The 6-week-to-walking class enjoys a morning cracker break at Desert Garden Montessori, which would occupy five acres in the proposed Ahwatukee Farms development. Clockwise are, Charlie Narcy, Lulu Navarro, Felipe Kasathsko, Jacolb Cassidy and Ainslee Guerrero.
BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN EXECUTIVE EDITOR
The Arizona Department of Transportation has asked that South Mountain Freeway opponents be required to post a bond of $188,000 for each day their appeal of a judge’s ruling keeps the project on ice. Since appeals can take months, that bond would quickly soar into millions for the Ahwatukee-based Protect Arizona’s Children and Resources and the Gila River Indian Community.
School seeks Ahwatukee Farms site
to grow focus on self-sufficiency, nature
BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN EXECUTIVE EDITOR
At age 3, they’re setting tables and clearing dishes for lunch.
At age 8, they’re organizing fund drives after their peers explain to them the plight of children with cancer.
At age 11, they’re booking school trips for themselves, lining up hotels, creating an itinerary and working up a budget.
These are the children who might become the part-time neighbors of residents in Ahwatukee Lakes Golf Club.
They are students at Desert Garden Montessori School, which would occupy five acres on the 101-acre site of the closed golf course as part of owner True Life Companies’ plan to create Ahwatukee Farms, an “agrihood” of homes, a professionally managed farm, café, farmers market, two lakes and a multi-purpose recreational path.
Shetal Walters, founder and director of Desert Garden Montessori, broke her silence last week to discuss the school after weeks of criticism by Lakes residents who
The bond request is in a footnote of a 20-page brief that the state Attorney General’s Office filed on ADOT’s behalf with U.S. District Judge Diane Humetewa, who shot down a bid by PARC and the Gila Community to stop the project.
She must now decide the two groups’ request for an injunction stopping the project until the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals can hear their appeal from her Aug. 19 ruling.
ADOT, the Federal Highway Administration, PARC and the Gila Community have been waiting for nearly three weeks for Humetewa to make a decision so the matter can move to the 9th Circuit. Regardless of how she rules on the injunction, both sides have indicated they would appeal that ruling as well.
While the lawyer for the Gila Community said tribal leaders have authorized posting of an unspecified sum as a bond, Shanker is arguing for a “public interest exception” to the federal court’s bond requirements.
But he conceded that federal courts are
See FREEWAY on page 8
(Cheryl Haselhorst/AFN Staff Photographer)
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Apair of Ahwatukee sisters will make history of sorts at this December’s performances of local dance instructor Kimberly Lewis’ 17th annual signature community gift, “The Nutcracker.”
Olivia Gregg, 16, played the Sugarplum Fairy in Lewis’ production last year and her sister Bella Gregg, 14, will play the same role this year.
“This is the first time we ever had sisters back to back as the Sugarplum Fairy,” Lewis said.
The girls themselves have been in one other role in different years of “Nutcracker”: Olivia played Clara when she was 9 years old and Bella played her when she was 10.
Olivia, the only cast member to play the Sugarplum Fairy twice in Lewis’ Christmas extravaganza, is a junior at Desert Vista High School, where she is a member of the varsity dance line. She was 12 when she first played the Sugarplum Fairy.
She and Bella, a Desert Vista freshman, both dance
(Special to AFN)
Bella Gregg, left, is playing the Sugarplum Fairy in the Ahwatukee “Nutcracker,” a year after her sister Olivia played the same role.
oppose True Life and want the site restored as a golf course.
Opponents have claimed the plan will generate too much traffic and some have even suggested it would be a source of free child labor for the farm— allegations both True Life and Walters call preposterous.
The company that would run the farm itself, Farmer D Organics of Atlanta, Georgia, looks at the Desert Garden Montessori students as partners, not laborers.
Katie Pigott, landscape designer and community agriculture consultant for Farmer D, said, “The school gets to work side by side with us, not just on the agriculture part but the business side as well.”
Elliot Road and 51st Street, two years after she started, her water broke. She gave birth to the second of her three children later that day.
Up until the campus opened, Walters had been running the school in her home, then another home, and then a third as her class grew.
Such seemingly adult activities are what Desert Garden Montessori has been preparing its students for since they could crawl.
“I feel like we’ve been a good service to the community from day one,” Walters said of the school she founded her home in 1996.
“Day one” isn’t something Walters will ever forget. On the day ground was broken for Desert Garden’s campus on
Finally, she found the site that suited her needs.
Freedom of movement essential
“I’m not a developer, but I learned a lot about building permits, zoning and everything else associated with building,” Walters said.
The site offered Walters a chance to implement a philosophy that encourages children to appreciate and respect nature and the environment.
“The proper environment is as important as good teachers,” she said, “Development is all about movement. It’s important they have the freedom to move.”
That freedom translates into an atmosphere that’s markedly different from typical schools.
There are no exams or even report cards. Instead, teachers meet weekly with each of the approximate 285 students,
who range from 6 months old to 11th grade. Teachers continually interact with parents to keep them posted on their children’s progress.
Even before first grade, the students become accustomed to developing a work plan for every week of class. Large group gatherings are limited to occasional presentations by teachers, and instead, the students essentially manage their own academic development and work both individually and in small groups.
Teachers have only 12 students each and stay with them for years. “Students don’t have the trauma of trying to get used to a new teacher every year,” Walters said.
Besides, she added, “we’re not really teachers, but guides. We’re very relational. When you think of it, they spend more time with us in some ways than they do with their families, so we become a family.”
From the time they can crawl, the youngest students spend class time in a room where all the furniture is their size. Instead of highchairs, they sit in specially made chairs that keep them upright but allow them to walk away from a low table anytime they want.
They don’t nap in cribs, but on small mattresses on the floor. Walters successfully lobbied the state Legislature two years ago to relax a law that had required cribs.
And they never drink from bottles with nipples or cups with lids. They drink from tiny glasses.
Self-sufficiency taught early on
As they get older, the students start engaging in activities not normally expected in children their age.
The toddler class, 18 months to 3 years
old, set their table for lunch, clear the dishes afterward and wash and put them away.
“They become self-sufficient because they’re given the opportunity to be so,” Walters said. “It’s adults who put limits on children.”
By the time they are in first or second grade, the students are researching projects as part of their lessons.
Amie Murray, 8, is planning to hold a toy drive that would collect money to connect a cancer-stricken child with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, because she was moved by a presentation about children with cancer that had been given by a classmate.
Soon, Amie and her classmates will be planning a trip. Students have gone to places including Hawaii, Costa Rica and San Diego as part of their learning.
But it’s the student’s responsibility, not the school’s, to develop the itinerary. “They have to create a budget, make hotel reservations and do everything else involved in planning a trip,” Walters said, adding that the children enjoy the challenge so much that many handle trip planning for their families.
One glaring omission among the children in lower grades is an emphasis on technology. Aside from one computer in the classroom, children learn from books and not screens. Cell phones are banned.
“We embrace technology where it is relevant,” Walters said. “But there is no substitute for literature in books.”
Opposing viewpoints on traffic
The emphasis on self-sufficiency has even given birth to a small coffee shop called the Garden Café, which serves
Pioneer in new-age farming techniques would run Ahwatukee Farms ‘garden’
BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN EXECUTIVE EDITOR
If Ahwatukee Farms becomes a reality, its 5-acre farm would be managed by a Georgia company founded by a college dropout who has become a renown apostle of a unique approach to farming with spiritual as well as agricultural roots.
The company, Farmer D Organics, is named after founder Daron Joffe, a 41-year-old South African native who grew up in Atlanta and quit the University of Wisconsin to buy a farm and further develop the concept of biodynamic farming.
Based on a philosophy of agriculture that was first advanced in the 19th century by Rudolf Steiner, an Austrian philosopher, social reformer and architect, biodynamic farming is defined as “transforming the practice and culture of agriculture to renew the vitality of the earth, the integrity of our food, and the health and wholeness of our communities,” according to the Biodynamic Association.
The company calls itself “an environmentally friendly, socially conscious business that creates farms and products for earth and its people.”
Farmer D Organics develops and
manages community farms like the one envisioned for the closed golf course at Ahwatukee Lakes Golf Club.
Its product line is “based on creating and making available the highest quality organic soil and plant foods for growing the most nutritious and delicious food and medicines from the backyard gardener to the large scale organic farmer,” according to the company’s mission statement.
Joffe, described on his company website as having “a passion for localizing the food system and empowering people to grow their own food,” aims to “create farms and products for the earth and its people.”
He is the founder of a 25-acre farm that is the centerpiece for Serenbe, a 1,000-acre community outside Atlanta that in some ways is a large version of the Ahwatukee Farms concept.
With about 400 residents living in estate homes, townhouses and cottages, Serenbe boasts three restaurants, a theater, a thriving arts community and a philosophy aimed at protecting undeveloped land from Atlanta’s sprawl.
“We’ve found that community farms are not just a great way to grow healthy
See SCHOOL on page 6
(Cheryl Haselhorst/AFN Staff Photographer) Shatel Waters, founder of Desert Garden Montessori. Desert Garden Montessori school has proposed moving to become part of The Farms development.
Anti-pot campaign war chest gets $1-million boost
BY HOWARD FISCHER CAPITOL MEDIA SERVICES
campaign to keep Arizonans from using
from the state’s
Campaign finance reports show Discount Tire Co. dumped $1 million into the effort to kill Proposition 205. It is a private company owned by Paradise Valley resident Bruce Halle.
Efforts to reach Halle or his company were unsuccessful.
Forbes listed his “real time net worth’’ as of Monday at $6.3 billion.
The donation makes him the single largest contributor to the cause. Only Empire Southwest which sells heavy construction machinery comes close, with total donations to date of $200,000.
Current law allows Arizonans with certain medical conditions, a doctor’s recommendation and a state-issued ID card to obtain up to 2 1/2 ounces of
marijuana every two weeks. Proposition 205 would expand the right to buy, grow and possess up to an ounce for any adult.
That effort is primarily funded by the national Marijuana Policy Project.
Halle’s donations have gained some attention before.
Last year the Paradise Valley Police Department purchased cameras to read the license plates of vehicles passing through the tony community. The department said that Halle, whose home had been burglarized in 2011, donated about $250,000 to hide the cameras in fake cactus.
More recently, the chain drew criticism from some Latino groups for posting signs in store windows urging the reelection of Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio.
According to Forbes, the chain now has more than 900 stores in 31 states with estimated annual revenues of $4.2 billion.
from page 4
organically grown coffee to teachers ($1) and parents ($2).
Students in the 11-to 13-year age bracket run the shop independently, from ordering product to working as staff before and after school. They also maintain inventory and control budgets.
The problem Walters is wrestling with involves space. Of the 285 students, 37 are in grades 7 to 11. They work at a satellite campus that’s little more than a few offices in a strip mall.
“We are using every inch of space,” she explained, pointing to planters hanging in some classrooms because the school’s garden isn’t as big as needed.
Walters had approached True Life shortly after the company bought the Ahwatukee Lakes golf course to find out if it was willing to sell some land for a new campus.
“As we started to get to know each other, we mutually discovered a much larger opportunity than just a land sale,” said Aidan Barry, senior vice president/ development for True Life.
“We saw the beginnings of a partnership in creating a community hub by master planning the next campus of
the Desert Garden Montessori School in conjunction with our communitysupported agriculture concept,” he continued. “In essence, the birth of Ahwatukee Farms.”
Walters wants to use the Ahwatukee Farms school for students 7 years old and older. She envisions an enrollment there of 400 to 450 students.
Opponents of Ahwatukee Farms have argued that would generate intolerable levels of traffic in the Lakes community, particularly since Mountain Pointe High School is nearby.
Walters said class day start and end times are staggered, partly to accommodate parents’ schedules, but also because she believes that children should not have to wake up too early in the day.
Barry said opponents are premature in their judgments about traffic, stating that True Life “performed a due-diligence level of traffic analysis” before it even bought the golf course.
Although the company “concluded that the streets and intersections had adequate capacity to handle the additional trips that would be generated by our project,” he noted it will have to prepare “a very specific and detailed traffic study which will analyze, at a granular level, all the current traffic flows.”
GARDEN
from page 4
food and foster a healthy lifestyle, but also a good way to build friendships,” said Katie Pigott, Farmer D landscape designer and community agriculture consultant.
The company runs about 30 farms across the country that vary in size between one and 15 acres, although Pigott said it has “some targets that are 1,000 acres.”
Although Ahwatukee Farms residents would be allowed to work the farm, “day to day operations are under the supervision of trained management staff” and trained employees, she added. “It will be a profoundly managed entity.”
Typically, people pay monthly dues to belong to the community farm and each week are entitled to a basket of varied produce, Pigott explained.
She said Farmer D envisions “a nice partnership” with Desert Gardens Montessori School, which would occupy a 5-acre site adjacent to the farm, because the company wants to teach its philosophy of agriculture.
Pigott also stressed that the farm “won’t be complete on one day.”
“The buildout of the project will
evolve,” she said, adding at least half the available memberships in the community farm would be owned by Ahwatukee Farms residents.
Aidan Barry, senior vice president/ development for site owner True Life Companies, said his company will pay for the farm’s management until memberships and produce sales make it self-sufficient.
Farmer D Organics currently has no farms in a desert, Pigott said.
She envisions using greenhouses at the Ahwatukee Farms project “to develop microclimates” for growing some vegetables that can’t survive the area’s harsh summers.
“There may be some times when there would be no crops, only cover crops,” she added, echoing the biodynamic farming mission outlined by the Biodynamic Association:
“Biodynamic farmers strive to create a diversified, balanced farm ecosystem that generates health and fertility as much as possible from within the farm itself. Preparations made from fermented manure, minerals and herbs are used to help restore and harmonize the vital life forces of the farm and to enhance the nutrition, quality and flavor of the food being raised.”
Teacher evaluation rules hold colleges accountable
BY CLAIRE CAULFIELD CRONKITE NEWS
For years, the U.S. Department of Education has rated teachers’ success based on how well their students performed on tests. Now, it wants to take a step back and evaluate how teachers are taught to teach.
The department last week released new regulations aimed at assessing education colleges and programs that prepare teachers for their careers, with the goal of holding them accountable for the quality of their graduates.
Arizona officials were still combing through the 695-page document Thursday, but said they generally welcome the intent of the rules that will be phased in over the next five years, beginning with this school year.
“Ensuring programs prepare teachers fully, and graduates understand the challenges they may face is a key to giving young and new educators those
tools to be successful,” said Alexis Susdorf, a spokeswoman for the Arizona Department of Education.
The department’s Educator Retention and Recruitment Task Force reported in January that the teacher shortage in Arizona has reached crisis levels.
Beginning this year, states will have to design criteria for categorizing teacher training programs as effective, at-risk or low-performing. Low-performing programs will be ineligible for federal TEACH grants starting in 2021. The Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education, or TEACH, grants award up to $4,000 per year to potential teachers who agree to teach in high-needs schools after graduation.
A 2014 draft of these regulations ran into stiff opposition from educators, because it tied a program’s success to the academic success of the students of its alumni.
The new regulations give states flexibility in deciding how to evaluate.
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not bound by that exception.
“The court should not require the posting of a bond,” he argues in his brief. “If a bond is required, it should be nominal. Under (the National Environmental Protection Act), Congress intended for private plaintiffs to aid in the enforcement of national environmental policy. Ordinarily, where a party is seeking to vindicate the public interest … a minimal bond amount, if any, should be considered.”
He also said PARC, a group of homeowners near the freeway path, is virtually broke and hasn’t even been able to pay his fees for nearly a year.
Humetewa in August shot down both groups’ efforts to stop the freeway project. They had argued that pollution from thousands of vehicles a day threatened the health of Gila Community residents as well as thousands of children who attend the 17 schools in a half-mile radius of the thoroughfare.
Native Americans also accuse ADOT and the FHA of ignoring federal laws protecting their culture, arguing that South Mountain has been considered
a sacred site for centuries and that the freeway would desecrate the site by cutting through it.
The plan calls for a 200-foot-wide cut on the western edge of the mountain so that the 22-mile freeway can connect West Phoenix and Chandler to give I-10 motorists a way to avoid Downtown Phoenix traffic.
Humetewa ruled that the plaintiffs failed to prove their case, stating that the highway agencies had gone to sufficient lengths to protect as much of South Mountain as possible and ensure that environmental regulations had been followed.
In their request to halt construction until the appeal is resolved, both PARC and the Gila Community contend that continuation of work would render their fight moot because it would inflict “irreparable harm” on the environment and South Mountain.
But ADOT contends the stakes are just as great for the public if work grinds to a halt, and says in its brief, “If the Court concludes that injunctive relief is warranted, the rule requires plaintiffs to post a security in an amount appropriate to pay the costs and damages.”
Federal attorneys also filed a brief opposing the injunction, but deferred to
ADOT on the bond requirement, saying the federal government would not be harmed by a construction delay.
ADOT claims taxpayers will be forced to spend an additional $188,000 for every day that work is delayed, adding that a delay of a year would total at least $68.7 million.
“These costs are based on industry models that estimate escalation of project costs for various items, including materials, labor, right-of-way, and utility relocation/construction,” ADOT says.
Ultimately, ADOT says, a year’s delay could push the total cost of the $1.77-billion project to close to $2 billion and cost the region more than $650 million in economic harm.
“An injunction is not in the public interest because it would delay the mobility, environmental, health, safety, and employment benefits of the project,” ADOT’s brief states, citing the environmental damage from that the I-10 congestion that it says the South Mountain Freeway would alleviate.
In making its case against a work delay, ADOT states, “In addition to these dayfor-day costs of an injunction, if the court enjoins the project, ADOT may be forced to terminate hundreds of design, preconstruction and construction activities.”
Calling it the largest freeway project in Arizona history and one of the “largest and most complex transportation projects in the United States,” ADOT argues any delay “will have a ripple effect on the design and construction schedule and result in enormous increases in the cost to the public.”
“An injunction that prohibits ADOT from continuing with the project, and causes termination of the various contracts, will result in damages to the public ranging from $91.2 million to $131.7 million,” ADOT’s brief warns.
In an interview, Shanker said federal appeals courts in public interest cases have said that any injunction-related bond “should be zero or a nominal amount.”
He said one of the cases that ADOT is relying on for the bond request involves a case he handled on appeal. He said the lawyer before him, who handled the case at the district court level, apparently was unaware he could argue for a public interest exemption from a bond.
At the appellate level, the 9th Circuit agreed with Shanker that the bond was too high, but also said a district court “has broad discretion as long as the amount does not make it difficult to pursue justice.”
Ahwatukee bus riders benefitting
from expanded service
Ahwatukee bus riders on Monday will get expanded service on two major routes in what city transit officials call the first tangible benefits of the transportation tax voters approved last year.
Both the Route 56 bus, which starts and end s at 48th Street and Ray Road and travels east to Priest Drive, and the Route 108 bus, which starts and ends at Chandler Boulevard and 48th Street and travels north to Elliot Road before heading east, will benefit from extended operation times.
They and the rest of Valley Metro buses serving Phoenix will operate 4 a.m.midnight Monday through Friday and 5 a.m.-10 p.m. weekends.
In addition, all local routes will run 30 minutes or less, including off-peak times on weekends.
service representatives whose hours have been expanded for taking public calls to 5 a.m.-10 p.m. weekdays, 6 a.m.-8 p.n. Saturdays and 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Sundays.
This is the first of two scheduled upgrades, with a second proposed for April 17 that would match Dial-ARide and regular bus hours to light rail service hours.
The public can comment on the plan by emailing input@ valleymetro.org through Nov. 4. The public also can access a webinar about the plan at noon Oct. 26 at attendee.gotowebinar.com/ recording/2871476145555627523. A public hearing also has been scheduled at 5 p.m. Nov. 1 at the 10th floor boardroom of Valley Metro, 101 N. 1st Ave., Phoenix.
Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton three weeks ago said at the Ahwatukee Foothills Chamber of Commerce breakfast that in many cases buses would run every 15 minutes.
The expanded service comes from a .3 percent sales tax increase that voters approved in August 2015. The sales tax is now 8.3 percent. The amount of that tax earmarked for transit went from .4 percent to .7 percent—the equivalent of 70 cents on a $100 purchase.
City Public Transit Department spokesman Lars Jacoby, an Ahwatukee resident, said the Route 108 bus is particularly benefitting from the upgrade because it will run every half hour on the weekends instead of every hour within Phoenix boundaries. Its first stop in Tempe is at Priest Drive and Elliot Road.
To support the service expansion, Valley Metro also has hired more that 200 people, including customer
Stanton noted that there will be other benefits for Ahwatukee residents resulting from the tax increase, which is projected to generate $16.7 billion over the life of the 35-year transportation improvement plan.
Stanton said Ahwatukee arterial streets would benefit from new pavement being added to a total 680 miles of major roadways in Phoenix, a reduction in the maintenance cycle for streets from 66 to 33 years, 1,080 miles of additional bike lanes, 135 miles of new sidewalks, 2,000 new street lights, and $240 million in major street improvements.
Additionally, Valley Metro plans to more than double the 20 miles of light rail corridors, install more bus stops and increase the number of shaded stops, add Wi-Fi wireless capability to all buses and provide reloadable transit passes.
One thing Ahwatukee residents won’t see under Stanton’s term is light rail service to their community.
“That will have to wait for the next mayor,” Stanton said.
Ahwatukee bus routes 56 and 108 will get expanded hours of operation.
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The sisters, two of Linda and James Gregg’s four children, have been dancing in Lewis’ “Nutcracker” since Olivia was 6 and Bella 4 years old and they have been her students since they were 3. They both played mice and angels in their first “Nutcracker” appearance.
They’re often mistaken for twins, and their mother, Linda Gregg, said, “They do everything together, though, and they often get asked if they are twins.”
The sisters also are a bit superstitious, as they request the same numbers every year Lewis holds Nutcracker auditions—57 for Olivia and 58 for Bella.
This year, however, Olivia couldn’t make auditions because she was recovering from knee surgery. Nonetheless, she will be dancing as the Marzipan Queen.
“Bella was on Cloud 9 when she found out she was this year’s Sugar Plum and she still hasn’t come down from that cloud,” her mother said. “Olivia loved the role so much and she wouldn’t have wanted to pass her Sugar Plum crown to anyone else. She is so proud of her sister and to keep the crown in the family.”
But Bella couldn’t count on family connections to get the part; she had to work for it.
The three-hour audition puts all the children to the test on their pointe work, technique and ability to learn choreography. After the audition three to four judges take hours to decide who gets which role.
Lewis stays up all night and delivers yard signs to the children with lead roles so they see them when they wake up.
“The girls can barely sleep at night with anticipation,” Gregg said. “When
Bella saw she was the Sugar Plum, she dropped to the ground and cried. She was surprised and thrilled. It was Bella’s dream to the Sugar Plum one day but she never expected it to be this year.”
Gregg said her daughters dance “because it makes them feel strong and it gives them an outlet for their emotions.”
“They dance anywhere from 20-30 hours a week and they train in all styles of dance,” she added. “Olivia started dancing at age 3 because we felt she needed something physical to do so we enrolled her in dance class. She quickly fell in love with it and started competing at age 6.
“Bella wanted to dance because her sister did it and all of her best friends were there. They are both inspired by the younger children at the studio and kids they meet at conventions. They see how hard these kids work and how much these dancers look up to them it makes them work harder to be good examples.”
Gregg said it will be a family reunion of sorts to see Bella reprise her sister’s performance of the Sugarplum Fairy.
“’The Nutcracker’ is such a magical experience and the girls are looking forward to having friends and relatives come from all over to watch them,” she said. “We have family coming from Seattle, California and the Midwest.”
