Ahwatukee Foothills News - Nov. 30, 2016

Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Public has last chance to comment on South Mountain trail upgrades

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS

Singing for joy

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS

BY JIM WALSH AFN Staff Writer

Nothing defines Ahwatukee more than its signature landmark, the South Mountain, looming over a sprawling quilt of red-tile roofed suburban neighborhoods.

It plays a major role in residents’ quality of life and the region as a whole, attracting an estimated three million visitors a year and next week. Now, users will get a chance for their final say on some major improvements.

“People don’t move out here for the cul-de-sacs. They move out here for the beauty,’’ said Laurel Arndt, an avid bicyclist and hiker who has lived in Ahwatukee for more than 30 years.

After many years of little change, the park is now on the verge of a substantial update as it heads toward its 100th anniversary in 2024. A $23-million project will bring more parking at trailheads, better restrooms and improved ramadas during a five-year period starting this spring.

Another phase of improvements is expected to stem from the South Mountain Trail and Preserve Master Plan. Residents will have their last opportunity to weigh in on the plan when the third in a series of public meetings will complete the public comment period.

“It’s the biggest change we’ve ever had in South Mountain Park,’’ said City Council member Sal DiCiccio, a strong advocate for open space. “It’s going to be an amazing change for

Party in Ahwatukee last Saturday. For more on the party, see pages 18 and 27.

BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor

hoenix officials plan to spend over $2.3 billion on street improvements over the next 35 years, so what can Ahwatukee residents expect as their fair share?

Turns out the Street Transportation

Department doesn’t think of allocations that way.

“It’s not necessarily based on fair share but rather on our data on the condition of the streets,” department special projects administrator Eileen Yazzie told the Ahwatukee Foothills Village Planning Committee on Monday.

That didn’t sit too well with several

committee members.

Yazzie gave an overview of the street-repair portion of the city’s Transportation 2050 plan, which is built on the projected $17.7 billion in total revenue expected from the 0.03 percent increase in the sales tax voters OK’d last year. That brought to 0.07 percent the total fraction of sales tax that goes to

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Ahwatukee teen

musician wins a nod in Alice Cooper contest

BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor

Joe Vitagliano of Ahwatukee earlier this month almost won rock legend Alice Cooper’s Proof is in the Pudding talent search for a soloist under age 25 to perform in his annual Christmas season concert.

But the 17-year-old Horizon Honors High School senior is pretty content with his second-place prize because it helps him continue developing his ambition to become a professional songwriter/performer.

Joe, who has adopted a stage name of Joe Vito “because it’s easier to pronounce and remember” than his family name, won a spot on Cooper’s Christmas CD, a photo session and two hours of professional studio time.

He competed with scores of musicians over a period of several months and had to perform his own songs, cover tunes and even some holiday music.

Placing second was a great accomplishment, he said.

“I’ve been lucky to have a lot of opportunities given to me by my family and family,” said Joe, the son of David and Jennifer Vitagliano. “I have a home studio but it’s going to be very nice to go into a professional studio and not to do the post-production work.”

To some extent, he’s following in the footsteps of his father, a Horizon Honors High history teacher who is a vocalist and guitarist for a longtime Valley band called Squiddog.

Joe started playing about eight years ago, first

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NEIGHBORS

from page 3

studying saxophone and bassoon but quickly gravitating to electric and acoustic guitar and mandolin.

“Music has always been a pretty big part of my life,” he said. “I grew up in a coffee shop and outside bars listening to my dad play.”

Unlike his dad, who tends toward “Americana” rock of the 70s and 80s, Joe prefers music similar to that of the late Leonard Cohen, the Canadian singer, songwriter, musician, poet, novelist and painter who explored a wide range of subjects ranging from religion and politics to isolation and personal relationships.

“I like to tap into the emotional side, kind of a darker side—things that go wrong,” he said. “Sometimes I write about politics, but mostly I write about myself and the world I live in and how it’s hard to be a musician, hard to be yourself.”

He works hard at both making music and writing it. And this year he released his first album, available through joevitomusic.com

Still, he admits he has chosen a

career made difficult by the internet’s fragmentation of the music scene.

“Just getting a name for yourself is so incredibly difficult now,” he said. “So much is happening now in music and it’s incredibly diverse. You have to find your niche, but there’s no rule book any more. You have really forge your own path.”

His age offers another challenge, since bars are hesitant to allow musicians under 21 to perform on the premises.

“It’s hard to get gigs in the current climate, hard to find venues open to new artists,” he said. “There’s kind of a weird culture with some of the venues in town—a big increase in pay-to-play venues where a performer has to sell a certain number of tickets or is responsible for making up the difference. You have to be really persistent to get your foot in the door.”

But Joe’s persistent. He is considering his choices for post-secondary education with a firm eye on his goal: becoming “a great songwriter.”

He’s studied the last three summers at the Berkley School of Music in Boston, which is “definitely a contender” after high school. He also is eyeing Belmont University School of Music, because it has “a really great songwriter program.”

transportation-related expenditures. Committee Chairman Chad Blostone and member Michael Hinz both complained about the absence of data showing either the amount of money or total miles of improved roadway that local residents will see from the program—especially since spending decisions are made without any public input.

Such decisions are “mainly datadriven,” Yazzie said, pointing to a photo of a specially equipped van that travels nearly 5,000 miles of city streets to conduct imaging studies of their condition. However, she didn’t know when the van last traveled Ahwatukee’s streets.

Yazzie’s presentation highlighted the committee’s first meeting since August. Members also re-elected Blostone and Spencer Elliott as chair and vice chair, respectively, and gave the go-ahead to the city planning commission to adopt regulations governing the construction of protective walls around so-called “critical infrastructure sites,” such as water pumping stations and treatment plants.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is pressing municipalities, counties and states throughout the nation to build those walls to protect against terrorist attacks.

And the committee heard Councilman Sal DiCiccio disclose that some progress is being made in his and local legislators’ efforts to make the Chandler Boulevard Extension wider.

Currently, the city plans to spend $11 million to create a two-lane thoroughfare between 27th and 19th avenues that will link at either end with four lanes.

“It is not safe,” DiCiccio said. “We’re working with the city and the Arizona Department of Transportation to get it wider. If an accident occurs in one lane, traffic is shut down and an entire community won’t be able to get in or out. We have to have at least a larger median.”

the replacement of broken street signs and the addition of more left-turn signals; construction of new arterials; and “mobility improvements” such as making bus stops compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Street department officials previously have stated that spending on new arterials is decided by a citizens’ panel and that the Chandler Boulevard Extension was not on its list of approved projects.

Street maintenance and technology spending came under heavy scrutiny by the committee as members complained about rusting light poles throughout Ahwatukee and the absence of any improvements in the conditions of major thoroughfares, including Chandler Boulevard.

None of the billions generated by the local sales tax is going to the Chandler Boulevard Extension project. City officials so far have insisted that they can’t afford to make it wider and that data doesn’t show a widening is necessary.

Street improvements are one of three major areas in the city’s plan for spending not only the billions derived from the sales tax but an additional $14.8 billion over 30 years from county, state and federal funds.

Yazzie said that Phoenix has 20,000 street signs citywide that need to be replaced at a total cost of $7 million and that street light replacement and light pole painting are usually accomplished after her department receives a complaint.

“Every pole in Ahwatukee is rusted,” complained committee member Mike Shiller.

“We need to be told when street lights are out or poles need repainted,” she said.

That prompted Blostone to complain, noting that the city doesn’t approach street repaving and repair that way.

Besides the 14 percent of total spending that will go to street improvements, 51 percent will go to a variety of bus-related upgrades and the remaining 35 percent to light rail. There are no plans on the drawing board to extend light rail into Ahwatukee.

Yazzie said that besides maintenance, street improvement spending also goes to technology upgrades that include

“How far are we from a data-driven process?” he asked, prompting Yazzie to reply that she didn’t know.

“I will take that back to my boss,” she added.

Yazzie also promised to have her colleagues examine some of the specific street conditions brought up by committee members.

Residents can grill True Life about Ahwatukee Farms next week

The owner of the defunct golf course at Ahwatukee Lakes Golf Club has scheduled its own public forum to give residents a chance to grill its experts on its proposed “agrihood” for the 101-acre site.

True Life Companies will have six to eight stations devoted to specific aspects of the plan during the meeting at 5 p.m. Dec. 7 in Mountain Pointe High School’s cafeteria, 4201 E. Knox Road, Ahwtaukee.

Attendees “can have a dialogue with experts and ask questions about specific parts of the vision for Ahwatukee Farms and the process to make it a reality,” spokesman Drew Sexton said. “Residents can spend as much time at each station as they would like and learn more from these experts.”

The stations will be manned by:

• Aidan Barry, Todd Severson and Quentin Thornton of True Life, who will discuss the overall vision of Ahwatukee Farms and how community-supported agriculture fits into the community;

• Shetal Walters and Sonia Carver of Desert Garden Montessori School, who will focus on their plans for the new school campus;

• Darrell Wilson of the civil engineering firm Hilgart Wilson, who will provide residents with information on flood control plans and the area’s hydrology;

• Don Dyekman of Dickinson Wright and Jason Morris of Withey Morris, who will explain the consent form, and “how it protects residents and what the legal process is,” according to Sexton;

• Chuck Wright of Kimley Horn, who will discuss the steps being taken to reduce traffic in the area.

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TRAIL UPGRADES

from page 1

hikers and bikers.’’

DiCiccio’s district includes not only South Mountain Park, but also Papago Park and the Echo Canyon Trail at Camelback Mountain. He said Phoenix is investing in the preserve system—one of its most important assets.

“You look at our quality of life, it’s fundamental to our community,’’ he said.

An open house is scheduled 6-8 p.m. Tuesday at the Pecos Community Center, 17010 S. 48th St., Ahwatukee; and on Dec. 8, from 6-8 p.m at the South Mountain Environmental Education Center, 10409 S. Central Ave., Phoenix.

“Obviously, you have to have a starting point. You have to have amenities to direct people to a place,’’ she said. “We are trying to get people on the path and get rid of those spider trails.’’

The most heavily used trailhead is Pima Canyon, near 48th Street and The Arizona Grand Resort.

Erickson described that trailhead as “over-loved.’’

A plan to expand parking and make other trailhead improvements is already generating controversy among neighboring homeowners who are concerned about more noise, pollution and destruction of the desert.

The new trail marking system will improve safety, making it less likely that people get lost and more likely that they will be found in the event of emergencies, Erickson said.

Phoenix parks employees will display boards summarizing comments received from the public at the prior hearings in June and September, and on an interactive map, Erickson said. They will explain to residents why they incorporated some suggestions into the plan and did not include others.

Better signs will save lives

The plan’s purpose is to serve as guide to improving a 51-mile maze of popular, but sometimes confusing trails. It seems likely that some unrecognized “spider’’ trails created by wayward hikers and bikers will be recognized and upgraded to create a more cohesive system. Other spider trails will be closed and restored.

“These huge plans will merge nicely together,’’ said Inger Erickson, director of the Parks and Recreation Department.

“At the same time that we are improving access, they are getting better signage, better sustainable paths.’’

Emergencies and mountain rescues occur less often at South Mountain Park than other parts of the Phoenix Mountain Preserve system, such as Echo Canyon in Camelback Mountain or Piestewa Peak in north Phoenix, Erickson said.

But that doesn’t mean tragedies don’t occur occasionally.

Although most injuries are broken ankles and twisted knees, two people died in the park within the past year, including a woman who got lost near Telegraph Pass, Erickson said.

The marking system envisioned by Erickson goes well beyond simple metal poles with trail names stenciled on them. It will combine conventional signs and maps with Quick Response codes, commonly known as QR codes.

TRAIL UPGRADES

will be able to take pictures of the code with their smart phones, which will deliver text on a web site.

The system will give Phoenix parks another way to deliver safety tips, such as warning people about the dangers of heat stroke or telling them to stay on the trails. Visitors would obtain directions and other information to help them decide on their route.

Voter-approved plan paved way

The Phoenix Parks and Preserve Initiative, last approved by voters in 2008 and in effect for 30 years, will pay for the improvements.

The initiative sets aside one cent of sales taxes for every $10 of purchases, with 40 percent of those funds dedicated to land acquisition and development of the preserves, including trails, trailheads and signage.

Arndt, a land-use planner with the Sonoran Institute, has been attending the hearings on the trail master plan. She said the improvements are overdue, with some trails and facilities in poor condition, and vital to the area’s quality of life.

She wonders whether the city can

pull off all the changes in the massive, 16,000-acre park with a limited staff.

Better signage will help the park serve its preservation mission by discouraging use of destructive spider trails and restoring them to a more natural state, she said.

“It’s the 80-20 rule,’’ she said, with 80 percent of hikers and bikers following the trail and the inevitable 20 percent looking for destructive short cuts.

“The good news is that they have gotten the message loud and clear that they need to do some trail management,’’ Arndt said.

Rather than new trails, “what we need is better definement and management of the trails we have now,’’ she said.

Coherent trail system sought

Brad Anders, also an avid bicyclist and an Ahwatukee resident, praised any effort to create a coherent trail system and to reduce confusion among park visitors. He realizes the system is mainly intended to help occasional visitors, rather than regulars like himself, who sometimes end up assisting rangers.

“Not everything was planned. A lot of it happened over time,’’ he said. “They are trying to get back to a coherent plan.’’

He said the trail system’s problems were apparent when he encountered some German tourists who were lost.

“They were trying to figure out where to go and we were trying to help them know where to go,’’ Anders said.

Mark Schmisseur, an avid bicyclist and hiker, said he tries to help lost hikers all the time. He said signage is usually available at trailheads but is very scarce at some interior locations. The problem is aggravated further by criss-crossing trails.

Schmisseur said he appreciates the city considering feedback from park users before installing the new facilities.

“I am excited about it. We use it extensively. We welcome the improvements,’’ Schmisseur said.

Lakewood

Berdetta Hodge is apparent winner of third Tempe Union school board seat

BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor

Aformer PTA president at three different schools is the new member of the Tempe Union High School District governing board.

Berdetta Hodge of Tempe defeated Ahwatukee businessman Scott Ryan with 15.7 percent of the vote to his 15.3 percent, according to unofficial results.

Hodge will join incumbents Sandy Lowe and Michelle Helm, who clinched new terms in the Nov. 8 election with 19.3 percent and 23.5 percent of the vote, respectively.

A question had been raised as to a possible recount between Hodge and Ryan, but a spokeswoman for the county recorder’s office said it would not order one.

A Tempe resident for 35 years, Hodge has one child in McClintock High and another who graduated from there.

The Arizona State University graduate has been a Hope’s Crossing board member, a PTA president in three different schools and a booster club member.

She is on the board of the Booker T. Washington Child Development Center, and is a site council member and a volunteer for the Boys and Girls Club of the East Valley Ladmo Branch.

When asked early in the campaign why she was running, she replied:

“As a Tempe Union High School District graduate, involved community member and parent, I have experienced and witnessed the positive growth of our district and the substantial impact it has had on both our students and community.”

“I want to give back to the district that has not only enriched my life, but has also left an everlasting fingerprint on our community,” she added.

Trump triggers angry words from DiCiccio about Phoenix mayor

while treating residents with dignity and respect,” Stanton added.

President-elect Donald Trump’s statements on immigration triggered a war of words two weeks ago between Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton and Councilman Sal DiCiccio, whose district includes Ahwatukee.

Trump told 60 Minutes on Nov. 13 that he would deport illegal immigrants that have criminal records once he takes office. He put the number around two to three million people, but federal authorities have put it closer to less than a million.

Three days later, Stanton said in reaction to a TV reporter’s question: “The Phoenix Police Department will never turn into a mass deportation force, even if the new government in Washington, D.C., threatens to revoke federal dollars. This is something worth fighting for, and we will not be bullied into taking backward steps on civil rights.”

“Phoenix is an incredibly diverse and welcoming city where we endeavor every day to protect our community

The remarks prompted DiCiccio to issue a rare press release that accused the mayor of “spin” by not declaring that criminals here illegally should be deported.

“These individuals, which number in the millions, are in our prison system and taxpayers are not only taking care of them but the taxpayers have to bear the entire burden of the crimes they committed,” DiCiccio said.

Stating Stanton “basically condones keeping these known criminals under the care of the taxpayer and under the care of the victims of their crimes,” DiCiccio added:

“I believe we should expand what President Trump is proposing and go after the individuals our police have identified and get them out of our country.”

Phoenix Police notify federal officials if they have arrested an illegal immigrant and then leave it up to them to decide whether to detain or deport the suspect.

Town hall rekindles public debate over Ahwatukee Lakes ‘agrihood’

BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor

The public debate over the Ahwatukee Farms “agrihood” proposal rekindled this month after eight development and golf experts decried the proposal at a town hall and a spokesman for the company sponsoring it accused them of misrepresentations.

