Gilbert Sun News: Community Nov 15

Relaxing on a sunny day

Stephanie Iden gets comfy on the hill with her boys Alex and Nicholas Gallardo.

Police deploy body-worn cameras

BY SARAH MARMOLEJO

The Gilbert Police Department has deployed body-worn cameras in a pilot program for officers to use in the field in the hopes of improving police investigative efforts, and the safety of the public and the officers.

The department deployed 155 cameras out of 170. Cameras were assigned to 12 patrol teams, traffic enforcement officers, crime suppression officers and the criminal apprehension team, according to police. Gilbert police set this pilot program in motion Oct. 6 and will continue through the end of the year.

Officers were trained for several months and took 13 classes on how to operate the cameras.

The 170 cameras, docking stations and other hardware cost $110,618.25, according to Sgt. Jesse Sanger. Other

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Chief Tim Dorn dons a body-worn camera, which will help in the department’s crime-fighting efforts.

Superintendent strives for 100 percent graduation rate

BY IRENE MAHONEY-PAIGE

Dr. Christina M. Kishimoto, superintendent of Gilbert Public Schools, said during her second State of the Schools address that the district is continuing to focus on digital learning.

The approach is part of the second year of its strategic operating plan, she said on Oct. 8.

“We are a state that leads in innovation,” Kishimoto said. “We need to be a district that is at the cutting edge of innovation.”

This year, the district gave Chromebooks to all of its junior high school students and the impact has been felt.

“Do you know that the greatest impact we already see is that young learner is engaging their learning not [only] in a class period of 40-plus minutes?” she said.

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Home for Sale

GILBERT, AZ - According to industry experts, there are over 33 physical problems that will come under scrutiny during a home inspection when your home is for sale. A new report has been prepared which identifies the eleven most common of these problems, and what you should know about them before you list your home for sale.

Whether you own an old home or a brand new one, there are a number of things that can fall short of requirements during a home inspection. If not identified and dealt with, any of these 14 items could cost you dearly in terms of repair. That’s why it’s critical that you read this report before you list your home. If you wait until the building inspector flags these issues for you, you will almost certainly experience costly delays in the close of your home sale or, worse, turn prospective buyers away

altogether. In most cases, you can make a reasonable pre-inspection yourself if you know what you’re looking for, and knowing what you’re looking for can help you prevent little problems from growing into costly and unmanageable ones.

To help homesellers deal with this issue before their homes are listed, a free report entitled “14 Things You Need to Know to Pass Your Home Inspection” has been compiled which explains the issues involved.

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7 Things You Must Know Before Putting Your Home Up for Sale

Gilbert, AZ - A new report has just been released which reveals 7 costly mistakes that most homeowners make when selling their home, and a 9 Step System that can help you sell your home fast and for the most amount of money. This industry report shows clearly how the traditional ways of selling homes have become increasingly less and less effective in today’s market. The fact of the matter is that fully three quarters of home sellers don’t get what they want for their homes and become disillusioned and - worse - financially disadvantaged when they put their homes on the market. As this report uncovers, most home sellers make 7 deadly mistakes that cost them literally thousands of dollars. The good news is that each and every one of these mistakes entirely preventable. In answer to this issue, industry insiders have prepared a free special report entitled “The 9 Step System to Get Your Home Sold Fast and For Top Dollar”. To hear a brief recorded message about how to order your FREE copy of this report, call toll-free, 1-800-303-3049 and enter 8005. You can call any time, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Get your free special report NOW to find out how you can get the most money for your home.

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Gilbert superintendent named president of ALAS

Gilbert Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Christina M. Kishimoto has been named 2015-2016 president of the National Association of Latino Superintendents and Administrators (ALAS).

ALAS was formally established in the summer of 2003, and is committed to bringing sharp focus to and support for Latino educational leaders and issues.

Dr. Edward Lee Vargas, outgoing president of ALAS, announced, “My fellow board members and I are thrilled at Dr. Kishimoto’s appointment as our new president of ALAS. Under her leadership, ALAS will continue to flourish as the nation’s premier

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“They are engaging in learning in between their sports and co-curricular activities. They’re interacting and collaborating in groups. They don’t have to figure out how to get to each other’s homes to work on group projects.