Tickets are already on sale for The Nutcracker, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Dec. 17 and 2 p.m. Dec. 18. All performances will be at Mountain Pointe High School’s Fine Arts Theatre, and Santa will make his appearance after both afternoon performances.
Tickets can be obtained at Dance Studio 111, 4910 Chandler Blvd., Ahwatukee, at 480-706-6040, or by emailing afnutcracker@gmail.com
Tickets are $18 to $40 for assigned seating. Information:
Olivia Gregg, left, and her younger sister Bella were only 6 and 4 years old, respectively, when they first appeared in Kimblery Lewis’ “Nutcracker” as mice.
Judge rules against ADA lawsuit, lawyer
BY JIM WALSH AFN STAFF WRITER
Afederal judge imposed sanctions against a controversial attorney and his co-counsel, citing their “bad faith behavior” in dealings with a defense attorney after they filed a “boilerplate” suit accusing property owners of violating the federal Americans with Disabilities Act.
Attorneys Peter Strojnik and Fabian Zazueta and the foundation they represent, Advocates for Individuals with Disabilities, were ordered by U.S. District Court Judge G. Murray Snow to reimburse Golden Rule Properties for specified legal fees stemming from the case.
Snow also ordered the case remanded to Maricopa County Superior Court, ruling that the foundation lacked standing to sue Golden Rule in federal court because it could not prove that any individual was harmed by the alleged ADA violation cited, or that plaintiffs
Shannon Puckett or David Ritzenthaler were members of the foundation.
Snow wrote in his ruling that the foundation filed 162 similar ADA claims in federal court and about 1,000 in state court, with all of the suits containing “the same general language alleging the local business violated the ADA by having inadequate signage or parking spaces for the disabled.”
In the Golden Rule case, the foundation cited a lack of van-accessible parking spaces or signs that were not at least 60 inches high, as required by the ADA.
But Snow said the foundation failed to prove that “any disabled individual encountered the defendant’s defective signage” and was actually denied access.
Snow ruled that the foundation lacks standing to sue because it could not prove harm to a disabled person, or show that it was acting on behalf of Puckett or Ritzenthaler as members.
“Rather, the complaint attempts to allege that the plaintiff has a ‘close
relationship’ with all ‘former, current and future disabled individuals due to its charitable acts,’” without providing any specific facts to back up this argument, Snow wrote.
The Arizona Attorney General’s Office has cited similar arguments in court filings on the state cases, saying that the foundation lacks standing to sue because it presented no evidence that a disabled person was harmed by an alleged ADA violation.
the case” to federal court.
But after the case was removed to federal court, the foundation moved for dismissal. It was a second example of the same behavior that led to sanctions against the foundation’s attorneys in another suit against Sun West Dental Properties, Snow wrote.
In addition, Snow accused Strojnik and Zanueta of using deceptive tactics in their dealings with Golden Rule’s attorney. The judge wrote that the foundation’s attorneys told Golden Rule’s defense attorney that “they had no intention of dismissing the federal claims if the defendant removed
“AID and its counsel’s decisions to dismiss its federal claims under these circumstances are not ‘straight-forward tactical decisions.’ Rather, these decisions reflect expensive baitand-switch maneuvers aimed at prolonging litigation and imposing costs on the opposing party,” Snow wrote.
– Reach Jim Walsh at 480-898-5639 or at jwalsh@ ahwatukee.com.
(Special to AFN)
Judge G. Murray Snow cited “bad faith behavior” in ADA lawsuits.
Ahwatukee clown’s fans worry about her safety amid ‘scary’ frenzy
BY JIM WALSH AFN STAFF WRITER
When children and their parents expressed their concerns about Foot Z’s safety at the Arriba Mexican Grill in Ahwatukee, she realized there is nothing more satisfying to her than working as clown.
Foot Z—real name Cheryl Hartzler—is a veteran clown who has delighted children and entertained their parents for more than two decades, said she needed some reassurance as social media continues to fuel the “Crazy Clown” frenzy.
threats to carry out campus shootings. Mesa police and other authorities are warning teenagers and their parents about the dangers of getting caught up in a trendy social media hoax featuring a “scary clown” that has turned into a crime as it sweeps the Valley and nation.
Mesa police arrested two juveniles, a 17-year-old boy and a 12-year-old girl, after investigating a series of social media posts that combined menacing photos of clowns with threats to shoot up high schools.
After a series of increasingly worrisome reports from around the country, the frenzy surfaced in the East Valley and Phoenix in the last few weeks, with police arresting at least seven teens, accusing them of using social media to combine clown profile photos with
In one post unrelated to the arrests, someone asked which high school they should target, Mesa High School or Red Mountain High School, to “take the shots.”
Mesa police, Phoenix police and the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office aren’t laughing. They are pointing out that these threats are crimes by filing charges.
An expert at the University of Arizona said the clown hoaxes are a reminder
that bad information can spread on social media just as quickly as good information, and that social media can be abused.
“Because the clown story is traveling by social media, it is fast and furious,” said Catherine F. Brooks, director of the University of Arizona’s Center for Digital Society and Data Studies. “It propagates easily. It moves faster and faster, and it takes hold in communities of people and becomes fashionable.”
Detective Nik Rasheta, a Mesa police spokesman, said the scary clown images started popping up on social media in 2014, with kids goofing around, taking pictures of each other wearing clown masks. The joke stopped being funny when threats were added.
“It’s more of a phenomenon, a movement. Kids know the concept of being scary with a clown,” Rasheta said. “For them, it’s a funny thing. We need to make people understand that threats are against the law.”
Detectives have not substantiated the threats and do not believe there is a real danger of teens acting on the threats, he said.
But authorities have to take any such
threat seriously, Rasheta said.
During a recent appearance at the Ahwatukee Arriba’s, Foot Z dressed in her usual clown attire, much to the delight of some of her little fans, mostly elementary school students.
Earlier this month, Foot Z abandoned her usual character, which resembles Raggedy Ann, and started dressing as a pirate out of concern for her safety.
But on a recent Sunday afternoon, Foot Z was glad she made an exception and returned to her usual clown character.
She said she was touched when children said, “Foot Z, are you OK? We heard there are some scary clowns out there.”
“It was just what I needed, some reinforcement from the children,” Hartzler said.
Hartzler’s husband, Jim, also works as a clown, and is known as “Cowboy JJ.” He is not fearful of backlash from the Crazy Clown frenzy because he does not look like a classic clown.
Foot Z works on Sundays at an Arriba Mexican Grill restaurant in Ahwatukee,. They both have other assignments, with Foot Z working at events sponsored by HOAs, schools and restaurants.
DiCiccio rips City Council approval of pay to disgraced Valley Metro ex-CEO
BY PAUL MARYNIAK
AFN EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Phoenix City Councilman Sal
DiCiccio was on the losing side of an effort to reduce the city’s payment to Valley Metro because its board paid $180,000 in retirement benefits to its disgraced former CEO.
DiCiccio two weeks ago found support only from council members Jim Waring and Michael Nowakowski on his motion to hold back $62,000 from Phoenix’s normal payment to Valley Metro.
The amount represents the city’s share of some $180,000 that Valley Metro awarded Steve Banta, who resigned last year after disclosures that he had wrung up more than $315,000 in improper expenses. The state Attorney General is investigating Banta’s spending.
“I provided examples of how lowerlevel employees were sent to prison and had their monies taken away for this sort of behavior,” DiCiccio said after the vote.
“This council voted instead to give a golden parachute to Banta, a top-level
person accused of much worse,” he added. “Valley Metro and now the city of Phoenix are condoning and rewarding his bad behavior. Low-level employees go to prison, those at the top get rewarded with more taxpayer money.”
DiCiccio also said, “This is not a conservative or liberal issue. It is a moral issue that should leave everyone frustrated and appalled at the different level of treatment for those at the top and for those at the bottom.”
Mayor Greg Stanton and the other five City Council members voted against DiCiccio’s motion after Valley Metro interim CEO Scott Smith, the former mayor of Mesa, detailed the agency’s legal exposure if it had denied Banta’s claim
He said Banta wanted $275,000 in severance pay and another $270,000 in annuity retirement funds and threatened legal action that could have cost Valley Metro $1.7 million if Banta had prevailed.
Smith said Valley Metro lawyers advised that the retirement account
“as a matter of law was the property of Mr. Banta” and that the agency’s legal position in withholding its release was precarious.
“Rather than take on significant legal and financial risk,” Smith said, “we decided we would focus on making Valley Metro financially whole.”
Banta dropped his claim for triple damages, got the retirement account and then paid Valley Metro $125,000 to cover questionable spending uncovered by an agency audit, Smith added.
“This settlement ends what would have been very costly and uncertain litigation,” Smith said.
Vice Mayor Kate Gallego accused DiCiccio of a “politically motivated” attack, although she offered no reason for the remark.
“Your remarks are inappropriate and wrong,” DiCiccio fired back, accusing Gallego and her colleagues of giving Banta’s conduct a pass.
He cited three examples of low-level employees who had stolen money from Valley Metro or other public agencies
and noted that in all three cases, they not only went to prison but lost their retirement funds.”
But Smith noted that no one knows what, if any, action the attorney general might take in its investigation.
“We don’t know if the AG will even do anything,” he said. “And every day the clock ticked, the dangers of paying Banta more increased.”
Waring said City Council’s action was setting a dangerous precedent.
“I’d rather see us fighting this out,” he said. “He’s being rewarded by the taxpayers.”
But Councilwoman Thelda Williams, the city’s representative to Valley Metro, said the majority on council “is trying to make the best of a bad situation.”
“When four lawyers tell you that’s the best we can do, why would we take the risk and prolong the agony?” she asked.
Smith also disclosed that Banta has about $405,000 in state pension money that remains up in the air. About half represents Banta’s payments into the state retirement account.
(Special to AFN)
Foot Z the Clown changed her wardrobe for her Ahwatukee appearances out of concern over the ‘Crazy Clown’ frenzy.
Solar panel maker funding dark money opponents in Corporation Commission race
BY HOWARD FISCHER CAPITOL MEDIA SERVICES
Amajor manufacturer of rooftop solar units is putting $140,000 into the effort to reelect Republican Bob Burns and elect Democrat Bill Mundell to the Arizona Corporation Commission.
The disclosure last week came as the five candidates for the three available seats on the panel that sets utility rates debated whether to force Arizona Public Service to disclose what it spent in 2014 to help elect two other Republicans. Burns has issued a subpoena for the records of APS. But Attorney General Mark Brnovich has said his ability to get at the books of Pinnacle West Capital Corp. is dependent on getting votes of three of the five commissioners. And to date the other four Republicans have balked.
Mundell and fellow Democrat Tom Chabin have promised if they are elected they will provide Burns with the necessary votes.
Save Our State Now and the Arizona Free Enterprise Club funneled $3.2 million into that 2014 campaign to secure the election of Tom Forese and Bill Mundell.
Both are classified under federal tax law as “social welfare’’ organizations. They contend that exempts them from having to divulge their donors. Their positions have been buttressed by a measure approved just this past year by the Republican-controlled state Legislature declaring that an IRS classification makes any group’s donor lists off limits.
Mundell said, though, the commission, just like the Legislature, was created in the Arizona Constitution. “The Constitution takes precedence,’’ he said. While that question of APS influence in electing commissioners is dominating much of this year’s race, it was disclosed that a group funded by SolarCity is doing to a certain extent this year what APS is accused of doing two years ago. It has put $140,000 into an independent campaign to help elect Mundell and secure another four-year term on the commission for Burns. SolarCity, like APS, has an interest in the makeup of the commission. The panel will decide as early as next year how to structure rates for utility customers
who generate some of their own power.
Any decision on those charges, as well as how much utilities have to pay customers for the power they’re now forced to buy from homeowners, could determine whether rooftop solar remains affordable.
But SolarCity lobbyist Kris Mayes said there’s a significant difference. She said SolarCity, which manufactures and installs rooftop solar units, is disclosing its spending; the refusal of APS to say what it did or did not spend in the past or might spend in the future leaves voters in the dark.
Burns said he personally wishes SolarCity was not spending money to help his reelection. But he pointed out that Arizona law precludes him from having any say in what is spent independent of his campaign.
All five contenders appear to agree that, ethical issues aside, APS probably has a legal right to spend as much as it wants to influence elections. That includes the commission which regulates the utility’s rates.
“What we’re talking about is transparency,’’ said Republican Boyd Dunn.
Burns argued this is about more than an academic exercise.
“When a regulated utility spends at the rate that APS is perceived to have spent in 2014, integrity’s at risk,’’ he said.
Burns added that he’s not saying that either Forese or Little was aware of the actual source of the money being spent.
What’s worse, Chabin said, is that customers are footing the bill so that the utilities can elect people who they believe are more likely to approve their rate hike requests.
“Every time you paid your bill, APS took a little bit of that money, put it into a ‘dark money’ campaign to invest over $3 million to elect the commission they wanted,’’ he said.
A company spokesman will neither confirm nor deny any political spending in the election. About the only thing APS executive have said is that if they did spend any money it came out of shareholder profits, not customer bills.
Joints are the spaces where bones meet. Muscles, tendons and ligaments are the soft tissues that connect, move and give stability to the skeletal system. Our knowledgeable specialists work to correct the imbalances in the soft tissues that lead to joint pain.
The issue of Burns’ subpoena has put incumbent Andy Tobin on the defensive. While Tobin said he supports disclosure, he also voted to undermine a contract that Burns had made with a consultant to analyze any
APS provide.
Candidates speak out
The Ahwatukee Foothills News invited candidates for the governing boards in Tempe Union High and Kyrene school districts to write a column about what voters could expect if they were elected. For their answers, see page 30.
Tempe Union board candidates outline district challenges
The Ahwatukee Foothills News asked the six candidates for three seats on the governing board for Tempe Union high School District the following question:
What are the three biggest challenges (not necessarily problems) facing the school board and how would you deal with them?
Here are their answers. The full answers to all AFN’s questions can be read at ahwatukee.com. Some responses here were edited for length.
ANDRES ADAN BARRAZA: “Our education budget, student absence rates and plummeting teacher retention rates.
… When we lose committed teachers, it directly impacts
student participation. I propose lessening the workload of teachers. Make systems more efficient for them and administrators. Efficiency means more time given back to our faculty and less waste, which means we save money. The money we save should stay with the department for their use.
“I believe in order to keep students in school, we need to support more funding for student services. By contracting additional professionals to provide assistance and guidance in resolving personal, social, or psychological problems and difficulties for our students, we can reach out to more students in need.
“Chronic absences are largely associated with some difficult personal issue that the child is going through, from dealing with a death in the family to bullying. We need to be able to reach out to these students and help them work through their issues while staying on track for graduation.”
DON C. FLETCHER: “(1)
Transparency and greater community involvement.
There are many important decisions made by the school board, and we simply need to have a broader base of participation by the taxpayers of this district. … I would reach out to the greater community, and seek to have them more involvement in the committees and boards that make recommendations to the school board.
“(2) Funding and accountability. The taxpayers need to feel like the schools are being smart with expenditures and respecting the taxpayer dollars that fund our schools. We also need to work with the Arizona Legislature and the governor to have more long-term funding mechanisms that will allow for better budgeting and planning.
“(3)Fractures in our society. Schools are faced with fractures in our greater
society and are often asked to fix it. There are great problems in our community with drugs, bullying, and students who come from homes lacking stability and structure…. While our schools cannot do everything, they can provide a platform for students to become successful and envision a productive future.”
MICHELLE HELM: “Digital Citizenship. There are consequences to inappropriate use of media; we must teach students the ramifications. We are enhancing our existing programs and starting new programs like ‘Be Safe, Be Smart, Be Kind’ to educate students about the correct use of social media.
“Ensure that every student receiving a
See TEMPE on page 20
Kyrene school board candidates examine district’s biggest challenges
The Ahwatukee Foothills News asked the four candidates for three governing board seats in Kyrene School District the following question:
What are the three biggest challenges (not necessarily problems) facing the school board and how would you deal with them?
Here are their answers, some of which have been edited for length. Their complete answers to this question and the rest of the AFN questionnaire are at ahwatukee.com
MICHELLE FAHY: “To hire and retain quality teachers. In the last couple of years, Kyrene has seen a large turnover in teachers. This year Kyrene lost about 180 teachers, many of whom found higherpaying positions in neighboring districts.
“Research shows that highly experienced, well-trained teachers
Michelle Fahy
can make all the difference in a child’s achievement.
In order to provide the highest quality education to all our Kyrene students we must have competitive salaries that allow us to hire and retain quality teachers for our Kyrene classrooms. We must ensure that the work environment is positive, respectful and recognizes the hard work and dedication of its employees.
“To strategically allocate District funds to best support instruction and learning in the classroom, guided by analysis of systems, procedures, and services.
“Provide up-to-date quality curriculum resources that utilize research-based, effective teaching strategies to address the Arizona academic standards.
JOHN KING: “Funding. This is primarily an issue for the Legislature…. This is probably a good place to pay tribute to the Kyrene District for being one of the leanest operating school districts in the state.
“Community involvement. With so many of our residents no longer having a child in our school system, there is limited interest in how the district itself operates…I have reached out to community members on a regular basis for their help in reviewing new textbooks, evaluating new programs, and even participating in the evaluation of our new superintendent in stakeholder groups.
“Teacher shortage. Fewer education graduates from our universities and a clear focus on the low salaries paid to our teachers have contributed to a nationwide shortage in qualified
teachers. Kyrene sees a number of contracted teachers leaving the district for better pay elsewhere on a regular basis. We must find a way through the first two challenges above to help reduce this attrition and make teaching a more attractive option for our teachers and those yet to join our district.”
MICHAEL MYRICK: “Retaining and recruiting the best talent is critical in any organization and our children are our greatest asset and investment in the future. Too often our teachers are faced with increased pressure to dedicate time and resources away from actually teaching. We need to provide our teachers with the support and a comprehensive curriculum that creates a pathway so they can focus on teaching.
AFN NEWS STAFF
AFN NEWS STAFF
Legislative candidates answer questions on Ahwatukee, freeway
Candidates for the State House and State Senate in Legislative District 18 were asked by the Ahwatukee Foothills News a series of questions.
The full questionnaire and answers are on ahwatukee.com.
Two of the questions involved their take on the most important issue facing
Ahwatukee in particular and some questions related to the South Mountain Freeway.
Here are their answers. While all six candidates were sent questionnaires, Green Party candidate Linda Macias, who is running for State House, did not respond.
The district includes all of Ahwatukee and parts of Mesa, Tempe and Chandler.
The senate candidates are Democrat
Sean Bowie and Republican Frank Schmuck. Running for the House are Republican incumbents Jill Norgaard and Bob Robson and Democrat Mitzi Epstein.
What issue affecting Ahwatukee directly concerns you most and how do you think you can help?
FRANK SCHMUCK: “Ahwatukee is concerned about the proposed 202-freeway expansion. While the development of it is still in litigation, it is imperative to hold the state and other interested parties accountable.
“I have spent my career in transportation and when the Arizona Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration wanted to widen the US 60 and build the Loop 101, I stepped up with a team to address the noise issue for residents.
“We proposed ways to reduce noise using rubberized asphalt and demonstrated its mitigating effects for adjacent neighborhoods. So whatever this outcome, I plan on supporting residents while ensuring the state and other parties fulfill their obligations to the highest standards possible.”
SEAN BOWIE: “The most important issue is protecting our local public schools, and restoring education funding. As a product of our local public schools, this issue is personal for me. When our schools are strong, we attract better jobs and build stronger communities.”
state usurped control from cities in a series of bills that became laws. I believe that taking control away from cities is detrimental to our quality of life. Cities should be centers of innovation, making new ways to make our lives better.
“Instead, the incumbent legislators created a series of laws that banned Phoenix from making solutions differently from Mesa or Tempe or Chandler. Each city is unique and wonderful. These laws were a terrible example of suppressing local control. I will fight for local control in our cities and in our schools.”
BOB ROBSON: “As I’ve previously mentioned, quality of life is always an issue. This means having excellent schools, great jobs, and safety through great police and fire services. At the state level, it’s important support these goals so that quality companies, such as Honeywell, Apple, Intel, and Google, come here and stay here. This is why our state universities should be properly funded second to none.”
JILL NORGAARD:
“Navigating through the proposed 202 freeway process. It has been a challenge to provide the community with updates on the plans for the freeway. Through persistence, I initiated a freeway forum, which was attended by over 200 residents.
“There were stations available that highlighted the current plans for Lakewood water wells, aesthetics, rubberized asphalt, noise, and traffic congestion.
MITZI EPSTEIN: “I have always been dedicated to local control and keeping communities safe. As a representative of Ahwatukee, I will speak up for our community to have the resources necessary to keep us safe. The legislature’s bad habit of sweeping funds away from cities must stop.
“In the last legislative session, the
“It was a great opportunity to give the residents access to the ADOT personnel and provide input into the ongoing proposed designs. I continue to facilitate these meetings.”
Should you as a legislator become involved in the community concerns about the South Mountain Freeway, particularly its design? How could you impact the process with ADOT anticipating a final design before you
diploma is college and career ready and is prepared to move into college courses or the work place. We do this by providing all students the opportunity for AP and dual enrollment, current technology, and by ensuring all students have access to career and technical education (CTE) opportunities.
“Over testing. Teachers, parents and students are concerned about the large number of tests given students leaving little time for instruction. We need to examine ways to modify high stake testing to include alternate pathways to a diploma.
BERDETTA HODGE: “Balancing the district budget, adopting new curriculum, addressing the needs of the parents, teachers, community and students of our district.”
“We have to be innovative with our thinking around crafting solutions and utilizing our resources. As an outcome based individual, I will work with our district stakeholders, community members and members of our state legislature to help identify effective solutions to our districts challenges.”
SANDY LOWE: “One challenge is remembering our responsibility is general oversight of policies, our budget and hiring/firing a superintendent, and not micromanaging…”
“Another challenge is ensuring district stakeholder committees are operating in the most effective way possible. For a number of board decisions, committee recommendations are a source of information used in determining what’s best for Tempe Union (i.e. budget
needs), so reviewing such things as how members are selected, who facilitates discussions and how recommendations are developed within the committee may positively contribute to results.
“A final challenge relates to board communication with the community. This includes having meaningful discussions between board members at public meetings to assure our community understands reasons for an individual vote and how factual information as well as stakeholder input is used in decision making.
“On-going Board development and review of processes are some ways to address these challenges. This includes clarification of our role, examining accountability for decisions, and reviewing current practices.”
“We can address this challenge by providing professional development, mentoring and other incentive-based practices. In order to focus on closing the achievement gap, we need the most qualified educators in the classroom. Most vital, we need to compensate our teachers with a competitive salary so we don’t lose them to other professions or districts….”
less assistance. I would like to see the district use the teacher surveys gathered annually to set goals around addressing the top 10 concerns.
“Additionally, I would like to see the district leverage community resources -retirees, community volunteers, partner with local universities and community colleges to identify ways to provide credit hours and internships. I would like to consider adopting technology to streamline reporting and reduce overhead.
SCOTT RYAN: “School funding is always a challenge and there is no easy fix. I will work to make sure that more dollars get spent in the classroom and not on administration.
“Student achievement is a challenge and priority for me. Having highly skilled teachers is the biggest factor in student achievement that the district can control. I will push to adopt successful teaching practices, rather than wasteful programs. I will focus on the success of the student, not the program.
“Teacher effectiveness is a concern for everyone. Teachers spend a great portion of their day on administrative tasks including lesson planning, grading, tracking attendance, and copying papers. There is no time left to actually teach. I will push to have Teacher’s Aides or volunteers to help with some of these administrative tasks so teachers can do what they really want to do, which is teach.”
“The second challenge in the districts is funding for special education. I believe a thorough audit of how our federal, state, county and city dollars are being allocated needs to be examined. We need to assess this practice and allow funds to be reallocated to support our vulnerable student populations. When we identify strategies to close the achievement gap, this large population seems overlooked.