More than 300 people packed the Ahwatukee Recreation Center two weeks ago to hear the speakers call the plan a threat to their quality of life at Ahwatukee Lakes Golf Club.

Organized by Save the Lakes, the “golf town hall” panel focused on True Life Companies’ proposal to replace the defunct 101-acre course at Ahwatukee Lakes Golf Club with a development that includes single-family homes and townhomes or duplexes, a private school, a community farm, café and two lakes with a green belt and recreation path.

“We were creating a lifestyle that’s good and safe and healthy for you. Don’t let something happen that will interfere with your lifestyle,” said Wayne Smith, who designed Ahwatukee’s original master plan.

Smith warned that “90 percent” of the reason why a golf course was built in the first place at Ahwatukee Lakes was to protect the entire community of Ahwatukee from floods created by South Mountain runoff during storms.

“Much of what was said in (the Nov. 17) STL meeting has already been debunked

by not only ourselves but by multiple experts,” said Aidan Barry, True Life’s executive vice president/development.

True Life in the past has stated that it has some of the nation’s top hydrologists advising it on the project.

Barry, asked to comment on some of the statements made at the town hall, was particularly critical of some speakers’ assertions about what would happen if 51 percent of the Lakes homeowners approve True Life’s request to change the conditions, covenants and restrictions (CC&Rs) governing the golf course.

Attorney-engineer-Realtor Jeff Hall said that the CC&Rs for Ahwatukee Lakes also covered the golf course at Ahwatukee Country Club and that if True Life won approval from to change them, the Country Club course could be sold to a developer.

Hall also told the audience that Ahwatukee Farms “is just a concept,” suggesting the consent form does not require True Life to follow through on that particular plan.

“It’s a very great marketing piece,” Hall said, suggesting that between the additional homes and the private school, traffic would increase to the point where “44th Street would be a logjam from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day.”

But Barry ripped those assertions, stating, “We have already explained and showed how the Ahwatukee Country Club will not be affected by the change in our CC&R’s.”

He also said the consent form

homeowners are being asked to sign and the CC&Rs “require that our vision for Ahwatukee Farms stays within six selfimposed restrictions that any zoning plan presented to the City of Phoenix must adhere to.

“These restrictions include a prohibition of apartments, limiting dwelling units to 3 per gross acre and no more than two stories, as well as prohibiting commercial activity with the exception of activity related to the community-supported agriculture feature.”

“The zoning plan that will be presented to the city and the CC&Rs are independent of each other,” Barry added. “We will have to comply with both of the requirements of the CC&Rs and the requirements of the City of Phoenix. In other words, the city will not approve a project that is in violation of the amended CC&R’s.

“Furthermore, we have taken the

unprecedented step of setting up a third-party escrow agreement which would ensure that upon receiving the 51 percent of signatures needed to amend the CC&R’s, a third-party will immediately record the new CC&R’s with the County Recorder.”

Ben Holt, Save the Lakes president, told the crowd that his group is asking homeowners to sign a new petition that insists only the golf course be restored.

A Save the Lakes member said homeowners can go to savethelakes. weebly.com/sign-the-stl-sos-petition. html or call 480-496-9275.

Several speakers indirectly criticized the former golf course owner, Wilson Gee, who sold the course to True Life for a reported $8.2 million after he turned off the water in 2013 and reduced the course to barren desert.

“The CC&Rs are amazingly clear and

Club West homeowners urged to attend meeting on golf course purchase plan

Save Club West is edging closer to becoming Buy Club West.

The group of more than 650 homeowners in the Ahwatukee golf course community has scheduled a meeting for all their neighbors at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 14 at Mountain View Community Church, Pecos Road and 24th Street, Ahwatukee, to discuss a plan to buy the Club West Course and operate it at a profit.

Jim Lindstrom, who organized Save Club West after course owner Wilson

Gee began curtailing irrigation in June, said the plan that has been developed is similar to one used by Sunland Springs resort homeowners in Mesa. About 400 homeowners there pitched in $5,000 apiece to buy the public course after its owner put it up for sale.

Gee has complained in the past that his Phoenix water bill of $700,000 a year is too high and has put the course up for sale at $1.9 million.

He also curtailed watering the course, creating conditions that prompted to Club West HOA board to file a suit demanding he provide sufficient

watering and maintenance to keep the course in good condition.

Save Club West believes a lawsuit does little to solve the long-term problem of finding a source of water that is cheaper than Phoenix potable water.

“The situation at Club West is unique in that we have a water sourcing issue that makes it difficult for any owner to operate the golf course profitability,”

Lindstrom said in a letter to state Rep. Jill Norgaard, R-Ahwatukee, who has been working with HOAs in the area of the South Mountain Freeway to resolve a number of issues related to the

impending highway.

Lindstrom said Norgaard will be attending the Dec. 14 meeting.

Lindstrom’s group raised enough money to hire a golf management company, a course architect and water experts to develop “a strategy that would enable the golf course to be operated at breakeven or profitably well into the future.”

“Water is at the heart of the problem,” he added, stating that he is hoping Club West homeowners will provide “feedback on our strategy and direction to move forward with a purchase option.”

Court panel refuses to halt South Mountain Freeway work during appeal

BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor

Opponents of the South Mountain Freeway on Monday lost their bid to stop its construction temporarily while a federal panel considers an effort to halt the work permanently.

In a terse ruling, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit rejected a request to halt construction until it rules on an appeal of U.S. District Judge Diane Humetewa’s August decision that turned away all arguments two groups had made to stop the freeway.

Both the Ahwatukee-based Protect Arizona’s Resources and Children and the Gila River Indian Community have tried to stop the freeway on multiple grounds.

PARC focused on assertions it will endanger the environment and jeopardize the health of hundreds of thousands of people, especially school children, while the Gila Community contends the project defiles a site held sacred by Native Americans.

PARC President Pat Lawlis wrote on the group’s Facebook page, “I admit I am depressed about this...I assume it’s because the judge believed that ADOT is not currently destroying anything of import! Guess they don’t care about Pecos Road!”

“It will be heard and ruled on before ADOT can do any damage to South Mountain,” she added.

In a release, ADOT said the ruling “keeps the Arizona Department of Transportation project on track to begin construction of the mainline freeway early next year.”

“It’s the fourth time courts have rejected attempts to halt construction of this long-planned link between the East Valley and West Valley,” it continued, quoting ADOT director John Halikowski as saying:

“With the support of the Federal Highway Administration, the Maricopa Association of Governments and the city of Phoenix, we are moving forward with a critically needed freeway that will make this region a better place to live and do business. This long-planned alternative to an increasingly strained Interstate 10 through downtown Phoenix will better position this region for continued growth in its population and its economy.”

The two groups are appealing Humetewa’s ruling, but PARC wanted the Ninth Circuit to stop all work, claiming continued construction would virtually destroy what they’re trying to protect. The Gila Community did not join its request for an emergency injunction stopping work.

Appeals can take months to resolve, and by that time the desert environment along the Pecos Road corridor in Ahwatukee could be ravaged and South Mountain could be desecrated by construction, PARC attorney Howard Shanker argued.

Shanker said that as disappointing as the panel’s ruling is, “we have not lost the war.”

He noted that the appeals court will consider the case without paying any attention to Humetewa’s ruling.

Shanker also said he suspected that the Gila Community’s decision not to join the emergency request hurt PARC’s effort for a temporary work halt, “but this did not mean that we have lost our case.

“I understand that this is a frustrating and disheartening process,” he told PARC supporters in an email. “We are, however, still very much in the game.”

The Arizona Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration objected to a temporary halt, claiming PARC and the Gila Community will lose the appeal and that meanwhile taxpayers would be saddled with millions of dollars in extra costs.

The 22-mile freeway will connect West Phoenix and Chandler, providing I-10 traffic with an diversion around Downtown Phoenix. The $1.77-billion freeway is the most expensive highway project in Arizona history.

Shanker zeroed in on ADOT’s handling of environmental studies and its refusal to consider either alternative routes or a “no-build alternative.”

“There are approximately 17 schools within one-half mile of the selected right-of-way, resulting in significantly increased health risks to children attending those schools (over 15,000 children on a daily basis),” he said.

“This project will have a disparate

impact on children without even accounting for the parks, day-care providers, and children who live near the right-of-way and who attend these schools,” Shanker wrote.

“Many studies have now shown that people who live, work, or attend school near major roads have an increased incidence and severity of health problems that may be related to air pollution from roadway traffic,” he added, stating that “near-roadway traffic emissions may not only trigger and exacerbate asthma symptoms, but also contribute to the development of asthma in children.

“As such, the construction of a new eight-lane freeway with diesel truck volumes of up to 17,000 per day in an area with a large population of children constitutes a need to analyze, disclose and mitigate impacts to children.”

the proposed new freeway corridor, including impacts to children,” the EPA said.

“Additionally, we have continuing concerns with the analysis of the No Action Alternative, as well as impacts to both aquatic resources and wildlife connectivity,” it added.

Assistant U.S. Attorney John Cruden countered in a lengthy brief that “PARC is not likely to succeed in overturning” Humetewa’s ruling.

“The balance of the equities and public interest strongly tip against issuing an injunction, which would increase costs by $68,700,000 of taxpayer money per year, and delay a project necessary to address existing traffic conditions,” he added.

“As the district court found, the agencies reasonably considered the potential impacts of the project on children’s health, including air quality and noise impacts,”

ADOT estimates that 125,000 to 140,000 vehicles would use the freeway daily. Of these, nearly half would be trucks, including 14,000 to 17,000 heavy-duty trucks.

Shanker noted that the U.S. Environmental Agency had expressed misgivings about ADOT’s analysis. It was concern not only about the potential harm posed by a 460 percent increase in traffic in the Pecos Road corridor but also with ADOT’s conclusions of the minimal risk of accidents involving vehicles carrying hazardous chemicals.

Shanker also said that in coming up with a justification for the specific rightof-way selected for the freeway, ADOT initially used 2005 Census data to project the region’s population growth even though 2010 census data showed a 20-percent decrease in those projections.

He also said ADOT refused to consider other routes because they would not complete the freeway loop system around Maricopa County.

He quoted from an EPA letter expressing concern about such an approach.

“We have continuing concerns regarding the analysis and discussion provided in the Final Environmental Impact Study regarding possible near-roadway health impacts along

Cruden said, adding:

“The agencies specifically considered and addressed the potential air quality impacts of the project, including the potential for impacts on children, in its National Environmental Protection Act analysis and its conformity analysis under the Clean Air Act.”

Cruden also contended that the freeway “is not located closer to schools than it is to other nearby receptors” and that “because particulate matter levels decrease rapidly with distance from the freeway,” ambient air quality standards would be met at all the schools.

He acknowledged also said that any disagreement between highway planners and the EPA “highlights the rigorous consideration of the project” rather than a failure to meet federal regulations requiring a thorough air quality analysis.

“The proposed project would relieve congestion and would save people approximately 9.2 million hours of travel time a year,” Cruden said of the freeway, adding:

“The project also benefits low income and minority communities by reducing bus travel time and improving access to school facilities and community centers. And voters have twice voted for a sales tax to fund transportation infrastructure projects such as the project.”

PUBLIC DEBATE

we have a judge who agrees with us that they mean what they say,” said attorney Tim Barnes, who is representing two Lakes homeowners in a lawsuit against

and Gee.

He was referring to a judge’s ruling last summer that declared the CC&Rs require a golf course. The judge has set a non-jury trial for June on Barnes’ request that he order that the golf course be restored.

Such an order likely would cost True Life at least $2.5 million, estimated Buddie Johnson, a golf course developer. He cautioned that he had not studied all the particulars necessary for a firmer appraisal.

Barry said, “The judge’s decision was simply a preliminary ruling and that is it. The lawsuit against us will be resolved via a trial which is currently calendared for mid-2017.”

He also criticized Hall’s assertion that traffic would quadrupled on 44th Street as a result of the private school and additional residences.

He noted the school, Desert Garden Montessori has promised to stagger its

start times so as not to create a traffic problem with Mountain Pointe High School.

“City officials will have to approve of our traffic plan and determine it falls within city guidelines,” Barry said.

“In working with our traffic consultant Kimley-Horn, we believe there is sufficient capacity within the neighborhood to meet the demands of new residents. By offering other creative solutions, such as a traffic-calming roundabout, we are confident that our zoning plan will meet city traffic standards. Any claim to the contrary is simply inaccurate and is being spread disingenuously by some that oppose our project.”

The course’s deterioration has proven costly not only for people who built their homes next to the course but for the community at large, asserted Realtor Pete Meier, who was vice president of sales for Presley Homes, which built the homes in Ahwatukee Lakes 40 years ago.

“Some of the houses have lost $50,000 to $65,000 in value,” Meier said of the adjacent homes, adding “the whole community has lost value.”

Meier also said that homeowners paid a premium for course-adjacent lots and that “they’d rather look at dirt than

another 300 homes in their backyard.”

Gee has complained he couldn’t make a profit off the course, partly because golf was declining in popularity.

But Don Rea, owner/operator of the Augusta Ranch Golf Course in Mesa, ridiculed that notion.

Rea, a member of the Professional Golfers Association board, said too many golf courses were built in the 1980s and 90s and that hundreds have closed.

But he said the Lakes course could be run profitably and that golf remained a popular pastime in the country.

“Look, a lot of restaurants go out of

business,” he said, “but no one says food is dead.”

But Barry said:

“It is confounding to us to continue to hear that some mysterious golf course operators are interested in buying the property when we have not been contacted by anyone,” he said. “The truth is, there is no qualified buyer willing to redevelop this property as a golf course. Unless, of course, they want the land for a below market rate price.”

A video of the town hall has been posted at savethelakes.weebly.com.

Kick-Off Party lights up Ahwatukee's holiday mode

The 21st annual Festival of Lights Kick-Off Party last Saturday drew thousands of people to celebrate the return of holiday lights along Chandler Boulevard between 32nd Street and Desert Foothills Parkway. The party provided two stages of entertainment throughout the afternoon and evening, plenty of food and drink, and a load of fun for young and old alike.

Free ‘Pop-up Playground’ encourages kids’ creativity at Summit School

If you think your kids have fun with Legos, wait till they experience the Pop-up Adventure Playground that Summit School of Ahwatukee is making available to families for free.

Between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday, parents and children of all ages can play with the materials that Pop-Up Adventure Playground makes available to encourage kids’ ingenuity and creativity. The school is near 48th Street and Chandler Boulevard, Ahwatukee.

The materials, or “loose parts,” can be combined, moved, carried, redesigned, lined up, taken apart and put back together in multiple ways. They are materials with no specific set of directions that can be used alone or combined with others, including large boxes, cardboard tubes, fabric, yarn, rocks, sticks, boxes, tires, markers, tape, and so, so much more.

Children are allowed to take home their creations.

The community event is the playground’s first appearance in the Valley and has been in Cairo, Shanghai, Mexico City and New York City. It’s being brought to Ahwatukee through a partnership between Summit School and Treasures4Teachers.

“These events are a fantastic way for

people of all ages to come together,” said Morgan Leichter-Saxby, Pop-Up Adventure Playground co-founder.

“Play is so important for children’s growth and development and for their happiness. Pop-up adventure playgrounds are also a fun way to bridge our differences within the community and connect on a deep level, sending a clear message that you don’t need money to play!”

Andrea Benkel, Summit’s director of early childhood education, said playing with the loose parts “is the foundation for critical thinking and creativity.”

“We celebrate the ‘minimakers’ in all children and look forward to the engineers, scientists, artists, mathematicians and technology innovators that will have their visions come to life at this event,” Benkel added.

Barbara Blalock, founder and executive director of Treasures 4 Teachers, said, “We are on a mission to educate parents on the value of play; especially child directed play, using wonderful which have no specific outcome other than to build on a child’s imagination.”

Blalock is a former educator who was later employed to help preschools bring the quality of their programming up to a higher level.

Desert Vista High Marching Band wins sixth state title in seven years

BY CODY DOLORES MIRANDA AFN Contributing Writer

For the sixth time in the past seven years, the Desert Vista High School Thunder Marching Band garnered first place at the Arizona State Marching Band Competition.

Under the direction of Josh Thye, director of bands and Fine Arts Department chair, the 152-member Thunder Marching Band wowed the audience and judges at the Nov. 12 competition held at Glendale Community College.

Their show, ANThology, was a nearly nine-minute mesmerizing and magical performance with black-clad band and color guard members mimicking ants emerging from an ant hill and scattering across a field that sported grass sprigs and pouring onto an over-sized red and white checkered table cloth.

The show carried a message of acceptance as another “red ant” appeared, only to be ostracized by the black ant community before eventually being welcomed and included. It was at that point the band’s red uniforms were revealed.