Blue light procedure at Anderson helps doctor detect bladder cancer

An innovative procedure at Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center now enables a doctor to use blue light to better view certain bladder cancers, similar to the way black light makes deadly scorpions luminiscent.

The facility is one of a select number of medical centers nationwide offering blue light cystoscopy used in detecting papillary cancer of the bladder. White light cystoscopy has been the primary method used to view suspicious lesions during surgery to remove bladder tumors. However, when used on its own, harderto-see tumors can be missed. Blue light cystoscopy works by illuminating the bad tissues with a fluorescent chemical (called Cysview). The chemical is placed in the bladder and absorbed by cancer cells, turning them hot pink when under the blue light.

In blue light cystoscopy, the imaging solution is delivered into the bladder about an hour prior to the cystoscopy and is absorbed by cancerous tissues. After first using white light, the doctor will switch to blue light mode. Because of the absorption of the solution, other hard-to-see tumors that may be present become more visible, standing out against normal bladder tissue and making it easier for the doctor to identify and remove them.

“The potential of blue light cystoscopy and Cysview is to identify more bladder tumors and aid in a more complete resection, which is very important in optimally treating bladder cancer,” said Dr. Joseph Mashni Jr., a surgeon at Banner MD Anderson.

Bladder cancer is a highly diagnosed cancer in Arizona, with even more new diagnoses annually than melanoma (skin cancer), according to American Cancer Society.

For information, call (480) 256-6444 and ask about an appointment with a cancer specialist.

Banner MD Anderson, located on the Banner Gateway campus, delivers cancer care to patients in Arizona through the collaboration of Banner Health and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Banner MD Anderson offers focused disease-specific expertise in the medical, radiation and surgical management of the cancer patient; an evidence-based, multidisciplinary approach to patient care; access to clinical trials and new investigative therapies; state-of-theart technology for the diagnosis, staging and treatment of all types of cancer; oncology expertise in supportive care services. For more information, visit www. BannerMDAnderson.com.

Latino-driven educational leadership organization for school administrators and superintendents, now with over 4,600 members and growing.”

More than 30 percent of public school students in Arizona are Hispanic and at the same time less than 5 percent of administrators are Hispanic. ALAS works to create and provide professional development and support programs for Hispanic educational leaders and leads the only national Latino Superintendents Leadership Academy to prepare future superintendents.

“It’s a whole mindset we are creating in our junior high school, learning what it means to be an educated person; what it means to be an engaged person; what it means to be an empowered person who has access to information that you can determine what you are going to do with that self-empowerment. We’re very excited about having students as explorers, as creators, as innovators.”

More than 100 stakeholders—educators, and business and government leaders— came together for Kishimoto’s speech. The attendance stresses the ties that bind the school district and the community.

“As the town’s largest employer, we have an important impact of economic stability of our community,” Kishimoto said.

“We are also a community of a system that welcomes 38,000 children into our school buildings on a daily basis. Our educators have a tremendous impact, along with parents, in preparing our children for the future and to be ready for college and careers.

“We need to think about our community holistically—including the tremendous impact that the quality and health of our education system has on the future and health of this community.”

Kishimoto also discussed the future of the district and how it can ensure that all students graduate high school and are ready for college and/or careers.

“We have a council. We have a board, community leaders and educators here who are all committed to making sure Gilbert Public Schools is not satisfied with just being good, that we have a vision to always be a great school district,” she said.

“Good is not good enough for our kids.”

Right now, 90 percent of the students are graduating.

“We have a great graduation rate,” she said. “I’m not going to be satisfied, my staff won’t be satisfied, until we have 100 percent graduation rate.

“We have great access to college scholarships. We have teachers who are being recognized nationally for outstanding work in the classroom. We have principals who are being recognized for their leadership work.

“Teachers hold our most important job in society today. Teachers have a tremendous impact on our lives and it is a position we need to think more deeply around on how we are allowing our teachers to develop their skill sets to be able to prepare students for this type of work environment. The work around supporting, growing and providing a very respectful environment for our teachers is critical for us to lead.”

In June, GPS rolled out a technology institute for teachers—educators showing their co-workers how to use technology in the classroom. The institute maximizes the districts capacity as an employer of more than 4,000 staff members.

Kishimoto said Gilbert Public Schools’ teachers, students, parents and principals need to collaborate to make sure children are prepared for the future.