“A partnership with teachers, parents and educational industry experts for each child is necessary to determine the needs for so many students, rather than a blanket funds allocation approach. Furthermore, I would volunteer to assist in setting up a subcommittee to get feedback and establish a plan for the next four years to improve the learning results and prevent students with specific learning disabilities to not fall between the cracks and be given the services they equally deserve.
“Lastly, we need to focus on best practices to be able to compete with the growing competition of charters and private schools. This can be done by being committed to recruit and retain the best and brightest teachers and compensate them accordingly…”
ESHE PICKETT: “Teacher
support.
With the increase in reporting and testing and the decrease in funding, teachers have greater responsibility and
“Transparency and follow-through. In speaking with community members and parents, a recurring theme arose that often it seemed requests and inquiries went unanswered. …I would like to see a public issues board that was available as a mobile application where parents and the community can socially engage with issues…Also, if the system were able to automate notification and closure of the issue, with the opportunity to rate the response and action, it would provide the transparency needed.
“Community engagement. … It would be wonderful to see increased volunteering, donation and acknowledgement of community members. When I wanted to volunteer for Kyrene, I ended up subscribing to every school newsletter so I would know when and where I could help. It should have been easier.
“A consolidated volunteer database where people could search and volunteer for opportunities or do so with a large group would be a great step. I would also love to see a “State of Our Schools” address by the superintendent.”
Eshe Pickett
take office? Is this freeway a sensible idea?
NORGAARD: “Absolutely, legislators should be involved with the concerns that the community may have with state projects. That is why I organized the May meeting at Pecos Community Center with the Arizona Department of Transportation and our residents.
“A contractor was selected in January and I wanted the public to be in the loop of what the proposed plans were related to their issues with noise, aesthetics, freeway height, intersections, and water availability. There were many concerned residents at the meeting’s six stations, providing ample opportunity for residents to discuss their concerns with ADOT personal and their contractors.
“Follow-on discussions and community input is an ongoing process.”
ROBSON: “Representative Norgaard, Senator Dial, and I have become involved in concerns about its design. We recently held a meeting for public to come out and voice their concerns. The most important way we can impact the process is by making sure that all voices are heard.”
EPSTEIN: “I have heard many homeowners and residents of Ahwatukee, and many are angry about this issue. They do not want an eyesore, noise, traffic, and pollution from the highway. The Department of Transportation has done a terrible job of communicating with the community about their plans.
“Recently at an Ahwatukee Village Planning committee meeting, ADOT did not provide a plan to the community. It’s been over 30 years!
“They have a lot of content on their website so it is inexcusable for ADOT to do that at a community meeting. If the freeway is to be built, we need to make
it an asset to our community rather than an eye sore.
“If we have to live with it, make it livable. We should look to the way that SR51 was built as an example. It is depressed, and it has walls with art added, to be effective barriers to noise. I will work with all stakeholders to come to a solution that protects the integrity of our neighborhoods and the property values of residents.”
BOWIE: “Yes, legislators should be involved as a voice for the community. As it stands now, I do not support the current route that ADOT has proposed. If we have to live with this freeway, we must make it livable.
“I am concerned about the elevated structure of the freeway, and the potential noise problems that it will create for Ahwatukee residents. I am also concerned about the development of the extension of Chandler Boulevard.
“I support going back to the drawing board and coming up with a route that incorporates the needs and concerns of Ahwatukee residents, and makes it livable for our community.
“A model here would be State Route 51, which was designed with the community in mind and resulted in a freeway that serves as a testament to urban freeway design and construction.”
SCHMUCK: “I have spent my career in transportation and when the Arizona Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration wanted to widen the US 60 and build the Loop 101, I stepped up with a team to address the noise issue for residents.
“We proposed ways to reduce noise using rubberized asphalt and demonstrated its mitigating effects for adjacent neighborhoods.
“ I plan on supporting residents while ensuring the state and other parties fulfill their obligations to the highest standards possible.”
Community
www.ahwatukee.com
Ahwatukee woman oversees network that plugs volunteers into community needs
BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Saturday is National Day of Service Day, when volunteers throughout the country pitch in on community-service projects.
But for Michelle Curry of Ahwatukee, every day is a service day.
Curry administers a Phoenix network called Just Serve, which connects groups, individuals and even government agencies with projects that brighten the lives of people and neighborhoods.
It is part of a nationwide operation set up by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints to link needs and volunteers through a website, justserve.org.
“Just Serve is a platform,” said Curry, who has overseen the Valley operation since it started two years ago. “It is not a business. We don’t accept donations to run it. It is not for proselytizing or publicizing the church. This is a gift to the community from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”
Indeed, a number of different church denominations are part of the network. The LDS church pays for technical maintenance, and many of its members have volunteered to become unpaid specialists who help connect people with needs.
The service, which has been expanded to Canada, counts over 160,000 volunteers and 22,000 posted projects across the country.
Curry was asked by the church to take on the job after spending several years in its public affairs department. In her capacity, she deals with county and state agencies as well as large organizations to identify needs and enlist volunteers.
She demurs at having any attention paid to her work, and prefers people instead explore the website and find a project that engages them.
She said the church also doesn’t want any attention as far as Just Serve is concerned.
“We really don’t want to stand out,” Curry explained. “We want to be equal
or below those who serve.
When you serve someone, you’re on an equal basis. Service strengthens not just not the person you’re helping, it also helps you.”
The website elaborates on the philosophy of Just Serve:
“Our individual efforts don’t need to be huge—a little bit of change here, a few hours there—but even small efforts quickly add up to make a real difference. As we work sideby-side and learn from each other, mutual understanding increases, misconceptions can be corrected, and new friendships are built.”
back-to-school clothing drive for at-risk children.
The site is designed to be as userfriendly as possible for both volunteers and people who need help.
People or groups can type in the area where they live and the site produces a list of organizations that need volunteers for various projects.
The choices are seemingly limitless, ranging from the Phoenix Zoo and Valley of the Sun United Way to schools in low-income communities, hospices and memory-care facilities.
For example, Chandler Christian Community Center has a number of projects in which Just Serve volunteers regularly participate, including youth mentoring, iHelp, meal deliveries and emergency food box preparation.
Heather Anguiano, principal of Hartford Elementary School in Chandler, was a big benefactor with a
Groups that need a project also have the ease of listing what kinds of work they need help with.
There is one way that Just Serve cultivates publicity: It asks volunteers to post success stories.
“We collect stories and post them every month,” she said, noting that such stories help to inspire would-be volunteers.
The Arizona Chapter of Newborns in Need enlisted 101 people to make blankets, bibs, booties and other infant wear with 135 pounds of material.
Dignity Health East Valley received 5,400 crayons donated for children who visit the hospital, either as patients or visitors.
“You cannot imagine how much of a kind impact you are having on patients and families in the East Valley,” Barb Farmer, Dignity’s volunteer services manager, told Just Serve.
Curry said volunteers sign up for projects that are dear to them for personal reasons.
““People like to serve where their heart is,” she said. “For example, someone might have Alzheimer’s in the family, and those people’s hearts are with Alzheimer’s sufferers.”
Some of the projects can even be accomplished without leaving the house.
A Mesa woman posted anonymously about having her three children, ages 4 to 9, write birthday cards for homeless kids.
“I thought this would be a long and difficult activity to do with them. I was very wrong. They kept asking how to spell a child’s name and then would spend 15 minutes at a time writing and illustrating the cards.
“We have had some very tender moments through this experience as my children wrote notes and created birthday cards for these new friends they have never met. I don’t think I’ve ever seen them so engaged and happy.”
(Special
The Arizona Chapter of Newborns in Need obtained more than 135 pounds of materials through justserve.org that were used to make clothes and other accessories for infants.
Garden of Eatin’ art show aimed at promoting more displays in Ahwatukee
AFN NEWS STAFF
There are two things the leadership at Emmanuel Lutheran Church thinks Ahwatukee needs: gardens and art.
Three members—Jayne Peterson, Pam Yount and Debbie Parkins—have done their part with the former. They helped set up and oversee the Garden of Eatin’ on the grounds of the church, 2601 E. Thunderhill Place, Ahwatukee. several years ago.
Now they’re ready to do their part to bring more art to Ahwatukee. They are organizing the church’s first art show, 4-6 p.m. Oct. 29 at the garden.
Parkins is hoping both amateurs and professionals will take advantage of the show to display some of the work they’re proud of.
“A lot of us are art enthusiasts and we want to start some displays in Ahwatukee,” Parkins said. “A lot of other communities have art walks and art shows and Ahwatukee needs more of that.”
“We’d love to see this become an annual thing,” she added, noting the show is free.
To appeal to as wide a pool of artists as possible, the women have set virtually no limits on what people can show off—especially if artists can contribute “artistic expressions” of the show’s title, “Gather & Hope.”
They are accepting “photos, paintings, crayon drawings, textiles, folk art, poems, recycled art, sculptures and even books.”
Poems will be clipped to a fence on magnets so people can read them while books will be mounted on a table for perusal.
Organizers already have started their collection.
They’ve built a “community weave,” a lattice-work structure of string and wood that people right now can attach sayings and favorite lines from poems.
The Garden of Eatin’ was developed two years ago in an effort to accomplish a variety of missions: “promote sustainable organic gardening practices, foster participation in gardening for many ages and cultures, provide educational opportunities, share in the bounty of our harvest, encourage arts and creativity within the garden setting and create
community around desert gardening,” the church’s website states.
Parkins said the art show is an extension of the theory behind the garden.
“Our church is very good about opening its doors to the community,” she said. “We want to get more people in the community involved.”
People rent 14 of the 18 beds and two others are considered community property “that everyone works on,” Parkins said. Two are left to rent, and interested green thumbs must apply online at gardenofeatinaz.com.
She added that excess produce is donated to a homeless shelter.
Art show attendees will see the latest plantings—red beets, kale, radishes and some flowers—which are just starting to sprout, Parkins said.
They also will have a chance to buy art, as long as the artists don’t mind parting with it. Additionally, two professional artists from Ahwatukee—high school art teacher Samar Waterworth and Rich Sisther—will be on hand with works for sale.
People who want to display their creations can drop them off as late as the morning of the show at the church.
honna Slayton isn’t a household name yet, but she’s steadily making her way there.
The Ahwatukee part-time novelist has just published her third youngadult fantasy novel, titled “Spindle,” and will be reading from it and signing autographs during a special appearance at 7 p.m. today at Changing Hands Book Store, McClintock Drive at Guadalupe Road, Tempe.
Kirkus Reviews calls “Spindle” a “wellconstructed take on a famous fairy tale and heroine.”
It’s a 19th-Century update of “Sleeping Beauty” that can be read as a standalone book or as part of the latest in the series of books she has written. The other two are titled “Cinderella’s Dress” (Summer 2014) and “Cinderella’s Shoes” (Fall 2015).
She calls her books “historical fairy tales,” which she describes as a “mashup of history and fairy tale.”
“I take a fairy tale object, like the cursed spindle, and move it into a time and place in history that is somehow
related to the object,” she explained.
“With the spindle, I chose the setting as the cotton mills during the Industrial Revolution, and the main character is a spinner girl.
“The fairy tale part of the story is a continuation of the original tale. In this case, the spindle is still cursed since Aurora didn’t die with the prick of her finger and so the evil fairy’s magic is wrapped up in the spindle and to be free must see a girl to the death. Then, as much as possible I try to make the turning points of my novels hinge on historical events.”
Though she hasn’t earned the status of J. K. Rowling, the “Harry Potter” novelist, Slayton said sales of her previous novels
“have put me in the mid-list category— strong enough for my publisher to keep asking for more, but not enough that I’m a household name.”
That might come more easily when she can write full-time, since right now “my priority is homeschooling my children.”
“They are teenagers now, so it won’t be long until I have my days open to pursue writing full time,” she added.
Her latest novel involves a 16-yearold Vermont girl, Briar Rose Jenny, who must care for her three orphaned siblings and work in a spinning mill. She loses her fiancé, faces anti-Irish hostility and ultimately comes into possession of an evil spindle that, of course, only a prince can save her from.
“The novel pulls in historical details such as boardinghouses, cotton mills, and women’s suffrage, alongside the fantastical fairies, magic and a cursed spindle,” Slayton explained.
Kirkus Reviews called Slayton, “a natural storyteller” who “writes in smooth, practical prose that nevertheless manages to retain the romance and mystery one expects from a fairy tale.”
“The placement of the yarn in the context of an immigrant family in an industrial mill town makes for an intriguing contrast with the original version,” it added, noting:
“The book rests comfortably within its genre, and things end up about where the reader expects them. Slayton’s project aims to tell a simple, compelling story about responsibility, expectation,
(Special to AFN)
Ahwatukee author Shonna Slayton will be speaking and signing her latest young adult novel, "Spindle," at 7 p.m. today at Changing Hands bookstore, Tempe. See SHONNA on page 27
AROUND AHWATUKEE
Festival of Lights ramps up, needs businesses’ help
Plans are ramping up for Ahwatukee’s annual Festival of Lights Kick-Off Party Nov. 26 for the Christmas lights spectacular along Chandler Boulevard and organizers are hoping local businesses will lend a hand.
The kick-off committee needs local businesses to sponsor a ride or ticket booths and [provide some other help. The committee also is looking for local dance groups and other performers for the Candy Lane Pavilion.
Businesses and performers should contact admin@folaz.org.
Baby, kids’ clothing consignment sale set
The Lucky Duck Consignment, sponsored by Lifetime Eye Care of Ahwatukee, will hold its buying-selling event Oct. 27-29 at Mountain View Lutheran Church, 11002 S. 48th St., Ahwatukee. New parents, grandparents, foster and military families must pre-register at luckyduckconsignment.com.
Items include clothing sized newborn to 14, baby toys, bedding and books, maternity clothes, play equipment and a variety of other goods. Admission is free.
Volunteers can shop first and have their fees waived. Times/dates are: Oct. 27: pre-sale for volunteers, consignors and new parents; 8 a.m.-9 p.m. public sale Oct. 28, public sale 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Oct. 29.
Phoenix ends South Mountain burning ban
Phoenix officials over the weekend lifted the annual ban on open-charcoal and wood fires in the city’s desert and mountain preserves.
That means visitors can resume using charcoal in an established park grill and use a portable propane or gas grill in an established ramada or picnic area. Wood fires in an established park fire ring also are permitted.
Smoking outside of an enclosed vehicle is prohibited at all times.
Community college hosting Phoenix Women’s Forum
The 2016 City of Phoenix Women’s Forum will be held at South Mountain Community College 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Oct. 26. The forum offers women a chance to network, learn and “celebrate the success of other women in our community,” according to a release. It’s also an opportunity to learn from non-profit and business leadership and city representatives about the challenges and opportunities facing women in terms of health, safety, employment/economics and civic engagement.
The event is free and open to the public and lunch will be provided. Register at phoenixwomensforum2016.eventbrite.com. Information: 602-262-6690.
Y OPAS still needs books, slates special author auction
The Ahwatukee Foothills Family YMCA Outreach Program for Ahwatukee Seniors (Y OPAS) is still in need of book donations for its ninth annual fundraising book sale 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Nov. 5 at the at the YMCA, 1030 E. Liberty Lane.
Books can be dropped off at the Y or the following Ahwatukee locations: Pecos Senior Center, 48th Street and Pecos Road; Odelay Bagel Company, Equestrian Trail and Warner/Elliot Loop; Cupz N’ Crepes, 42nd Street and Chandler Boulevard; Ahwatukee Board of Management Swim/Tennis Center, 48th Street and Warner Road. Books also can be dropped off at the Arizona Bread Company, Elliot and Kyrene roads, Tempe. Information: Jill at 602-212-6088.
Meanwhile, Y OPAS is auctioning off entire set of Richard Phillips’ best-selling novels, “The Rho Agenda,” signed by the author. The winner also gets to have a character in his next book named after him or her and decide whether to be a villain or hero. Bids can be placed beginning Oct. 27 at the YMCA. High bidder at the end of the Nov. 5 sale will win.
Local church screens ‘Eating Mercifully’ documentary
A 26-minute documentary by the Humane Society of America, titled “Eating Mercifully” will be presented 7-8:30 p.m. Thursday at Mountain Park Community Church, 2408 E. Pecos Road, Ahwatukee.
The film explores faith-based approaches to factory farming and examines how more Christians are changing their diets and consumer purchases because of animal abuse in factory farms and the demands for more humane treatment of farm animals.
Following the film, there will be a discussion of plant-based diets. Coupons and recipes will be distributed and appetizers will be served.
RSVP: buzbyphoto@cox.net.
100+ Women Who Care to consider next ‘Big Give’
The 100+ Women Who Care Valley of the Sun chapter will meet 5:30-7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Four Points by Sheraton Phoenix South Mountain, 10831 S. 51st St., Ahwatukee, to decide the next recipient of its “Big Give.”
Ahwatukee moms’ shadow puppets teach kids the Bible
BY COTY DOLORES MIRANDA AFN CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Nicole Koester and Leanna Hunsaker are moms on a mission.
The Ahwatukee mothers, who between them have eight children ages 2 through 15, readily admit their new business venture, Scripture Shadows, is “a mission to bring children unto Christ.”
And as moms and educated women, they know that children learn better with hands-on activities and through fun experiences.
That is where Scripture Shadows hits the mark.
The women’s venture began when Koester was tucking her three children into bed and reading them a Bible story, as is their usual bedtime routine.
“After we closed the book, we’d often made hand shadow images on ceiling,” Koester explained. “I thought to myself, how cool would it be if there were shadow puppets that resembled the people in the Bible.
“I knew my kids would love acting out the stories instead of simply listening to me read each night,” she added. That thought morphed into more when she met local artist, mother and fellow Christian Leanna Hunsaker.
With both mothers desiring to make Bible stories more vivid to their children, they began brainstorming about creating shadow puppets that would teach children in a captivating manner.
Hunsaker used her artistic talents to draw Biblical stories such as Daniel and Lions’ Den, Jonah and the Whale, and David and Goliath.
Koester, a part-time Arizona State University journalism professor and former television reporter, wrote the kidfriendly scripts.
This was the birth of Scripture Shadows. Their research and development included their own children as their ideal demographics test market.
“We quickly learned traditional paper shadow puppets weren’t durable enough to survive the hands of our toddlers,” said Koester.
“We decided to make the puppets out of wood. Fortunately,” she added, “we found an Ahwatukee laser cutting and engraving business, Engrave My Memories, to help us take our paper puppets and turn them into wood.”
The project moved forward and in May, Scripture Shadow hosted its first community puppet show.
“We had dozens of local families try out and take home our Scripture Shadows,” said Koester. “After receiving positive feedback, we’ve expanded our vision to include local schools and churches.”
Last Friday, students at God’s Garden Preschool in Ahwatukee were handson puppeteers at a special presentation featuring three separate performance
stations.
School director Michelle Rhodes said the children were entranced by the Scripture Shadows show—no easy accomplishment with preschoolers ages 3 and 4.
“All of the children got to touch and work with the puppets and they really enjoyed that,” said Rhodes. “They were very engaged.”
The various Scripture Shadows Biblethemed sets, ranging in price from $19.95 to $59.95, are sold online at ScriptureShadows.com. The most expensive is a 12-piece Nativity set.
A promo video, and an example of the Daniel and the Lion’s Den shadow show, written by Koester and narrated by her 8-year-old son Conner, are available on YouTube.
Ahwatukee parents Joan and Brandon Koplin found that their first experience presenting the Scripture Shadows’ “Jonah and the Whale” story to their four sons to be an eyeopener.
“I bought one initially because I was unsure how my boys would receive the shadow puppets,” Joan said. “I knew I enjoyed them, the quality of each piece and the detail of the characters so I was anxious to see how my boys would
(Cheryl Haselhorst/AFN Staff Photographer)
Nicole Koester, left, and Leanna Hunsaker make Christian shadow puppets to aid in teaching from the Bible.
(Cheryl Haselhorst/AFN Staff Photographer)
The biblical story of David and Goliath is re-enacted through shadow puppets used by pupils at God's Garden Child Development Center in Ahwatukee.
The group, founded by an Ahwatukee woman, collects $100 from each member and then selects one a nonprofit organization to receive what was collected, usually around $10,000. The group calls that donation its “Big Give.”
The recipient is chosen from among three nonprofits nominated by members. Each prospective recipient is vetted and must be at least 3 years old and have a record of service. Info: 100WWCValleyOfTheSun.org.
SHONNA
from page 24
disappointment, and love, and she succeeds in doing so.”
Her books are published by romance publisher Entangled Publishing.
Slayton wrote her first novel during the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), a popular writing challenge in which would-=be authors must write 50,000 words in the month of November.
“It was a quick start but then it took years of editing to turn it into something
Odelay Bagel to present music makers Saturday
Odelay Bagel Co., 2020 S Warner Elliot Loop, Ahwatukee, has planned several events this month to celebrate its second year in business.
Between 6 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 6 a.m.-1 p.m. Sunday, it will offer displays of art and photography by Mountain Pointe and Desert Vista High School students. From 8:30-10 a.m. Saturday, the Music Makers Workshops will present live performances featuring Fiddlin’ Frenzy and the No Fret String Project.
publishable,” she said.
She got a publisher in 2013—a long time after she started her first attempt at novel writing.
“I attempted writing my first novel in fifth grade,” she said. “My teacher had read ‘Watership Down’ to the class, and I was dying to try my own story after that. After years of stops and starts I got serious about my craft and began taking classes and attending writing conferences.”
Although her books are built around old fairy tales, Slayton researches material before she starts.
Odelay also will sponsor a “Boo Cruise” pub crawl starting at 2 p.m. Oct. 29 and ending at Cactus Jack’s. Participants are being asked for a $5 donation to support Valley Dog, a local animal charity.
“It’s been such a treat to get to know all the great people in Ahwatukee over this past year and we look forward to many more events,” said owner Ryan Probst.
PUPPETS
from page 26
respond to them.”
“The moment I projected Jonah’s shadow on the dining room wall, the boys let out a simultaneous gasp. It was as if I lit a firework and held it up in front of them,” Joan continued, adding: “Each one of my boys, from my 2-year-old to my 11-year-old, were completely engaged and listened intently as I told the story while holding up the appropriate characters. My boys each begged to have a turn holding up the puppets and acting out their own version of the scene in the story.”
“Research is one of my favorite things,” she said. “When I first start a new novel, I like to have something tangible from the era as a touchstone. Ebay is a fantastic source for finding old magazines and diaries. For ‘Spindle,’ I purchased several copies of The Ladies’ Home Journal from 1894, and a reproduction of the Sears catalog from that year. Sources like these help center me into the era.”
Slayton already is firming up her next novel and, not to slow down, has some ideas bubbling up for two more after that.
The Koplins expect to purchase more sets for Christmas presents. For cocreator, artist and mother-of-five Leanna Hunsaker, Scripture Shadows has been a rewarding venture.
The women entrepreneurs are currently at work on an Easter story set that will be released after the upcoming holiday season.
“We feel very blessed to be sharing our talents with the community and helping children know more about the Bible’s amazing stories,” said Koester.
Ahwatukee author’s book explores Bible’s ‘Song of Songs’
Anyone who ever wondered why the passionate love poem “Song of Songs” is in the Bible may find some answers in Ahwatukee author Judy Lokits’ new book.
Titled “Deep Calls Unto Deep: In the Song of Solomon,” Lokits’ book guides readers through the language of the “Song of Songs” to encourage a deeper knowledge of God and develop ways of making contact with him.
Her Bible study includes a built-in personal journal, allowing the readers to record personal growth and insights along the way rather than to answer a list of questions.
