WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2016
Today: High 90, Low 77, Chance of storms
Tomorrow: High 93, Low 76, Sunny
Long-time realtor recalls Ahwatukee’s past. RE1
Phoenix, ADOT officials mum on design plans. p15
Kyrene program helps misbehaving students. p24
Third home on block sells for more than $1 million. p34
New entertainment in Ahwatukee: unlocking rooms. p41
Flying High
The Desert Vista High School Varsity Dance Line was flying high Friday celebrating the Thunder’s romp over Basha. Celebrating Desert Vista’s 49-20 win are, from left, Ally Trevino, Ashley Bultman and Sophie Spencer. They had a lot to be happy about. Page 46
By Lee Shappell AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS MANAGING EDITOR
Many of the finest golf courses in Arizona have Gary Panks’ architectural fingerprints on them.
Antelope Hills South in Prescott. Grayhawk Golf Club’s Talon in Scottsdale. The Raven Golf Club at South Mountain. Sedona Golf Resort. Tonto Verde Golf Club’s Ranch and Peaks courses. Whirlwind Golf
Club’s Cattail and Desert Claw courses just south of Ahwatukee. And the list goes on.
Panks also has overseen remodeling of longestablished courses at Paradise Valley Country Club, Phoenix Country Club and Rio Verde Country Club.
And while his design of The Golf Club at Chaparral Pines in Payson gained him perhaps his greatest critical acclaim, the golf-course architect still has a fondness
By Paul Maryniak
AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS EDITOR
More than 492 homes and buildings in Ahwatukee would sustain damage exceeding $5 million in a 100year flood, a study by Phoenix and Maricopa County warns.
Completed earlier this year, the study was aimed at identifying known and potential flood hazards in Ahwatukee.
The study’s authors say they are now working on a plan that would recommend structures, such as channels and basins, and new land use regulations “to help reduce and manage flooding in areas identified with particular flooding concerns.”
“Ultimately, the results will be used to help the (Maricopa County Flood Control) District and Phoenix make more informed decisions on future land development,” the study states, “and help guide local developers and property owners in building more safely.
“This will reduce potential damage to property and loss of life from drainage issues and storm-water flooding.”
The term “100-year flood” refers to an extreme hydrologic event that has a likely recurrence interval of a century. Put another way, such a major flood has a 1 percent chance of happening in any given year.
See FLOOD on page 14
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By Paul Maryniak
FOOTHILLS NEWS EDITOR
AHWATUKEE
Frank Schmuck went to bed on primary election night before finding out he had become the Republican candidate for State Senate in the district that includes Ahwatukee.
“I told my family the FAA requires me to get eight hours of sleep before takeoff so I just went to bed,” the Southwest Airlines pilot said.
Schmuck, 50, of Tempe, a decorated Persian Gulf War veteran, ousted incumbent Republican Jeff Dial in Legislative District 18 with nearly 53 percent of the vote to his opponent’s 47 percent, according to unofficial results.
The victory culminated a campaign in which Schmuck relentlessly questioned Dial’s military record as he
By Jim Walsh
AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS WRITER
A man surrendered peacefully last week after a standoff at an Ahwatukee home when a Tempe police SWAT unit got his attention by setting off flash bangs, police said.
Robert Rosignolo, 42, was arrested on suspicion of unlawful flight and reckless driving, said Detective Lily Duran, a Tempe police spokeswoman.
Duran said the incident started when a caller notified police that a man was slumped over the steering wheel of his car, and possibly asleep, at 4 a.m. at Baseline and Hardy roads in Tempe.
When officers arrived, the man drove away, but he was tracked by unmarked units to a house near 40th Street and Frye Road, Ahwatukee, where the driver parked in the driveway and went inside.
Police determined that Rosignolo was the boyfriend of a woman who lived at the house and that Rosignolo was alone after two children heard the commotion and
slipped outside, Duran said.
Initially, Rosignolo refused to negotiate, but he apparently changed his mind after police set off the explosive devices, Duran said.
She said Rosignolo had felony warrants for his arrest, but she did not know the details.
>> From page 3
campaigned through Ahwatukee as well as the parts of Tempe, Chandler and Mesa that comprise LD 18.
But Schmuck in an interview with the Ahwatukee Foothills News two days after his victory promised he’ll wage a different kind of campaign against Democrat Sean Bowie, an Ahwatukee resident and political newcomer who works as a senior policy analyst for Arizona State University’s provost office.
Positive campaign promised
“It will be very positive and will be focused on the issues,” Schmuck said, calling Bowie “a good person.”
The election sets up two legislative novices in a district that some political observers think could decide whether Democrats wrest control of the Senate from Republicans, who hold a two-seat advantage.
Although Republicans hold a registration edge over Democrats in LD18, the district also is home to a significant number of independents. The latest available figures show the district has 48,142 Republicans, 40,897 Democrats and 44,039 independents of voters registered with a minor party.
Bowie said that he thought, “Schmuck and Dial didn’t like each other.” And that he knew from conversations with Schmuck that he was upset that Dial may have misrepresented his own military service record.
But Bowie also believes voters turned thumbs down on Dial because of the Legislature’s recent history of continuing cuts in funding for K-12 and higher education.
“Part of the reason Jeff lost is people are unhappy about education cuts, and that’s Democrats, Republicans and independents,” Bowie said. “They want to see new representation. That’s been my message. Dial has been there a long time and Republicans have done nothing but cut school funding. We saw a lot of support for Schmuck.”
Dial, who served two years as an LD 18 representative in the State House 2010-12 and then won a four-year term in the Senate in 2012, had little to say about the results. He said Schmuck “ran a good campaign” and that he intended to stay involved in some way in public policy discussions.
There was no contest in the primary election for the state House in LD 18 for either party.
That means that this fall, incumbent Republican state representatives Jill Norgaard and Bob Robson will be running against Democrat Denise “Mitzi” Epstein and Green Party hopeful Linda Macias.
Epstein is a former Kyrene schools governing board member.
Schmuck, whose only other venture into politics was a failed campaign for a State House seat in 2008, said he didn’t decide to run until mid-April, about two weeks before the filing deadline. He said he had planned to support a fellow veteran who decided against running at the last minute.
But once he had decided to jump into the race, Schmuck said, he tried to “touch as many hands as I could” throughout the district, stumping on a message that stressed his hard-core conservative beliefs founded in “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
Campaigning fiercely on a vow to gradually eliminate Arizona’s income tax, he believes the pursuit of happiness is based on two fundamentals—education and legal immigration.
Bowie appears to be focusing much of his campaign on ending one-party rule in the State Capitol and restoring education funding.
“The main reason I am running is to restore funding to education,” Bowie said. “There’s a lot of talk about returning bipartisanship to the State Capitol. Republicans don’t even invite Democrats into discussions. We want to reverse this and tell the governor that we want a seat
at the table.”
To highlight their emphasis on restoring education funding, LD 18 Democrats have launched a campaign-long drive for school supplies for Kyrene students. Bowie and Epstein delivered boxes of supplies to the Kyrene Resource Center two weeks ago and Democrats said their campaign office at 1867 Baseline Road, Tempe, will take donated supplies throughout the fall.
“My message is a positive. I intend to stay positive and it will resonate with a lot of people,” Bowie said. “I’ve been working hard the last 18 months. We know this election is winnable.”
A graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, Schmuck was a pilot during the Persian Gulf War of 1991. His website records how he was in Saudi Arabia when a Scud missile attack killed 27 fellow American military personnel. He said he airlifted wounded from the battlefield and earned the Air Force’s Air Medal.
He also said he’s not worried about his airline schedule interfering with legislative business if he’s elected.
“I’ve got seniority and pilots can bid on their schedule,” he said. “The Legislature is in session Monday through Thursday and there’s no problem scheduling myself for a Friday morning flight or on Saturday. Many pilots don’t want to work the weekends.”
(Special to
While residential burglaries in Ahwatukee are slightly up so far this year over last year, thefts from automobiles have plummeted, according to Phoenix Police data.
At least one social media site recently suggested that residential burglaries are becoming a major problem in Ahwatukee, but city Councilman Sal DiCiccio and a police spokesman said statistics show there’s no cause for alarm
Police records show that from January to August of this year, there were 217 burglaries in Ahwatukee. That’s up from 188 burglaries in the same time period in 2015.
Meanwhile, thefts from automobiles have
plummeted from 147 from January to August 2015 to 119 in the same period this year.
Meanwhile, burglaries from commercial establishments have gone up from 19 in January-August last year to 31 in the same period this year, according to police data.
Police spokesman Sgt. Jonathan Howard said concerns over residential burglaries may reflect someone’s personal experience.
“When you’re the victim of a burglary, it becomes a lot more alarming,” he said.
DiCiccio said the year-over-year burglary figures “look pretty static,” but urged residents to continue precautions that can deter burglars.
By Lee Shappell
AFN MANAGING EDITOR
Residents who receive mailed consent forms to change deed restrictions to allow development of Ahwatukee Lakes Golf Club have expressed surprise and confusion over mention of nearby Ahwatukee Country Club on the form, as well.
David N. Sabow, managing director of The True Life Companies’ Arizona operations, explained that the deed restrictions, written in 1992 when Presley Development Co. owned both the Country Club and the Lakes, applied to both properties.
However, Sabow said, the change requested in the consent forms to build Ahwatukee Farms applies only to the Lakes property.
Sabow explained how it works in a question-and-answer session addressing recent statements by opponents and questions expressed by community members about True Life’s plan to build Ahwatukee Farms on the 101 acres that once was Ahwatukee Lakes, on either side of South 44th Street between Warner and Knox roads.
Question: Would consent to change deed restrictions and allow development at the Lakes also change deed restrictions and allow development of Ahwatukee Country Club?
Answer: “The existing deed restriction does consider both Ahwatukee Country Club and Ahwatukee Lakes. However, if/when we amend, go on our website, ahwatukeefarms.com, click on the ‘Learn section,’ then go to the ‘Frequently asked questions’ section and go to the actual amendment document that you can pull up and read.
The amended CC&Rs lift the existing restrictions on both properties and then simultaneously immediately reapply the restriction as it stands today back on the country club property while setting a new set of restrictions on the subject property, the Ahwatukee Farms site.
It is a legal technicality because you can’t lift it off one and not the other the way it sits there today. But when we amend, we are reapplying the deed restriction as it sits today on the country club and applying a new set of restrictions on our property.”
Q: With consent to amend the CC&Rs in hand, what would prevent True Life from building something altogether different from the Ahwatukee Farms plan at the Lakes? Would consent hand a blank check to True Life?
A: “The consent form is very clear. If you look at the second paragraph of
the consent, it goes into a very detailed description and actually spells out all of the self-imposed restrictions to include no more than three dwelling units per acre, dwelling units shall be used for residential purposes only, limited to two stories, at least 30 percent open space, multi-family rental prohibited, schools and educational uses and communitysupported agriculture and a farmers market permitted. All other commercial uses will be prohibited.
“It is a very, very detailed description of self-imposed restrictions that are consistent with our concept. So the scare tactic that is being thrown out there is that this is just a blank check to let us do whatever we want.
“I would argue that if we try to do any deviation from these self-imposed restrictions that the consent is null and void. It is invalid. If they’d taken the time to actually read it,that argument is easily dispelled.
“The actual instrument, the amendment that would become the recorded document, the amended CC&R, is on our website for everybody to read.”
Q: Why would True Life pay $8.25 million for Ahwatukee Lakes, an abandoned executive-length golf course in poor condition, when Ahwatukee Country Club and Club West, both fulllength, championship courses, have been listed for roughly $2 million each?
A: “Because those are being marketed as operating golf courses. We didn’t buy this property as a golf course nor do we
intend on it being a golf course. We paid a number that we felt was a fair value based on what we hope to do with the property.
“This property will never be a golf course again. It can’t afford to be a golf course again. That’s a fact. What I always like to tell people about property is it’s only worth what someone is willing to pay. And if we were willing to pay X, that’s our prerogative based on a certain set of plans. This property has potential. It’s a risky proposition, I’m not going to say it’s not, but we’ve taken a calculated risk.”
Q: Most of the organized opposition seems to be coming from those who paid lot premiums for property adjacent to the golf course. Has True Life considered making offers to those home owners to buy their properties to eliminate opposition and then make them part of an expanded Farms project?
A: “No. If we did that, where do you stop? The next row of houses? The next guy that’s complaining? That could go on for years and we’re not interested in that.”
Q: The language in the proposed amended CC&Rs is clear that no apartments could be built but what about town houses, specifically on the eastern section of the property along 48th Street that has existing apartments on the north and south sides?
A: “There could be town homes, sure. Are there going to be? We don’t know yet. We’re not ready to represent number of units, lot sizes, product, elevation, square footage or anything more specific than this concept that enables us to amend CC&Rs. It’s premature to talk in specific detail about a site plan before we’ve even filed a zoning case.
“It is conceivable that we might have a more-dense product on the east end of the site considering there are existing apartments on either side. We have not decided what is the best land plan. That would be putting the cart before the horse. That’s more appropriate when we file a zoning case.”
By Paul Maryniak AHAWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS EDITOR
Golf course owner Wilson Gee has fired back at the Club West Homeowners Association, accusing it of conspiring with the city to put him out of business and refusing to help defray his “exorbitant water costs” so it can buy the course for as little as $10.
Gee’s assertions are contained in his response to the HOA’s lawsuit and a countersuit against the association, which has accused him of curtailing irrigation at the Club West golf course and letting its once-lush fairways take on “a hay-like appearance.”
The countersuit alleges, “The association has engaged in actions designed to cause economic harm to Club West Golf Club, to drive down its market value, and to promote a ‘fire sale’ purchase price of the golf course.”
It also says HOA leaders have portrayed Gee and his companies “in a false light” to “promote resentment and anger” against him.
The HOA also alleged that Gee’s companies have not maintained additional foliage, closed the clubhouse temporarily until October, refused to keep the course open during the summer, and are “generally operating the golf course in a matter not even consistent with mid-level public courses via the watering schedule, its appearance, and hours of operation.”
It also contends that the community’s covenants, conditions and restrictions (CC&Rs) require that the site be maintained “in a first-class manner and at a level equal to or exceeding the maintenance level of other upscale, highend” public courses in Maricopa County.
In denying those allegations and asking for a dismissal of the suit, Gee said his contract with the HOA called for using reclaimed water to irrigate the course.
He also accuses the HOA of seeking “to drive down the value and purchase price of the Club West Golf Course by improperly claiming in pubic court filings without adequate factual foundation that Club West Golf Club’s condition was the result of severe golf course mismanagement far below industry standards while at the same time knowing the primary cause of the course’s current condition was the exorbitant cost of water.”
After the city shut down the water reclamation plant that served the course, Gee was forced to buy city drinking water, which he said now costs him $700,000 annually.
“Almost all golf courses in Maricopa County have an annual water cost significantly less than $700,000 for
irrigating their golf courses,” the suit states. “Daily fee, public golf courses, comparable to Club West, pay an annual water cost of $107,000 to irrigate their golf courses.”
He also alleges that the HOA and Phoenix Councilman Sal DiCiccio conspired to publicly disclose normally private information about his delinquent water bill from the city’s Water Services Department.
The city abruptly shut off the water to the course several weeks ago, but turned it back on three days later when Gee paid $100,000 of the approximate $159,000 he owes.
Although the suit does not name DiCiccio, it says he “was engaged in a public smear campaign, for his own political purposes, attacking Club West Golf Club and its owners to impugn their integrity and reputation.” It also says he used his knowledge of the water department debt “to damage the reputation and business of Club West Golf Club and its owners.”
Asked for comment, DiCiccio said, “Of course Mr. Gee would accuse everybody for not paying his water bill. If anything, we have spent the last seven years trying to help him.
“He was given a reduced water rate for many years. He was able to purchase the waterline at a much reduced price. We helped him set up a payment plan that he put in place, even when there was no evidence that he needed it.
“The water shut off to his operations was delayed in order to give him even more time. And, all this happening at the exact same time he sells his other golf course for $8 million for development purposes and claims poverty,” DiCiccio added.
DiCiccio also called the counterclaim “nothing but a ruse on his part in order to do the same thing he did with the Lakes golf course.”
“This is a very common tactic among developers looking to develop their golf
courses,” he continued. “They destroy the golf course, forcing the surrounding neighborhoods into giving concessions that they normally would not give.”
Gee’s suit says his companies have repeatedly reached out to the HOA to find ways to “water the course with reasonably priced water and to conserve water.”
“In initial discussions to solve the high water-cost obstacle, the association refused to cooperate and assist in undertaking meaningful steps,” it states, adding that the only steps the HOA has taken are to file the lawsuit and offer to buy the golf course for $10.
“The only solutions proposed by the association are self-serving proposals that benefit the financial interests of the association and potentially harm the homeowners,” it says.
A group of about 400 of the approximate 2,530 Club West homeowners have expressed opposition to the HOA suit, saying it does nothing to solve the problem of finding a permanent source of cheap water for the course. They’ve formed a group called Save Club West and are studying alternatives to a lawsuit, including the possibility of buying the course.
Gee said that the proposals he has made to the HOA include a request for a $10 increase in monthly dues paid by homeowners “to be used exclusively to offset the very expensive water sold by the city.”
The suit says Gee also offered gift certificates for pro-shop credits at four golf courses in exchange for checks made out to the city Water Services Department. The suit also says he offered free beverages to homeowners in exchange for water payments to the city.
“The association rejected all of Club West Golf Club’s proposals and instead pursued this litigation, seeking a court order and forcing Club West Golf Club to incur even more financial losses,” the suit states.
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By Lee Shappell AFN MANAGING EDITOR
While about a half-dozen members of Save the Lakes carried signs outside in protest Thursday morning, opponents and supporters of Ahwatukee Farms found common ground inside the venue after golf course owner True Life Companies presented its plan to the Ahwatukee Foothills Chamber of Commerce.
During the meeting, at Mountain Park Senior Living, both groups shared a concern for people whose homes are adjacent to the course, barren since Ahwatukee Lakes Golf Club closed 3¼ years ago.
“All in all, I tend to fall into the camp that it’s not likely to be a golf course again,” said Bill Mager, a 20-year resident of Ahwatukee. “If not, then what is the best use for it that would become a value add for the community?
“I think this plan has a lot of promise,” Mager added. “I enjoy the concept, but we have to make sure we’re doing the right thing for the homeowners who are adjacent to the property.”
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Mager notes that those homeowners paid a lot premium.
“They’ve been there years expecting to have this open space. How do you honor the commitment they made? How do you do the right thing while moving forward with this?
It’s not clear,” he said.
It’s clear to Bill Israel, a Lakes-area resident.
