WEDNESDAY, JULY 6, 2016
Today: High 108, Low, 85
Sunny Tomorrow: High 107, Low, 84 Sunny
MAIN STREET
Ahwatukee Chamber says appearances do matter. P24
Red, White and Boom! Thrills and chills. p8
What last weekend’s bash was really about. p17
Why local businesses set up at celebration. p21
Hope for repeat of Dawgs’ championship run burns bright for this year’s Ahwatukee
By Jason P. Skoda AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS WRITER
The connection between then and now started last December as the boys listened in awe to the men who made history 10 years ago.
The men, members of the 2006 Ahwatukee Little League team –immortalized in the community as the Dawgs – were addressing a camp for all of the Ahwatukee Little League boys.
The boys were preparing to practice and play their hearts out for a chance to win a trip to Williamsport, Pennsylvania, for the
Little League World Series – just as the men did when they were 12 years old in 2006.
g on every word as the grown-up Dawgs provided baseball tips and regaled them with anecdotes from their championship run.
After all, they were the Dawgs, Ahwatukee’s own Boys of Summer who won the Little League West Region in San Bernardino, California, on Aug, 13, 2006, and then played their first World Series game six days later. Only five teams from Arizona had ever done that before them.
(AFN file photo)
Ahwatukee Dawg Max Harden, center, is mobbed by teammates after smashing a three-run homer in the fourth inning of a Little League Western regional semifinal baseball game in San Bernardino, Calif. in 2006.
>> See DAWGS on page 4
By Paul Maryniak
AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS EDITOR
A Little Free Library that a 6-yearold Ahwatukee girl worked on for three months and set up outside her home to dispense and collect books was stolen Saturday.
Now Anna Wolcott’s heartbroken mother hopes that whoever took it will return it before the child returns from a San Diego family vacation.
“I was in a drug store when my friend called and told me it wasn’t there. My whole body went numb. I just started bawling,” mom Heather Wolcott said after hearing the news Saturday.
Anna had just held a grand opening for the library a week before the theft, after spending three months painting and decorating it and collecting hundreds of used books.
About half the size of a small refrigerator, Little Free libraries are sold for about $300 by a nonprofit organization to encourage literacy. Owners, mostly children, put together kits built by Amish carpenters, then paint and decorate them before putting them up in a yard or or a public place.
The owners store used books in the libraries and encourage passersby to borrow them. There are more than 36,000 little libraries in 70 countries around the world. Wolcott said after reading a June
5
The Ahwatukee Foothills News is published every Wednesday and distributed free of charge to homes and in single-copy locations throughout Ahwatukee Foothills.
Ahwatukee office: 10631 S. 51st St., Suite 1, Phoenix, AZ, 85044
Tempe office: 1620 W. Fountainhead Parkway, Suite 219, Tempe, AZ, 85282
CONTACT INFORMATION
Main number: 480-898-7900
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Publisher:
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Sales Director: Scott Stowers, 480-898-5624, scott@timespublications.com
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NEWS
Editor In Chief:
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Executive Editor: Paul Maryniak, 480-898-5647, pmaryniak@timespublications.com
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(Special for the AFN)
Kate Smith is an Ahwatukee newcomer and the new student dean at Rio Salado College.
Ahwatukee has a new resident who is also a new official at Rio Salado College in Tempe.
Not only is Kate Smith new to Ahwatukee, but this is her first foray into a desert climate, a college spokeswoman said.
The New York native is the college’s new vice president for academic affairs, unwittingly choosing to move to Arizona several weeks ago during the record-breaking heat wave.
“I like a challenge,” said Smith, referring to both the temperatures and her new responsibilities with Rio Salado.
“The institution is nationally regarded and since arriving, I can attest to the overwhelming expertise and collaborative and innovative spirit that guides all the work here.”
“Additionally, the Maricopa Community Colleges are recognized as a leading district and I am proud to be a part of it,” she said.
The spokeswoman said Smith “brings a depth of experience to her new role with more than 20 years of experience in education.”
Most recently she was dean of the academic foundations division at Monroe Community College in Rochester, New York.
She also taught 7-12th grade math, served as an employee trainer, and developed test preparation materials for civil service exams.
“Honestly, I have wanted to be a teacher since I was young enough to remember,” Smith said. “My entire life, I held teachers in the utmost esteem. I can remember lining up my stuffed animals as a kid and using my chalkboard to ‘teach’ them.”
Smith has bachelor degrees in mathematics and German from William Smith College, and a master’s degree in mathematics education from the University of Rochester.
“Teachers and education change lives - quite simply, that is why I chose a career in education,” Smith said.
She explained her transition to administration: “I believe strong voices are needed in academia leadership to represent and advocate for the needs of students today. Having strong leadership in academia is paramount for preserving socially just practices in education.”
While settling into her new job, Smith also is excited about her new home.
“Ahwatukee is awesome,” Smith said. “The beauty is amazing. The outdoor community seems great and I already love living here.”
While she doesn’t have any favorite spots yet, Smith has already sampled the hospitality.
“I had a wonderful breakfast with some trail runners, “ she said.
>> From page 1
For weeks leading up to that first game, the Dawgs thrilled Ahwatukee with their gutsy play, their beaming smiles on national TV and their exuberance.
in Friday’s semifinals nearly wrapped up.
That group set the tone and standard for every Ahwatukee Little League team that has followed. And the 2006 Dawgs have become the envy of every boy who plays in the league.
“We all want to be like them,” said current player Caden Thiele, 12. “You see the Little League World Series on the TV every year. That’s where we want to be.”
Last December, no boy had yet been named to the All-Star team, a privilege that only 12 of the boys can earn through their play.
The current group played through the regular season, went through All-Star tryouts and found out in mid-June they were next up to attempt a run that just might mirror the Dawgs.
Though it lost to Chandler over the weekend, the 2016 squad still has a shot as it entered this week’s action after the July 4 break with a 3-1 record and a spot
>> From page 1
22 story in the Ahwatukee Foothills News about Anna’s project, scores of people have dropped by to deposit books or just check out her daughter’s Little Free Library. Anna had her grand opening June 25.
“It was really something, and Anna was delighted,” she said.
Wolcott learned of the theft after a friend had gone to her home to pick up a donation of books.
She said the friend told her the library, complete with 6-year-old Anna’s original
Just before the District 13 tournament started on June 27, the grown-up Dawgs and their coach Tom Kingery met with the 2016 Ahwatukee All Stars, who can only get to Williamsport by winning three tournament championships over the next two months.
“It was great talking to the current parents and players,” Kingery says. “They had all kinds of questions about the games and what it takes to win, but really everyone wanted to know what it was like.”
“Honestly, it was nothing anyone of us had ever imagined,” he recalls. “I knew they were good. … But to go all the way was an improbable and amazing ride.”
For more on the Dawgs and this year’s Little League team, see p. 35.
– Contact Jason Skoda at 480-898-7915 or jskoda@ahwatukee.com. Follow him on Twitter @JasonPSkoda.
– Check us out and like the Ahwatukee Foothills News on Facebook and follow @AhwatukeeFN on Twitter.
decorations, and the table it was screwed to were gone. There were tire marks on the sidewalk. Wolcott said her closest neighbors told her the library was there Friday after the Wolcotts had left for San Diego. But it was gone on Saturday.
“I can’t tell Anna right now. It would ruin her vacation, and she’d just be worrying,” Wolcott said. “I am hoping that someone returns it before she gets back home.”
Wolcott posted word of the theft on five
>> See LIBRARY on page 5
>> From page 4
Facebook pages, including Ahwatukee411 and a crime watch site. She and a friend also put together flyers with the top half emphasizing an unspecified monetary reward for return of the library “with no questions asked.”
The web postings already have triggered a flood of emails from across the country and around the world. People both in Ahwatukee and as far away as Australia and the United Kingdom have offered to help by sending money.
One Florida woman shipped her spare Little Free Library. “I asked her if I could pay for the shipping and she said no,” Wolcott said. “The library’s design is not really Anna’s style but we’ll either have a second one or donate it to someone or some organization that will set it up.”
Wolcott theorizes that the library may have been taken by scavengers who troll Ahwatukee neighborhoods early mornings on the weekend in search of things that people give away by leaving them on the front lawn.
Meanwhile, Wolcott continues to field calls and emails offering help.
“In a way, it’s heartening to see that something so good can come out of something so heartbreaking,” she said.
Wolcott said that anyone with information can call her at 480-720-6033.
-Send your news and tips to pmaryniak@ahwatukee. com or call 480-898-5647.
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By PAUL MARYNIAK
AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS EDITOR
Kelli Ward brought her campaign against U.S. Senator John McCain to Ahwatukee last week, sparking rousing cheers from a crowd of about 60 Republican stalwarts when she told them, “I want AZ in D.C. instead of D.C. in AZ.”
Ward, a former state senator from Lake Havasu is challenging McCain in the Republican primary. She is a family physician who said she had been tending patients in a hospital emergency room until 2 a.m. that day. She was special guest at the monthly meeting of the Ahwatukee Republican Women. Almost as many men as women were on hand to hear and applaud her when she said, “It’s time to retire John McCain.”
The mother of three cast herself as David against Goliath, contending that McCain has betrayed conservatives. She promised to be “your BFF in Washington – a bold, fresh, fearless voice who will represent you.”
Ward described the political process in
and Hillary will never name me her favorite Republican.”
Ward admitted that the primary “is not going to be an easy race.”
Nancy Cottle of Mesa, one of her field operatives, said the candidate had just come from a rally in Chandler, and that her normal routine includes several stops a day across Arizona.
“We must be getting to McCain because his people are always in the audience taping her and watching her,” Cottle said.
Saying she respected McCain’s record as a Vietnam POW, Ward – whose husband spent 32 years in the military – said McCain has let veterans down.
“I will be a conservative champion for our military, for our veterans and for our country,” she said. “Arizona deserves a Republican senator who represents that values of Arizonans.”
Most everyone in the audience seemed to share Ward’s antipathy toward McCain.
Even before Ward arrived, some attendees complained that it had been years since
Washington as a “wood chipper that chips away at people’s identity,” saying it has reduced McCain to being “simply not the conservative he claims to be.”
Touching on several major conservative causes, she cited among others the U.S. Supreme Court’s 5-3 ruling that struck down a rigid new anti-abortion law in Texas, asserting, “John McCain voted for two of those five justices.”
She also noted that McCain supported a proposal she says the Republican-dominated Senate “snuck into” recent legislation that would allow drafting women for the military.
“Republicans and Conservatives and the Tea Party are not crying out to draft woman,” she said, prompting many audience members to shake their heads as she asked, “Do any of you want your daughters drafted?”
Claiming that Democratic Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has been quoted as calling McCain “her favorite Republican,” Ward told the crowd, “Send me to Washington
McCain attended an Ahwatukee Republican Women meeting or any similar gathering. They, too, talked about the need to retire the six-term senator.
Among them was Ahwatukee novelist Tom Hennessy, a former state Republican Committee chairman, who praised Ward for making “several important points regarding the difference between what she will take to Washington and what McCain has been sitting on there for 30 years.”
“Kelli Ward is a dream for those of us wanting change and a nightmare for those resisting change at all costs,” he added. Send news tips to pmaryniak@ahwatukee. com or call 480-898-5647.
By Aydali Campa CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Kyrene School District administrators earn less money than their counterparts in neighboring school systems, according to a study, but officials want a second opinion before doing something about it.
The market compensation study, Kyrene support services employees earn 11.4 percent less than the average market pay while teachers are paid 4 percent less.
Directors’ salaries fall 13.1 percent below market and speech-language technicians earn 8.2 percent more than their counterparts.
The board hired Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., formerly known as Fox Lawson & Associates LLC., to study the salaries for select positions in 2015-16 as part of an employee retention effort.
Officials want to ensure that Kyrene’s salaries are competitive and hope to put all employees’ pay in the top third among all Arizona school districts by February 2017 without adversely affecting students.
Kyrene Chief Financial Officer Jeremy Calles last month told the school board that the district is looking to get a second opinion on the recommendations before
implementing them.
Gallagher has proposed serving as a consultant to continue annual studies for the next three years, providing pay recommendations each October.
The study showed that Kyrene’s most recent average pay increase was about .5 percent below market levels for all district employees.
