it’s tough,” Carrie said. “It’s tough for everyone and we have a big space. … This is just for everyone to just enjoy each other. COVID-19 has been devastating to many families who have lost loved ones or those who have lost jobs. It’s time to finally have some positive memories.” With that theme, the Schnepfs are determined to help families eke some fun out of a year that’s been hard for everyone – including them. Their annual Peach Festival earlier this year was crimped by COVID-19 as they had to forego the traditional peach-picking by patrons, who instead ordered the fruit online and had it picked by the couple’s employees. Scores of spring weddings were canceled, further impacting the bottom line of an operation that depends

masks will be required in close quarters like on the hayride, in the country store and a few other places and amusements – and will be mandatory throughout the farm 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Fridays for those grandparents who want to bring their grandkids. Hand sanitizing stations have been installed throughout the site, as well as auto-flushing toilets, soap dispensers and hand dryers. Sanitizing teams will be cruising the farm to keep high-touch surfaces safe and all staff will have daily temperature and symptom checks. To keep the crowds manageable, people must buy their tickets online at pumpkinandchiliparty.com The Hyper Loop is normally a staple at the Arizona State Fair but since there is none this year, it will be at Schnepf Farm all so that the Schnepfs know October for people who visit the Chili and Pumpkin Party. (Special to SanTan Sun News) how many people are planning to come. them to alter some aspects of the party on such events – as well as the Peach While all-season passes are available – particularly the number of people Festival and Chili and Pumpkin Party and good any time, they are included in they can allow on the premises at any – to augment the revenue their more the count of single-visit tickets to help given day. traditional farming generates. them count the crowd. “Extreme steps have been taken The Schnepfs have added a number of “Once we get around 4,000 people, to assure visitors that when visiting attractions to this year’s 23rd annual Halthen there’s no more tickets to be purloween tradition, which runs Oct. 1-31 and this fall,” Carrie said. “Their safety and chased for that time,” Carrie said, adding health is our top priority.” draws thousands of families and couples that military, law enforcement and first The Schnepfs figure they can allow on many weekend days and evenings. 4,000 people to attend the event, where But the pandemic also has forced See on page 52

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on swimmer Michael Phelps. Because the Arizona State Fair will not be held, the amusement ride supplier, Kastl Amusements of Casa Grande, is renting the Schnepfs a super slide and the Extreme Hyper Loop to add to the

normal array of amusement rides like the roller coaster and kiddie ferris wheel. In the open-air pavilion, Molly Jacobs, the director of the Queen Creek Performing Arts Center, has choreographed a small troupe of three cos-

tumed girls and two costumed boys to provide country-western shows every couple hours and there will be continuous line dancing for everyone. The Schnepfs also have had success with their drive-in movies on a 50-foot screen and they’ve planned family-friendly Halloween-themed major motion pictures for people who feel like taking in a movie at $20 a carload in an area apart from the Chili and Pumpkin Party. “We can only take up to 150 or 200 cars but people love it,” Carrie said. “I get emails and phone calls every day about doing the drive-in now. We let them bring their own food and their snacks and they can sit in front of their vehicle or in the back. They just can’t sit beside their cars because of the social distancing.” They’ve also added additional times and days for the event, with 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesday-through-Thursday opportunities for families whose kids might be on fall break or can sneak away from their laptops if they’re doing distance learning. Other times are 1-9 p.m. Thursdays, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 10 a.m.- 9 p.m. Sundays.

in the third or fourth grade.” Shortly after graduating from ASU, he met his future wife Carrie and they settled in Chandler. The Grand Canyon is his favorite place to paint. Here he can best fulfil his artistic goal: “Rather than simply portraying a landscape, I strive to paint

the experience of being outdoors,” he said, noting that he still paints in oils. One work he is taking this year to Celebration of Fine Art is “Zoroaster’s Embrace”: “Grand Canyon is full of ever-changing beauty. Light, clouds, rain, and the canyon are all fighting for attention. These scenes can last just moments

before they fade and change into something equally beautiful but entirely different,” he explained. “Here, a monsoon storm brings thunder and rain. Zoroaster Temple emerges from the cool depths, standing strong, gathering warm light and radiating the sun’s glow,” he said.