“The only sure answer is to tear up True Life’s consent form, and just say ‘No,’” Israel said. “It’s really very simple: Why would we vote against our own best interests? We bought homes here for open space, the lakes, birds and wildlife. Instead, developers to this day have decimated the wildlife, destroyed trees and vegetation, and drained the lakes.”
“True Life is proposing plans,” Israel added.
“But others yet to be determined likely will do the work. We don’t know who would build the homes. True Life is selling a concept, not a reality. The issue is much larger than a golf course. This is about open space, its value and our community deciding its destiny.”
Eddy Corona, an Ahwatukee resident since 1999, said that part of life is also being realistic as the community considers the property’s fate.
“Yes, I would love to have seen the golf course succeed, but the reality is it’s not going to happen,” Corona said. “So accepting that, and now having an opportunity to have a small say-so in what gets put in there that affects our community, that is awesome. I’m pretty excited about this concept.”
Corona was less sympathetic to adjacent property owners than some others in attendance.
“The people on the golf course, that’s a choice they made,” Corona said. “Is it harsh for them? Probably. It’s never going to be a golf course unless someone who’s got more money than sense is going to buy it for $8 million, then sink millions more to bring it up to where it’s playable. No one’s going to do that.”
Quentin Thornton, the Arizona project manager for True Life, made the presentation to about 30 in attendance at the chamber function.
He acknowledged that True Life might not be the developer of the project. Its initial job is to obtain consent to change deed restrictions that limit the property’s use to a golf course, then run it through all the necessary processes and governing bodies up to final plat acceptance by Phoenix.
At that point, True Life will determine
whether to sell the property to another developer or to develop the property itself.
“We are sensitive to the fact that you can’t just redevelop something where people have been living for 30-plus years,” said Thornton, an Ahwatukee resident since 1994. “We want to minimize the impact as much as possible. That’s why we have as much green, park-like landscaping around the edges of the property as we could.”
True Life’s plan calls for a 30-foot setback on the property’s perimeter, a buffer for homes that abut the development.
The Farms, according to the current concept, would include 267 single-family residences, two lakes, a private Montessori school, community farm, farmers market, small café, hiking trails, green belts and pocket parks on the 101-acre former golf course on both sides of South 44th Street between Warner and Knox roads.
To build it, True Life must get consent to amend deed restrictions from 50 percent plus 1 of the roughly 5,200 property owners governed by the Ahwatukee Board of Management.
True Life proposes no more than three homes “per gross acre.” However, after subtracting a required 30 acres for open space, it becomes 3.8 dwelling units per developed acre.
Audience members quizzed Thornton on the proposed community’s ability to handle storm runoff from nearby mountains, given that it drops roughly 60 feet from its high point on the western edge to its low point on the eastern edge at 48th Street.
They also were concerned about increased traffic in the area from the homes, a Montessori school that might have 900 students and a farmers’ market.
Thornton said True Life received assurance from hydrology and traffic engineers that its plan would meet Phoenix standards.
There also was concern about possible baitand-switch.
Todd Severson, True Life’s entitlement manager, said specific language in the amended deed restrictions would require building a project that resembles True Life’s Farms plan and precludes building anything fundamentally different. It also prohibits building apartments on the site.
Deviating from the amended deed restrictions would require a developer to start over with the process of getting homeowners’ consent.
“There is no opportunity to do a bait-andswitch. It’s our commitment,” Severson said. “We’ve put those restrictions on ourselves. We could ask the community for apartments, for higher-density stuff, but that’s not what we believe makes the best community, that’s not what we believe is within the fabric of the character of Ahwatukee.”
The attempt to amend deed restrictions might go on another six months, followed by filing a zoning case and preliminary plat that might take another nine months, followed by engineering work and filing of a final plat, those close to the plan estimate.
“So we couldn’t turn a shovel of dirt for at least two years,” Thornton said.
And that’s assuming there are no legal challenges.
Lakes residents Linda Swain, among the sign carriers Thursday, and Eilene Breslin are attempting to gain a permanent injunction to prohibit changing the deed restrictions.
Breslin is Israel’s wife. Israel is a member of the board of directors of the Ahwatukee Board of Management.
Robert Blakesley, general manager of ABM, said the organization would not take a position on the Farms proposal.
Anne Gill, president of the Ahwatukee chamber, said her board will meet this month to discuss whether it will take a position.
“We do encourage the home owners and True Life to engage in conversation and work together to develop a final plan that provides a solution to the Lakes Golf Course situation,” Gill said.
for his very first 18-hole effort 36 years ago: Ahwatukee Lakes Golf Club.
“I was a rookie at the time, but it turned out fine,” Panks, 75, said in a telephone interview from his summer home in Pinetop.
For anybody who rolled in 20-foot birdie putts on the front side at the Lakes and then suddenly began three-putting the back side (in the Lakes’ final years of operation the nines were reversed), it’s no mystery.
“If you noticed, the greens on the front side were relatively flat. There was not a lot of contour. I was feeling my way,” he said. “I got to the back side and said, ‘We need to put a little more contour on those greens.’ I was learning my craft.”
Panks, a 2009 inductee into the Arizona Golf Hall of Fame, has been semi-retired for 10 years, limiting his projects almost exclusively to renovation of courses that he previously designed. He says he’d love to get his hands on one in particular and design a renovation.
“No one has contacted me, but certainly I would be very interested in doing the Lakes again,” Panks said.
‘It’s very sad to see’
Panks is pained by what has happened to the Lakes, once regarded as the finest executive-length course—no par 5s—in Arizona and regular host of the state shortcourse championships.
The Lakes was closed in 2013 by thenowner Wilson Gee, who said he was losing money on it.
Fairways quickly browned out and now are bare dirt. The series of five lakes that Panks designed to mitigate storm runoff from South Mountain were drained two years ago. Distressed trees have been cut down. The clubhouse burned in February in a fire ruled “suspicious.” The remains were razed in March.
“It’s very sad to see,” Panks said. “You know, communities in Arizona to a great extent are judged on the quantity and quality of their recreational facilities. That’s important to attract families and businesses.
“To see what’s happening in Ahwatukee, with golf facilities not being well maintained, doesn’t reflect well on Ahwatukee.”
The Lakes property now is owned by The True Life Companies, which last month unveiled plans to build Ahwatukee Farms on the site. The project would include about 267 homes, community agriculture, a farmers market and café, K-12 private Montessori school, trails and two lakes.
Many Ahwatukee residents have embraced the plan, calling it a refreshing approach to long-overdue redevelopment of the blighted parcel. But neighbors whose lot-premium homes back the former golf course are livid. They’re attempting to block True Life from getting necessary consent from the community to change deed restrictions to build the Farms. Current CC&Rs restrict the property’s use to golf only.
Panks acknowledged challenges in designing the Lakes on the parcel’s 101 acres, bisected by South 44th Street between Warner and Knox roads. The property’s elevation drops approximately 60 feet from its highest point on its western edge near 41st Street to its lowest on the east at 48th.
Presley Development Co. built the masterplanned community with the Lakes as its centerpiece. The golf course’s secondary function, Panks said, was to slow and store runoff with its series of cascading lakes that acted as shock absorbers to running water.
Panks said he worked with an engineer to design the project to withstand a 100-year storm, although none of the property is within a 100-year floodplain, according to the Maricopa County Flood Control District.
“It was designed to provide three feet of free board (distance from normal water level to top edge of the lake) before it topped out and went on downstream,” Panks said. “It could handle an additional three feet of surface water.”
Another consideration, Panks said, was realizing that the Lakes would be an executive-length golf course.
“I thought that was a good fit for the community,” Panks said. “Families and people who don’t play as much could enjoy the game, spend time learning on a course like that, and
not take so much time and invest as much money in the effort.”
Being a golfer himself, Panks also wanted to do deliver a fair challenge and enjoyment for experienced players. His generous use of water, sand bunkers and undulation around the greens accomplished that.
“I don’t recall the amount of soil we removed to create undulations but it was considerable for a small golf course,” Panks said. “And I believe that we installed Tifdwarf Bermuda grass putting greens, one of the first to have that hybrid on greens.
“It also had one of the first highly sophisticated computerized irrigation systems.”
Other golf courses at the time did not have centralized watering control from the superintendent’s office.
“Someone sent me a picture of myself standing in front of the control panel for that system and it had to have been about 8 feet long and 4 feet high,” Panks said, laughing. “Today, you could probably do that on a cellphone.”
For nearly three decades, the golf course, with its lakes and open mountain views, was the pride of Ahwatukee. Panks called the maintenance staff in the early years “excellent.” Stan Hickerson, from a family of golf-course superintendents, was the Lakes’ first. The director of golf, who gave Panks the opportunity to design the course, was Doug MacDonald.
A year before the Lakes closed, Panks watched another of his popular works, Riverview Golf Course in Mesa, plowed under to make way for the Chicago Cubs
new spring-training complex.
“When we did Riverview, a nine-hole course and excellent practice facility, it was very well maintained by the city of Mesa for years,” Panks said. “In fact, the idea was that there would be another nine built until the freeway (Loop 202) came through. I was very disappointed to see that facility go under because it was so well maintained.”
And owners at the Panks-designed Raven this year were considering shutting down nine holes for development, but recently backed off after backlash from neighbors.
Doubts reports of golf’s demise
Panks acknowledges that Arizona might have been overbuilt for golf at the turn of the 21st century. The recession in 2008 also took a toll on golf in the state. Maintenance and upkeep of a golf course are not cheap, causing many owners to rethink whether golf is the best use of their property.
But Panks says when he hears the blanket indictment that “golf doesn’t pencil out,” he is quick to say, “I’m not sure it’s true.”
Augusta Ranch in Mesa is thriving, holding the distinction the Lakes once held, as the top executive course in the state where the Arizona short-course championship is played.
“Golf is like any other business and industry: If it’s not properly represented and promoted, it may not be successful,” Panks said. “There are examples of other executive courses like Augusta Ranch that are doing well because of superior management.”
Neighbors who are adamant that the Lakes property remain a golf course hold Augusta Ranch up as a model, insisting that if a Lakes course were rebuilt and properly maintained, it would thrive. Long-time players of the Lakes said it was thriving until Gee purchased it in 2006 and gradually allowed it to fall into disrepair, before closing it three years ago and selling it last year. In its heyday, a tee time was not easy to get.
But after True Life paid $8.25 million for it, the chances of it ever being a golf course again are about the same as saving par after hitting a tee-shot into one of Panks’ lakes.
“But I would love to re-do it, I really would,” Panks said. “I’d make it better than ever. I’m convinced that it could be successful with the right operator.”
Hydrologists make that determination on the basis of data for annual rainfall and flooding over an extended period of time.
The $1.5-million study has been in the works for two years, according to Valerie Swick, the project manager.
She said, in an interview with AFN, that while “we have learned that for the most part the Ahwatukee area is protected from large flooding events,” specific areas in the community have “some flooding issues.”
The study groups flooding concerns into three categories: 21 areas where a total 496 structures, mostly single-family homes but including a church, some businesses, two office buildings and at least three apartment complexes, could sustain damages; 15 stretches of local streets and roads that are prone to a damaging flood; and three erosion hazards.
The erosion hazards include a hillside behind Dry Creek Road and S. 14th Way, a slope behind a cul-de-sac at north end of S. 20th Street, and the entrance to a grasslined channel behind Kyrene de las Lomas Elementary School.
Among the areas where homes and buildings would be threatened, 17 of the 21 are estimated to be exposed to damages exceeding $100,000.
The two biggest areas of potential damage are:
An area around Cottonwood Lane and 41st Street, where 52 single-family homes could sustain $681,300 in damage because a channel lacks insufficient capacity to prevent storm water from spilling into nearby residences; An area around Dry Creek Road and 35th Place, where a spillway would be insufficient to protect 48 single-family homes from sustaining a total $620,500 in damage.
The Flood Control District of Maricopa County was created in 1959 to reduce the risk of flooding to people and property.
Officials say its vision “is for the residents of Maricopa County and future generations to have the maximum level of protection from the effects of flooding through fiscally responsible flood control actions and multi-use facilities that complement and enhance the beauty of our desert environment.”
The district has no timetable for completing plans to deal with the endangered areas, let alone a schedule for when the county and city could find the money to implement those plans, Swick said.
“There is usually some kind of solution for the flooding problem, but sometimes there are other factors such as funding that may cause us not to build a project,” she explained. Moreover, she added, “Because most of the problems are independent, there is no need to have them built all at the same time. We prioritize the projects and work them into the budget over many years.”
Swick said her team is developing “conceptual solutions for all the areas,” but that “the design and construction of these projects will need to go through the capital improvement prioritization process for both the city and the district.”
Because that funding program prioritizes projects involving all cities in the county, solutions for the Ahwatukee flooding concerns would have to be weighed against those in other communities.
“Some of the areas can possibly be grouped together for a larger project,” Swick added.
FOOTHILLS NEWS STAFF
So how worried should Ahwatukee homeowners and other property owners be if the Maricopa County Flood Control District has identified their neighborhood as likely to sustain damage in a 100-year flood?
You don’t need to go out and buy a raft, experts say. But at the same time, you should be prepared with an emergency kit including a flashlight and other essentials. And you may want to consider purchasing flood insurance, they add.
The Federal Emergency Management has stated that it is “unfortunate” that “every newsworthy flooding event in the past decade or so has been discussed in context of the 100year flood frequency.”
“The 100-year flood is not an event that occurs frequently,” FEMA says. “It is relatively rare. If projected accurately, 100-year floods will rarely be experienced. It should be noted that the majority of floods consist of lesser frequency events such as one-year, five-year, or 10-year floods. It is never the case that an area experiences either no flooding or only 100-year flooding.”
FEMA said the “misapplication” of the term in warnings not only “leads to misplaced criticism of the analysis that produced it and of those engineers who generated it,” but can also cause residents “to under-react to the threat of future flooding.”
“If a flood victim believes that the last one was the ‘big one’ and that he will not likely see a similar event again soon, he will not feel compelled to mitigate his damage potential,” FEMA said.
When the National Flood Insurance Program was setting its standards in 1973 for flood-prone areas, it chose the 100-year-flood standard as a compromise between what the U.S. Corps of Engineers relied on to build dams and levees and what most communities use when they design their drainage systems, FEMA said.
Property owners in areas identified by the program as floodplains are required to have flood insurance, and banks won’t issue a mortgage on affected property without proof of it.
But areas not identified by the program can experience a 100-year flood. And if a flood occurs, typical home insurance policies will not cover the damage. Only flood insurance will cover damage caused by water from an external source.
To find out if your home or other property is in a flood plain, fill out the form at: http:// www.fcd.maricopa.gov/downloads/floodplain/ FCDMC_FIRM_Form.pdf.
You can then email it to firminfo@mail. maricopa.ogv or fax it to 602-372-6232.
For information about flood insurance, whether or not it is required, go to: www. floodsmart.gov.
A study by the county and city identifies 21 Ahwatukee neighborhoods that could sustain damage in a 100-year flood. This list of those neighborhoods includes the number of buildings, mostly homes, that would be threatened and the total estimate of damage that could occur.
• Glenhaven and 30th drives, seven homes, $71,600.
• Amberwood Drive and 29th Avenue, 15 homes, $347,400.
• Wildwood Drive and 7th drives, eight homes, $166,400.
• South Fork Drive and 1st Street, 11 homes, $188,000.
• Silverwood Drive and 7th Street, eight homes, $144,300.
• Frye Road and Desert Foothills Parkway, complex with 48 apartments, $7,407.
• Amberwood Drive and 11th Place, 28 homes, $387,400.
• Briarwood Terrace and 17th Street, 13 homes, $284,800.
• Muirwood and Clubhouse drives, 17 homes, $399,200.
• Pecos Road and 24th Street, a church, $41,700.
• Brookwood Court and 27th Street, 15 homes, $246,400.
• Cottonwood Lane and 41st Street, 52 homes, $681,300.
• Cholla Canyon Drive and 39th Place, 14 homes, $205,700.
• Desert Flower Lane and 24th Way 5, homes, $127,100.
• Dry Creek Road and 35th Place, 48 homes, $620,000.
• Ray Road and Ranch Circle West, 2 commercial buildings, $67,400.
• Ranch Circle and 36th Street, 16 homes, $217,100.
• 44th and Ponca streets, 23 homes, $291,500.
• Kiowa and Mandan streets, 21 homes, $182,000.
• Cheyenne Drive and 51st Street, 114 homes, commercial buildings, office buildings and apartments, $328,000.
• Mineral Road and 48th Place, 39unit complex, $58,300.
The Gila River Indian Community Council has voted unanimously to appeal a federal judge’s refusal to stop construction of the South Mountain Freeway.
The GRIC contends that the freeway desecrates lands held sacred for centuries, and is the second opponent of the controversial highway to announce an intent to appeal U.S. District Judge Diane Humetewa’s ruling of last month.
The Ahwatukee-based Protect Arizona’s Resources and Children also has indicated plans to appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
Both PARC and the GRIC also have said they would seek an injunction against any construction activity until the appeal is resolved.
The Arizona Department of Transportation is scheduled to begin this week to remove plants in the area of the Loop 202 Santan Freeway and Interstate 10 as a precursor to construction.
The depth of the Gilas’ opposition to the freeway was demonstrated at the Ahwatukee Foothills Planning Committee meeting Aug. 22, when a small group of tribal representatives carried signs into the room and staged a native dance to protest the
project. Some demonstrators also vowed to lie down in front of bulldozers to stop construction.
“The community will continue to challenge the decision allowing this project to proceed in order to protect our borders, our members, and South Mountain, or Muhadagi Doag,” said Gila River Indian Community Gov. Stephen R. Lewis.
“The mountain represents one of the Community’s most important and sacred natural resources,” he added. “We cannot stand idle while the proposed freeway destroys the mountain and its trails, shrines and archaeological sites.”
Both the GRIC and PARC had argued to Humetewa that ADOT and federal highway authorities performed insufficient environmental tests. They say that the highway poses hazards to children attending 15 nearby schools and groundwater in the freeway’s path
In addition, the Gilas argued that the government failed to give proper consideration to the tribe’s unique interests in South Mountain.
The tribe’s 372,000-acre reservation is home to the indigenous people of O’odham (Pima) and Pee Posh (Maricopa). They are known for their farms, deep traditions, basket
Crews are expected to begin removing desert plants around the interchange at Interstate 10 and Loop 202 Santan Freeway in Chandler by next week in preparation for construction of the 22-mile freeway.
weaving and pottery.
In her opinion, Humetewa noted that the tribe had told ADOT and other agencies that the mountain and the area are “of great importance to them” and that they “spent an extraordinary amount of time addressing these issues.”
She also said the planning agencies “recommended mitigation measures to minimize harm, including to traditional cultural properties.”
