East Valley Tribune: Southeast Edition - Sept. 18, 2016

Mofford helped save baseball in East Valley

Former governor died Sept. 15 in Phoenix

BY GARY NELSON TRIBUNE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

RState of the arts East Valley venues emulate Gammage in competitive entertainment market

BY LEE SHAPPELL TRIBUNE MANAGING EDITOR

As the curtain rises on another East Valley performing-arts season, ASU Gammage is reprising its role as the 800-Pound Gorilla.

e cast of supporting players also is essentially unchanged for 2016-17, which in itself is worth a hearty “Bravo” in a performing-arts community that is crowded and competitive, where not all companies survive.

of the Chandler Center for the Arts. “I wouldn’t say it’s difficult—we had our most successful season last year in attendance and gross sales—but what is difficult is securing artists, especially when you’re next door to so many other presenting organizations. It’s challenging when you’re curating a season.”

Not all in the industry in the Valley have fared as well. e Arizona eatre Company came within days of losing its season before last-ditch fundraising saved it in July. Ballet Arizona announced that it would part ways with the Phoenix Symphony for its “Nutcracker” this year, a cost-saving move that will bring in canned music. Broadway

Rose Mofford

joked, “I used to go steady with Abner Doubleday.”

ose Mofford, former governor, beehived baseball fan and Cactus League savior, died Sept. 15 in Phoenix at age 94. She ascended to the governorship in 1988 as the state reeled from the ordeal of Evan Mecham’s impeachment and removal from office. Her tenure lasted less than three years, during which she is widely credited with an amiable, steady governance that soothed much of the angst that had roiled Arizona during Mecham’s tempestuous term.

Back about 1940, Mofford was Rose Perica, a young high school valedictorian and softball star. She made her way from the mining town of Globe, through Mesa and Tempe and into Phoenix, where she had landed a job in state government. e route most likely would have taken her along old U.S. 60, which is now known as Main Street and Apache Boulevard. She would have passed the neon-lit hotels that wooed road-weary travelers in the early automotive age—among them Buckhorn

Lennan, general manager

“Since we opened (27 years ago), we’ve added 11,000 seats in our region, so it’s an incredible market, among the top five most-competitive in the country,” said Michelle Mac

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Palm Dinner Theatre in Mesa closed last year.

But successful East Valley theaters from Mesa to Chandler to Gilbert, all presenting venues with different funding models, have one common thread that they borrowed from Gammage: Public outreach.

Colleen Jennings-Roggensack, executive director of iconic Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Gammage, has built a machine that lands big-name traveling Broadway acts that are well received. Gammage had an estimated $100 million economic impact on the Valley last season and $1 billion in her 24 years, according to industry analyst the Broadway League.

Directors of other performing-arts venues in the region have taken notice of Jennings-Roggensack’s outreach efforts that have yielded 400,000 patrons and nearly 15,000 subscriptions.

“We spend a lot of time in the communities in addition to the work that happens on the stage,” said JenningsRoggensack, who lives in Ahwatukee.

“It’s no secret that our Broadway season is one of the top seasons in the country, and we have amazing patrons and fans.”

Street to Mill Avenue.”

While Gammage is in a league of its own, the Mesa Arts Center not only has performing arts but also visual arts, a museum and classes that combine to bring nearly a half-million people to downtown Mesa each year.

As the largest multi-disciplinary organization in the Southwest, according to Executive Director Cindy Ornstein, MAC is different from other municipal venues in the East Valley.

“ It's no secret that our Broadway season is one of the stop seasons in the country, and we have amazing patrons and fans. ” —Colleen Jennings-Roggensack

The Broadway League, whose membership includes 700 theater owners and operators, producers, presenters and general managers across the country, calculated the economic impact of Gammage, which staged “Cabaret” in its season debut last week.

“Whereas a place that is purely a performingarts center has to focus on only the revenue from performing arts, we have revenue from space rentals and classes, as well as miscellaneous revenue from vendors and festivals,” said Ornstein, in her sixth year in Mesa. “So we actually feel pretty good about where we are financially.

structure, amortized over many, many performances as they travel around the country.”

Billy Russo, managing director of Arizona Theatre Company, knows all about costs that producing companies incur. The curtain will rise on ATC’s 50th anniversary season only because a $2 million fundraising effort in July was successful.

“That $2 million is not everything we need for this season, it’s not like we’re free and clear,” Russo said. “We still have to raise another $1.5 million, but that’s what we raise normally in a year.

“There was a model for a really long time where the big base of regional theater support came from the corporate world. It used to be that it was 50 percent contributed income, 50 percent earned income. That balance has switched. This company is trying to find that right balance.”

©

“They look at not only ticket sales but impact of a show in the community, and that is everything from: I got my dress out of the cleaners, I put gas in the car, I paid for my parking downtown and my stop to eat in one of the many fabulous restaurants, I bought a souvenir program, I had cookies during intermission, I paid my babysitter for the evening, I went ahead and got my nails done, I’m having a toast to Broadway inside Gammage,” Jennings-Roggensack said. “We have a saying that the longest road in America is Broadway, and it stretches from 42nd

“That allows us to do educational and engagement programs in the schools and the community. We do a lot of things that create community ownership.”

It is far costlier and more challenging to be a producing organization than a presenter like MAC, Ornstein said.

“So when I look at local theater companies, like Arizona Theatre Company, Arizona Opera or Ballet Arizona, they have a substantial portion of their expenses going into the production costs of putting on a show, which can be quite high,” she said.

“When you hire touring artists, like we do, they’ve taken on that cost themselves and put it into their fee

In Chandler, the Center for the Arts, on the campus of Chandler High School, is operated by the city in partnership with Chandler Unified School District. The district funds upkeep and operation of the building, and the city funds staffing. Mondays through Thursdays, it is used by the school for classes in the performing arts. A nonprofit foundation supports the programming and fundraising.

“It’s an unusual governance structure,” Mac Lennan said. “It’s the only one that we’ve found in the U.S. with that model.”

The model at Higley Center for the Performing Arts, on the campus of Higley High School in Gilbert, is more austere. The district maintains the building

Tiny charity caught in blizzard of ADA lawsuits

BY JIM WALSH TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

In the back of his mind, Jim Cook knew from personal experience that he needed to install a handicapped parking space at Help Services, his small east Mesa charity, to comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act.

“I should have realized we didn’t have a parking space. None of us thought about it,’’ Cook said. “It was just an oversight.’’ Cook said he would have appreciated a courteous letter, a simple heads-up to remind him the parking space was required at his tiny, non-profit social service agency. Instead, Advocates for Individuals with Disabilities (AID) filed an ADA lawsuit against his charity.

The landmark ADA law, passed in 1990 and signed by President George H.W. Bush, is not exactly something new, but it suddenly became controversial this year. AID has filed more than 1,300 serial lawsuits against businesses, predominantly in Mesa, accusing them of violating ADA requirements.

The foundation has said it filed the suits after the Attorney General’s Office failed in its duty to enforce the ADA, creating an air of complacency in which most Arizona businesses violate the law.

The Attorney General’s Office’s policy is to mediate complaints received about ADA violations, seeking voluntary compliance as an alternative to prosecution.

The law requires parking spaces, ramps and other accommodations that would make it possible for disabled people to enter buildings open to the public, including restaurants, motels, apartment complexes and municipal buildings.

The suits have cited lack of parking facilities, lack of van parking spaces, and either a lack of signage or signs that are not tall enough.

“Plaintiff brings this civil rights action against the Defendant for failing to design, construct, and/or operate facilities that are fully accessible to, and independently usable by, disabled individuals,’’ according to the suit against Help Services filed on May 10 by attorney Peter Strojnik.

The plaintiffs are identified as Advocates for Individuals with Disabilities and David Ritzenthaler of Scottsdale, whom the suit says is “legally disabled.’’

“Specifically, Defendant’s Public Accommodation has barriers of access to disabled individuals by virtue of

inadequacy of handicapped parking spacing, insufficient designation or signage and or insufficient disbursement of such parking spaces, notwithstanding that such modifications are readily achievable,’’ the suit says.

Cook, 82, said his agency was an easy target. He regrets not getting a handicapped space installed sooner but said the foundation’s tactics make him angry.

Cook worked for much of his life as an administrator of medical facilities in Syracuse, New York. He was in charge of construction management at one point, building satellite medical facilities that needed to comply with ADA requirements.

Now, an ADA lawsuit has cost his volunteer agency, which loans medical equipment such as wheelchairs, walkers and hospital beds to senior citizens, about $1,500 in legal fees with no end in sight.

The legal fees are a burden on a small agency with an annual budget of $20,000 to $25,000, Cook said.

Founded in 1973, the volunteer agency represents a longstanding tradition of neighbors helping neighbors.

“I would have rather spent $200 and accomplished it, rather than spend $1,500,’’ Cook said.

“You give people a chance. You don’t come down with a hammer and hit

them in the head,’’ he said. “If they had been polite, I bet they would have had a high compliance rate.’’

He said AID also demanded a piece of medical equipment for use by one of its members. Help Services offered exercise equipment used by paraplegics, but there has not been a settlement.

“That’s when I got the idea that they were fattening their pockets,’’ Cook said.

It’s not as if Cook is opposed to the ADA, but he said there have always been more parking spaces than needed at Help Services, and there are no obstructions to entering the building.

Help Services works entirely with volunteer help and is limited to helping residents of Dreamland Villa and Velda Rose Estates, which have about 6,000 residents combined. Cook said residents are mainly from blue collar backgrounds and are used to being left alone.

The self-contained nature of the community, built between 1958 and 1972, may have led to some complacency, he said.

Cook has plans to reseal his small parking lot at his inconspicuous building near Higley Road and University Drive and to install an ADA-approved parking space.

Cook praised the Attorney General’s Office for intervening in an ADA case. A judge has approved the office as a limited defendant in one case. A motion to consolidate more than 1,200 cases is pending.

While the legal process grinds forward, Cook is planning on filing a complaint against AID with the Attorney General’s Office.

“I’m pissed that this entire thing occurred. It didn’t need to occur,’’ Cook said. “This whole thing could have been handled in a gentlemanly fashion.’’

“It was just a natural thing that occurred,’’ Cook said, about the handicapped parking space oversight. “It wasn’t anyone having purposeful intent to avoid the ADA.’’

ARTS

from page 3

but does not contribute to operating budget. Despite that, manager Robert Zucker, the theater’s only full-time employee, has put together lineups that operate in the black.

“We don’t have a foundation, although we’re in the process of creating one because it makes sense, but we do have a couple of generous local sponsors,” Zucker said. “We make our money on rentals. The community and national groups use our facility for meetings, dance competitions, graduations for other schools that don’t have a facility.”

Zucker must be judicious in his booking selections.

“In Higley, country music sells, legacy rock and roll sells,” he said. “Original groups or tribute shows are sold to adult communities and snowbirds.”

Woody Wilson, president and executive producer of Lakeshore Music, is a licensed partner at Tempe Center for the Arts, which is attempting to reinvent itself but is limited by smallish rooms. The largest is 600 seats. Wilson presents jazz shows in the building, competing with the Musical Instrument Museum.

“We have all these centers, and there’s one in every town now,” Wilson said. “Tempe Center for the Arts was built for homegrown arts programs, but the theater companies that were here are gone.

“It takes time to build a program. But we’re able to pay people and able bring the best jazz artists in the world here, and people are starting to figure it out.”

Contrast that with nearby ASU Gammage, where Jennings-Roggensack has international connections. She has shows calling her to get on the schedule.

“One of the things ASU Gammage prides itself on is its relationship with producers and creators in New York,” she said. “Then we have a community that wants to be engaged culturally.”

To enhance the patron experience, a new sound system was installed at Gammage in the spring. An “Elevate and Alleviate” remodeling is under way that will add 110 women’s restrooms and two elevators to take patrons who are accessibility challenged to all five levels. Those are to be finished in March. A closed-captioning system is being tested. Next spring, new carpeting is planned.

And anybody who wants a ticket to record-setting “Hamilton” in 2017-18 at Gammage better have at least a partial season package this year. Those holders get first shot and likely will sell out the run, Jennings-Roggensack said.

Gammage can flex that muscle. Others in the industry across the East Valley believe that it only helps them.

“There are studies that show that interest in the arts is quite high,” Mesa’s Ornstein said. “But we in Arizona don’t have nearly as many big corporate headquarters and big national foundations as a lot of other cities our size. It is important that we all continue to increase the awareness in our business community and potential patrons in the quality and diversity of our arts offerings.”

It’s time to make sure annual hearing screenings are just as much a norm as dental check-ups and vision screenings

About 20 percent of adults in the United States — an estimated 48 million — report some degree of hearing loss. How many more haven’t reported any loss or don’t know what they can’t hear?

We’re here to provide diagnostics and hearing health treatment for all patients especially those age 55 and older.

Baths, a classic motor lodge in what was still the boonies east of Mesa.