Lokits aims to show how “Song of Songs” offers readers a look at “the depths of the passionate and eternal love of God for his people, along with a way to climb through it and to make it real for themselves,” her publisher, Tate Publishing and Enterprises, says.
An Ahwatukee resident since 2012, Lokits began writing four years earlier and has authored one other book, “Bouquets From My Beloved.”
A Bible study teacher and a motivational speaker, she also is an artist who teaches watercolor painting and pastel petportrait beginner and intermediate classes. As a member of the Fine Artists at the Bonnet House Museum and Gardens in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, her paintings were regularly exhibited in various locals shows and galleries.
A Colorado native and mother of two, Lokits said she has been “teaching and leading Bible studies most of my adult life, working with Christian women’s groups and my local churches.”
“Much of what I wrote originated in my journal as I wrote about my many losses and what I believe God was revealing to
me, along with the healing that changed my heart through His outpouring of love to me,” Lokits said, adding:
“It was so liberating to understand that my life had such great value to Him and I could always count on His love, care, protection, provision, and wisdom as I shared these things with other women who are looking for healing from grief, rejection, loneliness, and a real need for fulfillment. This was a new level of intimacy with Jesus.”
Lokits said her second book was a long time coming.
“I began writing my second book, based on a Bible study that I had written and taught here in Phoenix in my home group for single women,” she said. “Because I was very busy teaching watercolor classes, it was not completed until I was recovering from double knee
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 19
Medicare options examined
Ahwatukee consultant Greg J. Geryak is holding the first of two sessions titled “Understanding Medicare.” The free seminars will examine Medicare’s four parts, including applicants’ rights, options and entitlements; how to enroll; and what is covered and not covered.
Joseph B. Ortiz of the financial services firm Edward Jones will preside at a session to help local certified public accountants meet their professional education requirements with a discussion of “Tax and Financial Challenges of Retirement Planning: S.S., Medicare and Elder Care.”
DETAILS>> 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at his office 4902 East Warner Road, Ahwatukee, Suite 1.
SATURDAY, OCT. 22
Church slates fall festival
Mountain View Lutheran Church will hold its fourth annual community fall festival with free food trucks, live music, Frisbee golf, cactus toss, table top carnival games, face and pumpkin painting and a reverse dunk tank.
DETAILS>> 3-5 p.m., 11002 S. 48th St., Ahwatukee. Free.
THURSDAY, OCT. 27
replacement surgery.”
She cautioned that the book is not theological, but rather a guide to explain a “beautiful love poem written around 1400 BC.
She believes “Song of Songs” “reveals the mystery of the bridal love (spiritual) of Christ for His bride which will culminate in the Wedding Supper of the Lamb spoken of in the book of Revelation...the first event to occur after the second coming of Christ and the catching up of all Christian believers to heaven.”
Lokits added that she hopes the book will show readers that God’s “secure and passionate love is what changes us into givers of love, doers of mighty deeds, and completely fulfilled women and men who serve Him with great passion. It is my passion.”
Medicare discussion slated
Ahwatukee consultant Greg J. Geryak is holding a session titled “Understanding Medicare.” The free seminar will examine Medicare’s four parts, including applicants’ rights, options and entitlements; how to enroll; and what is covered and not covered.
Caffé Boa will hold its annual Halloween dinner, including a three-course meal with wine pairings. The wines will include Ghost Pines Cabernet and 19 Crimes Red Blend.
DETAILS>> 6:30 p.m., 5063 E. Elliot Road, Ahwatukee. $58.95 per person. Caffeboa.com or 480-893-3331.
TUESDAY. NOV. 1
Celebrate ‘Wimpy Kid’ release
Come celebrate the release of the new book, “Diary
(Special to AFN)
Ahwatukee author Judy Lokits is an accomplished painter and teaches several classes when she is not writing or speaking to groups.
of a Wimpy Kid—Double Down.” The celebration will include games, prizes, and a trivia contest based on the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books. Three kids will win a copy of the new book.
DETAILS>> 4:30-5:30 p.m., Ironwood Library, 4333 E. Chandler Blvd. Ages 6-11. Free. No registration required.
THURSDAY, NOV. 3
Plan for Social Security
What are the requirements to receive benefits? What filing options do I have? How are benefits calculated?
SSA Public Affairs Specialist Jack Burns will answer these questions and more at this free class.
DETAILS>> 6-7:30 p.m., Ironwood Library, 4333 E. Chandler Blvd. Register in the calendar section at phxlib.org. Presenter recommends creating a free account at ssa.gov/myaccount before attending.
SATURDAY, NOV. 5
Kids can learn coding
“Coding 4 Kids” offers children ages 6-11 a chance to explore basic hands-on computer game coding utilizing web-based sites while creating their own version of a video game with the help of step-by-step instructions from a professional video game coder. Bring a laptop if you have one.
DETAILS>> 2-4 p.m., Ironwood Library, 4333 E. Chandler Blvd. Free. No registration required, but come early as space is limited.
SATURDAY, NOV. 11
Thanksgiving Oreo Feast
Parents, get your teens out of the house. How many different flavors of Oreos are out there? Which one is your favorite? Find out at our Thanksgiving Feast teen-style. We’ll try out as many Oreos as we can find while watching a movie. This event is free and open to teens ages 12-17.
DETAILS>> 2-4 p.m., Ironwood Library, 4333 E. Chandler Blvd. No registration required.
TUESDAY. NOV. 15
Get your writing critiqued
Bring five pages of writing to get feedback on from your fellow writers. Bringing extra copies to share is encouraged.
DETAILS>> 6-7:45 p.m., Ironwood Library, 4333 E. Chandler Blvd. Email haley.dziuk@phoenix.gov for more info.
ONGOING
Congregation plans Israel trip
Congregation NefeshSoul is planning a tour of Israel June 10-20, 2017. Explore historical sites along with the beauty and rich culture of Israel.
DETAILS>> Rabbi Susan Schanerman at rabbi@ nefeshsoul.org.
MONDAYS
Open play for kids offered
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: kyrene.org/ earlyed.
Chamber offers networking
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. Devida Lewis, 480-753-7676.
Group aids MS sufferers
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.
TUESDAYS
Toastmasters sharpen skills
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.
Power Partners available
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. Devida Lewis, 480-753-7676.
WEDNESDAYS
Montessori holds open house
Ahwatukee Foothills Montessori holds an open house weekly. It includes a short talk about Montessori education, followed by a tour of its campus.
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. 602-636-5390 or HOV.org.
Foothills Women meet
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 featured.
DETAILS>> 7 p.m. second Wednesday of the month, Foothills Golf Club, 2201 E. Clubhouse Drive. Contact jstowe2@cox.net or FoothillsWomensClub.org.
Parents can ‘drop in’
Parents are invited 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 rcarter@cals.arizona.edu.
Get doughnut with Dems
DETAILS>> Free and open to the public 7:30-9 a.m. the third Wednesday of the month at Biscuits Restaurant, 4623 E. Elliot Road. RSVP: marie9@q.com or 480-592-0052.
LD 18 Dems move meeting site
The Legislative District 18 Democrats have changed their monthly meeting to their new campaign office at 1867 E. Baseline Road, Tempe.
DETAILS>>6:30 p.m. social time, 7-8:30 p.m. meeting time on the second Monday of each month. Information: ld18demsinfo@gmail.com. Free and open to the public.
Special networking offered
Ahwatukee Foothills Chamber of Commerce has a networking and leads group is open to chamber members.
This group focuses on creating powerful relationships with fellow members, resulting in meaningful referrals. Learn how to create connections and get the most out of networking events.
DETAILS>> 8-9 a.m., Ahwatukee Foothills Chamber of Commerce, 4435 E. Chandler Blvd., Suite 140. Information: Shannon Kinsman, 480-753-7676.
Chamber sponsors networking
Ahwatukee Foothills Chamber of Commerce networking and leads group offers business owners a chance to get involved and network. Open to chamber members and nonmembers.
DETAILS>> 8 a.m. Ahwatukee Foothills Chamber of Commerce, 4435 E. Chandler Blvd., Suite 140. Shannon Kinsman, 480-753-7676.
Mothers of Preschoolers
Free child care for ages 0 to 5.
DETAILS>> 9 a.m. second and fourth Thursday, Foothills Baptist Church, 15450 S. 21st St. Call Kim at 480-759-2118, ext. 218.
FRIDAYS
Toastmasters teach skills
This chamber-exclusive Chapter of the International Toastmasters club boasts professional development skills. Become the speaker and leader you want to be with Ahwatukee Chamber Toastmasters Club.
DETAILS>> 8-9 a.m., First American Title Conference Room, 4435 E. Chandler Blvd., #100, Ahwatukee. Devida Lewis, 480-753-7676.
SATURDAYS
Alzheimer’s support group
Caregivers for Alzheimer’s patients can find support monthly.
DETAILS>> 10-11:30 a.m. Ahwatukee Alzheimer’s Support Group meets the first Saturday of the month at Mountain View Lutheran Church, 11002 S. 48th St.
Bosom Buddies slates meetings
Ahwatukee/Chandler nonprofit breast cancer support group.
DETAILS>> 10 a.m. to noon, second Saturday of the month. Morrison Boardroom next to Chandler Regional Medical Center, 1875 W. Frye Road, Chandler. Contact Patti Lynch at 480-893-8900 or tomklynch@ msn.com or Cele Ludig at 480-330-4301.
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Tempe Union board hopefuls explain qualifications for your vote Opinion
Editor’s note:
What can voters expect from you if you are elected to the School Board?
BY ANDRES AA. BARRAZA
I will emphasize teacher retention, strengthening student activities and focus on growing opportunities for students to earn college credit and life skills.
I was born and went to school in this district. Rover Elementary, Fees Middle School and Marcos de Niza High School. I am proud to be a member of this community and have so many wonderful connections to this place and to the people. I played baseball here, was a Cub Scout and developed lasting friendships. Now I watch with my friends as the next generation grows up in the area. I want these kids to have the best education possible.
First and foremost, we must secure teachers to our district. Arizona more than doubles the national average regarding teacher retention loss and we need to address critical reasons why this occurs. Teachers are undercompensated and overworked.
The average teacher spends 20 hours a week grading homework assignments alone. Providing better compensation and working with our teachers and faculty to lessen the workload and make processes more productive will save the district money, provide a better quality work environment and give back more personal time to our staff. I want to step up and solve this problem for our district.
Giving students opportunities to problem solve and expand their creativity helps develop life skills while fostering passion. A school in Nashville, Tennessee, opened a student-run coffee shop on campus.
Students learn employable skills such
as employee management, customer service and inventory management while being required to maintain their coursework in order to participate. Students learn responsibility and selfdiscipline; two components necessary for when they graduate move to their next step in life.
In addition, this café in Nashville is generating revenue for student clubs and school needs. I would like us to seek innovative ways like this to keep students in school, generate funding for projects and give students creative outlets while helping them learn valuable life skills.
I will work and actively support the efforts of Superintendent Dr. Kenneth Baca and the district’s administrators to continue the successes of the partnership with Rio Salado College to provide college credit to students. I want to be the district known for having the most students who graduate with college credit. Continuing to support this partnership is essential for that goal.
Please go to my website BarrazaForTempe.com and my Facebook page to learn more of my platform.
BY SANDY LOWE
If re-elected to the Tempe Union High School Governing board, I will bring the same passion and commitment to our students as I have in my first term. I will continue to be thoughtful, honest and transparent in decision-making as well as dedicated to fulfilling board responsibilities.
With more than 20 years of education advocacy, I possess an in-depth working knowledge of education both at the state and local level as well as a historical
perspective of Tempe Union, which assists in guiding decisions for our future. I understand the importance of balancing fiscal responsibility with the goal of preparing students for success after high school.
My involvement in education as a PTO leader, school site council member, substitute teacher, and my experience as a stakeholder on a number of district and community education committees, has provided me with insight into issues facing our schools today.
Central to my experience comes an understanding of school finance, the process of decision-making, an awareness of school/teacher needs, and parent and community priorities. In addition, my business background, which includes an MBA and 18 years of experience at APS as a statistical analyst, provides me with a solid foundation upon which to make decisions.
While I believe my decisions made during my term were appropriate and thoughtful, I acknowledge that sometimes, some stakeholders may not agree. This brings a responsibility for me as a board member to be honest in explaining my reasoning for a vote, knowing our community deserves this.
I will continue to dedicate my full attention to the responsibilities of this position by always investing the time needed to understand issues. As a result of these last four years, I have a greater understanding of the responsibilities of our education leaders as well as our teachers and how these roles play an integral part in preparing our students for after graduation.
I will continue to support a process that includes gathering timely input before a decision is made so I have a clear understanding of all sides of an issue.
Timely and relevant communication should be a part of this.
From my years of involvement in my children’s education, I understand and empathize with parent priorities and concerns. I believe every person’s opinion matters; and it’s vital to listen to what is being said and thoughtfully consider how that applies to how our district operates.
I express a deep gratitude to our District staff for their dedication in providing quality education to students. They continue to do this despite constant change and a recent societal negativism towards education. I thank our parents for their support and entrusting their children to Tempe Union. Finally, I thank our community for their continued support of our overrides, bonds and schools; and for standing with us in our challenges and our successes.
BY MICHELLE HELM:
Knowledge, experience and caring. I bring to the Tempe Union High School District governing board passion for educating children, knowledge and experience through my career as a classroom teacher with two degrees in education and my prior service on the Tempe Union High School District board as vice president and president. During my tenure on the TUHSD board, all of our comprehensive schools have received an A rating while we have lowered our drop-out rate and raised our graduation rate.
I have helped ensure safer schools with the installation of security cameras
Kyrene board candidates outline what voters can expect from them
Editor’s note:
The Ahwatukee Foothills News asked all four candidates for the Kyrene School District board to write a column on this question:
What can voters expect from you if you are elected to the school board?
MICHELLE FAHY: WILL ADDRESS RESOURCES, STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT
Having been a technology specialist and classroom teacher in the Kyrene School District for 19 years, my extensive experience and historical perspective provide me with the foundation necessary to lead our district.
In particular, my time in the district office as a technology specialist gave me a daily look at both how the district administration functions, and frequent contact with classroom teachers.
Few other positions provide that kind of bridge. My current position in the Tempe Union High School District as the instructional technology coordinator allows me to encourage and create continuity between learning in Kyrene and our students’ high school experience.
These experiences have led me to respect, value, and encourage the involvement and contribution of all stakeholders—district and school staff, parents, students, and the community.
As a board member I will work to address two main areas of need: allocation of resources to focus on classrooms, and a data-driven approach to student achievement.
Allocation of resources is, of course, a key part of board oversight. To provide the highest quality education to our students, I want to ensure the district hires and retains teachers of exceptional quality by providing competitive salaries.
This year Kyrene lost about 180 teachers, many of whom found higherpaying positions in neighboring districts. Research shows that a highly experienced, well-trained teacher can make a significant difference in a child’s achievement.
The district staff is also vital to students’ achievement, since they provide the support and strategic vision for what happens in the classroom. The board must also ensure a top-quality district administrative staff.
Finally, we must provide up-to-
date, quality curriculum resources that utilize research-based, effective teaching strategies and vetted best practices to address the Arizona academic standards.
To address the second area of need, closing the achievement gap, I will work with other board members and district employees to break down and analyze achievement data in order to drive open, honest conversations to target areas that need improvement.
We need to strategically focus on and allocate resources to provide struggling schools and learners with the learning opportunities that address their needs.
To be clear, this includes encouraging our top learners to excel even more.
I will help to promote programs that strive for and support high academic achievement in balance with positive social, cultural, and individual development.
It is my belief that an effective school board member actively listens and works to understand the perspectives of all stakeholders. I will embrace a collaborative culture by leveraging and maximizing parent and community partnerships to support continuous academic achievement.
I have a unique opportunity to serve Kyrene in a new capacity. I am passionate about serving Kyrene to help it continue its strong reputation of quality schools.
Quality schools bring businesses and jobs which will strengthen our community for our children and the future.
JOHN
KING:
WILL BE AS ENGAGED
AS I’VE BEEN THE LAST FOUR YEARS
For the next four years, I intend to remain as engaged as I have been for the last four years as a board member. With a new superintendent there are many changes that will affect direction, culture and leadership within the district.
I would like to be there to support the superintendent I helped to select with a special emphasis on these key areas: Enrollment. Kyrene’s enrollment
has been in decline for several years. We currently capture less than 80 percent of in-district students. We must recognize the charter and private schools within our district boundaries as competition and begin to move the district forward in a more competitive mode.
By doing so we will need to enhance our academic offerings to be a more plausible option for those parents who are looking for the best educational opportunity for their children.
In addition, we must attract, hire and retain the best teachers. We must increase our focus on early learners (3-year-old children) so that we can help them accomplish reading and social skills earlier in their lives.
Middle school programs. Our middle schools could use an academic overhaul with new programs that are provocative, interesting and dynamic. They need to represent a new way of learning for middle school aged students. Parents should view Kyrene middle schools as the benchmark for education in the 21st century.
Classroom rigor should be a key focus so that we can assure our students receive the best possible educational exposure during their time with us and are keenly prepared for high school and beyond.
Teacher compensation and retention. Arizona is currently experiencing a shortage of teachers. In addition, existing teachers are either abandoning their contracts or not renewing in favor of other options.
One of the most frequent reasons for this shortage and premature departure is compensation. Some teachers move to other districts that pay more for their teachers, some leave the profession all together.
I have gotten to know many of the teachers and principals in the Kyrene district over the last four years. These are passionate, dedicated and very capable individuals who believe in what they have chosen to do.
We are working to raise our teacher salaries to a respectable level. There is still work to do because we are still losing
too many teachers simply because they can make more money somewhere else. Educational experience. Our students deserve the best possible educational experience they can get. Though Kyrene is already a topperforming district in Arizona, we can and should continue to find those areas where we can continue to improve. Focusing on classroom rigor, attracting and retaining the best teachers, providing a safe place to learn, with a learning style that is engaging and inclusive, and that is oriented to all students is central to all of my efforts while serving on the board.
ESHE PICKETT:
A PRAGMATIC, DATA-DRIVEN APPROACH TO PROBLEMS
I’m proud of my accomplishments to this point and looking forward to continuing this work.
Whether as a mentor with Big Brothers Big Sisters, a Junior Achievement curriculum instructor, or the founder of a day long engineering field trip that has exposed nearly 1,000 young women in the East Valley to careers engineering, my service to our community has been youth-oriented.
If elected, voters can expect that I will continue to be a tireless advocate for students and an ardent supporter of Kyrene teachers and staff.
My previous board and committee service with local and state organizations has taught me the importance of preparation, and my software development and technology background has given me a pragmatic and data-driven approach to problem solving.
I believe in informed decision making through engagement with key stakeholders, reading all relevant material, and asking the tough questions to reach the best solution. As a board member, I will dedicate myself to understanding the facts and fully contributing to the conversation.
Real Estate Guide
Fourth home on Presario Trail sells
Another home on Presario Trail in Ahwatukee has joined the million-dollar club.
A 3,784-square-foot home at 14617 S. Presario Trail with four bedrooms and three baths recently sold for an even million dollars, becoming the
fourth on that street in Club West’s gated Summerhill community to sell for seven figures this year.
The sold price was $50,000 below the asking price and $264 per square foot, higher than the average $234 per-squarefoot price of Ahwatukee luxury homes last year. It was also higher than the
average $257 per-squarefoot price of luxury homes priced over $1 million that are on the market currently in Ahwatukee.
The Southwest hacienda-style home, built in 2006, rests on a 34,400-square-foot lot abutting South Mountain, offering anyone on the
MILLION
spacious tiled back patio or in the heated swimming pool or spa a natural view.
Just steps away is the Telegraph trailhead, offering a more close-up view of the mountain from its numerous trails.
Some people might find it difficult to leave the house.
“The kitchen offers high-end appliances that any culinary enthusiast would love,” gushed the listing on mls. com. “The well-appointed casual and comfortable great room is warm and inviting.”
Two gas fireplaces will keep rooms warm during the upcoming brief Arizona winter; outside, the fireside season will extend into spring beside the
outdoor patio fireplace next to the builtin barbecue.
Skylights in the vaulted ceilings and large windows in the rear allow natural light to flood the single-story home. Windows provide ample South Mountain views from the great room, dining room and master bedroom.
All in all, the mls.com listing said, “This floorplan flows nicely and offers usable space while capturing the serenity of the Arizona desert scenery.”
Of the three Presario Trail Homes that also sold for more than $1 million, the highest sold price was $2.4 million for a 7,200-square-foot home. A 9,400-square-foot home on Presario Trail sold two months ago for $1.9 million while the third sold for $1.1 million.
from page RE 1
(Special to AFN)
The latest home to sell for $1 million on Presario Trail in Ahwatukee is designed in a Southwest hacienda style.
(Special to AFN)
The large great room in the Presario Trail home has a built-in entertainment unit with stone facing as well as a gas-powered fireplace.
Data show good and bad news for Ahwatukee housing market
BY CHRISTIE ELLIS AFN GUEST WRITER
Iam always grateful when I am asked to share Ahwatukee housing statistics and information for the AFN and the real estate section because tt gives me the opportunity to share the good news and the challenges of the Ahwatukee market with the readers.
I am a lifelong learner and I love coaching, so this medium is perfect for me to share what I know, which I hope helps you as fellow community members.
The positive news is that the average days on market for listings August and September in Ahwatukee has dropped in from 92 to 77.
Also, the original-sale-price-to-listprice ratio has stayed very close to 98 percent for these same months. That means less time on the market and great pricing...yeah!
The biggest challenge is the home sales for 85045 and 85048, which have declined over the past year. But it isn’t a shock. With the South Mountain Freeway and the uncertainty
of commute times, plus the Club West water problem, Ahwatukee’s westernmost ZIP codes are experiencing a trend that doesn’t make us happy.
But we believe it is just situational. We still have top schools serving this area and great recreation resources, both of which make the future bright.
Speaking of bright sides, 85044 has seen a slight increase in pricing and the median pricing increased almost $5,000.
I attended the State of Ahwatukee breakfast at the end of September where the Ahwatukee Chamber brought the Mayor in to share the news on what may impact our community.
One thing Mayor Stanton announced is a $3 million budget to repair streets. Over the past months, I have heard from a number of Ahwatukee residents in regards to large potholes on their streets and now there is a way to get them taken care of quickly. He suggested if you have specific areas you would like addressed to call his office.
Typically, October has a kick-up in sales but 2 percent drop in pricing. I am looking forward to seeing what this month brings and how we will be closing out this year.
$203,000
$209,500 4267
$210,000 4790
$213,500
$214,000
$233,000
$240,000
E. Cheyenne Drive
$252,000 11019 S. Pipa St.
$255,000 12221 S. Bannock St.
$262,900 4348 E. Cherokee St.
$265,000 4429 E. Bannock St.
$265,300 4327 E. Sequoia Trail
$267,000 5047 E. Mesquite Wood Court
$267,000 3602 E. Jojoba Road
$273,400 4123 E. Cathedral Rock Drive
$276,000 4825 E. Olney Drive
$277,500 14854 S. 41st St.
$280,000 14819 S 46th St.
$290,000 12223 S. Coconino St.
$300,000 4621 E. Gold Poppy Way
$305,000 11802 S. 46th St.
$307,500 4114 E. Mountain Sage Drive
$308,000 4330 E. Dry Creek Road
$309,900 4107 E. Cathedral Rock Drive
$320,000 4713 E. Winston Drive
$326,500 15428 S. 46th Place
$330,000 4505 E. Ute St.
$333,000 4337 E. McNeil St.
$411,000 3420 E. Winona St.
$429,000 14648 S. 46th St.
$490,000 3445 E. Desert Broom Way
$535,000 12026 S. Tuzigoot Drive
$585,000 3346 E. Tonto Drive
$605,000 3307 E. Coconino St.