FOR SALE OR LEASE 16515 S 40th St, Ste 119, Phoenix, AZ 85048
PROPERTY HIGHLIGHTS
• Move-in Ready / Turn-key Medical Space
• ±6,011 Square Feet Available
• Premium Improvements Completed in 2008
• Premium Quality Improvements
• Furniture / Equipment Negotiable
• Parking Ratio: ±5.33:1,000
• Building and Monument Signage Available
• Excellent Medical Synergy in Complex
• Convenient Access to 202 Freeway - The Property is located at the rst exit on the San Tan Freeway headed west from Maricopa/Coolidge/Casa Grande
• Excellent Ahwatukee Location!
By Paul Maryniak AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS EDITOR
The Phoenix city manager’s office and Arizona Department of Transportation are continuing their discussions about the South Mountain Freeway, but how those talks are going is anyone’s guess.
Both the city and ADOT have used only general terms to answer questions about the concerns that City Manager Ed Zuercher has expressed about changes in the freeway’s design.
In the Aug. 17 letter, the city manager protested changes that put the freeway at grade level. Several Ahwatukee and South Phoenix streets will cross over it at elevations 17 to 28 feet above grade, he noted.
Those streets include Elliot, Dobbins and Broadway roads, Southern Avenue, Desert Foothills Parkway, 17th Avenue and 24th Street.
Zuercher also raised concerns about a proposed redesign of the 51st Avenue and Estrella Drive interchange. Previous designs had the freeway going beneath those thoroughfares.
“We have very serious concerns about the proposed revisions to the traffic interchanges in the most recent design plans,” Zuercher wrote ADOT Director John Halikowski, saying that the redesign demonstrated “conflicts with the official values, goals and objectives voted upon by both the City Council and Phoenix residents.”
Zuercher said the redesign “will negatively impact our efforts to advance community connectivity, bicycle, pedestrian and disabled access and mobility, accessibility to bus transit stations, alignment of infrastructure with land use designations and maximum access to economic development and growth opportunities.”
He also told ADOT that the city “shares with you the expectation that this freeway be designed and constructed in accordance with the highest standards, and that its development builds upon lessons learned from previous freeways” throughout the Valley.
“It is critically important to conduct public outreach activities to clearly vet any proposed changes with area stakeholders,” Zuercher added, stating the city requests “in the strongest possible terms that the city’s cross streets at the Loop 202-South Mountain Freeway traffic interchanges are maintained at grade and the proposed design changes revert back to the initially proposed designs.”
The Ahwatukee Foothills News asked the city manager’s spokeswoman on Aug. 26 about the meetings, what had been discussed so far and whether Zuercher saw any practical
resolution to his concerns.
Nearly two weeks after that email was sent, a city streets department spokeswoman issued this reply:
“The meetings between Phoenix’s and ADOT’s leadership are a good example of the various efforts that are underway to ensure that both the City and ADOT are communicating and working together to identify opportunities and address issues, especially during this key juncture – the preconstruction phase.
“The City has been working with ADOT since the early phases of the freeway project in a strategic and collaborative manner and plan to continue to do so through the construction phase to achieve the most successful outcome for this transportation initiative.
“Phoenix remains committed to see that the freeway is designed and constructed in accordance with the highest standards to ensure the least negative impact to the community; enhanced connectivity, mobility, accessibility and opportunities for maximized land use and development.
“The City encourages the public to participate in upcoming community meetings in September and October 2016 to provide input on the design of the freeway.”
When ADOT was asked for its reaction to Zuercher’s letter shortly after he sent it, the department released an equally vague statement, stating it had met with the city manager and his staff.
“Phoenix has been a close partner in the planning, development and design of the
South Mountain Freeway for many years, and we look forward to the continued strength of that partnership as we move into the construction phase,” ADOT said.
“As this is a fast-paced construction project, ADOT will rely on strong partnerships to keep the community informed, involved and engaged throughout the three-year construction process,” it continued, concluding:
“Partnerships with neighborhood organizations, schools, community groups and the city will help this to be a successful project, meeting the community’s expectations while addressing the demands of traffic.”
There are several ways residents and business can learn about the South Mountain Freeway and register their observations and concerns.
• azdot.gov/SouthMountainFreeway: This site gives people the option of signing up for freeway updates. Contact information also is provided.
• thomas.remes@phoenix.gov : This is the email for the City of Phoenix’ new freeway coordination manager.
• Ahwatukee.com: read past Ahwatukee Foothills News stories on the freeway.
The Arizona Department of Transportation has scheduled three public meetings to show off and discuss the preliminary design for the South Mountain Freeway. All meetings are set for 6-8 p.m. with presentations at 6:30 p.m.
Sept. 27
Desert Vista High School
Multi-Purpose Room
16440 S. 32nd St., Ahwatukee
Sept. 28
Betty Fairfax High School 8225 S. 59th Ave, Laveen
Oct. 6
Fowler Elementary School 6707 W. Van Buren St., Phoenix
By Paul Maryniak AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS EDITOR
Mountain Pointe Theatre Company is getting ready to roll out the first production of the new school year this weekend.
The high school’s 50-student acting group will put on “Epic Proportions,” a comedy that first appeared off Broadway in 1986 and then hit Broadway in an expanded form 13 years later.
The play centers on two brothers, Benny and Phil Bennett, who go out to the Arizona desert in the 1930s as two of thousands of extras who will appear in a Cecil B. DeMille-style Biblical epic. The Bennett boys quickly move from extras to big deals on the set, with Phil becoming director and Benny the star.
Along the way, they both fall in love with Louise Goldman, the assistant director who will be moving the extras through a parade of plagues and gladiator battles. As the movie spins out of control, the love triangle takes center stage.
Laughs will be a year-long offering by the company, said social studies teacher Erin L. Smith, who is directing “Epic Proportions.” The other four productions for the 2016-17 school year also are comedies.
Smith said she and the three other teachers who are the group’s co-sponsors—Kim Bonagofski, Corey Quinn, and Suzanne Idler—“all decided to pick comedies this year.”
Sponsors select shows during the previous school year because they will be directing them.
“Sometimes we pick shows because we have never done them, and would love to direct them,” Smith said. “Other times, it’s because it’s a show we have done before, maybe not as director, and want to do again.”
The other productions planned this year are “The Haunted Show” in October, “Inspecting Carol” in December, “The Play that Goes Wrong” in February and “Curse of the Werewolf” in March.
“Epic” has been a time-consuming venture for Smith and the cast of eight boys and six girls.
“We have been rehearsing since Aug. 10 four days a week, and about 10 hours a week so far,” Smith said last week. “This
week it jumps up to 12 hours, and next week we will spend 18 hours in rehearsal for the week of show.”
Though the fictional movie calls for a cast of thousands with the kind of huge sets that the 1956 movie “The Ten Commandments” is known for, the play “has no physical set, so we use costumes, props and lighting to set the scenes,” Smith said.
A Chandler native who graduated from Corona del Sol High, Smith holds a bachelor’s degree in history and German Studies from the University of Arizona and a master’s in secondary education from Arizona State University.
As a member of Mountain Pointe’s faculty for six years, becoming a co-sponsor of the school’s acting group
was a simple process.
“I’ve been involved in the theater since I was a kid and it was such a large part of my high school experience, I wanted to be able to help give back to the theater company here at Mountain Pointe,” Smith said.
“So, I asked Kim Bonagofski first if she ever needed help with anything for any show to let me know,” she continued. “After a few years helping with productions and chaperoning Theatre Festival, I directed my first one act at Mountain Pointe last year. This is my first time directing a mainstage production with Mountain Pointe Theatre Company.”
Although she contemplated a career in the theater as a student, Smith added, “Now I’m quite content to work here at
Mountain Pointe and help the students figure out if that’s their dream or not.”
Smith enjoys the challenge of directing a student acting troupe.
“The biggest challenge for me getting the students to the point where the ownership of the show switches from me to them,” she said. “Once they own the show, and they’re ready for it, then it’s going to be a great show.”
Though she helped work on the school’s 2014 production of the musical “Footloose,” Smith said the fact there are no musicals planned this year means a little less time at work for the sponsors.
“There are no musicals scheduled for this season, but there most likely will be another musical scheduled for next school year’s season,” she said. “The big difference between a play and a musical is not how we work with the cast, but how much time is spent on the show. There are a lot more moving parts on a musical, and many more people, both students and staff, involved in a musical as well.
“The cast, regardless of the show, whether it’s a musical or a play, always brings their best, and it is always a thrill to get to work with these students to put on a production.”
The three main characters are played by Ali Stookey as Louise and Nehemiah Wright and Alex de la Torre as Benny and Phil, respectively.
Jayla Alston will play Jack, Quin Rupp is Shell and Michael Williams is D.W. Witt.
The rest of the cast includes Naomi Johnson as The Queen, Katie Corbin as Octavia, Mateo Valdez as the slave master, Cory Drozdowski as the Roman General and Lexi Artusa-Sirota as Cochette. The Greek Chorus is composed of Jack Rupp, Chance Stokes and Janice Bernard.
What: “Epic Proportions”
Where: Mountain Pointe High School, 44th Street and Knox Road, Ahwatukee
When: 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday Tickets: $7 students, $10
Behind every successful student theater group are teachers and parents. At Mountain Pointe High School, about 20 parents assist the Mountain Pointe Theatre Company in a variety of ways.
Julie Rodriguez ticked off the list: “Selling tickets and concessions at the performances, feeding the cast and crew on performance days, fundraising for shows and events, and even joining the fun inside the annual haunted house (my personal favorite).”
“My husband, Tom, and I have chosen to be more involved this year,” she added. “He’s a graphic designer, so he has assisted with posters and T-shirts. We’ve also been involved in communicating with other parents, helping to organize the meetings, having ‘head shots’ printed for the upcoming show and miscellaneous other duties.”
The Rodriguezes have been involved in the Theatre Boosters the last four years, since their son Michael was a freshman and signed up with the troupe.
“I was not involved in theater as a
child, so witnessing the hours of work and behind-the-scenes planning and coordination that goes into a stage production is very impressive,” she said.
Although they had no theater background, their son took to the stage at an early age.
“He took classes through Childsplay in Tempe and discovered that he really enjoyed performing,” Julie recalled. “He
was very fortunate to attend Mountain Pointe, which has an excellent theater program with teachers who are very dedicated to the students and the program.”
Besides finding it gratifying to give back to the school, she said she also has “enjoyed getting to know the other parents, and seeing first-hand all that it takes to put on a play like ‘Epic Proportions.’”
She said the parents have formed a group that creates a “fun atmosphere” by being “very friendly and welcoming.” Besides, “It has also been a pleasure to see our son grow his skills and maturity through his involvement in Mountain Pointe Theatre Company. This has definitely been the highlight of his high school years.”
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 7
Tots learn music
The Kyrene Early Education Resource Center is offering a class for parents and children 16 months to 2 1/2 years, that helps kids learn to communicate through language, song and movement by exploring simple rhythm patterns while they shake, tap and move to music.
DETAILS>> 9:30-11 a.m., Kyrene de las Lomas, 11820 S. WarnerElliot Loop, Ahwatukee. Registration required http://www. kyrene.org/earlyed.
THURSDAY, SEPT. 15
Turn kids into readers
A series of three workshops begins today and continues Sept. 29 and Nov. 29 for parents who can learn about eight weeks of award-winning books to read with their child at home. Sponsored by the Kyrene Early Education Resource Center, the program helps build a reading routine at home while teaching techniques to foster language and early literacy development.
DETAILS>> 9-10:30 a.m. Kyrene de las Lomas, 11820 S. WarnerElliot Loop, Ahwatukee. Registration required: http://www. kyrene.org/earlyed.
TUESDAY, SEPT. 20
“First Strokes - A Handwriting Guide,” sponsored by Kyrene Early Education Resource Center, is a workshop that will provide background on fine motor, visual motor, visual motor and sensory motor development and how these skills are needed to participate fully and functionally in the task of handwriting. Development progression of pre-writing skills leading up to writing letters and numbers will be demonstrated. Tips for teaching children how to write (manuscript and cursive) and tricks for helping with difficulties will be discussed.
DETAILS>> 9:30-11 a.m., Kyrene de las Lomas, 11820 S. WarnerElliot Loop, Ahwatukee. Registration required: http://www.kyrene.org/earlyed
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 21
Kyrene Early Education Resource Center is offering a bilingual story time for kids 2 to 5 years old as an introduction to the Spanish language through fun, interactive activities using books, puppets, music, and crafts.
DETAILS>> 9:30-10:30 a.m., Kyrene de las Lomas, 11820 S. Warner-Elliot Loop, Ahwatukee. Register: http://www.kyrene. org/earlyed.
TUESDAY, SEPT. 27
The Kyrene Early Education Resource Center is holding a workshop that enables parents and caregivers to understand the five critical emotional needs of all human beings; to feel accepted, included, respected, important, and secure. The workshop covers social and emotional development of children from birth to teens.
DETAILS>> 9-11 a.m., Kyrene de las Lomas, 11820 S. WarnerElliot Loop, Ahwatukee. Registration required: http://www. kyrene.org/earlyed.
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 28
Baby sign language is a way to communicate by using hand gestures, and Kyrene Early Education Resource Center, in conjunction with Desert Valley Pediatric, is offering a workshop to provide a glimpse into a baby’s world by helping parents communicate with their pre-verbal infant.
DETAILS: 9:30-10:30 a.m., Kyrene de las Lomas, 11820 S. WarnerElliot Loop, Ahwatukee. Register: http://www.kyrene.org/ earlyed.
MONDAYS
Open Playday is held through Dec. 19 by the Kyrene Early Education Resource Center to help children explore and make sense of the world around them.
DETAILS>> 9-11 a.m. Kyrene de las Lomas, 11820 S. Warner-Elliot Loop, Ahwatukee. Register: http://www.kyrene.org/earlyed.
The Ahwatukee Foothills Chamber of Commerce networking and leads group is open to chamber members.
DETAILS>> Noon, Native Grill and Wings, 5030 E. Ray Road, Ahwatukee. Call Devida Lewis at 480-753-7676.
This group addresses the informational, emotional and social support needs of the MS community. People with MS, care partners and spouses are welcome. The group mobilizes people and resources to drive research for a cure and to address the challenges people affected by MS.
DETAILS>> 10 a.m.-noon, third Monday of each month, Dignity Health Urgent Care Ahwatukee, conference room, 4545 E. Chandler Blvd. Free. Information: Lynn Grant at lgrant3567@ yahoo.com or 480-414-7172.
Improve your speaking skills and meet interesting people at Ahwatukee Toastmasters meetings
DETAILS>>6:45-8 a.m at the Dignity Health Community Room, 4545 E. Chandler Blvd., Ahwatukee.
The Ahwatukee Foothills Chamber of Commerce networking and leads group is open to chamber members. DETAILS>> 8-9 a.m., Four Points by Sheraton, 10831 S. 51st St., Ahwatukee. Call Devida Lewis at 480-753-7676.
WEDNESDAYS
Hospice of the Valley offers a free ongoing grief support group for adults and is open to any adult who has experienced a loss through death. No registration required.
DETAILS>> 6-7 p.m. first and third Wednesdays, Pecos Community Center, 17010 S. 48th St. Call 602-636-5390 or visit HOV.org.
An informal, relaxed social organization of about 90 women living in the Ahwatukee Foothills/Club West area. A way to escape once a month to have fun and meet with other ladies in the area. Guest speaker or entertainment. DETAILS>> 7 p.m. on second Wednesday at Foothills Golf Club, 2201 E. Clubhouse Drive. Contact jstowe2@cox.net or visit www.FoothillsWomensClub.org.
Parents ar e invi ted to join a drop-in group to ask questions, share ideas or just listen to what’s going on with today’s teenagers.
DETAILS>> 5:30-7 p.m. second Wednesday of each month. Maricopa Cooperative Extension, 4341 E. Broadway Road, Phoenix. Free. RSVP at 602-827-8200, ext. 348, or email rcarter@cals.arizona.edu.
By Regina Abraham AFN GUEST WRITER
Cooking
messy perhaps, but fun.
What parents may not realize is how packed with learning this precious time can be.
Cooking expands your child’s development in math, literacy, language acquisition, fine motor, physical, cognitive reasoning and more. Plus, children who participate in food preparation are often more likely to try new and different foods, as they begin learning a life-long skill.
Just getting your preschooler started in the kitchen? Follow this simple “recipe” for Friendship Fruit Salad, incorporating many objectives for learning and development.
First, introduce the idea by asking your child what fruits they want to use as they shop with you in the store.
Next, create index cards with pictures and the name of the fruit written on the card. (literacy skills)
You can download pictures from the internet, or use your phone to take pictures of your child holding the fruits at the store or home. (technology)
Let your child help to cut the fruit, using a child-friendly table or butter knife (physical, fine motor development).
Allow them to use a serving spoon to dish the fruit salad into bowls then enjoy using forks. (social-emotional / fine motor).
As you cut and later eat, help your child develop descriptive language. Talk about how the fruits looked in the store, what were next to, how they smell, feel and taste. Interject descriptive language,
replacing “it’s good” with words like sweet, sticky, have seeds, bumpy, cold. (language acquisition)
After your treat, make a graph (mathematics). Each family member can put an “X” under each of the fruits they liked. Have your child count the totals and write the number under each column, if they can. Alternatively write the number for them and ask your child to trace the number. While discussing the graph, interject concepts such as
more and less, longer and shorter, and addition concepts. Make sure that you express your ideas too so that a child feels engaged, not quizzed.
The next day, or on the next trip to the store, review the different ingredients that were put into the fruit salad. (cognitive development)
As you progress to other recipes begin teaching fractions by cutting, or using measuring cups and spoons. Ask, “Would you like to cut your sandwich in half or quarters?” Once cut, count the pieces then push it back together to show how the four pieces still equal the one sandwich. (math)
Ask your child for their ideas and choices when possible, helping them understand that their ideas have value. (social / emotional confidence) Incorporate great literature into cooking projects.
Most important to this or any recipe is to keep it fun. See your child losing interest? Stop and try again later, perhaps when you enjoy the leftovers.
Regina Abraham has more than 20 years experience teaching in early childhood classrooms, including her current role as a preschool teacher at Summit School of Ahwatukee.
AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS STAFF
It’s unknown if it’s the same one, but a bobcat has once again been caught on camera in a Foothills resident’s backyard.
This time, Larry Ritchie of S. 18th Way, Ahwatukee, saw the bobcat in his yard “surveying the area around our pool.”
“This is the first time we’ve seen a bobcat in this area,” said Ritchie, who has been living there since he retired four years ago.
“I went out to take some pictures and it didn’t actually seem too afraid of me. It took a perch on the wall pillar facing the golf course, posed for a few pictures and then jumped about 12 feet to the ground,” he added.
Ritchie said a neighbor spotted a bobcat a few days earlier, “and we’re guessing it’s the same one.”