“I think we can all associate with being an outsider, not being included at some

point and how it feels when you are finally accepted,” said Thye. “I think we need that kind of understanding, now

more than ever.”

This is the Marching Thunder’s

second consecutive year as Division 1 Champions.

In 2014, the Marching Thunder broke its four-year run as champions when it came in second to Sandra Day O’Conner High School. In all, Desert Vista has won six of the seven State Championships since the Arizona Band and Orchestra Directors Association (ABODA) organized the event seven years ago.

Last year the band came back strong to regain the title, and at this month’s state competition finished even stronger with an impressive score of 94.875, far surpassing last year’s high of 90.19.

The band also received top scores in four of five caption categories: Percussion, General Effect, Visual Effect and Musical Performance.

“The band had every right to question the show concept. ‘What are we up to? Ants?’ But this group never did. They have so much to be proud of,” said Thye, a Desert Vista alumnus who was hired after graduating from the University of Arizona following the passing of the school’s first band director Eric Holden in 2003.

They played trumpet in the band under Holden’s direction.

Zoe Clevinger, the Marching Thunder senior drum major, said she and others were “a little hesitant when we learned the show was about ants but (as Drum Major) I got to see the show from a really cool perspective and I loved seeing the show and the characters within it come alive.”

For parents of freshman twins Teagan and Natalie Schuler, the enthusiasm, dedication and motivation that Thye— “Mr. T” to his charges—inspired was nothing short of astounding.

“The girls had tried various sports and when they said they wanted to do band this year, we couldn’t help but wonder how that would work because we knew the time involved. And yet, Mr. T. was amazing at how he motivated them. They were up at 5 and at practice at 5:45 in the morning,” said Norma Schuler. The Schulers wondered if the time necessary to be a part of the band was within the realm of their 14-year-old daughters.

Marching Band rehearsals start in June and continue through the summer with a two-week break before pre-band camp and band camp. Once school starts, there are after-school and weekend practices for the band which is an extracurricular

activity, though one requiring auditions.

Watching her daughters’ enthusiastic perseverance, even she and her husband Joe soon became motivated.

“We went to every single game, every competition, every championship. We became roadies, unloading the trucks along with our older daughter, Anabelle , a DVHS junior,”she said. “And I found the kids in the band were so kind, so supportive. I didn’t come across one negative experience in the students, the staff, anyone involved in the Marching Thunder.”

“Now I’m really looking forward to the next three years and in fact, I’m kind of grieving that the season is over,” she laughed.

Taylor Rogers, a Desert Vista senior and 2016 Band Council president said competing was a “phenomenal experience.”

“Being able to march this amazing show alongside the best people I know was the most fulfilling end to my four years that anyone could hope for,” said Rogers. “Every single person in the band worked so hard this season and crossing the sideline for the last time with them is something I will not soon forget.”

Drum Line section leader and senior Johnathan Lee said he gained more than just another state championship through the experience.

“It was an amazing feeling to see the end result of our hard work this year. But I’ve heard someone say that if they read you off in first place with a score of 100,000, yet you do not love the person marching next to you, you have missed the entire point of this activity,” he said.

“The victory, for me at least, was crossing the finish line as a family.”

Division 1 second and third place winners were Glendale’s Mountain Ridge High School and Highand High School of Gilbert. Division II State Championship winner was Gilbert’s Williams Field High School.

For Thye, this sixth first-place win isn’t just another win, but a memorable one.

“My heart is so full. There are so many things they’ve taught me and those are things I’ll remember a long time. This (championship) is because of them and for them. You have to believe in a ‘why’ and they are the why.”

His own motivation was evinced by the Helen Keller quote sported on student’s and parent’s t-shirts this season: “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”

To view the winning DVHS Marching Thunder show as presented at the Nov. 11 parent performance, go to YouTube.

Foothills Baptist Church forecasts snowy day

Children and adults will have something to do at “A Snowy Night in Ahwatukee” 5-8 p.m. Dec. 10 at Foothills Baptist Church, 15450 S. 21st St., Ahwatukee.

The church will have 15 tons of snow to frolic in, along with food and hot cocoa, raffle baskets and other diversions. The church says the event, replacing its 10-year tradition of a Living Christmas Tree, is its gift to the community and hence it is free.

Esperanza Lutheran presents musical with a message

David Kruse Coste calls his musical, “The Dogs Must Be Crazy,” an ideal run-up to Christmas with its “strong message to continue to try to get along with people, even if it’s hard.” He’ll present it at 7 p.m. Dec. 9 and 10 and 3 p.m. Dec. 11 with an Ahwatukeecentric cast at Esperanza Lutheran, 2601 E. Thunderhill Place, Ahwatukee. A donation of $5 is suggested as the admission but if you can’t afford that, it’s okay.

Milenio Elementary launches month-long shoe drive

The Milenio Elementary PTO is collecting

new and gently worn used shoes to raise money for student classrooms and learning materials.

The shoes are sold to “micro-enterprise vendors, small businesses in developing nations that are typically owned by individuals or families.

The drive extends through Jan. 30. Shoes can be dropped off at the front office, 4630 E. Frye Road, Ahwatukee.

Kyrene School District gets kids into holiday spirit

Kyrene School District has launched several fun activities for Ahwatukee children that begin Friday with a pizza dinner a holiday light tour for kids in kindergarten-fifth grade 6-9 p.m. Friday and a Munchkins Night Out for kids 2-5 years old at the same time. Both are at Milenio Elementary in Ahwatukee. Children must be pre-registered for the tour and the cost is $18.

RegisteratKyrene.org/communityeducation and search “fee pay” or call 480-541-1500. The Munchkin Night is $18 in advance or $20 at the door.

The district is holding a family holiday light tour 6-9 p.m. Dec. 10 from the district office, 8700 Kyrene Road, Tempe. Pre-registration is required and cost is $7 per person.

For other district-wide holiday events out of Kyrene schools in Tempe and Chandler, see the web site.

Horizon Church collecting items for homeless women

Horizon Presbyterian Church, 1401 E. Liberty Lane, Ahwatukee, is collecting toiletries and new and gently used purses for the women living at the Phoenix Rescue Mission during the holidays.

Shampoo, soap, lip balm, razors, lotion, hygiene products, combs and brushes are all needed to fill the purses. Items may be dropped off at Horizon Church 9 a.m.-noon Sunday through Friday until Dec. 14.

Information: 480-460-1480.

Female bunco game night to benefit foster charity

The bunco game that two Ahwatukee women occasionally hold for all girls and women 10 years and older will benefit Helen’s Hope Chest, which provides clothing and other items for children in foster homes.

Lyn and Abby Gerdis hold the game at Mountain Park Community Church, 2408 E. Pecos Road, Ahwatukee, although it is not church-sponsored. The games will be 6:15-8 p.m. Saturday.

The Gerdises say bunco is a simple game that can be learned in minutes and participants are asked to bring a beverage or snack to share as well as items for Helen’s Hope Chest.

Information: text 612-709-9671.

Cactus Jacks slates party, Ryan Syms Band's return

Cactus Jack’s, 48th Street and Elliot Road, Ahwatukee, is bringing back the Ryan Syms Band for an evening of country rock at 8 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $10 at the door or $8 at brownpapertickets.com/event/2715303.

The bar-restaurant also has slated a free Christmas Dance Party with the band “High Noon” Dec. 21. Ahwatukee instructor Carrie McNeish will give free line-dancing lessons 5:30-8 p.m. that day.

AARP joins Phoenix in helping kids read better

The AARP Experience Corp has joined Read On Phoenix to help students in 1st-3rd grade become better readers.

Volunteers spent two weekly 2-1/2-hour sessions helping these youngsters strengthen their reading skills. Training and materials are provided and no prior experience is necessary.

Information: Eva Masadiego at 602-2564388 or eva.masadiego@phoenix.gov.

A Foundation for a Lifetime of Learning

Keystone Montessori has provided my children with a warm and nurturing environment in which to develop their love of learning. The teachers, staff, and parent community all work together to ensure our children receive an outstanding education that focuses not only on academics, but also on grace, courtesy, and respect for their community. We love Keystone! - Parent Testimonial

TUESDAY, DEC. 6

Writing resources discussed

Attention writers: author Anissa Stringer will discuss resources, apps, and software designed to help you write.

DETAILS>> 6-7:45 p.m., Ironwood Library, 4333 E. Chandler Blvd. Free. Information: haley.dziuk@ phoenix.gov.

SATURDAY, DEC. 10

Create ‘edible houses’

Create a graham cracker house for the holidays! This event is free and all supplies will be provided. Event is open to teens 12-17.

DETAILS>> 2-3 p.m., Ironwood Library, 4333 E. Chandler Blvd. Free. Teens ages 12-17. No registration required.

SUNDAY, DEC. 11

‘Nutcracker’ meets Hogwarts

The magic of the season is let loose at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as the library blends enchanting Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math activities with a holiday flair, and throws in a musical performance by the Mill Avenue Chamber Players to boot.

DETAILS>> 1-4 p.m., Ironwood Library, 4333 E .Chandler Blvd. Free. All ages.

THURSDAY, DEC. 15

Put on pajamas for stories

Wear your pajamas to a special Story-time reading of “The Polar Express.” Enjoy cookies with your friends afterward.

DETAILS>> 6:30-7:15 p.m., Ironwood Library, 4333 E. Chandler Blvd. Children up to 5 years old. No registration required, but come early as space is limited.

SATURDAY, DEC. 17

‘Nutcracker’ showcased

Ahwatukee dance instructor Kimberly Lewis will present her 17th annual “Nutcracker” with Santa making a guest appearance after both afternoon shows.

POP-UP

from page 19

In 2004, Blalock witnessed a student having to use her shoe as collateral for a pencil, because the teacher didn’t have enough pencils. That day, she realized she needed to do something to help teachers who often don’t have even the basic supplies they need for their students.

Armed with only her passion and her now emptied Ahwatukee garage, she began Treasures 4 Teachers, a creative reuse center for teachers to get the supplies they need for free or at a low cost, so their students can be successful. Today a plethora of local business, schools and private donors keep Blalock’s 12,000-square-foot facility filled in Tempe, serving thousands of teachers and students.

At Pop-Up Playgrounds, volunteers

DETAILS>> Tickets are on sale for 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Dec. 17 and 2 p.m. Dec. 18. All performances at Mountain Pointe High School’s Fine Arts Theatre. 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: afnutcracker.com.

Craft-palooza offered

Need some alone time for last minute holiday chores? Send dad and the kids to the library for crafts and old-school cartoons.

DETAILS>> 1-4 p.m., Ironwood Library, 4333 E. Chandler Blvd. Free. Ages 6-11. No registration required.

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 28

Go beyond bracelet basics

Go beyond the basics of making bracelets and learn how to make more complicated friendship wrist jewelry.

DETAILS>> 4:30-6:30 p.m., Ironwood Library, 4333 E. Chandler Blvd. Free. Teens ages 12-17. No registration required.

ONGOING

Congregation plans Israel trip

Congregation NefeshSoul is planning a tour of Israel June 10-20. 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. WarnerElliot Loop, Ahwatukee. Register: kyrene.org/earlyed.

Chamber offers networking

The Ahwatukee Foothills Chamber of Commerce networking and leads group is open to chamber

See CALENDAR on page 26

are called “play workers.”

Volunteers will include Summit School students from the Spanish Honors Society and National Junior Honors Society, 8th grade ambassadors and 5th graders who have applied and earned the designation of “self managers.”

The self-managers a leadership position earned by demonstrating strong abilities to independently and successfully manage activities and school.

The Summit 5th graders will be entrepreneurs for the day, with the goal of organizing and building a profitable business to sell snacks at the event. Students will select a business name, procure a healthy food choice to sell, set price points, design signage, and create a work schedule. Their profits will be donated to a charity.

Information: treasures4teachers.org, summitschoolaz.org or popupadventureplaygrounds.wordpress.com.

This is what memory care is all about.

It’s not to say that dementia isn’t an emotional and challenging disease. It’s just that when you see the human instead of the disease you don’t see sadness. You see life. You see history. You see achievements. You see family. You see love. And that’s how we see it at Hawthorn Court. We can help you with the challenges you’re facing. Please join us for a personal tour. Call 480.359.2898 to schedule.

Needy kids get holiday treat from Ahwatukee Knights of Columbus

The Knights Kids Program, a social-aid program sponsored by the Knights of Columbus Council 10062 of Ahwatukee, is taking underprivileged children Saturday on a holiday adventure at the JC Penney on Ray Road in Ahwatukee.

The concept sprang from a Christmas program sponsored by a national veteran’s organization and George Notarpole, an In-Country Vietnam Veteran and a Knight of Columbus, suggested his fellow Knights in Ahwatukee do the same here.

take them shopping for a complete set of clothing, from socks to coats. When the shopping is over, volunteers distribute Christmas stockings of goodies while the store offers refreshments for everyone,” he added.

Toys purchased by JC Penny employees are given to each child by Santa and a group picture records the event before the youngsters climb aboard the bus to return home.

The first event, in 2007, hosted 10 children. Two years later, the number doubhled and now it’s around 50, McGrath said.

&

‘Tis the season to be…jolly? Tuesday, December 6th • 5:30pm Please RSVP to 480.359.2898 Late-life depression affects many seniors. But did you know they often show symptoms of depression differently? Join us as Carla Newman, MSW and Elia Simon, MC, LPC discuss this important topic.

“Good fortune prevailed when Gary Ryan, another Knight of Columbus who worked at the JC Penney’s store on Ray Road was instrumental in creating a decades-long relationship with the managers of JC Penney and the Ahwatukee Knights of Columbus,” said Knights Council spokesman Jim McGrath of Ahwatukee.

“This event is so special with Penney employees that many request to be scheduled during the two hours involved; an additional 60 volunteers show up at 6 a.m. to help with this project,” he said.

The children are selected by a local school official that deals with the poorest of families in its district.

“In most cases, these children would not have a Christmas without the Knights Kids Program,” McGrath said.

“Upon arrival at the store, the children are paired up with adult volunteers who

The program won the Ahwatukee Knights of Columbus the “Youth Award” from the Arizona State Council.

The Ahwatukee Knights of Columbus are also mentoring other local councils to expand the program statewide.

McGrath said that besides bringing some holiday cheer to needy kids, the program “also rekindles in the adults and their families the spirit of love and deep awareness that we are truly one another’s keeper. That notion seems especially appropriate for Christmas.”

The Knights Kids Program is funded by JC Penney, the In-country Vietnam Veterans, Zia’s Records and voluntary donations.

Donations can be sent to: Knights of Columbus Council 10062, Knights Kids Project, 3550 E. Knox Road, Phoenix, AZ 85004.

Ahwatukee mom empowers teens through downloadable program

BY DAVID M. BROWN AFN Contributing Writer

Annika Jackson wants to be an actress.

The ninth-grader has participated in a new program, a DreamLAB Club, which helps her and other girls envision life goals and provide real-world mechanisms for achieving them. Annika sees the stage in her future.

The downloadable program is the work of Dena Patton, an Ahwatukee resident who is CEO and co-founder of The Girls Rule Foundation, a nonprofit that helps teen girls in middle and high schools build leadership, self-confidence and futures through peer-led afterschool clubs. The other founders are Laura Anderson, deceased, Stephanie Millner and Jenn Kaye.

Girls Rule is one of two charities that have been designated by the Festival of Lights Committee to receive a [portion of the proceeds from last weekend’s Kick-Off Party.

Also selected was the Ahwatukee Foothills YMCA Outreach Program for Ahwatukee Residents. Y OPAS provides transportation for senior citizens to medical appointments, shopping destinations and other local places that they cannot get to on their own.

Patton has a clear idea of what she wants Girls Rule to accomplish.

“Girls with dreams become women with vision, and we want to equip and empower as many girls as possible so that they can become our next generation of leaders and world changers in whatever industry or role they pursue,” said Patton, who lives with her husband and 8-year-old daughter. They have been Ahwatukee residents for four years.

“Over the last eight years, we have found that girls are able and willing to step into leadership if they are equipped with the right tools, direction and structure, and DreamLAB does exactly that,” added Patton, who has coauthored three books for women and is finishing another.

The program is working, apparently, for Annika Jackson.

A participant in the Pre IB Program at Desert Mountain High School, she participated in a DreamLAB pilot in 2015 when she was a seventh grader at BASIS Scottsdale.

After attending the annual Shine Brightly Summit in 2015 given by The Girls Rule Foundation, she was one of

four Valley girls to receive $500 through a Brilliant, Beautiful and Bold award.

“The pilot taught me about stating a dream, then gave me steps and procedures in small steps how to make that dream happen,” Annika said. Pursuing her goal, she tries out for every role she feels is a good fit, her

Inspire Kids Montessori to teach toddlers manners

Inspire Kids Montessori of Ahwatukee is adding a new program to teach toddlers manners as well as how to take care of themselves and the environment beginning Jan. 16.