$640,000 12038 S. Appaloosa Drive
$925,000 3330 E. Coconino St.
$950,000 11622 S. Equestrian Trail 85045
$241,500 1559 W. Lacewood Place
$255,000 1672 W. Satinwood Drive
$270,000 3030 W. Redwood Lane
$275,000 16619 S. 16th Drive
$275,000 1415 W. Windsong Drive
$295,000 1837 W. Brookwood Court
$315,000 707 W. Mountain Sky Ave.
$350,000 16428 S. 18 Drive
$360,000 16818 S. 14th Drive
$365,000 1306 W. underhill Drive
$365,000 2806 W. Windsong Drive
$372,500 16009 S 18th Drive
$620,000 526 W. Desert Flower Lane
85048
$173,500 16620 S. 48th St.
$174,000 3236 E. Chandler Blvd.
$204,000 16907 S. 22nd St.
$230,000 16621 S. 46th Place
$235,000 4329 E. Windsong Drive
$237,500 16231 S. 40th Place
$241,000 3830 E. Tanglewood Drive
$243,500 4105 E. Nighthawk Way
$247,000 15806 S. 43rd St.
$275,000 275 E. Ashurst Drive
$280,000 2410 E. Mountain Vista Drive
$299,900 2459 E. Sapium Way
$300,000 15622 S. 31st. St.
$315,000 2908 E. Nighthawk Way
$316,000 3348 E. Long Lake Rd
$325,000 16640 S. 34th Way
$335,000 16405 S. 38th Place
$360,000 920 E. Mountain Sage Drive
$371,000 3119 E. South Fork Drive
$420,000 16022 S. 30th Place
$425,000 16011 S. 31st Way
$435,000 16030 S. 35th Way
$449,998 2217 E. Rockledge Road
$480,000 1607 E. Briarwood Terrace
$645,000 2021 E. Indigo Brush Road
$708,100 1916 E. Briarwood Terrace
$1,000,000 14617 S. Presario Trail
10210 S. 50th Place, Ahwatukee
BY DAVID KING AFN GUEST WRITER
BASIS Ahwatukee opened in 2013 as a part of BASIS Schools, an organization of nationallyrecognized 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. is 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, with 16 AP Scholars, six AP Scholars with Honor, six AP Scholars with Distinction, and one AP Scholar.
• e 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. e 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.
BASIS Ahwatukee is a tuition-free public charter school. We are a school for any student who is passionate about learning and is willing to work hard.
-David King is Head of School for Basis Ahwatukee Reach him at 480659-2294 or basisahwatukee.org.
Mountain Park Ranch
Gorgeous home on hillside lot with privacy of mountain preserve. Elegant hardwood flooring greets you upon entry. Bright kitchen with view windows, granite countertops, island with breakfast bar and walk-in pantry. Downstairs master suite replete with separate door to patio, cedar walkin closet and large custom slate-tile shower. New exterior paint in 2016 and interior in 2013. 2016 remodeled upstairs bath. South facing backyard paradise with fenced Pebble Tec pool and spa, stained concrete patio and cool decking, large covered built-in kitchen, TV and speakers, pavers with fire pit, artificial grass and new exterior lighting. Listed for $524,500
Homeownership runs in the family, study finds
BY ANDY WARREN AFN GUEST WRITER
When it comes to homeownership and the “American Dream,” it appears kids do listen to their parents.
Four decades of data from the University of Michigan’s “Panel Study of Income Dynamics” has revealed that children raised in homes owned by their parents were nearly three times more likely to buy a home as adults than those who grew up in a rented home.
At age 40, with a household income of $100,000 annually, those who grew up in family-owned homes had a 79 percent chance of owning a home themselves, compared to a 56 percent chance for someone whose parents rented. is study draws a strong correlation between family influences and homebuying behavior, and may be an indication of why many millennials have chosen not to purchase a home just yet
— considering the study also found that millennials were more likely than any other generation to have been raised in renter households.
Furthermore, experts believe the study suggests a large portion of younger millennials may continue to opt out of buying a home even as they hit their prime home-buying age. Why?
Even without the influences of student debt and lower, post-recession wages, research indicates younger millennials (18-24) were less likely than older millenials (25-34) and younger GenXers (35-45) to have received money from parents for a down payment.
Whether millennials choose to enter the home-buying arena or not, the housing market is alive and well.
According to newly released data, sales of newly built, single-family homes in August topped a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 600,000 units for the second consecutive month since the Great Recession.
As freeway comes closer to reality, judge’s delay becomes more frustrating
BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Imagine your favorite football team is a touchdown behind, the game clock is winding down, but there’s still a chance to pull out a win.
Suddenly, the referees just sit down and let the winning team do whatever it wants.
You and the rest of your fellow fans are puzzled, angry and frustrated as you watch the clock tick down and your team is left hopeless and forlorn.
Now you have an idea of how Protect Arizona’s Resources and Children and the Gila River Indian Community feel.
They’re down by at least a touchdown as the Arizona Department of Transportation continues laying the groundwork for the South Mountain Freeway.
And the referee, in this case U.S. District Judge Diane Humetewa, is just letting the clock tick down.
Humetewa on Aug. 19 ruled against
PARC and the Gila Community, which are trying to stop the freeway on grounds that its environmental threats were not adequately studied and because it would cut a 200-foot gash in South Mountain, held a sacred site by Native Americans.
The plaintiffs have appealed the ruling to the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, but want work halted until the appeal can be heard.
The process requires them to first ask Humetewa to grant an injunction. If she refuses, they can then ask the same thing of the 9th Circuit.
All sides in the case filed their briefs for and against the injunction by Sept. 30.
ADOT and the Federal Highway Administration naturally oppose an injunction and claim a delay will add millions of dollars in cost to what already is Arizona’s most expensive highway project in history.
PARC and the Gila Community are frantic, saying that if ADOT is allowed to continue pre-construction work and–eventually–construction, the reasons for their appeal will be rendered moot.
Nineteen days later, the referee is still sitting on the sidelines.
The plaintiffs wonder why.
And no matter where you stand on the freeway, it’s hard to not wonder what that delay is all about.
Of course, no one will likely ever know.
Judges often are a law unto themselves and tend not to share the sense of urgency expressed by the parties before them. After all, they wield immense power in their courtroom, and it’s easy to understand why the concerns of the parties before them don’t can’t influence them all that much.
And the judges don’t have to explain their actions to the public, especially reasons for delays.
But that doesn’t mean the public can’t speculate on the reasons behind their foot-dragging.
I’m speculating that her honor doesn’t want to be proven wrong.
I’ve covered judges off and on for most of my career. And the one thing that none of them liked was to have their decision reversed on an appeal.
It’s the equivalent of having your
term paper thrown back at you by your teacher—or a story thrown back at a reporter by an editor.
No matter how gently the reversal might be worded, judges bristle with bruised egos.
And who can blame them?
They’re the masters of the universe in their courtroom and not accustomed to be second-guessed.
I am not saying Humetewa’s ruling was incorrect. That’s something for the 9th Circuit to decide.
Nor am I suggesting she thinks she made a mistake.
What I am saying is that I can’t help but wonder if she shares that almost irrational fear of reversal that so many of her brethren have about appeals, especially in high-profile cases like the South Mountain Freeway.
That fear no doubt diminishes in a case when every day’s delay pushes the reason for an appeal closer to oblivion.
But such delays do nothing to diminish the impression that facts and law alone aren’t necessarily the only things that keep the wheels of justice rolling
and voted for all programs that prepare students for college or careers. While a member of the board I have supported dual enrollment with ASU and Maricopa Community Colleges and the IB (International Baccalaureate Program). My support has included our excellent drop-out prevention programs like JAG (Jobs for Arizona Graduates) and the Summer Bridge program.
I have voted for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) programs, and supported high quality CTE (Career and Technical Education) courses. While working on these and many other programs I have helped maintain a balanced budget and supported an excellent staff.
BY SCOTT RYAN
A woman walks into a party and announces excitedly “I just got hired as a teacher!” Another teacher says “I’m sorry.” Sadly, this is a true story, a very painful reminder that morale for teachers is low. If morale is this low, then what does the classroom experience look like?
Now, let me tell you about my fouryear plan to resolve this. For the next four years, we will focus on what we can control. The biggest challenge that the school board can address is retaining and attracting highly skilled teachers. Effective teachers in the classroom will have the biggest impact on raising student achievement.
Teachers want to feel excited and actually teach. They don’t want to spend their time learning how to use a new technology product, having to go through demoralizing and punitive evaluations, or sitting through mandatory administrative training.
I am a highly strategic person and I have a plan to address some of the largest challenges the district faces. Funding is a challenge and we all agree about the need to fully finance education. But that is not something we can control at the board level. What we can control is how we spend the dollars we do get. I intend to put more dollars into the classroom, and reduce the amount of administrative costs.
Every year new technology purchases
are made and teachers are forced to learn a new product that takes away from time they can actually interact with students. This technology spending ends up being wasteful because behaviors are not changed and the benefits of the technology are never realized.
I would move away from costly programs and work for adoption of successful teaching practices. That is where the most impact will be made.
I will support our teachers. Change has the best chance of being successful when it is driven from the bottom. I will work with teachers to push for an evaluation system designed to support, not reprimand teachers.
Stringent evaluation systems do not weed out the weaker teachers, but they do demoralize the stronger ones. I would work with teachers and principals to create a support model for struggling students. If these strategies are created at the teacher level, and embraced by administration, then we have a real chance of making a positive change in our school district.
This is what voters can expect from me: helping our teachers succeed, enabling student achievement, responsible and strategic decision making, and making sure your dollars are well spent.
BY BERDETTA HODGE:
A vote for Berdetta Hodge is a vote for a former student of the Tempe Union High School District, a parent with one son currently enrolled in the district and a community leader with over 25 years of involvement.
There is a reason why Tempe Union is ranked among the top 5 percent of school districts in the State of Arizona. As a board member, I want to preserve the gains that the district has made with regard to graduation rates, student retention, student achievement, and community relations while continuing to improve upon our success.
First and foremost, I will focus on our students. To maximize outcomes for our students, we must ensure that all stakeholders have a voice at the table.
An effective school board member is one that is deeply rooted in the community; Tempe Union schools serve as the foundational building blocks for our future. I stand as an advocate for
the precious stakeholders that make up our district. That is why I am running the “You Matter” campaign, because I strongly believe the following:
• Our parents matter, because parental engagement provides a springboard for success in the lives of our students.
• Our teachers matter, because they are our community’s greatest resource and we have to hire, train, retain and pay qualified talent.
• Our community matters, because our continued success as a community, state and nation depends on educating our youth.
• Our students matter, because everyone deserves an opportunity to receive a world-class education.
Next, I will be fiscally responsible. The valued taxpayers of this district fund our schools. As a governing board member, one is entrusted to allocate every dollar the District receives in the most responsible way possible. As a single mother raising two sons, I know how to manage a fiscally sound budget.
If you would like to learn more, please email me at: BerdettaforTUHSD@ gmail.com.
BY DON FLETCHER
ABC Channel 15 News ran a story on Sept. 27, under the headline of “Arizona teacher shortage reaching crisis level.” According to this news story, our Arizona schools had 2,041 unfilled vacancies for teachers as of Aug. 28.
I understand that our Tempe Union high schools did not face as severe a crisis as other school districts. But just the same, many principals in our high schools were still scrambling at the beginning of our current school year to fill various positions. I have wondered why this is happening and how did this reach a “crisis level.”
During this campaign, I have met with several teachers, and also a few former teachers. Recently, I specifically met with two former teachers that left the profession after each having been a teacher for over 10 years.
I asked them why they left the profession. Their answers were
somewhat surprising as they shared with me how they greatly enjoyed the interaction with the students and they wanted to continue to teach, but they were deterred by the lack of support from administration, and its ever changing teaching guidelines.
Simply, they reported too much topdown management, and not enough opportunity for personal development. Interestingly, while wages were a concern, these two former teachers said they would still be in the classroom if there was better management at the administration level.
We need to do better. Our children deserve better.
As a member of the Tempe Union High School board, I would want to tackle this issue head on and make a difference for our teachers, keeping the good ones in the classroom and seeking to return teaching to a more noble profession.
If there are too many changing guidelines, we as a school board need to work with the Arizona Department of Education and our district office to find ways to avoid this situation.
If the administrators are not supporting our teachers, we need to have a heart-to-heart discussion about what works, and what does not, from the bottom coming up—and not so much the other way around.
We also need to address many other issues that are important to our schools including making sure we never forget that every taxpayer is a stakeholder in our schools. We must show the taxpayers that their dollars are wisely spent.
Part of my educational priorities have been shaped by my wife, Christine, who is a teacher, and having raised four children. We understood the value of peer groups in the lives of teenagers, and how sports, music, drama, and other programs provided a vital role in the fabric of teenagers’ lives.
Desert Vista High School served three of our children well in this regard. While academic should always came first, we believe children need to feel connected, and be a part of something bigger than just their grades and themselves.
Why am I running if all my children are raised and out of high school?
Because I believe I can make a positive difference for the youth of our area and the schools they attend. I believe in our youth and the wonderful future they can build.
I believe that teachers deserve to be compensated competitively. My mother is a teacher and I was a substitute teacher while completing my graduate studies, so I understand the critical role teachers play. As a board member I would support efforts by the board, administration, and legislators to improve teacher pay.
Education must be comprehensive. I understand the importance of math and science, but students also need to explore and engage their other interests. I would support the continued funding of extra-curricular activities, in addition to partnering with community businesses to expose students to various careers and service projects.
A conversation is more complete when all voices can contribute. We must recognize that various abilities are present in our community. Be they parents, students or staff, we must seek to address accessibility proactively. Whether that means closed-captioning all recorded video, performing audits and testing of websites for compliance with readers for the visually impaired or review of policy and practices to update
services where necessary. We must also address the achievement gap by ensuring all student needs are being addressed.
When we are listening to parent concerns and leveraging the talents of our community, students thrive. I will attend parent meetings and be a presence at district events and schools. It would be my goal to improve volunteer participation through community outreach and to streamline the volunteer process so it is easier to participate.
I would seek to review current practices and adopt technology that would optimize the service experience for Kyrene families.
I believe in fiscal responsibility. There are many wonderful initiatives the district could pursue, but approval of all funding must be scrutinized based on priority and feasibility. I would be a steward of taxpayer dollars.
In delivering the annual field trip I chair, we sought partnerships for sponsorship to reduce overhead and found innovative ways to save on expenditures.
I would bring this same mentality to the board. It is my firm belief that educating our children is our greatest social responsibility.
Candidate responds to Chuck Corbin’s column
Dear Chuck: Thank you for your piece asking Arizona legislative candidates for their plans for public education in Arizona. I am running for the State House of Representatives and outreach to you, the voters, is important to me.
Restoring education funding is my top priority. In the 2016 Alliance Bank survey of CEOs, they noted that increasing funding for education is key to improving our business climate. Arizona has the money to begin restoring funding to our schools, without creating new taxes.
First, we must stop draining money away from public schools with tax loopholes to special interests, that don’t make better jobs.
The incumbents had the opportunity to restore cuts to education, but instead they chose to make new tax loopholes for special interests. Once elected to the House of Representatives, I will work for a budget that increases funding for K-12 education, and that provides additional dollars to our universities and community colleges.
No new taxes. Instead, let’s make new priorities for the revenue we have; education is number one.
As a former Kyrene school board member, I value local control. Each school community’s needs are different and the members of the community are best suited to decide how to apportion funding.
When the state acts as a partner with schools, local communities can use the funding from the state to increase teachers’ salaries, reduce the average class size in Arizona, and improve opportunities for electives like art, music, PE, and career and technical training.
However, I am aware of the fact that there are a lot of teachers in Arizona who feel they got practically nothing from Prop 123. I will prioritize keeping our great teachers when planning to restore education funding.
As a computer systems analyst, my professional training required that all stakeholders be included in developing new systems in business finance and in manufacturing. All legislation I put forward will include all stakeholders,
See LETTERS on page 36
Hosted by the Women in Business Committee, this annual ceremony celebrates and honors the Business Woman of the Year, Social Enterprise Award and Corporate Award. In addition, scholarships are given to women furthering their education from funds raised throughout the year. is exciting annual event features a cocktail hour, silent auction, dinner, and an awards ceremony.
Award for Business Woman of the Year
including those across the aisle.
As a Kyrene School Board member I made an effort to bring teachers, parents, administrators and businesses to the table to solve our challenges, and it made a big difference in our outcomes.
In 26 years of advocating on the local, state, and national level, I’ve worked on projects to pass bills with legislators who are Democrats and Republicans, and with community members who are members of the Green and Libertarian parties, as well as those who do not identify as members of any party, the independent-minded majority.
When everyone’s voice is included, we get better results and I’ll take that lesson to the Capitol.
There is no question that the current budget process is broken and needs immediate change. My opponents waited until midnight and crammed a multi-billion-dollar budget with as little public input as possible. My opponents have even made the process worse by closing caucus meetings to the public. We need more accountability in government, not less.
I have a track record of transparency on the school board and community boards. I will fight to slow our budget down for more public input. We also need to do regular audits to find out if our spending and tax credits are having the impact we want for effective government.
Again Chuck, I appreciate your interest in this race, and I hope to earn your vote for the Arizona House of Representatives. Please see my website ME4AZ.com for many more details, or to contact me directly.
-Mitzi Epstein
Baby Boomers should try teaching today’s students
One of my favorite activities is to be a guest teacher in our community. Recently, I enjoyed spending time at Mr. Lane Waddell’s Government class at Mountain Pointe High School. It was a joy to be in a classroom with so many energized and motivated students.
One of my first tasks was to administer a civics test, which I am pleased to say they easily mastered. A spirited discussion followed regarding the AZ legislation and how a bill gets initiated, passed and signed into law.
A great way to learn any process is by actually doing it. Since any constituent
can initiate a bill, their homework assignment was to come up with an idea for Bill which they had to both present their position and testify.
Baby boomers: if you would like to share your knowledge and talents consider guest teaching. Reach out to your local schools and inquire about it how you can make a difference in the lives our students. It is fun for the students to hear from our business leaders and you will find it extremely rewarding.
-Rep. Jill Norgaard
County treasurer tax bill includes unusual letter
I received my 2016 property tax statement in the mail the other day, and noticed something unusual about it.
Whereas in the past this document had been a small, anonymous disclosure, this time—for the first time ever—it included a personal letter from the Maricopa County Chief Deputy Treasurer.
The Chief Deputy Treasurer’s name is Royce Flora, and I happen to know that he is running for Maricopa County Treasurer this year.
I also happen to know that he has an opponent.
And that this is the first time in decades that the race for Maricopa County Treasurer has been a contested one.
The letter Mr. Flora sent is not simply “informational,” but has the tone of a campaign message. It reads, in part:
“The Maricopa County Treasurer’s Office is dedicated to reducing the cost of government while providing you, the customer, with easy, cost-effective, and convenient services. We have worked hard to make sure that you, the taxpayer, is our first concern.” (sic)
Mr. Flora’s letter also features his photo, and his name and title are prominently displayed — both on the letter and the accompanying tax document.
This appears to be a blatant misuse of official resources for purposes of campaign solicitation. Since the mailer presumably goes out to more than a million property owners, I would imagine it cost hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars.
-Mary
Scanlon
Bring common sense back to the State Capitol
The Tea Party has given us the likes of Sara Palin and Donald Trump on the national scene and now they have taken over the local Legislative District 18
Republican Party.
The Tea Party backed their candidate Jill Norgaard for the State House during the last election cycle and now Republican Senator Jeff Dial has been “Tea Partied out” in the primary by Frank Schmuck, who calls himself a “hard-core conservative.”
The majority of District 18 constituents are more moderate and forward thinking than these two “hard-core conservative” candidates. The majority of Republican legislators say they are for K-12 public education but choose not to fund it and instead give money to private prisons and more unneeded tax cuts to businesses.
This has been going on for a long time with their one-party rule. What makes us think they would change after the last ten years?
In order for the Democrats to have a seat at the table in the Arizona legislature voters need to elect two more Democrats to the State senate. Three more will give them a majority. Two very qualified Democrats are running this time around in Legislative District 18.
Sean Bowie (seanbowieforaz.com) is running for the State Senate and Mitzi Epstein (me4az.com) for the State House. Both candidates are running to restore public education funding, work with businesses to create good paying jobs and yes, bring common sense back to the State Capitol. Please educate yourselves and vote in November.
-Doug Arnold
‘Robson got it wrong’ with birth control vote
I am writing to support a woman’s right to use birth control, and to take the entire issue out of the work place.
Bob Robson voted for a bill (HB 2625) that allowed employers to opt out of providing birth control coverage as part of their employees’ insurance. This is just wrong.
Does an employer who doesn’t believe in medical interventions have the right to not provide insurance coverage?
Bob Robson got it wrong. I am voting to replace him with a woman who understands this issue—Mitzi Epstein. I hope you will do the same.
-Kathleen Adamson
Legislators slammed for private prison support
As some states cut costs by reducing the prison population, Arizona legislators such as Jill Norgaard and Bob Robson continue to double down on support of private prisons by guaranteeing prison
beds are fully occupied. This comes at the expense of much-needed funding for public education.
By the terms of contracts with private prison corporations, Arizona guarantees 100 percent of private prison beds will be kept full or the state will pay for them anyway. Let that sink in for a moment. These “fiscal conservatives,” Norgaard and Robson, promise to pay for a service IN ADVANCE, whether it is needed or used. Although crime is decreasing, they continue to ensure that private prisons thrive in Arizona. That’s not fiscally responsible.
These private prisons favored by Norgaard and Robson cost more per person than state-run prisons and operate with minimal state oversight. They are under no obligation to provide rehabilitation, which means they become a warehouse for minorities and the underprivileged. In addition, their recidivism rate is markedly higher than state-run prisons.
Private prisons run by big corporations are a bad deal for the state, for public education, and for the inmates warehoused in them. Why do Norgaard and Robson support them?
-Karyn Lathan
State of education demands voter attention
As a former educator and new Arizona resident, I am appalled by the state of education here. When looking at a list of all the states’ per-pupil spending on education, Arizona is third from the bottom.
Passing Proposition 123 was a step in the right direction, but we have to do more. Big businesses (Intel, Go Daddy) are looking at Arizona, and taking their potential jobs elsewhere—because good education is lacking here. They want educated workers. What does that say for our children’s futures, or our futures?
Vote for people who will restore the cuts to education, even to bring it back to 2008 levels.
Both Sean Bowie and Mitzi Epstein, candidates in Legislative District 18, have been involved in education. They know our schools need more help. Our state has a budget surplus and a rainy day fund. Let’s spend some of that money on all our futures. Let’s spend it on education.
Our children depend on us. Let’s not fail them.
-Kathleen Adamson
The writer is a Democratic candidate for the State House in Legislative District 18.
The writer is a Republican candidate and incumbent for the State House in LD 18.
Why seniors can’t afford minimum wage Prop. 206
BY MARK YOUNG AFN GUEST WRITER
While much of the attention to Proposition 206 has been directed toward restaurant and other service workers, there is a larger and more vulnerable population that will be significantly affected by raising the minimum wage in Arizona: Seniors and those who care for them.
As the president of the Arizona InHome Care Association, I represent an industry that has been hit hard in recent years by the Affordable Care Act and other federal legislation and unfunded mandates. Proposition 206 goes a step beyond in terms of its direct impact to our elderly and disabled population. What many fail to see is that raising the minimum wage by 50 percent will also cause an increase in the cost of needed in-home care for seniors, disabled adults and even children
Consider this: Currently, the average cost in Arizona for in-home services ranges from $20 to $24 per hour. If Prop. 206 passes, services most likely
will exceed $30 per hour.