She couldn’t know then—nobody did—that in a few years the Buckhorn’s hot mineral springs would lure aching baseball players and play a seminal role in establishing the East Valley as a mecca for spring-training baseball. Nor could she dream that, many years later, she would emerge as a savior of the Cactus League.

When she took over as Arizona’s first female governor, Mofford faced challenges. Seven state lawmakers were indicted in a nasty bribery scandal. The state still hadn’t resolved its bitter controversy over a holiday to honor Martin Luther King Jr. And, most dear to the heart of the East Valley, the Cactus League was dying.

Arizona’s spring-training industry at that time hosted only eight teams. Florida interests who wanted to expand the Grapefruit League had made a pitch to every one of the Arizona teams, and it was widely believed that if one or two left, they all would.

That hit particularly hard in Mesa, which had hosted the Chicago Cubs since 1952 and had built the first Hohokam Stadium in 1977.

Mofford, who in high school had flashed pro-caliber softball talent, made saving the Cactus League one of her priorities. She schmoozed team owners, appointed a commission to develop retention strategies and helped find money to keep the league alive.

Within a year, it became apparent the league would remain a big part of Arizona’s springtime landscape.

The East Valley now hosts three teams—the Cubs and Oakland Athletics in Mesa and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at Diablo Stadium in Tempe. The Milwaukee Brewers played spring games in Chandler until 1997. The league has grown to 15 teams.

That Arizona could hold on to the Cactus League helped convince Major League Baseball that a big-league franchise here would be viable. The Arizona Diamondbacks, as a result, have been a Valley fixture for 19 seasons.

In 2014, Mofford’s role in saving Arizona baseball won her a spot among the first inductees into the Cactus League Hall of Fame.

The setting for that announcement was fitting, because Mofford’s role as a Cactus League champion had not ended when the 1988 crisis passed.

Mesa faced a new crisis in 2009 when the Cubs made noise about moving

to Florida. Mesa appealed to the state Legislature for funding to keep the team in town, and Mofford appeared at the Capitol in 2010 to back a tax package for a new Cubs stadium.

Mofford joked at a House committee hearing about her long love affair with baseball.

“Babe Ruth taught me how to hit a curve ball. Ty Cobb showed me how to slide into second base. And,” she said, “I used to go steady with Abner Doubleday.”

Mofford’s pleas notwithstanding, the Cubs funding package died that spring in the Legislature. Mesa found other

money and Cubs Park, now called Sloan Park, opened to record crowds in 2014. Mofford also played a role in the Martin Luther King holiday controversy, which bled into the world of sports when the NFL made approval of the observance a condition before Arizona could be awarded a Super Bowl. Mofford signed a bill approving the holiday in early 1990, but squabbling over the issue continued another two years.

Only after voters approved the holiday in 1992 did the NFL agree to stage the 1996 Super Bowl at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe.

Archeological research along freeway path uncovered artifacts, ADOT says

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS STAFF

Tiny bits of history were found along the 22-mile path of the planned South Mountain Freeway, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

The field investigations along three of the cultural resource sites near Pecos Road were completed this year. The findings have been documented, including a number of historic petroglyphs, and artifacts collected are being analyzed in a lab in Tucson, ADOT said.

“These sites did not yield a lot of artifacts, but archaeologists did identify historic shards, pottery pieces, food cans, shotgun shells and lumber fragments,” ADOT said in a release.

Although the analysis of the artifacts has not been completed yet, the artifacts most likely date from the late 1800s to the mid-1900s, the department said.

ADOT will hold a public tour toward the end of this year or early next year to visit some of the 16 cultural resource sites along the 22-mile-long freeway

(Special to the Tribune)

an effort to determine their significance.

corridor when all of the investigations are completed.

At one point along the freeway footprint, archaeologists were systematically digging five-foot-deep trenches looking for signs of ancient civilizations or farms. At other sites, archaeologists have found pottery pieces and 19th-century shotgun shells, among other items, and also documented historic petroglyphs.

ADOT said 16 sites were identified as potentially having cultural or historic significance during the 13-year study phase of the South Mountain Freeway. As a result of these extensive studies, “ADOT published an environmental impact statement allowing decisionmakers to better understand the potential positive and negative impacts of the project on the environment the department release said.

“Whether they contain evidence of those who inhabited this area in prehistoric times, artifacts from farms important to the area’s heritage or even an abandoned railroad, these sites must be managed according to federal and state historic preservation laws before freeway construction,” ADOT said.

The impact on cultural and historical remains was briefly discussed during the May hearing on the Gila River Indian Community’s federal suit to stop the freeway.

U.S. Attorney Tyler Burgess, representing the Federal Highway Administration, told U.S. District Judge Diane Humetewa that neither the GRIC nor the Ahwatukee-based Protect Arizona’s Resources and Children had cited the National Historic Preservation Act in their arguments against the freeway.

Burgess said highway planners “recognize the importance and sensitivity of these issues and they have spent a lot of resources trying to make sure that they have coordinated and consulted with the community every step of the way.”

THE WEEK AHEAD

Hot rodders host car show to benefit veterans

The Covenant Hot Rod Association is hosting its fi rst Desert Harvest Car Show in October.

Street rods, custom cars, muscle cars, motorcycles and trucks will be on display. Enthusiasts can enter their vehicles now until the day of the show for $20. Entries will be $25 on the day of the show.

The event will be 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 22 next to Valor Christian Center, 3015 E. Warner Road, Gilbert. Proceeds will go to Soldier’s Best Friend, a

For more information, contact Don Webb at 480-205-7925 or email chra2001@msn.com.

– RALPH ZUBIATE, TRIBUNE EDITOR

Workshop gives tips for dementia caregivers

A free workshop will provide new strategies to care for those with dementia.

The workshop, part of ComForCare’s DementiaWise program, will be Sept. 27 from 8 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. at Fellowship Square, 6945 E. Main Street in Mesa. Topics include preventing diffi cult behavior, different types of dementia and their care needs, and drugs that can make dementia worse.

Registered nurses and social workers attending can earn three continuing education units.

To register, go to dementiawise.com or call 602-438-1300.

– TRIBUNE STAFF REPORT

Mesa announces return of family movie series

Disney’s “Tangled Ever After” will begin Mesa’s outdoor family fi lm series, Ride-In-Movies at the Park. Movies will be shown at different parks around Mesa, and residents are encouraged to ride their bikes there. The fi rst movie will be at Monterey Park at 7 p.m. Saturday.

Other movies in the series include “Minions,” “The Secret Life of Pets” and “Elf.”

Go to mesaaz.gov/things-to-do/ calendar-of-events for the full list of movies and locations.

– TRIBUNE STAFF REPORT

Free vaccinations offered to qualifying children in Tempe

Vaccines for Children is offering free immunizations for qualifying children at the Escalante Multigenerational Center in Tempe on the third Wednesday of each month. To be eligible for the vaccinations, a child must either be insured by Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS), uninsured, American Indian or Alaska Native.

The dates are Sept. 21, Oct. 19 and Nov. 16. The clinic is open from 4-6 p.m. Parents must accompany minors to the clinic and encouraged to bring immunization records. Walk-ins are welcome.

– MATT TOMIS, TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

Mexican baseball teams to train in Mesa

The Liga Mexicana del Pacifi co, a Mexican baseball league, will send two of its best teams to the Valley for its version of Spring Training next week. Los Naranjeros de Hermosillo and Tomateros de Culiacan will play two exhibition games at Hohokam Stadium in Mesa. The games will take place Friday at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday at 7 p.m.

– MATT TOMIS, TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

A celebration of garlic is making its way back in Queen Creek. The Third Annual Garlic Festival is set to take place at the Queen Creek Olive Mill. Featuring freshly farmed garlic and garlic-made products, such as gelato, will be served. The event is free to the public and open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday, and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.

– MATT TOMIS, TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

Roadside memorials hold their ground, are allowed to remain

BY JIM WALSH TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

Hundreds if not thousands of people drive past a touching roadside memorial to “Kathy” near Baseline and Kyrene roads in Tempe, and probably very few even notice it.

Kathy Price’s memorial doesn’t appear to bother anyone. With artificial flowers and a small “slow” sign decorating a wire fence, the memorial resembles a bush from the blur created by someone driving by at 40 mph.

But upon closer inspection, it is clear that a grieving man named Robert loved Price very much, even though a plaque written on a flat rock does not list either of their last names or how Kathy died. It does say she died on May 24, 2014.

“God Bless, in Loving Memory. I will forever miss you. And never forget,” Robert wrote on the rock, which sits at the base of metal cross. A stuffed animal, a little dust-covered bear, hangs from the cross.

sister, who was killed by a drunk driver in 2000.

Rios said he was appalled when he started getting calls from people from all over the state after ADOT crews swept away crosses that honored the memory of their loved ones in Pinal County, sometimes for decades.

But he praised ADOT for working with him on the new policy, which attempts to protect grieving families while maintaining public safety.

Rios said the memorials are important to remember loved ones and also remind drivers to slow down, stop texting and observe traffic rules.

“We would always say a silent prayer,” Rios said when he passed his sister’s memorial.

“It would remind me of things we did as kids. It was a pleasant thing as well to remember your loved ones in a different light.”

But ADOT’s view of memorials has changed since meeting with Rios.

ADOT also is asking those who have put up the memorials to notify the district engineer. That way, ADOT workers can save a memorial for family members if they determine it has to be moved because of safety or maintenance issues.

It would appear ADOT’s new policy would have little impact on developed state highways in the East Valley, but officials all say they are trying to strike the same delicate balance between respecting a grieving family’s wishes and public safety.

normally would not be moved unless it blocks a sidewalk or blocks the view of a street sign.

Amanda Nelson, a spokeswoman for Tempe’s Transportation Department, said Tempe’s policy gives the city the right to remove a memorial after 90 days. She said that doesn’t happen unless there is a safety issue.

In the rare instance when a memorial needs to be removed, Tempe will preserve the memorial and attempt to return it to a traffic accident victim’s family.

Det. Lily Duran, a Tempe police spokeswoman, said that Kathy Price, 54, died after she was stuck by a car while crossing Baseline.

Memorials like Price’s are a frequent reaction by family and friends after deaths caused by traffic accidents or slayings. They recently gained more attention because of a flap in Pinal County.

The Arizona Department of Transportation recently announced a more sensitive policy after angering family members by removing memorials along State Road 177 and U.S. 60.

Pete Rios, a Pinal County supervisor and a longtime legislator, lodged complaints with Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey’s office after the memorials disappeared. One of them honored the memory of Carmen Rios, Pete Rios’

The agency now wants to strike a delicate balance between honoring accident victims and maintaining the safety of state roads. Details of the new policy are listed at azdot.gov/memorials.

“Our policy once was to remove everything” from ADOT right-of-way along state roads, said Steve Elliott, an ADOT spokesman.

Under the new approach, “we want to honor the families’ need to express their grief,” he said. “We want to have a conversation.”

But the new policy has several restrictions. It requires grieving family members to obtain permission from a district engineer before placing a memorial and also puts limits on the size, design and location. Some of those rules would prevent family members from going too far by mounting memorials with a concrete base, creating a hazard.

Noting that it is often difficult to identify the person being honored,

Elliott said it is highly unlikely that memorials would be allowed along freeways, for fear of creating a distraction for drivers or a reason for drivers to stop, posing another hazard.

Other state highways, such as Arizona 87 through Mesa and Chandler, fall under the jurisdiction of cities. One notable exception might be Pecos Road, which now falls under state jurisdiction.

But eventually, Pecos Road is scheduled to become the South Mountain Freeway, if it surmounts legal hurdles. At least two lonely memorials sit along Pecos in Ahwatukee.

The Ahwatukee memorials include a broken white cross with a broken picture frame near 17th Avenue and Pecos. Artificial flowers attached to a chain-link fence near the 40th Street Park and Ride station appear to be remnants of another memorial.

The ADOT policy, however, is still more restrictive than any of the cities in the East Valley and more restrictive than Phoenix, as well.

“We are very sensitive to this issue,” said Monica Hernandez, a spokeswoman for the Phoenix Department of Transportation, adding that a memorial

“It hasn’t been a problem,” Nelson said. “It respects the families and ensures safety.”

Amy McConnell, a Mesa transportation spokeswoman, said Mesa has a policy that does not allow permanent memorials in city rights-ofway. She said temporary memorials are allowed for two weeks “out of respect for family and friends.”

Mesa allows an 18-inch white cross decorated with flowers, according to the policy.

But in practice, a memorial could remain indefinitely if there are no complaints and it causes no problems, McConnell said.

“We have the policy in place, but we don’t go out actively searching,” she said. Chandler, Gilbert and Phoenix have no formal policy on roadside memorials, removing them only if they create problems. Those cities also will move memorials a slight distance if they block a sign or a sidewalk.

“We do everything we can to respect this as part of the grieving process,” said Matt Burdick, a Chandler spokesman.

“If it’s not causing a safety problem, we leave it alone.”