from page 51

responders can get in for $10 instead of the regular $23 admission – which entitles visitors to free rides and all other activities except food, the hayride and pumpkins. For those people who enjoy dropping by the party to pick a pumpkin or be one of the 50,000 visitors who gobble up the event’s famous chili lunches and dinners – but are nervous about mingling among others on the farm – the Schnepfs have you covered. They can order bowls of chili – complete with corn on the cob, a slice of corn bread and a brownie – and even caramel apple pies and pumpkins online at Schnepffarms.com. The online pantry also has other baked goods and food products. For those who do enter the grounds, the Schnepfs have added some amusements in addition to fan-favorite attractions like the pig races, petting zoo, bonfires and the 4-acre and 10-acre corn mazes. The larger maze is always cut in honor of a local sports celebrity and this year it will be Olympic champi-

ARTIST

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | OCTOBER 11, 2020

from page 50

“I had a cheap set of watercolors, and I tried to follow along while watching Bob Ross on TV. I told my parents that I wanted to try oil paints, and they got me a set for Christmas, when I was

The pumpkin patch is one of many popular attractions at Schnepf Farm during its Chili and Pumpkin Party. (Special to SanTan Sun News)

ARTS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | OCTOBER 11, 2020

Chandler student makes cut for GCU album BY DIANA QUINTERO Contributor

A Chandler musician is one of the featured student artists on the fifth annual album produced by students in Grand Canyon University’s worship arts program. Travis Hathaway submitted two songs and to his disbelief, the one that he wrote “in five minutes” was selected for “Canyon Worship 2020.” Hathaway shared his inspiration to write his song “The Garden.” “I have a strong connection, I believe, with nature,” he said. “I feel like it really speaks to how great and amazing God is, and how beautiful He is. And just the idea of creation, I wanted to try to capture that, and how beautiful it was in the garden.” Hathaway was able to get the majority of the recording completed before GCU’s campus closed in March, but he had to return to get a few things finalized. When he performed “The Garden” last year, he told GCU’s news center that he doesn’t feel nervous about singing but that he needs to work on speaking and ad-libbing before and after his song. “People who love Jesus, who love music, it’s really cool,” he said. Hathaway was one of two East Valley students who are on the album. Gilbert resident Chandler Kruse made his album debut as well. He’s no stranger to the university’s music program. He recorded at GCU while he was in high school and said he that helped him find a great fit in the school’s worship arts program. “This is a really cool opportunity that I don’t think a lot of people get – to be part of something like this,” said Kruse, who sings “All We Need” with Chris Calderon. Kruse is a business management major but added worship arts as a minor because of what he saw in the program. “It’s such a high caliber of talent but it’s also so extremely personal,” he told GCU’s campus news service. “I feel like I know half the people here, which is really cool. It doesn’t feel like a huge corporate thing.” Kruse met Calderon at Likewise Worship, a collective of worship leaders. They were paired up to work on a song and wrote “All We Need” after discussing how they believe we are all “clueless, and the Lord is faithful in taking care of us.” Kruse also recorded the foundation

Chandler musician Travis Hathaway said his song, “The Garden” was written in five minutes, but it impressed producers of Grand Canyon University’s worship arts program to the point where it is one of the cuts on its fifth annual “Canyon Worship” albums. (Special to SanTan Sun News)

I have a strong connection, I believe, with nature, “I feel like it really speaks to how great and amazing

God is, and how beautiful He is. And just the idea of creation, I wanted to try to capture that, and how beautiful it was in the garden.