It might not have been afraid of Ritchie, but the big cat struck fear into the hearts of other animals and some birds.
“When it walked on the golf course, it was funny to watch every rabbit and quail run in the opposite direction,” Ritchie said.
That prompted Ritchie to send some photos to the Ahwatukee Foothills News.
“Your readers might see a picture and
realize they shouldn’t leave their small pets or kids unattended,” he said. “I doubt that one would go after a person, but you never know about a small child.”
Kaylee, a 5-year-old “diluted calico” was in rough shape when she was rescued, according to AZRescue spokeswoman Jenny Medlock.
“When we first met her, she had a bad kitty cold and was in desperate need of dental care,” Medlock said.
But now the cat is becoming “a feisty gal with an amazing sleight of paw.”
“Kaylee is a master at opening cages,” Medlock said. “Now that she is better and no longer confined to her cage, we’ve learned that when it comes to meal time, Kaylee isn’t shy about grabbing open cans of food. Once she managed to stick her whole paw in the can and another time she started wandering off with the can.”
Though the cat is “food-motivated,” Medlock said, Kaylee is “a very relaxed kitty who enjoys wandering around
and exploring. She likes to keep an eye on her people and will meow in response when she hears your voice. Kaylee loves attention from her people and is very affectionate.”
She gets along with other felines, though “she prefers to observe them rather than engage with them.”
People interested in making Kaylee theirs can fill out an application at www.azrescue.org.
By Paul Maryniak AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS EDITOR
Some have been in fights. Others have been caught with drugs. Still others have committed some kind of sexual offense, while others have bullied students or defied teachers.
None of them is older than about 13 and some are as young as maybe 9. And most of their transgressions have occurred in school.
Normally, these pupils would face suspension ranging up to 15 days for minor offenses to as much as a year for major ones.
But Kyrene School District has found a different way to handle some of these youngsters, one that in most cases turns their lives around, according to administrators who gave a presentation at a school board meeting last month.
For the last 11 years, Kyrene has been putting many of these pupils in one of two intensive programs at four segregated classrooms in Kyrene del Pueblo Middle School in Chandler. The Kyrene Alternative to Suspension Program (KASP) is for students who had faced up to 15 days of offcampus suspension, while the Long-Term Alternative Program (LTAP) is reserved for those facing 45 days to a year.
The results are so impressive that board member Michelle Hirsch choked back tears commending administrators.
“We talk about all the time about wanting success for all the students,” Hirsch said. “This program really helps us with reaching students, helping them improve their student achievement.”
The students who qualify for one of the
two programs must be recommended by their schools and have their parents’ consent.
Once in there, they are fed breakfast and lunch, given a block of time for academics, and have daily “character education” that helps them understand their actions and learn to behave better.
They have one-on-one counseling
Of the 1,373 students who have gone through KASP or LTAP since the 2004-5 school year, only about 14 percent have had to be placed there again.
“Typically, our students don’t come back,” Peters said, adding that that 14 percent are kids who may have gone through one of the programs several years earlier and then end up there again later in
“ This program really helps us with reaching students, helping them improve their student achievement.”
-Kyrene school board member Michelle Hirsch
daily, and their academic and behavioral progress is reported to their parents every day.
“The great thing about the program,” said coordinator-counselor Diane Peters, “is it’s such a win-win situation. Although they don’t want to come into the program, once they’re in it they love it. Some don’t want to leave.”
Peters went on to explain that it’s also a win for the parents as well as administrators, who have an option other than straight-out punishment.
“Rather than spending several days at home, the KASP program gives students an opportunity to reflect on their behavior and develop strategies to help them make better decisions in the future,” said Altadena Middle School Principal James Martin.
And, it’s a win for most of the students who come through it, Peters said.
Some data about the 1,373 students, from fourth through eighth grade, who have gone through either the Kyrene Alternative to Suspension Program (KASP) for those facing up to 15 days off-campus suspension of the Long-Term Alternative Program for those facing 45 days to a year suspension between 2004 and this year:
•77 percent were male.
•46 percent, or 597, were from eighth grade and 31 percent, or 387, were seventh graders. Only 2 percent, or 23, were fourth graders.
•The three most common reasons for placement were aggression, 16 percent; substance abuse, 15 percent; and intimidating behavior, 12 percent.
•55 percent were economically
disadvantaged.
•One Ahwatukee school, Kyrene de los Cerritos Leadership Academy, never had to send a student to the program; two, Monte Vista and Sierra, have only sent one; and a fourth, Colina, has placed only two.
•Of 107 elementary students sent through the program, 37 came from Ahwatukee schools.
•Among the middle schools, Centennial in Ahwatukee and Kyrene Middle School in Tempe accounted for the most students in the program, with 351 and 319, respectively.
•Altadena in Ahwatukee has had the fewest middle school students in the program with 126.
-Source: Kyrene School District
their school career at Kyrene.
“They can be referred numerous times, but we don’t try to see same student more than once in a year,” Peters said.
“Our ultimate goal is for students to be successful at school, home and the community,” Peters said.
The program, which the district started in 2004 with the help of a federal grant, supports 25 Kyrene schools. While most of the students who are placed come from middle schools, the district does accept fourth and fifth graders into the program.
About three quarters of all the students who have gone through KASP or LTAP were seventh and eighth graders and male, Peters reported. Only 8 percent faced the more severe punishment of 45 days to a year suspension.
The top three reasons why students were placed in the program were aggression (16 percent), drug, alcohol or tobacco abuse
(15 percent) or intimidation or bullying (12 percent).
But 35 percent of the program’s participants were placed there for other reasons.
Peters said those reasons ranged from pregnancy and a traumatic event at home like death or divorce to difficulty in adjusting to a new school or inability to do classwork.
Currently funded by Indian gaming and tax credit revenue, the program makes its primary mission as turning students into learners and citizens.
Its benefits go well beyond school walls, Peters noted, since it reduces the number of unsupervised kids in the community during school days. It also helps enhance a safe atmosphere at the school the children normally attend as well as in the community at large.
Before their return to their regular school, KASP and LTAP “graduates” meet with school personnel and their parents.
“Those meetings can be extremely powerful,” Peters said. “They’re usually very positive.”
Peters and her staff also routinely check up on their students long after they’ve gone through the program.
Students also must write an essay after they’ve finished to discuss how the program has affected them.
Among their comments that Peters shared with the board was one from a student who said, “KASP made me realize I wanted to change and everyone at KASP helped me.”
Said another: “I learned about STAR — Stop, Think, Act, Review.”
Three-time Olympic medal winner Will Claye and three other Mountain Pointe High graduates will be inducted Thursday into the school’s Hall of Fame.
Channel 12 news producer Gabe Trujillo, writer-comedian T.J. Chambers, and mixed martial arts fighter Clifford Starks will be inducted at 6 p.m. in the school gym’s lobby, then recognized on the stadium field at halftime during the Pride’s game with Chandler. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. for the game, which is the Cox Thursday Game of the Week.
Here is a run-down on the inductees, courtesy of Jill Hanks, executive director of community relations for Tempe Union High School District.
Will Claye, Class of 2009
As a junior at Mountain Pointe, Claye won the triple jump state championship with a state record 52’4.75.” He graduated ahead of his class to enroll at the University of Oklahoma and on his 18th birthday.
In what would have been his senior year in high school, he won the 2009 NCAA Men’s Outdoor Track and Field Championship in triple jump, establishing a new American junior record of 56’4.75.”
He later transferred to the University of Florida, where he won the 2011 NCAA Indoor National Championships.
The eight-time All-American went pro to prepare for the Olympics.
At the 2012 London Olympics, Claye won the bronze medal in long jump, and five days later won silver in triple jump, becoming the first man to win medals in both jumps at the same Olympics since 1936.
At the 2016 Rio Olympics, he earned another silver medal in triple jump and followed it up with a marriage proposal to his girlfriend.
Gabe Trujillo, Class of 2001
As a freshman at Mountain Pointe, Hanks said, “Trujillo showed great potential as a graphic design student, but one day during first semester he disappeared.
“The following year he returned in a motorized wheelchair, adapting to life as a quadriplegic. An asthma attack had put him into a coma, paralyzed him, and nearly killed him. He was diagnosed with a rare form of polio called Hopkins Syndrome.”
Trujillo was involved in Student Council and Best Buddies, and graduated with straight “A’s.” He went on to graduate
(Special to AFN)
He went on to ASU to major in Film and Media Studies and works as a writer, producer and comedian in Hollywood. Currently, he is on the production team for ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars.” His work has appeared on MTV, Lifetime, SyFy Channel, FOX, and NBC, including “Betty White’s Off their Rockers.”
He’s also served on Comic-Con panels and is a stand-up comedy regular at The Ice House.
Clifford Starks, Class of 2000
Magna Cum Laude from Arizona State University with a degree in Journalism, Film and Media Studies. The social media marketing consultant is a social media producer for the Phoenix NBC station,12 News. He is also active in power soccer, calling himself “Disabled Devil on Wheels.”
T.J. Chambers, Class of 1998
T.J. Chambers was an active member of Mountain Pointe Theatre Company’s Animal Cracker Company, involved in a children’s theatre troupe and improve.
Clifford Starks was a talented studentathlete at Mountain Pointe, earning 10 Varsity letters as a key member of the wrestling, football, and track and field teams. He was an undefeated state wrestling champion, first team all-state in football and state champion and state record breaker in shot put.
At ASU, he was an all PAC-10 wrestler, national qualifier, and in 2005, was voted Senior Wrestling Athlete of the Year. Clifford jumped into the octagon in 2009 as a professional mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter. In 2011, with a record of 8-0, he signed a Ultimate Fighting Championship contract. He is now with the World Series of Fighting and has a 13-3-0 record.
Residents in the Ahwatukee community of Lakewood will have a chance to discuss their concerns about crime with Phoenix Police Officer Chad Williamsen, who works in the department’s community programs section.
Williamsen will meet with them at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 14 at Pecos Community Center, 17010 S. 48th St., Ahwatukee.
Kyrene School District’s Community Education Kids Club, Early Learning Center and After Hours staff will host a book fair and a series of reading activities for children and parents 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Sept. 17 at the Barnes & Noble store in Chandler Fashion center.
Events include a story time with crafts and Curious George at 11 a.m. and a Batman photo booth and related activities at 2 p.m. Kids can wear costumes to the latter event.
Other activities include: Vex Robotics, Makey Makey, Ozobot, Dash Robot, and littleBits demonstrations, face painting and a Lego wall.
A percentage of Barnes & Noble purchases will be divided among all 25 Kyrene schools. People who cannot attend can support the event Sept. 17-22 at bb.com/ bookfairs. Bopok store patrons are asked to use Bookfair ID 11938305 at checkout.
Because blood supplies typically plummet by as much as 75 percent over Labor Day weekend, United Blood Services has scheduled three drives next month.
Donors can make an appointment at 1-877-827-4376 or www.BloodHero.com (enter your city or zip code).
The drive dates are: 3-7 p.m. Monday, Ahwatukee YMCA, 1030 E. Liberty Lane; 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Sept. 18, St. Benedict Catholic Church, 16223 S. 48th St.; and 7:30-11:30 a.m. Sept. 20, Desert Vista High School, 16440 S. 32nd St.
Tickets are on sale for Mayor Greg Stanton’s address 8 a.m. Sept. 30 at the Four Points by Sheraton Ahwatukee, 10831 S. 51st St., Ahwatukee.
Stanton is scheduled to discuss the Phoenix business climate and his goals for 2017. A moderated question-and-answer session will follow.
Tickets are $45 for chamber members, $55 for nonmembers. Purchase: www. ahwatukeechamber.com or 480-753-7676.
Another intergenerational bunco game for Ahwatukee females from 10 years old and up will be held 6:15-8:30 p.m. Saturday at Mountain Park Community Church, 2408 E. Pecos Road, Ahwatukee.
Although not a church-sponsored event, the gathering was started years ago and has been kept alive by Abby Gerdis and Wendy and Katy Cornacchio.
Participants are asked to bring something they own for a white elephant gift and anyone who brings a first-time attendee will get a special prize. Participants also are asked to bring a snack or beverage to share.
Text 612-709-9671 with questions.
The Ahwatukee Foothills National Charity
League will kick off a new membership drive with an informational meeting 2-3 p.m. Sunday at the Club West Clubhouse, 16400 S. 14th Ave., Ahwatukee.
AFNCL is a mother/daughter organization that focuses on leadership, cultural experiences and community service. The group will focus on seventh graders living in Ahwatukee, although openings in other grades may be offered as well. Information: aajenfig@yahoo.com.
A football cheer clinic for students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade will be 1-4 p.m. Saturday and Kyrene Altadena Middle School, 14620 S. Desert Foothills Pkwy., Ahwatukee.
Desert Vista High school cheerleaders will teach cheers, chants, jumps and dances and are inviting the clinic participants to perform during halftime for the Sept. 16 home game of the Thunder varsity football team. My Fit Foods will provide a snack. Cost is $35 for preregistration and $40 for walk-ins and will cover instructions, a clinic T-shirt, pompoms, and admission for one adult to the Sept. 16 varsity game. Registration: www.dvcheer.com.
By Kimberly Hosey
AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS WRITER
Summer is coming to a close (even Arizona’s extended summer is starting to simmer down) and water parks are shutting for the school year. You might have thought you were out of opportunities to treat your kids—and yourself—to a day of slides and water play.
If you were pining for one last splash, you’re in luck: Salt River Fields, together with AZ Bounce Pro, is bringing back the popular Slide Across America event Sept. 23-25. Slide Across America is the largest inflatable water park in the country. The three-day bash this month will feature more than 25 water slides, including the highlight of the event, the Dropkick Slide—a 42-foot-high slide that launches riders into the air at the end of the slide, for a dramatic (but safe) landing in a giant stunt bag. Other slides will include the 40-foot-high Hippo Slide, similar to the Dropkick but with more of a splashdown than a launch at the end; and 36-foot-high Tidal Wave Slide, known for its steep incline.
Some of the larger rides, like the Dropkick Slide, are restricted to older guests, but there will be small inflatable slides specially for little ones as well. If you tire of sliding, try the spin cycle ride. Also available will be a 25-foottall rock climbing wall, complete with climbing equipment, bungee trampolines, a zipline and more.
AZ Bounce Pro is providing the attractions, which it usually rents to events or individuals. Here, dozens of attractions will be available at once. It will be set up like a festival or carnival: No need to proceed through every slide or activity; just pick the ones you and your family like.
“This cool event literally was a hit last year for kids—and to our surprise adults, too. So this year we’re highlighting a night specifically aimed at the kids at heart and, of course, still welcome the whole family,” said Dave Dunne, the general manager of Salt River Fields.
Popular Arizona vendors and food trucks will be offering food starting at $4, including cheeseburgers, barbecue, fry bread, pretzels and more; as well as cold beers.
Make sure everyone who wants to slide is prepared: Swimwear or swimming-compatible clothing is required to ride all slides, and no jeans or denim are allowed. And don’t forget sunblock—for yourself and the kiddos.
What: Slide Across America
When: Sept. 23-25
Where: Salt River Fields at Talking Stick, 7555 N. Pima Road, Scottsdale
Cost: $25 ($20 in advance). Family four pack $80 ($60 in advance). Free for kids 2 and under Information: slideacrossamerica.com
It’s not to say that dementia isn’t an emotional and challenging disease. It’s just that when you see the human instead of the disease you don’t see sadness. You see life. You see history. You see achievements. You see family. You see love. And that’s how we see it at Hawthorn Court. We can help you with the challenges you’re facing. Please join us for a personal tour. Call 480.359.2898 to schedule.
Is it just normal memory loss or is it something more?
Join us as Brian Browne with Banner Alzheimer’s Institute discusses how to tell the difference between normal age-related memory loss and dementia.
Tuesday, September 13th • 6:00pm
Please call 480.359.2898 to RSVP
By Shelley Gillespie,
By the time R.J. Fullmer moved to Arizona in 1985, he’d already been in real estate in Las Vegas for nine years, so the climate and the position were familiar.
What wasn’t familiar was what he found in Ahwatukee.
When he moved into an office on 51st Street, he said he found “no street lights, no mail delivery, no cable TV.
“It was like being in a
foreign country,” recalls Fullmer, an associate broker with Realty Executives Ahwatukee Foothills. Across the following three decades, the Ahwatukee landscape changed dramatically. And so have the rules around selling and buying real estate, Fullmer says. He recalls how the southwestern corner of Ray Road and Interstate 10 was “a huge junkyard.” Canyon Reserve, now the location of custom homes, was a tar-
get-shooting area, he says. In 1986, Ray Road marked the boundaries between Ahwatukee homes, businesses and barren desert; its western end was 32nd Street.
Today, of course, homes extend all the way south to Pecos Road while Ray Road joins the Chandler-Ray Loop and extends to 14th Avenue in Club West.
One of the first homes Fullmer sold in Ahwatukee was a 1,661-square-
foot house on Mountain Sage Drive. Sold price was $103,000. Soon after he sold a 2,145 square-foot premium hillside home on Desert Trumpet Road. It included a pool – and sold for $175,000.
The Mountain Sage home was similar to one he sold this year for $270,000, he says; the Desert Trumpet home sold in 2014 for $389,000.
Most single-family homes in Ahwatukee currently fall into the wide range of between $200,000 and $2 million, he says.
Trends in local housing have changed greatly since the 1980s, he added.
Formica countertops and vinyl flooring were standards in upscale residences when Fullmer started selling real estate in Ahwatukee, Now, granite and tile are not just amenities, but expected.
Back then, production home building (“spec houses”) almost exclusively dominated Ahwatukee’s real estate market. Today, the community is home to more custom construction.
What hasn’t changed, Fullmer says, is motivation: A buyer still wants to buy a place for his or her family, and a seller still wants to get a fair price.
He believes Ahwatukee home buyers don’t think of their purchase as “a piece
of property.”
“People are buying a piece of a nice community,” he says. “It’s easily accessible to downtown and the airport. It’s as good as it gets. That’s why I live here.”
Other changes since he started, Fullmer says, are more specific to real estate laws and practices. Back in the 1980s,
When Fullmer started in the business, a legal sale document was often a single page and a deal could be made with a handshake.
“Today, we’re drowning in paperwork,” adds Fullmer. He also laments the arm’s length nature of many deals.
“Where face-to-face dealings engendered trust, today’s typical remote processes can make people contentious,” Fullmer believes.
Technology has also been a change agent, he notes.
And while tech has accelerated paperwork, obtaining financing has slowed considerably, Fullmer added.
Changes were even more drastic during the last decade’s recession.