“One of the areas GPS is focusing on this year is to create a Parent University to think about how to train parents on policy, budget, in being involved in the larger policy discussion so they are not only involved locally, but at a state level,” she said.

“Parent University can also help parents who have not had the experience with technology and help them to understand the way technology is used in the workplace and why and how GPS is using it in the classroom. Our goal should be that in the next 10 years, Gilbert Public Schools becomes a top 10 school district in the nation.”

Blandford Homes is creating hometown charm, for real! Mulberry will feel like an enchanted land magically reminiscent of the early 1900s when homes sprung up to create quaint neighborhoods Blandford Homes presents an inspired line of home designs with significant character differences Imagine corner lots featuring homes with wraparound porches! This “New Old-Home Neighborhood” will be one-of-a-kind in Arizona

Mulberry will feature two beautiful main entrances with lush date palm and tree-lined boulevards leading to centrally located Mulberry Park, no more than a 5-minute walk from anyplace in the neighborhood You will enjoy the park’s impressive Georgian Colonial-style building complete with white trim and green shutters, along with the pool, sport courts, fitness, and playgrounds Just imagine the events, concerts, and celebrations you’ll attend within the huge pavillions and green playing fields of Mulberry Park In fact, these community amenities will be in place before the first homeowner moves in Mulberry is part of the top-rated Gilbert School District, and within a mile you’ll find major shopping, dining, a carwash and an even an IMAX theater A shopping area, “Mulberry Marketplace,” will include a Fry’s Marketplace designed in a Craftsman Bungalow style to tie into Mulberry’s architectural theme Mulberry residents won’t even have to leave the community to shop!

hardware was not specified but it was noted that one year of video storage, licensing, and software alone cost $187,200.

ASU criminology professor Michael White admitted that the cameras represent a large expense for police departments nationwide. White worked as a deputy sheriff in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, for about two and a half years. Since then White spoke to a taskforce assembled by President Barack Obama.

“Body cameras are expensive and

represent an enormous investment in resources and manpower,” White said.

White also acknowledged the benefits of the cameras. “Body cameras have many expected benefits including a demonstration of commitment to transparency and accountability, and likely reductions in complaints against officers,” White said. “They may also reduce use of force by police, and can also be used to improve training”

Councilman Jared Taylor said he believed there will be multiple benefits in using the body cameras.

“This application will better protect the rights of both the police and

those involved in the various calls for response,” Taylor said. “For me that’s what government is all about: protecting rights. Cameras will also enable our investigators to have better information, and cameras have also shown to change police behavior while on calls.”

White believes that this change was a long time coming, as many other police departments have been deploying body cameras before scandals involving police officers across the country even broke out.

“Many police departments had adopted body-worn cameras long-before the current crisis in policing,” White said. “Data show that in 2013, about one-third of all police departments had deployed body cameras. In a few years all police departments will have them in my opinion. Some are being proactive in response to the crisis, others are adopting because they see the value of the technology.”

Police officials have seemed to embrace technology, including John Thompson, a commander at ASU Police Department. Thompson, who is also a professor of criminology at ASU, said the university will deploy body cameras to their officers over the next three weeks as well.

“The reasons we decided to go this direction is consistent with the

reasons that most agencies are citing these days for why they are using body cameras; increased accountability and transparency, along with better evidence collecting. As I can’t speak for Gilbert, I would guess they too would probably cite many of these same reasons for implementation.”

Gilbert police officials seem confident that the body cameras will only benefit that department. The department believes the benefits are to improve investigations, enhance employee safety and provide transparency to the public, according to a department press release.

Learn to empower others to be a health care advocate in a crisis

Gilbert estate planning attorney

Becky Cholewka will host the seminar “Empowering Others to Be Your Health Care Advocate in a Crisis” from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 19, at Red Mountain Active Adult Center in East Mesa.

Cholewka will tell attendees which health care documents are specific to Arizona. She is also planning to discuss how to choose a power of attorney.

Seating is limited and there is a suggested donation of $3.50 for class and lunch, or $6 for those younger than

60. Registration is required by calling (480) 218-2221.

The Red Mountain Active Adult Center is located within the Red Mountain Multigenerational Center, 7550 E. Adobe St., Mesa.