THE WEEK IN REVIEW

Couple sentenced to 60 days in animal cruelty case

A couple convicted in the heat-exhaustion deaths of 23 dogs at a Gilbert kennel were sentenced to 60-day jail terms

Kennel owners Maleisa Maurine Hughes and Jesse Todd Hughes apologized before the punishment was handed down.

Jesse Hughes was ordered to start his jail term immediately. His wife will begin her sentence in January. The two also were sentenced to six years of supervised probation and 230 hours of community service.

The dogs died in June 2014 in a 9-by-12-foot room at the Gilbert kennel while the couple was in Florida.

– RALPH ZUBIATE, TRIBUNE EDITOR

Spring hunting permits now being accepted

Applications for spring hunting permits are being accepted by the Arizona Game and Fish Department.

Permits are being offered for turkey, javelina, bison and bear and will be awarded by a draw process.

Hunters can apply online at azgfd.gov/draw or can send an application to Arizona Game and Fish Department, Attn.: Drawing Section, P.O. Box 74020, Phoenix, AZ 85087-1052. Paper applications can also be dropped off at any department offi ce statewide.

– TRIBUNE STAFF REPORT

Website gives interactive tour of Tempe

Tempe has developed a web application for people to interact with the history of the city and the downtown of today.

“The Downtown Tempe – Walk Through History StoryMap” includes a walking tour of downtown Tempe, an interactive map, past and present photos of buildings and links to the Tempe Historic Property Register.

The map is available on Tempe’s website, at tiny.cc/tempemap, as are more traditional maps.

– MATT TONIS, TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

When people think of Tempe, they think of …

A survey of attitudes and ideas found out what comes to mind when people think of Tempe: Arizona State University.

The survey by North Star Branding Solutions of Nashville was conducted to help the city update branding and marketing.

While ASU was foremost in peoples’ minds, Tempe Town Lake, Mill Avenue and the city’s progressive attitudes also ranked highly.

North Star Branding was awarded a $100,000 contract early this year to conduct research and make recommendations to the city.

– RALPH ZUBIATE, TRIBUNE EDITOR

Six East Valley restaurants fail inspection

In a recent wave of restaurant inspections, 14 Valley restaurants failed, including six in the East Valley.

In Mesa, those restaurants were Franagan’s Cafe at 7145 E. Main St. and #1 Eastern Super Buffet at 1901 S. Signal Butte Road.

In Chandler, Tao Garden at 2050 N. Alma School Road, Abuelo’s Mexican Embassy at 3440 W. Chandler Blvd. and the Hyatt Place Hotel at 3535 W. Chandler Blvd. all failed. In Gilbert, Denny’s at 3971 S. Gilbert Road failed.

– MATT TONIS, TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

Adoptable dogs cost $20 at Maricopa County shelter

Maricopa County Animal Care and Control has postponed euthanizations and dropped the cost of adopting a dog.

The county is charging $20 to adopt dogs at the Mesa location. The fee includes spay/neuter surgery, county licensing and rabies vaccine.

Mesa’s shelter is at 2630 W. Rio Salado Parkway. For more information, call 602-506-7387.

Chandler fundraiser today to get autistic girl special bike

BY DAVID M. BROWN TRIBUNE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

challenged, children ages 2−7 and those 7 and older. Prizes will be awarded to all participants.

Chandler city officials, police and the Chandler Lions Club have banded to hold a fundraiser today for a girl who needs a special bicycle.

Leia Fiorenza, 12, has Down syndrome, a heart condition that required surgery when she was only 8 months old, autism, nonverbal apraxia and a compromised immune system. She is unable to perform certain physical actions as well.

Chandler Police Department bicycle officers will participate, and motorcycle officers will demonstrate their skills. To end the event, a community park cleanup is scheduled, with a prize going to the person or team with the heaviest bag of collected trash.

“Leia is a 12-year-old girl who looks 8 and loves to open her eyes every morning with a smile and a hug,” said her mother, who lives in Chandler with her husband Enzo and their son.

But she loves to ride a bike, and that’s why the community is helping out.

To maintain everyday vitality, Leia needs a Buddy Bike, an inline tandem bicycle that places the smaller rider in the front seat while the rear rider controls the steering.

On most bikes, Leia is in the back in a trailer, but because she’s nonverbal, she can’t tell the person up front when she’s tired or done, so she will just hop off, which can be dangerous.

“The Buddy Bike costs $3,000 but will help Leia strengthen her core muscles and put her in front of me, so she learns what’s like and be able to feel the wind in her face,” said Leia’s mother, Michele Fiorenza. “The Buddy Bike will let us go together on family bike rides.”

To help raise the money to purchase it, the Chandler Lions, with Chandler and the Chandler Police Department, have organized the one-day “Ride So Leia Can” event, free to the public, 4−6 p.m. at Snedigar Park, 4500 S. Basha Road.

The Lions will donate 20 percent of the proceeds and 100 percent of the tips at the Chandler Lions Snack Shack, as well as all sales from raffle baskets, toward the purchase, said Chandler Lions Club member Diana Moore. She is a former Hamilton High School English teacher.

Participants will compete in one of three obstacle courses: physically

“Leia missed quite a bit of the district’s school, so home schooling has been great,” Michele Fiorenza said. “She is thriving. Yogurtland is her favorite dessert shop. She is very happy and positive and enjoys socializing.”

The family’s insurance company denied a request to fund the bike purchase three times, maintaining it does not qualify as durable medical equipment.

“Each time, they were wanting more and more information, which we provided. We had all of our paperwork, from her medical doctors to her therapists, but every denial letter would come back saying that the Buddy Bike was not a covered expense because it was recreational in nature,” she said.

The fundraising idea came shortly after Cassie Laughrey, Leia’s respite and rehabilitation provider, suggested that the Fiorenzas speak with the Lions. Her grandfather has been a member for years.

Laughrey, who is studying to be a physical therapist, had met Michele at a local Down Syndrome Network event. Moore presented the idea to the Chandler Parks and Recreation Committee to secure a city park use permit for the event. The Chandler Police Department representative on

As opponents seek construction halt, ADOT begins work on freeway

BY PAUL MARYNIAK AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS EDITOR

Both sides in the ongoing controversy over the South Mountain Freeway took major steps over the last 10 days.

Opponents asked a federal judge to stop the project pending an appeal of her ruling, and construction crews began the first of what likely will be many construction-related traffic disruptions.

Both the Gila River Indian Community and Ahwatukee-based Protect Arizona’s Resources and Children filed separate requests for an injunction with U.S. District Judge Diane Humetewa, who last month rejected their arguments that highway planners’ environmental and cultural impact studies were flawed.

Meanwhile, the Arizona Department of Transportation rolled out a schedule of traffic disruptions that will impact eastbound Loop 202 Santan Freeway traffic from Pecos Road near 48th Street to the I-10 interchange starting with Tuesday morning rush hour.

On Monday night, crews will lay concrete barriers along that stretch of the Loop 202 to create a work zone for widening the shoulders and extending the HOV lanes in that area.

One lane of eastbound Pecos Road traffic traveling to eastbound Loop 202 will be maintained during this initial construction phase and will include reduced shoulders. Westbound traffic will not be affected initially, ADOT said.

“Drivers should be prepared to slow down and merge safely in the work zone,” an ADOT advisory stated, noting the speed limit will be lowered to 45 mph.

Meanwhile, lawyers for the tribe and PARC told Humetewa that their appeal of her decision to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit “will destroy the subject matter of this litigation.”

“The appeal will raise significant legal issues concerning the (highway) agencies’ compliance with federal law that merit review before the freeway construction begins damaging the area,” the Gila Tribes’ injunction request filed by attorney David B. Rosenbaum states.

“The agencies have been waiting more than 30 years to build this freeway. They will not be harmed if they wait a bit longer so that the Ninth Circuit can resolve this appeal. In contrast, if

the freeway is built while the appeal is pending, the very damage that the appeal seeks to prevent will be done.

“The mountain ridges and other

FREEWAY on page 13

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Will cursive remain in the loop? State educators hoping to require cursive writing and reading instruction

BY ADRIANA BECERRA TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

In an age of texts and emails, cursive handwriting is becoming a dying skill.

But Arizona education officials are trying to buck that trend and join the few states in the country that require cursive to be taught.

A proposed new standard would mandate that third graders be required to: “Read and write cursive letters” and “transcribe ideas legibly in cursive and manuscript.”

The requirement is part of the state Department of Education’s and Board of Education’s 2016 Arizona draft standards and came as a response to public comments made about the 2010 English Language Arts standards.

The cursive proposal follows Gov. Doug Ducey’s veto last year of a bill requiring students to learn how to read and write cursive by the fifth grade.

In the veto, Ducey directed the board “to review, revise and replace the state’s academic standards with input by Arizona parents, teachers, principals and content experts.”

Bernadette Kadel, executive director of instructional excellence for the Tempe Elementary School District, said she doesn’t know why the state would require cursive instruction.

According to a study conducted by USA Today, cursive reading and writing is not required in 41 states. Common Core failed to include any standard for teaching cursive in curriculum.

But Kadel said teachers and parents share Ducey’s feelings about cursive.

“Many of our teachers have a passion for it,” Kadel said, explaining that in the Tempe Elementary School District, instruction begins in the third grade.

Rachel Stafford, a Gilbert teacher and member of the Arizona Education Association board, also thinks the proposed standard would be welcome.

“Many people seem thrilled that there is a concentration on this now. So many people, educators included, voice concern at the poor penmanship of society,” Stafford said, “There is a reason terms such as ‘chicken scratch’ and ‘scribble’ exist.”

Arizona might believe that cursive is still a core principle, but others have argued that, much like quill and ink, cursive is outdated.

With computers as prolific as ever, most occupations do not require cursive. Bills, documents and paperwork are written in print. If anything, signatures are the only time when most Americans use cursive, and even then, “scribbles” suffice, they say.

Stafford has seen students struggle with cursive firsthand.

“As a high school English teacher, very few students have mastered this skill, thus disallowing them the skill of reading script as well,” Stafford said.

Though Kadel agrees that cursive is “pretty archaic,” she said the district keeps it around because teachers, parents and students all seem to love it.

Kadel said that her school district attempts to keep a balance between traditional schooling, like penmanship, and more progressive skills, like keyboarding.

sacred sites vital to the community and its people will be destroyed. This harm is significant and irreparable.”

PARC attorney Howard Shanker said in his request that his client and the GRIC deserved the injunction because the appeal stood a “likelihood of success on the merits.”

Humetewa is not expected to hold a hearing before ruling on the injunction, PARC president Pat Lawlis said.

Lawyers for both PARC and the Gilas have indicated that if the judge turns down the injunction request, they would ask the 9th Circuit to halt construction until the appeal is decided.

In his request, Shanker focused much of his argument on what he called flawed studies by ADOT and the Federal Highway Administration in assessing the harm the freeway posed to children, particularly those in some 17 schools near the freeway path.

The 22-mile freeway between West Phoenix and Ahwatukee will enable I-10 motorists to bypass Downtown Phoenix. At a cost of nearly $1.8-billion, the project is the most expensive ever undertaken by ADOT.

Shanker said contaminants from traffic on the new freeway posed a greater danger to children than they would to adults and that this danger was “not accounted for or even acknowledged” by the planning agencies.

“This freeway will have a direct impact on at least 17 schools that will be in close proximity to the right-of-way,” he said. “This does not include the parks, day care providers, and children who live near the right-of-way and who attend these schools.”

Although he too cited health concerns, Rosenbaum keyed heavily on the freeway’s cultural impact.

“South Mountain is one of the community’s most significant and sacred natural resources and a cultural property that figures prominently in the community’s oral traditions,” he said.

Meanwhile, PARC has begun a campaign urging residents to turn out in force for ADOT’s hearing on the freeway, scheduled for 6 p.m. Sept. 27 at Desert Vista High School. ADOT officials also have been encouraging a big turnout.

In a post on PARC’s Facebook site, Lawlis last week said, “The public needs to overwhelm the ADOT contractors with questions about the freeway.”

BIKE

the committee spoke to Police Lt. Scott Veach.

Veach told Moore that the department would bring its bicycle unit and motorcycle officers while donating $500 from the Traffic Section toward Leia’s bike.

While the Buddy Bike will be given to Leia, the Lions have asked that if for some reason she can no longer use it, she return it to the Chandler Lions for another recipient.

As a service organization, Chandler Lions receives many requests for financial and volunteer labor assistance, mostly for eye exams and glasses, particularly to help young people.

Among its regular beneficiaries are the Chandler National Little League, SanTan Soccer, Arizona organizations for the blind and Guide Dogs of the Desert.

The opportunity to assist Leia was a natural, Moore said.

“This is what Chandler Lions do best: Help others in our community. It’s the reason I became an active member,” she said, noting that 40 members will be participating in the event.

“When I am involved in events like this one and can see the impact we can have through the responses of families like Leia’s,” Moore added, “it only intensifies my motivation for the next opportunity.”