“In 2007, between distress sales, foreclosures and short sales, more than 1,000 homes were on the market in Ahwatukee,” Fullmer said. “Now there are about 400 homes for sale here, and that’s a ‘normal’ market,” he said.
buyers assumed that realtors were working for them since they showed properties to prospective buyers and took their offers to the seller. Since the seller actually hired the listing agent and paid all brokers involved, that was not technically accurate.
So new policies separated the two roles, to make it was clearer who represented the seller and the buyer in each transaction. A realtor can have “dual agency” and represent both parties, but that is strongly discouraged in Arizona residential sales.
Instead of trite warnings of “buyer beware,” contracts now incorporate protection for buyers, strongly suggest home inspections, and give buyers a chance to cancel agreements within 10 days.
When the economy was struggling, Fullmer believes investors played an important role. “Many rehabbed houses and kept them from going vacant while spurring movement in a market that could have become more sluggish than it was.”
Investment buying has now slowed in the community, he notes, with more families and single people becoming homeowners.
Where: 3930 E. Ray Road, Ahwatukee, Contact: R.J. Fullmer, 480-961-5800, rjrealtyexecs20@aol.com
By Stacey Lykins
So, I get this mailer at my house labeled “Record Sale.”
Gee, I wonder what is a “record sale”? I have lived in the Ahwatukee Foothills for 26 years and I don’t think I have ever seen one. I searched everywhere for a viable definition for this elusive term. It turns out that there is no definition for it.
I cannot discern how or why this sale is different from any other in my neighborhood or anywhere in Ahwatukee Foothills. The home sold in 33 days, for a normal price per square foot and nothing seems like it set a record to me. When it comes to advertising in real estate or any other area, I started to wonder why agents say what they say.
Once I received this piece of mail, I started to pay particular attention to the mail I receive on a daily basis. A lot of the mail is real estate related and electionrelated; both seem to use similarly elusive terms.
I am the “best,” I can do it better, I do it more often, I sell for a higher price. The slogans never end.
I started to wonder, if there were any rules to govern this type of advertising. They are supposed to be fact based. However, unlike politics, there are no fact checkers in real estate advertising, except for other real estate agents.
One agent advertised on the radio not too long ago that she has 2,600 buyers waiting to buy, so you should call her. Well, that ad is no longer on the radio, so I guess someone decided to have her show how any agent can have 2,600 buyers. She might have considered every buyer in Ahwatukee Foothills and half of Maricopa County “her” buyers, but in the end I assume she had difficulty proving that.
Real estate, like any other business, is a relationship business. People should choose someone who is trustworthy, reliable and knowledgeable. Get references when looking for a real estate agent. Look for someone who lives, works and thrives in our community.
There are lots of agents that you see at the grocery store, gym, bank, football games, etc. Many agents pay a lot of money to support local businesses, sports teams, schools and other important local activities.
I suggest you use someone like that. Someone with a vested interest in our community, Ahwatukee Foothills.
Don’t use someone who claims a “record sale,” but has an office in Scottsdale. Let’s keep our community strong by supporting each other and shopping locally.
Ahwatukee resident and Associate Broker Stacey Lykins, West USA, can be reached at 602-616-9971, S.Lykins@LykinsProperties.com, or www.LykinsProperties.com.
By Aaron Ely AFN GUEST WRITER
Tight credit, tougher mortgage lending and flat-lining wages have all breathed new life into the historic VA loan program. Veterans and military families are turning to these flexible, no-down payment loans like never before.
The Department of Veterans Affairs backed a record number of loans in fiscal year 2015, with volume expected to increase 36 percent over the next five years.
Created originally to help World War II veterans get a foothold in the housing market, this hard-earned benefit has evolved into one of the most powerful mortgage options on the market.
A handful of key benefits have spurred the program’s emergence as a lifeline for today’s military homebuyers. Here’s a look at five of the biggest: No down payment. This is the signature
benefit of VA home loans. Qualified buyers can purchase up to $417,000 in most parts of the country before needing to put money down.That figure is even higher in costlier housing markets.
Conventional loans often require a 5 percent down payment, while FHA loans require a minimum 3.5 percent down payment. On a $244,000 loan, which was the average VA loan amount last year, buyers would need $12,200 for a conventional down payment or $8,540 for FHA. It can take years for veterans and military families to save that upfront cost. No mortgage insurance. Conventional borrowers who can’t muster a 20 percent down payment often get stuck paying for private mortgage insurance. FHA buyers pay both an upfront and an annual form of mortgage insurance. These expenses can add $100 or more to your monthly mortgage payment and linger until you’ve built sufficient equity in the home. FHA
$155,000
$155,000
$157,500
$223,500
$230,000
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$238,000
$245,000
$248,000
$248,000 12227 S. 44th St.
$249,500
$260,000
$264,900
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$270,000
$271,000 4220 E.
$251,000
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$304,900
$337,500
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$375,000
$510,000
$110,000 3830 E. Lakewood Pkwy.
$110,000 3236 E. Chandler Blvd.
$164,000 3236 E. Chandler Blvd.
$185,000 1024 E. Frye Road
$220,000 1024 E. Frye Road
$233,000 2930 E. Woodland Drive
$235,424 2747 E. Cathedral Rock Drive
$248,750 2927 E. Glenhaven Drive
$254,000 1417 E. Cathedral Rock Drive
$256,000
$338,000 4651 E. Lavender
$285,000
$285,000
$285,000
$288,500
$292,000 3706
Did you know a world-class education is in your backyard?
BASIS Ahwatukee opened in 2013 as a part of BASIS Schools, an organization of nationally-recognized public charter schools that provide a world-class liberal arts education to college-bound students in grades 4-12.
Our students come from families that are fully committed to the idea that all students can succeed in a rigorous academic program with subject expert teachers who love to teach. This gives every student the opportunity to excel at a level that is difficult to achieve at any other public school.
Highlights from the 2015-2016 BASIS Ahwatukee school year:
• 29 high school students were recognized by College Board for excellence in AP exams, including 16 AP Scholars, six AP Scholars with Honor, six AP Scholars with Distinction, and one National AP Scholar.
• The seven students in our first graduating class of 2016 were accepted to 34 colleges and universities and were awarded 20 scholarships totaling more than $770,000.
• More than 60 percent of students in grades 9–11 who took the 2015 PSAT
scored in the 90th overall percentile or higher; of those students, 15 scored in the 99th percentile overall.
• Our Science Bowl Team were the 2016 regional champions and competed at the National Championship in Washington, D.C. The curriculum at BASIS Ahwatukee is centered on college board’s AP courses and exams. Students begin taking AP courses and AP exams as early as 8th grade. Students must take a minimum of one AP exam in 9th grade, two in 10th grade, and three in 11th grade.
BASIS Ahwatukee is proud to be strong in STEM subjects, but we also promote a rigorous liberal arts curriculum. We teach students to be critical, analytical thinkers who can communicate their ideas with confidence. We also have a vibrant arts program that includes music, theater, and visual arts, and is available to all students.
BASIS Ahwatukee is a tuition-free, public charter school, open to any student who is passionate about learning and is willing to work hard.
Information: 480-659 2294 or basisahwatukee.org.
-David King, Head of School
buyers now pay mortgage insurance fees for the life of their loans.
VA buyers don’t pay for mortgage insurance, but they do have an upfront funding fee that most choose to roll into the loan. The VA Funding Fee is paid to the VA and helps keep the loan program running. Buyers who receive compensation for a service-connected disability are exempt from this cost. Flexible credit guidelines. VA loans were created to boost access to homeownership for those who serve our country, and the government urges lenders to take a more holistic look at a buyer’s credit and financial profile. In fact, the VA doesn’t set a credit score requirement for these loans. But the private companies actually making these loans typically will have a score cutoff, albeit a lower one than conventional lenders often require.
Would-be buyers can also bounce back faster in the wake of a bankruptcy or foreclosure. Veterans can often obtain a VA loan just a year removed from filing a Chapter 13 bankruptcy and two years following a Chapter 7 discharge or a foreclosure.
For conventional mortgages, the “seasoning period” can be four years
following a Chapter 7 discharge, two years after a Chapter 13 discharge and seven years after a foreclosure.
Interest rates. Veterans and military members also have access to the lowestrate loan product out there.
VA loans have had a lower average interest rate than both conventional and FHA loans for the past 23 consecutive months and counting, according to data from mortgage software firm Ellie Mae.
Rates will ultimately vary depending on your credit, your lender, and other factors.
Closing costs. VA buyers can ask a seller to pay all of their loan-related closing costs and up to 4 percent of the home’s value in concessions. Those concessions can cover a host of costs, from prepaid property taxes and homeowners insurance to paying a buyer’s funding fee and even paying off collections or judgments at closing.
The VA also limits what costs and fees lenders can charge, and there are a few that buyers aren’t actually allowed to pay.
To be sure, VA loans aren’t the right fit for every military homebuyer. But these flexible government-backed loans continue to make a critical difference for millions of veterans and military families.
Ahwatukee resident Aaron Ely is a senior loan officer for Flagstar Bank. Reach him at 480-7075064 or aaron.ely@flagstar.com.
By Paul Maryniak
AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS EDITOR
Do you remember where you were when the planes hit the World Trade Center? Or what you were doing when you heard about it?
Chances are you can answer that question if you’re 30 years or older; probably not so much if you’re under 25.
I guess that’s why Mountain Pointe and Desert Vista high schools – or any other area high school – aren’t holding special commemorations leading up to Sunday’s 15th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terror attacks on New York and Washington DC in 2001.
Kyrene schools apparently aren’t doing anything either, although the district never got back to me when I asked last week.
I am not faulting anyone.
After all, just about any high school senior was at most a toddler when 19 savages commandeered three airliners
Ahwatukee is one of the earliest masterplanned communities in the Phoenix area. This 2,080-acre development was first approved by the county, and later by the city, when we were annexed.
The masterplan envisioned family homes, retirement homes, and young adult homes with amenities such as golf courses, tennis courts, parks, playgrounds, community pools, a multimillion-dollar adult recreation center, and shopping facilities.
Years go by and someone buys both golf courses, runs them into the ground, and then claims he can’t make any money on them.
and ultimately killed more than 2,900 Americans, while also inflicting a wound on our national psyche unrivaled since Pearl Harbor.
Indeed, probably a big percentage of the parents of elementary students were teenagers who were brutally introduced to man’s inhumanity to man that morning as America was left numb with grief and shock.
In the decade and a half that has followed that infamous day, we’ve all been barraged by a grim parade of horrifying massacres at the hands of psychopathic haters and zealots, both here and abroad: Charleston, San Bernardino, Fort Hood, London, Sandy Hook, Orlando, Paris.
Still, 9/11 was different, and not just because of the body count.
After the horror left us numb, we soon began to hear about unforgettable acts of courage that made us proud to be Americans – even as we grieved.
Acts such as those of the passengers on doomed United Airlines flight 93,
who gave their lives to divert that plane from a mission that might have been far deadlier than the toll it took when it crashed in a Pennsylvania field.
There were the New York City police officers and firefighters, not just the 400 who died trying to rescue the World Trade Center occupants, but
Today, the new owner wants to build 300-plus houses on The Lakes Golf Course, which, like Ahwatukee Country Club, is first and foremost a flood control. Both golf courses are protected from being developed by CC&Rs which can only be changed by an amendment signed by 51 percent of the 5,200-plus Ahwatukee Board of Management households. Why would the community give up one of their prized golf courses and 103 acres of open space for an additional 300-plus homes (not to mention a charter high school)?
This would forever alter the community as originally planned and would open the door to high-density development on the Ahwatukee Country Club as well, setting a dangerous precedent for the other
Ahwatukee Foothills community golf courses and open space.
The camel’s nose is in the tent. “Just say no!” to changing the golf course CC&Rs to allow development.
-Pete Meier
The author is a Realtor and former Presley Arizona sales vice president.
Believing the American flag and the Star Spangled Banner are symbols of the principles upon which this country was founded, I am puzzled by the apparently flawed logic of protesters who don’t able seem to comprehend that by trashing and disrespecting these symbols they are
also hundreds of others who worked tirelessly for days to save victims and find the others who weren’t as lucky. So call naïve my surprise at the absence of any ceremony in Ahwatukee’s high schools that pays homage to
>> See 9/11 on page 29
actually trashing the principles which they protest are being violated by others.
Instead, these protesters should demand that violators, including those in authority at any level, be held accountable whenever they don’t honor those principles.
And to illustrate their own loyalty to those principles, the protesters should proudly display the flag (preferably above themselves) and stand during the singing of our national anthem.
Yes, thanks to that very Constitution, we all have the right to free speech. And in exercising that right, we can either display our understanding or our ignorance of our responsibility to protect that right by using it in a dignified way.
-William M. Diekmann
the heroes and commemorates the victims in advance of the attacks’ 15th anniversary this Sunday.
I had expected that some kind of ceremony would be held, echoing the sorrow and gratitude that marked schools’ remembrances on the first anniversary of the tragedy.
Then again, neither Phoenix nor most East Valley municipalities are marking the occasion either, judging by the absence of any announcements in press releases or on their official websites.
Only Gilbert plans a ceremony. It’s focused on a piece of girder from the World Trade Center that a former fire chief brought back from New York City in his pickup truck, creating a permanent memorial to the victims and heroes of 9/11.
And despite that adage about time and wounds, it seems that the wound America suffered on that day 15 years ago will never go away. It scarred this country’s soul in an almost unfathomable way.
I guess some people might argue that kids and teenagers should be shielded from reminders of such a brutal act of violence; that they will be exposed to enough horror in their life, courtesy of the 24-hour news cycle and social media.
But it seems equally important that we make some small public gesture of solidarity with the victims’ survivors, whose pain will never go away, and some public acknowledgement of the heroes, whose actions on and after that fateful day remind us that evil can never obliterate the good in mankind.
–Reach Paul Maryniak at pmaryniak@ ahwatukee.com or 480-898-5647.
–Send letters to the editor to pmaryniak@ ahwatukee.com
By Diane E. Brown and Kelly Griffith AFN GUEST WRITERS
Back in 2008, Arizonans voted 2-1 to stop payday lending in our state. Ever since the payday lenders’ defeat at the ballot box, the industry has heavily lobbied to reinstate triple-digit interest rates.
Fortunately, military and veterans associations, faith organizations, child and family organizations, civil rights and labor leaders, and many others have beaten back attempts to reinstate triple-digit payday loans.
A broad coalition continues to urge regulators and decision makers at all levels of government to rein in abusive debt trap lending practices and ensure fair, transparent, safe and affordable credit is made available to Arizonans.
And for good reason.
The Arizona PIRG Education Fund recently reviewed nearly 10,000 predatory lending complaints from across the country in the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau database.
Two and a half years worth of data revealed problems with a full spectrum of predatory products and services, including storefronts and online lenders, short-term payday, long-term payday installment loans, and auto title loans.
The analysis of consumer complaints about predatory lending to the CFPB shows a critical need to rein in high-cost lending.
The Arizona PIRG Education Fund analysis of written complaints to the CFPB found significant evidence of the major problem with predatory lending: borrowers can’t afford these loans and end up trapped in a cycle of debt.
Over 90 percent of written complaints were related to unaffordability, including abusive debt collection practices, bank account closures, long-term cycles of debt, and bank penalty fees.
The good news is that the CFPB recently
proposed a rule that takes a historic step by requiring, for the first time, that payday, auto title, and high-cost installment lenders determine whether customers can afford to repay loans with enough money left over to cover normal expenses without reborrowing.
CFPB’s proposed rule also includes a number of important provisions which allow Arizona the ability to offer stronger protections than the federal government against traditional payday lending; focus on preventing the debt trap, the most abusive aspect of high-cost lending; and include a number of provisions to prevent lenders from evading the rule.
The bad news is that as currently proposed payday lenders will be exempt from the ability-to-repay standard requirement for
up to six loans a year per customer.
To truly protect consumers from the debt trap, it will be important for the CFPB to close this and other loopholes. Otherwise, a weak rule will lend undeserved legitimacy to predatory products and practices and open the door once again for payday lenders to operate with impunity in our state.
The best way to address abusive payday, car title, and other forms of predatory highcost lending is to end it for once and for all.
We encourage Arizonans to submit their complaints and comments to the CFPB through stoppaydaypredators.org/ economicintegrity by Oct. 7.
By Tom Patterson AFN GUEST WRITER
America’s public pension systems are poised to bring bitter disappointment to millions who are depending on them for a financially secure retirement.
As the Baby Boomers surge into their golden years, 41 percent in the age bracket 55 to 64 have zero retirement assets, clearly depending on someone else to provide for them.
They’re going to find that irresponsible politicians, union bosses and actuaries have neglected to fund the promises that have been made.
For government workers, politicians at all levels have the same goals when designing pension systems. They want to provide the most generous benefits possible for employees who, until recently anyway, were paid less salary than private sector counterparts. But they don’t want to have to raise taxes.
Union officers prove their mettle to the rank-and-file by successfully negotiating for outsize benefits with early eligibility, minimal or no employee contributions and ample opportunity to further increase
payouts with pension spiking. To the union bosses, paying for the largess is someone else’s problem.
There’s a solution for this mismatch of champagne tastes and a beer budget. Simply jack up your projected rate of return on investment funds to make it appear that future promises to pay are adequately funded even if they’re not.
You may think this unethical for the actuaries who authorize the projections, but it’s all perfectly legal.
Due to a glitch in the law that defies logic, private-sector pensions must project asset growth using a “risk-free” rate based on the yield of U.S. Treasury, while government pensions can use pretty much whatever rates they can get an actuary to approve.
The result is that government funds use an average projected rate of 7.6 percent for their portfolios, well above the performance achieved by conservatively managed retirement funds. Even using those rosy projections, government funded government pension funds are about $1 trillion underfunded. If they used the more realistic risk-free rate, the funding shortfall would be about $3 trillion.
The justification for the discrepancy between private and public projected returns is that governments are the ultimate too-big-to-fail guarantor of investment benefits.
Unions are happy to go along with the ruse, in the belief that taxpayers can always be squeezed a little more when necessary to make up for shortfalls.
But the ability of taxpayers to bail out troubled pension plans may be coming into question. American taxpayers are pretty sturdy, especially when not bogged down by excessive taxation and regulation, but there are limits to what they can endure.
Some dark clouds are out there.
Most of us are aware that the federal debt is now up to $19 trillion, a potentially threatening range. President Obama’s response on his way out has been, rather than even a token reduction, a 35 percent increase in this year’s deficit, piling an additional $590 billion onto the burden that taxpayers downstream must bear.
But taxpayers are also being required to shoulder additional responsibilities. Since the Feds took over student loans, taxpayers are on the hook for all defaults and deferments, totaling hundreds of billions.
Since the 2008 Housing Crisis, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac now provide explicit guarantees for home mortgages. That’s a taxpayer tab of $150 billion yearly according to Moody Analytics. In another housing crisis, taxpayers’ exposure would be $300-$600 billion.