For many older adults on a fixed income—and for financially strapped baby boomers taking care of their parents and their own families—this increase could be devastating.
When Seattle raised its minimum wage to $15 per hour, it increased the cost of in-home services to nearly $35 per hour—putting these services out
This also happened in Seattle.
The average non-medical caregiver in Arizona earns just above the current minimum wage, up to $12 per hour, depending on experience and training. While that may not seem like a large sum, it’s important to note that these individuals often use caregiving as an important stepping stone to other medical professions.
in terms of its direct impact to our elderly and disabled population. ”
of the reach of many seniors, disabled adults and children.
When the cost of care increases and fewer people can afford to use in-home care, large and small in-home care providers throughout the state will be forced to cut back on hours or staffing. When this happens, the pool of skilled caregivers will choose to go into other industries that are paying similar wages.
As our senior population grows, the demand for skilled caregivers also increases. If the cost to employ skilled caregivers goes up while the pool of available workers shrinks, many inhome care agencies will also be forced to hire workers who are less expensive but less experienced, which can impact overall quality of care.
Even more concerning is the potential
unintended consequences of Prop. 206: The emergence of an underground market which would place liability and risk on our most vulnerable community members. This could potentially result in increased financial, physical, or even mental abuse by predators targeting seniors and disabled adults and children.
Why we will all end up paying?
There are currently 100,000 seniors and 30,000-plus disabled adults and children in Arizona requiring in-home care being covered under state programs that may be affected by Prop. 206. In addition, when some older adults not on state programs can no longer afford in-homes services, they will most likely drop from private care and further strain our already burdened Medicaid system.
The cost to Arizona taxpayers? Tens of millions of dollars.
Ask yourself: Can our seniors and their families afford Proposition 206?
– Mark Young is
DATE: Saturday October 22, 2016
Registration: 9:30AM
Program: 10:00AM
LOCATION: DoubleTree Phoenix Airport 320 North 44th Street Phoenix, AZ 85008
president of the Arizona InHome Care Association, CEO of ComForCare and host of “Aging in Arizona” on Patriot Radio.
www.ahwatukee.com
Ahwatukee entrepreneur finds success in connecting businesses to customer reaction on social media
BY SHELLEY GILLESPIE
AFN CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Jeremy Gocke’s emerging start-up, Ampsy, was born from his realization that companies were not taking advantage of local social-media feedback from customers.
“We are a pioneer in social geofencing,” Gocke said about the trail his firm has blazed to localize social-media feedback for use by businesses.
“As much as 80 percent of social content shared at events is missing the ‘handle,’ (hashtags -#),” Gocke estimates. Enthusiastic patrons would often forget the hashtags when they posted or tweeted, so companies had no way of knowing their reactions.
When users enable “Location Services,” on their devices, it is considered public content. Gocke figured out a way to find the details from public comments and make them available to managers of events, hotels, restaurants, tourism, travel and political figures. And, he can provide fresh updates on the information in one-minute intervals.
As a result, bands can reward avid fans with VIP discounts or prizes on the spot, hotel or restaurant managers can address issues with unhappy clients immediately or thank satisfied customers, and companies can find out how their promotions are being received and adjust their marketing plans.
TV celebrity Jimmy Kimmel and rock bands AC/DC and Guns N’ Roses are
some of his famous clients.
He also counts as clients 7UP, W Hotels and Sugarpova for tracking audience engagement. His company’s results have won a loyal following because he’s shown as much as 80 percent return on his clients’ investment in social media engagement, he said.
“The fans love it. They like sharing. ‘Look at me!’ is their attitude,” Gocke said.
Gocke’s discovery is so revolutionary that Ampsy is moving forward to the next stage of startup funding from venture capitalists. Demand is growing for Ampsy’s services, so the company must expand its 12-person staff to meet the needs.
a top-eight finalist.
Gocke said as Ampsy obtains its venture capital, “we’re going to be hiring, especially software engineers and user interface designers.”
As a company that is involved with immediate response, Gocke said, “We live or die with fast reply—within hours, if not minutes. It’s expected. Firms don’t tolerate slow responses.”
Shelley
IBM just named Ampsy to its partner marketplace, a coveted connection that the computer giant came to Gocke to cement. Ampsy uses IBM’s Watson programming to evaluate the content of social media through a process called semantic analysis.
Gillespie/Special to AFN
Jeremy Gocke discovered a way to give companies an instant look at social media reaction to products and services.
Much has happened in the two years since Ampsy sought initial funding in a “shark tank” at South by Southwest, an annual week-long series of conferences, music and film held in Austin, Texas. Gocke pitched Ampsy, which was named
“My personal philosophy is ‘relentless service,’” he said.
For years, Gocke and his wife, Kristen, had visited her brother, Kurt Nederbrock, in Ahwatukee. When it came time to relocating to the Phoenix area from Los Angeles, Gocke was already sold on Ahwatukee and its family environment.
As an Ahwatukee resident the last five years, Gocke realized he could end up working 24 hours a day seven days a week if he didn’t put limits on himself.
With some of his sales staff on the East Coast, others in California, and customers worldwide, he works toward a balanced life with time for family. His wife and four children keep him busy, as he serves as soccer coach three nights a
week and on weekends.
He did get his tech-savvy kids involved in developing an application) for “squads.”
“Squads are what kids today are calling their groups of friends,” Gocke explained. “My kids are involved with the aesthetics and advising about the functionality. It’s a group-messaging app that will be convenient and location-based.”
As a West Point graduate who served four years in active service and four years in the reserves, Gocke is also close to veterans’ causes.
“I’m tired of the narrative that all vets are broken. I want to shine a light on talent,” he said. “I have a soft spot for giving back to the veteran community. They are highly skilled and tech-focused.”
He also works with the Armory Incubator, a city-sponsored project devoted to helping entrepreneurs who are military veterans build their businesses.
Gocke developed his technical skills the U.S. Army Signal Corps, which landed him in battlefield communications and had him in regular dialog with the Pentagon and the White House. “I worked with the smartest, the code breakers.”
Though Ampsy is an “emerging startup” that is paying off, Gocke doesn’t let his success go to his head.
“I’m the CEO and founder, but I also take out the trash every day,” he said.
Gocke said people interested in applying for engineer positions should go to Ampsy.com.
AOL co-founder’s tour highlights Phoenix entrepreneurial community
BY GAVIN MAXWELL CRONKITE NEWS
When venture capitalists think about technology, they often focus most of their attention on California, New York and Massachusetts.
In 2015, 75 percent of venture capital
went to these three states, according to a city of Phoenix news release.
To help spread that wealth, tech mogul and co-founder of AOL Steve Case and his venture capital firm Revolution launched a national tour that highlights other budding capitals of entrepreneurship. They pulled into Phoenix recently during the fifth and
final stop of their latest Rise of the Rest tour.
Organizers designed the tour to put the spotlight on emerging startup communities in the Southwest. It brings together local startups, investors and government officials to foster entrepreneurship in communities that would not usually receive attention
from large investment groups.
The tour bus made stops at Phoenix area businesses, which included Local Motors, a 3-D printing car manufacturer, and WebPT, a cloudbased medical record storage platform.
“Having Steve Case here, a visionary,
Ahwatukee woman marks first year as a bakery owner specializing in cakes
BY PAUL MARYNIAK
AFN EXECUTIVE EDITOR
“Let them eat cake” is Chelsea Mellor’s mantra.
But the Ahwatukee woman is not reflecting Marie Antoinette’s scorn for the poor that those words first evoked.
For Mellor, they reflect the spirit of her business, Iced for Life, which just marked its one-year anniversary at 1490 E. Williams Field Road in Gilbert.
“I got into this business because cake makes people happy, and if I can make someone’s day better with a delicious treat, then that makes me just as happy,” said Mellor, who parlayed her Arizona State University degree and her lifelong love of baking into starting the business.
She makes all her cakes from scratch, and developed a signature twist on cupcakes that she calls “baby cakes.”
They come in what her aunt, Michelle Hirsch, calls a “scrumptious kaleidoscope of flavors that includes lemonade, strawberries and cream, German chocolate cake, red velvet, dark chocolate chunk, vanilla bean, margarita, key lime pie, pineapple crush, peanut butter chocolate, banana cream pie, and more and more.”
Mellor, a Mountain Pointe High alumna who graduated from ASU with honors and a degree in management and entrepreneurship, believes “baking from scratch is most important when it comes to cake.
“Anyone can bake from a box,” she said. “I think the problem with many franchises in my industry is they always end up ‘commercializing’ everything, sacrificing the quality of the product. And by commercializing in baking terms, I mean using cake ‘mix’ that often only requires you to ‘add water.’
“Yes, it is more ‘cost effective’ from a business standpoint, but I am a strong believer that the quality is most important,” she added.
Hirsch joked that her niece’s customers share her belief that “cake is for life, not just for birthdays.”
For Mellor, though, it’s not just cake but baking and art in general that have been for life.
“I’ve had a passion for the arts and baking since as long as I can remember, she said. “I’ll never forget my first ‘Easy Bake Oven.’ I wanted to be an artist when I was a kid, but I loved baking, so I decided to combine my passion for baking from scratch with my love of creating art into a business.”
Mellor started her business four years ago in a licensed home kitchen and found two big challenges transitioning to a storefront.
First there was an agonizing search for financing.
“Bank after bank turned me away because I didn’t make enough money while baking from home,” she recalled. “They would not even look at my business plan or take in to account my college degree in management: entrepreneurship. I bootstrapped everything until the storefront. Finally, BMO Harris Bank took a look at my business plan, and helped me get the loans necessary to get the storefront up and running.”
Finding the storefront also was
challenging, especially since she had sought a place closer to home.
“I originally was not looking in Gilbert for commercial spaces at all. My target areas were Ahwatukee, Southern Tempe, and Western Chandler area,” Mellor said. “But there just was not anything on the market that was plausible for our first storefront.”
Her family happened to eat at Isabel’s Amor, a Mexican restaurant, and saw a “for lease sign” on a next-door suite. “When they looked in the windows,
(Michelle Hirsch/Special to AFN)
Chelsea Mellor of Ahwatukee celebrated her bakery's one-year anniversary this month.
See CAKES on page 40
(Michelle Hirsch/Special to AFN)
Mountain Pointe High grad and Ahwatukee resident Chelsea Mellor shows off some of her special mini-cakes.
CAKES
they realized it was the perfect space, as it was previously a bakery,” she said. “This made a huge impact in the startup costs as well.”
Though she moved to Gilbert to be closer to work, she’s moving back to Ahwatukee this month.
“I have lived in Ahwatukee many times over the years, and it is definitely one of my favorite places,” Mellor said. “I’m excited to be living back in Ahwatukee.”
Mellor hasn’t stopped dreaming.
“I would love to see the business grow to the point of potentially franchising,” she said, adding, “But still always baking from scratch.”
Hirsch said her niece’s experience shows aspiring entrepreneurs that they can and should “work hard, make sacrifices and take their passion and commitment to enjoy their own sweet success.”
Mellor is just glad to have made the transition from her home kitchen to a brick-and-mortar location.
“It has been the hardest year of my life,” she said, “but I am beyond thrilled and excited to have come this far, and to have celebrated a successful first year.”
This is the week to start better retirement preparation
BY JOSEPH ORTIZ AFN GUEST WRITER
Congress has dedicated the third week of October as National Save for Retirement Week. Clearly, the government feels the need to urge people to do a better job of preparing for retirement. Are you doing all you can?
Many of your peers aren’t. Or at least they think they aren’t. In a recent survey conducted by Bankrate.com, respondents reported that “not saving for retirement early enough” was their biggest financial regret.
Other evidence seems to show they have good cause for remorse: 52 percent of households 55 and older haven’t saved anything for retirement, according to a report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office. Half of this group reported having a pension.
Obviously, you’ll want to avoid having either financial regrets or major shortfalls in your retirement savings. And that means you may need to consider making moves such as these:
Take advantage of all your opportunities. You may well have access to more than
the growth of the Phoenix area as a hub of innovation.
one tax-advantaged retirement plan. Your employer may offer a 401(k) or similar plan, and even if you participate in your employer’s plan, you are probably still eligible to contribute to an IRA.
You may not be able to afford to “max out” on both plans, but try to contribute as much as you can afford. At the very least, put in enough to your employer’s plan to earn a matching contribution, if one is offered, and boost your annual contributions every year in which your salary goes up.
Create an appropriate investment mix. It’s not enough just to invest regularly through your IRA, 401(k) or other retirement plan. You also need to invest wisely. You can fund your IRA with virtually any investments you choose, while your 401(k) or similar plan likely offers an array of investment accounts.
So, between your IRA and 401(k), you can create portfolios that reflect your goals, risk tolerance and time horizon. It’s especially important that your investment mix offers sufficient growth potential to help you make progress toward the retirement lifestyle you’ve envisioned.
Don’t “raid” your retirement accounts early. If you start withdrawing from your traditional IRA before you turn 59½, you
may have to pay a 10 percent tax penalty in addition to normal income taxes due. If you have a Roth IRA and start taking withdrawals before you are 59½, the earnings will be taxed and may be subject to a 10 percent penalty, but contributions can be withdrawn without any tax and penalty consequences.
As for your 401(k) or similar plan, you may be able to take out a loan, but you’ll have to pay yourself back to avoid any tax or penalty consequences. (Not all plans offer a loan option.) More importantly, any money you take out early is money that no longer has a chance to grow to help you meet your goals.
Try to do everything you can to keep your retirement plans intact until you actually do retire. One suggestion: Build an emergency fund containing three to six months’ worth of living expenses, kept in a liquid, low-risk vehicle outside your IRA or 401(k).
National Save for Retirement Week reminds us that we all must act to help ourselves retire comfortably. By making the moves described above, you can do your part.
-Ahwatukee Foothills Edward Jones Financial Advisor Joseph B. Ortiz, AAMS, CRPS, can be reached at 480-753-7664 or joseph.ortiz@ edwardjones.com.
showing and shedding light on locations that you wouldn’t necessarily identify with high-tech, high-innovation is exciting and it’s been great,” said Jean Paul Capin Gally, the chief financial officer of Local Motors.
Community leaders such as Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton and Arizona State University President Michael Crow joined some of the day’s events to discuss
“There’s a lot more companies. We see a lot more talent appearing around software, coding and other high-tech industries. Phoenix has gone through a transformation since the recession, especially as markets like Silicon Valley have become too crowded,” Gally said.
Rise of the Rest closed out the day with a pitch competition to provide a business with a $100,000 investment.
The tour selected eight finalists to
pitch their startups to Case and his panel of judges. The businesses came from fields that included medical technology, education software and amateur basketball leagues.
The judges said the competition was tough, but they named NeoLight, a startup that has designed an affordable piece of medical equipment to combat jaundice in newborns, the winner.
Case said the tour’s goal is “to be a catalyst to get more money flowing to more people in more places.”
This is the fifth Rise of the Rest bus tour, making Phoenix the 25th city Case has visited. One team member said Phoenix had more nominees for the startup-pitch competition than any other city so far.
“This tour, we decided to come to the Southwest, and you can’t come to the Southwest and not come to Phoenix,” Case said. “The community here really rallied to get our attention and seems to be rallying (around) entrepreneurs to support them.” he said.
Local computer expert discusses the good, bad and ugly about Windows 10
BY MIKE SMOTHERS AFN GUEST WRITER
It has been over a year since Microsoft launched Windows 10 and over two months since the last free update was released, so what do we have?
In the eyes of many, we have the best operating system ever created. Others think we have another operating system to rival Windows ME or Windows 8 as the biggest curse on mankind since broccoli, so perhaps we need to take a closer look at its pros and cons.
Let us start with the positives. Windows 10 seems to be more stable. Following a trend begun by Windows 7, it is an operating system with fewer terminal issues. This means our computers require less micromanaging and provide more positive uptime.
This would seem to reduce the cost to the user, but let’s examine that principle. If it requires less down time and fewer trips to the repair facility, the laws of diminishing returns start to come into play: the tech guys need to charge a bit
more just to make a living since they are doing less work.
Of course, I am making generalities, but based on my personal survey of my peers, this is the trend.
Windows 10 is being required or suggested by more and more software manufacturers, so the acceptability and integrations of Windows 10 is much more widespread than other operating systems. This will continue for the expected lifespan of your current computer.
The possibility of Windows 10 becoming obsolete and your current computer outliving the support offered by Microsoft is really not an issue, such as it was with Windows XP.
Let’s now take a look at some of the negatives.
Since many people were forced into upgrades to Windows 10, we are now left with a recovery partition that will restore our computer to Windows 7 or Windows 8.
This means that if you develop a situation where you no longer can use your current Windows 10 operating system and need to start with a fresh factory restore, you
will be faced with either restoring your original operating system or paying for a license for Windows 10.
Ever since the horrendous updates of the Windows Millennial Edition era, the Microsoft updates have, for the most part, been mostly beneficial with few exceptions. That seems to have changed with Windows 10.
Recently, we have seen an amazing rise in the number of issues directly related to Microsoft updates. Just last week, a client had a very serious issue resulting from failed Office updates that prevented her computer from starting.
It took a number of programs and some deep thought to remove Office completely, along with the registry entries, before the computer would boot to Windows so we could reinstall Office and make the computer operational again.
Are there any viable alternatives to Windows 10? If you want to save yourself from the headaches of having to learn a new operating system like Apple Sierra, the answer is no.
Some manufacturers, like Dell, continue to sell new computers with Windows 7 but you will pay a premium
and risk your new computer running out of Microsoft support before it runs out of useable life.
If you do not like the Windows 10 Graphic User Interface or desktop/start screen, there are a number of programs and settings to make Windows 10 look very close to Windows XP or 7. This is a huge positive for many people.
No matter how you slice it, Windows 10 is here to stay and we need to look forward to a time a few years from now when the majority of the updates will have been issued and only minor, harmless ones will prevail. By then, the boys at Microsoft will have another brain child to again test our sanity and patience.
SPIRITUAL SIDE
Jewish tradition of sukkahs creates a reminder of our life
BY RABBI SUSAN SCHANERMAN AFN GUEST WRITER
It is the Jewish tradition to build a sukkah in early fall. The sukkah is a temporary hut or shelter in which the Israelites lived as they wandered through the desert for forty years during the Exodus.
The sukkah reminds us that our struggles and our joys are fleeting, that the structure of our lives is never as predictable as we think it is. The sukkah is a metaphor for our lives.
A sukkah (i.e. your life) may take a variety of forms—from a relatively elaborate wooden structure, to a simple hut on an apartment balcony, to a prefab of aluminum poles and canvas walls—as long as it satisfies a few basic requirements. Most sukkot have three walls.
FRIDAY OCT. 21
RUMMAGE SALE
Risen Savior Lutheran Church is conducting a rummage sale featuring furniture, household goods and clothing. DETAILS>> 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 21-22, 23914 S. Alma School Road, Chandler. Information: Jane Zehnder at 480-802-5334.
SATURDAY OCT. 22
CHRISTIAN GROUP HAS CAR SHOW
The Covenant Hot Rod Association Southeast Valley, whose motto is “Fully Restored Serving the Lord,” will hold its inaugural Desert Harvest Car Show to help veterans at Valor Christian Center in Gilbert. Early registration fee is $25. Sponsors are being sought and owners of the following kinds of vehicles can enter $25: street rods, sports and custom cars, rat rods, muscle cars, classics and competition cars and trucks.
DETAILS>> $25 registration fee for vehicle owners; 10 a.m.-4 p.m., 3015 E. Warner Road. Information: Don Webb at 480-205-7925 or chra2001@msn.com.
SUNDAY, OCT. 23
SUKKAH HOPPING TOUR
Sukkot, the Festival of the Booths, is a seven-day holiday, this year beginning Sunday evening and ending after nightfall on Oct. 25. The holiday is celebrated by eating in a Sukkah, a temporary structure covered with vegetation or bamboo, which commemorates the time the Jews wandered in the
In other words, one does not dwell secluded or separated inside one’s sukkah. Rather, one is always susceptible to outside influences and interruptions.
A sukkah must be able to withstand a medium wind – it is not a permanent enclosure. It shifts with the times.
The roof, covered with bamboo or palm branches or a trellis should provide more shade than sunlight in the daytime, yet allow the brightest stars to be visible at night. The sukkah protects but also allows a clear view of the heavens.
To reflect the bounty of the harvest, people hang fruit, gourds, cranberries on a string, or Indian corn. The sukkah is more than a simple foundation. It is reflective and representative of our unique lives.
Once the sukkah is assembled and decorated, it is time to “dwell inside for seven days,” as the Torah instructs. For observant Jews, major life activities are conducted in the sukkah for eight
desert wilderness and the miraculous clouds which surrounded them.
DETAILS>> 10 a.m., Pollack Chabad Center for Jewish Life, 875 N. McClintock Drive, Chandler. Information: chabadcenter.com/Sukkot.
MONDAY OCT. 24
CHURCH STARTING BOOK CLUB
“Turning Pages” is the name of a new monthly Christian book discussion at Desert Foothills United Methodist Church. The first book will be “The Daughter’s Walk” by Jane Kirkpatrick. Set in the 1890s, it invites readers to consider their own journeys and family separations to help determine what exile and forgiveness are truly about. It is available on Amazon. Participants can bring recommendations for future books.
DETAILS>>7 p.m., 2156 E. Liberty Lane, Ahwatukee. Information: 480-460-1025 or office@desertfoothills.org.
SIMCHAS TORAH
Chabad of the East Valley invites Jews from across the East Valley to join them for a special evening of dancing in celebration of the Jewish holiday of Simchas Torah, or Rejoicing with the Torah in Hebrew. Special attention will be given to children, with special Simchas Torah flags, Torah scrolls and a gift to be distributed to all kids attending.
DETAILS>> 7 p.m., Pollack Chabad Center for Jewish Life, 875 N. McClintock Drive, Chandler. Information: 480-855-4333.
days—eating, relaxing, entertaining, studying, and even sleeping.
Some Jews limit their sukkah dwelling to eating. For most American Jews, building a sukkah is not a practiced ritual–though it is a lovely way to entertain friends and to experience autumn.
For many of us, especially those like me whose fragile sukkah struggles to stand the test of even the smallest breeze, the sukkah reminds us of the Israelites’ vulnerability during those years when their faith was being nurtured by their leader Moses, and when it was not at all guaranteed that they would survive.
And, it reminds us of the fragility of our lives, of the push and pull of joy and sadness, of the delicate balance between a strong foundation and a shaky structure.
We stand as firmly as we can on this moving planet, but we are never far from the knowledge that we will stumble and pick ourselves up, that we will fail and
FRIDAY OCT. 28
FINDING YOUR PURPOSE
“Energy Medicine and Finding Your Passionate Purpose: An Evening with Dr. Sue Morter on the Power of Doing YOUR Thing.” Discover the energetics of manifesting your passionate purpose.
DETAILS>> 7-9 p.m., 2700 E. Southern Ave, Mesa. Cost: $20 per person in advance, $25 at door. Information: unityofmesa.org.
SATURDAY OCT. 29
TRUNK OF TREAT SLATED
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.
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.
SUNDAY OCT. 30
AWAKEN THE HEALER WITHIN
Dr. Sue Morter presents “Awaken the Healer Within: Merging Mind, Body and Breath for Embodiment of Spirit.” Explore the relationship of the conscious and subconscious mind, energy centers in the body and their influence on creative capacity and physical healing.
start again, that the life will toss us about from time to time.
For the sukkah, that metaphorical representation of our lives, survives when its walls are flexible enough to bend with the wind and strong enough to straighten with the stillness. We, too, survive by bending and straightening to the rhythm of our lives.