In other districts included in the study, the most recent average pay increase was 1.5 percent for administrative and support employees and an average 1.2 percent for health employees and teachers.
Those districts included Maricopa Unified, Phoenix Elementary, Tempe Elementary and Scottsdale Unified. In addition, Gallagher reviewed other salary data in the market.
“In our professional opinion, KSD should consider the implementation of pay range maximums that represent the limit to the amount of base pay any individual employee would receive,” the report stated.
at the home of the Ahwatukee Foothills
By Paul Maryniak
AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS EDITOR
The gates had been open only about a half hour, but Anne Gill was looking tense as she kept checking her phone.
“I’ll have time to talk to you later,” the Ahwatukee Chamber of Commerce President/CEO told a reporter, seemingly struggling a bit to maintain a calm appearance despite an obvious nervousness.
There was a lot to be nervous about as the chamber’s Red, White and Boom! began at 5 p.m at Pecos Park last Friday. Thick dark clouds were slowly rolling in from the west. People talked about hearing tornado warnings a mere 47 miles away in Buckeye. Veteran “boomers” were recalling the Independence Day celebration in 2014, when fierce thunderstorms forced a cancellation of the fireworks extravaganza.
But Mother Nature was unexpectedly kind, especially for July in the Valley of the Sun. The menacing thunderheads eventually gave way to a scattering of billowy white clouds that, combined with a steady but gentle breeze, kept temperatures to the low to mid 90s. And a steady stream of people dragged buggies, bikes and coolers down 48th Street to the park entrance for the Chamber’s 41st annual gift to Ahwatukee. The temperature was so pleasant that the lure of misters at the Boom! Room, one of the event’s two specially ticketed areas, probably wasn’t very strong, but it didn’t matter: a number of chairs
were filled with people who enjoyed complimentary food and beverages for their $25 tickets.
The Pecos Park swimming pool, redubbed the Oasis Lounge for the event, attracted a relatively small number of teens and children who frolicked while giant speakers thundered with contemporary hits.
And hardly anyone sat on the large grassy knoll in front the previous fall.
“There’s a lot of the stage where five rock and country bands took turns belting out tunes.
Instead, the hundreds of people who attended Red, White and Boom! simply took positions across the entire park to lay on blankets, talk with neighbors
and friends, visit some of the nearly 60 vending booths scattered at various locations in the park, or just stroll around as the clock ticked down to the 9 p.m. fireworks show.
Many adults watch their children jump on big “bouncies,” climb the rock wall, or scream with glee as they ran around the sprinklers in the playground area.
No matter what visitors were doing, everyone clearly was having fun.
Gill, who had noticeably loosened up by 7 p.m. as she strolled the grounds checking on booths, said she was pleased with the way things were going at an event the chamber begins planning the previous fall.
“There’s a lot of moving pieces,” said Gill, who was presiding over her fifth Red, White and Boom!, the second one to be held at Pecos Park, and the biggest in terms of attractions.
“You have to make sure the fencing is up, that the shuttle buses are going in the right direction, that the portable toilets have been delivered,” she said as she ticked off only a sliver of a must-do list that required countless hours of preparation and planning and involved more than 60 volunteers to execute.
As far as the people who attended were concerned, all that time and effort was
worth it.
Phil Weaver drove from Mesa to attend his second Boom! and was lugging a camera, tripod and a bag of equipment to photograph the sky show later that evening.
“The fireworks are outstanding and this is a fun event,” he said.
Ahwatukee Realtor Maulana Harrod dressed special for the occasion, donning an oversized Uncle Sam hat and lugging picnic gear as his daughters twisted their hips in hula hoops.
As he surveyed the joyous scene of his sixth Red, White and Boom! he smiled broadly and said:
“Look at this, is it great or what?”
No one there appeared likely to say no.
–Send your news about Ahwatukee people and events to pmaryniak@ahwatukee.com
By Aydali Campa CONTRIBUTING WRITER
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services officials welcomed 155 new American citizens from 48 different countries in a special naturalization ceremony at South Mountain Community College on Monday.
Matilda Chavez, the college’s interim vice president of learning, called the gathering of citizens and well-wishers the “Fiesta of Independence.”
“Each candidate has been examined by a designated officer and found to be qualified under the naturalization statutes for admission as United States citizens,” said Antonio Alvarado, Phoenix section chief for Immigration Services.
“They have met the residency requirements and have been found to be of good moral character as required by the law.”
“You’re in!” U.S. District Judge Roslyn O. Silver told the new Americans after having them take the Oath of Allegiance.
Muhammad Ali Abukar, keynote speaker, said that watching the naturalized citizens reciting the oath
reminded him of doing the same thing with his children 14 years ago.
“It was a day I will never forget,” he said.
Silver also recited a poem, “America,” by American author Henry Van Dyke.
Josue Gerardo Lopez traveled three hours from Yuma to become a naturalized citizen. He has been an Arizona resident for 17 years and said he wanted to stay in America and raise his family here.
Maite Perez Martinez, 41, said being a new U.S. citizen feels “muy bonito,” or very good. Perez left Cuba in 2010 to live in Spain and then came to the U.S. to open her own legal services business.
Joaquin Aguilar, 42, came to the U.S. 16 years ago to attend graduate school (standard is to specify what school) in Alabama, where he obtained his PhD. He is currently a senior research and development engineer at Intel, where he has worked for the past 10 years.
“I have a lot of emotions,” said Aguilar.
“I believe in this country a lot, and I have truly enjoyed becoming a U.S. citizen.”
He had been looking forward to gaining the rights of citizenship, adding that “the right to vote is one of them.”
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(Special to the AFN) Tempe Union School District last Thursday held a special graduation ceremony for those seniors who couldn't join the rest of their graduating class in May because they didn't have the required credits. "There are many reasons why students might have been credit deficient," said district spokeswoman Jill Hanks. "They may be a financial supporter for their family and have to work, or maybe they have had an illness". The students "wear their school colors because they are earning their diploma from their home school," Hanks said. Top photo shows Mountain Pointe and Desert Vista High grads, the bottom shows the whole class.
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The Ahwatukee Community Swim & Tennis Center, 4700 E. Warner Road, Ahwatukee, is offering learn to swim classes for adults July 12-28. The classes are 6:45-7:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Classes are taught by U.S. Masters swimming coaches and the program costs $60. Both beginner and intermediate level classes are available. Questions or registration: 480-893-3431 or www. ahwatukeehoa.com
School board elections don’t occur until November, but Kyrene Governing Board Vice President John King isn’t letting grass grow under his feet. He appeared last week at the monthly meeting of Ahwatukee Republican Women and told the crowd he is seeking another term.
“I’m a conservative and want to make sure we maintain a conservative majority on the board,” he said. Besides, he added, since a new superintendent has taken
over, “I want to be around and see how she does.”
Parents who want to learn more about Kyrene School District’s kindergarten programs can get up to speed with Paloma Elementary Principal Janet Tobias 6-7 p.m. July 14 at Kyrene de la Paloma, 5000 W. Whitten Drive, Chandler.
The session will be geared for parents with children who turn 5 by Sept. 1 and want to know about the kinds of programs offered at Kyrene’s 19 elementary schools.
Some schools have specialized programs including dual language, traditional, college preparatory and leadership. In addition, they offer a variety of on-site fine arts, athletic and other community programs before and after school and during school breaks. Information: 480-541-1000.
Females 10 years old and up are invited to an inter-generational bunco game
6:15-8:30 p.m. Saturday at Mountain Park Community Church, 2408 E Pecos Road, Ahwatukee. The century-old dice game is a monthly event that is not sponsored by the church, but evolved into an informal monthly gathering for girls and women.
A prize will be given to anyone who brings a first-time attendee and everyone who attends is asked to bring a white elephant gift, but only something they already own. Attendees also can bring a beverage or snack to share if they'd like.
Bunco is a simple game that takes only a few minutes to learn, organizers said, adding the gathering is an opportunity to "gain friendships of many in a short period of time."
Text questions to 612-709-9671.
The Phoenix Police Department last week changed its procedures for handling sex crime evidence collection kits and will test all 1,700 backlogged ones as part of a “test all” police.
The department has been working closely with victim advocate groups to
create the new procedures, according to a release.
The new procedures include detailed steps once a sexual assault is reported to police that has various personnel working together in each case, including the responding officer, a forensic nurse, a victim advocate, detectives, crime lab personnel and a prosecutor.
–Send your news about Ahwatukee to pmaryniak@ahwatukee.com
By PAUL MARYNIAK
AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS EDITOR
Irma Horton and Normalicia Blanco share a vested interest in “Coupled,” a Fox TV reality show that explores chemistry between young men and women.
The Ahwatukee sisters also have a vested interest in helping underprivileged children.
Last week they … “coupled?”… both interests by launching an Ahwatukeebased drive to help Kyrene School District gather classroom supplies for children who can barely afford clothes for school.
Blanco has worked the past 20 years as a family resources aide at Franklin School in Guadalupe. She is also mother of Alicia Blanco, Ahwatukee’s own hometown entry in the TV show. Horton, who works in Kyrene’s Family Resource Center, is the 29-year-old Desert Vista High School alumna’s aunt.
Ever since the TV series started airing in May, Blanco and Horton have been getting friends together to watch installments of the show at home.
But the sisters wanted to have a big party to cheer on Alicia, who was Miss Arizona in 2009. They decided to combine the party for Alicia with a supply drive launch party at Los Dos Molinos on Warner Road near 48th Street.
About 150 people gathered to watch “Coupled” on big screen TVs as they dined on the restaurant’s Mexican cuisine and filled two big rubber boxes with a variety of school supplies and even a little cash.
“Alicia wants to give back to her community but she’s in the Caribbean,” said her mother.
Los Dos Molinos owner Cheryl Chavez, who opened the restaurant three months ago after moving from a site she had in Chandler for five years, also was happy to help, Horton said. “She thought it was a great way to give back to her new
community,” Horton said.
Any kind of school supplies can be dropped off at Los Dos Molinos until July 20. Students’ needs in the district range from backpacks to pencil cases, binders to glue sticks. Additionally, colored pencils, crayons, notebooks, scissors and paper are appreciated. The goal is to stuff 800 backpacks with supplies for students who need them by the time school begins on Aug. 1.
Guests at the launch party were friends, neighbors and acquaintances recruited by Horton and Blanco through phone calls and social media.
They filled the restaurant with laughter and music until the show came on.
Suddenly, a hush fell over the crowd as the TV screens showed Alicia and other women chatting with guys at a Tiki bar with the Caribbean shimmering behind them.
The show – in the words of a Fox TV promotional release -- “follows 12 single, smart and young professional women looking for love, who will meet face to face with eligible single men.
“Instantly, the women decide if they feel a spark of chemistry and want to spend more time with that guy, or if they don’t feel a connection and want to wait for the next one,” it adds.
The crowd in Los Dos Molinos broke out in cheers whenever Alicia, a model and entertainment journalist now living in Southern California, made the scene. Her aunt and mom beamed with each shout of encouragement. “I’m totally blessed,” said a beaming Blanco, whose younger daughter, Lisa Charisse BlancoMatthews, is a producer for the Arizona Cardinals. Both daughters are Arizona State graduates.
BY MIKE BUTLER AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS STAFF WRITER
When Ed Mangan, the new commander of American Legion Post 64 in Ahwatukee, welcomes members to the monthly meeting, he sees fellow Vietnam vets and a lot of gray hair. Only a few of the post’s 200 members served in Iraq or Afghanistan, but they rarely make the meetings.
Mangan said he’s involved with four other veterans’ groups, and they struggle with the same issue, too.
“There’s got to be a way to encourage younger veterans to participate,” he said. “How we get them I’m not certain. We’re getting old.”
Angelo Lombardi said attracting younger veterans is also a challenge for Veterans of Foreign War posts in the Valley, but he’s not going to let his Post 3632 in Tempe go down without a fight. A Vietnam vet, Lombardi said 30 of the post’s 360 members are younger veterans.
Lombardi said it’s encouraging that veterans of Operation Desert Storm and those who were deployed to the Bosnia/ Kosovo peacekeeping missions are in their 40s now and have more time to give to the post’s service programs. “They’re
a big help to us.”