Medical care costs, especially the parts paid for by taxpayers, are going through the roof under Obamacare, especially the provision that expanded Medicaid well into the middle class. Unfunded liabilities for Social Security and Medicare are simply astronomical.
Many private pension plans are underwater also, so unions are trying to muscle into line for a federal bailout.
So subsidized private and public pensions, Social Security, student loans, housing finance and medical care are all morphing into middle-class entitlements. The Leviathan state seeps into more corners of our lives, giving each of us the impression that someone else is going to pay for our stuff.
Instead, we become more dependent and impoverished.
–East Valley resident Tom Patterson is a retired physician and former state senator. He can be reached at pattersontomc@cox.net.
By Jim Mullins AFN GUEST WRITER
The Dry Heat Fever strikes around 110 degrees and I have sad news.
My family has contracted this dreadful, life-altering, disease. We are taking it seriously and seeking treatment this summer, but I thought it would also be important to raise awareness about this disease that affects so many people in the Phoenix area.
Dry Heat Fever (DHF) is a disease that sweeps across Arizona every summer. It’s the name for the sudden urge to move to another state as soon as temperatures reach 110 degrees.
It’s the impulse that drives relatively content people to suddenly pack up their life and move away in the pursuit of the literal and metaphorical greener grasses. This condition primarily affects Arizona residents, especially those who live in the Valley of the Sun.
The symptoms accused:
Arthritis as a result of the many hours spent searching real estate websites such as Trulia and Zillow.
Loss of vision regarding the value of
community, faithfulness, and the longterm effects of impulsive decisions.
Vertigo of priorities, often resulting in a consumeristic approach to place (cities, states, and countries).
Loss of hearing, especially in regard to the wise counsel of others.
Heart palpitations of excitement in July, and heartache from regret by November.
I have lived in the Phoenix area for nearly 25 years, and have seen an outbreak of the fever every summer. As soon as the temperature rises above 110 degrees, many people in the Phoenix area start searching for heaven on a real estate website, and salvation in a “For Sale” sign, as they contemplate a move to another place.
Moving is not always bad; it’s often a good and wise decision, perhaps even a response to the call upon a person’s life.
Sometimes people decide to move to another location for legitimate reasons — being closer to family; a sense of calling to a particular work, a location or a place; the pursuit of education or training that equips a person for the common good; financial provision; etc.
These are not symptoms of DHF; they are signs of faithfulness that should be
respected, encouraged and supported.
However, the fever can cause delusions of cool-temperature grandeur. And like any other diseases, the cost of the DHF can be quite high, considering how much time and money it takes to move to another place.
Sadly, the difference between the DHF and other diseases is that DHF, by definition, is an isolating disease that leaves us lacking community as we move away from family and friends.
Many people end up moving away from the Phoenix area during the summer, only to realize that the Gospel of Relocation is insufficient, and cannot satisfy the true longing of the soul. Heaven will never show up on an MLS listing.
Are you thinking about moving? Don’t assume that your inclination is wrong as this might be an act of wise stewardship that glorifies God and serves others.
But be careful to evaluate your motives and seek counsel. You might just be suffering from the discontentment that comes from Dry Heat Fever.
One of one of the most overlooked aspects of a Biblical vision of life is the value of place. The Bible begins with God creating a good place, namely, the
Garden of Eden, and then celebrating its goodness. Then God created humans with the distinct calling to be stewards of that place.
When we constantly move around, we might miss out on the richness of rootedness. To develop deeps roots in a specific neighborhood or city is to respond to a deeply human impulse, placed in the human heart by God.
If we resist the allure of moving from state to state, and commit to a particular community, we will develop rich and lasting friendships, and a familiarity with a particular place that will allow us to contribute to its flourishing and address its pains.
By Paul Maryniak AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS EDITOR
Another home has been sold on Ahwatukee’s millionaires’ row.
A 9,450-square-foot home at 14401 S. Presario Trail sold recently for $1.9 million. It’s the third home to sell for more than $1 million on Presario Trail this year, and about a half million shy of the record sold price for an Ahwatukee home so far in 2016.
The Ahwatukee house holding that record, selling for $2.4 million earlier this year, is a 7,200-square-foot custom home just down the street from the latest highdollar sale. A third home in the same vicinity of the other two sold about a month ago for $1.1 million.
The latest home joining Ahwatukee’s 2016 million-dollar club sports six bedrooms and six-and-a-half baths, a bigscreen movie theater with plush recliners, and three spa-pool waterfalls on a lot estimated at 1.5 acres, according to the mls.com listing.
Located in the Summerhill subdivision at Club West, it was built by Forte Homes in 2010 and originally sold for $2.3 million. Called a “stunning custom estate” in the listing, it combines “sheer luxury” with “incredible mountain views and privacy.”
It’s also a rarity of sorts for Arizona: It has a full-length finished basement. That lower level includes a full-size pool table, plus a ping-pong table and its own fully equipped, chrome-highlighted kitchen and wet bar.
Upstairs, the main kitchen is equally sleek, combining custom cabinetry with granite countertops in an open-concept design that flows into the living room. Underfoot, travertine flooring is included throughout.
The “incredible paradise backyard,” includes an infinity-edge pool and spa with three waterfalls, a covered patio that spans the length of the house, a separate guest house, a covered gazebo and a builtin firepit.
Since two kitchens aren’t always enough, the patio comes with a full outdoor kitchen. A large grassy area stretches toward South Mountain.
Of course, there are multiple fireplaces: in the family room, the master bedroom and another adjacent to the tub – on a tiered pedestal – in the master bath.
By Matthew Tonis AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS WRITER
When Mike Dingwell was just 5 years old, he was nearly hit by a car – because of some baseball cards.
It was 1967, and he was just starting to collect the cards at his home in Lakewood, California. While standing in line for an ice cream truck near his house, the young boy saw the driver dump a bagful of baseball cards into a trash can.
He got out of line, ran over, grabbed the cards, and darted across the street – right into the path of an oncoming car.
“I remember almost being hit and the driver of the car slamming his brakes on,” Dingwell recalled. “The screech was really loud and echoed throughout the whole neighborhood.”
Both he and his treasure were unharmed.
But that was the beginning of a lifelong love affair that Dingwell eventually translated into BoxSeat Collectibles in Ahwatukee, now in its 20th year of supplying the Valley with sports memorabilia from across the country.
Lining the walls of the store are glass cases filled with treasures new and old. From cards to posters to displays, the store is a sports junkie’s dream. ESPN plays on a television set atop a display case in the middle of the store, accentuating the motif.
Famous faces such as Mickey Mantle, Ted Williams and two-time NBA MVP Stephen Curry are plastered throughout the store, beckoning fans old and young
Where: 4855 E. Warner Road, Suite A-18, Ahwatukee
Hours: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday Contact: 480-598-0967, www. boxseatcollectibles.com
to come in and buy a piece of history.
The walls are covered and cases filled to the brim with more than cards, including game tickets, paintings, bobbleheads, commemorative bottles and soda cans, and other memorabilia spanning more than 60 years.
Virtually anything a sports fan could hope for can be found inside the four walls of BoxSeat Collectibles.
Dingwell ticked off some of his favorite treasures as he scanned the store.
“1985 Super Bowl helmet signed by all the Bears…. There’s Walter Payton’s jersey.... There’s a Babe Ruth bat card –there’s only five of those and this is two of five, so that’s pretty cool.... There’s a Ted Williams 1945 Leaf card.... and Pete Rose’s rookie card.”
The items range from the inexpensive to the extravagant. The high end may be the Muhammad Ali fight night set, framed and hanging prominently on the wall above the glass casing.
But the heart of his collection remains those long-collected cards, including players from all four major professional sports.
But he almost lost them for good.
Then, in 1989, when he came home from a golfing trip to Australia, his mother told him to check the dining room table. There sat 16 shoeboxes full of cards that he left in the attic of their old house. It had been discovered by the tenants and returned for him.
Within a few years, BoxSeats Collectibles opened at its current location. Customers include collectors of all ages. Some are beginners while others have been collecting sports treasures for decades.
“I have 80- and 90-year-olds coming in here who are still serious card collectors,”
Dingwell said.
Dingwell pointed to a woman and two young children who were gazing into a
display by the register.
“On the other hand, look at him,” Dingwell said, gesturing at the boy. “He’s got to be 3 or 4, probably my age when I started doing it. This is a hobby for all ages.”
Dingwell also enjoys giving back to the community through his business.
He pulled a lanyard from his pocket emblazoned with the words “MPCC EASTER 2000.” It came from Mountain Park Community church in Ahwatukee, where he donated some of his memorabilia to be sold at a charity auction.
Since then, he estimates his contributions have helped raise nearly $1 million for causes around the Valley.
He even credits his business’ survival to his involvement with charities.
“When the economy really took a dip in 2009, ‘10, and ‘11, the charity auction thing pretty much kept me going, even when the cards and such really slowed down,” he said.
For Dingwell, the best part of his job is watching kids experience the same
kind of joy that put him in the path of a car five decades ago.
“It’s the excitement in a kid’s face,” Dingwell explained. “You can see it, man. He’s looking for a certain player, and then he opens up a pack and you can tell right away when he finds that player’s card in there. That’s cool to see.”
A patio that extends the length of the house abuts a pool and spa with three waterfalls and a gazebo, right. The open concept kitchen and living room leads to the patio and views of South Mountain, below right. At more than 9,000 square feet, the house easily accommodates a comfy home theater, below left.
By Gavin Maxwell CRONKITE NEWS
PHOENIX – Arizona State University researcher Rolf Halden has been warning the U.S. Food and Drug Administration of the dangers of ingredients found in antibacterial soaps for more than a decade.
His research focuses on how manmade pollutants found in personal care products seep into our natural resources and eventually, our bodies. He said the FDA has been slow to react to the recommendations of environmental scientists, but the agency has finally taken action.
The FDA ruling on the safety and effectiveness of soaps and washes containing certain antibacterial chemicals effectively bans 19 chemical compounds from the popular over-thecounter products.
Halden, the director of the Center for Environmental Security at the Biodesign Institute, called it a “public health victory.”
“It took over 40 years,” Halden said. “I applaud the FDA for finally ruling on it and ignoring industry lobbying.”
The FDA’s announcement states
that companies can no longer market antibacterial washes containing these ingredients because manufacturers failed to demonstrate that the chemicals are safe for long-term daily use and more effective than regular soap and water in preventing illness. The FDA explained that some research shows long-term exposure to these ingredients, such as triclosan and triclocarban – the most common of the 19 chemicals used – can be harmful to public health.
Hand wash products containing these chemicals go down drains and into water treatment plants, where a considerable amount ends up in our groundwater
supply, according to Halden’s research. The chemicals re-enter homes in drinking and bath water. In 2004, Halden and a team of researchers discovered triclocarban pollution in metropolitan areas across the nation.
“(Triclosan and triclocarban) are amongst the most abundant man-made pollutants. They are present everywhere, in our drinking water, urine, blood, breast milk and in newborns,” Halden said.
The prevalence of these toxins across the U.S. is due to their popularity amongst manufacturers. They have been popular additives to products for more than 40 years.
“Right now, the market consists of over 2,100 products and the vast majority of which do contain one of the 19 active ingredients,” said Andrea Fischer, a spokeswoman for the FDA.
Potential health risks include bacterial resistance, hormonal imbalances and increased chance of cancer, according to Halden’s research. Fischer said the FDA’s ruling sends a message that the potential health consequences of these ingredients outweigh the benefits.
However, some manufacturers claim these ingredients help to kill more
bacteria than regular soap. These companies have not been able to produce enough scientific evidence to convince the FDA of their claims, Fischer said.
Meanwhile, some manufacturers are ahead of the FDA’s new regulation. She said two major manufacturers, Proctor & Gamble and Johnson & Johnson, announced on their websites that they would phase out triclosan in their antibacterial products prior to Friday’s ruling.
All manufacturers have one year to comply with the FDA’s new regulation. FDA officials said they hope the rule will curtail the level of toxins across the country.
“I certainly can say we detect (the 19 chemicals) wherever we look, and that includes here in Arizona. This ruling will have a local effect in limiting pollutants,” Halden said. “This is something that we are going to monitor to see what the effect of the ban is.”
For now, the FDA recommends keeping it simple and sticking to your old school soap and water.
By Howard Fischer CAPITOL MEDIA SERVICES
A sudden spike in the discovery of credit card “skimmers’’ hidden in gas pumps has state officials warning Arizona consumers how to avoid becoming victims.
Mark Killian, director of the state Department of Agriculture, said last week that his inspectors found 11 of the hidden devices all of last year. Last month alone, however, they detected 31 of them.
Killian, whose agency absorbed the old Department of Weights and Measures, conceded some of that may be because staffers have been more actively looking inside the gas pumps -- where consumers cannot see the skimmers -- to try to stem the problem.
But he said thieves are becoming increasingly more creative in ways to part customers from their money.
The agency has just 12 inspectors to check about 12,000 gas pumps statewide. And that, Killian said, means consumers cannot rely solely on the state to find and remove the devices but actively need to protect themselves.
Some parts of the state have more problems than others; a gas station at West Ina Road and Interstate 10 on Tucson’s northwest side turned up eight
of the devices.
To the naked eye, the skimmers are undetectable.
Killian said those who know what they’re doing can open a gas pump in seven seconds. Then it takes just a few more to piggy-back the scanner onto the pump’s regular card reader and close all the access doors.
He said some devices can store up to 5,000 card numbers and PINs while waiting for the thieves to return. Others are more high tech, using Bluetooth wireless technology that instantly transmits the stolen information to someone parked nearby.
Given the invisibility of the devices to consumers, Ephram Cordova, an inspector in the Division of Weights and Measures, said there’s no sure-fire way for consumers to protect themselves.
“We have to be the ones out here checking on them,’’ he said.
There are things customers can do.
Cordova said the first-line of defense is security tape over keyholes and other places where the machine can be opened up. A torn tape or a tape that shows signs of tampering — often with the word “void” popping up — is a sure sign to go elsewhere or pay cash.
Arizona law does not require the use of
such tape by retailers.
“The public is unsuspecting and really doesn’t have any good way whether the machine has been tampered with,’’ Cordova said.
Cordova said given staffing constraints, he and his colleagues concentrate their efforts on older style gas pumps that are less tamper-resistant
Killian said customers who come across gas pumps without security protections can ask an attendant when the last time someone opened them up to check for skimmers.
“And if they say, ‘Well, we haven’t checked in a while,’ then I wouldn’t get my gas there,’’ he said.
Killian said there are other ways for consumers to protect themselves.
If nothing else, he said that if customers are unsure of whether a pump has been tampered with, they should never use a debit card because it takes the money directly out of someone’s checking or savings account.
Killian said the best best is to use cash “or a credit card with a very low limit.’’
Michelle Wilson, an assistant director of the Department of Agriculture, said
there’s another protection, albeit one that’s on the tail end: Check credit card statements and inform the issuer if there are unauthorized charges.
Aside from getting the fraudlent charges removed, she said the credit card companies work closely with her agency to look for patterns and backtrack to the gas stations where the information was skimmed in the first place.
Wilson said that’s no guarantee the thieves will be found.
“Sometimes the criminals will hold these numbers for a couple of months,’’ she said.
By Sabella Scalise CRONKITE NEWS
WASHINGTON – The steady decline in union membership has had a ripple effect on wages of nonunion workers, costing them a potential $14 to $52 a week in pay, according to a report by a Washington think tank.
The Economic Policy Institute said women were on the low end of that range in potential wage losses since 1979 –since women had lower wages to begin with and have been catching up – while nonunion men were on the higher end.
“The core takeaway from the report is that union decline has cost nonunion workers billions of dollars in take-home pay over the past three-and-a-half decades,” said Jake Rosenfeld, a coauthor of the report. “Strong unions mean higher wages for union members and nonmembers alike.”
Rosenfeld said that message is often lost in right-to-work states where union opponents argue “time and time again, that unions only benefit the lucky few to have union card and, in fact, work to depress wages to nonunion workers.”
Arizona has long been a right-to-work state, which is reflected in the number of
its workers who belong to labor unions.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that membership for all unions, public and private, stood at 11.1 percent of the U.S. workforce in 2015. In Arizona, union membership was less than half the national average last year, the BLS reported, at 5.2 percent of all workers. That’s down from 8.8 percent as recently as 2008, the bureau said.
The BLS also reported that the median hourly wage nationally was $17.40 in 2015, while in Arizona it was $16.27.
Lee McPheters, a professor at Arizona State University’s W.P. Carey School of Business, agreed with the EPI report
that “unions deliver, in the sense wages are going to be higher.” But he said there are also economic advantages to low numbers of union workers.
Workplaces with high turnover rates operate better without unionization, said McPheters, director of the JPMorgan Chase Economic Outlook Center at the Carey School. Outside corporations also tend to move operations to states with low union presence because it’s cheaper, he said.
Tucson Chamber of Commerce
President and CEO Mike Varney said there are other forces driving lower wages in Arizona, pointing to globalization, outsourcing and the decline mining and agriculture jobs as the main factors.
“Companies have to do all they can to stay competitive,” Varney said of the shifting global economy.
But Ben Grossfeld, a spokesman for the Arizona AFL-CIO, said businesses in the state can count on help from the Legislature.
“Arizona’s Legislature for years has been remarkably against the union growth,” Grossfeld said. “Every possible step, labor unions have been locked.”
McPheters said the right-to-work
culture in Arizona, part of state law since the 1940s, “becomes part of the state culture.”
BLS does not measure private-sector union membership. But the EPI report said that union membership in privatesector U.S. industries stands at about one worker in 20, down from a high of one in three in the 1950s, when union membership was at its peak.
The report looked at inflation-adjusted wages since 1979, which it called mostly a period of wage stagnation aggravated by the decline in unions that would otherwise pressure nonunion businesses to pay more.
The potential wage losses varied according to gender and education, the report said. Most-affected were nonunion working men with a high school education or less, who could be earning another $61 a week if union membership was at levels of previous decades, said the institute, which studies low- and moderate-income workers.
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By Rebecca Sauer AFN GUEST WRITER
How many times have you arrived at work already feeling stressed and your workday hasn’t even started?
Work can be a big stressor, even if you love your job. Living with chronic stress can cause loss of sleep, depression, decreased immune function and other health problems.
If you need help learning to reduce stress, make an appointment with a Catholic Charities counselor. Our services are fee-based with a sliding scale based on your ability to pay. Meanwhile, the good news is there are many strategies to help reduce workrelated stress:
Peaceful moment: Take a few
SUNDAY SEPT. 11
BOOK SWAP AND ICE CREAM SOCIAL
Bring a book and/or take a book (all for free) and enjoy some ice cream.
DETAILS>> 4 p.m. at Desert Palm UCC in Tempe, 1230 E. Guadalupe Road. Information: 480-831-0065.