Established in 2010, Cholewka Law represents clients in all areas of estate planning, including wills, trusts, powers of attorney, probate, trust administration, asset protection and bankruptcy. The attorney is an 11-year Gilbert resident who has an office in the historic district of downtown.

Local groups respond to recent heat-related child deaths

BY GABRIEL CUSHING

On Sept. 8, 4-month-old Alex Rodriguez Jr. died after he was left in a hot car for more than 40 minutes on a Texas summer day. He, like 22 other children so far this year, became a statistic in a string of heat-related car deaths.

Gilbert Fire Department personnel, along with the former owner of www. babysafetystickers.com, find these statistics alarming. With the number of deaths averaging 38 a year, there is concern that the number of victims will rise in the upcoming months. Even with the temperature in the 80s, it is still dangerous.

The organizations in Gilbert are sharing vital information to remind adults to remove children from parked vehicles during the fall.

The first heat-related car death this year was in Phoenix. While the number of deaths is expected to increase before the end of the year, some parents said they believe it would be impossible to forget their children in their vehicles.

“I can imagine there are things on your mind, but how do you forget your child?” said Lillian Arnold, a Gilbert parent. “I think it’s part of the times. People are

maybe just so overwhelmed.”

Bill Shields, who once owned www. babysafetystickers.com, an organization formed to educate the public about how to avoid leaving children in hot vehicles, discussed why parents can sometimes leave their children in a car by accident.

“Most people say, ‘I would never do that,’” Shields said.

“That’s why so many kids die in cars. It’s because of that mentality. There are cases where it is neglect but, for the most part, it’s just parents that get distracted.”

Shields said rear-facing car seats contribute to the problem.

“In the early ‘90s, with the invention of the front-passenger air bag, car seats went from the front-passenger seat to the rear seat,” Shields said.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recommended that

the seat be turned around, but that recommendation also meant that the vehicle’s driver doesn’t see the baby at all when looking in the mirror, Shields said. “In 1990 to 1992, the total child heatstroke deaths were six. In 2010 they were 49, in 2013 they were 44,” Shields said.

If the parent became distracted, began to argue with a spouse or was in a hurry, they wouldn’t be able to see and inadvertently may forget their child.

Shields said the cooler fall temperatures can also be dangerous.

“Heatstroke can occur in temperatures of 57 degrees or less,” he said.

Shields communicated with KidsandCars.org, a nonprofit organization dedicated to child safety, while operating babysafetystickers.org. Both organizations suggested that parents bring Teddy bears into a vehicle and place them on their

laps to remind them that their children are with them.

Shields was forced to give up babysafetystickers.org, however, after it became too expensive to manage. A lack of business was the cause.

“I spent money on advertising, I spent money on Facebook. I wasn’t getting responses so I shut it down. It never caught on,” he said.

Children are also at risk when parents accidentally get locked out of their vehicle, as was in the case in Gilbert recently, according to firefighter Donna Ziegler of Gilbert Fire Department Station No.1.

“Most people just lock themselves out of their car,” said Ziegler of an incident in Gilbert.

“A lady started her car in the garage. Once she auto-started the car, she couldn’t get back in.” Ziegler found a replacement key and opened the door before fellow firefighters needed to break the vehicle’s windows.

Ziegler said this situation can happen to anyone.

“It’s just how prepared are you to overcome that kind of thing,” she said.

Thanks to the Arizona Charitable Tax Credit Law, A.R.S. 43-1088, you may be able to designate a donation to Chandler/Gilbert Arc and receive a tax credit. [The charitable tax credit is in addition to the education tax credits… you can take advantage of both tax credits in the same year.] Chandler/Gilbert Arc has been serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the East Valley since 1975, and provides community living, employ-ment and day treatment and training opportunities daily.

For tax year 2015, contributions up to $400 may earn dollar-for-dollar tax credit on your Arizona Income Tax return. Taxpayers filing as single or unmarried head of household have a maximum credit amount of $200; married taxpayers filling jointly have a $400 maximum credit.

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GOHS awards grant to Gilbert Police Department

The Governor’s Office of Highway Safety awarded a grant to the Gilbert Police Department for the purchase of a new GPS Diagramming System. This technology is used for measuring collision scenes to assist with accurate collision reconstruction efforts for serious injury and/or fatal traffic crashes.