Most veterans in their 20s and 30s, he pointed out, are busy with full-time jobs and growing families. They may be going to school on top of that. A lot of young veterans struggle with debt or PTSD and other medical conditions, Lombardi said. He and his comrades regularly visit ASU, DeVry and other schools, plus VA hospitals, to let young men and women know that the VFW is there to help.
“Some are too proud to accept help,” he said, “but we’re not going to let these kids fall by the wayside.”
It’s good to remember, as the nation celebrates Independence Day, that the VFW and American Legion have been helping other vets, and doing a lot of good in their communities, for many decades.
The VFW was born in 1899 of the misery that followed veterans returning home from the Spanish American War.
Groups of veterans around the country banded together and fought for medical care and pensions. By 1936, the VFW had nearly 200,000 members and, like the American Legion, was becoming increasingly influential in Congress.
The groups were instrumental in establishing the Veterans Administration, securing the first GI Bill and developing
the national cemetery system. The organizations fought to compensate Vietnam vets exposed to Agent Orange and, later, for vets diagnosed with Gulf War Syndrome. They lobbied for the 2008 GI Bill for the 21st Century, which extended educational benefits to those fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The VFW counts about 1.3 million members today, which is 700,000 less
than the group’s heyday in the 1990s. Hundreds of posts have folded or consolidated over the past decade. Founded in 1919, the American Legion hasn’t fared any better, having lost about 700,000 members since its peak of 3.1 million.
–Reach Mike Butler at 480-8986581 or at mbutler@ahwatukee.com. – Check us out and like the Ahwatukee Foothills News on Facebook.
BY MIKE BUTLER AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS STAFF WRITER
On April Fools’ Day a few months ago, Chuck Wennerlund sent word out to his many social media followers that his excavations and renovations inside of a historic building on Mesa’s Main Street had unearthed evidence of a 1920s speakeasy.
Andrew Bauman had that conversation a few years ago when he was a homebrewer giving away more beers than he could drink. Entrepreneur Rebecca Lavenue, looking to leave a 24-year career in healthcare, asked him to be head beermaker of Perch Brewery in downtown Chandler.
Most of his friends got the joke. If you soak up urban legends, speakeasies were as common as hardware stores on the street corners of Mesa, Chandler and Gilbert back in the old days.
“When two people who don’t know what they’re doing get together, the magic happens,” Bauman jokes.
Today, the Perch is an oasis of great beer and food, as well as a sanctuary for a flock of raucous tropical birds.
Although no speakeasy ever let thirsty Prohibition customers through the door at 210 W. Main St., Oro Brewing Company soon will. For Wennerlund and his partner, Dave Valencia, it will be the culmination of a dream that began when they made their first five-gallon batch of homebrew a few years ago.
With those first beers, they wowed themselves. With subsequent batches, they wowed their friends and colleagues in the Arizona Society of Homebrewers.
Their hobby quickly scaled to 10 gallons and moved from the kitchen to the patio, then to half of the two-car garage. Awards and medals ensued. It didn’t take long for folks to start saying, “You guys should go pro.”
“All good homebrewers eventually have that conversation,” says Wennerlund, who broke ground on the three-barrel (93 gallons) nano brewery and taproom in January. “We said, ‘Let’s get serious.’ It just seems like the right time, the right place.”
Bauman works in the shadow of San Tan Brewery, two blocks away, which probably spills more beer in a week than the Perch makes in a month. He admires and applauds the success of San Tan and Four Peaks Brewing of Tempe, whose tasty craft beers are ubiquitous in groceries stores now.
But Bauman likes his niche.
He takes both local sourcing and hand crafting to a new level. For instance, Bauman picks the rosemary for his signature Rooftop Rosemary IPA from his parents’ garden near Val Vista Drive and Hunt Highway. The lemongrass and honey he uses in other beers comes from friends and small growers.
Quirky supply chains and shoot-fromthe-hip ideas don’t work when you’re a really big craft brewer. Consistency is the name of the game at that level.
The good news is that grassroots craft brewing is very much alive and well in the East Valley. You just have to hang out
homebrewers and budding nano brewers to see and taste it.
Ben VanderMeer apparently doesn’t have enough beer in his life as Phoenixarea manager for Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. of Chico, California. He brews on weekends when he can and even grows hops in his Mesa backyard.
He likes to make English-style pale ales, brown ales, porters and stouts. And, like a lot of homebrewers who brew big batches, he uses a salvaged, modified 15.5-gallon keg as a brew kettle. He also has extra refrigerators so he can ferment beers at consistent temperatures. And he uses keg coolers to dispense the finished product.
“I have a very, very understanding wife,” says VanderMeer, who worked at Brewers Connection, a homebrew supply shop in Tempe, when he was a graduate student at ASU.
A growing number of East Valley women are brewers themselves, says Krystal Bittner, president of the Arizona Society of Homebrewers. About 20 percent of the club’s 329 members are women. The group’s membership swells to nearly 500 over the winter months.
best-of-show winner.
That winner at the Arizona Fall Classic Homebrew Competition will get to travel to Fort Collins, Colorado, and have their beer brewed at Odell Brewing Co., a legendary pioneer among craft brewers. That brew will also be among those on tap at the Arizona Strong Beer Festival next February.
Like most experienced homebrewers, Bittner, VanderMeer and aspiring bestof-show winners are all-grain brewers. It’s also the approach of the big craft beer brewers as well as the mega brewers.
A drafter at a Tempe engineering firm, Bittner and her boyfriend started brewing six years ago when his dad donated his equipment to them. She likes brewing American-style ales and German bocks.
“Once a year, I force myself to try something I’ve never done before,” says Bittner, who is also a Certified National Beer Judge, which is one step below Master.
Bittner says ASH’s two major homebrew competitions each year attract huge interest from brewers all over the Valley and in Tucson. It’s an honor and source of pride just to win a first, second or third place medal in a category. A very special prize awaits the
Their recipes and brew days start by soaking crushed, malted base grains in hot water in a process called mashing. Mashing activates enzymes within the grains, which convert the barley’s starch into fermentable sugars.
Those precious sugars are rinsed from the grain, resulting in a liquid known as wort. Wort is boiled with hops and other ingredients, then cooled as quickly as possible. Yeast is added and the magic of fermentation and delicious beer happens. Sounds simple. But all-grain brewing is complex and requires a lot of extra equipment. Fortunately, newbies can opt to buy liquid and dry malt extract, the concentrated results of the mashing process.
From four ingredients—water, malt, hops and yeast—you can brew an amazingly good dark stout, a light pale ale and everything in between.
A local homebrew supply store, such as Brewers Connection in Tempe, can give you lots of advice and send you out the door with almost everything you need to make your first five-gallon batch of ale for about $120.
That price doesn’t include the three- or four-gallon stainless steel stock pot you’ll need to boil the wort, or the 48 bottles, capper and caps you’ll need about a month later.
A lot of East Valley homebrewers also rely on Brew Your Own Brew in Gilbert for personal service, ingredients and equipment.
The point of your first batch is to become accustomed to the process of brewing. Your kitchen needs to be very clean: Your fermenter and everything else that will come into contact with your cooled wort must be thoroughly sanitized.
Brew day starts by filling the kettle with about two and half gallons of water. (Reverse osmosis water that retains natural mineral content is fine.) Heat the water, add your malt extract and stir to mix.
Bring your wort to a low, rolling boil. Be careful, because an unwatched pot often boils over, leaving you with a sticky mess and a big cleanup job. Brewers with gas ranges have a definite advantage.
The wort boils for 60 minutes. Hops are added at the beginning of the boil to give beer its characteristic bitterness. Hops are usually added again halfway through the boil and one more time at the end of the boil. These later hops additions give the finished beer a lot of flavor and aroma.
At the end of the boil, the wort is much too hot for the yeast, so it must be cooled—the quicker the better. The wort is vulnerable to airborne wild yeasts and bacteria at this stage. An ice bath in the kitchen sink does the trick nicely.
Once your wort cools to about 100 degrees, transfer it to your fermentor filled with about two and half gallons of cold water. A fermentor can be a glass carboy, a plastic carboy or a food-grade plastic bucket. The key is that the top (or lid) needs to have a tight-fitting fermentation lock, which allows carbon dioxide to escape during fermentation without letting in outside influences. When the wort is about 65-70 degrees, pitch in the yeast. In three to four weeks, you’ll be ramping up your bottling operation (sanitation is crucial at this stage, too). Because some yeast remains in the beer, a small amount of priming sugar is added at bottling to feed it, allowing the beer to gently carbonate in the bottle.
New homebrewers can raise the quality of their extract brews by steeping roasted specialty grains or mashing a couple of pounds of base malt to give their beers extra body and flavor.
Andrew Bauman, former homebrewer and current head brewer at The Perch in downtown Chandler, advises beginners to have fun, let their creativity soar and not worry too much about technique or rules.
“It’s OK to make mistakes,” he says. “That’s what hobbies are for.”
–Reach Mike Butler at mbutler@ahwatukee. com or 480-898-6581
By PAUL MARYNIAK AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS EDITOR
Decked out in their white shirts sporting the medals from their service to the country, the men of Ahwatukee American Legion Post 64 stood atop a hill offering a panoramic view of the Red, White and Boom! festivities across Pecos Park on Friday.
They handed out miniature American flags to the few people who stopped by their booth near the stage where live music drowned out any attempt at normal conversational levels.
Their role was profound: they were witnesses to the true meaning behind all the frivolity.
Indeed, Legionnaire Bob Smithson seemed a little stunned when I asked him why the post sets up a booth at Red, White and Boom! Before I could tell him that I can’t put words in people’s mouths and that’s why I have to sometimes ask seemingly dumb questions, he quickly recovered and said:
“We’re a patriotic organization.”
While everyone there was getting a jump on celebrating the nation’s 238th birthday, few partiers probably were thinking at the time about what the celebration was marking. That’s no criticism of the people who were clearly having as much fun as they might have at a party celebrating the birthday of a relative or good friend.
Whether we were grilling in the backyard, having a big picnic or just watching dazzling fireworks displays, few of us probably pause to consider that the holiday honors the efforts of men who gathered in the thick humidity of Philadelphia in 1776 to establish what became the greatest country on earth and a beacon of hope for millions across untold generations.
Ahwatukee Chamber of Commerce
President/CEO Anne Gill – the party’s hostess -- didn’t forget.
As we walked around the crowd for a bit talking about what it takes to put on
the event, Gill reflected on the meaning of Red, White and Boom!, saying:
“That’s the whole point: It’s a community event to celebrate this nation’s birthday.”
Cynics might say the chamber makes a little money from Boom! or that the organization gets a lot of publicity from it or that it helps some members drum up extra business.
But don’t tell that to the Ahwatukee Legionnaires who were there, many of whom were working their fifth, ninth or 10th Boom! celebration.
For the Legionnaires, manning Red, White and Boom! was a duty, more pleasant, perhaps, than the duties they performed to become veterans in the first place. But important nonetheless.
Elsewhere in today’s paper, reporter Mike Butler writes about how Post 64 Commander Edmund “Ed” Mangan III laments that the Legion, VFW and similar organizations are not attracting the veterans of the Gulf Wars and other international conflicts of the past 20 or 30 years, let alone those who served at U.S. military installations across the country and the globe.
That makes the service that Post 64 provides at Red, White and Boom and many other Ahwatukee events all the more impressive.
No matter how their membership rosters have shrunk, these men don’t forget. And they go to a lot of personal effort to remind all of us why we shoot off fireworks and party in the first place.
That’s also why the chamber asks the Legion Post to show the colors before the first rocket goes up.
They and the chamber deserve the community’s applause and gratitude for that reminder.
Because, besides throwing a helluva birthday party, the Legionnaires and chamber members who worked the event were there to make sure Ahwatukee remembered what the 4th of July is really designed to celebrate.
–Send letters to pmaryniak@ahwatukee.com
New to Ahwatukee, he likes AFN
I recently read your column in the Ahwatukee Foothills news and really enjoyed your message. I am new to Ahwatukee - moved in back in January from Dallas - and have really enjoyed getting familiar with the community. It has been a great place for our family and I look forward to the years ahead. Please keep writing and doing what you do.
Thanks for all you do.
–Dr. Cameron Call
HOA boards should follow their rules too
In community living, what you and I do (or don’t do) within our property lines not only affects us, but potentially the quality of living and property value of those around us in our neighborhood. And so, as property owners we abide by the guidelines set forth in documents such as Rules for Community Living (RCL) and CC&Rs.