The school incorporates its Practical Life Skills program as part of its early education curriculum for toddlers and has scheduled an open house 9-11 a.m. Friday for families to observe classroom activities and take a tour.

“Practical Life exercises are organized into three main areas: care of the person, care of the environment and the concepts of grace and courtesy—skills they will use throughout their lives,” said Inspire Kids School Director Veronique Bevali.

“These activities introduce personal care through basic skills such as buttoning, zipping, tying and handwashing, and care for the environment through cooking and cleaning and learning how to take care of animals and plants,” she added.

Students are also taught how to greet and to respect others, manners (“please,” ”thank you” and “may I”), how to

DREAMLABS

mother, Jody, explained. “DreamLABs is also all about supporting each other in reaching these goals,” she added, noting that the girls provide each other with positive feedback no matter how small.

Each DreamLAB costs $59 for 12 weeks of downloadable material (dreamLABforgirls.org), Patton said. The 12 programs include teamwork, communication, goal-setting and having a vision/dream.

The 90-minute meetings comprise three elements: a dream circle, in which girls work on a short and long-term dreams together; a weekly lab, during which they are introduced to one of the 12 leadership lessons and discuss it; and an open lab, when they work on their individual dreams, a shared community project chosen in week 11 or host a guest speaker.

The leaders are given short weekly encouragement/leadership videos, and each of the club members receives a pink bracelet as a gift from the foundation.

politely interrupt teachers or friends and how to properly pass objects and open and close doors and other social skills.

Practical Life Skills is part of the curriculum developed by Italian educator, Dr. Maria Montessori, in the early 1900’s.

“These skills are a stepping stone for further learning and focus on purposeful activity to develop motor control and coordination, independence, concentration and a sense of responsibility,” said Inspire Kids founder Diana Darmawaskita.

“A child learns to master his or her environment by learning skills for independence. Mastery of these skills paves the way for intellectual learning,” she added.

Montessori programs have been surging in popularity after it was revealed that England’s Prince George was to attend a Montessori nursery. Famous Montessori graduates include Amazon CEO, Jeff Bezos, and the founders of tech giant Google, Larry Page and Sergey Brin.

Founded in 2010 by Darmawaskita, Inspire Kids Montessori aims is to “provide a safe and loving environment

Clubs must have from five to 11 girls, and any girl can start one in her neighborhood or school as an afterschool club approved by the front office.

“This is a leadership club, so we are giving them a platform to lead, versus being run by an adult,” Patton said. “It promotes teamwork and giving back to others.”

She emphasized that the clubs are run by girls for girls, although each must have an adult sponsor who attends all meetings. Patton also communicates with the DreamLAB leaders through a mobile app and keeps in touch through email as well.

“Youth development is important, especially now that our youth has access to so much media, and they have so many distractions which pull them off focus from their bright futures. Programs like ours help girls with the social, emotional and leadership skills they need to stand on their own as young women.”

A Phoenix native through her maternal grandparents who came to the Valley from Chicago in the 1950s, Patton graduated from Sunnyslope High and

in which a child’s individuality and uniqueness is respected and their creativity and independence are celebrated.”

The campus, located at 4025 E. Chandler Blvd. in the Trader Joe’s Plaza, features bright open classrooms designed for collaborative learning, back-tonature playgrounds and school gardens. Inspire Kids offers individualized

then lived eight years in New York City where she owned two successful businesses. She found her calling in 1997 to work with women and girls after a minor stroke at 27.

Returning to the Valley, she partnered with three friends who also had a passion to support girls to offer workshops in the East Valley.

That organization now offers five empowerment and leadership programs, including a one-hour workshop, the DreamLABs and an eight-day summer leadership camp.

The girls enjoy the programs for various reasons, Patton explained. They love the leadership platform it provides, that it’s inspirational and an opportunity to make friends, make their futures ––and make the world better.

“I believe girls change the world, and I know from my own youth that when you have a lack of mentorship, life skills and leadership you can really struggle. But when you teach them empowerment and leadership skills, they become unstoppable.”

Iinformation: girlsrulefoundation.org.

programs for children from 6 weeks to 6 years of age to introduce young children to reading, writing, math, nature study, art, music and movement, social skills and problem-solving.

Information: 480-659-9402 or www. inspirekidsmontessori.com. Tuition and enrollment discounts will be provided to parents who register their child during the open house.

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.

Got News?

Contact Paul Maryniak at 480-898-5647 or pmaryniak@ahwatukee.com

Festival of Lights Committee’s community spirit dazzles brightly

BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor

While most of us were fretting over turkey and trimmings last week, a small group of Ahwatukee residents were busying themselves with tying up the loose ends for a gift to the community Led by Ahwatukee residents Janyce Hazlett and Susan Anderton, president and secretary of the Festival of Lights Committee, respectively, this group of volunteers has been putting aside the typical pursuits of the long Thanksgiving weekend for 21 years so that their neighbors, friends and total strangers can come together in a free bash to open the holiday season.

For them, Black Friday doesn’t mean staking a claim on a bargain or watching a college football game. It means setting up bounce houses and erecting several dozen booths in Desert Foothills Park so the Festival of Lights Kick-Off Party can delight and engage young and old alike

Pima Canyon neighbors upset with park plans

The city’s Parks and Recreation department is planning about $2.2 million in renovations to the Pima Canyon entrance of South Mountain Park, and some homeowners are alarmed at the potential impact to the desert, wildlife and quality of life for residents.

The city plans to add lighting and pave over a large area of pristine desert directly behind homes on Estes Way. The impact to desert creatures, many of which are nocturnal, could be disastrous. We have asked city staff if an environmental impact report has been done, but haven’t received an answer.

In addition, this additional parking lot will severely hamper the quality of life for homeowners in that area, as they’ll now have a parking lot in their backyards.

the next day.

Of course, the countless number of individuals, couples and families who ambled over to the park Saturday under a gloomy pre-winter sky probably gave this bunch of volunteers little thought as they strolled down the vendor marketplace, or enjoyed the entertainment on two different stages or watched kids gleefully romp on “bouncies.”

Nor were they supposed to.

The marvel about the Festival of Lights Committee is that its members don’t look for praise or even thanks.

They just do it for the love of their community.

Ahwatukee is blessed with a lot of people like that.

Some throw community events, such as the Ahwatukee Foothills Chamber of Commerce’s big Independence Day party. Others work under the radar, like the YMCA’s Outreach Program for Ahwatukee Seniors volunteers who ferry people without cars to medical appointments and other needed destinations.

But at this time of year, the Christmas season showcases Ahwatukee’s community spirit in a festive manner befitting the season.

Local congregations like Esperanza Lutheran Church and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Chapel are throwing a “Snowy Night in Ahwatukee” and a holiday concert, respectively, for residents to enjoy at no charge.

Then there are the dancers who work hard for months to prepare for dance instructor Kimberly Lewis’ signature Ahwatukee event, “Nutcracker.”

And, yes, I’d even count all those homeowners and business owners around town who took time out of their busy holiday schedule to decorate their houses and stores to make this time of year a little extra special for the community.

Of course, the Festival of Lights Committee just doesn’t throw a big party.

That party helps it pay for the dazzling lights display along Chandler Boulevard from 24th Street to Desert Foothills

LETTERS

The city is planning improvements to the parking, ramadas and bathroom at Pima Canyon, but to our knowledge, has no intention to improve the actual trail system, which is eroding and in dire need of upkeep. It makes little sense to encourage more users without first maintaining and improving the trails.

The additional parking will increase traffic, congestion and pollution in the area, harming wildlife and human neighbors. Yes, visitors often park on side streets to access the park, and some neighbors believe adding parking at the trailhead will decrease the number of cars in their neighborhoods, but we question that outcome.

We think it will only increase the number of visitors overall, including those who park on side streets, and thus be a detriment to the desert.

We urge Ahwatukee residents to write to Acting Parks Supervisor Mike Francis

at mike.francis@phoenix.gov for more information and to provide feedback.

-Geri Koeppel, David Drennon, Ahwatukee homeowners

Norgaard thanks supporters, voters for re-election

Many thanks to my constituents for your support in my recent re-election campaign. I am honored to represent our district again in the next session.

I have gotten to know many of you at the capitol, at your door, and at district events.

Now that the election is over, I look forward to the holiday season and then back to work at the the Capitol. You can reach me at jnorgaard@azleg.gov. Have a safe and blessed Holiday season!

-State Rep. Jill Norgaard

Parkway that you can enjoy throughout the month.

That’s the way it all began for the committee, as Hazlett recalls.

She and two friends just wanted to continue the Chandler Boulevard lights display that the now-defunct Del Webb Corp. had started as a promotion to sell homes during the holidays.

And no one should forget the fact that for years, Festival of Lights volunteers actually installed and took down those lights until the committee could raise enough money to hire a company to do the work.

Between the party and its springtime wine-tasting festival, the committee also raises money for a couple of local charities.

This year, the beneficiaries are the Y OPAS program and Girls Rule, a foundation started by an Ahwatukee woman to mentor teenage girls through the challenges of adolescence.

Volunteers helping other volunteers. That’s community spirit. That’s Ahwatukee.

Y OPAS is making a difference for seniors

At this time of year, when we give thanks for all of our blessings, I would like to express my thanks for the wonderful outreach program for Ahwatukee seniors (YOPAS). It is truly a blessing to have this wonderful program available (at no cost) to Ahwatukee seniors.

My goal, like many other seniors, is to stay in my home as long as possible. It is comforting to know, YOPAS is there to help support some of my needs such as taking me to a doctor appointment and assisting me with grocery shopping. I also enjoy the monthly luncheons and various social activities such as dominoes. From the friendly office volunteers to the drivers, you are

making a difference to so many here in Ahwatukee. I truly appreciate all of you.

-June Tesdall

How to keep Ahwatukee from going to the grackles

Grackles. You might not know what they are, but you certainly have seen them in Ahwatukee Foothills.

They’re birds; long, iridescent or black birds with large wingspans, striking yellow eyes, long tapered bills, long legs and razor-sharp claws. They’re “called by some the devil bird,” according to USA Today, and they congregate in large flocks in shopping centers and fast-food parking lots, where there’s trash to eat and trees or light posts on which to perch.

They used to be confined to Central America, but they have migrated north and west, following herds of cattle and stealing grain from feedlots. They were first found in Maricopa County in 1954, and by 1970 they were considered common.

Their droppings can spread disease,

and they can damage citrus crops. They frequently attack other birds, and eat their eggs and nestlings. Bird biologist Alan Clark calls them an “unstoppable machine.”

Simply put, they are not good neighbors. And because of them, there are very few native birds in our neighborhoods.

That’s where you and I come in. We can do something about this invasion of indestructible devil birds.

I’m not suggesting poisoning them; that wouldn’t work anyway.

I’m not saying we should do what the manager and his workers at a Kroger store in Texas did, set off a “bird cannon” to try to frighten them away (it didn’t), or what a town in New Mexico has done, set off firecrackers every night at sunset in order to drive them away.

My solution, one that may not completely rid the area of grackles but will be a huge help in that regard, is much simpler: Keep the lids on your garbage cans closed.

Doing so will remove much of their food source and reduce the risk to human health caused by their droppings. It’s also the law.

According to the Maricopa County Health Code:

“Refuse shall be kept and stored so that it may not be readily scattered or become windblown, and where practicable, in durable containers.

"The owner, agent or occupant of every dwelling, business establishment, or other premise where refuse accumulates shall provide a sufficient number of suitable and approved containers for receiving and storing refuse and shall keep all refuse therein except as otherwise provided by this chapter.”

And here’s the key part: “...kept closed by means which render the container liquid and fly-tight.”

The regulation should be amended to read “fly- and grackle-tight.”

Let’s make Ahwatukee Foothills inhospitable to grackles and welcome back the cactus wrens, roadrunners, gamble’s quails and other native birds that have historically made this area their home.

Please keep the lids on your garbage cans closed at all times, and ask every local business owner with whom you come in contact to do the same.

The native birds will love you for it.

-Michael Martin

Nation is headed for disaster because of fiscal policies

When Donald Trump finally sits down and examines the economy he will have to swallow really hard, the nation is headed to disaster. He will find that there is no recovery from the recession, everything that our highpriced economists have done is geared to destroy America.

Our economic engine (monetary and fiscal) is stalled by their actions. All of our stimulus packages had no stimulus. These were Interventionist actions, that only had negative effects on our economy.

One of the greatest economists, Ludwig von Mises, wrote “Never have a stimulus package, funded by debt”, in his book “Economic Freedom and Interventionism.”

Of course, all of our stimulus packages were funded by debt. Why were we allowed to have this policy? Who authorized this? They certainly need to get canned, or sent to jail. I hope that Trump gets council from non-Keynesian economists, because Keynesians are the ones that have got us in trouble.

For the last eight years, we have spent 40 percent more money than we had coming in. Is this a policy that we should consider to be permanent?

There are many examples of what our economic plan should not be. Just look at Japan. Alan Greenspan counselled Japan in the early 1990’s. They were in recession, and after Japan took Alan Greenspan’s advice and passed 10 stimulus packages. Now, 25 years later, they are still in recession. Their debt to GDP is 230%. Is this the way we want America to go? Now, the big question is “ has the train gone over the cliff yet? “

In other words, is it too late for Trump to save us?

-Don Crook

Dems, not GOP, okayed Japanese internment camps

As I write this, it’s Nov. 22, exactly two weeks since the election. And in those

two weeks we’ve seen almost continuous temper tantrums from the left. We’ve seen almost nightly riots in the streets of many U.S. cities.

On Nov. 17, the Senate Minority Leader, Harry Reid, announced in an interview on MSNBC that after the election he wondered “Is the world gonna be destroyed?”

On Nov. 18, the cast of Hamilton lectured the VP Elect about diversity (even when the show specifically excluded white actors when casting–but only whites can be racist!).

On Nov. 20, the junior senator from California, Barbara Boxer, introduced legislation to abolish the Electoral College.

But no tantrum is more passionate than the email I received on Nov. 21 from the Democratic Party penned by George Takei—Lt. Sulu from the original Star Trek series.

In his email, he tells the story of how, as a 5-year-old boy in 1942, he and his family were forcibly removed from their home by armed soldiers and relocated

to the swamps of Arkansas as part of the government sponsored Japanese internment program. He confirms that he and his entire family were US citizens, and yet were imprisoned solely for being Japanese.

Here’s a quote from George’s email:

“So when I hear Donald Trump’s transition advisors talk about building a registry of Muslims and his surrogates using the internment of JapaneseAmericans as their model, I am outraged, because I remember the tears streaming down my mother’s face as we were torn away from our home.

"And I am resolved to raise my voice and say, loudly and clearly, that this is not who we are.”

I would agree that’s not who we are.

But I believe George, and most on the left, have forgotten who perpetrated that grave injustice during World War II.

Let’s see…..Who was in the White House in 1942? President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. A Democrat. He issued two executive orders to make Japanese internment happen.

But even the president can’t intern U.S. citizens without the help of the Legislative Branch and the reinforcement of the Judicial Branch, right? Who had control of the Senate in 1942? Prior to the election in November 1942, there were 66 Democrats in the Senate, and 28 Republicans. Can’t blame the Republicans for this one, can we? Who was on the Supreme Court in 1942? Eight of the nine justices had been appointed by….. Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Six Franklin appointees thought it was perfectly fine for the Federal government to forcibly incarcerate over 110,000 U.S. citizens without due process. Isn’t it fascinating that the left of today is overcome with fear about what the new Trump administration might do based on something that was actually done by Democrats? Scotty! Beam Sulu up before his head explodes with the facts!

-Bill Richardson

People can take steps to reduce holiday stress at gatherings

BY REBECCA SAUER

AFN Guest Writer

If you begin to feel anxious and stressed as the holiday season approaches each year, you are not alone. While this time of year brings colder weather, sometimes this is the perfect setting for family gatherings to get heated and uncomfortable.

This time to focus on being thankful, can instead introduce feelings of stress and frustration that can start to consume us.

If you find yourself dealing with difficult family members during the holidays, consider the following strategies to minimize stress and maximize fun, from the counseling center at Catholic Charities.

Be a curious observer

Sometimes, taking a back seat to a difficult situation can have a positive outcome. Instead of adding your opinion, focusing on your family member’s behavior, or being consumed by feelings that may be hurt, take a step

back and look at the scenario from an objective standpoint.

A journalist or scientist frequently needs to work objectively and keep emotions out of their work in order to be successful. Notice personal dynamics from a standpoint of curiosity to help you not take things as personally.

Be prepared

Just as you prepare for a first date with conversation starters, have some ideas ready of things you can speak to your family about. Avoid topics that are highly inflammatory like politics. Deanna Iwai, a Catholic Charities counselor, says, “Have some pat phrases available” to keep the conversation going and avoid awkward silences.