This new equipment is much more technologically advanced than the equipment the department used

previously, which was over 15 years old. This new equipment will allow for more accurate and timely collision investigation and will translate into less road closure time when serious or fatal collisions do occur. Overall the new system will increase the capacity for the Gilbert Police Department to investigate collisions quickly and efficiently. The total grant award is $30,915.77.

Supervisors endorse ‘100K Opportunities’ initiative

One in five young people in the Phoenix Metropolitan area are neither in school nor working. And to respond to this issue, the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors joined a wide coalition to improve career opportunities for youth.

The “100K Opportunities” initiative will mobilize public, private and nonprofit organizations to improve prospects for “disconnected youth” between 16 and 24 who are neither in school nor have a job. The effort sponsored an all-day Opportunity Job Fair & Forum on Friday, Oct. 30. More than 20 local and national companies interviewed applicants for jobs and careers.

school and out-of-a job youth from 18.8 percent to 11 percent.

“We can talk about how troubling the high school dropout problem is, or we can do something about it,” explained Board Chairman Steve Chucri said. “Part of our strategic plan is to help increase the high school graduation rate, the labor force participation rate and raise per capita income in the county. This collaboration looks very promising.”

The five-member Board of Supervisors formally adopted a proclamation joining the initiative, aimed at decreasing the number of disconnected youth, estimated at 90,000 countywide, one of the highest in the nation. Specifically, the initiative aims at reducing the percentage of out-of-

Kathy Johnson, of the county Workforce Development Office, said her staffers have been “doing some serious outreach” in recent weeks to alert young people to the job fair. They should register beforehand if they want to interview for jobs. “They have to know it’s about them, that we are honestly connecting and listening to them,” Johnson said. Career guidance specialists were at the fair to assist in finding resources, help youth with their resumes and assist them in assessing their job skills, educational and training needs.

Donate blood at various sites throughout Gilbert

It takes 500 donors of all blood types to maintain Arizona’s blood supply for just one day. Fall blood donors help kids like Madison, who is alive today because of more than 148 blood donors. The Arizona 8-year-old, whose last name was not given, was born with Diamond Blackfan Anemia, a rare disease that prevents her body from producing red blood cells. She relies on the kindness of strangers to provide lifesaving blood transfusions about every three weeks at Phoenix Children’s Hospital.

“Blood donors deserve medals for their lifesaving actions,” said her mom, Aimee. “I am so thankful for people who donate regularly because they understand the need for transfusions is constant.”

To make an appointment to Find the Hero in You, call (877) UBS-HERO (1-877-827-4376) or visit www.BloodHero.com (enter your city or ZIP code).

All blood types are needed, however, Type O-negative is always in greatest demand.

Gilbert residents can donate:

2 p.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 18, at Spectrum Community, 2846 S. Spectrum Way, Bloodmobile

10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 22, at SanTan Village, 2218 E Williams Field Rd., Bloodmobile

7 a.m. to 11 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 25, at Trilogy, 4369 E. Village Pkwy., Ballroom

7:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 29, at St. Anne Knights of Columbus, 440 E. Elliot Rd., Church Hall.

Town to host Veterans Day ceremony

Residents and leaders are honoring veterans with their annual Veterans Day Ceremony at Gilbert Town Hall on Thursday, Nov. 5.

The ceremony will feature a presentation of colors, patriotic music by the Williams Field High School band, resources for veterans and a free catered lunch.

Music will begin at 11 a.m. and the ceremony will start at 11:30 a.m., followed by lunch. The keynote speaker is Capt. Philip Roos.

The event is free and open to the public. Parking will be available at the Civic Center campus—50 E. Civic Center Dr.

The Town of Gilbert Parks and Recreation Department and the Merrill-Mitchell American Legion Post 39 host this annual tradition. For more details about the event and its sponsors, visit www.gilbertaz.gov/ veteransday.

Fall festival

Gilbert residents enjoyed a full weekend of fun and thrill-seeking rides at Crossroads Park. Patrons enjoyed rides such as the Ferris wheel, tilt-a-whirl and more. There were also plenty of challenging carnival games to win prizes. Of course, what would a festival be without food? GSN photos by Kimberly Carrillo