Likewise, it goes without saying that an HOA must also adhere to these guidelines through its administration
and decision-making.
So I’m disappointed in recent decisions made by the Mountain Park Ranch HOA board concerning a parking matter which affects me. In this case, it seems the board has chosen to disregard clear language in both the RCL and CC&R documents when deciding on this issue.
My neighbor wishes to park 3-car wide on a property that by design has a 2-car driveway. So they pseudo-extended their driveway by building a paver walkway, and now use that walkway as additional parking space.
This is a one-off configuration which leaves a car less than 10 feet away from my front walkway. But never mind that. What’s really important is that even with clear definitions otherwise in both the RCL and CC&Rs, the MPR board not only is allowing parking on a walkway structure but has granted a variance despite not meeting the conditions required for variance.
The detail is provided below, but the point is – as property owners we don’t get to ignore community guidelines without consequence in property decisions and in turn neither should the MPR HOA board.
The RCL and CC&Rs both comment
on parking: vehicles should be parked in a garage or driveway, and as a last resort on the street. Parking is never allowed on any other structure, including a walkway.
Perhaps that wording wasn’t clear enough to the board and so they granted a variance. But the board can’t just willynilly grant a variance. The CC&Rs are clear about the conditions which first must be met.
Variances to restrictions can be granted when:
•A restriction would create an unreasonable hardship or burden on an Owner. Using existing driveway and garage space to satisfy parking is not a hardship. These are the parameters each of us has to work within to accommodate our vehicles.
•A change of circumstances since the recordation of this declaration had rendered such restriction obsolete. The guidelines and rules which cover reasonable parking are not obsolete. The overwhelming majority of homeowners abide by them comfortably.
The activity permitted under the variance will not have any substantial adverse effect on the owners and residents of Mountain Park Ranch and is consistent with the high quality of life intended for residents on Mountain Park Ranch.
I now live with a vehicle right on top of me, and the arrangement negatively stands out as it’s not consistent with the rest of the neighborhood.
–Danny Carrizosa
When I moved to the retirement area of Ahwatukee in 1990, it was almost pristine.
Now, however, it is far from that with one dead golf course and one halfdead golf course.
I live on the fairway south of Half Moon Drive my side of the course is nothing but dust and debris.
I get notices every year about trimming palm trees; mine are trimmed usually three times a year. Some in my area have done nothing as far as yard cleanup for years. Dead plantings, weeds up to and under the eaves of their homes, unlicensed autos sitting in a driveway and a backyard gate laying in the front yard.
When I moved here, I was told homes along the golf course sold for as much as $10,000 more just because they are on the golf course. I’m sure if I listed my home and a
potential buyer saw the dust blowing in the yard from passing golf carts or motorized golf course equipment, they would probably say “no thank you.”
This is very sad in an area that once was very attractive.
–David A. Gilliland
In this country there have been many articles about having a national minimum wage increasing from $10 to $15 per hour. Most liberals think that this is great, but there are downsides.
If all of these low-income people all have minimum wage jobs, and their hourly wage goes from $10 to $15 per hour, their cost of living will go up 50 percent as well because prices are affected by demand/ supply.
The minimum wage people will get a wage increase of 50 percent, but the cost of living will go up 50 percent for a net result of zero. In addition, businesses will end up paying their employees 50 percent more, and selling less than they did before.
This is why in a socialist country, as the government controls prices and salaries, negative results occur. The capitalist system is the only system that enhances the people’s standard of living. Most universities in our country contain radical professors that downplay capitalism and promote socialism. But socialism throughout the world has failed in every case. There is not one case that it has partially succeeded.
This whole idea of having universal wages controlled by the government, is just another socialist thought. So let’s make sure that the government doesn’t go down this path, as we have seen it before.
–Don Crook
By Janine Skinner
We certainly know that there are people in our own community who need help. And, fortunately, there are many worthy local organizations working to meet those needs. But we don’t live in isolation when it comes to our responsibility to others.
There are people (particularly children) throughout the world – in places like in Uganda, Haiti and the Philippines, who are living in dire, lifethreatening circumstances. One big difference in their struggle – there are no local resources to help them because everyone around them is in the same situation.
That’s where individuals and businesses throughout the Ahwatukee have stepped up to support the mission of Feed My Starving Children (FMSC) in unprecedented numbers. FMSC has tackled world hunger since 1987 by sending volunteer-packed, nutritious meals to 70 countries around the world. These meals are specifically designed to reverse and prevent malnutrition and are used in schools, orphanages, clinics and feeding programs to break the cycle of poverty.
Recognizing our responsibility to come to the aid of others regardless of geography, this community helps provide life-saving nutritional food to children they will never meet in person, but whose lives are forever changed by their generosity.
For example, 2GG Apparel, based in Mesa has been involved with FMSC for several years, not only by volunteering at the organization’s Mesa site, but by donating the proceeds of the sale of each of the men’s golf shirts they sell.
One opportunity to be a part of this impact is to volunteer and donate to FMSC’s annual MobilePack where 5,000 volunteers will raise $500,000 and pack
one million meals. This $500,000 will provide enough meals to feed 6,200 children for a year. This number is important as it is the approximate number of children who die each day from hunger-related issues.
Held at the Phoenix Convention Center July 29-31, volunteers register in advance to work a two-hour shift packing these life-saving meals. Individuals, families with children as young as 5, and groups of all kinds are invited to volunteer. They can visit fundraising.fmsc.org/Phoenix to register and donate.
Local companies, like 2GG Apparel are stepping up to sponsor the event, getting us closer toward that $500,000 fundraising goal. They will bring members of their team, family and friends to pack meals during the event to help us reach the million meal goal.
In addition, many Ahwatukee families have made FMSC part of their family traditions. They not only come to pack regularly at the Mesa site, but look forward to the energy and excitement of the huge annual event.
When we come together as a community in support of others, whether they live next door to us or on another continent, we accomplish powerful results. And, working together to make a positive impact in our world brings all of us into a greater sense of what it means to be the Ahwatukee community.
-Janine Skinner is development director for Feed my starving children.Information: 480626-1970 or FMSC.org
By Tom Franz and Pearl Chang Esau CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Arizona’s educators and students are our state’s greatest resource, and regardless of how you voted on Proposition 123, we deeply appreciate your daily efforts to ensure every student has access to a world-class education.
Over the last six months, we heard from hundreds of people around the state on both sides of the Prop 123 debate. Expect More Arizona supported the measure and is pleased that Prop 123 passed because Arizona’s schools need funding now.
Over the next few months, more than $500 million will flow into classrooms, providing raises for thousands of teachers across the state and additional resources to schools to improve student achievement.
However, Prop 123 has been divisive even among those who share our vision for a world-class education for every child. Because compromise is about both give and take, the process has not been easy, but there are some things we should all celebrate beyond the $3.5 billion schools will receive over the next 10 years.
Parties on both sides of the inflation
funding lawsuit had to step outside of their comfort zones to get Prop 123 on the ballot and had to work together to see it pass.
This is something we don’t often see, but should strongly encourage. Working across the aisle and through differences in perspective is never easy, but if we can do that more often and with the best interest of our students in mind, Arizona will benefit greatly.
Prop 123 also had the effect of building a bipartisan coalition of parents, educators, elected officials, community and business leaders who are working diligently to support increased funding for education in Arizona. As a result, the coalition around education is larger, stronger and more diverse than ever, and we hope it continues to grow.
The fact that the vote was so close does not mean support for education is lukewarm. In fact, numerous polls tell us that support for education funding and increasing teacher pay is at an alltime high, across political parties. Some education advocates simply wished to address education funding in a different way.
Therefore, it’s important we all make sure Arizona’s teachers understand this is a difference in opinion about how to get schools more money, not about whether
By Holly Yzquierdo
You see it on the news and social media — girls as young as 12 years old disappearing. These girls aren’t running away because of a fight with parents or siblings. These girls are being tricked or taken and forced into a world of sex trafficking.
In some cases, girls are abducted off the street, but 71 percent of victims have previously met their abductor. Traffickers will recruit girls at school, malls and online. They look for easy targets, such as teens that feel isolated or don’t have strong relationships. Traffickers will often manufacture a
>> From page 19
they need or deserve it.
While we should celebrate this win for education today, we know that our work is just beginning. Proposition 123 is an important first step toward increased K-12 funding, but we’ve always known we
friendship or relationship to build trust. That relationship can soon become the most important thing in their lives and eclipse family relationships and other commitments. At other times, traffickers will promise a job making lots of money. How can parents combat the deception of sex traffickers? Here are three tips from Catholic Charities’ Stop SexTrafficking Team to keep your child safe.
Cultivate a strong relationship
Teens who have a strong relationship with their parents may be less likely to be influenced by traffickers who are looking for girls who are alone or isolated. Parents who are involved in their teen’s life will deter traffickers who may move on to easier targets.
need to do more.
Now that the election is behind us, we need to come back together and forge the road to a long-term solution to increase education funding that focuses on equity and excellence in student achievement. It will be up to all of us to work together and hold our elected leaders accountable to make sure we have the necessary
Teens rarely like rules, but rules help keep them safe. Teens need to understand the reasons for rules and what can happen if they aren’t followed. These include: curfews, staying in groups, checking in and knowing friends and where they plan to be. The more your teen understands the importance of rules to keep them safe, the more likely she will follow them.
Talk about sex trafficking to your teen, and show them stories of real people. Many teens are lured away from home with promises of modeling, becoming famous, love or making a lot of money. Traffickers start friendships online, in
funding to recruit and retain great teachers; support our universities and community colleges, improve the literacy rates of our third-grade students and ensure high standards and meaningful accountability.
We can do that in the short-term by voting in the August primary election and in the November general election
person or through friends, and will often lie about their age.
Most teens think sex trafficking only happens in faraway places or to other people. The Federal Bureau of Investigation estimates that 100,000 children and young women ranging in age from ages 9 to 19 are trafficked in America each year—with the average age in Arizona being 14 years old.
For more information about Catholic Charities and its work to combat Sex Trafficking: https://www. catholiccharitiesaz.org/ or call 602-2851999.
to support a world-class education for every child. Your vote and your voice matter.
–Expect More Arizona is a nonprofit, nonpartisan education advocacy organization that champions a world-class education for every child. Tom Franz is chairman of the board and Pearl Chang Esau is president and CEO.
By Paul Maryniak AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS EDITOR
Lucy and Kurt Nederbrock have been to Red White and Boom! as “civilians,” but they much preferred the way they went last Friday as one of about a dozen Ahwatukee businesses that were official vendors at the Independence Day celebration.
“It’s great, and we try to get to be at all the community events,” said Lucy, noting this was the second year she and her husband set up shop along a double row of vendors at the event.
The Nederbrocks own phoenix phreeze, a mobile Hawaiian shaved ice business they started last year, just in time to make their first official appearance at last year’s Red, White and Boom!
The celebration is one of many local appearances the Nederbrocks and sons Reece and Quinn make with their trailer, which they stock with 40 buckets of shaved ice they produce in freezers at home as well as syrups they select from a large stock maintained by their supplier.
The business keeps them hopping. “We’ve done 30 events in 30 days,” Lucy said, noting that one of their regular appearances is at every Mountain Pointe High School football game.
Lucy, a former aide at Lomas Elementary School, and her husband started the business when he found it difficult to get enough work as an architect. Ever since the economy tanked in 2008, he said, it’s been tough to
find steady work as an architect.
But manning the phoenix phreezemobile is a more enjoyable way to make a living anyway, they said.
“It’s a lot of work but it’s fun work,” she said.
Business started off slow last Friday evening, but the Nederbrocks weren’t worried. They noted it was dinnertime.
“People eat and then later on they start getting thirsty and start lining up,” Lucy explained. “We’re always the last vendor to leave an event because we get so busy.”
The Nederbrocks were set up right next to the booth for The Specific Chiropractic Center, whose owner. Dr. Cameron Call started only about a month ago after he moved to Ahwatukee from Dallas.
Call was excited about Red, White and Boom not just as a local business owner but as a newcomer to Ahwatukee.
“This is a great way to introduce myself to the community and meet people,” said Call, who moved here with his wife Kristin and their 4-yearold twin sons and 2-year-old daughter.