If the conversation takes an unwelcome turn, do what you can to disengage. Be ready to change the subject or find common ground. It may help take the sting out of a hurtful comment.

Focus on the children

Are your family gatherings filled with children? If so, it may be the perfect opportunity to avoid some of the more volatile conversations with other family

members.

Engage the children at family events, Iwai suggests. You can ask them about their daily lives or play a game with them. Likewise, ask parents about their children. Most parents love to share information and tell stories about their children. Keeping children engaged can create a positive focus at your family gathering.

Plan your exit

Some events linger on and it might feel difficult to make an exit. Instead of staying longer than you are comfortable, create a plan for your departure.

Iwai suggests, “Have a plan for afterward. Have something to look forward to for after the event, like a bubble bath or a movie with your spouse or children.” Starting a new tradition such as getting hot chocolate, looking at Christmas lights, or meeting friends for dessert, will give you a good reason to leave.

Set boundaries

The holidays can be stressful. Don’t add to the stress by trying to please everyone; it simply cannot be accomplished in most cases. While you should consider

the thoughts and feeling of others, you do not have to let them hijack your holiday.

“You don’t have to keep going along with the family traditions if they are not working for you,” Iwai said. She recommends setting boundaries, but do it with a neutral tone. For example, you can say, “Yeah, I’m sorry, but from now on I am spending Christmas at home with my wife and children.”

Suggest an alternative day to celebrate together like the weekend before or after Christmas. Everyone may not be happy with your decision, but it still may be best for you and your family.

Getting extra help

Hopefully, these strategies will help you have a peaceful season with in-laws and other family members. However, if you need more support or help in finding healing from family wounds, call the Catholic Charities counseling center at 602-749-4405. Rates are offered on a sliding scale based on income.

-Rebecca Sauer is senior program manager for Catholic Charities Counseling program, which provides care for the vulnerable of all faiths. Information: catholiccharities.org.

Business

www.ahwatukee.com

Ahwatukee man weathers transition to digital, keeps focus

BY SHELLEY GILLESPIE AFN Contributing Writer

In business since 1972, Joe Wojcich, owner and founder of Tempe Camera, has had a colorful career.

Starting with camera repair, the Ahwatukee man stayed true to his talents. In his third Tempe Camera location at 606 W. University since 1987, he toils daily at his workbench repairing camera lenses.

Tempe Camera, now with 35 employees, provides the services, sales, processing and customer service that have made the business grow. Many of his staff members, like general manager Susan DeLanie Smith, have been with the company for so long that they can run it while Wojcich works at his bench. Smith has been at Tempe Camera for 37 years.

“We’re the last major camera store in the state,” Wojcich said.

Even though photography has changed dramatically with the transition to digital, Wojcich’s services keep photographers happy.

“From film to digital has been a real ride,” he said. “Gravity is a repairman’s friend. Twenty-five percent of cameras are dropped.”

Tempe Camera can provide a repair within 1-2 weeks, depending on parts availability.

A savvy businessman, Joe—as he prefers to be called—realized that when cameras were in for repair, people asked to “borrow” a camera, so camera rental became his next added service.

His photo imaging center, next door at 530 W. University Drive, completed the full-service approach to a photographer’s needs. And, for the photographer still using film, Tempe Camera can still support their need for film and developing.

When Wojcich was four, his family emigrated from Germany. After landing at Ellis Island, Wojcich, his two siblings and parents settled in New Jersey.

They lived in a fourth-floor walk-up with a coal-fed potbelly stove for heat and hot water. The rent was $28 per month.

Once he gained his reluctant parents’ approval, he joined the U.S. Air Force at 17

and a half, ready to see the world. Instead, he was stationed in Texas for training. His transport was his first airplane ride.

After boot camp, he had his first taste of Arizona at Luke Air Force Base. When everyone else shipped out to Vietnam in 1967, Wojcich didn’t have security clearance yet, so he was sent to a base in Guam, assigned as a machinist. Since the base in Guam had no machine shop, he finally transferred to Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii, where he stayed for 18 months.

“Rough duty,” Wojcich laughs.

He loved the warm weather and was glad to relocate when his tour was up and a friend invited him to Arizona. He earned $5 per hour, good money back then.

After two of his fingers were cut off in a machinist accident and reattached, he used the GI bill to attend Phoenix College.

A part-time photography instructor position landed him a full-time job with Arthur Herschfeld. Wojcich learned skills as a camera repairman, on the job.

Six months later, he started his own business with a 500-square-foot office on University Drive with $250 monthly rent. He delivered repaired cameras on his motorcycle.

By the mid-1970s, Wojcich was

challenged by people like AP photographer Jack Smith, who handed Wojcich his broken Canon lens on a Friday and wanted it fixed to fit his Nikon camera by Monday. Wojcich delivered, including machining all new parts that weekend.

Wojcich was approached by Marty Forscher, “The Guru of the Camera Repair People in New York City” to machine parts for him.

“I turned him down because I needed to build my own reputation,” Wojcich said.

With the encouragement of mentor, Ben Zar, Wojcich bought his first land and built his own business at 743 W. University.

“I helped build it, pouring concrete and floor, putting up drywall. We scrounged doors. The building is still there—with the doors,” he said.

Demolishing an old farmhouse surrounded by open fields, they built their current location.

“I had a helicopter pilot for Channel 12 land in a vacant lot nearby. He’d hand me the cameras for repair and I’d have them ready for him the next day,” Wojcich recalls.

When Tempe Camera was chosen as Arizona’s 1994 Small Business of the Year, Wojcich traveled to Washington, D.C.,

where he met President Bill Clinton. Lined up to photograph the event, a D.C. photographer recognized Wojcich. Word spread – all the photographers knew him from his work for them.

Cameras are electronics now, but Wojcich has embraced the change. His favorite camera?

The Fuji X-T1—while digital, it has mechanical sounds, and can be fired remotely with a cellphone.

“People replace cameras now when they’re outdated,” Wojcich says. “We used to have six repair staff. Now we have three.”

There are still occasions when a staff member will come to him and ask him to fix something. His lathe, which cost $18,000 new 35 years ago, is put to work as it shears off fine bits of metal or plastic to fix a bent, bumped or out-ofalignment piece.

“I can tighten by feel,” Wojcich says as he demonstrates, knowing just how much to tighten and cut to fix a part.

Tempe Camera sponsors groups, like the Boys Club, and photo contests to keep involved with the community.

An Ahwatukee resident for 20 years, he remembers when he used to walk to his shop from his former Tempe home. They moved.

“My wife wanted a bigger house,” he explained.

He enjoys travel, especially to the places he remembers from his Air Force years, and plans a trip with friends soon.

And, asked what his retirement plans are since he’ll be 70 at his next birthday, Wojcich announces, “I love what I do. I’ll retire when they pick me up from the floor.”

He has no plans to retire, ever.

Grocery delivery service seeing business in Ahwatukee

BY RACHEL EROH AFN Staff Writer

Instacart, the grocery delivery service that has expanded its delivery area in the Valley, is picking up customers in the one Ahwatukee ZIP code it is currently serving.

Instacart extended its service to Ahwatukee ZIP code 85044 last month.

The service has an app and website for customers to make orders that can be delivered to their home in as little as one hour.

“We are simply the best way to have groceries delivered to your door,” said Sean Twersky, the general manager at Instacart.

“Out model works well there, we have partners in grocery stores that folks want, and folks are telling us they want us there,” Twersky said. “It made it a pretty easy decision.”

Residents in Ahwatukee signed up for the service before Instacart was even offered, according to David Holyoak, the Operations Manager at Instacart.

“When seeing this demand prelaunch, it was an easy decision to include Ahwatukee,” Holyoak said.

Instacart serves a large area of Phoenix, Tempe, Mesa, Chandler and Scottsdale. Instacart has even more plans for expansion in the Valley, Twersky said.

“We really want to be able to serve as many folks in the Valley as we can,” Twersky said.

The biggest benefit to using Instacart is saving a couple of hours in the day that would have been spent at the grocery store, Twersky said.

“I tell people all the time that yes, we’re giving you groceries but I’m really giving you two hours of your day back for about $5,” Twersky said.

The service largely appeals to people who do not have the ability or time to go to the store. A number of their users are people who are not currently mobile due to injury, young professionals and new moms who struggle to bring their kids to the store, Twersky said.

“I remember going with my mom when I had a younger brother and sister,” Twersky said. “Trying to hurdle three kids through a grocery store is true warriors’ work.”

CARPET CLEANING SPECIAL

There is no fee to join. The only fee is the $5.99 delivery fee and the option to include a tip to the shopper.

There is also the Instacart Express option that includes an annual fee of $149, which takes away the delivery fee.

Instacart has partnerships with specific stores but the stores cover every customer’s basic needs, Twersky said.

The service includes stores like Safeway, Fry’s, Whole Foods, Petco and

Costco with no membership required.

“It’s a pretty nice list covering your warehouse, your conventional as well as your specialty,” Twersky said.

Customers can be as specific as they need to be when placing an order through the app or on the website. If a customer doesn’t see exactly what they want, they can make a special request and even add instructions.

“Our shoppers know our stores pretty well so they can usually find it,” Twersky said.

The instructions can be helpful if a customer is throwing a party and needs avocados for guacamole. The customer can tell the shopper to make sure that the avocados are ripe, in case they need to make the guacamole right away. Or if the customer has the party in a few days, they can tell the shopper to make sure the avocados aren’t ripe yet, Twersky said.

With the holidays right around the corner, Instacart is helpful with covering the shopping for ingredients and other necessities so families can enjoy their time together, Twersky said.

“I tell folks, ‘Take the holidays, enjoy the time with your family, friends and loved ones. You let us take care of the small things like going to the supermarket for you.’” Twersky said.

The Instacart hours generally correspond with the hours of the stores. Although Instacart will not have delivery services on Thanksgiving, the shoppers will be available the day before the holiday.

“The most important thing is to try to enjoy that time with your family and I think you can best do that when you’re together not when someone is running out to the grocery store last second,” Twersky said.

Long-term care must be factored into your retirement savings

BY JOSEPH ORTIZ AFN Guest Writer

How much money will you need in retirement? To arrive at an estimate, you should consider various factors, such as where you’ll live, how much you plan to travel, and so on.

Not surprisingly, you’ll also need to think about health care costs, which almost always rise during retirement. But there’s one area you might overlook: long-term care. Should you be concerned about these costs?

In a word, yes. Expenses for longterm care – which can include receiving assistance at home as well as prolonged care in a facility – can be surprisingly expensive. Consider the following statistics, taken from the 2016 Cost of Care Study issued by Genworth, an insurance company:

• The average annual cost for a private room in a nursing home is more than $92,000. And in some places, particularly major metropolitan areas, the cost is considerably higher.

• The average annual cost for full-time services of an in-home health care aide is more than $46,000.

These costs are certainly daunting. Of course, you might think that you won’t have to worry about them, because you won’t ever need any type of longterm care, particularly if you’ve always been in good health and your family has no history of later-in-life cognitive impairment.

However, the odds may not always be in your favor, because almost 70 percent of people turning age 65 will need some kind of assistance or long-term care at some point in their lives, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Given the costs of long-term care, and the possibility that you might really need this care, how can you prepare for

the costs?

Things may change in the future, but at this point, you really can’t count much on government programs to help pay for long-term care.

Medicare typically pays for only a small percentage of these costs, and, to be eligible for Medicaid, you must have limited income and assets.

In fact, you might need to “spend down” some of your assets to qualify for Medicaid long-term care services.

Obviously, this is not an attractive choice, particularly if you’d like to someday “leave something behind” to your family or favorite charity.

Consequently, you need to look at your options for paying for long-term care just in case.

You could earmark a certain percentage of your investment portfolio to cover long-term care costs.

If you never need this care, you can simply use the money to pay for other areas of your retirement or for other purposes, such as charitable gifts or financial support to your grown children or grandchildren.

Or, as an alternative, you might want to work with a financial professional, who can recommend a strategy specifically designed to help you address long-term care costs.

The marketplace in this area has evolved rapidly in recent years, so you should be able to find a solution that is both affordable and effective.

Keep in mind, though, that the earlier you purchase a long-term care solution, the more economical it will likely be for you.

In any case, don’t delay your planning for long-term care.

Knowing that you’re protected against potentially catastrophic costs can make your retirement years less stressful for you and your family.

-Ahwatukee Foothills Edward Jones Financial Advisor Joseph B. Ortiz, AAMS, CRPS, can be reached at 480-753-7664 or joseph.ortiz@ edwardjones.com.

On the Border

5005 E. Ray Road, Ahwatukee. Ontheborder.com, 602-247-7550.

Come to On the Border in Ahwatukee and enjoy authentic Mexican food favorites, like mesquite-grilled fajitas, tacos or one of our famous margaritas. Daily Specials include: Monday - Endless Enchiladas, Taco Fix Tuesday, Fajita Wednesday, ThursdayGrilled California Burrito, Friday - Fiesta Trio, Saturday - Chimichurri Chicken & Shrimp, Sunday - Green Chile Carnitas Chimichanga.

Sam’s Club #6213

700 N. 54th St., Chandler. 480-893-6650.

Sam’s club offers exceptional wholesale club values on TVs, mattresses, business and office supplies and more. Visit Sam’s Club in Chandler today for all your holiday shopping needs.

San Tan Ford

1429 E. Motorplex Loop, Gilbert. santanford.com, 480-821-3200.

San Tan Ford has been around for a while now, and they know that buying a car can be a life-changing event. The expert staff is second-to-none. They will go above and beyond for customers to make sure that you get the best deal possible. Stop by San Tan Ford for the most satisfying auto shopping experience.

Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort and Spa

5594 W. Wild Horse Pass Blvd., Chandler.

520-796-8414, wildhorsepass.com.

Let the Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort’s professionally trained staff plan your holiday event, for groups of ten to 2,000, in extensive function space including a 17,376 square foot ballroom and an abundance of scenic outdoor venues. Experience a truly unique resort with a multitude of on-site activities in a spectacular setting.

Von Hanson’s Meats of AZ

14245 S. 5th St. Ahwatukee. 480-917-2525, vonhansonsmeats.net

Von Hanson’s delivers personalized full service, in a friendly old-fashioned meat market environment. They offer a large and ever expanding selection of meat products and menu ideas, ranging from casual gatherings to special occasions. Call or visit their website for holiday specials and catering.

Rawhide Western Town

5700 W. North Loop Road, Chandler. 480-502-5600, rawhide.com

Join Rawhide for the 4th annual Rawhide’s Snowy Christmas from November 24th to December 23rd! The kiddos can drop off letters for Ol’ Saint Nick himself and even have their photo taken with him. Stroll through Rawhide, watch the snow fall, get your shopping done & marvel at the holiday lights. Don’t miss this family fun event!

Main Street Ahwatukee

Flanking Ahwatukee Chamber interim president/CEO Lindy Lutz Cash are Janine and Aaron Moeller, owners of Ahwatukee PostNet, during an After 5 Evening Mixer.

Chelsea Zaft, general manager of Keegan’s Foothills Grill, third from left, stands next to Lindy Lutz Cash, Ahwatukee Chamber interim CEO/President to mark Keegan's renovation and the first anniversary of its new owner, Steve Johnson.

Dan Dobbins, UPS Store Owner, center, and Lindy Lutz Cash, Chamber Interim CEO/President, are joined by staff in celebrating The UPS Store’s new design.

Holiday giving is giving back with meaning

BY JANET SCHWAB AFN Guest Writer

The last few months of the year make up what is commonly called the Giving Season for the nonprofit community.

As the holidays near, many people give more generously than during the rest of the year.

December is usually the strongest month for most charitable organizations, with donors giving 52 percent more than in other months. Charities receive approximately 33 percent of the year’s donations in December.

During the holidays, we often think of the word “generosity” when honoring friends and family. Generosity can be donating to our local and worldwide communities: a donation to a church’s food pantry, lending support to a large country-wide organization, or a gift of service.

Whether you donate time or money, giving back is beneficial and not just for the recipients. Most people are blessed with all the “things” they need, but gifts of generosity to others strengthens the spirit. It is important to take the time during the holiday season to give to those people who are in need and to serve others during the holidays.

Many local businesses who are Ahwatukee Foothills Chamber of Commerce members are giving back this season in a variety of ways.

To share some of the many efforts taking place in our community:

The Specific Chiropractic, with Dr. Cameron Call, is partnering with Childhelp to collect toys for abused and neglected children.

In their care facilities, children come to receive help and one component of that is giving each child a toy that gives them comfort and hope. Through Dec. 20, anyone who brings in a toy will receive $100 off their initial exam or one of their famous bone pillows.

Dan Dobbins, owner of the UPS store at Ray Road and 48th Street is enthused about being part of the Toys for Tots Literacy program for the fourth year. A a book is purchased for every $1 donated and given to children age K–6. UPS stores across the country are the exclusive sponsors of this program.