To construct a sukkah is to reach beyond our comfortable, safe lives. It is to reinforce the shaky foundation when it threatens to tumble down upon us, and to rebuild as often as we need to, as often as our lives need to be rebuilt.
For we will never have the perfect structure. And who would want that anyway when we can look forward to decorating and redecorating our lives over and over again?
-Rabbi Susan Schanerman is the spiritual leader of Ahwatukee Congregation NefeshSoul. Contact her at rabbi@nefeshsoul.org or www.nefeshsoul.org.
DETAILS>> 1:30 to 4:30 p.m., 2700 E. Southern Ave, Mesa. Cost: $49 in advance, $54 at door. Information: unityofmesa.org.
FRIDAY, NOV. 4
HOLIDAY BOUTIQUE
Red Mountain United Methodist Church’s Eleventh Annual Holiday Boutique will feature floral arrangements, embroidered pillows, scarves and more. DETAILS>> 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., 2936 North Power Road, Mesa. Information: RMUMC.com.
SUNDAY, NOV. 6
CHOIRS TO PERFORM
Holy Trinity Lutheran Church will host the combined choirs of Chandler-Gilbert Community College Performing Arts.
DETAILS>>2 p.m. 739 E. Erie St., Chandler. Free, but good will offering suggested. Tickets at www. htlutheran.com and at the door. Information: 480-9364127, or Earl@htlutheran.com.
WEDNESDAY, NOV. 9
HOLIDAY BOUTIQUE PLANNED
The Hope’s Treasures Holiday Boutique returns this year with quality handcrafted holiday and home décor, decorations, gifts for kids and adults, stocking stuffers, jewelry, handcrafted apparel, comfort items and more.
FAITH CALENDAR
CALENDAR
from page 42
Shoppers are invited to bring a non-perishable food item for Matthew’s Crossing food bank.
Over 50 vendors will be selling Christmas ornaments & lighted blocks, handmade greeting cards, jewelry, soy candles, pottery, wood items, handmade purses, Mary Kay, leather goods, tea gift baskets and much more at the Love of Christ Lutheran Church’s Center of Compassion. Two food trucks will be available, and the church’s youth group will have a car wash.
DETAILS>>> 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., 1525 North Power Road, Mesa. Cost: Free. Information: loveofchristchurch.net.
SUNDAY, DEC. 4
SPECIAL CONCERT PLANNED
Guest artists from the first annual Summer Artist in Residence Program, Chandler Gilbert Community College piano professor Piano Amanda Sherrill, and Arizona Opera soprano Melissa Solomon, will present a holiday concert of Bach, Handel, Rachmaninov and beloved classics.
DETAILS>>>2 p.m., Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 739 W. Erie St., Chandler. Admission, $15/students, $10. Children under 10 are free. Information: 480-936-4127, or Earl@htlutheran.com.
SUNDAY, DEC. 11
‘JAZZOPERETRY’ RETURNS
After a four-year absence, Holy Trinity Lutheran
Church and Jazzoperetry (“Jazz-OP-ruh-tree”), Inc. will join forces to present the long-awaited return to Arizona of the contemporary Christian singer/ songwriter Robert Moffat. The Holy Trinity Chancel choir will join the Rob Moffat Chorus and instrumental ensemble to perform a musical nativity.
DETAILS>>>2 p.m., 739 W. Erie St., Chandler. Admission $15/students $10. Information: 480-936-4127, or Earl@htlutheran.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.
BEREAVED CAN 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. Submit your releases to pmaryniak@ahwatukee.com
October 22nd 3:00-5:00pm
GameNight: Thunder dominates Highland
BY WILL ARGEROS AFN CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Desert Vista High’s varsity football team kept its playoff hopes alive Friday with a 34-7 win over Highland at Thunder Stadium.
In similar fashion to a week ago, the Thunder controlled the game early, scoring two touchdowns on consecutive fumbles by the Hawks.
“That was huge. There’s no better way to start the game than that,” said Desert Vista head coach Dan Hinds. “After we won the (coin) toss and deferred, we expected the defense to go out and play tough. But when the special teams make
a big play like that, it’s awesome.”
From that point, Desert Vista (4-4) dominated both sides of the ball, putting up 166 yards and 24 points in the first half. Highland only ran two plays in Thunder territory the entire first half.
“Defense played great tonight. We put them in a bad position right before half with our turnover, and Highland got the big play. Besides that, they played awesome,” Hinds said.
After forcing four turnovers a week ago in Gilbert, Desert Vista created that same number in the first half alone.
Junior cornerback Alijah Gamamge was responsible for two of those.
“It starts on the sideline. We all get
pumped up and then go do our job on the field. That’s my job and I do it to help the team,” said Gammage, who had another interception in the second half.
Gammage said playing with the lead made his job easier, but he didn’t have any trouble staying focus. Captain Lelon Dillard said keeping that focus is important, especially going into next week’s game.
Noting the team is facing a short week before hosting Desert Ridge at 7 p.m. Thursday, Dillard said, “That means we can’t have bad practices. We can’t let our recent success overcome what we’re trying to accomplish. We have to keep working.”
–Dillard 6 pass from Thomas (Erickson kick) 2:46 HHS – Zimmerman 24 pass from Singer (McNamara kick) 0:22 Third
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing
HHS – Singer 5-(-8), Wood 7-32, Blackburn 2-2, Brandt 1-6, Trail 2-(-11), Vuncannon 4-13. DV – K. White 4-21, Dillard 12-40, Thomas 11-44, Werbelow 3-40, Porter 9-43, Garcia 2-2, Gammage 1-1.
Passing
HHS – Singer 10-22-3-100, Trail 0-1-0-0. DV – Thomas 18-28-0-156, Gammage 1-1-0-2.
Receiving
HHS – Wood 1-3, Lunt 1-10, Zimmerman 3-58, McCord 1-15, Castillo 1-14. DV – K. White 3-27, Harris-Rubio 3-22, Dillard 6-27, Stagg 1-7, Porter 1-4, Garcia 1-17, Money 2-25, White 1-17. Missed FG
DV – Erickson (33)
(Cheryl Haselhorst/AFN Staff Photographer)
Desert Vista High’s Lelon Dillard turns to run after getting the ball following a Highland High punt.
GameNight: Hodge’s big night propels Pride past Desert Ridge High
BY JASON P. SKODA AFN PREP SPORTS DIRECTOR
Season-ending injuries and depthchart changes not withstanding, Mountain Pointe High continues to knock off opponents to remain the state’s top team.
Last Friday against No. 3 Desert Ridge High, Mountain Pointe jumped out to a big lead and cruised to a 27-13 road win.
“We just do what we do,” Pride offensive lineman Justice Hudson said. “We can all play different positions (on the line) and we have a lot of guys that can step up on offense.”
This week it was Rashie Hodge’s turn as the senior ran 23 times for 212 yards and four touchdowns with Gary Bragg (injury) and Anthony Stephens (no carries) on the sidelines.
“We came ready to play,” Hodge said. “We all have to step up. That’s what I tried to do.”
It worked well as Mountain Pointe (80) scored on its first three possessions to grab a 20-0 first-quarter lead as the Pride defense squelched the Desert Ridge running attack and Kenny Churchwell intercepted freshman quarterback Matt Purnell.
“Our defense played great,” Pride coach Norris Vaughan said. “Desert Ridge is a good football team, and they like to run the ball, but we held them up. The only problem was we had too many penalties that killed us or we could have had a few more touchdowns.”
Mountain Pointe was flagged 15 times for 145 yards including three personal fouls and/or unsportsmanlike conduct.
It kept Desert Ridge (6-2) in the game and the Jaguars eventually found some footing and played better over the final three quarters.
“We had to adjust to their speed and level of play,” Desert Ridge senior safety Stephen Gomez said. “The last four games were against easier opponents and (Mountain Pointe) caught us off guard a little as to how good they really are. Once we settled in we played them pretty tough.”
Desert Ridge managed a couple of field goals with the first one coming on a short field after a 14-yard punt by the Pride. The other one came on a long drive with running back Tyrese Allen (22 for 109) and the offensive line getting in a rhythm.
“We went from a swimming pool to an ocean,” Jaguars coach Jeremy Hathcock
said about the difference in competition level. “We tried to spread them out and run on them and it didn’t happen. They’re good. I blame me for that one.
“Nobody can run on these guys,” Hathcock added. “We showed if we can run at them, we will be OK. Next time I think it will be a little different outcome.”
The Jaguars passing game was non-existent as Purnell finished 2 of 17 for 5 yards before sustaining a concussion. He found some rhythm on the last, meaningless drive as he and his replacement, C.J. Fowler (7 of 11 for 75), combined to throw11 straight incompletions.
“We are confident we are going to get the job done no matter who we lineup against,” Pride senior linebacker Michael Washington said. “They ran the ball pretty good on that one drive, but we still held them out of the end zone until the end.”
By then Hodge and the versatile offensive line had done enough damage with a conservative game
plan a sophomore quarterback Nick Wallerstedt (5 of 7 for 38 yards) made his first start.
“The offensive line came to play,” Hodge said. “They brought that intensity and we did this for those guys (Noah Grover and Bragg) that are out. We just keep playing hard no matter who is in the game.”
Box score
Mountain Pointe 27, Desert Ridge 13
MP 20 0 0 7-27
DR 0 3 3 7-13 First MP – Hodge 24 run (Abercrombie kick), 8:03 MP – Hodge 3 run ( kick blocked), 4:41 MP – Hodge 11 run ( Abercrombie kick), 2:27
Second
DR – Decozio 39 FG, 9:01
Third
DR – Decozio 26 FG, :17
Fourth
MP – Hodge 6 run (Abercrombie kick), 8:46
DR – Jal. Harris 14 pass from Fowler (Decozio kick), :34
DR – Jal. Harris 3-33, Aleen 2-1, Brown 1-6, Logan 2-39, Winfield 1-1.
-Reach Jason Skoda at 480-898-7915 or jskoda@ ahwatukee.com. Follow him on Twitter @ JasonPSkoda.
(Corey Cross/Special to AFN)
Mountain Pointe’s Jaydon Brooks breaks up field on a kickoff return.
Corey Cross/Special to AFN)
Rashie Hodge Jr. powers his way through the Desert Ridge defense on his way to racking up 212 yards.
FITNESS AFTER 50
- Carlos Monge
Versatility on the offensive line fuels Pride offense
BY JASON P. SKODA AFN PREP SPORTS DIRECTOR
SCHEDULE
The Mountain Pointe High varsity football roster lists the offensive linemen without specific positions.
No one is listed as a tackle, guard or center. Everyone is listed OL.
It reflects the match-up strategy employed this year by the Pride coaching staff.
- Paul Miga
The same five players have started the last four games, but their positions change on the basis of the strength of the opposition’s defensive front.
Four different players have started at center over the last four games. The lineup against Corona del Sol (4-4) this week for the Pride (8-0) will be different from its lineup last week against Desert Ridge.
“In years past we couldn’t have done that,” Mountain Pointe offensive line coach Aaron Frana said. “Have a center go play tackle? That’s a tough assignment. These guys are like, ‘You want me to move? OK.’ They never question it.
“I love it. They want to win and they
Aug. 19 Sandra Day O’Connor W, 51-6
Aug. 27 vs. Upland (Calif.) W, 41-22
Sept. 9 vs. Chandler W, 52-7
Sept. 16 vs. Mountain View W, 56-0
Sept. 23 at Pinnacle W, 62-34
Sept. 30 vs. Desert Vista W, 27-13
Oct. 7 at Highland W, 48-0
Oct. 14 at Desert Ridge W, 27-13
Friday vs. Corona
Oct. 28 at Gilbert
do whatever it takes to do it.”
The key–other than the players’ versatility–is the level of play of senior Eddie Rivas, who is the strategy’s lynchpin as he is moved around to take on the opposition’s top player.
“I take it as a direct challenge,” said Rivas, who has played four of the five line positions. “The coaches put their faith in me to take on the top guy and I want that responsibility, plus I know whoever plays in the position I left is going to get the job done.”
His climb to one of the best linemen in the state didn’t start out all that well
Carlos Monge Owner/Expert Level Trainer
(Corey Cross/Special to AFN)
The Mountain Pointe offensive line - Mason Honne (72), Rudy Rauls (50), Alex Vogel (63), Justice Hudson (56) and Eddie Rivas (78) - has been a bunch of interchangable parts this season.
Rock steady Desert Vista High remains positive on way to .500
BY JASON P. SKODA AFN PREP SPORTS DIRECTOR
Dissention could have started long ago, but yet it never infiltrated the Desert Vista High School varsity football locker room.
Losing–the Thunder started the season 1-3 and trailed Dobson 20-10 at halftime in the fifth game–has a way of creating a divide no matter how tight a group may be.
Yet, the Thunder enters Thursday’s home game against Desert Ridge (6-2) at 4-4, and holds on to a solid playoff position.
“We never let it get to us,” senior Lelon Dillard said. “We hate losing as much as anyone and for awhile we came out pretty flat and we’d play that way in games. We got past it. We started with a positive each and every day in practice and it changed everything.”
Dillard and junior Keishaud White had as much right as anyone to be frustrated. Not only was team losing, but neither was coming close to the offensive production both had in 2015.
Dillard had four 100-yard rushing games last year and totaled 981 yards rushing in 12 games.
His production is down from 81.8 yards a game to 40.8 in the Thunder’s new offense, but as a senior captain he keeps working as hard as ever in pushing Desert Vista toward a victory.
“It just comes to the point where you put the team before yourself,” he said. “That’s how I look at it myself. I had big numbers (last year) but I contribute in ways that don’t show up in the stat sheet and so does Keishaud.”
White has managed to score nine
SCHEDULE
Aug. 19 at Perry L, 30-24 OT
Sept. 2 vs. Basha W, 49-20
Sept. 9 at Skyline L, 27-21
Sept. 16 vs. Brophy Prep L, 21-7
Sept. 23 vs. Dobson W, 31-27
Sept. 30 at Mountain Pointe L, 27-13
Oct. 7 at Gilbert W, 51-21
Oct. 14 vs. Highland W, 34-7
Thursday vs. Desert Ridge
Oct. 28 at Corona del Sol
touchdowns, but he has not put up the big numbers like he did as a sophomore, when he scored four times on special teams.
Now with the recognition, notoriety and explosive plays on game film, White has the complete attention of the opposition; the special team opportunities are just not going to happen with squib kicks and angled punts.
“Keishaud had to stay patient and keep working,” Thunder coach Dan Hinds said. “A kid that athletic and explosive is going to get extra attention from our opponents. He struggled with that but he has bounced back and he’s made a lot of big plays for us.”
White had three touchdowns in the 34-7 win over Highland last week and that smile he had all last season started to return.
“He’s like a little brother to me,” Dillard said. “I continued to talk to him, along with other team captains, and told him to stay positive and when your time comes take advantage.”
Now that the Thunder is back to winning ways, in comes Desert Ridge, a team that had its six-game win streak end
(Will Powers/AFN Staff Photographer) Desert Vista High senior Lelon Dillard and the Thunder have continued to play hard to no matter the situation.
Local rugby club changes name to expand reach, recognize participants
BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Organizers of a local boys’ rugby club could no longer deny it: the team just isn’t a Desert Vista High entity anymore.
So in recognition of the contributions made by boys outside that school, Desert Vista Rugby is now the Ahwatukee Rugby Club.
It’s just not a matter of recognizing contributions made by individual athletes. Organizers also want to broaden their reach and recruit more players.
“The club was originally founded by Alema Fitisimanu, who was an assistant coach for the Desert Vista football team,” coach Roger Tushingham explained. “The club has historically had the majority of its players come from DV, but we have always been lucky enough to have some boys from Mountain Pointe, and one or two from Corona as well.”
Last season’s captain, Justin Smith, was a Mountain Pointe student, and of the 11 boys who represented Arizona in recent tournament play, three were from Mountain Pointe, he added.
To attract more players, the club holds a Sunday Social Touch rugby event at 4:30 p.m. at Vista Canyon Park, 16020 S. 30th Place, Ahwatukee, every week.
Formal practices, which begin Oct. 31, are 6-8 p.m. at two other Ahwatukee Parks: Mondays at Mountain Vista Park, 13647 S. 50th St. and Thursdays at Desert Foothills Park, Desert Foothills Parkway and Chandler Boulevard.
Registration begins Monday at ahwatukeerugbyclub.com.
Tushingham and his wife Kathy, the team manager and the vice president of Youth Rugby for Arizona, hope to build on the team’s success last season.
Eleven players represented Arizona in June in the Regional Cup Tournament in Denver, where two Desert Vista High students won distinction: sophomore Kyle Ostendorp was named the MVP for the junior varsity team and senior Adriaan Van Niekerk, a recent newcomer to Ahwatukee from South Africa, was named the best varsity forward.
And the Tushinghams are so eager to widen the club’s appeal that they added a team for players 14 years of age and under. There are also teams for players 16
and under and 18 and under.
Right now, about 40 to 50 boys sign up each season, and Tushingham said recruiting can be something of a challenge.
“We find it tough to get the boys who have no experience of the game to give it a try,” Tushingham said. “Fortunately, our success rate at retaining kids once they have tried it out is pretty high. I think they like the physicality mixed with the fitness and mental aspects of the game.”
The Summer Olympics this year in Rio also should help, Tushingham said. He noted that former Desert Vista student Alex Miller, who plays professional rugby in Europe, represented Argentina.
Tushingham also said some boys are influenced by the fact that several NFL players play rugby, including New England Patriot Nate Ebner, who was on the U.S. Olympics team in Rio.
A rugby player since he was 6 and growing up in England, Tushingham comes from what he called “a rugby family.”
“Before I left England, I played rugby for Bedford Rugby Club,” he recalled. “At
that time, rugby was strictly an amateur sport, but since it turned professional in 1996, Bedford has been a full professional side playing in top leagues in England.”
Since he arrived in America in 1994, Tushingham has played with the Camelback Rugby Club and for a team called “Old Southwest,” a team of players over 40 years old who come from all over the Valley.
Although the season doesn’t start until January for all 14 high school-age clubs in Arizona, the Ahwatukee Rugby Club wants to prepare well. Hence, the November start to practices.
The season runs through May but players are selected to represent the state as part of a team that plays counterparts from other states through June.
“Rugby has had a huge positive impact on my life and I just love seeing the reaction that the boys have to the game and the culture,” Tushingham said. “It is great to see DV and Mountain Pointe guys side by side and becoming really close friends.”
Information: ktushingham@cox.net or roger.tushingham@entegris.com or 602684-4757.
(Special to AFN)
The Ahwatukee Rugby Club hopes to expand its reach in the community, as well as recognize players from outside Desert Vista High, with its name change.
MP FOOTBALL
when he had a chance to play in the Chandler playoff game as a sophomore.
“I was like, ‘Whoa, tell me what to do,’” Rivas said. “I think (the defense) they were going to be that fast and strong. I knew I had a lot of work do when I pulled and I hit a linebacker and he didn’t move. I was like ‘get somebody else in there.’”
Two years later, he is the key to the most versatile line in the state.
“He was a big raw kid,” Frana said. “He’s matured, got stronger in the weight room and now he can match up with anyone on the edge. When you have a kid who can play all five positions, you take advantage of it.”
The idea began to take shape when senior Joe Sales-Lopez sustained a concussion and had trouble getting cleared until this week.
Sales-Lopez was going to be the starting left guard and without him, the lineup starting changing. Star defensive linemen Matthew Pola-Moa and
Shomari Hayes rotated at tackle.
When they needed a break because of their defensive responsibilities, sophomore Alex Vogel was inserted.
And when he handled himself well, it became clear the unit had another capable body.
“I was not expecting it this year,” said the 220-pound Vogel, who has started at both tackle spots and center.
“I made way on to the scout team and things progressed from there. I was kind of nervous at first but at the first snap you just play.”
The other three are junior Mason Honne, who has played left tackle and center; and seniors Justice Hudson, who has played center and left guard, and Rudy Rauls, who has played right guard all year.
With all the changes, many people might expected some struggles with continuity and/or rhythm. But the Pride is churning out 345 yards rushing a game with 33 touchdowns.
“Our offensive line has played really well,” Pride coach Norris Vaughan said.
“We moved guys around in the past,
Check us out and like the Ahatukee Foothills
like Natrell Curtis would play tackle or guard, but we’ve never done it at center before. That’s really unusual. They’ve played no matter where we’ve put them,” he added
Expect more of the same as the regular season wraps up and the Pride tries to clinch the 6A Central Region title this week—and possibly the fourth undefeated regular season since 2009 the following week against Gilbert.
There could be as many as six games remaining and there could just as many starting lineups along the offensive line.
“We will have a raffle to see who starts where,” Frana, who is also the cooffensive coordinator, joked, stating:
“It says a lot about them not only as athletes, but they have to be smart, too, to play different positions. We’ve put a lot on their plates and they keep going out an executing at a high level.”
– Contact Jason Skoda at 480-898-7915 or jskoda@ahwatukee.com. Follow him on Twitter @ JasonPSkoda.
last week against Mountain Pointe.
The Jaguars might have to revert back to senior quarterback C.J. Fowler after freshman starter Matt Purcell was put in the concussion protocol; his head hit the turf on a second-quarter tackle against Mountain Pointe.
No matter who lines up behind center, the Jaguars like to run the ball behind 1,000-yard rusher Tyrese Allen and the offensive line.
Desert Vista counters with a senior class playing its final home game at Thunder Stadium and has an opportunity to get a quality win against a program that finished as the big-school state runnerup last year.
“We finally have that win streak going,” Dillard said. “It’s a big week. Winning this game is very important to show that we are back and prove we are no push over we have to win this game. We just have to come out and execute. I’m sure they are thinking the same thing.
“It should be a great game.”
– Contact Jason Skoda at 480-898-7915 or jskoda@ahwatukee.com. Follow him on Twitter @ JasonPSkoda.
Familiar faces, different venue headline varsity golf season
BY JASON P. SKODA
AFN PREP SPORTS DIRECTOR
The big-school state boys golf tournament has been filled with drama in recent years at Aguila Golf Course in Laveen.
The individual and team race came down the final group on the 18th hole last year, which eventually led to a playoff after an unlikely three-putt. The year before that, the individual winner ended up being ruled ineligible and had his championship round removed from the record books.
Many of those individuals are contenders again this year as the season reaches the back stretch and leads up to the state tournament.
While many of the faces, and swings, might be similar, any drama in 2016 will come at a different venue: the event has been moved to the refurbished Grand Canyon Golf Course, formerly the Maryvale Golf Course. It was purchased by Grand Canyon University for its golf programs and has become the home of the Division I boys
state tournament, which will be held Nov. 7-8.
“They’ve done a great job with the course,” Desert Vista High boys coach Matt Russo said. “It will be a new place for everyone. It’s a tough course, but good shots are rewarded. I think it will make for a great tournament.”
The Thunder program is probably happy for a venue change after having some difficulty at Aguila.
Desert Vista finished as runners-up four years in a row from 2009-2012, with the most difficult coming in 2012 when the team started celebrating, thinking it won before losing by one stroke to Mountain View.
None of the current players were in high school then, but this Thunder team looks to be the first one since then to be a true state contender.
Desert Vista entered Thursday’s action No. 4 via the IWanaMaker rankings used by the AIA behind Hamilton, Sandra Day O’Connor and Chaparral.
Campo Verde, Brophy, Desert Ridge, Perry, Red Mountain and Pinnacle round out the top 10.
Something those teams do not have is the division’s top player as the Thunder’s Brian Seo, who averaged 34.8 per nine holes through Sept. 23, sits atop the IWanaMaker rankings.
Seo transferred to the Thunder from Mountain Ridge. His level of play comes as no surprise after finishing in the top 15 of the state tournament his three years with the Lions, including a tie for fourth place last year.