Since he’s not selling shaved ice or roast duck sliders, Call found it necessary to be creative with his first set-up at a large event.
So he offered free Glow Sticks for kids and a chance to win a free hourlong massage.
“I’ve done health fairs and small events but nothing this big,” explained Call, who made that chance for a free massage all the more enticing by sitting in an ergonomic chair and getting a workout on his back from licensed therapist Danielle Robinson.
Lee Edwards needed no Glow Sticks or massages to attract potential customers to his booth: he was selling beer.
Edwards, a brewer for Uncle Bear’s Brewery on Ray Road near 49th Street in Ahwatukee, said Red, White and Boom! was “an excellent way to get our name out there and also do something for the community.”
His truck was equipped with seven taps for different beers made by Uncle Bear’s, including a concoction that included a hefty dose of peanut butter. The Canadian native regretted that he wasn’t ready yet to unveil a special
brew he’s working on for fall and the return of winter visitors, especially people north of the border.
“It’s called Saskatoonberry,” he said, referring to a berry that can be found only around his hometown province of Alberta.
As people lined up to buy a cup of one of his brews, Edwards admitted that it wasn’t as busy as last year’s Boom! because clouds and a strong breeze had tamped down temperatures to the 90s.
“Last year we were crazy,” he said. “We had four booths and every one was going strong.”
This year they had only two booths, one in the area where close to two dozen businesses set up shop and the other at the VIP area.
Arizona weather being as rain free as it is, outdoor events are a year-round staple for Uncle Bear’s, where Edwards has worked for about three years.
Just over the weekend, he was scheduled to do a promotion in Cottonwood on Saturday and then a pool party on Sunday.
“On the Fourth, we have a holiday,” he said.
Generally, Uncle Bears is selling beer at a minimum three events a week, many of them promotionals at taverns and bars.
“This isn’t a beer event,” he said of Boom! “People are here to enjoy the fireworks and be with their friends and neighbors.”
But that didn’t matter, Edwards added.
“We are an Ahwatukee business and we want to be part of the community and community events,” he said.
Besides, even at fireworks shows, people still get thirsty.
–Send news about Ahwatukee businesses and Ahwatukee people who are making news in the business world in general to pmaryniak@ ahwatukee.com
By Zac Pacleb CRONKITE NEWS
The U.S. women’s national soccer team has won three of the seven FIFA world cups and taken home Olympic gold all but once since 1996.
And while the men’s team hasn’t won either competition and doesn’t rank in FIFA’s Top 20 teams, the women are paid less.
Now, a local business collaborative called CO+HOOTS has joined the battle for closing the pay gap between men and women just not in organized sports but private industry as well.
In February, five members of the women’s national team filed a wage discrimination lawsuit with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission against the U.S. Soccer Federation.
Women earned 82.5 percent of men’s weekly median earnings in 2014, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
In Arizona, women who were fulltime salary workers earned $669 per week in 2014, about 80.9 percent of a man’s weekly earnings. However, one local expert described the dip as a “blip” and said that the state historically does better than the national average when it comes to paying men and women an equal wage.
“It’s already been 50 years since we’ve passed legislation that says women should receive equal pay for equal work, but we still have this struggle,” said CO+HOOTS founder Jenny Poon.
According to a national survey from CareerBuilder that polled 3,200 workers and 220 human- resource managers in 2015, only 35 percent of female respondents believed there was equal pay in the workforce.
“I hate that people say that it’s just a matter of time because it really doesn’t just happen,” Poon said. “Just because we are moving (in the right) direction
doesn’t mean it’s a set course.”
Arizona Small Business Association CEO Rick Murray said a reason why the gap still exists is a general reluctance among women to ask for a raise.
“A lot of it is on this education process of helping women understand their opportunity when they have one,” Murray said. “It’s OK to ask for the same wage, and that it’s not going to affect their employment statuses either. A lot of that education has to happen at the grassroots level.”
A 2013 survey the social media site LinkedIn indicated that only 26 percent of the women who responded asked for a raise; 75 percent of those who did ask actually received a raise.
Experts have cited other reasons as well: Women often work in fields that pay less. One Harvard University economics professor told National Public Radio that women often seek out jobs that offer more flexibility, which can reduce their income. And then, there’s outright discrimination.
Poon also said women are generally the first to sacrifice.
“In the family, at home, moms are usually first to sacrifice if anything needs sacrificing, and that often carries over into work as well,” she said. “Often times, women choose to take a lesser payment. They choose to – maybe not intentionally – they choose to essentially give up more than typical people would, and as a result, they get paid less.”
Poon and Murray said a variety of factors play into how employers pay their employees, including experience, education levels and longevity at a company – and those can play a role why they pay women less.
Poon said she wants to specifically address the wage gap among minorities. African American and Hispanic women earned 36 and 46 percent less than white men in 2013, according to the U.S.
Bureau of Labor Statistics.
“(The wage gap) been a problem since the beginning of time just because the roles the women have played versus men in society,” Murray said. “I think it’s just a generational issue. We as a society are just playing through that and have seen the importance of women in the workforce and how important it is that we pay everybody equitability.”
Since 1997, Arizona has traditionally had a smaller gap compared to the national average. But in 2014, its gap was below the 82.5 percent clip across the country.
Murray said Arizona generally has more equitable pay because the state’s big industries don’t involve as much physical labor and offers more opportunities in technology-based jobs.
“Technology knows no gender,” Murray said. “I think we really have a lot of technology-based type of businesses, and I think that that certainly plays a factor.”
There are an estimated 132,000 hightech jobs in Arizona, according to a TechAmerica Cyberstates report.
However, the National Partnership for Women and Families maintains that the wage gap exists no matter the industry or occupation.
There are industries where women excel in terms of pay. Monster, a jobsearch website, highlighted five careers that pay equal – or even higher –wages for women: systems engineer, electrical engineer, mechanical engineer, videographer and computer repair technician.
Arizona’s ratio reached a high of 88.7 percent in 2006 before dipping to a low of 76 percent in 2009 since the data for the states became available in 1997.
“It’s an evolving process, and it’s just a matter of time before we won’t see (a gap),” Murray said.
The equal pay effort has emerged on
several levels.
The federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has announced a new initiative to attack the pay gap and other gender disparities. It will require employers with more than 100 employees to provide a report featuring earnings by gender, race and ethnicity.
The rulemaking process will conclude in September, and employers would have to submit the requested data in September 2017.
Arizona Sen. Katie Hobbs, D-Phoenix, introduced a bill that would have allowed businesses to obtain a certification indicating that they pay equally for equal work.
“There’s no way for businesses to proactively demonstrate that they do this,” Hobbs said. The bill died during this legislative session. However, Hobbs said she will reintroduce it in the next session.
In March 2015, Phoenix City Council unanimously passed the Equal Pay Ordinance.
Although the proposal did not create new regulations, it changed city’s nondiscrimination ordinance and increased educational efforts. The ordinance included a caveat stating
>> See GENDER PAYS on page 21
>> From page 22
employers can pay men and women differently if the pay is based on a variety of factors other than gender.
Gallego said she and Phoenix’s Equal Pay Task Force are focused on educating women on why and how to ask for raises.
CO+HOOTS has launched a small business scaling program to educate female business owners and women in general.
“The better educated a woman business owner is, the more successful her business is, the more confidence she gains to pay herself standard or higher rates,” Poon said in a statement. “And once women understand where they stand financially, they can pay themselves reasonably. If this could happen with every female entrepreneur, our economy would soar.”
“It takes a lot of people actively making progress toward that and actively creating initiatives to help the pay parity to keep up forward momentum, and that doesn’t mean the people on the ground saying, ‘we want this to happen,’” she said. “It means actually putting in legislation, passing legislation, that supports this.”
By Eric Smith AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS WRITER
Phoenix Democratic Congresswoman Kyrsten Sinema told area businesses that she is leading a bipartisan effort to derail the federal Health Insurance Tax because the Obamacare measure will hurt them as well as poor and middle class families.
Sinema, the lead Democratic cosponsor of a bill to repeal the tax, spoke with area businesses last week at a seminar sponsored by the Stop The Hit Coalition, a diverse group of businesses and trade organizations.
The claim the tax, basically a sales levy on health insurance premiums, will force businesses to choose between giving their employees health benefits or maintaining and creating jobs.
“An individual could see an increase of $100 all the way up to $300 per year for his or her own insurance plan per year,” Sinema said. “For a family that could be as high as $450 in additional fees, not for new services, just to pay the tax.”
“What this would mean is those businesses would pay the extra cost and if they didn’t absorb it, if they passed it on to the employee, folks would see this
impacting their take-home pay and their ability to care of their families,” Sinema added.
The tax has yet to take effect because Congress already had approved a oneyear delay on its implementation. It is scheduled to take effect next year, threatening businesses with a significant increase in their personnel costs.
Rather than pushing for another oneyear delay, Sinema is pressing for the permanent elimination of the tax.
“We passed the one-year delay in December last year as a bipartisan fix,” she said. “It’s my goal that before the end of this year, we turn that one-year delay into a full repeal,”
Business owners like bluemedia
President Jared Smith are largely in support of the repeal because it would not only drive up their costs but also make it more difficult to provide competitive benefits and lure prospective employees.
“It definitely can affect … how bluemedia is a different place to work than somebody else,” Smith said. “Our insurance packages used to be amazing in our industry…it’s not that amazing anymore and it’s really expensive and we can’t afford to pay for the whole thing
anymore.”
With the increased costs of HIT, Smith said he will face a difficult time expanding or giving additional benefits to employees.
“With any of these additional costs, our options are transfer the costs to the employee so it’s more expensive for them to exist, reduce the amount of healthcare coverage which means they have unfavorable services going forward…or we pay that tax,” he said.
“And if we pay that tax there’s going to be something else around here that we can’t invest in,” Smith said. “Whether it be additional staff, additional equipment or raises for the people that are here. All seven of those answers are not good answers.”
The Coalition says the tax could affect 1.7 million small businesses, 11 million employees and self-employed people who purchase insurance in the private market, and 23 million employees who get benefits from their employer.
Your newspaper. Your community. Your planet. Please recycle me.
Up to 6264 s/f of office or medical space available. Lovely twin buildings with a great Ahwatukee location.
Excellent location with easy access to I-10, Sky Harbor Airport, Tempe, ASU or Downtown Phoenix.
2353 s/f of finished office or medical space at $13.50 NNN, with reception areas, large private offices, large open areas with break room facilities, board/meeting rooms and two washrooms. Owner is creative and may change to suit. These are also owner-managed twin buildings showing pride of ownership, with a low CAM/ NNN fee of approx. $3.75 per sq. ft.
Join these great tenants: Edward Jones, Ahwatukee News, JMW Construction, Wilson Properties, Cottam Chiropractic and Piller Child Development Center. Floor plan is available. Exit I-10 at Elliot, go one block west and turn right on 51st Street. Take the next right off 51st Street and a quick left into the parking area. We are right next to the Wells Fargo Bank.
Easy to show, call anytime: Richard 602-695-5491.
Here are a few of the many businesses in Ahwatukee ready to serve you. To find more businesses: http://ahwatukeechamber.com/m/listing/home
4206 E. Chandler Blvd., #20
480-494-2435
drefamilydental.com
info@drEfamilydental.com
Dr. E provides family friendly, general and cosmetic dentistry, “creating vibrant smiles for a healthy lifestyle”
The Melting Pot
3626 E. Ray Road
480-704-9206
www.meltingpotaz.com
If you are looking for one the finest restaurants in the Ahwatukee Foothills to celebrate a special occasion, look no further than the fondue experience of a lifetime at The Melting Pot! They offer a unique and interactive fondue dining experience, in a fun and relaxed environment. Whether you’re celebrating romance, a birthday, anniversary or a regular night out- we’re the perfect place for any occasion!
16000 Maricopa Road Maricopa 520-568-3456
ultrastarakchin.com
The UltraStar Multitainment Center offers upscale event spaces and multi-faceted event options, sophisticated menus, full-service bars, and cutting edge audio visual systems. Party packages offer catering, beverage and entertainment options to accommodate any party from 6 – 600!
Formoreinformationontheseand otherupcomingevents,visit www.ahwatukeechamber.com.