The United Brokers Group is providing real estate agents as bell ringers for the Salvation Army again this year at the Fry’s at 36th Street and Ray Road each Wednesday through Dec. 21. Dean Carver, owner/partner, said, “A huge part of United Brokers Group’s culture is to give back to our community. We are proud sponsors of the Festival of Lights and have raised over $38,000 ringing the bell for the Salvation Army since 2013.”

Platinum Medical Group of Arizona is collecting donations for St. Vincent DePaul and owner Dr. James Dicensio said, “At PMGAZ we are honored to be one of those organizations that gives back to our local community with strength, compassion, and drive. We strive to not only change the lives of those we meet directly in office, but strive to change the lives of those we are unable to meet but are able to help.”

Betty Teille, of Edward Jones investment services, shares her passion for giving by supporting a charity each year at her year-end

AMBASSADOR OF THE MONTH

4425 E. Agave Rd. #106, Ahwatukee. 480-283-9777.

What type of business services or products do you provide?

Rental and relocation services to landlords and tenants.

What are some exciting things happening in your business?

As real estate changes each year, so does

All Star Home Rentals. We will be adding a few more Realtors this year to cover more area in order to help relocate new residents to the Phoenix area.

What is your background and how did you come to be in this business?

customer appreciation event. This year, Rio Visa Center was the chosen charity, with guests bringing food, clothing or a monetary donation.

The Ahwatukee community loves the Festival of Lights with the holiday lights shining the way down Chandler Boulevard in the Foothills, but there is more.

Janyce Hazlett, president of the Festival of Lights said, “While we are a 501c3, a nonprofit organization formed to bring a feeling of community and beauty to our village, it is of great importance to us to share our fundraising efforts by giving back to local charities who benefit by not only receiving a portion of our proceeds from our events, but also by participating in the development and execution of the events themselves.”

This year the Girls Rule Foundation, an Ahwatukee based non-profit, focused on empowerment, leadership and educational workshops/programs for girls 12-18, and the Y OPAS (Outreach Program for Ahwatukee Seniors) were recipients.

Giving back is an opportunity to help others and it’s also one of the biggest gifts you can give yourself. We are the example for our children, reflecting the importance of giving back as they grow. The effort to recapture the true meaning and importance of the holiday spirit begins with each of us.

Holiday giving is giving back with meaning.

-Janet Schwab is owner of Elements Massage Chandler West, and the Ahwatukee Foothills Chamber of Commerce’s 2016 Palo Verde Businesswoman of the Year winner.

I became a Realtor in 1990 doing rentals in Tempe with Arizona State University. I moved to Chandler to relocate all new Intel people in the mid-90’s and ended up living and working in Ahwatukee since 2000. What are your special interests? I enjoy the outdoors and sports. I spend time at the YMCA, play softball and ice hockey. I also like to do triathlons and running events.

America needs radical empathy in election’s aftermath

BY RABBI DEAN SHAPIRO AFN Guest Writer

The waves crash together, the Hebrews drag themselves onto the shore, and “horse and driver are hurled into the sea” (Exodus 15:1). At that moment, the angels above sing for joy. The Israelites were free at long last. “Silence!” God bellows. “Can’t you see my children are drowning?”

I love that story, called a midrash. Midrash is a classical form of Jewish Biblical interpretation. This one calls for “radical empathy,” the ability to feel what others feel—even those who oppressed us. Radical empathy is painfully hard, but it is humanity at its most divine. Our nation needs radical empathy. This campaign and election have demonstrated how profoundly divided these “United” States are. We see the

SATURDAY, DEC. 3

HAVDALLAH CEREMONY

CKids Club International presents Saturday Night Alive, a musical celebration of family and the mystical havdallah ceremony. The havdallah is an ancient ritual, performed by our Jewish ancestors for thousands of year as a way to mark the conclusion of Shabbat and welcome in the new week.

world differently, depending on our geography, gender, education, class, and race. We don’t expose ourselves to divergent opinions. We demonize those who think differently from us.

In the aftermath of the election, some are optimistic and others are grieving.

Judaism has a formula for grief, reminds Rabbi Spike Anderson. We sit shiva.

Shiva is the seven days of mourning immediately following a funeral. We allow ourselves to feel and remember. We stay at home, but make sure not to isolate ourselves. Afterwards, we dust ourselves off and get back to business. Not all Americans are grieving. Far from it—many are celebrating. What’s the Jewish obligation when someone else grieves? We sit shiva.

Even when the loss isn’t our own, we go to the House of Mourning and we offer what comfort we can because we empathize with what others are feeling.

DETAILS> 7-8:30 p.m., Chabad of the East Valley, 875 N McClintock Dr., Chandler. Information: 480-855-4333, or info@chabadcenter.com.

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.

Empathy is the essence of community.

Although Americans are indeed having myriad emotions following the election, we must have the fundamental human empathy to sense what our fellows are feeling—whether it’s exaltation, hope, relief, surprise, fear, or pain.

We must offer them the fundamental dignity of respecting their experience, of allowing them to have it without imposing ourselves upon them. We must honor them by listening, deeply, with our ears and our hearts.

Even though we see the world differently from each other, all human beings feel. If we could use this election as an opportunity for mass empathy, for taking a long deep breath and summoning a sense of what our fellow Americans are feeling, and sit with that feeling for a while—even though it is not our own—it would be a start, I think, to finding our lost sense of community.

That’s the empathy that’s needed now

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.

TUESDAY, DEC. 6

GRIEF DURING HOLIDAYS EXPLORED

A Surviving the Holidays seminar at Mountain Park Community Church will be held especially for people who are grieving a loved one’s death. It will focus on

so that we can support each other in this transition.

It isn’t “kumbaya” dreaming. Rather, it’s a spiritual practice that will help us become better human beings and move our country forward.

And it’s not just internal. Real conversations with someone of a different political persuasion allow us to know, rather than to guess, what they’re feeling. “Radical Empathy” is as silly or as serious as you allow it to be.

How else will we be able to sit with one another at the American table once again? How else will we someday share with each other the bounty of this good land and the copious freedoms we enjoy?

Whether we recognize it or not, we’re all in this together.

— Rabbi Dean Shapiro is the spiritual leader of Temple Emanuel of Tempe. Contact him at rshapiro@emanueloftempe.org

how to deal with the many emotions grieving people face during the holidays, what to do about traditions and other coming changes, helpful tips for surviving social events, and how to discover hope for your future. The church also plans to roll out a 13-week GriefShare program in late January.

DETAILS> 6:30-8 p.m., 2408 East Pecos Road, Ahwatukee. Information: 480-759-6200 and ask for Alex.

MEDICARE OPEN ENROLLMENT We Can Help!

October 5 - December 7, 2016

Visit our Kiosk at the FRY’S at Chandler Blvd. and 40th. Monday, Wednesday, Thursday & Saturday. See Kiosk for Hours.

CALENDAR

from page 35

SATURDAY, DEC. 10

CHRISTMAS FOR KIDS

Children ages 3 through 10 are invited to come and celebrate the birth of our Savior in Calvary Lutheran Church’s Christmas for Kids. Besides the Christmas lesson, children will have all kinds of activities from crafts, to music, to Christmas treats, including birthday cake to celebrate and grow in the true Christmas message. If parents are looking for some time to shop or prepare for Christmas, we would love to have your children enjoy the morning with us.

DETAILS> 9 a.m.-noon, Calvary Lutheran Church, 1270 N. Dobson Road, Chandler. Free. Register at calvarychandler.net under Events, through Dec. 5. Information: 480-963-9397.

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.

FRIDAY-SUNDAY, DEC.16-18

WALK THROUGH BETHLEHEM

First Baptist Church Chandler’s fourth annual Walk

Through Bethlehem Live Nativity will guide visitors through the city of Bethlehem, past the stable of live animals and end at the manger and celebrate the birth of Jesus. Food trucks and photo opportunities will be available. Carolers will be singing on the grounds.

DETAILS> 6-8 p.m., 3405 S. Arizona Ave, Chandler. Cost: Free. Information: fbc.net or 480-963-3439.

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.

KIDS

CAN LEARN JEWISH LIFE

Children can learn and experience Jewish life. Chabad Hebrew School focuses on Jewish heritage, culture and holidays.

DETAILS> 9:30 a.m. to noon, for children ages 5-13 at Pollack Chabad Center for Jewish Life, 875 N. McClintock Drive, Chandler. 480-855-4333, info@ chabadcenter.com, or chabadcenter.com.

RABBINIC LIT COURSE OFFERED

Ongoing morning study of two classics of rabbinic literature by medieval philosopher Moses Maimonides (the “Rambam”). At 10 a.m., Prof. Norbert Samuelson, Grossman chair of Jewish Philosophy at ASU and

TBS member, teaches “Maimonides’ Guide of the Perplexed: What Jews Ought to Believe.” At 11:15 a.m., TBS member Isaac Levy teaches “Maimonides’ Mishneh Torah: How Jews Ought to Behave.” Readings in both Hebrew and English.

DETAILS> Community Room of the administration building at Temple Beth Sholom of the East Valley, 3400 N. Dobson Road, Chandler. 480-897-3636.

UNITY OFFERS A PATH

Unity of Mesa says its Sunday service offers “a positive path for spiritual living” through “transformational lessons, empowering music and various spiritual practices with an open-minded and welcoming community.”

DETAILS> 9 a.m. Spiritual discussion group and meditation practices group. 10:15 a.m. service. 2700 E. Southern Ave., Mesa. Child care available at 9 a.m. Nursery for infants through kindergarten at 10:15 a.m. 480-892-2700, unityofmesa.org, joanne@unityofmesa.org.

MONDAYS

JOIN CHRIST-CENTERED YOGA

This Flow 1-2 class (intermediate) is free and open to the community.

DETAILS> 6-7 p.m., Mountain Park Community Church, 2408 E. Pecos Road. Greg Battle at 480-759-6200 or gbattle@moutainpark.org.

CLASS TARGETS THE GRIEVING

Classes for those grieving over death or divorce.

DETAILS> 6:30 p.m., Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 739 W. Erie St., Chandler. 480-963-4127.

STRUGGLING FIND SUPPORT

Support group for those struggling with how to deal with a loss in life.

DETAILS> 7 p.m., 1825 S. Alma School Road, Room C201, Chandler. Pastor Larry Daily, 480-963-3997, ext. 141, larrydaily@chandlercc.org or chandlercc.org.

TUESDAYS

JEWISH VIEWS ON HOT-BUTTON ISSUES

A new six session course presents a non-partisan, Jewish view of the hot button 2016 election issues, such as gun control and immigration. The classes will begin Nov. 14 and run for six weeks, until Dec. 19.

DETAILS> 7:30-9 p.m., Chabad of the East Valley, 875 N. McClintock Drive, Chandler. 480-855-4333, chabadcenter.com or info@chabadcenter.com.

DIVORCED CAN FIND COMFORT

People suffering through a divorce or separation can find understanding and caring support to face these challenges.

DETAILS> 6:30-8:30 p.m., Mountain Park Community Church, 2408 E Pecos Road, Room 117, Ahwatukee, 480759-6200 or mountainpark.org.

FINDING HEALING FOR PAIN

HOPE, an acronym for “Help Overcome Painful Experiences,” offers support for men and women who seek God’s grace and healing.

DETAILS> 6:30 to 8 p.m. Mountain Park Community Church, 2408 E. Pecos Road. mountainpark.org.

SENIORS ENJOY ‘TERRIFIC TUESDAYS’

The program is free and includes bagels and coffee and a different speaker or theme each week. Registration not needed.

DETAILS> 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., Barness Family East Valley Jewish Community Center, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. evjcc.org or 480-897-0588.

WEDNESDAYS

CELEBRATE RECOVERY MEETS

Celebrate Recovery says it “brings your relationship See CALENDAR on page 37

with the Lord closer to your heart as it heals your hurts, habits and hang-ups.” Participants can discuss issues ranging from feeling left out to addictions.

“Nothing is too small or too large.”

DETAILS> 6:20 p.m. at Mountain View Lutheran Church, 11002 S. 48th St., Ahwatukee. mvlutheran.org/ celebraterecovery or email cr@alphamvlc.com.

WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY OFFERED

Living Word Ahwatukee women’s Bible study and fellowship that offers “a short, low-key time of praise and worship in music and message.” It’s also an opportunity to meet other Christian women in Ahwatukee.

DETAILS> 10-11:30 a.m., Living Word Ahwatukee, 14647 W. 50th St., Suite 165, Ahwatukee. Free child care.

GET A ‘SPIRITUAL SHOWER’

A release calls this “a 15-minute energetic tune up each week” and says the Twin Hearts Meditation “is like taking a spiritual shower: when your aura is clean, you experience a higher level of awareness. You see through things more clearly and good luck increases.”

DETAILS> 7-9 p.m. at Unity of Tempe, 1222 E. Baseline Road, Suite 103, Tempe. 480-792-1800 or unityoftempe.com.

THURSDAYS

SLEEPING BAGS FOR THE HOMELESS

Ugly Quilts has made more than 15,500 sleeping bags for the area homeless, and continues to do so at First United Methodist Church every Thursday. Quilters stitch donated fabric, comforters, sheets and blankets into sleeping bags. Those are then distributed to the Salvation Army, churches and veterans’ organizations.

DETAILS> 8 a.m.-2 p.m., 215 E. University Drive, Tempe. Information: 480-969-5577.

KIDS CAN FIND SUPPORT

Support group for children ages 6 to 12 coping with a separation or divorce in the family. One-time $10 fee includes snacks and workbook.

DETAILS> 6:30-8:30 p.m., 1825 S. Alma School Road, Room C202, Chandler. Pastor Larry Daily, 480-963-3997, ext. 141, larrydaily@chandlercc.org or chandlercc.org.

ULPAN INSTRUCTION AVAILABLE

Class is based on Israel’s successful Ulpan instruction. Taught by Ilan Berko, born in Israel, schooled in the U.S. DETAILS> 7 p.m. Chabad of the East Valley, 3875 W. Ray Road, Suite 6, Chandler. chabadcenter.com or 480-855-4333.

FRIDAYS

NEFESHSOUL HOLDS SERVICES

Congregation NefeshSoul holds Shabbat services the second Friday of every month on the campus of the Valley Unitarian Universalist Congregation.

DETAILS> 6:15 p.m., 6400 W. Del Rio St., Chandler. Information: nefeshsoul.org.

TODDLERS CAN MARK SHABBAT

Celebrate Shabbat with a service, music, and a craft project designed for children up to 5 years old and their parents or other adult.

DETAILS> 9:30 a.m., Temple Emanuel, 5801 S. Rural Road. 480-838-1414 or emanueloftempe.org.

TOTS TAUGHT TORAH

Hosted by Chabad of the East Valley for children ages 2 to 5. Features hands-on activities about the Shabbat, songs, stories and crafts. Children will make and braid their own challah.

DETAILS> 10:15-11 a.m., members’ homes. 480-785-5831.

NOSH BEFORE SERVICE

“Nosh” and then enjoy the Shir Shabbat service led by the Shabba-Tones, the Shabbat musical group.

DETAILS> 6 p.m. first Friday of the month, Temple Emanuel, 5801 S. Rural Road, Tempe. 480-838-1414 or emanueloftempe.org.

YOUNG FAMILIES HOLD SHABBAT

Temple Beth Sholom of the East Valley invites young families to its services.

DETAILS> Regular services at 6 p.m. except on the third Friday of each month, when a 6 p.m. Young Family Shabbat Service is held for children and adults of all ages. Temple Beth Sholom of the East Valley, 3400 N. Dobson Road, Chandler. Shabbat Morning and Torah Service weekly at 9 a.m. 480-897-3636 or tbsev. org. or info@tbsev.org.

SERVICE INCLUDES KIDS

Designed for children up to 5 years old and their parents or other adult. Following the service is an Oneg Shabbat, a time for a snack and to meet other families with young children.

DETAILS> 6:30 p.m. second Fridays, Temple Emanuel, 5801 S. Rural Road. 480-838-1414 or emanueloftempe.org.

TEMPLE EMANUEL LISTS SERVICES

Traditional service followed by an Oneg Shabbat.

DETAILS>> 7:30 p.m. second and fourth Fridays, 5801 S. Rural Road, Tempe. 480-838-1414 or emanueloftempe.org.

Pride falls short in state title bid

Chandler High finds ‘ohana and defeats Mountain Pointe

BY JASON P. SKODA

AFN Prep Sports Director

‘Ohana just might be working for Chandler High School’s football program—much to Mountain Pointe High’s dismay.

Ever since Shaun Aguano took over the Chandler football program, the coach has gone out of his way to bring his Hawaiian heritage and his belief of extended family to the Wolves.