Community

Kyrene program gives misbehaving students a better alternative than punishment

BY PAUL MARYNIAK AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS EDITOR

Some have been in fights. Others have been caught with drugs. Still others have committed some kind of sexual offense, while others have bullied students or defied teachers.

None of them is older than about 13 and some are as young as maybe 9. And most of their transgressions have occurred in school.

Normally, these pupils would face suspension ranging up to 15 days for minor offenses to as much as a year for major ones.

But Kyrene School District has found a different way to handle some of these youngsters, one that in most cases turns their lives around, according to administrators who gave a presentation at a school board meeting last month.

For the last 11 years, Kyrene has been putting many of these pupils in one of two intensive programs at four segregated classrooms in Kyrene del Pueblo Middle School in Chandler. The Kyrene Alternative to Suspension Program (KASP) is for students who had faced up to 15 days of off-campus suspension, while the Long-Term Alternative Program (LTAP) is reserved for those facing 45 days to a year.

The results are so impressive that board member Michelle Hirsch choked back tears commending administrators.

“We talk about all the time about wanting success for all the students,” Hirsch said. “This program really helps us with reaching students, helping them improve their student achievement.”

The students who qualify for one of the two programs must be recommended by their schools and have their parents’ consent.

Once in there, they are fed breakfast and lunch, given a block of time for academics, and have daily “character education” that helps them understand their actions and learn to behave better. They have one-on-one counseling daily, and their academic and behavioral progress is reported to their parents

every day.

“The great thing about the program,” said coordinator-counselor Diane Peters, “is it’s such a win-win situation. Although they don’t want to come into the program, once they’re in it they love it. Some don’t want to leave.”

future,” said Altadena Middle School Principal James Martin.

And, it’s a win for most of the students who come through it, Peters said.

Of the 1,373 students who have gone through KASP or LTAP since the 20045 school year, only about 14 percent

“ This program really helps us with reaching students, helping them improve their student achievement.”

Peters went on to explain that it’s also a win for the parents as well as administrators, who have an option other than straight-out punishment.

“Rather than spending several days at home, the KASP program gives students an opportunity to reflect on their behavior and develop strategies to help them make better decisions in the

-Kyrene school board member Michelle Hirsch

have had to be placed there again.

“Typically, our students don’t come back,” Peters said, adding that that 14 percent are kids who may have gone through one of the programs several years earlier and then end up there again later in their school career at Kyrene.

“They can be referred numerous times, but we don’t try to see same

By

the numbers:

Some data about the 1,373 students, from fourth through eighth grade, who have gone through either the Kyrene Alternative to Suspension Program (KASP) for those facing up to 15 days off-campus suspension of the Long-Term Alternative Program for those facing 45 days to a year suspension between 2004 and this year:

 77 percent were male.

 46 percent, or 597, were from eighth grade and 31 percent, or 387, were seventh graders. Only 2 percent, or 23, were fourth graders.

 The three most common reasons for placement were aggression, 16 percent; substance abuse, 15 percent; and intimidating behavior, 12 percent.

 55 percent were economically disadvantaged.

 Among the middle schools, Centennial in Ahwatukee and Kyrene Middle School in Tempe accounted for the most students in the program, with 351 and 319, respectively.

– Source: Kyrene School District

student more than once in a year,” Peters said.

“Our ultimate goal is for students to be successful at school, home and the community,” Peters said.

The program, which the district started in 2004 with the help of a federal grant, supports 25 Kyrene schools. While most of the students who are placed come from middle schools, the district does accept fourth and fifth graders into the program.

About three quarters of all the students who have gone through KASP or LTAP were seventh and eighth graders and male, Peters reported. Only 8 percent faced the more severe punishment of 45 days to a year suspension.

The top three reasons why students were placed in the program were aggression (16 percent), drug, alcohol or tobacco abuse (15 percent) or intimidation or bullying (12 percent).

Arizona soldier salutes 3,000 flags during 9/11 memorial in Tempe

BY MICHELLE CHANCE CRONKITE NEWS

Adriana Sandoval was a kindergartner when two commercial airliners crashed into the World Trade Center in New York. The youngster witnessed the atrocities of man through a television screen.

By fourth grade, Sandoval knew what she wanted to be: a combat medic in the Army. She wanted to help those hurt by terrorism and war—the two words she heard frequently in class and over the dinner table most of her life.

However, women couldn’t serve in combat at the time. That changed this year when the armed forces opened up combat positions to women. Sandoval, an Arizona resident, enlisted in the Army and trained to be a combat medic.

On Sunday—the 15th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks—Pfc. Adriana Sandoval donned her full Army fatigues and spent 9.5 hours in the triple-digit heat at the Healing Field in Tempe. She stood and saluted each flag, a symbol representing a victim who perished in the 9/11 attacks.

Ryan Royse, president of the Tempe Exchange Club, said the memorial has nearly 3,000 flags.

“9/11 is the reason I enlisted. It’s what pushed me,” Sandoval said. “I didn’t lose anyone, but then again, we lost everyone.”

Sandoval said Sunday was her first time visiting the memorial at Tempe Beach

Park, but she plans on paying respects to the victims of the attacks by saluting each flag every year going forward.

Royse said his organization has put on the Healing Field for the past 13 years, and he estimated that this year’s event had a 30 percent increase because of the anniversary. Although the club does not tally the attendance, Royse estimated that about 10,000 people attended.

Angela DiMaria also attended. The daughter of a firefighter from Rochester, New York, DiMaria said she comes to the memorial every year and attaches red

roses to the flagpoles of lost firemen.

“So many sons and daughters had their father not come home that day,” DiMaria said. The roses “help heal and turn it into something good.”

DiMaria was a letter carrier in Phoenix the day of the attacks. As she loaded the mail for her usual route that morning, DiMaria placed the box down in defeat.

“I figured I just saw the start of World War III. What’s the point? Nobody is going to be around to get mail,” she said.

Despite the fear and the hopelessness that she felt, DiMaria carried on and

delivered the mail anyway.

At one point, a car carrying a family pulled up next to her. She described how the father looked at her and said, “The mail must go through!” The kids in the backseat cheered.

“All of a sudden I felt like, ‘There is a point. Oh, there is a big point indeed,’” DiMaria said.

“We were the only normalcy that the people saw, and I think it gave people a little hope that we were going to get back to normal because the letter carriers were still delivering mail.”

Gilbert Historical Museum offers new programming for all ages

BY SRIANTHI PERERA

TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

The Gilbert Historical Museum is launching a line of programming to reflect its new model of operation, Communities for All Ages.

The concept is a national model that strives to build a sense of community by bringing together the younger and older generations for programs and activities.

The programs kick off on Tuesday with History Café’s first offering: “Hohokam Archeology of the South East Valley” presented by Jerry Howard, curator of Anthropology at Arizona Natural History Museum.

“Since we’re a history museum, we’re still going to focus on the history, but we also want to look at the present and the future and we’ll have programs and

workshops about contemporary people,” said Thom Hulen, the museum’s newly hired program coordinator.

The museum, on the south end of the Heritage District at Gilbert and Elliot roads, is gradually implementing its vision for sustainability at a time when history museums themselves are being delegated to history.

“We want people to embrace our history roots, our agricultural nature and our arts and culture,” said Kayla Kolar, museum executive director.

Hulen has formulated plenty of nonprofit programming during his past employment as a museum educator at Pueblo Grand Museum in Phoenix.

“We’d like to have a good turnout for every activity,” he said, adding that he can accommodate about 20 people to each workshop.

Here are the programs:

Tuesday, 7-8 p.m.: History Café: Hohokam Archeology of the South East Valley presented by Jerry Howard, curator of Anthropology at Arizona Natural History Museum. Free.

Saturday, 10-11.30 a.m.: Storyteller: You Are Special Just the Way You Are; storyteller and educator Sandy Oglesby will lead a child/parent program that focuses on ancient people and Sonoran Desert animals through story and handson craft. Free with admission.

Oct. 4, 7-9 p.m.: Workshop: Vegetable gardening though the seasons; horticulturalist Kriti Mathura will develop a vegetable garden suitable to a desert environment. Cost: $10-$15; pre-registration required.

Oct. 18, 7-9 p.m.: Workshop: Preparing spring wildflower beds; Kriti Mathura will prepare a

garden for a wildflower display. Cost: $10-$15; preregistration required.

Oct. 22, 10 a.m. to noon: Workshop: Halloween Masks; Artist Annette Ruiz will teach a parent/child (or grandparent/child) workshop on how to make a papier mache mask. Cost: $10-$15; pre-registration required.

Nov. 15, 7-8 p.m.: History Café: The history of Chandler and Gilbert Area; a discussion led by Danette Turner of Chandler-Gilbert Community College. Free.

Dec. 17, 10 a.m. to noon: Workshop: Holiday ornaments; Annette Ruiz will lead a parent-child workshop on making holiday ornaments. Cost: $10$15; pre-registration required.

For more information, call 480-926-1577 or go to gilberthistoricalmuseum.org.

Agencies take steps to wipe out stigmas of addiction and mental illness

BY SRIANTHI PERERA TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

The Chandler Center for the Arts, usually the venue for arts and entertainment, will likely sport a somber mood on Saturday.

Addiction treatment facility Valley Hope of Chandler is organizing a march starting at 7 a.m. from its premises on Arizona Avenue north of Chandler Boulevard to the arts center about 1.5 miles away. “Voices of Hope” participants will walk to help end the stigma of addiction, celebrate those in recovery and make an impact in the community. From 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the same day and at the same venue, the Chandler Police Department is presenting a community event titled “A Focus on Understanding & Hope” to also emphasize creating awareness, removing stigma and finding resources for mental, health, physical or mental disabilities and addiction.

“We are in the middle of an epidemic,” said Mariah Hile, a spokeswoman from Valley Hope. “The march is a rallying point for the community to come together to know that recovery is possible.”

Hile has seen hundreds of people come through the doors at Valley Hope with a cry for help. In the same manner, Chandler Police Officers Loranda Tibble and Melissa Lotz have seen the effects of mental health illness on families.

KYRENE

from page 14

But 35 percent of the program’s participants were placed there for other reasons.

Peters said those reasons ranged from pregnancy and a traumatic event at home like death or divorce to difficulty in adjusting to a new school or inability to do classwork.

Currently funded by Indian gaming and tax credit revenue, the program makes its primary mission as turning students into learners and citizens. Its benefits go well beyond school walls, Peters noted, since it reduces the number of unsupervised kids in the community during school days. It also helps enhance a safe atmosphere at the school the children normally attend as

As of July 8 this year, Chandler PD answered 179 calls for mentally disturbed persons, about 242 calls for suicide attempts and received 179 orders from doctors to transport mental health patients to a facility. During the same time frame, the department serviced 1,741 welfare check calls, although it is unknown how many of these were related to mental health issues.

Last year, Tibble and Lotz brought together agencies and resources at a similar event, also at the arts center, and about 125 attended.

“I wanted to learn more about how to help more family members and friends,” Tibble said. “Numerous times a day, we would go to calls where people were having a crisis because of a mental illness. I wanted to be able to give resources and help families because every time we’d go to these calls, they would say they felt helpless.”

The two officers subsequently underwent the 40-hour Crisis Intervention Training provided by the Police Department, which was helpful and inspiring, they said.

This year’s event reaches even farther with more than 50 agencies offering education and information, 11 presentations on topics ranging from PTSD to what a substance abuse problem looks like and free crisis intervention training for police officers and security guards.

“We’re trying to bring the community together with the Police Department and educate everybody, not just somebody who may have one or another issue,” Lotz said. ‘We want to erase the stigma, we want to educate people, we want to enable people, we want to provide resources and have everybody network.”

Lotz noted that the one common goal of service organizations is to help people.

“We’ll put everybody under the same roof,” she said.

Asked to describe what the two officers encounter on an almost daily basis during the course of their work, Lotz said that the word “struggle” best fits it.

“People are struggling, families and friends struggle and co-workers struggle because they don’t know how to help people. That’s one of the reasons we’re trying to do this,” she said. “We want to help everybody.”

Registration for the “Voices of Hope” march takes place online at tinyurl. com/jy9chur. For more details, go to valleyhope.org.

The Chandler Police Department program is free. For more information, call 480-782-4800.

well as in the community at large.

Before their return to their regular school, KASP and LTAP “graduates” meet with school personnel and their parents.

“Those meetings can be extremely powerful,” Peters said. “They’re usually very positive.”

Peters and her staff also routinely check up on their students long after they’ve gone through the program.

Students also must write an essay after they’ve finished to discuss how the program has affected them.

Among their comments that Peters shared with the board was one from a student who said, “KASP made me realize I wanted to change and everyone at KASP helped me.”

Said another: “I learned about STAR—Stop, Think, Act, Review.”

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Chandler school, parents figuring out how much recess is enough

BY RALPH ZUBIATE TRIBUNE EDITOR

Some parents are challenging a Chandler elementary school to let their students have another break during the day.

Fulton Elementary is sorting through the issue, and a school meeting with staff and parents will decide what comes next.