CHABAD HEBREW SCHOOL OPEN
Registration for Chabad Hebrew School is now open for the upcoming 2016-17 school year. Hebrew School takes place at the Pollack Chabad Center for Jewish Life, and will start September 11.
DETAILS>> Sunday mornings 9:30 a.m.-noon for children 5-13. Information: chabadcenter.com.
TUESDAY SEPT. 13
AGING IS SERIES’ FOCUS
Mountain Park Community Church in Ahwatukee is hosting a 10-week series called Senior Focus,
minutes to relax by yourself before leaving for work. Gaze out the window, listen to some soothing music, or take a slow walk around the block.
Body awareness: While driving to the office, be aware of your body tension, such as hands wrapped tightly around the steering wheel. Focus on relaxing and dissolving the tension.
Drive slow: Stay in the right-hand lane and go only the speed limit. This means leaving the house in plenty of time so you don’t feel rushed.
Stoplight check-in: When you stop at a red light, pay attention to your breathing and relax your muscles. Smile. Do not check your phone or email.
Deep breath: When you arrive at work, take a moment to orient yourself before getting out of the car. Take a
FAITH
designed to “enhance the Christian journey and quality of life for seniors, their families and those coping with aging through education, support, information and referral,” according to a release. Facilitated by Katy Gilbert, Steve Gilbert and David Johnson, the group “will address the physical, emotional, social, spiritual and financial needs of seniors and their loved ones,” the release said.
DETAILS>> 6:30-8 p.m., 2408 E. Pecos Road. Register: www.mountainpark.org; information: afettis@ mountainpark.org.
SUNDAY SEPT. 18
PSYCHOLOGY PRESENTATION
Senior Minister Rev. Tom Martinez will be presenting a lecture on the interface between Indigenous and Depth Psychology.
DETAILS>> 10:30 a.m. after church. Desert Palm UCC in Tempe, 1230 E. Guadalupe Road. Information: 480831-0065.
Daily Mass | Mon-Sat • 8:15am
Tuesday Mass | 6:00pm
Saturday Mass | 4:00pm
Sunday Mass
7:00, 8:30, 10:30am, 5:00pm
www.corpuschristiphx.org
deep breath and exhale slowly.
Desk check: While at your desk, consciously relax. Pay attention to your body tension and let it go.
Time to unwind: Take a two-tofive-minute break in the morning and afternoon to unwind. Go for a walk around the outside of the building.
Lunch break: Eat your lunch away from your desk. Visit with fellow employees, but don’t talk about work.
Make a list: Before you leave your office, make a list of what needs to be done the next day. By doing this, you don’t need to worry that you will forget an important item and you can focus on enjoying your evening.
Avoid road rage: On the way home from work, drive the speed limit, don’t rush. Relax your hands on the steering wheel. Listen to some soothing music.
THURSDAY SEPT. 22
MEGA CHALLA BAKE
The Chabad Jewish Women’s Circle joins other Jewish women from the East Valley to learn the ancient art of challah baking.
DETAILS>> Sept. 22 at 7 p.m., Pollack Chabad Center for Jewish Life, 875 N. McClintock Drive, Chandler. Cost: $18 per person, $15 for students. Information: info@chabadcenter.com or call 480-855-4333.
SATURDAY OCT. 29
TRUNK OF TREAT
Pilgrim Lutheran Church & School will host its annual Trunk of Treat event. Church members will decorate their car trunks and fill them with treats. Members of the community are invited to bring their children to tour the “trunk of treats” for candy. Appropriate costumes are encouraged. A bounce house will be offered as well.
Avoid listening to the news.
Breathe deep: When you pull into your driveway, take a minute to relax with slow, steady breathing. As you exhale, let go of all the worries from work. Orient yourself to being home.
Comfy clothes: Change out of your work clothes when you get into the house. This will help you relax and make the shift from work to home.
Often we take our work stress into our homes. Leave it at work. Instead of rushing through traffic to get home, allow your commute to service as a transition time so you will be ready to interact with family and friends.
Rebecca Sauer is the lead counselor for Catholic Charities, which provides care for people of all faiths. Information: 602-749-4405, www.catholiccharitiesaz.com
DETAILS>> 5:30-7 p.m., Pilgrim Lutheran Church and School, 3257 E. University Drive, Mesa. Information: 480-830-1724 or email office@pilgrimmesa.com.
SUNDAYS
VALOR CHRISTIAN OUTLINES MISSION
Valor Christian Center in Gilbert offers “great praise and worship and great messages for today’s living,” according to Pastor Thor Strandholt, associate pastor. “Our mission is evangelize, healing and discipleship through the word of God.”
DETAILS>>10 a.m. Sundays and 7 p.m. Thursdays. 3015 E. Warner Road. Information: valorcc.com.
HORIZON SEEKS YOUNG PEOPLE
High school and middle school students meet to worship and do life together.
DETAILS>> 5 p.m. at Horizon Presbyterian Church, 1401 E. Liberty Lane. 480-460-1480 or email joel@ horizonchurch.com.
>> From page 37
BEREAVED SHARE GRIEF
A support group designed to assist people through the grieving process. One-time book fee $15.
DETAILS>> 2-4 p.m. at Arizona Community Church, 9325 S. Rural Road, Room G3, Tempe. 480-491-2210.
UNITY OFFERS INSPIRATION
Inspirational messages and music are offered, along with classes and special events.
DETAILS>> 10 a.m. at Unity of Tempe, 1222 E. Baseline Road, Suite 103. 480-792-1800 or unityoftempe.com.
KIDS LEARN JEWISH LIFE
Children can learn and experience Jewish life. Chabad Hebrew School focuses on Jewish heritage, culture and holidays.
DETAILS>> 9:30 a.m. to noon, for children ages 5-13 at Pollack Chabad Center for Jewish Life, 875 N. McClintock Drive, Chandler. 480-855-4333, info@ chabadcenter.com, or chabadcenter.com.
RABBINIC LIT COURSE OFFERED
Ongoing morning study of two classics of rabbinic literature by medieval philosopher Moses Maimonides (the “Rambam”). At 10 a.m., Prof. Norbert Samuelson, Grossman chair of Jewish Philosophy at ASU and TBS member, teaches “Maimonides’ Guide of the Perplexed: What Jews Ought to Believe.” At 11:15 a.m., TBS member Isaac Levy teaches “Maimonides’ Mishneh Torah: How Jews Ought to Behave.” Readings in both Hebrew and English.
DETAILS>> Community Room of the administration building at Temple Beth Sholom of the East Valley, 3400 N. Dobson Road, Chandler. 480-897-3636.
UNITY OFFERS A PATH
Unity of Mesa says its Sunday service offers “a positive path for spiritual living” through “transformational lessons, empowering music and various spiritual practices with an open-minded and welcoming community.”
DETAILS>> 9 a.m. Spiritual discussion group and meditation practices group. 10:15 a.m. service. 2700 E. Southern Ave., Mesa. Child care available at 9 a.m. Nursery for infants through kindergarten at 10:15 a.m. 480-892-2700, unityofmesa.org, joanne@ unityofmesa.org.
JOIN CHRIST-CENTERED YOGA
This Flow 1-2 class (intermediate) is free and open to the community.
DETAILS>> 6-7 p.m., Mountain Park Community
Church, 2408 E. Pecos Road. Greg Battle at 480-7596200 or gbattle@moutainpark.org.
CLASS TARGETS THE GRIEVING
Classes for those grieving over death or divorce.
DETAILS>>6:30 p.m., Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 739 W. Erie St., Chandler. 480-963-4127.
STRUGGLING FIND SUPPORT
Support group for those struggling with how to deal with a loss in life.
DETAILS>> 7 p.m., 1825 S. Alma School Road, Room C201, Chandler. Pastor Larry Daily, 480-963-3997, ext. 141, larrydaily@chandlercc.org or chandlercc.org.
DIVORCED FIND COMFORT
People suffering through a divorce or separation can find understanding and caring support to face these challenges.
DETAILS>> 6:30-8 p.m., Mountain Park Community Church, 2408 E Pecos Road, Room 117, Ahwatukee, 480-759-6200 or mountainpark.org.
FINDING HEALING FOR PAIN
HOPE, an acronym for “Help Overcome Painful Experiences,” offers support for men and women who seek God’s grace and healing.
DETAILS>> 6:30 to 8 p.m. Mountain Park Community Church, 2408 E. Pecos Road. mountainpark.org.
SENIORS ENJOY ‘TERRIFIC TUESDAYS’
The program is free and includes bagels and coffee and a different speaker or theme each week. Registration not needed.
DETAILS>> 10:30 a.m. to noon, Barness Family East Valley Jewish Community Center, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. evjcc.org or 480-897-0588.
HOLY TRINITY OFFERS GRIEFSHARE
DETAILS>> 2 and 6:30 p.m., 739 W. Erie St., Chandler. 480-963-4127.
READ BIBLE FOR PLEASURE
Bring a Bible, or Bibles are available at these free sessions.
DETAILS>> 7 to 8 p.m., Chandler Seventh-day Adventist Church, 1188 W. Galveston St. Lori, 480-9173593.
BOOK CLUB
A discussion of Robert Jones’ “The End of White Christian America.” The group then will meet with the author on Oct. 21 at the Desert Palm UCC at 8 p.m. DETAILS>> 7 p.m., Sept. 6, 20, 27 and Oct. 18. Desert Palm UCC in Tempe, 1230 E. Guadalupe Road. Information: 480-831-0065.
WEDNESDAYS
CELEBRATE RECOVERY
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>> 6:20 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 child care.
TAKE A COFFEE BREAK
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 480893-1160 or CoffeebreakMin@aol.com.
GET A ‘SPIRITUAL SHOWER’
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 unityoftempe.com.
DIVORCED FIND COMFORT
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 HOLDS 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 Deitsch, 480-753-5366 or chabadcenter.com.
MAN CHURCH IN CHANDLER
“Man Church offers coffee, doughnuts 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, 480-7268000 or cschandler.com/manchurch.
KIDS 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 chandlercc.org.
Submit your releases to pmaryniak@ahwatukee.com
By Adriana Becerra AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS WRITER
Sixty minutes. Eight players. Multiple puzzles. One way out.
It may sound like the plot for an action movie, but it’s the premise of The Crypt, the latest addition to Ahwatukee’s entertainment scene.
“You are put into a room with a specific goal and a time limit to solve puzzles, riddles, find clues and arrive at the final solution,” said owner John Keating, who just opened an “escape room” three weeks ago at 4302 E. Ray Road.
Players pay $28 to be locked into one room with a group, preferably of eight people. must solve a series of puzzles and riddles in order to unlock the door, and do it within 60 minutes.
The Crypt is the newest addition to the growing escape room community, bringing the total to five in the East Valley.
At first glance, The Crypt seems like any normal room. Not much décor covers the small room. Yellow light reflects sharply off of the wooden floors, walls, and furniture.
It’s reminiscent of a quaint log cabin. The scorching, desert summer and strip mall that houses the facility melt from the mind as participants are immersed in the cool cabin.
Little do they know that puzzles and clues surround them, taunting anyone willing to look close enough.
Big Brother is taunting players as well; Keating supervises the teams from a monitor in an adjoining room.
The first, and currently only, room in The Crypt is called the Puzzles of Superstition Mountains.
“The idea of that room is that it is an abandoned gold miners cabin and it kind of ties in to the legendary lost Dutchman of Superstition Mountains and trying to find his lost gold mine,” said Keating.
Keating and his wife, Tammy, from Gilbert, delved into the concept of escape rooms after realizing it meshed their dream of owning their own business with something that is just plain fun.
They opened Aug. 19.
“I found that this is seriously the best job that I’ve ever had,” said Keating.
Keating comes from 20 years of a corporate background, which he found lends well to escape rooms.
He said managers come for teambuilding exercises with their employees. This is especially fun for Keating, as most employees come from different backgrounds, and therefore bring a new insights and strategies to solving the puzzles.
Employees are not the only ones taking advantage of The Crypt. Teenagers, couples, families, even some younger kids, have come to experience the room, Keating said.
He is even planning on bringing his own kids to experience the room this month.
Keating believes that people enjoy escape rooms because not only is it fun, exciting, and challenging, but also
because it lets you “escape from the rest of the world”.
The rest of the world seems to have experienced escape rooms before the United States. They popped up in Asia and made their way through Europe, and only recently have come to the states, according to Keating.
Keating believes that they have become popular because they are live versions of video games, which is helping the digital age become more interactive.
“There is some movement back towards that social interaction away from the ‘let’s all just sit in a room and play a video game’ back to ‘let’s all go experience something together,’” said Keating.
Eventually, people will be able to experience up to six rooms at The Crypt. As of now, one room is built out, but Keating hopes by the end of September to have another room completed, with another added every two months.
Once all six rooms are built, Keating will go back and either strip or revamp the existing rooms, following that same two-month pattern.
A huge aspect that Keating hoped to change was the hint system. He said other facilities let players fumble around for a while before the operator arbitrarily decides to give them a hint.
“Having that decision based on somebody sending you a hint whether or not you really need one was a little bit frustrating,” Keating said.
What the Crypt does differently is simple: Add a button that players can push when they want a hint.
Keating also added a scoring system. Each team of eight gets a score depending on how fast they get out and how many hints they use. Keating said this helps level the playing field.
“If I’m playing a game and I win the game I want to know that I’ve won the game,” Keating said.
Not only are escape rooms competitive, challenging, and build camaraderie, Keating said, they’re also just really fun.
“There is a really fun adrenaline level those last five minutes. Where they’re just rushing around, ‘We’re almost there we’re almost there,” said Keating, “It’s fun. It’s challenging and rewarding.
Where: 4302 E. Ray Road, Ahwatukee.
Open: 6-9 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Cost: $25 to $28 per person, depending on room size and time allotted. Open Friday and Saturday nights, and booking takes place solely online.
Reservations required: breakthecrypt.com Information: www.facebook.com/ breakthecrypt/
By Justin Ferris AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS WRITER
“I’m Ripe’ tour hits Phoenix
Red Green, a.k.a. Steve Smith, a Canadian “handyman” and star of a long-running comedy TV show, brings his particular brand of DIY wisdom to Phoenix. Prepare for an evening of laughter and duct tape, which he calls “the handyman’s secret weapon.”
DETAILS>> 7 p.m., Thursday. Celebrity
Theatre, 440 N. 32nd St., Phoenix. Tickets:
$53.50. 602-267-1600 https://celebritytheatre. ticketforce.com/
County fairs hearken back to a more agricultural time in U.S. history, but city folks can still enjoy them just fine. If nothing else, it can get you out of the Valley heat. Head up to Prescott for live music, food, livestock shows and an auction, competitions, races and carnival rides.
DETAILS>> 9 a.m.-10 p.m., Thursday-Sunday. Prescott Rodeo Grounds, 840 Rodeo Drive, Prescott. Tickets: $28 (family four-day pass), $15 (family single-day), $5 adults. https:// www.yavapaifair.com/
Every month Highland Yard Vintage hosts a four-day indoor – and air conditioned – market featuring antiques, interior decorations, vintage clothing, food and more from up to 50 local designers and vendors. This month the theme of the market is “Hot Trends.”
DETAILS>> 10 a.m.-6 p.m., ThursdaySunday. Behind Merchant Square, 1509 N. Arizona Ave., Chandler. Cost: Free. https://
www.facebook.com/Highlandyardvintage/
Popular radio series ¡Qué Gente, Mi Gente! comes to life with this live production. Follow the inhabitants of Santa Mónica de la Punta Gorda as they experience love, laughter, conflict and learn each others secrets. The characters speak Spanglish, so both Englishspeaking and Spanish-speaking audiences can enjoy it.
DETAILS>> Times Vary, Thursday-Sunday. Orpheum Theater, 203 W. Adams St., Phoenix. Tickets: $20-$100. https://phoenix. ticketforce.com/
Video game fans rejoice; you can hear the most popular character and battle themes from decades of Final Fantasy games in a single concert. The Distant Worlds Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus accompany video from developer Square Enix on the big screen.
DETAILS>> 8 p.m., Saturday. Symphony Hall, 75 N. Second St., Phoenix. Tickets: $40-$110. 877-840-0457 https://phoenix.ticketforce. com/
“Leapin’ lizards!” Get a pleasant dose of nature with the whole family on this early morning walk. Take a leisurely expert-led tour that teaches you how to identify species of desert lizards. Bring your camera.
DETAILS>> 8 a.m., Saturday. Boyce Thompson Arboretum, 37615 U.S. 60, Superior. Tickets: $10 (adults), $5 (5-12). 520689-2723 http://arboretum.ag.arizona.edu/
Gun collectors, hunters and people interested in self-defense can visit one of the largest gun shows in the country. It features >> See CALENDAR on page 43
>> From page 42
hundreds of tables with all kinds of guns, ammunition and gun accessories
DETAILS>> 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday-Sunday. Arizona State Fairgrounds, 1826 W. McDowell Road, Phoenix. Tickets: $16. https://www. crossroadsgunshows.com/
Fans of the TV show “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” or just improv comedy in general, listen up: Join comedians Ryan Stiles, Greg Proops, Jeff B. Davis and Joel Murray as they play many of the hilarious games you know from the TV show and some new ones. Audience participation is encouraged.
DETAILS>> 7:30 p.m.-9 p.m., September 11. Mesa Arts Center, One E. Main St., Mesa. Tickets: $32-$52. 480-644-6500 https://www. mesaartscenter.com/
The Tony-award winning Broadway musical “Cabaret” dances and sings its way back to Phoneix. Don’t miss out on this tale of love and heartache set against the backdrop of World War II. It includes smash songs “Cabaret,” “Willkommen” and “Maybe This Time.” Oh, leave the kids at home.
DETAILS>> Times Vary, Tuesday-Sept. 18.
ASU Gammage, 1200 S. Forest Ave., Tempe. Tickets: $20-$150. 480-965-3434 http://www. asugammage.com/
Formerly just known as Hall & Oates, legendary Songwriters-Hall-of-Fame musicians Daryl Hall and John Oates bring their mix of rock & roll and R&B to the Valley. You can hear their hits “Rich Girl,” “Kiss on My List,” “Out of Touch” and plenty more
favorites from their 40-year career.
DETAILS>> 7 p.m., September 14. AK-Chin Pavilion, 2121 N. 83rd Ave., Phoenix. Tickets: $28-$905.
602-254-7200 http://ak-chinpavilion.com/
‘Here
“Here we come, walking down the street …” Hey, hey! The Monkees are back with Good Times: The 50th Anniversary Tour. Micky Dolenz and Peter Tork will do a full set of your favorite Monkees hits, plus some acoustic and solo songs.