(special
By Devida Lewis CONTRIBUTING WRITER
When we first got into business, we were told “you never get a second chance to make a first impression,” or “a first impression is the most lasting.”
Talk about pressure to be the very best YOU on the very first attempt!
The saying is true still today, although in the highly evolved technologically advanced culture we live in, we have multiple ways to show our “first” impressions.
One first impression is our online presence. Oftentimes when potential customers are looking for our product or service, they “google” us (yes, “google” is officially a verb).
What appears next may be the difference between getting a phone call and getting scrolled over. Making sure our online presence attracts our potential customers is critical to our success.
From our website design, to our
social media pages, to our blog posts and articles, making sure our brand is well represented and well designed will assure our audience we are credible.
We have become a more visual buying community, which means, if our online presence doesn’t attract us right away, we will move on to the next competitor.
Another first impression is our place of business. Location. Location. Location. It’s what has been drilled into us when considering where we will operate.
Geography is important, but what impression do we portray once our customers and potential customers find us? How often do we consider our building egress and ingress, making visits easy for our patrons? When was the last time we had our windows washed or parking lot swept?
These kinds of details need to be considered on a regular basis so that our customers will know that they will be as well taken care of as our place of business.
We must be sure to evaluate building maintenance, inside and
out. Furniture layout is equally as important as paint color and flooring choice.
The more care we put into where we work, our customers will know we care about how we work.
Finally, an in-person first impression can make the biggest impact on a consumer’s buying decision.
How we show up and what we look like DOES matter. Is our attire appropriate for our industry? Are we conveying a positive impression, making our potential customer feel good about meeting with us? Are we delivering our BEST SELVES at every opportunity? The answers should be “yes” all the way around. A stellar online presence, a clean and comfortable workplace, a firm handshake and warm smile will go a long way to making long lasting impressions that will help us be successful now and always.
Chamber ambassador
Name: Sharon Wright
Company: Farm Bureau Financial Services
Address: 6101 S. Rural Road, Ste D, Tempe
Contact: 480-967-7306, Sharon. wright@fbfs.com
Quotes:
As a Farm Bureau agent, I offer home, auto, business, and life insurance. I am also AgWise certified to offer unique, specialized agriculture and equine coverage for personal and business polices.
I am currently expanding to a new office in Kingman, and growing my sales force in the Valley.
I studied public relations and advertising at Northern Arizona University and after I graduated I was recruited by Farm Bureau Financial Services, which struck me as great marriage of my past, present and future. I had been involved with the non-profit Farm Bureau Federation, www.fb.org/about/home/, and hail from a ranching heritage. So, FBFS, www.fbfs.com, was essentially the only insurance company that I’ve known.
I grew up in a small town without much to do, so my favorite activity is to get out and explore my city, my state, my country and, eventually, the world. I am also an avid reader and really enjoy being part of my community and volunteering my time as much as I can.
By Dr. David Marz CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Have you ever gone back to a place and reminisced about being there before?
On one occasion, I went back to my seminary from years ago. While there I went to my old apartment to reminisce and think. I remembered w`hat my life was like back then.
As a seminary student, my heart was full of a good kind of exciting anxiety. I did not know where life would take me next. I did not know where I would get a work or where I would live. Life was full of questions, wonder, and even doubt. One verse from the Bible gave me a lot of comfort and helped me to focus. Jesus as recorded in the book of Matthew 10:40 says, “Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.”
That Bible text is a part of Jesus’ teaching as he was putting the disciples through a seminary of sort. He taught them for three years. After those three
years he ended one of his teaching sessions with a huge invitation.
Anybody who hears these words and does them is like a person who built their house on a rock foundation, but anybody who hears these words and does not do them is like a fool who builds their house on the sand. When the surf comes, the house is washed away.
Imagine yourself in that classroom where Jesus taught on this matter. Imagine the disciples sitting in the grass, on a gently sloping hill, the wind is blowing and Jesus teaches in his outdoor classroom. Jesus gives the class a little bathroom break and says come back in 15 minutes.
They go to the watering hole and Peter says, “I do not know what Jesus is talking about.” Matthew, too, is a little uneasy. They return to class. Jesus now continues with his lesson plan: “Okay class, now we are going to go out and ‘do’ what we have been talking about. We are going to go out and take action.”
The disciples are panicked and a little hesitant. Jesus is pushing them like baby
birds out of the nest. That first flight is always a little scary. Jesus gave them words of encouragement for the journey: “Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.”
Today we do not know what happened that moment when those first disciples went out. What we do know is that Jesus pushes us out of the nest too. We leave his little class room just as scarred and confused. We sometime feel we do not know what to do or say.
Have you ever tried to help someone? You make plans, call them, make an appointment, go over, bring them something to eat, sit and talk, spill out encouragements, do all you can do. You give it your best.
You might pray with them, you tell them you love them and so does Jesus. Sometimes you walk away from such encounters and feel like you did not make a bit of difference. I mean you feel helpless. You do not know what to say or what to do to help the person with the burden.
That night you think all about that person you are trying to help. You go to bed, pull up the covers and all you can think about is them. You cannot sleep. You feel helpless and sad.
In those moments of doubt and wonder remember the encouragement of Jesus. Jesus welcomes all people when we have nothing. That is why we go out and seek to welcome others without expectation of return. Jesus show hospitality to all people. That is why we go out and show hospitality with others.
In those moments of doubt and wonder. When we question if we are really making a difference, we can take comfort in knowing that as we seek to be a welcoming presence with others, we are showing people the presence of God. That in and of itself is a huge blessing. In your active loving of others, may you know that you show people the welcoming, loving face of God.
Dr. David M. Marz, Pastor at Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church, Phoenix, ArizonaFacebook- David Michael MarzPastordavid@sov.us
By Rev. Susan Wilmot CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Religious, social and economic divides are so commonplace across the country that we rarely pay close attention until something disastrous happens.
The latest tragic event in Orlando is both a terrorist attack and an appalling hate crime against our LBGTQ brothers and sisters. Just a few months ago we were immersed in news about the Black Lives Matter movement. Many of us still remember how hurricane Katrina revealed the startling economic abyss between the rich and the poor in Louisiana. Even a cursory glance at many of our neighborhoods tells a tragic story of families and relationships shattered by drug and alcohol addiction, as well as child and spousal abuse. There are massive gaps in the care of the mentally ill, many of whom become homeless. Yet, God’s word repeatedly tells us that all these children of God are our neighbors, and most worthy of love and care.
As a sickening indictment of humanity’s brokenness, the pages of history, both ancient and modern, are dripping with examples of injustice, hate, violence and greed, carefully packaged and sanitized by oppressive regimes, unrestrained racism, suppressed sexism, and so on. Sadly, we even see this delivered as religious truth.
Please don’t misunderstand, I value the right to freedom of speech, and freedom of religion as much as anyone else, but isn’t it ironic that wherever there’s freedom, people will find a way to abuse it or use it to incite hate and violence?
I know one thing for sure, hate and violence is a purely human agenda. Interestingly, most human cultures and religions have some form of the Golden Rule. Jesus defines the great commandment as a positive choice of faithful living in Luke 10:27, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.”
According to God the Father and Jesus, “You shall love….” And so what is God’s
mission and agenda of love? What is God’s loving desire and will for the world, for humanity and all creation? First and foremost, every life is precious to our lifegiving, life-sustaining, and life-redeeming God of love. All are worthy of God’s love. Love looks like caring for and protecting the most vulnerable amongst us.
Love looks like selfless giving, compassion, and respect for the dignity of all life. Love is feeding the hungry, giving water to the thirsty, clothing the naked and visiting the sick and prisoners. Love is sharing our resources generously with the poor.
We can only understand love in relationship with God, and we are nothing without love. Love is the nature of God, and the hallmark of God’s kingdom. God’s love is the context for all life. Yet by God’s grace we still live in a world where we have free will.
The Apostle Paul describes God’s gift of love in 1 Corinthians 13:1-13. This unconditional, agape love is no romantic fantasy, or fleeting emotion. It’s faith in action, an intentional way of being in the
world that reflects the fullness of our humanity in Christ, and always seeks the good of others. Here’s an outline of the better way: “Love is patient; love is kind…. love rejoices in the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. Love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; love is not irritable or resentful; love does not rejoice in wrongdoing.”
Take a moment to reread this inserting your own name in place of the word “love.” That’s revealing isn’t it?
It’s always tempting to rise up in righteous (or not so righteous) indignation and anger, and to judge and condemn others. Is that a loving response or a human reaction? How often do our reactions result in even more violence? It’s time to reflect carefully on every aspect of love, and our own failings in this respect. It’s time for prayer for God’s guidance. We can only know how to act, speak and respond rightly when we’re attuned to God’s word and willing
July 6 - 14
CELEBRATE RECOVERY MEETS
Celebrate Recovery says it “brings your relationship with the Lord closer to your heart as it heals your hurts, habits and hang-ups.” Participants can discuss issues ranging from feeling left out to addictions. “Nothing is too small or too large.”
DETAILS>> 5:30 p.m. at Mountain View Lutheran Church, 11002 S. 48th St., Ahwatukee. mvlutheran.org/ celebraterecovery or email cr@alphamvlc.com.
WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY OFFERED
Living Word Ahwatukee women’s bible study and fellowship that offers “a short, low-key time of praise and worship in music and message.” It’s also an opportunity to meet other Christian women in Ahwatukee.
DETAILS>> 10 to 11:30 a.m., Living Word Ahwatukee, 14647 W. 50th St., Suite 165, Ahwatukee. Free childcare.
Corpus Christi offers a coffee break with scripture study, prayer and fellowship.
DETAILS>> 9:15 to 11:30 a.m. Corpus Christi Catholic Church, 3550 E. Knox Road, Ahwatukee. Loraine 480-8931160 or CoffeebreakMin@aol.com.
A release calls this “a 15-minute energetic tune up each week” and says the Twin Hearts Meditation “is like taking a spiritual shower: when your aura is clean, you experience a higher level of awareness. You see through things more clearly and good luck increases.”
DETAILS>> 7-9 p.m. at Unity of Tempe, 1222 E. Baseline Road, Suite 103, Tempe. 480-792-1800 or www. unityoftempe.com.
People suffering through a separation or divorce can find understanding and caring support to face these challenges and move forward.
DETAILS>> 6:30-8:15 p.m. Arizona Community Church, 9325 S. Rural Road, Room G5, Tempe. Onetime book fee of $15. 480-491-2210. DivorceCare 4 Kids (DC4K) will also be offered in Room G7.
CHABAD HAS TORAH FOR TEENS
The Teens and Torah program offered by Chabad of the East Valley is for teens ages 13 to 17, and combines education and social interaction with videos followed by discussion, trips, games, community service projects and thought-provoking discussions.
DETAILS>> 7:30 to 8:30 p.m., Chabad Center for Jewish Life, 3855 W. Ray Road, Suite 6, Chandler. Shternie, 480753-5366 or www.chabadcenter.com.
MAN CHURCH HELD IN CHANDLER
“Man Church offers coffee, donuts and straight talk for men in a language they understand in just 15 minutes. No women, no singing, no organ and no long sermons,” a release states.
DETAILS>> Doors open 6 a.m., message at 6:30 a.m. 1595
S. Alma School Road, Chandler. Bob, 480-726-8000 or www.cschandler.com/manchurch.
KIDS CAN FIND SUPPORT
Support group for children ages 6 to 12 coping with a separation or divorce in the family. One-time $10 fee includes snacks and workbook.
DETAILS>> 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., 1825 S. Alma School Road, Room C202, Chandler. Pastor Larry Daily, 480-963-3997, ext. 141, larrydaily@chandlercc.org or www.chandlercc. org.
The Pollack Chabad Center for Jewish Life Chai Judaica and Gifts offers a wide variety of gifts, from Mezuzot to books, religious items, and jewelry.
DETAILS>> Pollack Chabad Center for Jewish Life, 875 N. McClintock Drive, Chandler. Gift shop hours are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Wednesday by appointment only and Sundays 9:30-10 a.m. and noon12:30 p.m. info@chabadcenter.com or 480-855-4333.