”

– Travis Hathaway

of the song before the shutdown, but had to return for two sessions. He said that amid the chaos of the pandemic, recording the album was uncomfortable because of social distancing concerns. “On the other hand, in a time of craziness, it was relaxing because it was music,” he said. “It was something we were passionate about, something we were excited about and something that

we loved.” Despite the obstacles COVID-19 brought to the album’s production, students were able to write and perform all 10 original songs. The greater part of the album was recorded in GCU’s stateof-the-art recording studio before the pandemic forced a campus shut-down. Students still had to adjust to the changes that the pandemic brought to

the completion of the album. Recording studio manager Eric Johnson said that working with the students was beneficial as it allowed them to work more closely in comparison to the students who had to leave the state. Every year students submit around 130-135 songs, hoping that theirs will be selected to be featured in the annual album. “I’ve grown musically, spiritually, crazily just by the people I’ve been around,” Kruse said. “Even just writing that song with Chris, he was showing me things that I was like, ‘Oh, that was awesome, I never would have thought to do that.’ It’s affected how I play the piano and how I sing.” “Canyon Worship 2020” is available for streaming on iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, and Shazam, and can be purchased in the Lope Shop and other locations on GCU’s campus for $9.90.

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Power of the spirit comes from partnering with God BY RABBI IRWIN WIENER, D.D. Guest Writer

More than 24 centuries ago, a prophet in Israel declared that the most potent and enduring force in the world was not that of material wealth or physical strength but the power of the spirit. For example: Supporting institutions of caring and sharing affords us the opportunity to understand what true faith is all about, what we humans are all about: That humankind is capable of good things, heavenly things without regard for material gain or selfish motives. This time of the year affords us the opportunity to extend ourselves for others. Fasting on Yom Kippur may salve our conscience but that is all it does. We are instructed to inflict our souls. The Talmud explains that this means fasting – depriving ourselves of those things that represent benefits. But the true value of fasting is to awaken within us the understanding that our sacrifice should help us appreciate the less fortunate – and do something about it. And, approaching a maturing stage of life is no excuse for ignoring our responsibilities. Tikun Olam, the continuing repair in the tear of the fabric of mankind’s journey, requires constant participation. It

is not enough to acknowledge the problems. We are obligated, as partners with God, to ensure that the tear is repaired to the best of our ability. Each tear and each repair brings us closer to understanding our place in this experience we call life. And the High Holiday season, Rosh Hashanah, and Yom Kippur help remind us that we are nothing without deeds. We are nothing without purpose. And only when we lift a person who has fallen, can we, with pride declare who we are and truly comprehend the connection of Heaven and Earth. This time of the year enables us to recollect as well as plan for tomorrow. We are asking for forgiveness of the past

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and making wishes for a future more prosperous in many ways even though we don’t know what the future holds. Will these wishes include more than just our desires and needs? Will these wishes encompass the action necessary to fulfill the mission of spiritual enlightenment? Our lives are so temporary. A wind can come and blow us away. Rain can fall and soak our dreams and aspirations. Fire can consume our shelter and even destroy our lives. This is the challenge our season of renewal represents. Our shelter from life’s storms is the support we extend to those in need. Our comfort in the face of adversity is the helping hand we offer to our fellowman. The fire that burns should be inside of us as we fight injustice and poverty and famine and homelessness. A story is told about an old man who sat outside the walls of a great city. When travelers approached, they would ask the old man: “What kind of people live in this city?” And the old man would answer:

“What kind of people lived in the place where you came from?” If the travelers answered: “Only bad people lived in the place where we came from,” then the old man would reply: “Continue on, for you will only find bad people here.” But if the travelers answered: “Only good people lived in the place where we came from,” the old man would say: “Enter, for here too you will only find good people.” There is no doubt that good people live everywhere. Humanity’s record speaks for itself. The many agencies designed to ensure continuity and survival are a testament to the goodness. We don’t ask, “why?” Rather, we ask, “how.” How can we as a people respond to the bad things that occur every single day – not as punishment for some imagined sin but rather because things are the way they are? It is our responsibility to share in the Creation process by doing what we can to alleviate the suffering that is part of the human experience. That is our partnership with God. The prophet of long ago spoke the truth about the spirit being the most potent force in the world and we are living proof. My prayer is that the year just beginning, will encompass a light that leads us from despair and will never be extinguished. And that the sound of the Shofar we heard will stir in us a greater understanding of the partnership, and we will respond accordingly. Rabbi Irwin Wiener is the spiritual leader of the Sun Lakes Jewish Congregation.

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