DETAILS>> 7:30 p.m., Sept. 15. Mesa Arts Center, One E. Main St., Mesa. Tickets: $37-$100. 480-644-6500 https://www. mesaartscenter.com/
Get more ideas for fun things to do in the Ahwatukee - and beyond - at Phoenix.org
By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski GETOUT/AFN NEWS STAFF
Rob Thomas admits he’s a “stage hog.”
So he has every reason to believe that he and longtime friend, Counting Crows’ Adam Duritz, will join each other on stage while touring together this summer. The jaunt hits Ak-Chin Pavilion on Tuesday.
“I’ve been friends with Adam for 20 years,” said Thomas, who also fronts Matchbox Twenty. “I can’t believe we’ve never actually toured together, then Live Nation brought it up.
“I want to have as good of a time this summer as my fans do. That’s what the summer’s all about. With a band like the Counting Crows, it’ll happen.”
Duritz seconds that, but wouldn’t commit to joining Thomas on stage.
the timing was perfect for both acts to travel together.
It’s challenging, though.
“The idea of coming in for one and a half hours, trying to take 20 years of music and put it together in a CliffsNote version is sometimes hard,” he said.
“But it’s worth it,” he added. “There are songs that people want to hear and then you have the songs you know you want to play. Fans are going to get some new stuff, some Matchbox stuff and some covers. We’re going out every night and I hope that everybody on that side of the stage has a good of a time as we are.”
What: Counting Crows, Matchbox Twenty and K Phillips
When: 6:45 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 13
Where: Ak-Chin Pavilion, 2121 N. 83rd Ave., Phoenix
Cost: $26-$80.50
Information: 800-745-3000 or ticketmaster.com
“Maybe,” he said coyly. “I would hang out at Matchbox gigs. We used to get drunk and go on stage with each other.
“We’d sing ‘Mamas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to be Cowboys.’ I don’t know why, other than that was our favorite song. I never really plan for that stuff. If it does happen, great. But it also depends on how my voice is holding up.” Thomas, who is solo on this tour, said
Thomas, who released the album “The Great Unknown” in 2015, said his solo band is “all about joy. We love to play music.”
That’s coming at a good time for Thomas, whose wife, Marisol Maldonado, had brain surgery last year.
“She’s hanging in there day by day,” he said. “She comes out with me for part of the tour as well. It’s a nice getaway for me, her and the dogs. It’s very cathartic performing music and sharing that with fans. I think it’ really helping when I go through hard times.”
Thomas has also been writing
“like crazy.”
“There’s a lot of solo-sounding stuff,” he said. “It’s very personal and it has a very singer-songwriter acoustic vibe happening right now.”
Thomas said he focuses on the melody first.
“The melody draws somebody in,” he said. “After a few runs with the melody, the people start to pay attention to the lyrics, if they fall in love with a song.
“The melody is kind of like that hot girl/ hot guy at the bar that you see across the room. The melody brings you over. If you talk to them and you discover they have a nice personality and have a lot to offer, that’s what the lyrics are about.”
The duo of Thomas and Duritz have known each other for two decades, but there was one important thing they didn’t know about each other.
“The funny thing was we were hanging out a couple months ago and we had no idea that we had both moved to New York a decade ago,” he said. “That was really funny. But he lives a little outside of town. That’s probably why we never ran into each other. I live in Greenwich Village.”
Duritz has been spending his free time on two projects — another album and a musical, the latter with playwright Stephen Belber.
“He writes straight plays,” he said. “Neither of us have written a musical before. It’s very challenging for me, but I
like the idea of writing something that’s not for me.”
Counting Crows is pushing its critically acclaimed 2014 album “Somewhere Under Wonderland.”
“I love it,” Duritz said. “I think it’s beautiful. I think it’s brilliant. It may sound egotistical, but you’re supposed to love what you do. If not, you should have finished it. Get it right.”
Duritz has worked so hard on his music that often his personal life has taken a backseat.
“I’m still trying to find a way to do this job and have a life,” he said. “I’ve always been really good at one but not the other.
“I was a bum when I was a kid. When you’re a musician, you’re doing other kinds of jobs that you don’t want to do. I spent 10 years doing that. Now I’m a workaholic. I really know how to work, but I don’t necessarily know how to do the rest of the things in my life.”
On Tuesday, he said, he will work hard at his show with Thomas.
“You have to keep yourself interested so I don’t think I owe anybody a song on a particular night,” he said. “I think you just owe them a great gig with full passion, intensity and attention. One thing you can say about the Counting Crows is we’ve never phoned in a gig because we’re never playing a song we don’t want to play.”
By Will Argeros
Desert Vista High had to stew over a disappointing loss in its opening football game even longer because of a bye week.
The Thunder inflicted some of that pent up frustration on the first offensive play on the way to a 49-20 win over Basha Friday night after building a 35-0 lead.
The Thunder set off their attack with a 92-yard touchdown run by Keishaud White on the first play from scrimmage.
“I just followed the hole. We’ve been working on it in practice and I just tried to make it a great run,” White said.
Desert Vista’s first two touchdowns were on plays of 40-plus yards and the third was set up by a 38-yard pass all within seven minutes of the previous score.
“Our game plan was to get up on these guys. We knew we could run the ball at them, but with the quarterback and the
offence they have the key was to get up on them,” Thunder coach Dan Hinds said.
Basha’s offense looked to start a comeback early in the second half, forcing a three-and-out and then scoring its first touchdown. After being repeatedly stopped in the first half, Bears’ head coach Gerald Todd said it was good to see.
“We’ve just got to make more plays with those two,” he said, referring to senior quarterback Ryan Kelley and receiver Terrell Brown.
“Terrell is one of the top receivers in the state and when you match that up with one of the top quarterbacks in the state, it’s a deadly duo,” Todd added.
Brown caught 16 passes for 353 yards and three touchdowns. The other Basha receivers combined for only 72 yards.
“We’ve got to work with Kelley more. I think we would all benefit from oneon-one sessions with him to work out
routes,” Brown said.
Despite their stellar combined effort, the running game never got going, and the defense had its holes exploited.
“Desert Vista came out and jumped out on us early. It put us in a situation that was hard to dig out of,” Todd said.
The Thunder put up 35 points in the first half, scoring on all but one of their possessions. Quarterback Nick Thomas threw one touchdown pass and ran for two more.
“He’s a natural leader. We tell him not to put pressure on himself and just run the offence” said Hinds.
Thomas finished the night with no interceptions and 287 total yards.
“Our line did a great job of protecting up front, so I felt more comfortable stepping up,” the senior quarterback said.
The Thunder travel to Skyline this Friday to take on the Coyotes.
Brown
from Kelley (2pt. GOOD) 4:26 BHS – Brown 35 pass from Kelley ( 2pt. NO GOOD) 2:10
Individual statistics
Rushing
BHS – Goodman 9-7, Kelley 5-5, Campbell 1-0. DV – K. White 5-143, Thomas 11-155, Dillard 9-46, Hernandez 1-3, Turner 1-2, Werbelow 1-16, Garcia 6-84
Passing
BHS – Kelley 26-39-1-425. DV – Thomas 8-16-0-132, Schamante 0-2-0-0.
Receiving
BHS – Brown 16-353, Goodman 3-37, Collins 4-22, Sifferman 2-13. DV – Dillard 1-(-1), Stagg 2-54, J. White 1-38, Turner 1-1, Werbelow 1-17, Hernandez 1-14, Porter 1-9. Missed FG
DV – Erickson (35)
By Jason P. Skoda AFN PREP SPORTS DIRECTOR
When James Stagg strapped on a Desert Vista High School helmet, it was the first time he ever wore one on a football field.
On the ice, it’s a different story. He donned a hockey helmet for many years and wore it well.
Not only did he have the big-bodied frame, but he could skate, loved to hit and was drafted in the Western Hockey League as a 14-year-old.
The WHL is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States and is connected with the Canadian Hockey League.
In other words, he was on the path to a college scholarship and a possible pro career after being selected in the ninth round by the Spokane Chiefs in 2014.
Stagg, who played locally with the Arizona Bobcats, went to his first training camp in Spokane, Washington, for a few days and came away with an unexpected feeling.
“It wasn’t really the same for me anymore,” Stagg said. “I eventually talked to my dad and I wasn’t sure hockey was what wanted to do anymore.
“I could have kept playing with them until I was 16 and gotten a contract, but I didn’t really know how far I wanted to go in hockey. It wasn’t my thing anymore and I didn’t have a passion for it. If I kept playing without really being passionate, I’d end up letting my teammates down.”
After hanging up his stakes, he found his way to the Thunder football program and, despite having never played the game, found his way onto the field as a sophomore last year.
He was clearly raw when it came to the basic skills of the game, but brought with him the basic fundamentals that can take some time to get used to when starting the game late.
“The one thing we picked up right away was the fact that he was drawn to contact,” Thunder coach Dan Hinds said. “When guys come to the sport late they might look good, but then shy away from contact. James had no problem there and it is one of the reasons he was able to jump right into it.”
They put him on the defensive line, where he became a contributor as a defensive end (4.5 sacks, two tackles for a loss and four quarterback hurries) and now has added some size to the offense as a 6-foot-4, 220-pound tight end running
down the seam.
His first career catch last week was a 44-yard touchdown in the win over Basha and is expected to be part of the game plan when the Thunder travel to Skyline High in Mesa on Friday.
“I couldn’t get a handle on the offense (last year) so I did a lot of mental reps,” he said. “Then I get my first catch and it was a touchdown. I think Coach (offensive coordinator Brent) Miller is starting to get comfortable calling plays for me.”
He is getting comfortable with the game overall in his second year after a crash course with Desert Vista defensive line coach Derek Kennard last year.
Stagg began to pick up on some of the nuances of the game right away but still lacked the game experience.
“The one thing you can’t teach is just being in a game and adjusting to what you see or what happens,” Stagg said. “I am big, fast and can hit hard, but until you build up those reps and have game action you can’t know what to expect. I’m a fast learner and all my hockey coaches always told me I was very coachable so I just tried to soak everything up.”
Kennard told Stagg to latch on to then-senior Adrian Perez and current senior Myles Wilson and basically do as
Stagg, who has received mild interest from colleges, misses his hockey teammates, but not the game. He now sees how far he can go in football.
“Both sports are high tempo with contact and I was an enforcer so I had a being physical kind of mind set,” he said. “I was raw, but my coaches taught me a lot and it really has been a good transition.
“I’m a football player now, and not a hockey player trying to play football. I just want to get better every day and see how far I can go. I have the same passion for football I once had for hockey.”
– Contact Jason Skoda at 480-898-7915 or jskoda@ahwatukee.com. Follow him on Twitter @JasonPSkoda.
(Special to AFN)
they did in order to expedite the process of learning how to approach the game.
“First and foremost those two were also called up to varsity as sophomore, succeeded right away and had amazing work ethics,” Kennard said. “It was a natural fit and James just kept getting better. He has tremendous upside.
“That’s what is exciting. He’s learning everyday and as he continues to learn and develop he is going to become even more of a force.”
Stagg played right wing and was considered an enforcer on the ice. So the transition physically wasn’t as difficult as it could have been.
But making such a decision isn’t always easy after spending so much time in one sport with a high level of success.
His dad, Richard, who was on the 1976 national championship baseball team at University of Arizona and played three sports at Tucson Sahuaro, picked up on Stagg’s change of heart about hockey. That made the transition easier.
“My parents have been big supporters especially in sports with my dad,” he said.
“When I told him I might be done with hockey, he said ‘You haven’t been you lately’ and we found something else and it was football.”
Mountain Pointe High cheerleader
Madison Vaughn will teach a cheer clinic to interested students from prekindergarten through eighth grade 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Saturday at Mountain Pointe High School, 4021 E. Knox Road, Ahwatukee.
The $35 fee will be used as a fundraiser for the cheer squad. It covers a t-shirt, snacks and admission for one parent or guardian to Mountain Pointe High’s Sept. 16 game, during which all clinic participants will be able to join the cheer squad at halftime on field.
The clinic will be focused on providing instruction on all the routines of Mountain Pointe’s cheer squad and is recommended for anyone who wants to join the squadonce they are in high school. Classes will be divided between pre-K to 6th grade and 7th and eighth grade.
Participants must register ahead of the clinic at www.tuhsdonlinereg. com.
Information: ctaylor@tempeunion.org, or www.mountainpointecheer.weebly.com.
By Jason P. Skoda
DIRECTOR
Since Mountain Pointe High played its last football game, Chandler has played twice, including about a half hour later on the same field after the Pride won in California on Aug. 27.
It meant the Mountain Pointe players and coaches had a chance to sit in the stands and watch the Wolves before making the trek back to Arizona.
Chandler went toe-to-toe with California power Corona Centennial before falling 56-49.
The way the Wolves played left an impression on the Pride as the two teams prepare for Thursday’s televised game (Cox 7) at Karl Kiefer Stadium.
“It’s going to be a dog fight,” said Mountain Pointe senior two-way lineman Shomari Hayes.
That shouldn’t come as a surprise, considering the recent history between the two programs: No. 1 Mountain Pointe (2-0) and No. 2 Chandler (2-1) have played in some of the Pride’s more memorable and competitive games.
The two teams have met five times since 2011 with the Pride holding a 3-2 advantage. The most memorable game was the 45-42 win by Mountain Pointe during the 2014 regular season.
Both offenses seemingly did whatever they wanted throughout the game as Mountain Pointe ran the ball 61 times for 543 yards.
The Wolves, however, came back to win in the semifinals when the Pride nearly had to forfeit before appealing a paperwork mishap involving out-of-state move-in Tyrek Cross.
Another memorable contest was the Pride’s 28-27 overtime win despite Mountain Pointe’s miss on two late chipshot field goals. The Pride got another
chance on a roughing-the-kicker call, then won in overtime when Chandler’s kick missed the point after touchdown.
“There have been some really good, competitive games,” Pride coach Norris Vaughan said. “I expect the same thing. We are two really good teams. They are going to be the best team we have faced so far and maybe all year.”
The Wolves have been good offensively with sophomore quarterback Jacob Conover playing with maturity and efficiency. Running backs TJ Green and Ryan Johnson (who missed last week’s game) and wide receivers Johnny Johnson and Gunner Romney have done damage from spots all on the field.
In their two wins over Arizona teams –
Red Mountain (34-10) and Pinnacle (3116) – Chandler outscored their opponents 41-0 in the second half. The defense was beat up against Centennial, but the unit has come together to pitch a couple of second-half shutouts.
“I don’t know what to make of their defense,” Vaughan said. “Centennial scores against everyone, and Pinnacle is a good offense with arguably the best quarterback in Arizona and they shut them down.
“They’re probably better than they look because of who they’ve faced.”
Now the Chandler defense faces a Pride offense that has been pretty dynamic in the first two wins with running backs
Gary Bragg and Rashie Hodge and wide receivers Isaiah Pola-Mao and Jaydon Brooks at senior quarterback Noah Grover’s disposal.
“We’ve been pretty efficient,” Vaughan said. “Our quarterback is making good decisions, and the line has been good, but this is a game where I am not sure if we have an advantage on the line. (Chandler) is big up front.”
Hayes and his buddies up front, including Matthew Pola-Mao, are seeing it as a challenge.
“They are really good,” said Hayes, who plays defensive end when the Pride uses a 3-4 front and platoons with Matthew Pola-Mao on the offensive line. “This is going to be like a playoff game. We treat every game the same because you can’t let up or you could lose to anyone. We know we have to be at our best.”
Vaughan tends to down play any game being bigger than any other, and despises the idea of rivalry games.
He insists the outcome of this particular game isn’t going to make or break the season for either team.
“We don’t prepare any different for this game than we do any other game,” he said. “We are going to do everything we can to win it, but it’s early and a lot can happen. Centennial lost early last year and won a state championship.
“It will give us an idea as to where we stand, and show us some things we need to work on so it will be important to come out of it better than were before the game.”
– 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.
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Are you affected by someone who is dealing with an addiction? If so, know that you are not alone and that the PAL (Parents of Addicted Loved Ones) group can help The group is available to provide education and support to anyone 18 years or older who is dealing with a friend or family member with an addiction The meeting are at held on the second and fourth Monday nights at 7pm at Mountain Park Community Church at Pecos Rd and 24th St in room 117 The meetings are free of charge, completely confidential and could change your life! Please join us and get the tools you need to help yourself and your addicted loved one For more info go to www pal-group org
Aegis Hospice Grief/Loss Support Group We meet 6 pm on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month. Legacy Funeral Home: 1722 N Banning St Mesa, Refreshments provided Contact: Rick Wesley 480-219-4790 rick@ aegishospice com
Alcoholics Anonymous Big Book Step Study Mtg Every Tuesday 7:00pm Closed meeting. Child care provided Mtn View Lutheran Church, 11002 S 48th St , Phoenix, 85044
GROWING TOGETHER:
That s the motto of The Ahwatukee Community Garden Project Get your hands dirty while learning about desert gardening Join us every Sunday morning starting at 8 A M in the Garden at 4700 E Warner Rd north of the Farmers Market acgarden org
Ahwatukee Foothills Friends and Neighbors (AFFAN)
is a women s organization, dedicated to cultivating friendships, and goodwill AFFAN promotes social, charitable and educational events all year long AFFAN holds monthly luncheon meetings with varied speakers We offer over 40 monthly activities including Book Clubs, Canasta, Bunco, Euchre, and Bridge Other monthly activities are Dining Out, Stitch and Chat, Explore Arizona, and Garden Club Significant others/ spouses can attend some events For more info contact Teresa Akrish Phone: 480-518-5788, teresaakrish@gmail com
Check our website at affanwomensclub com
The Ahwatukee Republican Women's Club (ARW)
General meetings are held on the 4th Tuesday of the month (unless otherwise noted) at the Four Points by Sheraton South Mountain, 10831 S 51st St Phoenix, 85044 Social Networking begins at 6:30 PM and the meeting (program) begins at 7:00 PM Additional info contact: ARWomen@aol com
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Smart Recovery Meeting Wed’s 7:008:30 p m 6400 W Del Rio Chandler Montessori School next to Unitarian Church room 5 All issues drugs, alcohol, gambling, online addictions, & medications 480-532-2460
GROWING TOGETHER: That's the motto of The Ahwatukee Community Garden Project Get your hands dirty while learning about desert gardening Join us every Sunday morning starting at 8 A M in the Garden at 4700 E Warner Rd north of the Farmers' Market acgarden org
AHWATUKEE AL-ANON family group invites you to meetings every Mon 7 15 PM at Corpus Christi Church on 3550 E Knox Wed 8 00 PM at Community Center 4700 Warner Rd , Fri "Women s only" 9:00 AM at Mountian View Luthern Church 11022 S 48th St Sat "Men s stag" 12PM at Mountian View Luthern Church 11022 S 48th St Rita 480-496-4535
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