KIDS CAN FIND DIVERSIONS
Every week, Camp Gan Israel day trips feature excursions to children’s locations. Its swimming program is supervised by certified Red Cross lifeguards. Various sports and crafts supervised by experienced instructors. DETAILS>> Boys and girls, ages 5-12, Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., through July 22. Mini Gan Izzy program for children ages 12 months-4 years through Aug. 5. info@ chabadcenter.com or www.CGIEastValley.com.
TEMPLE
The full-time infant room for kids ages 6 wks to 12 mths.
DETAILS>> Temple Emanuel of Tempe, 5801 S. Rural Road, Tempe. Rachel Wallach, 480-838-1414, or rachel@ emanueloftempe.org.
Reggio-Inspired program where children can develop socially, physically, emotionally, and intellectually in a Jewish setting. For preschoolers 12 months to 5 years old, with part-time and half-day options. Before- and aftercare hours available.
DETAILS>> info@chabadcenter.com or call 480-855-4333.
Submit your releases to pmaryniak@ahwatukee.com
— Check us out and like the Ahwatukee Foothills News on Facebook and AhwatukeeFN on Twitter.
>> From page 25
to follow God’s will for our lives. We’re empowered agents of God’s love in and to the world, called to work selflessly on behalf of others. God will show us the way, because only God’s love has the power to overcome sin and death. Our prayers continue for all affected by violence and terrorism, hate and bigotry. We also pray for faithful and discerning hearts, willing to obey God’s will, and God’s ways of love.
The Rev. Susan E. Wilmot is Vicar at St. James the Apostle Episcopal Church & Preschool, 975 E. Warner Road, Tempe. She can be reached at rector@stjamestempe.org or at 480-345-2686. Check out our website at www.stjamestempe.org.
By Darla S. Hoffmann CONTRIBUTING WRITER
The long and winding road that leads to Page Springs Cellars is a tranquil trail. It’s freedom from the hustle and bustle of life. I took it all in with an involuntary smile on my face. I reached the vineyard and was immediately greeted by owner Eric Glomski, who was driving a work cart from the fields.
I was instantly blanketed by a feeling of family.
We sat at the picnic tables shaded by trees, overlooking the serene view of the springs. He began to share the story of this incredibly beautiful place that just happens to produce wine. Eric, along with his stepfather, father, mother and brother own Page Springs.
They own Arizona Stronghold and his wife Gayle does massage and yoga on the property. This family is pretty business savvy, and from what I could tell they are each other’s biggest advocates.
The people at Page Springs not only roll with the changes, they actually welcome new adventures.
“I love change and want to maintain artistic experimenting with our wines. I don’t want to get bored, and I don’t want my staff to get bored,” said Glomski.
Rhone varietals have a huge presence at Page Springs but you will also see a plethora of lesser known varietals. They place a large amount of emphasis on creating unique and exciting smaller batch wines. He loves the balance and experiments at each level.
Page Springs offers esoteric fine wines. Arizona Stronghold makes more of the median-value wines, and the Provisioner, his newest creation, is what he calls wine for the people. It’s good wine at a fair price for daily drinking.
He’s a champion of producing wine that anyone can enjoy. “I’ve been accused of devaluing Arizona wine, but I disagree. I think if you make wines that are more approachable, it helps people step that
ladder to try wine” said Glomski.
The first batch of Provisioner sold out in four months. They are making more to be released later this year.
As the wineries evolved, they underwent a series of changes. In 2014, the family bought out Maynard Keenan, who was a co-owner of Arizona Stronghold.
“We got a lot out of working together, but we are different people with different approaches. We compare it to the Beatles. They did wonderful things together, but separately they were able to unleash their own unique styles.” said Glomski.
Eric just hired his replacement at Stronghold. He will be involved artistically but won’t be a part of operations.
To say Eric is artistic would be an understatement. He is genuine and expressive about his passions, a person with myriad interests. Thankfully for us, wine and food top the list. He grows fresh vegetables and herbs on his property and serves samplings of cheeses and bruschetta, as well as fresh salads and stone fired pizzas in the tasting room.
He likes to experiment with beer and spirits in addition to wine. “Maybe I’ll make my own bitters someday, or make wine cocktails to serve with locally grown food on the patio” said Glomski.
I asked how he fairs at blind tasting and he replied, “I retain knowledge when I’ve been where the wine is made. I am an experienced learner. I need to eat the food and smell on premise to connect with people and place”.
Eric lives a high-adventure life. He’s an avid rock climber, diver, hiker, botanist and oh yeah, a winemaker of 20 years. Eric and his wife have four children, who I would bet have acquired some of their creative genes. In another year they will be empty nesters.
So what’s next for this dynamic family?
“I’ll never forget my teacher at UC Davis telling me to focus, focus, focus and don’t spread myself too thin” he laughed. “I’ll always be involved in wine. I need
to get my hands dirty otherwise I am not nurturing my soul. I’m still highly involved in Page Springs. Who knows? maybe I’ll make my own little label wines that I’ll only sell to a specific mailing list,” he added.
Contrary to what some may think, Arizona is an excellent place to grow wine grapes. Grapevines thrive in high desert, because they are a drought tolerant species. Furthermore, the quality of
winemaking is only going to get better as we learn more about the microclimates of our state.
Page Springs Cellars, pagespringscellars. com is located at 1500 N Page Springs Road, Cornville, just 20 minutes from downtown Cottonwood.
– Darla S. Hoffmann is a certified wine and hospitality beverage specialist. Info: AboutWine@mail.com; 480-540-7555
By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski
AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS WRITER
Known for his willowy mid-’90s hit “Collide,” singer-songwriter Howie Day has come full circle.
He released his first album, “Australia,” in 2000 as an indie artist shortly after his 1999 high school graduation. Now, after a stint with the Sony Music machine, he’s putting out music on his own again.
And he’s never been happier.
“There’s a pretty big difference between an 18-year-old kid making a record and a 34-year-old guy,” Day said. “It’s a bit weird going from the world of Sony Music, where I had a lot of handlers and a relentless schedule, to being indie again. Everybody had opinions and it was
really annoying. I started to resent them a lot.”
Making all of the decisions himself has been “terrifying,” he admitted. This started again with the release of his 2015 album, “Lantern.”
“You can’t blame anyone if something goes wrong,” Day said. “I like it, though. I’m a DIY kind of person. For example, I like to paint a piece of furniture instead of getting a new one. I’m that kind of guy.
Always have been.”
Because of all the changes in the industry, Day finds it hard to describe how his music has evolved.
“To try to even put my finger on the pulse of what happened during all of that is hard. Everything has changed around
me; music went from Napster to iTunes. Everything is rapidly evolving.
“For me, I think the music is more grown up, for what that’s worth. I’m not sure what that means. I’ve explored a lot. When you get to your fourth record, you’ve done a lot of stuff already. I’ve tried to find new things to do in the singer-songwriter world like chord progressions.
“That gets kind of fun. For record four, I wasn’t going to go with the old formula. I didn’t want to just set out to write another ‘Collide.’ It’s exciting to see what happens.”
“Collide” was important to Day, however. It still receives airplay on adult alternative channels and Day chalked
that up to the timeless feel of the song.
“I went in with this very 2000 idea of mixing electronics with the singersongwriter thing. We were all coming off David Gray’s ‘White Ladder,’ and Coldplay’s ‘Parachutes.’ I’m glad we did it the way we did. You can’t go wrong with acoustic guitar, strings and drums.”
It’s still odd, he added, to be considered a throwback artist.
“It’s weird when you contemplate that kind of stuff,” he said. “It’s cool, though. The beauty of today’s world is when they hear ‘Collide’ and wonder what I’m doing, they can type my name in. They’ll see I have a new record out and I’m playing in Phoenix.”
The show Saturday at Last Exit Live will feature just Day, his acoustic guitar and pedal board setup.
“I’m somewhat known for that,” he said. “I drag that around the country with me. I’ll do some old songs, of course. At this point, though, the new ones are pretty well rehearsed, so there’s a lot of ‘Lantern’ in the set.
“But I just kind of go for it every night after doing a couple thousand shows in my life. I take the temperature of the world and go for it.”
– Contact Christina Fuoco-Karasinski at 480898-5612 or christina@timespublications.com.
– Check us out and like GetOutAZ on Facebook and follow GetOutAZ on Twitter.
What: Howie Day w/Kathryn Dean
When: 9 p.m. Saturday, July 9
Where: Last Exit Live, 717 S. Central Ave., Phoenix
Cost: $20; 21 and older
Information: 602-271-7000 or lastexitlive.com
By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski
FOOTHILLS NEWS WRITER
The Romantics were brought back to the forefront thanks to 5 Seconds of Summer’s cover of “What I Like About You”—and singer Wally Palmar doesn’t have one qualm at all.
“What’s there not to like?” Palmar said. “They’re five great-looking young guys on stage. The best thing is that they play guitars and they sing and each one takes a verse.
“I’ve seen them do the song live and they do a fantastic job of it. Once I found out that they covered it, I made a point to turn on the TV and watch them. They’re really good.”
“We do a combination of stuff from the first and second albums,” he said. “But we do the hits like ‘Talking in Your Sleep,’ ‘Rock You Up’ and ‘One in a Million.’
“But we can only do so much in 40 minutes. We want to give people what they want. We make a lot of noise and it works.”
What: Rick Springfield, The Fixx, Tommy Tutone and The Romantics
When: 7 p.m. Friday, July 8
Where: Comerica Theatre, W. Washington St., Phoenix
Cost: $55 to $75
Information: 1-800-745-3000 or ticketmaster
The Romantics feature three of the four original musicians: Rich Cole, Mike Skill and Palmar. The band recorded a Christmas song for the last holiday season and is continually working on new material, all of which is available on iTunes.
Palmar is revving up for a tour of his own. The Romantics are playing select shows with Rick Springfield, including a Friday gig at the Comerica Theatre with Tommy Tutone and The Fixx, too. He is guaranteeing that fans will have a good time.
“Man, are you going to be in for a good show,” Palmar said. “Tommy Tutone is great. I’ve known him for seven or 10 years now. Rick Springfield? Are you kidding? He’s a huge talent. He’s a rock ‘n’ roller.”
As for The Romantics, the Detroit band is touring to push new songs as well as favorites.
“One of our new songs is ‘Daydream Believer,’ the old Monkees song,” Palmar said. “We did this other old song, ‘We Gotta Get Out of This Place.’ If you heard the Animals’ version of it back in the ’60s, this is our take and it came out sounding great.”
Palmar explained that he hopes the new music will hold over fans until a new album is released.
“We are still recording and going out,” he said. “You can go out and live in your past, if you like. There’s nothing wrong with that. We just have some more to offer.”
– Contact Christina Fuoco-Karasinski at 480898-5612 or christina@ahwatukee.com.
– Check us out and like GetOutAZ on Facebook and follow GetOutAZ on Twitter.’
By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski
GETOUT/AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS STAFF WRITER
Nicholas John Gearing is, admittedly, a huge Green Day fan. So when he was cast as Johnny in the Stray Cat Theatre’s production of the pop-punk band’s rock opera, “American Idiot,” he wasn’t sure how to react.
“It was surreal,” Gearing said via telephone in between bells at Boulder Creek High School in Anthem, where he teaches English. “It’s pretty fantastic.”
IF YOU GO
to execute the storyline of teen rage, love and loss.
Gearing said it’s interesting to see how the characters—many of whom were taken from album art—come together to form “this crazy kaleidoscope.”
The Stray Cat’s rendition of “American Idiot” is the Arizona company premiere. The only other time it has reportedly been produced in the state was when the national touring show came to ASU Gammage.
Gearing said he isn’t the only cast member who has butterflies.
What: “American Idiot”
Playing at the Tempe Center for the Arts from June 24 to July 16, “American Idiot” is based on the Grammy Award-winning concept album of the same name. The musical tells the story of three disaffected young men: Will, Johnny and Tunny. The latter two flee the suburbs, where their parents have a tight rein on them, and seek the freedom of the city. When Tunny joins the military and is shipped off to war, Johnny turns to drugs.
When: Various times through Saturday, July 16
Where: Tempe Center for the Arts’ Studio,
700 W. Rio Salado Parkway
Cost: $30 to $35
Information: (480) 350-2822 or 1.usa.gov/1U9NSs0
“American Idiot” features little dialogue and instead relies on the lyrics
“We’re all such big fans of Green Day,” Gearing said. “You don’t want to mess anything up.