“He’s long off the tee, and dead center, but most players hit far these days,” Russo said. “What he does well is managing his round. He doesn’t let a bad shot ruin his round. He will chip out to a distance and finish the hole.”
Seo will have plenty of competition from the East Valley as the top four individuals all come from area schools.
Hamilton’s Mason Andersen, Highland’s Brock Goyen and Campo Verde’s Branden Meyer are all accomplished and proven winners.
Perry’s Caden Christopherson, Red Mountain’s Gabriel Velarde and Cameron Barzekoff and Desert Ridge’s Damon Vilkauskas are also having good
seasons along with last year’s individual champion Trueman Park, who is ranked 48th, also back this year.
The Division II boys event will be held at the same location as years past: Randolph Golf Course in Tucson.
The Division I girls tournament, which remained at Aguila and will be played Nov. 2-3, will have as many as 10 local teams in line to qualify since Hamilton, Red Mountain, Corona del Sol and Desert Vista rank among the top 10.
“The last four or five years have been really good,” said Mountain Pointe boys coach Tony Ramseyer, who is the Division I Boys Tournament director.
“A lot can happen on the course and it usually does. It’s going to be interesting.”
– 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.
Get Out Ahwatukee bar hosts paint-wine events for fun
BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN EXECUTIVE EDITOR
If you don’t think wine and paint mix, you haven’t met Reagan Guzman.
The Chandler woman makes a living off combining the ingredients for special parties at restaurants in Ahwatukee and Gilbert.
Her business, Paint Party and Wine, is all about giving people a unique option for fun-filled gatherings and even corporate teambuilding exercises.
If you don’t fancy holding a paint party
with wine at My Wine Cellar in Ahwatukee or Cuisine and Wine in Gilbert, no worries: Guzman will bring the party to just about anywhere else.
“I travel to companies, churches, apartment complexes, golf course restaurants and homes to bring the party to them,” she said. “The cost is the same as having it at a partner location (the restaurants), but it includes the travel and setup.”
What: Paint Party and Wine
Phone: 480-598-9463
Web: paintpartyandwine.com
Email: paintpartyandwine@gmail.com
And you don’t have to be Rembrandt or even own an easel.
“I provide all materials, including canvases, paint, brushes, aprons to wear,” Guzman said. “I will take the guests through a stepby-step instructional demonstration. My paintings are achievable for all levels.”
An art teacher at Marcos de Niza High School in Tempe, Guzman got the idea for her venture from working with adults.
“I wanted to create a new kind of
creative fun and entertainment in Arizona,” she explained. “Art and teaching are my passions, so when I experienced what could be taught to adults who have not painted since elementary school, I was addicted. It’s exciting to see their faces when they get lost in their work and hold up their masterpiece at the end of class.”
Although she’s had students ranging in age from 6 to 90 years old, the wine comes only for would-be Picassos who’ve hit the age of 21.
Guzman tailors her parties for just about any occasion, from girls’ nights out and family celebrations to bachelorette parties and church events.
Her rates range from $30 per person (10-person minimum) for a two-hour session with a 11-by-14-inch canvas to $40 per person (eight-person minimum) for three hours with a 12-by-16-inch canvas.
If you want the party at one of the restaurants on a Friday or Saturday night, the rate is an additional $5 per person.
My Wine Cellar will throw in finger-food packages starting at $10 per person.
“Conditions need to be right to truly enjoy the paint party: quiet spaces, good lighting, excellent food, drink and service.”
The parties are no paint-by-numbers events.
“I start with a blank canvas, not an outline of images, because everyone has the ability to create something beautiful with the right guidance,” Guzman said. “The results are amazing and guests leave feeling proud and accomplished with a painting they would hang on their walls.”
“I will demonstrate a variety of painting techniques and assist individuals as needed,” she added.
Guzman said that her parties sometimes can take on unusual subjects, as one office party at Arizona Ear Center did.
For more information, call 480-598-9463, go to paintpartyandwine.com or contact paintpartyandwine@gmail.com. Information
“I specifically researched the best wine bar/restaurants with amazing ambience and customer service,” Guzman said.
“I created a ton of cochlea-painting examples for their first party and we painted the outer ear for the second party,” she said. “I also learned some disgusting things about ears and patients who have had small creatures removed. The paintings are hanging in their office and create quite a buzz with the customers.”
(Special to Tribune)
Participants in a Paint Party and Wine event may be drinking, but they take their art seriously.
BY JUSTIN FERRIS GETOUT/AFN STAFF WRITER
Hayrides and pumpkins on tap
A proper Halloween requires a pumpkin or two, and kids 12 and under can pick them at Desert Botanical Garden’s Great Pumpkin Festival, plus enjoy a hay ride with general admission. Also on hand will be live entertainment, carnival games, pony rides, food and more.
DETAILS>> 8:30 a.m.-noon, FridaySunday. Desert Botanical Garden, 1201 N. Galvin Pkwy., Phoenix. Tickets: $22 adult, $20 seniors, $12 students, $10 children 3-12. dbg.org/events/great-pumpkin-festival. Enjoy more fall fun at farms around the Valley. Visit Phoenix.org for details.
‘Angry Birds’ in Tempe park
Grab the family and spend a nice fall evening in the park watching a movie. The feature this week will be “Angry Birds” (PG). Based on the smash video game, the movie follows the birds’ hilarious attempts to get their eggs back.
DETAILS>> 6 p.m., Friday. Kiwanis Park, 5500 S. Mill Ave., Tempe. Cost: free. tempe.gov.
‘Buffet Tour’ coming to town
One of the biggest names in rap and R&B, singer of the hit song “I Believe I Can Fly,” and part-time actor with his rap opera series “Trapped in the Closet,” R. Kelly brings tracks from his newest album, “The Buffet,” to the Valley.
DETAILS>> 8 p.m., Friday. Talking Stick Resort Arena, 201 E. Jefferson St. Phoenix. Tickets: $65-$105. 800-745-3000, talkingstickresortarena.com.
‘Rocky Horror’ has special guest
Celebrate the 40th Anniversary of everyone’s favorite interactive cult classic, “Rocky Horror Picture Show.” On hand at the screening will be Barry Bostwick, i.e. Brad Majors, who will regale you with behind-the-scenes stories from the original filming.
DETAILS>> 7:30 p.m., Saturday. Mesa Arts Center, One E. Main St., Mesa. Tickets: $42-$87. 480-6446500, mesaartscenter.com.
Get your fandom fix
Get your fandom fix at Phoenix Fan Fest with your favorite actors, comicbook artists, authors and—new this year—professional wrestlers. Plus, enjoy autograph signings, photo opportunities, cosplay, panel discussions, demonstrations, trivia and more.
DETAILS>> 10 a.m., Saturday-Sunday. Phoenix Convention Center, 100 N. 3rd St., Phoenix. Tickets: $40 both days, $30 Saturday, $25 Sunday, $10 kids 3-12. phoenixcomicon.com.
Day of Dead events slated
Celebrate the Day of the Dead with traditional Mexican and Aztec music and
dances plus other live entertainment; colorful costumes; authentic food; a market with jewelry, arts and crafts; and more.
Details>> 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday-Sunday. Mesa Arts Center, One East Main St., Mesa. Cost: free. mesaartscenter.com
DETAILS>> noon-6 p.m., Sunday. Steele Indian School Park, 300 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix. Cost: free. diadelosmuertosphx.com
Sonic Creed to perform
Renowned jazz vibraphone and marimba player Stefon Harris brings his new band, Sonic Creed, to the Valley as part of the ongoing Lakeshore Music series. Prepare for an evening of cutting-edge jazz performance.
DETAILS>> 7:30 p.m., Saturday. Tempe Center for the Arts, 700 W. Rio Salado Pkwy., Tempe. Tickets: $25-$35. lakeshoremusic.org
Great Bridal Expo slated
Planning a wedding can be one of the most complicated things you ever do. You can spend countless hours running between shops, bakers and florists. Instead, find all the vendors you need in one room, plus a full wedding dress fashion show.
DETAILS>> noon, Sunday. Phoenix Convention Center, 100 N. 3rd St., Phoenix. Cost: free, but you must register at greatbridalexpo.com.
Tempe orchestra opens season
Hear a free concert by the Tempe Symphony Orchestra as it performs comprises Vaughan Williams’ “Overture to the Wasps,” Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 7” and Edvard Grieg’s “Peer Gynt Suite #1,” which features the iconic “In the Hall of the Mountain King.”
DETAILS>> 7:30 p.m., Monday. Tempe Center for the Arts, 700 W. Rio Salado Parkway. Cost: free. www.tempe.gov
Fleetwood Mac alum and solo music legend Stevie Nicks brings her signature vocal style and decades of hits to the Valley. This tour celebrates the release of her new album “24 Karat Gold: Songs From
The Vault.” Joining her are the Pretenders.
DETAILS>> 7 p.m., Tuesday. Talking Stick Resort Arena, 201 E. Jefferson St., Phoenix. Tickets: $35-$146. 602-379-7800, talkingstickresortarena.com.
‘Parks N Rec’ star performs
Nick Offerman—aka fan-favorite Ron Swanson on the hit show “Parks and Recreation”—brings his new book “Good Clean Fun: Misadventures in Sawdust at Offerman Woodshop” to the Valley for a talk, Q&A and book signing.
DETAILS>> 7 p.m., Tuesday. Mesa Arts Center, One E. Main St., Mesa. Tickets: $42$50. changinghands.com
State Fair rolls on
It’s here! Enjoy carnival rides, midway games, food vendors, art exhibits, an impressive line-up of musicians - including Cheap Trick and Iggy Azalea - monster trucks, a rodeo, the Great American Petting Zoo and so much more to see and do.
DETAILS>> Times vary, through Oct. 30. Arizona State Fairgrounds, 1826 W. McDowell Road, Phoenix. Tickets: $10 adults, $5 kids 5-13 and seniors. azstatefair.com.
‘Sound of Music’ winding up
The Phoenix hills are alive with — well, you know. Join the timeless tale of Maria, the musical von Trapps, evil Nazis and some of the most recognizable songs around, including “Do-Re-Mi,” “My Favorite Things,” and “Edelweiss.”
JACK REACHER: NEVER GO BACK (PG-13) - Under suspicioun for a crime he didn’t commit, Jack Reacher takes on a government conspiracy. Starring Tom Cruise and Cobie Smulders.
KEEPING UP WITH THE JONESES (PG13) - When the Joneses move in next door, a suburban couple suddenly find themselves dragged into international espionage with hilarious results. Starring Gal Gadot, Isla Fisher, Zach Galifianakis and Jon Hamm.
BOO! A MADEA HALLOWEEN (PG13) - Tyler Perry’s Madea keeps watch over a group of teens while dealing with killers, ghosts, ghouls, zombies and more Halloween fun. Starring Tyler Perry, Cassi David, Patrice Lovely and Yousef Erakat.
AMERICAN PASTORAL (R) - A typical American family in the 1960s faces being torn apart by the daughter’s radical politics. Starring Dakota Fanning, Jennifer Connelly, Ewan McGregor and Uzo Abuba.
Stevie Nicks debuts album
Gilbert church’s car show combines hot rods with religion
GETOUT/AFN STAFF
Jesus doesn’t just take the wheel at Don Webb’s car shows.
He has the chassis, drive train and every part in between.
Webb leads the Covenant Hot Rod Association, a 17-year-old non-profit organization that uses its displays of antique and customized automobiles and trucks to spread the Gospel through gentle conversation and Christian-themed giveaways.
“Any way that we can reach people for Jesus Christ, we do it,” said Webb, 73, of Mesa, whose motto for the association is “Fully Restored, Serving the Lord.”
Each show he organizes is connected with a church, which is asked to select a charity that receives the money Webb raises through the car owners’ show registration fees.
Covenant cars and trucks will be rolling into Gilbert next weekend with their show, “Desert Harvest,” 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday at Valor Christian Center, 3015 E. Warner Road.
Valor Christian has selected Soldier’s Best Friend for the donations. The Phoenixbased group pairs dogs rescued from shelters with veterans suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder.
Webb expects at least 60 to 80 owners for the show, his first at Valor Christian and one he hopes to grow over coming years.
Finding owners who want to display their car is relatively easy, said Webb, a former pastor who is now dean of a Bible school.
First, there’s the fact that “any car owner likes to show off his car,” Webb said.
But he sweetens the attraction by offering attractive trophies and other prizes, spending as much as $1,000 on awards for best of show, best muscle car and other categories.
“What makes a quality show are quality plaques and trophies,” he said. “We award a very nice first-place trophy to the best of show.”
Although he’s been running car shows since 1999, Webb has had a lifelong affair with classic vehicles.
“When I was 18 years old, I bought a 1955 Pontiac,” Webb said. “A friend of mine and I rebuilt the motor and put a three-quarter cam in it, a couple four-barrel carburetors
(Special to AFN)
Covenant Hot Rod Association has been running car shows for 17 years. It’s hosting Desert Harvest this Saturday.
… it was quite a car.”
He can list some of his prized possessions over the years: “I had the ’55 Pontiac. I had a ’47 Ford Coupe, a ’50 Mercury, a ’57 Chevy, a ’57 Pontiac … .”
Webb appreciates the fact that spectators come to his shows to ogle muscle cars, restored classics and other impeccably retooled vehicles while their owners come to show them off and win a trophy.
But he feels driven to remind visitors and car owners alike of less earthly pursuits.
“We are very, very soft with what we do,” Webb said. “We’re not pushy. We instruct, we don’t preach. We minister to people one on one.
“We walk around, ask them about their cars, and if we can strike up a conversation long enough, we’ll ask, ‘Is there is anything we can pray with you about?’”
Webb said the reaction is nearly always positive.
“We get a few grumpy ones who walk away, but generally people are receptive,” he said.
He uses other approaches as well.
He and his other members hand out goodie bags to vehicle owners that contain car-related items as well as items that help Webb deliver his message.
“The Bible tells us, in essence, to be either the light of the world or the salt of the earth,” Webb said. “What we do is bring the Gospel to these guys.”
Crossword Autumn Activity
Mountain Pointe High to present haunting production
GETOUT/AFN STAFF
More than 65 Mountain Pointe High School students, with the help of a number of teachers, will be bringing back an Ahwatukee Halloween favorite this weekend and next with their presentation of the interactive haunted show.
The parent booster club says the show has such realistic effects that it compares favorably with far more expensive hauntedthemed attractions in the region.
Tickets are $7 for the show, which runs 6-9 p.m. Friday and Saturday and again Oct. 28-29, throughout the theater area, 44th Street and Knox Road, Ahwatukee. Tickets are available at the door.
Figure on spending at least 20 minutes if you go at any point during the three hours the auditorium is open on show nights, said Corey Quinn, a biology teacher and Class of 95 Mountain Pointe alumnus who is a faculty sponsor for the show, along with fellow teacher Kim Bonagofski.
This year’s show, titled “End of Days,” is similar to the Theatre Company’s
Halloween productions for at least the last five years, Quinn said, adding that the school has had at least a decade-long tradition of staging some kind of scary offering this time of year.
“We have drawn as many as 500 people in a night,” said Quinn. “This is absolutely one of the biggest fundraisers of the year for the Theatre Company. We make by far more money on this show than all the other shows we put on in the school year combined.”
The production comes together in a remarkably much shorter period of time than typical shows put on by the company.
Quinn said a call for audition was put out only about two weeks ago, and about 65 students showed up—about half the number who show up for an audition for a musical.
“We’ll be working a couple hours after school every day this week and the show will be ready by Friday,” he added.
The students wear costumes that come from an assortment of sources. Zombies bring appropriate clothing from home, some costumes are made by company
members and others are purchased if they are too elaborate.
Then, each room in and around the company area is decorated with a different horror theme.
“There are very few places we don’t take people to in the company area,” Quinn said. The orchestra pit and the catwalk are part of the show.
When people are taken up to the catwalk, they learn the story of Eldridge, the ghost that purportedly haunts the auditorium. Said to be the spirit of a construction worker who died when Mountain Pointe High was being built, the ghost has become such an urban legend that seat E-13 is taped off during any production.
When she was a reporter for the Arizona Republic, Ahwatukee resident Cathy Creno looked into the Eldridge legend and wrote, “As long as anyone can remember, Eldridge has reportedly been haunting the theater with mysterious footsteps, flickering lights and other unexplained occurrences.”
Nevertheless, Creno added, there is no record of any construction death at the school.
Just as the costumes come from different sources, the cast and sponsors approach set decorations the same way.
Over time, the school has amassed various kinds of lights, projected images and other materials to give each room a special look.
There’s even a room called Chicken Little for young children whose parents might not want them exposed to the gorier rooms.
(Special to AFN)
The story of Eldridge, a ghost that purportedly haunts the Mountain Pointe High auditorium, is part of the haunted show production.
Meetings/Events
Juan Hernandez Tree Trimming & Clean UPs 23 Years exp (480) 720-3840
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
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
TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) is a weight loss organization that is over 60 years old We meet at Ahwatukee Rec Center on Cheyenne between S 48th St and S 51st St on Wed. eve s from 67:30 p m For more information: Terri at 480-893-6742.
GARDEN CLUB, DESERT POINTE
Garden Club Meets the 1st Monday of every month at 9:30am @ Ahwatukee Recreation Center
NEW MEMBERS WELCOME
5001 E Cheyenne Sept - May Only Call Pat Faust 480-5886613
Open your Heart and Home, Host an International Student! Please contact Pascale Dunton 602-980-4388 west@iseusa org west iseusa org
Legislative District 18 Democrats
Monthly meetings are held on the second Monday of each month from 7-8:30 p For location and details visit www ld18 democrats org/meetings The public is welcome
Place Your Meeting/Event Ad email ad copy to ecota@times publications.com
Widowed-to-Widowed Grief Support Group every Monday at 6pm, Pyle Adult Recreation Center, Tempe (SW corner of Rural & Southern) Call Kay at 480 861 8031 for more information
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
Landscape Maintenance
Meetings/Events
AHWATUKEE TEA PARTY
General Meeting Notice Quality Inn Hotel Desert Meeting Rm 5121 E LaPuenta Ave 51st St /Elliot-Ahwatukee
Meetings are held on the 3rd Thurdsday of each month Doors open at 6:30p, meeting starts at 7pm Public is invited! EMAIL info@tukee teaparty 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
GAMBLERS ANONYMOUS & GAMANON for meeting information 602-266-97846
AHWATUKEE/CHANDLER Bosom Buddies We meet the 2nd Saturday of the month, 10:00 AM-12:00 noon in the Conference Room at Dignity Health Urgent CareAhwatukee 4545 E Chandler Blvd Phoenix, AZ Please contact Deb Sidman: 602.460.9893 or Devon Pollard: 602 318 8462 See more at: http://www bosombuddies-az org/ At Bosom Buddies of AZ we support women of all ages and in all stages of breast cancer
In-Ahwatukee Toastmasters Club meets from 6:45-8am every Tuesday at Dignity Health Urgent Care Ahwatukee - Community Room (1st floor), 4545 E Chandler Blvd Phoenix, AZ 85048
Most service advertisers have an ROC# or "Not a licensed contractor" in their ad, this is in accordance to the AZ state law
business cards, or on flyers
What it does require under A R S §32-1121A14(c) w w w a z l e g g o v / a r s / 3 2 / 0 1 1 6 5 h t m i s t h a t t h e a d v e r ti s i n g p a r t y , i f n o t p r o p e r l y l i c e n s e d a s a c o n t r a c t o r , d i sc l o s e t h a t f a c t o n a n y f o r m o f a d v e r tising to the public by i n c l u d i n g t h e w o r d s " n o t a l i c e n s e d c o nt r a c t o r " i n t h e a dv e r t i s e m e n t
A g a i n , t h i s r e q u i r em e n t i s i n t e n d e d t o m a k e s u r e t h a t t h e c o n s u m e r i s m a d e a w a r e o f t h e u n l ic e n s e d s t a t u s o f t h e i n d i v i d u a l o r c o mp a n y
Contractors who adv e r t i s e a n d d o n o t d i s c l o s e t h e i r u n l icensed status are not e l i g i b l e f o r t h e h a n d y m a n ' s e x c e pt i o n .
Reference: h t t p : / / w w w a z r o c g ov/invest/licensed by law html
A s a c o n s u m e r , b ei n g a w a r e o f t h e l a w i s f o r y o u r p r o t e ction You can check a b u s i n e s s e s R O C s t a t u s a t : http://www azroc gov/ Notice
AHWATUKEE TEA PARTY
Thurs Oct 20, 2016: Guest Speaker: Dr Thomas Patterson Chairman-Compact For America Topic: "National Debt"
Also, A Special Awards Presentation to the Winner of an Essay Contest Meetings are held at the Quality Inn, Desert Meeting Rm, 5121 La Puenta Ave. 51st St/Elliot-Ahw
3rd Thursday of each month
Doors open at 6:30p, meeting starts at 7pm Public is invited! EMAIL: info@tukeeteaparty 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
Visit our website at www ahwatukee republican women com
Meetings/Events
AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS SENIOR ASSOCIATION (AFSA) will be celebrating an early Thanksgiving at their monthly meeting on Thursday, November 10 at the Sheraton Four Points Hotel located at 51st St and Elliot Rd in Phoenix Doors open at 11am and lunch is at noon Cost is $13 Open to all Seniors 55+ Deadline for reservations is Saturday, November 5 For further information, please contact Sue McCann at (480) 469-9388
Meetings/Events
Dining For Women (DFW) diningforwomen org inspires, educates and engages people to invest in programs that make a meaningful difference for women and girls living in extreme poverty DFW helps women find dignity and strength, develop skills and opportunities value and support their children s education We have a local chapter in Ahwatukee which meets the 3rd Thursday every month from 6:30 p m -8:30p m If you d like to know more on how you can transform lives and reduce poverty contact Mary Hake at marysullivanhake @gmail com
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
Meetings/Events
PARENTS OF ADDICTED LOVED ONES
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 See our local meeting list at palgroup org
sociation)
monthly luncheon is held at the Sheraton
Phoenix/Ahwatukee
Social hour starts at 11am and lunch is at
Deadline for reserva-
P a r t i c i p a t e i n d e l i c i o u s l u n c h e s (including coffee/tea a n d d e s s e r t ) , a n d e n t e r t a i n m e n
UP TO $5,925 IN REBATES OR 0% APR FOR 48 OR 60 MO.* Fall Tune-up
$5,925 $5,925
10-Year Parts and Labor Limited Warranty* *On Selected Systems ($1,295 Value - No Charge)
Up to $800 in Utility Rebates*
*Up to a $2,825 Brewer’s Dealer Rebate, up to $800 Utility Rebate, up to $300 Federal Tax Credit & up to $2,000 Trane Trade In Allowance. See your independent Trane Dealer for complete program eligibility, dates, details and restrictions. Special financing offers OR trade-in allowances from $75 up to $2,000 valid on qualifying equipment only. Offers vary by equipment. All sales must be to homeowners in the United States. Void where prohibited. *The Home Projects and Home Projects Visa® credit cards are issued by Wells Fargo Financial National Bank, an Equal Housing Lender. Special terms apply to qualifying purchases charged with approved credit. The special terms APR will continue to apply until all qualifying purchases are paid in full. The monthly payment for this purchase will be the amount that will pay for the purchase in full in equal payments during the promotional (special terms) period. The APR for Purchases will apply to certain fees such as a late payment fee or if you use the card for other transactions. For new accounts, the APR for Purchases is 28.99%. If you are charged interest in any billing cycle, the minimum interest charge will be $1.00. If you have a Visa card and you use it for cash advances, the cash advance fee is 5.00% of the amount of the cash advance, but not less than $10.00. This information is accurate as of 07/01/2016 and is subject to change. For current information, call us at 1-800-431-5921. Offer expires 12/15/2016.