The parents, who have started a petition at Change.org, want the school to let kids in third through sixth grade have an outside free recess. Currently, those students have one 20-minute break during the day, in the classroom and supervised by physical fitness teachers. It’s called a “Brain Break.”

Some parents say that’s not enough.

“We want to give these children a true brain break,” said Aubrie Krausman, whose son Ryan is in the third grade at Fulton.

Krausman and other parents point to research that says increased recess improves academics and social behavior in the classroom.

The group’s Change.org page quotes an American Academy of Pediatrics

statement supporting “free play as a fundamental component of a child’s normal growth and development.”

Fulton Principal Amy Kramb doesn’t challenge that, but says there are steps that need to be taken first before the school can add any recess periods.

First of all, there has to be majority support from all the parents at the school.

“There is one parent group in favor of

this and one parent group against,” she said. “I understand what they’re asking, and everybody wants what’s best for the students.”

Before any action can be taken, however, the issue must be taken to a site council, which includes representatives of parents and community members.

The next meeting of the site council will be Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. in the

Fulton Elementary library.

Kramb wants to develop a community survey so all parents’ voices can be heard.

“We’ll probably get it out before we leave for October break,” she said. “We want to be mindful of the questions and to give it a lot of thought, to be timely.”

Jennifer Rey, a parent leader who wrote the petition, says her group has met with Kramb on the issue.

“In our first meeting, the principal stated that this schedule is how it has been since she took over as principal, and no one has ever questioned it before,” Rey said in an email.

“Bringing back recess is becoming a national topic, however, and I believe you will see more and more of it.”

Terry Locke, spokesman for the Chandler Unified School District, says other schools in the district have two recess periods.

He says this issue is a relatively easy one to handle at the school level. If a majority of the parents want more recess, they’ll get it.

There are some school decisions that

RECESS

from page 18

are “just a little bit more complicated” and would take more than a simple majority, he says.

“Converting to uniforms, for example, would be more difficult” since it would have a bigger effect on the school. He says the principal, through the site council, will make the final decision.

There is concern that more recess will take time away from academics and state requirements, but Kramb says Fulton schedules more teaching time than the minimum.

“My guess is that, yes, we would be able to do it, and yes, it would take time away from the instruction,” she said. Krausman says that’s a change that has to be made for the physical and mental health of her son and other students. She points to the last part of the petition:

“We are doing our students a disservice by not providing them with sufficient time to reset their attention span and enjoy free play. Let’s say, ‘Yes!’ to recess!”

– Contact Ralph Zubiate at 480-898-6825 or rzubiate@timespublications.com.

– Comment on this article and like the East Valley Tribune on Facebook and follow EVTNow on Twitter.

Remembering 9/11 - 15 years on

Lawsuit might be a bonanza for Merritt, but it’ll hit the public in the wallet

BY DAVID LEIBOWITZ TRIBUNE COLUMNIST

Reading the lawsuit makes your head throb. You don’t ache for the plaintiff, known forevermore as “falsely accused I-10 Freeway Shooter Leslie Merritt Jr.” Instead, you hurt for us, the taxpayers.

That’s because someday soon the human wallets who comprise Arizona and Maricopa County’s taxpaying citizenry surely will pay Merritt and his cartel of fancy ambulance chasers a massive jackpot.

Legal documents filed on behalf of this 22-year-old landscaper and father of two mention a $10 million tab in return for Merritt’s trouble. That totals $46,728.97 for each of the 214 days Merritt spent in Fourth Avenue Jail. If that sounds steep, keep in mind Merritt wants compensation for “severe physical pain, mental anguish, and emotional distress, medical expenses, and lost wages.”

Plus, there’s the indignity cited in

These are not entitlements

Tom Patterson’s piece (“Government keeps making more promises it can’t hope to fulfill,” Sept. 11) needs a little cleaning up.

Social Security and Medicare are not “entitlements.” That characterization is absolutely untrue. I worked 44 years and paid in, along with my employers, to Social Security (FICA) and Medicare from the start. Those funds were supposed to be earmarked and set aside to be paid when I reached retirement. The government was merely the fiduciary of all workers’ contributions. So, these payments do not come from a government funded/supported freebie. They come from us!

I understand we’ve been saddled with budget trickery of all kinds (I am a retired accountant by degree and practice) that would make even the Clintons blush, but that does not change the fact that these programs are something we have all paid into with post-tax earnings. Further, to add insult to injury, Social Security

Paragraph 71 of the lawsuit: That investigators “placed him in a small room” before Merritt was questioned about the freeway shootings. Cha-ching!

This legal cloud does come with one silver lining. Hours after Merritt’s arrest last September, Gov. Doug Ducey famously tweeted, “We got him!”

Despite those three words—and an exclamation point!—Ducey was skipped as a defendant. Why?

“Millions of dollars, taxpayer dollars, have been spent on the botched investigation, the wrongful arrest and the malicious prosecution,” one of Merritt’s lawyers thundered forth on the courthouse steps. “We just don’t think it’s appropriate for the taxpayers to have to foot the bill for basically what amounts to a split-second error in judgment.”

Gosh, such nobility. I’m not sure who Team Merritt thinks will foot the bill on behalf of the defendants they did sue, but here’s a news flash: Since every dollar the government has come from taxpayers, it’s us.

Which brings me to the irksome

assumption at the root of lawsuits like this one and the parade of legal filings against Sheriff Joe Arpaio. While I have no penetrating insight into the freeway investigation, whether it was faulty, as Merritt’s mouthpieces claim, or whether police and prosecutors were negligent, here’s what I do know: We live in a culture that requires us to attach a dollar figure to every error, every moment of emotional distress and every unfortunate event.

Civil courtrooms today function like a marathon episode of “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?” It’s big business for lawyers who “volunteer” to take cases like Merritt’s in return for a percentage of the payday. Meanwhile, the sue-earlyand-often mentality creates big hits for beleaguered taxpayers forced to pay off claimants with funds that could instead go to schools, roads and, yes, endowing crime labs with better technology and better-trained personnel.

Again, I’m not offering a verdict on the actions of Merritt or the cops and prosecutors involved in this investigation. That’s what trials are for,

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

is subject to income tax (if the household has annual income exceeding $38K).

Entitlements are food stamps, governmentsupported housing, government-provided cellphones, the ACA and the list goes on. Recipients paid nothing for these benefits.

Changes must be made to Social Security and Medicare to make it solvent and the feds must stop funding its obligation for “borrowing” our contributions with IOUs. I understand that may be the unpleasant third rail of politics, but it is time to face up to our nation’s rampant overspending problems and find real solutions.

And we must call these programs what they are. Calling them entitlements is rather like the Obama administration not calling radical Islam by its real name in the name of “political correctness.”

– Roger Herd – Mesa

Wrong

about history

I was taken aback when I read in Tom

Patterson’s article (“History shows it: Raising corporate taxes won’t bring back good jobs,” Aug. 28) that Herbert Hoover massively increased government spending for relief programs during the depression. In defense of President Hoover, I don’t think anyone could ever have accused him of massive spending on relief programs.

Patterson cites tax cuts in the Harding administration for the “happy days” of the 1920s. “You can look it up” he intones. If you do look it up, an excellent source would be Laton McCartney’s book “The Tea Pot Dome Scandal: How Big Oil Bought The Harding White House.” The Harding administration was most notable for its corruption. It may have been happy days for the wealthy, but not for farmers or factory workers.

Hoover, like Obama, inherited a massive economic crisis that would take many years to turn around. The seeds of the 1929 economic crash were sown in the Coolidge years, also known as the lawless decade, mainly through bad fiscal policies and a lack of government

a fact lost on Merritt’s lawyers, who for a year have done most of their lawyering in the media. What I’m saying is, even if every allegation in this lawsuit is true, I don’t believe the outcome should be multiple millions paid by Merritt’s neighbors—6 million people who have done zero to afflict the plaintiff.

In the end, say Merritt takes home a cool $10 million. That’s $1.67 for every man, woman and child in Arizona. Siphoning that sum from the public coffers will make the criminal justice system worse, not better.

Imagine instead if we used Merritt’s payday to build a new crime lab: The Leslie Merritt Jr. Institute of Investigative Science. Then he could feel honored in perpetuity while we taxpayers would get better public safety in a building with no “small rooms.”

You know, so no one ever again has to suffer even the slightest bit of claustrophobia.

– David Leibowitz has called the Valley home since 1995. Reach him at david@leibowitzsolo.com.

regulation. Hoover preferred the term “Depression” because it sounded less frightening than crash.

The point of Tom Patterson’s article seems to be that corporations and their well-compensated CEOs are overtaxed. True or not, the HardingCoolidge-Hoover administrations would probably not be the best place for him to see rosy examples to support his economic assumptions.

How Mexico can pay

They laugh at Trump when he says that Mexico will pay for the wall.

It’s simple. American taxpayers give Mexico many millions in foreign aid. We just stop paying them a dime until it’s built and paid for. I checked with two senators and find that we can legally do that.

So what’s the problem?

– Wayne

– Gilbert

BY MIKE MCCLELLAN

TRIBUNE GUEST WRITER

So by now, we all have an opinion about Colin Kaepernick, the San Francisco 49ers quarterback who kneels rather than stands for the National Anthem at games.

His protest, he says, for the “oppression” that minorities face in our country.

Most of us would say, rightly, that we are far removed from the Jim Crow, pre-Civil Rights Act America, the America that all too often oppressed blacks in a variety of heinous ways, from segregation to poll taxes to literacy tests to lynchings.

We don’t have any Bull Connors anymore, unleashing dogs to attack peaceful protesters, no water cannons used to shred the skin of those protesters.

So to hear Kaepernick speak of “oppression” makes some believe he wildly overstates the problems minorities face.

Add to that Kaepernick’s police-aspigs practice socks, the ones he wears to, as he says, protest the “rogue cops.”

But the socks indict all police, and we know that the vast majority of law enforcement officers are heroic men and women who put their lives on the line every day for us.

For many of us, then, Kaepernick seems to be an athlete latching on to the flavor of the month.

But just for a moment, put yourself in the skin of a black or brown American, and look around. What do you see?

You see the Sheriff’s Department in Maricopa County admit to systemic racial profiling, so pervasive that the government had to step in, so out of control that the sheriff, his chief deputy and his lawyer all face criminal prosecution.

You look at the Ferguson Police Department, which agreed that it has consistently discriminated against blacks for years, that as the Justice Department concluded “engaged in a pattern or practice of conduct that violates the First, Fourth, and 14th Amendments of the Constitution.”

Then you look to Texas, where onerous voting restrictions were put in place by a Republican legislature and governor, ostensibly to prevent voter fraud, for which they couldn’t provide any examples. A federal appeals court

overturned the restrictions, noting that they seemed to be designed to suppress minority votes.

And further east, you can see the egregious case of North Carolina, a state where an all-white Republican majority in their legislature passed the most blatant attempt to keep blacks from voting.

An exhaustive Washington Post article uncovered the racist tactics that the legislators employed, all rationalized by their supposed concern for voter fraud.

The article notes that over a 12-year period, out of 40 million votes cast in that state, there were two cases of voter fraud.

Under that phony cover, the legislators asked for statistics about various voter behaviors “broken down by race,” all aimed at minority voter behaviors. Once in possession of those, they crafted legislation to ensure that minority voters would face more difficulty in voting.

Eventually, this set of restrictions was overturned by a federal appeals court, which wrote that the law was “the most restrictive voting law North Carolina has seen since the era of Jim Crow.” One of the judges wrote that “neither this legislature—nor, as far as we can tell, any other legislature in the country— has ever done so much, so fast, to restrict [voting] access.”

The Supreme Court upheld the lower court’s judgment, and the voter suppression law was overturned. Only to find that now, individual counties in the state are creating their own roadblocks to voting.

And these kinds of laws are popping up across the country, including here in Arizona.

So what might you conclude if you were a person of color? States trying to take my right to vote from me, the most profound way I have of expressing my desires for my city or my state or my country?

Maybe you’d conclude what Kaepernick has, that minorities face oppression. Or maybe you’d agree with Martin Luther King Jr. when he wrote from a Birmingham jail:

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly.”

Business Business

Milano’s celebrates 70 years of making music in Mesa

BY SHELLEY GILLESPIE TRIBUNE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

At 8 years old, Mike Milano’s chores included dusting pianos, washing windows and sweeping sidewalks. As a third-generation member of Milano’s Music, it was understood that he and his siblings would be part of the family business.

It started with his grandparents’ accordion studio in 1946, the year Frank, Mike’s father, was born. Now, the store supplies Arizona schools’ musical programs and musicians’ needs with instruments, music books and sheet music, lessons, repairs and advice.

With the start of the school year, Milano’s is instrumental in starting many children on their road to a lifelong love of music. Milano’s sends a representative to schools to help parents and students to determine which instrument to play.

“When we show the instruments, it’s fun to meet the kids. They’re excited,” Mike said.

Sometimes, the instrument isn’t right for a particular student, but Mike and his staff are happy to switch them out until they find a good match.