(The album)
‘American Idiot’ means something to us, and being in the show gives it additional meaning. We don’t want to do it a disservice.”
“American Idiot” features all of the songs from the album (“Boulevard of Broken Dreams,” “Holiday”), as well as other hits (“21 Guns”). Gearing paused before naming his favorite song to perform.
“‘21 Guns’ is one of the more intricate
pieces, or ‘Whatsername.’ That arrangement is rather pretty. In both numbers, the room is electric. My hair stands on its end from start to beginning.
“It’s one thing when you’re singing your favorite Green Day song alone. It’s another thing altogether when a roomful of people gets excited at the same time.”
– Contact Christina Fuoco-Karasinski at 480898-5612 or christina@ahwatukee.com.
– Check us out and like GetOutAZ on Facebook and follow GetOutAZ on Twitter.
By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski GET OUT/AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS WRITER
Toad the Wet Sprocket’s Dean Dinning is thankful for the 1990s. The decade was filled with great music, including the band’s breakthrough album, “Fear.” The bassist is pleased, too, that the era is finally being recognized.
“A lot of people are thinking about the ’90s again and ’90s pop culture, like the ‘Empire Records’ soundtrack and ‘Friends.’ Articles say ‘Empire Records’’ sound- track was the best of all time,” Dinning said.
“We were involved in so many things at that time, too, and we’re definitely coming back now. “
“We keep ending up in TV shows,” Dinning said. “There was even a Toad the Wet Sprocket commemorative beer.”
Toad the Wet Sprocket as well as Rusted Root are bringing back the era with a co-headlining run that comes to the Marquee Theatre on Sunday.
The run also allows Toad the Wet Sprocket to thoroughly reexamine 1991’s “Fear.”
“It’s nice to have something like that to celebrate,” he said of the 25th anniversary of the album. “It’s a great record. There are so many good songs on it.”
What: Toad the Wet Sprocket and Rusted Root
When: 7:30 p.m. Sunday, July 10
Where: Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Ave., Tempe
Cost: $33-$113.62
Info: 480-829-0607, luckymanonline.com
Thirty years after Toad the Wet Sprocket began, the name is continuing to become a piece of pop culture trivia.
Dinning isn’t exaggerating when he suggests he owes his career to “Fear,” which spawned the hits “Walk on the Ocean,” “Hold Her Down,” “All I Want” and “I Will Not Take These Things
>> See TOAD on page 33
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>> From page 31
for Granted.” The songs still resonate with fans.
“They’re just good songs and the production’s not overbearing,” Dinning said about the tunes’ longevity. “We were very tasteful about what we were doing back then—and still are.”
Despite a few short breaks, Toad the Wet Sprocket has maintained its original lineup of Dinning, vocalist/guitarist Glen Phillips, guitarist Todd Nichols and drummer Randy Guss.
“This is the same four guys who got together in 1986,” Dinning said. “This has never been a band that’s about one person. That may have prevented us from being bigger.
“Like with Matchbox Twenty, everybody focuses on Rob Thomas. Twenty years later, Rob Thomas is out
with Counting Crows. I hope the other guys in Matchbox Twenty are doing well.”
In 2013, Toad the Wet Sprocket released its first new album in 16 years called “New Constellation.” In a nod to the band’s continuing success, a Kickstarter campaign to raise money to record the album tallied $50,000 in 20 hours.
Earlier this year, the band recorded a cover of Roger Miller’s “Nothing Can Stop You My Love.” Dinning expects it to be released in the fall.
“Things are ever-expanding,” he said. “Seriously, when you hear this thing, it’s going to blow you away. It’s one of the best things we’ve ever done.
“I see us continuing. There’s more music to be made.”
– Contact Christina Fuoco-Karasinski at 480898-5612 or christina@ahwatukee.com.
– Check us out and like GetOutAZ on Facebook and follow GetOutAZ on Twitter.
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By Jason P. Skoda AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS STAFF WRITER
They’ve listened to the stories from the players about the journey that enthralled the community 10 years ago.
A couple of them were even in attendance -- at the age of 2 -- when Ahwatukee was closed down for a parade celebrating the Dawgs.
A father of one current player recalled watching that parade roll by on 48th Street and telling his son, “That could be you some day.”
That day, or at least the journey to get there, is here for the Ahwatukee Little League’s Major squad.
“We want to make it all the way, just like they did,” shortstop Caden Thiele said. “They kept winning and playing all summer. That’s what we want to do this year.”
The 12U Ahwatukee Little League squad is in the middle of the District 13 Tournament at Tempe Sports Complex. And just like the previous nine years of teams before them, they are trying to duplicate the 2006’s squad run to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
“We wanted to embrace it,” Ahwatukee Little League coach Steve Gilbert said. “It’s the ultimate goal. These kids know a local team did it and you could see deep down inside they want to do it as well.”
“Embrace” probably isn’t a strong enough word.
They’ve met some of the Dawgs and coach Tom Kingery from that squad.
“I told them you don’t know if you are playing for a week or two months,” Kingery said. “The one thing have to do is learn and grow. That’s what we tried to do. It is the first for a lot of these guys that they are truly dedicated to something. It can really teach them about life and how to be successful.”
This year’s group is doing their best to match the 2006 squad.
They are wearing replica jerseys. There is a patch on the right sleeve of their jerseys commemorating the 10year anniversary of the team that won
tournaments at the district, state and west region before tie-breakers kept them from getting out of pool play in Williamsport.
This year’s team is not shying away from the possibility of winning the next
three tournaments to get to Williamsport.
“When we first got together as a team we talked about setting the expectations,” Gilbert said. “Our goal is to win the Little League World Series and in order to do
that we have to win one play at a time.
“There is something larger than us. We can’t be worried about the bigger picture
By Jason Skoda AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS STAFF WRITER
Ten summers ago, 12 young ballplayers took over Ahwatukee.
Seemingly no one could get enough of the Ahwatukee Dawgs after they stormed through tournament after tournament on their way to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, on Aug. 19, 2006.
They got phone calls from Diamondback second baseman Orlando Hudson, played before thousands of fans 2,200 miles away from home and displayed a spectrum of emotions on national television.
They had to develop signatures for autographs. They essentially closed down their hometown for a welcomehome parade. And the whole experience shaped their athletic careers for years to come.
All the while the Foothills community supported the 12U Ahwatukee Little League team on their journey to the World Series. It was as if residents treated every player like a blood relative.
“I’ll never forget the support, how many people wanted to talk to us,” Ryan Modi said. “We were on TV and radio shows, we were hosted by the Diamondbacks, Cardinals and Arizona State. The spotlight was on us for awhile after we got back.
“The parade was the craziest,” he added. “They were doing all of this for twelve 12-year-olds? It was amazing.”
So was the ride that lead to the parade down 48th Street.
“It all went way to fast to realize what was happening; we were just playing baseball,” said Modi, who went on to play at Desert Vista High, Paradise Valley Community College. and Kansas Wesleyan University.
“We didn’t have time to think about what we were doing or about to do,” Modi said. “Then as we started to get close to Williamsport it started hitting us,” he added. “We definitely took a second and soaked it in once we got off the bus and walked up to the field at Williamsport.”
The team went 2-1 in World Series pool play representing the West Region, but didn’t make it to the semifinals after three teams finished tied with the best record.
The Dawgs lost their first game, 4-1 to Southeast, but came back to beat Great Lakes (1-0) and Mid-Atlantic (4-1).
Tie breakers eliminated the Dawgs while the Great Lakes and Southeast teams went on to the semifinals. The Southeast, represented by Columbus Northern out of Georgia, won it all.
Coach: Tom Kingery
Players:
While they left a piece of themselves on Lamade Stadium after the final out, the memories, camaraderie and standard they set for all subsequent Ahwatukee Little League teams remain.
Michael Anderson 3B
Eric Camarillo OF
Shaun Chase C
Max Harden Of David Hulls 3B
Justin Hyden INF
Connor Kelly 1B
Sam Kingery OF/INF
Scott Kingery SS
Their winning ways started in Tempe by taking the District 13 tournament title and led to Kingman for the state tournament before taking off for San Bernardino, California, for West Regionals.
Chase Knox OF
Ryan Modi OF/C
An 11-3 win, which included three home runs from Shaun Chase in the championship game, pushed them to Williamsport.
“I can go a long time without seeing those guys and then run into them and it’s like we’ve been hanging out the whole time,” Sam Kingery said. “We go right back to talking about that time in our lives and everything we did.”
Kingery and Max Harden addressed this year’s team on June 15 as the youngsters began practicing for the District 13 tournament this year.
It’s crazy that 10 years later people are seeing us like this still and remember things that we did.
“Really, all it was at the time was like we went to summer camp with all of our buddies and played baseball every day,” Kingery added.
The former players sharing their memories with today’s roster of all-stars left an impression.
“We are very fortunate to have their jerseys,” shortstop Caden Thiele said.
“We are very proud of what they did 10 years ago and maybe we can do it, too.”
The journey to Williamsport means being on the road for a long time.
and stuff through the bathroom at each other,” said Sam’s twin brother, Scott.
“It turned into bars of soap, if I remember correctly, which at the time seemed like a good idea, but thinking back on it that might not have been the best idea,” he continued, adding:
“One more memory was when we were in San Bernardino in the dorms we created a mini baseball field. We used a taped up sock and a small bat so we could play games. Those got pretty intense.”
Hunter Rodriguez 1B >> See DAWG DAYS
“I thought we were just heading there to talk to the team and they had this whole 10th anniversary thing going on,” Kingery said. “They had the same jerseys we wore and have a patch on the uniform.
The two-month run created a lot of downtime for the Dawgs as they hung out in dorm and hotels rooms at their various stops. Having 12 boys together within four walls leaves a lot of time to create memories away from the field as well.
“I remember being placed in the dorms where we shared a bathroom with the Canadian team and one night both teams had some fun by throwing pillows
Athletic success followed many Dawgs throughout their high school days and beyond.
The Kingery boys helped Mountain Pointe to the state baseball title in 2011.
Hunter Rodriguez was the quarterback
without focusing on the play that is in front of us right now.”
So far so good when it comes to the district tournament.
So far so good when it comes to the district tournament as the All Stars won their first game 18-0 over Rio Salado and sat at 3-1 overall when play resumed after the holiday break this week.
The team is in a good position to make it to the semifinals on Friday with hopes getting hot and taking home the district title.
It’s a good start to a seven-team event that includes six round-robin games with the semifinals on Friday and the championship game on Saturday.
The squad feels it has what it takes to get through to the state tournament, which begins July 20 and is hosted by
on Desert Vista’s state champion football team in 2011.
Shaun Chase, the star of the Dawgs, went on to play at Oregon after Desert Vista and is currently playing professionally in the Czech Republic. Many others went on the play college golf, football or baseball with Scott Kingery garnering most of the headlines after the Phillies picked him in the second round of the 2015 Major League Baseball Draft.
Kingery recalls 2006 like it happened yesterday.
District 3 in north Phoenix.
“We have a lot of aces and we can really hit the ball,” first baseman/pitcher Jack Minhinnick said. “We just have to play as a team and we will do good.”
This group of players has been together for only a few weeks because they played on separate teams in the regular season.
They’ve done a few things to create team bonding – a handful of players got teal and black braces to match team colors. But the most important part just might have been meeting a few of the 2006 Dawgs on June 15 when they revealed the replica jerseys.
“It’s really humbling to have those guys support us and it gives us confidence that we can do it,” middle infielder/pitcher Drew Gilbert said. “It inspired us and showed us that our dreams can become real.”
– Contact Jason Skoda at 480-898-7915 or jskoda@ahwatukee.com. Follow him on Twitter @JasonPSkoda.
–Follow VarsityXtra on Twitter.
“At the time, that was the biggest stage in baseball for anyone our age and that could be overwhelming especially playing ball in front of that many fans,”
Kingery said.
“I was nervous at first, but once the game started I realized that it was still the same game and that I was out there to have fun. Still to this day I believe that’s the most fans I’ve ever played in front of,” he continued.
“The whole experience was unlike anything and is still one of my favorite baseball memories.”
– Contact Jason Skoda at 480-898-7915 or jskoda@ahwatukee.com. Follow him on Twitter @JasonPSkoda.
–follow VarsityXtra on Twitter.
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