It was on display again at University of Phoenix Stadium on Saturday as the second-seeded Wolves won their second state championship in three seasons, topping No. 1 Mountain Pointe 36-17 in the 6A Conference title game.

Aguano said earlier last week that ‘ohana “comes from my Hawaiian heritage and making sure we have a family feel. I’ve been trying to build that. Football is just sport, but if I can give them a sense family that’s the biggest thing. Does it help win football games? I think so.”

The Wolves (12-2) won 10 straight games to end the year and hoist the golden ball behind an underrated offensive line and a group of talented skills players led by senior running back TJ Green, who finished with 233 yards rushing and three touchdowns.

“The game plan was to run the ball down their throat and we got the win,” Green said. “My offensive line did all the work. Without them we

After intercepting a pass, the Pride’s Isaiah Palo-Mao leaps over Chandler’s Jacob Conover as brother Matthew Palo-Mao tries to loosen Conover’s grip.

couldn’t do it. They did everything.”

While the offensive line was impressive in winning the physical portion of the game, the Wolves had plenty of other contributors while building a 22-7 halftime lead after the Pride (13-1) scored first.

Any time it seemed the Pride had anything going offensively, Chandler senior cornerback Imani Lee stepped to the forefront with a couple of interceptions, including an athletic one-handed grab of a ball intended for Mountain Pointe’s Jaydon Brooks, who had a step on Lee.

The Wolves wanted to get Mountain Pointe in this game after the Pride thumped Chandler 52-7 on Sept. 8.

“It was quiet and eerie,” Chandler wide receiver Jarick Caldwell said. “The coaches told us to put our heads down and focus. They told us we’d meet them again. We did that. We met them on the big stage and took advantage.”

The Pride had trouble in all facets

SCORING

First MP - Hodge 87 run (Abercrombie kick), 5:35

C - Green 46 run (Caldwell pass from Conover), 2:58

Second

C - Caldwell 59 pass from Conover (Boyd kick), 7:39

C - Green 15 run (Boyd kick), 5:09

Third

MP - Abercrombie 37 FG, 9:45

C - Green 5 run (Boyd kick), 6:28 MP - Hodge 11 pass from Grover (Abercrombie kick), :07

Fourth

(Boyd kick), 4:19

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

Rushing

C - Green 30-233, R. Johnson 12-67, Conover 7-34. MP - Hodge 6-96, Brooks 3-28, Woodberry 4-9, Salgado 7-9.

Passing

C - Conover 12-22-0-172.

Salgado 1-5.

6A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

Green runs roughshod in Chandler victory

BY TYLER KILLIAN AFN Guest Writer

As always, Chandler fans came out in force Saturday, turning one side of University of Phoenix Stadium into a sea of blue.

On the field, meanwhile, Mountain Pointe’s defenders were busy dealing with a blur of Green.

It was another virtuoso performance by Chandler running back TJ Green, who rushed for 233 yards and three touchdowns as No. 2 Chandler beat top-seeded Mountain Pointe 36-17 for the 6A state championship.

Green, an Oregon State commit, ended his high school career with a dominant senior season in which he ran for 2,086 yards and 33 touchdowns.

“He’s the best back in the state of Arizona,” Chandler coach Shaun Aguano said. “There’s no question about that.”

It was redemption for both Chandler and Green, who was held to 72 yards on 16 carries in Chandler’s previous

meeting against Mountain Pointe, a 52-7 loss on Sept. 8.

This time, Green punished Mountain Pointe’s defense from the start.

He gained 132 yards in the first half and helped Chandler to a 22-7 lead with a pair of touchdown runs, from 46- and 15-yards out.

He added a 5-yard score in the third quarter and had a fourth touchdown, a short reception in the end zone that was called back in the fourth quarter.

On the defense, senior cornerback Imani Lee harried the Pride throughout the evening.

When it was over, Green, Imani and the rest of the Wolves had eliminated any memory of their eye-opening loss to Mountain Pointe earlier in the year.

“We had to face a little bit of adversity in the beginning of the season, but our coaches kept preaching to us that it’s not how you start the season, it’s how you end it,” Green said.

“We ended strong and we ended it with a championship, so that’s all that matters,” he added.

(Special to AFN)

Soccer team seeks public support to attend national tournament

Ateen soccer team made up largely of Ahwatukee residents is still hoping it can raise enough money to attend the 2017 Las Vegas Players Showcase in March.

The Alacranes de Arizona has until Jan. 1 to register for a tournament that draws over 70 teams, including 96 in the U.S. Youth Soccer National League. The tournament draws more than 500 college coaches and scouts

To help raise the $1,295 the team needs to register, Chick-fil-A, 5035 E. Ray Road, Ahwatukee, is hosting a spirit day 3-9 p.m. today. Patrons can have 20 percent of their bill donated to the team by placing a flyer in a box that will be displayed at the restaurant.

The Alacranes need some help, said

PRIDE

from page 38

of the game against Chandler despite scoring first on Rashie Hodge’s 87-yard touchdown with 5:34 in the first quarter.

Senior quarterback Noah Grover, who was just 7 of 20 for 113 yards and a touchdown, struggled for the second straight week after missing six weeks because of a broken femur.

The defensive front seven was handled and moved for the first time all year.

“We didn’t play well on offense and turned it over a ton,” Pride coach Norris Vaughan said. “Their offense did a great job. They wore us down and Green played a great game.

team mom Veronica Holguin.

“Half the team comes from lowincome families who live below poverty guidelines and are unable to afford the trip,” she said.

“Some players sleep on the floor when we travel outside Phoenix because their families are unable to book a room,” she added, stating some are so poor “they are unable to take water to practice or games because they cannot afford to buy a water jug.”

The team recently won the Ahwatukee Soccer Tournament despite the fact that financial limitations force it to practice on a field with little lighting or goals or nets, Holguin said.

“The coaches are volunteers and donate their time and energy in helping these young players reach their goals, dreams and full potential,” she said.

“These young student athletes are committed to their academics and communities.”

The coaches include head coach Mariano Albano, a veteran 37-year soccer coach who founded the Tempe Soccer Club and the Arizona Sun Birds Soccer Club. A retired Phoenix Police detective, Albano also has coached at South Mountain Community College, and Dobson, Camelback, Hamilton and Corona del Sol high schools.

Helping Albano are assistant coaches Joe Haros and Chris Tang. Holguin tried organizing a community-wide raffle but ran into difficulty getting prize donations.

So team moms are holding a cookie dough and chocolate bar fundraiser as well as raffling a Chick-fil-A gift basket. Information: Jo.haros16@gmail.com.

“No excuses,” Vaughan added. “They worked us on defense. We had guys open but we missed them. We had some sparks there but not enough fire.”

Mountain Pointe drew within 29-17 when Grover connected with Hodge near the end of the third quarter, but Chandler went back to the running game and Green to end it.

He ran it seven times in a 16-play drive that closed out the scoring when Conover (12 of 22 for 172) connected with Caldwell with 4:19 remaining. It wasn’t long after that Chandler was in middle of the field celebrating as one big family.

Once again ‘ohana was everywhere.

“Two out of the last three years,” Aguano said. “That’s special. I thought the first was going to be hard, but this one was harder.”

-Contact writer: 480-898-7915 or jskoda@ ahwatukee.com. Follow him on Twitter @JasonPSkoda

Title game notebook: big plays and a record

BY JASON P. SKODA AFN Prep Sports Director

Chandler wide receiver Jarick Caldwell had the game of his life on the biggest stage.

And the biggest play didn’t show up in the stat sheet under his name.

Mountain Pointe just took the lead, 7-0, and the Wolves responded quickly with a kick-out block by Caldwell after he created a hole for a 46-yard touchdown by TJ Green.

Caldwell then caught the 2-point conversion after the initial score, followed it with a 59-yard touchdown the next drive and then caught a fourthquarter touchdown to end the game.

“Coach preaches laser focus in practice,” he said. “The scout team gave us a good look to prepare us to come out here and do our thing.”

Upon further review

Mountain Pointe appeared to have missed out on a touchdown on a fourthdown diving catch in the end zone by

Jaydon Brooks. Replays showed it was a clean catch and would have pulled the Pride within 29-17 with 3:54 remaining in the third quarter.

“Did you see him in bounds? That’s all you need to see,” Mountain Pointe coach Norris Vaughan said, adding:

“But I don’t mean to make excuses. They did good and they beat us fair and square. What are you going to say? They outplayed us.”

Record holder

Mountain Pointe safety Isaiah PolaMao had two more interceptions in the championship game to give him 10 on the season.

It tied him with Mike Collins (1994) for most picks in one season.

It also extended his career record to 21 after moving past Jalen Brown (16 from 2010-2013) earlier this season.

The team finished with 23 interceptions to break the school record of 19, which was held by three different squads (1995, 2012, 2015).

Tempe Union approves teams combining general and special education athletes

The Tempe Union High School District governing board has approved an agreement with Special Olympics of Arizona to field teams with both general education and special education athletes.

The board’s action two weeks ago also provides for a Special Olympics director who will work solely with the district to oversee the program’s development at all six Tempe Union high schools, said Jill Hanks, the district’s executive director of community relations.

“The logistics are still being worked out but the hope is to begin this spring with track and field,” Hanks said. “Each of our schools will have the opportunity to have a field team and they will soon work on building those teams, but at this point we can’t say that all schools will have a team this spring because we don’t know the interest level yet.”

Special Olympics runs a program called Unified Sports, which combines individuals with intellectual disabilities, who are called athletes, and individuals

without intellectual disabilities, called partners, on sports teams for training and competition, Hanks explained.

“Athletes and partners compete alongside one another, each in a meaningful and integral role on the Unified Sports team,” she added.

Up until now, Tempe Union had some limited activities similar to Unified Sports programs, but nothing under formal agreement with Special Olympics.

The district may be one of the few, if not the first, in the Valley to approve a formal arrangement with the organization.

“Initially, all schools have requested to implement a track and field Unified Sports program, with other sports to be added in the future, dependent upon the initiative of the individual school.” Hanks said.

The agreement calls for Special Olympics to provide inclusive youth leadership guidance, sustainability planning and staff training.

The district will provide facilities and guidance on its general policies.

Get Out

Eight sets of sisters appear in Ahwatukee Nutcracker 2016

BY COTY DOLORES MIRANDA AFN Contributing Writer

Kimberly Lewis prides herself in presenting the family-oriented Ahwatukee Foothills Ballet “The Nutcracker” each December at Desert Vista High School, and this year it has become even more of a family affair.

Eight sets of sisters star in the production, which takes place Dec. 17 and 18 with three performances.

The girls range from seasoned veterans of the ballet to very young newcomers.

The Gregg sisters, Bella and Olivia of Ahwatukee, are the veterans. They started 10 years ago as Hershey Mice.

At 16, Olivia Gregg is the elder sister. She played the Sugerplum Fairy in last year’s Nutcracker and her sister, Bella, fills the

role this year.

“It’s the first time ever we’ve had sisters in the role back-to-back,” said Lewis proudly.

Olivia is a Desert Vista High School junior where she dances in the Senior Elite Company, and also dances on the Elite Dance Team for Dance Studio 111.

She’s an accomplished dancer who has trained in all styles of dance, and most recently was the NRG Dance Project’s Teen National Prodigy.

Her history in the Ahwatukee Nutcracker includes starring as Clara at age 9, the Butterfly Queen at 11, the Sugar Plum Fairy at 12, and the Snow Queen at 14. She said she is happy to return to the production following knee surgery to be this year’s Marzipan Queen.

Bella, 14, is a Desert Vista freshman who dances with the high school’s Senior

Company, while also dancing competitively with the Dance Studio 111 Elite Dance Team for the third year.

She was only 3 when she first took the stage with the Ahwatukee Foothills Nutcracker company. At 10, she won the coveted role of Clara, and last year danced the role of the Butterfly Queen.

An accomplished dancer, she trains 25 to 30 hours weekly in various dance styles.

Sara and Lilly Allen are two more sisters in this year’s production.

Sara, 11, plays Clara this year. Her mother, Kristie Allen, said, “This is like her dream come true, it means everything to her.”

So excited is the family for Sara, a straight A, sixth-grade student at Altadena Middle School, that Kristie and David Allen organized a “Clara Party” for the cast last Sunday prior to the company’s preview

performance at the Arizona Grand Resort. “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and we’re just embracing everything there is to embrace about it,” said the proud mom, adding that the aspiring professional ballerina hopes to attend Julliard after high school.

Her sister Lily, 8, is a Cerritos Elementary third grader dancing in her second Nutcracker, this year as a March Girl.

Other sisters appearing onstage theatre are Madi and Ally Nash, playing the Snow Queen and Spanish Queen, respectively; Sydney and Megan Schmidt as the Arabian Queen and Lead Toy Soldier; Abby and Emma Kozel as the Mouse King and The Nutcracker;

Also, Annabelle and Calyssa Kobus are in multiple roles with Annabelle, 7, playing an Angel, Baby Hersey Mouse and BonBon, and Calyssa, 3, as a Baby Hersey Mouse and China Baby Doll. This is the toddler’s second Nutcracker season.

Sisters Elianna and Mia Kelso are among the younger cast members at age 5 and 4, respectively. They also take on multiple roles.

Director Kimberly Lewis, who tirelessly tends to all the details for this annual production, also has family involved.

“The Magic of our Nutcracker is truly a family affair,” Lewis said.

“I also love knowing how many of our cast members have family flying in from all over the country to see their loved ones in the Nutcracker,” she added. “The Magic of the Nutcracker brings families together which is what the holiday season is all about—family.”

Her brother Kurt Boer has danced the role of Herr Drosselmeyer for 17 years. Her father, Walt Broer, travels from Nebraska to play the grandfather.

Lewis’ daughter Avery is the Butterfly Queen and Snow Princess while also picking up the role of maid. She will also dance The Grandfather—her grandfather. Madison Broer, Kurt’s daughter, plays a party guest who dances with Herr Drosselmeyer, while Lewis’ nephews Ethan and Evan Broer are helping backstage. Tickets, $18 to $40, are available at Dance Studio 111, 4910 Chandler Blvd., Ahwatukee, or at 480-706-6040. If tickets remain, they will be available at the box office an hour before each show. Traditionally, matinee sells out in advance.

Mt. Pointe students to present holiday comedy this weekend

GETOUT/AFN STAFF

The Mountain Pointe Theatre Company aims to start the holiday season on a fun note by presenting “Inspecting Carol,” a comedy that was described as “’A Christmas Carol’ meets “The Government Inspector’ meets ‘Noises Off’” when it debuted in Seattle.

It will be presented at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday at Mountain Pointe High School, 44th Street and Knox Road, Ahwatukee. Tickets are available at the door and are $7 for adults, $5 for students.

The play is about a small professional theater company in a midsized city that strives to maintain funding and learns it will be inspected for a possible grant as it is preparing to produce “A Christmas Carol.”

The quirky theatre troupe includes a child who is a little too old to be playing Tiny Tim, a visionary Ebenezer Scrooge who has a few too many ideas, and an emotional, eccentric director. Confusion sets in when a mysterious “actor” arrives to audition.

A variation on a play by Nikolai Gogal, “Inspecting Carol” was described by Seattle critics as a “razzle dazzle of funny characters and ingenious jokes” and a “rollicking farce.”

Mountain Pointe alumus Corey Quinn, now a biology teacher at the school as well as one of the student troupe’s mentors, is directing.

The cast includes Lexi Artuga-Sirota as Zorah Bloch, Cory Drozdowksi as Sidney Carlton, Suzette Oliva as Dorothy Tree Hapgood, Alex De La Torre as Larry Vauxhall, Chance Stokes as Phil Hewlitt, Nemo Wright as Walter E. Parsons, Michael Rodriguez as Luther Beatty,

(Corey Quinn/Special to AFN)

Rehearsing for “Inspecting Carol” at Mountain Pointe Theatre Company are, from left, Naomi Johnson, Lexi Sirota and Michael Rodriguez.

Michael Williams as Kevin Emery, Naomi Johnson as MJ (Mary Jane) McMann, Lexi Rodriguez as Betty Andrew, Jack Rupp as Bart Frances and Quinn Rupp as Wayne Wellacre.

Stage managers are Jonice Bernard and Jayla Alston and the tech director is Jillian McDaniel.

Other members of the crew are: Mateo Valdez and Mara Doty, set chiefs; Madison Smith and Meagan Gibson, lights chiefs; Lexi Powers and Alexia Martinez, sound chiefs; costume chief Katie Corbin, makeup chief Taylor Simms and publicity chief Jessica Calabrese.

The rest of the crew includes Janae Jessie, Ruben Ayala and Cynthia Lui on props; Madison Somero and Julianne Porter on costumes; Alessandre Presume, Patrick Keysey, Jimena Ortiz and Kaylin Smith on sets; CC Marshall and Mikaela Romo on make-up; and Kaya Sciaudone and Natalie Jarrell on publicity.