Band students start in fifth grade and orchestral students begin in fourth grade. Currently, saxophones and clarinets are more popular choices for band instruments. Strings, particularly violins and cellos, are favorite choices for orchestral students.

With a month-to-month rental, Milano’s makes it possible for families to apply the rental fees toward a brand new instrument.

As a child, Mike wanted to play the banjo. He was encouraged to play the saxophone in the school band, which he wound up enjoying.

“When we all came together, the big

This is a continuing series of stories highlighting longtime East Valley businesses.

If you know of a Legacy Business, contact rzubiate@timespublications. com.

light bulb went off in my head,” Milano said. “This is like, wow! All those parts that we’re doing are coming together for a song. It was a cool feeling.

“That’s why I hope these kids today are all excited to get their instrument for the first time. So hopefully, they’ll get that same feeling and want to continue.”

Milano has also picked up some other skills in his tenure.

“I’ve also played guitar for 30 years. I’m not a professional. I sit in, but never a master,” he says.

Milano says he respects his staff, professional musicians who represent 100 years of combined experience. His general manager, Jim Munch, has over 45 years of experience. Tom Schultz has 20 years; Fred Shelton has 17 years. The “newbie” with only 15 years of musical experience, Devin Henderson, has a Master’s degree in trumpet performance and plays with local symphonies and other groups when not working at Milano’s.

Back when the business was new,

Mike’s grandmother Elma was ahead of her time. Despite divorcing her husband, she kept the business running by including Mike’s aunts and his father in the business. Milano’s grew from a small store at 45 W. McDonald St. in Mesa to its current location at 38 Main St. Linton Milano, a separate family business, handles music sales and lessons.

Mike’s aunt Mila Linton and cousin Chuck run that family enterprise in Milano’s store and across the street at 45 W. Main, also selling pianos. The huge operation currently includes 25,000 square feet, plus an additional 15,000 square-foot warehouse and repair shops.

Since the 1970s, Mike has seen music fads come and go. A relatively new instrument constructed of plastic is gaining popularity for trombones and trumpets. The cost is about 20 percent of an original metal student’s version (about $500).

In the ’70s, instrument rentals were $6.95 per month; now most instrument rentals are $20. Rentals include insurance, tax and repairs.

“We’re still just a mom and pop

(business), but we’re down to earth,” Mike said.

Chuck Linton also grew up working at Milano’s. His musical training started with piano and drums.

“I jumped to the banjo and I’ve stuck with it 12 years,” said Linton, who now runs Linton Milano.

Milano customers stick with them as well.

Henry Bribiescas said, “I’ve only been playing a little while—50 years—but I’ve been coming here for 40 years. The staff are very nice people. Service is great.

Milano you can trust.” He breaks into an impromptu concert on his acoustic guitar, playing a bolero piece.

A new customer, Derek Allen Musgraves, asks about an electric guitar and Mike shows him several choices. Musgraves wasn’t aware that Milano’s service included adjustments.

“We’re like a musical mall in one building,” Chuck added.

Milano Music Center, in Mesa, also has 25 instrument rental depots around the Metro Phoenix area. Contact the store at 480-827-1111.

Sprouts opens Mesa store, its 250th nationwide

Sprouts Farmers Markets is opening its 250th store this week in Mesa.

The new store at 2060 E. Baseline Road, which is Mesa’s third, will be celebrated with specials and giveaways.

The first 200 shoppers will get 20 percent off their first purchase, some will get coupon books, and everyone will get a free reusable bag with purchase.

The store opens this Wednesday at 7 a.m.

ITT Tech closes campuses in Tempe and nationwide

ITT Technical Institute closed all 130 of its for-profit schools recently, including one in Tempe. The move leaves 35,000 students in limbo nationwide.

The move came after the U.S. Department of Education banned ITT from accepting new students with federal education loans.

The Arizona State Board for Private Postsecondary Education is working with ITT and the Arizona Department of Education to help students figure their next steps.

The Tempe campus was at 850 S. Hardy Dr., Suite 120.

Nursing facility to open October in Gilbert

A new skilled-nursing facility is opening soon in Gilbert.

The Center at Val Vista will have 96 private rooms, a gym and therapy equipment for physical rehabilitation or complex nursing care patients.

The center, at 3744 S. Rome St., will have a grand opening Oct. 6 4-8 p.m. For more information or to RSVP, visit centeratvalvista.com.

Slim Chickens restaurant opens first Arizona store

Slim Chickens fast-casual restaurant is entering the Phoenix market with a store in Gilbert. The franchise plans more locations in the Valley.

The restaurant is at 748 N. Gilbert Road.

Slim Chickens is based in Arkansas. The company promotes a “Southern Hospitality” atmosphere.

Bashas’ appoints new director of communications

Chandler-based Bashas’ stores has appointed Ashley Shick as director of communications and public affairs.

Shick has worked in media and public relations, strategic community partnerships, marketing communications, and special events and promotions. She has been with Meredith Corporation (KTVK/KPHO), Arizona Science Center and Kohl’s Department Stores.

Fitness provider to open 2 new East Valley centers

Mountainside Fitness will open two new locations, in Tempe and Queen Creek.

The Tempe center is expected to be completed in early 2017.

Mountainside Fitness says 120 people will be hired for the new centers. For information, go to mountainsidefitness. com.

New stores coming to Tempe Marketplace

Three stores will soon be added to Tempe Marketplace shopping center. European-inspired hairdressing salon Toni & Guy will open in October.

Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory and novelty retailer Spencer’s Gifts will open in November.

The center’s Paradise Bakery also

recently became a Panera Bread store. Next year, Tempe Marketplace will mark its 10th anniversary.

Popular New York eatery opening spot in Tempe

The Halal Guys, New York City’s popular food carts serving Middle Eastern food, will open 15 restaurants in Arizona.

The first will be in Tempe near Arizona State University at 1015 S. Rural Road. It will open in December or January.

Locations are also planned for Gilbert, Scottsdale, Tucson and Phoenix.

Spectrum Business Park construction begins

Construction of a 60,000-square-foot office building has begun in the Gilbert Spectrum Business Park.

This is the first of several planned buildings that SunCap Property Group is offering in the 63-acre park, at the southwesterm corner of Elliot and McQueen roads.

Eight to 10 buildings are planned with a total of 800,000 square feet available.

EAST

As the largest annual event of its kind in the East Valley, the expo provides a dynamic setting for both business-to-business and business-to-consumer outreach.

Location: Mesa Convention Center 263 N. Center Street, Mesa, AZ 85201

Date/Time Information: Wednesday, October 5, 2016 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Showcase Your Business: Limited Exhibitor Booths are Available starting as low as $440

They will range from 60,000 square feet to 200,000 square feet each.

Utah’s Even Stevens sandwich shops coming

The first Even Stevens in the state is coming to Gilbert this October.

The Utah-based chain, which also serves salads and brunch, will expand into other Phoenix locations this fall.

The shop, which donates to local food banks, will be at 384 N. Gilbert Road. It will open Oct. 5.

For more information, go to evenstevens.com.

World of Beer closing shops in Tempe, Gilbert

World of Beer is closing its Arizona locations as its parent company changes focus.

The company had East Valley locations in Tempe and Gilbert.

The size of the Arizona locations was deemed inadequate for the chain’s new focus on food. The East Valley franchisees are searching for another beer restaurant to take over.

BUSINESS EXPO

Admission is free with a business card and attendees have their chance at winning gift cards, door prizes, raffles and giveaways.

Sports

New direction

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Bad start forced changes with Basha coaching duties

BY JASON P. SKODA TRIBUNE PREP SPORTS DIRECTOR

Gerald Todd sat at the podium in his stark white Basha football collared shirt, while others milled around him, just a handful of hours away from the Bears’ Thursday night game.

The auditorium at Basha was filled with students, football players, representatives from the Under Armour All-American Game and American Family Insurance.

Everyone was there to celebrate quarterback Ryan Kelley and as he received his jersey and was honored for his selection for the Under Armour showcase game held in January.

Todd knew it was an odd juxtaposition considering the state of the season and the program.

“He’s received a lot of attention and accolades, all well-deserved without question,” Todd said. “The team razzes him a little bit, but they all know that are included in his success is because he is throwing to them and handing off to them.

“When you go through something like this, more than anything all you want to do is get a win.”

The Bears entered the season among the top 10 in Arizona’s 6A Conference, but headed into Thursday’s game against Desert Mountain 0-4 while giving up at least 49 points in every game, and 36.03 in the 28 games under Todd.

This was supposed to be Basha’s year. When one of the country’s top quarterbacks commands your huddle, wins are supposed pile up as easily as moving the first-down markers.

Instead, Todd confirmed that coaching staff responsibilities would change on both sides of the ball this week as the

team struggles just to get a win.

One of the things Todd said that was going to change was the tempo of the offense. To give the defense some time off the field and work the clock, the offense was more deliberate than the previous two years under Kelley.

The offense was expected to pick up the tempo heading to Thursday’s game against winless Desert Mountain.

It is something Kelley was in favor for in an attempt to find a way to get some wins.

“It’s the same kind of concept,” said Kelley, who changed his commitment from Oregon to Arizona State a few months ago. “They are open to letting me to do more of what I want. It’s a positive thing. The tempo will be faster. We are going to get on the ball faster, snap the ball faster and score faster.”

A win over Desert Mountain was expected, but the schedule turns toward Premier Region action after next week’s game against Mesa.

Elsewhere in the district, Brophy and Perry began this week undefeated, while Chandler and Hamilton have experienced some of the same frustrations as the Bears.

Chandler was embarrassed in last week’s featured TV game by Mountain Pointe, 52-7, while Hamilton was beaten soundly, 36-20, by Desert Ridge.

Both of those Chandler District schools have championship expectations, but for one week—combined with Basha’s

56-21 loss to Red Mountain—the Chandler Big Three were treated more like third stringers.

The Wolves have the talent to remain a title contender and Hamilton has some young players figuring out the complexities of the varsity level.

“We have seniors who have never led that need to learn to lead,” Hamilton coach Steve Belles said. “Maybe we are going through some growing pains. Now we have some guys playing that haven’t played in a state championship.

“They don’t know the price to pay and we need to get back to the Hamilton work ethic.”

When Chandler travels to Hamilton

to close out the regular season on Oct. 28, there will be plenty to play for when it comes to postseason aspirations.

Then same is not known about Basha and its future other than Kelley will be representing the program and state in the Under Armour Game in January.

“We hate to lose more than we win,” Todd said. “The one thing we are doing is making changes, not accepting where are at right now. We rearranged some things and hopefully that will bring us some success.”

– Contact Jason Skoda at 480-898-7915 or jskoda@evtrib.com. Follow him on Twitter @ JasonPSkoda.

Champion divers started with leap of faith, awkward flops

BY ZACH ALVIRA

TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

During the grueling Arizona summers, swimmers old and young flock to local aquatics centers in attempt to beat the heat.

For young swimmers, attempting to conquer the diving boards for the first time can be exhilarating, frightening and even a confidence booster.

However, sometimes, it can also be embarrassing.

“I did recreation when I was about 12 and the first time I tried to do a one-anda-half (flip) and I smacked my face (in the water),” Devyn Mennenga, junior diver for the Mountain View girls dive team said. “I didn’t come back for a week.”

Mennenga has come a long way since the embarrassing flop into the water. As just a sophomore last year, she placed third overall in the Division I girls state championships.

What took Mennenga just a week to come back to, took a little bit longer for another state qualifier.

“The first time I went off of the diving board was probably when I was in third or fourth grade,” David Mickelson, senior diver for Mesa High School said.

“I thought it was really scary because I thought it was really high.”

At a young age Mickelson jumped off of the diving board his cousin had in the backyard, but unlike most, Mickelson did not cannonball. Instead, foreshadowing the events that would take place two years later, Mickelson “pencil-dived” into the water feet first.

“It was the last day of sixth grade, our school went to Brimhall (pool) and we played at the pool all day,” Mickelson said. “I was at the diving board the whole time and I thought it was really fun.”

The rest of the summer Mickelson participated in a swim and dive program in Mesa, growing his love for the sport and catapulting him into a 10th-place finish in the 2015 Division I boys diving state championship as a junior.

For many kids, taking that leap of faith off of the diving board for the first time is purely for enjoyment. It takes a certain mindset, determination and overall willingness to practice and succeed to dive competitively.

“Start out slow, work on a lot of jumps, lineups, a lot of things to get them used to landing on their head and overcome that fear,” Rory Russell, head

coach of the Mountain View dive team said. “It is the only sport in which you intentionally land on your head.”

Having those types of characteristics led Marcos De Niza alum, Sam Dorman, to the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio. There, Dorman competed and won silver in synchronized diving, not only putting a spotlight on the East Valley, but becoming an inspiration for competitive divers as well.

“It definitely motivates me,” Mickelson said. “Just seeing someone that is pretty much like me start diving and get to that level.”

The dedication and work ethic of both Mennenga and Mickelson are key factors allowing them to be among the best divers in the state.

Like many kids that took to the pools and diving boards for the first time, both divers faced the same challenges and learned to overcome the obstacles.

“Get past all of the first scary things, it can be hard and you will smack,” Mennenga said. “It can take a long time but once you get past it, it’s worth it.”

– Comment on this article and like the East Valley Tribune on Facebook and follow VarsityXtra on Twitter.

What the Olympics taught us about persevering in our faith

BY SUSAN WILMOT TRIBUNE GUEST WRITER

The coverage of this year’s Summer Olympics in Rio produced the inspiring story of the two runners (New Zealand’s Nikki Hamblin, and U.S. runner Abbey D’Agostino) who tripped and fell in the 5,000- meter contest, but encouraged each other to get up and finish the race.

If you’ve endured years of training, hours of Olympic trials, and finally made it to the Games, then finishing truly is everything.

So forgive me if this sounds blunt, but why aren’t we consistently talking about our spiritual journeys and our lives of faith in the same terms? How come we’re not living discipleship with the same

kind of single-minded determination as an Olympic athlete?

Why do we let ourselves become distracted, or let our passion fade for regular worship, growing in knowledge and understanding through Bible study, and the necessary practices of prayer and meditation that help us discern our path according to God’s will? Not to mention a serious and enduring commitment to sharing our resources and ourselves generously with others.

We have the examples of faithful heroes to inspire us in the Letter to the Hebrews 12:1-2 (NRSV): “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the

pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.”

The Letter to the Hebrews speaks of men and women who consistently trusted their lives to God’s care, and lived faithfully in good times, and even in the face of great suffering and loss. As we learn and embrace their stories, we start to recognize elements of our own lives.

Their stories strengthen our faith, and encourage us to stay the course, and finish the race. Of course, it’s important that we actually know these stories of faith and endurance; otherwise we’re no better off than those who don’t yet know Christ, and are living in their own strength, trying to look out for themselves in this dog-eat-dog kind of world.

The stories of our faith heroes are meant to keep us as strong, committed, and focused as an Olympic athlete. Jesus is the pioneer, the lead runner, and the primary focus of all aspects of our lives. Jesus is the one who empowers us to set aside worldly distractions that can easily trip us up, or send us careening off course.

Living in the integrity of our faith is about committing ourselves for the long haul. After all, our faith plays a huge part in shaping the picture of our lives, and the color and form of our

transformation in Christ.

We need to be fit for the journey, because while we’re trying to stay the course and create a picture of faith in action, the world is pushing and pulling us in all different directions, many of which stunt our spiritual growth, suspend our journey, or incapacitate our ability to serve Christ’s mission.

We continue Christ’s mission in the world through our witness and the testimony of our lives, including healing those who are spiritually trashed, emotionally broken, or who’re lost in the wilderness or imprisoned by worldly traps. We may not see an end to world hunger or to systemic inhumanity or injustice in our lifetime, but every step—big or small—that we take towards God’s kingdom love, peace, equality and justice makes a difference.

Every step for the Lord gives our lives deeper meaning and purpose. In turn, God always honors our faithfulness, expanding our capacity to serve, and therefore the difference our lives make. The legacies we’re building on, and the gifts we share, continue in and through us from generation to generation. So let’s run the race and celebrate our victory in Christ.

Mesa man celebrates canonization of Mother Teresa, ‘completes the circle’

BY RALPH ZUBIATE TRIBUNE EDITOR

Joe Reynolds remembers meeting Mother Teresa when she visited the Valley in 1989. He said she radiated “a presence of peace.”

“She to me was the type of person who didn’t have to say anything,” Reynolds said.

The tiny nun struck everybody she met the same way, and along the way was a beacon of hope to Catholics everywhere. Now, Mother Teresa has been canonized as St. Teresa of Calcutta— but even Pope Francis agrees that she’ll always be known by another name.

“With great spontaneity, I think we will continue to call her Mother Teresa,” he said, according to CNN.

Mother Teresa was born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu in Albania in 1910. She set up her Missionaries of Charity in the slums of Calcutta—now known as Kolkata— in 1950 and made her headquarters there for nearly half a century. She died in Kolkata in 1997 at age 87. Reynolds, of Mesa, went to Rome for Mother Teresa’s Canonization Mass on Sept. 4, taking along his 15-year-old son Matthew. Reynolds felt that being there “completed the circle” for him.

In 1989, Mother Teresa visited Phoenix, and Reynolds spent four days with her as he filmed a documentary for the Diocese of Phoenix. Reynolds is now owner of Skyline Productions in Phoenix.

“What I took away from those four days was that the simple things matter,” Reynolds said.

While she was in Phoenix, she shared a small home with sisters from her order, the Missionaries of Charity. Reynolds was there, too, documenting the scene.

“It was a small house with 20 people inside. People crowding outside looking

into the windows,” he said. “Even with all that, there was a sense of peace.

He said Mother Teresa was never about grandiose things, just small gestures.

One day, she made a small gesture that Reynolds will never forget.

“She handed three medals from her hand to my hand,” he said. “It was simple generosity.”

They had her picture on the front and her admonition, “Pray for us,” on the back.

He eventually gave two away himself, repeating the simple gesture.

With his company, Reynolds has been producing a film series called “Footprints of God,” tracing the history of faith from Abraham to Augustine. He’s produced eight films so far for Ignatius Press of San Francisco, and two more will be coming in 2017 and 2018.

For the Canonization Mass, Reynolds went to Rome with a group of 44 pilgrims. They and about 200,000

the life she lived,” he said.

On the second to last day in Italy, he visited the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran. He joined a long line of people streaming in to the church.

“They had a relic of her, a small vial of blood, and people would touch things to the relic. They had prayer cards, medals, things she was known for,” he said.

The Missionaries of Charities sisters gave him six more medals that were touched to the vial. So, after giving away medals from her, he “completed the circle” and had more medals blessed by Mother Teresa.

“The takeaway from all this was that the simplest things can make all the difference in the world. Simple acts of kindness can go a long way.”

IF YOU GO

others were there for the ceremony. Even though this wasn’t his first trip there, he found himself taken with the moment.

He and the group got to visit the house in Rome that Pope John Paul II gave to Mother Teresa for the use of her order.

“I was struck how the sisters emulated

What: Exhibit on the LIfe of Mother Teresa.

When: 8:30 a.m. - 7 p.m. until Sept. 25.

Where: Our Lady of Fatima, 1418 S. 17th Ave., Phoenix.

Information: 602-354-2472, phxconsecratedlife.com or email sr.anthonymary@ diocesephoenix.org.

Make Extra Cash

Go German with Oktoberfest celebrations in the East Valley

BY JUSTIN FERRIS PHOENIX.ORG/TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

For a little over two weeks in September and the start of October, the city of Munich—the one in Bavaria, Germany—sees a flood of 6 million visitors who want to celebrate beer, bratwurst, pretzels, polka and lederhosen (or dirndl for the ladies). Yes, we just described the famous Oktoberfest festival.

If you can’t make it to Munich, however, don’t despair. The East Valley hosts plenty of Oktoberfest festivals that include all of the above and more. While they typically only last a few days, they take place from mid-September to early November, which means you can enjoy Oktoberfest for almost two months, if you’re so inclined. Here are some of the celebrations taking place in the East Valley:

San Tan 9th Annual Oktoberfest

Contrary to the name, this Oktoberfest doesn’t actually take place in San Tan; San Tan Brewing company sponsors it. As such, you can expect plenty of beer. Plus, enjoy beer games like Beer Pong and Pretzel Toss, the Von Hanson’s brat-eating contest, a family zone and live music from Roger Clyne & the Peacemakers, Reel Big Fish and more.

Times: Oct. 1, 3-11 p.m.

Location: AJ Chandler Park, 3 S. Arizona Ave. Chandler.

Cost: $10 at Bashas’, $12 online or at San Tan Brewing Company, $15 at the gate.

Website: santanoktoberfest.com.

The 2016 Four Peaks Oktoberfest in Tempe

The biggest Oktoberfest bash takes place right in Tempe. This three-day extravaganza features a number of food vendor tents serving authentic German cuisine and less German fare like tacos and general fair food. You can drink a wide range of beers from Four Peaks Brewery, along with international and domestic selections— also wine. There will be bands galore that range from traditional polka to local bands to rapper Lil John. For fun, there will be several carnival rides and midway games. There will also be an area for kids called the Landings CU Kinderfest.

Times: Oct. 7 from 5 p.m. to midnight; Oct. 8 from noon to midnight; Oct. 9 from noon to 6 p.m.

Location: Tempe Beach Park, 80 W. Rio Salado Parkway, Tempe.

Cost: $7.57 single day (pre-sale), $12.97 three-day (pre-sale); $10 single day (at gate); Children 12 and under free with paid adult.

Website: tempeoktoberfest.com.

ASH Oktoberfest

If you want to talk beer, show up at the Oktoberfest put on by the Arizona Society of Homebrewers. You can sample home brews from around Valley or try drinks from participating breweries. Or, you can bring your own brew to share. There will be a potluck, as well as food

provided. It will also feature a raffle and prize wheel, the award ceremony for the Fall Classic Homebrew Competition and the Junior Soda Competition.

Times: Nov. 6 from noon to 6 p.m.

Location: Tempe Kiwanis Park (Ruben Romero Ramada), 6111 S. All America Way, Tempe.

Cost: Free for 2016 ASH members; ASH memberships cost $35 to $60. Website: azhomebrewers.org/ event/2016-ash-oktoberfest-fallclassic.

If you’re hoping to head out of town to find an Oktoberfest celebration, go to everfest.com/seasonal/oktoberfest for a list of celebrations across the nation.

CITYOFMESAPROJECTNO.CP0419 DAVISBACONWAGESAPPLY

NOTICEISHEREBYGIVENthatsealedbidswillbereceiveduntilThursday,October6,2016,at1:00p.m.Allsealedbids willbereceivedat MesaCityPlazaBuilding,EngineeringDepartmentat20EastMainStreet,5thFloor,Mesa,Arizona;exceptforbidsdelivered30minutespriortoopeningwhichwillbereceivedattheinformationdesk,1stfloor,Main LobbyoftheMesaCityPlazaBuilding.Anybidreceivedafterthetimespecifiedwillbereturnedwithoutanyconsideration. Thiscontractshallbeforfurnishingalllabor,materials,transportationandservicesfortheconstructionand/orinstallationof thefollowingwork:

IntroduceanewcongestionmonitoringandtraveltimesystemtotheCityofTempeandtheTownofGilbert,andexpand upontheexistingsystemintheCityofMesa.Theprojectwilldeploysensorsystemsat130locationswithintheparticipating cities.Thesesensorswillbeinstalledonexistingpolesandcabinets.The workinvolvesvisualrenderingofarterialtravel timedataintotheArizona5-1-1(AZ511)website,maintainedbytheArizonaDepartmentofTransportation(ADOT).The projectalsoincludesintegrationofthearterialtraveltimeandspeeddatawiththeRegionalArchiveDataSystem(RADS), whichismaintainedbytheMaricopaCountyDepartmentofTransportation(MCDOT).

Forallcontract,bid-related,orotherquestions,pleasecontactNancyFriesat480-644-5671oremail nancy.fries@mesaaz.gov.

ContractorsdesiringtosubmitproposalsmaypurchasesetsoftheBidDocumentsfrom ThomasReprographics,Inc., http://public.constructionvaults.com,clickon“RegisterToday”andfollowthepromptstocreateyouraccount,besuretoclick finishattheend. NOTE:Inordertoreceivenotificationsandupdatesregardingthisbid(suchasaddenda)duringthe biddingperiod,REGISTRATIONONTHEWEBSITEISREQUIRED. Foralistoflocationsnearestyou,logonto www.thomasrepro.com,andclickonPhoenix.ThecostofeachBidSetwillbenomorethan$27.00,whichisnon-refundableregardlessofwhetherornottheContractorDocumentsarereturned. Partialbidpackagesarenotsold. You canviewdocumentson-line(atnocost),orderBidSets,andaccessthe PlanHoldersList ontheThomasReprographics websiteatthe“PublicConstructionVaults”addresslistedabove.Pleaseverifyprintleadtimepriortoarrivingforpick-up.

OnesetoftheContractDocumentsisalsoavailableforviewingattheCityofMesa’sEngineeringDepartmentat20East MainStreet,Mesa,AZ.Pleasecall480-644-2251priortoarrivingtoensurethatthedocumentsareavailableforviewing.

Apre-bidreviewofthesitehasnotbeenscheduled.

Workshallbecompletedwithin180consecutivecalendardays,beginningwiththedayfollowingthestartingdatespecified intheNoticetoProceed.

BidsmustbesubmittedontheProposalFormprovidedandbeaccompaniedbytheBidBondfornotlessthantenpercent (10%)ofthetotalbid,payabletotheCityofMesa,Arizona,oracertifiedorcashier'scheck.PERSONALORINDIVIDUAL SURETYBONDSARENOTACCEPTABLE. ThefollowingformsaretobesubmittedwiththeBidProposalforFederal-AidProjects.