ANSWERS TO PUZZLE & SUDOKU

Christmas and contemporary music shows abound for weekend

BY JUSTIN FERRIS GetOut Editor

‘Christmas Carol’ returns

Charles Dickens’ holiday classic returns to Hale Centre for its 14th year. This musical version combines Dickens’ memorable characters and story with traditional carols, and elaborate sets and costumes. Hurry and get your tickets because they sell fast.

DETAILS>> Times vary, Thursday-Dec. 4. Hale Centre Theatre, 50 W. Page Ave., Gilbert. Tickets: $18-$26. 480-497-1181 haletheatrearizona.com.

Carole King tribute presented

If you missed the touring “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical,” you get another chance to hear her timeless songs on the live stage, including “You’ve Got a Friend,” “Natural Woman,” “It’s Too Late” and “Beautiful.”

DETAILS>> 7:30 p.m., Friday. Higley Center for the Performing Arts, 4132 E. Pecos Road, Gilbert. Tickets: $28-$44. 480279-7194, higleycenter.org.

Taste of Arizona beckons

Join the Boy Scouts of America for a day of great food from Valley restaurants, plus celebrity chef demos, Olympic medalists—including gymnast Kerri Strug—live music, a kid zone, a youth rodeo, a beer and wine garden and more.

DETAILS>> 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Saturday. Mesa Riverview Park, 2100 W. Rio Salado Pkwy., Mesa. Tickets: $5 presale, $6 at the door.

Mesa offering arts and crafts

Spend a few hours strolling around downtown Mesa browsing handmade items from dozens of local artists and vendors.

Maybe you can knock a few items off your Christmas shopping list.

DETAILS>> 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Saturday. Downtown Mesa at W. Main Street and N. MacDonald. Cost: Free. macfestmesa.com.

Handmade Market debuts

Do some holiday shopping at the newest market in Phoenix. Browse more than 150 local vendors of vintage and handmade items while enjoying a glass of wine or a beer.

DETAILS>> 9 a.m.-7 p.m., SaturdaySunday. Phoenix Convention Center South Building, 33 S. Third St., Phoenix. Tickets: $10 adults, Free children 12 and under. 877-840-0457 phoenix.ticketforce.com or hellohandmademarket.com

CycloMesa Winterfest arrives

Snow in the Valley? You can play in 10 tons of it, plus enjoy a mechanical snowboard, bounce houses, winter games and food. Afterwards, participate in a guided family bike ride to look at Christmas lights.

DETAILS>>2:30-5 p.m., Saturday. Alta Mesa Park, 1910 N. Alta Mesa Drive, Mesa. Cost: free. mesaaz. gov

Tumbleweed Tree lighting set

Join the 60th anniversary of a unique local tradition: the lighting of the Tumbleweed Tree. This 25-foot tall tree made of nearly 1,000 tumbleweeds, 25 gallons of white paint and 65 pounds of litter lights up the night. Live entertainment and a parade of lights mark the occasion.

DETAILS>> 4:30-9 p.m., Saturday. Dr. A.J. Chandler Park, 3 S. Arizona Ave., Chandler. Cost: free. chandleraz.gov/default. aspx?pageid=165.

Ironwood kicks off holidays

Enjoy a day of free holiday arts and crafts for kids ages 1 to 11.

DETAILS>> 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m., Saturday. Ironwood Library, 4333 E. Chandler Blvd., Phoenix. Cost: free. 602-262-4636, phoenixpubliclibrary. org.

‘Wonderful Life” goes live

Holiday classic movie “It’s A Wonderful Life” comes to the stage in this impressive one-man play. Actor Jeremy Kendall portrays more than 32 people as he tells the story of George Bailey and his journey to realize how much his life matters.

DETAILS>> 3 p.m., Sunday. Higley Center for the Performing Arts, 4132 E. Pecos Road, Gilbert. Tickets: $26-$42. 480-279-7194, higleycenter.org.

Enjoy a ukulele Christmas show

Tired of the usual holiday concerts? The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain offers a refreshing alternative with its unusual instrumentation and witty banter. There’s even an audience ukulele play-and-sing along.

DETAILS>> 7:30 p.m., Sunday. Mesa Arts Center, One East Main St., Mesa. Tickets: $36-$40. 480-644-6500, mesaartscenter. com

Mamma Mia! At Gammage

Don’t miss the farewell tour of the hit musical that features ABBA’s greatest hits, including “Dancing Queen,” “S.O.S.,” “Super Trouper,” “Take A Chance on Me” and “The Winner Takes It All.”

DETAILS>> Times vary, TuesdayDec.11. ASU Gammage, 1200 S. Forest Ave., Tempe. Tickets: $20-$125. 480-965-3434, asugammage.com

Get more ideas for fun things to do in the East Valleyand beyond - at Phoenix.org.

Holiday win-win: Get holiday decorating ideas and help others

BY JUSTIN FERRIS GetOut Editor

When you need holiday home decorating ideas, turn to pros who offer more than half a century of experience. This week, Desert Club unveils its 59th annual Christmas Idea House.

If you aren’t familiar with this popular tradition, the all-volunteer women’s service organization Desert Club selects a luxury home in the East Valley and decorates it from top to bottom in the latest holiday style.

“Every year we take a different house and in essence turn it into a boutique,” Desert Club member Michelle Tetschner explained. “We have thousands of items from candies in the kitchen to throws in the master

IF YOU GO

Where: Park at 7361 S 164th St. in Gilbert for shuttle service.

When: Holiday Soiree: 5:30-9 p.m. Friday; tours: 4-8 p.m. Friday, Saturday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday.

Cost: $12 public tours ($10 with nonperishable food item); $60 for holiday soiree.

More info: http://christmasideahouse.org

bedroom to dining- and serving-ware in the dining room.”

The Desert Club members make many of the items themselves from ideas on Pinterest and other sources. Even storebought items get a touch of glitter or other custom holiday enhancement to match the theme, which for 2016 is “Wrapped in Red.”

To hold this year’s decorations, Desert Club selected an 11,000-square-foot custom home in Gilbert. The massive multi-level home even includes an indoor basketball court.

The Christmas Idea House opens to the public for three days, which includes an evening Holiday Soiree, a Yuletide Brunch— already sold out—and two days of public tours. The holiday soiree lets you get dressed up and explore the house while sipping cocktails and enjoying gourmet hors d’oeuvres.

The go-at-your-own-pace public tours offer a less formal viewing of the holiday decorations if you just want to get some ideas. Of course, the tours are more than just for looking.

See something you like? Every one of the decorative items are available for sale if you want it for your own home.

Prices range from $5 to several hundred dollars or more. “We have full trees people

can buy that are decorated and ready to go,” Tetschner said.

All the proceeds from the Christmas Idea House go to scholarships for in-state college students and grants for local charities. You can even meet some of the recipients during you’re visit.

“We love having our recipients come and help,” Tetschner added. “They’ll direct people or...sometimes they’re wrapping and getting purchases ready at checkout.”

Over its 70-year history, Desert Club’s charitable giving totals nearly $2.7 million.

For its 48th year, Tempe Festival of the Arts looks to the future

BY JUSTIN FERRIS GetOut Editor

Twice a year, Tempe’s famous Mill Avenue, along with its cross streets between University and 3rd, closes to traffic and gives way to a sea of white pop-up tents.

While inconvenient for area drivers, the closure means the eagerly awaited return of semi-annual Tempe Festival of the Arts. This nearly five-decade tradition—years for the Fall Festival—sees upwards of 400 artist from all over the country arrive to show their original works. Offerings range from the traditional paintings, sculptures and jewelry to more modern categories like “Cottage Edibles & Crafts” and “Upcycled/ Creative Reuse.”

The push toward more cutting-edge categories led to this year’s introduction of Sixth + Mill Makers. Located at Sixth

and Mill, this new market-within-a-festival offers curated hand-made works from more than two dozen local artisans.

According to the festival’s press release, items on display and for sale include “buttons, cards, ceramics, children’s clothing, concrete planters, floral arrangements, hand-made jewelry, letterpress stationary, upcycled furniture, watercolors, woodworks and more.”

In addition to these handmade products, visitors to the market can enjoy “artisan finishing salts, cocktail mixes, a lounge and ‘make and take’ booth for hands-on types who like to physically make memories at the event.”

Samantha Thompson, co-founder of Standard Wax, which curates Sixth + Mill Makers, sees this addition as vital for the future of art in Tempe.

“As someone who has spent nearly my entire life in Tempe, I know firsthand

that the Tempe Festival of the Arts is an institution,” she said. “But the ‘new’ scene of creative entrepreneurs and makers... has never been represented at the festival.

IF YOU GO

Where: Mill Ave, Tempe from University Ave to 3rd Street

When: Friday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

Cost: Free

More info: http://www. tempefestivalofthearts.com

Until recently, my passions for the city I live in and my business have had little opportunity to reside in the same space together.”

With Sixth + Mill Makers, Tempe Festival for the Arts can now attract a new generation of artists, makers and buyers.

Speaking of new generations, kids also get new activities to explore this year with Kids Block. This area offers art-making activities, plus other hands-on fun. A showcase of kid-created art will also be on hand to inspire other youngsters.

Despite the new additions, however, you will still see old festival favorites, such as Chalk-A-Lot-Street on 4th, which features professional chalk murals and lets you create your own for $5.

Experience sounds as well as sights with local performers on three stages—5th Street, Centerpoint and Hayden Square—as well as street performers. Then round out the sensory experience with festival food from the on-site food court, food trucks and scattered snack vendors.

Note for drivers: Mill Ave. will close at 6:30 p.m. Thursday and stay closed until 6 a.m. Monday, so plan accordingly if you’re in the area.

LDS Chapel hosting concert, live Nativity and crèche display

youth and adults sing.”

The Ahwatukee chapel of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is throwing a Christmas party for the community.

The chapel, 2955 E. Frye Road, Ahwatukee, is hosting its nondenominational Ahwatukee Community Christmas Celebration 6:30-8:30 p.m. Friday.

Besides music by local groups, there will be a live Nativity, crèche exhibit and free hot chocolate and cookies.

Attendees also are asked to bring used clothing and nonperishable food items to benefit Frank Elementary School in Guadalupe.

Volunteer Lindsey Worthen said this is the chapel’s fourth holiday concert.

“It is truly just an opportunity for people in the community to get together, hear some great music and celebrate the season,” said Worthen. “We live in a small community… and have some great talent in our area. It’s a treat to get to hear these

“It is an open-house type event,” Worthen added. “People are coming and going throughout the evening. There is plenty of seating inside, but people are also enjoying the live Nativity with live animals and alive newborn babe as well as the creche exhibit.

“We will be adding a puppet show on the Nativity story for the little ones this year as well.”

The crèche display comprises set-ups donated by “anyone in the community who would like to share,” Worthen said.

“Many countries and styles represented.”

Frank Elementary staff and teachers “do a lot more than just educate them. These are our neighbors and in need.”

The performances will be given by a variety of groups, including some schools such as Altadena and Desert Vista High, as well as private ensembles.

They’ll perform for 20 minutes on a rotating basis throughout the evening. Information: ahwatukeenativity.org.

Ready for reading

Photos by Cheryl Haselhorst, AFN Staff Photographer

APPLAUSE FOR THE CLAUS

Santa arived here Friday by helicopter, courtesy of Ahwatukee Plaza and Millie’s Hallmark. Clockwise from left: Makayla Freeman, 7, spots the chopper; Maddie Schultz, 8, gets a hug from Santa as her twin sister Abby waits for hers; Santa and his missus land; Andrew Kiersztyn, 7, and Santa exchange warm welcomes; Santa and Mrs. Claus bid adieu, surrounded by dancers from Centerpointe Dance.

Classifieds

Employment General

Nursery workers, 80 temporary full-time positions

Duties: Work in nursery facilities or at customer location planting, cultivating, harvesting, and transplanting trees, shrubs, or plants No EXP REQ No EDU REQ

Days & Hours 40 hours/week (6:00am-2:30pm); day shift; Mon-Fri Dates of employment: 02/01/1710/31/17 Wage: $9 51/h, OT $14 27/h if necessary Raises, bonuses, or incentives dependent on job performance OJT provided

Assurances: Transportation (including meals and, to the extent necessary, lodging) to the place of employment will be provided, or its cost to workers reimbursed, if the worker completes half the employment period Return transportation will be provided if the worker completes the employment period or is dismissed early by the employer Employer will provide workers at no charge all tools, equipment and supplies required to perform the job Job location: Maricopa and Pinal counties, AZ

Applicants may send or contact the AZDES Office, 4635 S Central Ave, Phoenix AZ, 85040. Desirae Diaz ph:520-866- 3608 Please reference AZDES Job Order #: 2474337

Employer: Moon Valley Nursery, Inc 19820 N 7th Street, Suite 260, Phoenix, AZ 85024 Contact: Jeni Knop, fax (602) 337-8658

Landscape laborers 24 temporary full-time positions

Duties: Laborers will be needed for turf care, pruning, fertilization, irrigation system maintenance and repair general clean up and installation of mortarless segmental concrete masonry wall units 3 months landscape EXP REQ No EDU REQ Pre-employment and post-hire drug testing.

Days & Hours: 40 hours/week (6:00am-2:30pm); day shift; Mon-Fri Dates of employment: 02/01/1710/31/17 Wage: $11 74/h, OT $17 61/h if necessary Raises, bonuses, or incentives dependent on job performance OJT provided

Assurances: Transportation (including meals and, to the extent necessary, lodging) to the place of employment will be provided, or its cost to workers reimbursed, if the worker completes half the employment period Return transportation will be provided if the worker completes the employment period or is dismissed early by the employer. Employer will provide workers at no charge all tools, equipment and supplies required to perform the job Job location: Phoenix, AZ - Maricopa and Pinal counties Daily transportation provided to and from worksite Housing optional - $250 00/month, if provided, cost of housing and utilites will be deducted

Applicants may send or contact the AZDES Office, 4635 S Central Ave, Phoenix AZ, 85040 Desirae Diaz ph:520-866- 3608 Please reference AZDES Job Order #: 2490066

Employer: Underwood Brothers, Inc 3747 E Southern Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85040 Contact: George McNeely, fax (602) 437-2970

Employment General

Landscape laborers, 55 temporary full-time positions.

Duties: Laborers will be needed for turf care, pruning, fertilization irrigation system maintenance and repair, general clean up procedures around properties Work in the outdoors, physical work 3 months landscape EXP REQ No EDU REQ

Days & Hours: 40 hours/week (6:00am-2:30pm); day shift; Mon-Fri Dates of employment: 02/01/1710/31/17 Wage: $11 74/h, OT $17 61/h if necessary

Raises, bonuses, or incentives dependent on job performance

Assurances: Transportation (including meals and, to the extent necessary, lodging) to the place of employment will be provided, or its cost to workers reimbursed if the worker completes half the employment period Return transportation will be provided if the worker completes the employment period or is dismissed early by the employer Employer will provide workers at no charge all tools, equipment and supplies required to perform the job Job location: Phoenix, AZ - Maricopa and Pinal counties Daily transportation provided to and from worksite

Applicants may send or contact the AZDES Office, 4635 S Central Ave, Phoenix AZ, 85040 Desirae Diaz ph:520-866- 3608 Please reference AZDES Job Order #: 2469598

Employer Native Resources International Inc 1540 W Happy Valley Rd, Phoenix, AZ 85085 Contact: Raquel Coronel, fax (623) 869-6769

Landscape laborers, 80 temporary full-time positions

Duties: Laborers will be needed for pruning, fertilization, irrigations systems maintenance and repair, general clean up procedures and installation of mortarless segmental concrete masonry wall units

Work outdoors, physical work 3 months landscape

EXP REQ No EDU REQ Post-employment drug testing

Days & Hours: 40 hours/week (6:00am-2:30pm); day shift; Mon-Fri Dates of employment: 2/01/1710/31/17 Wage: $11 74/h, OT $17 61/h if necessary Raises, bonuses, or incentives dependent on job performance OJT provided

Assurances: Transportation (including meals and, to the extent necessary, lodging) to the place of employment will be provided, or its cost to workers reimbursed if the worker completes half the employment period Return transportation will be provided if the worker completes the employment period or is dismissed early by the employer Employer will provide workers at no charge all tools, equipment and supplies required to perform the job Job location: Phoenix, AZ - Maricopa and Pinal counties Daily transportation provided to and from worksite

Applicants may send or contact the AZDES Office, 4635 S Central Ave, Phoenix AZ, 85040 Desirae Diaz ph:520-866- 3608 Please reference AZDES Job Order #: 2469622

Employer ELS Maintenance, Inc 3329 E Southern Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85040 Contact: Daniel Bang, fax (602) 268-5040

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.