1.Surety(Bid)Bond

2.Non-CollusionBiddingCertification(SeeProposalDocumentsandForms)

3.CertificateWithRegardtothePerformanceofPreviousContracts(SeeProposalDocumentsandForms)

4.AffidavitofDisadvantageBusinessEnterpriseAssuranceswithaDBEGoalof0.00%

Thesuccessfulbidderwillberequiredtoexecutethestandardformofcontractforconstructionwithinten(10)daysafter formalawardofcontract.

Thesuccessfulbidder,simultaneouslywiththeexecutionoftheContract,willberequiredtofurnishaPaymentBondinthe amountequaltoonehundredpercent (100%)oftheContractPrice,aPerformanceBondinanamountequaltoonehundredpercent(100%)oftheContractPrice,andthemostrecentACORD®CertificateofLiabilityInsuranceformwithadditionalinsuredendorsements.

Therightisherebyreservedtoacceptorrejectanyorallbidsorpartsthereto,towaiveanyinformalitiesinanyproposaland rejectthebidsofanypersonswhohavebeendelinquentorunfaithfultoanycontractwiththeCityofMesa.

TheCityofMesa,inaccordancewithTitleVIoftheCivilRightsActof1964,78Stat.252,42U.S.C.2000dto2000d-4 andTitle49,theCivilRightsRestorationActof1987(PublicLaw100.259).CodeofFederalRegulations,DepartmentofTransportation,SubtitleA,OfficetheSecretary,Part21,NondiscriminationinFederally-assistedprograms oftheDepartmentofTransportationissuedpursuanttosuchAct,herebynotifiesallbiddersthatitwillaffirmatively insurethatinanycontactenteredintopursuanttothisadvertisement,minoritybusinessenterpriseswillbeaffordedfullopportunitytosubmitbidsinresponsetothisinvitationandwillnotbediscriminatedagainstonthe groundsofrace,color,ornationalorigininconsiderationforanaward.

BETHHUNING CityEngineer ATTEST:

CITYOFMESA,ARIZONA ENGINEERINGDEPARTMENT

REQUESTFORQUALIFICATIONS(RFQ)

NOTICEISHEREBYGIVENthattheCityofMesaisseekingaqualified DesignConsultantforthefollowing:

CONSULTANTON-CALLLISTFORELECTRICALENGINEERING GENERAL DESIGNSERVICES

TheCityofMesaisseekingqualifiedConsultantstoprovideDesignServicesand/orconstruction administrationservicesonanon-callbasisinthefollowingarea/category: ElectricalEngineering General DesignServices. AllqualifiedfirmsthatareinterestedinprovidingtheseservicesareinvitedtosubmittheirStatementsofQualifications(SOQ)inaccordancewiththerequirementsdetailedintheRequestforQualifications(RFQ).

Fromthissolicitation,theEngineeringDepartmentwillestablishalistofon-callconsultantsfor ElectricalEngineeringGeneralDesignServices.Thiscategoryisfurtherdefinedbelow:

ElectricalEngineeringGeneralDesignprojectsmightinvolvestudies,newconstruction,upgrades, rehabilitation,orothermodifications.Typicalprojectsinclude,butarenotlimitedto,lighting,buildingpowersupply,pedestrianlighting,instrumentationandcontrols,andgeneralsiteandfacility electricalimprovements.

APre-SubmittalConferencewillnotbeheld.

ContactwithCityEmployees. Allfirmsinterestedinthisproject(includingthefirm’semployees, representatives,agents,lobbyists,attorneys,andsubconsultants)willrefrain,underpenaltyofdisqualification,fromdirectorindirectcontactforthepurposeofinfluencingtheselectionorcreating biasintheselectionprocesswithanypersonwhomayplayapartintheselectionprocess.This policyisintendedtocreatealevelplayingfieldforallpotentialfirms,assurethatcontractdecisions aremadeinpublicandtoprotecttheintegrityoftheselectionprocess.Allcontactonthisselection processshouldbeaddressedtotheauthorizedrepresentativeidentifiedbelow.

RFQLists.ThisRFQisavailableontheCity’swebsiteat http://mesaaz.gov/business/engineering/architectural-engineering-design-opportunities.

TheStatementofQualificationsshallincludeaone-pagecoverletter,plusamaximumof 10pages toaddresstheSOQevaluationcriteria(excludingresumesbutincludinganorganizationchartwith keypersonnelandtheiraffiliation).Resumesforeachteammembershallbelimitedtoamaximum lengthoftwopagesandshouldbeattachedasanappendixtotheSOQ.Minimumfontsizeshall be10pt.Pleaseprovide six(6) hardcopiesand one(1)CD oftheStatementofQualificationsby 2:00pmonSeptember28,2016. TheCityreservestherighttoacceptorrejectanyandallStatementsofQualification.TheCityisanequalopportunityemployer.

Deliveredorhand-carriedsubmittalsmustbedeliveredtotheEngineeringDepartmentreception areaonthefifthfloorofMesaCityPlazaBuildinginasealedpackage.Onthesubmittalpackage, pleasedisplay:Firmname,projectnumber,and/orprojecttitle.

FirmswhowishtodobusinesswiththeCityofMesamustberegisteredandactivatedintheCityof MesaVendorSelfService(VSS)System(http://mesaaz.gov/business/purchasing/vendor-self-service).

Questions.QuestionspertainingtotheDesignConsultantselectionprocessorcontractissues shouldbedirectedtoHeatherSneddonoftheEngineeringDepartmentat heather.sneddon@mesaaz.gov.

BETHHUNING CityEngineer

ATTEST:

DeeAnnMickelsen CityClerk

Publish:EastValleyTribune;September18,25,2016/

CITYOFMESA,ARIZONA ENGINEERINGDEPARTMENT

REQUESTFORQUALIFICATIONS(RFQ)

NOTICEISHEREBYGIVENthattheCityofMesaisseekingaqualified DesignConsultantforthefollowing:

CONSULTANTON-CALLLISTFORELECTRICALENGINEERING UTILITYDESIGNSERVICES

TheCityofMesaisseekingqualifiedConsultantstoprovideDesignServicesand/orconstruction administrationservicesonanon-callbasisinthefollowingarea/category: ElectricalEngineering – Utility DesignServices. AllqualifiedfirmsthatareinterestedinprovidingtheseservicesareinvitedtosubmittheirStatementsofQualifications(SOQ)inaccordancewiththerequirementsdetailedintheRequestforQualifications(RFQ).

Fromthissolicitation,theEngineeringDepartmentwillestablishalistofon-callconsultantsfor ElectricalEngineeringUtilityDesignServices.Thiscategoryisfurtherdefinedbelow:

ElectricalEngineering Utility Designprojectsmightinvolvestudies,newconstruction,upgrades, rehabilitation,orothermodifications.Typicalprojectsinclude,butarenotlimitedto,69KVtransmissionpolesandlines,69/12KVdistributionsubstations,12KVoverheadandundergrounddistributionpoles,lines,ductbank,vault,andcables,andservicedelivery.

APre-SubmittalConferencewillnotbeheld.

ContactwithCityEmployees. Allfirmsinterestedinthisproject(includingthefirm’semployees, representatives,agents,lobbyists,attorneys,andsubconsultants)willrefrain,underpenaltyofdisqualification,fromdirectorindirectcontactforthepurposeofinfluencingtheselectionorcreating biasintheselectionprocesswithanypersonwhomayplayapartintheselectionprocess.This policyisintendedtocreatealevelplayingfieldforallpotentialfirms,assurethatcontractdecisions aremadeinpublicandtoprotecttheintegrityoftheselectionprocess.Allcontactonthisselection processshouldbeaddressedtotheauthorizedrepresentativeidentifiedbelow.

RFQLists. ThisRFQisavailableontheCity’swebsiteat http://mesaaz.gov/business/engineering/architectural-engineering-design-opportunities.

TheStatementofQualificationsshallincludeaone-pagecoverletter,plusamaximumof 10pages toaddresstheSOQevaluationcriteria(excludingresumesbutincludinganorganizationchartwith keypersonnelandtheiraffiliation).Resumesforeachteammembershallbelimitedtoamaximum lengthoftwopagesandshouldbeattachedasanappendixtotheSOQ.Minimumfontsizeshall be10pt.Pleaseprovide six(6) hardcopiesand one(1)CD oftheStatementofQualificationsby 2:00pmonSeptember29,2016.TheCityreservestherighttoacceptorrejectanyandallStatementsofQualification.TheCityisanequalopportunityemployer.

Deliveredorhand-carriedsubmittalsmustbedeliveredtotheEngineeringDepartmentreception areaonthefifthfloorofMesaCityPlazaBuildinginasealedpackage.Onthesubmittalpackage, pleasedisplay:Firmname,projectnumber,and/orprojecttitle.

FirmswhowishtodobusinesswiththeCityofMesa mustberegisteredandactivatedintheCityof MesaVendorSelfService(VSS)System(http://mesaaz.gov/business/purchasing/vendor-self-service).

Questions.QuestionspertainingtotheDesignConsultantselectionprocessorcontractissues shouldbedirectedtoHeatherSneddonoftheEngineeringDepartmentat heather.sneddon@mesaaz.gov.

BETHHUNING CityEngineer

ATTEST: DeeAnnMickelsen CityClerk

Publish:EastValleyTribune;September18,25,2016/ 2255

WAITLISTOPENINGFOR HousingChoiceVoucherProgram(Section8)

TheCityofMesaHousingAuthoritywillbeacceptingpre-applicationsfortheHousingChoice VoucherProgram(Section8).Thiswillbeafullyweb-basedpre-applicationprocess.Applicationis availableinEnglishandSpanish.AllapplicantsaresubjecttoallregulationsandpoliciesgoverningCityofMesaHousingAuthority.

Whocanapply: Allfamiliesandindividualsmayapply

Howtoapply: Pre-applicationswillbeacceptedonline ONLY beginningTuesday,October11, 2016at10:00amPSTTHROUGHThursday,October13,2016at5:00pmPSTDEADLINE.

1.Completethepre-applicationonline.Theapplicationislocatedat www.mesaaz.gov/hcvwaitlist

2.Thedeadlinetocompletethepre-applicationisThursday,October13,2016by5:00pmPST

2016CityofMesaCommunityDevelopmentBlockGrantProgram SupplementalNoticeofFundingAvailability(NOFA) PublicFacilitiesandImprovementsProjects PublicNotice

TheCityofMesaDepartmentofHousingandCommunityDevelopmentDivision(HCD)ispleased toannouncetheavailabilityofapproximately$500,000infederalCommunityDevelopmentBlock Grant(CDBG)Programfundsfrompreviousyears.ThefundinghasbeenallocatedtotheCityof MesabytheU.S.Dep artmentofHousingandUrbanDevelopment(HUD)pursuanttotheHousing andCommunityDevelopmentActof1974,asamended.

ThisNOFAisapplicabletononprofitorganizations,unitsoflocalgovernment,andCityofMesaDepartmentsforthefundingofCommunityDevelopmentBlockGrant(CDBG)activitiesthatarelimitedtoeligiblePublicFacilitiesandImprovementProjects.

Thefollowingtableindicatesimportantapplicationduedates:

• 2016NOFAAvailabilityDat e:September20,2016

• 2016ApplicationDue:October10,2016at5:00p.m.,MST

• AwardAnnouncement:December19,2016

The2016CDBGNOFAwillbeavailablefordownloadfromtheHousingandCommunityDevelopmentwebpageathttp://www.mesaaz.gov/residents/housing-community-developmentonSeptember20,2016.TheapplicationdeadlineisOctober10,2016at5:00PM,MST. Anyapplications receivedafter5:00PM,MSTwillnotbeaccepted.

TheDepartmenthasscheduledtwoapplicationtrainingworkshops/publichearings.

PublicHearing#1 willbeheldonSeptember28,2016,2:00PMat theMesaSeniorCenter,247N Macdonald,Mesa,AZ.

PublicHearing#2 willbeheldduringtheMeetingoftheCityofMesaHousingandCommunity DevelopmentAdvisoryBoardonOctober6,2016atMesaCityCouncilChambers,57N.First Street,Mesa,AZ.Bothpublicmeetingsareopentothegeneralpublicandinterestedapplicants.

Thepublicmeetingswilladdressthefollowingareas:

1.PurposeofSupplementalFundinginthe2016CDBGNOFA

2.ExplanationofPublicFacilitiesand ImprovementProjectsandCDBGEligibility Requirements

3.TypesofIneligibleActivities

4.Provideguidanceandinstructionstocompletetheapplication

5.Scoringorratingandrankingcriteria

6.Awardproceduresandtimelines,and

7.AnyquestionsabouttheapplicationyouwillbesubmittingtotheDepartment.

PleasecontactthefollowingNOFAAward(CDBG)staffifyouhaveanyquestionsonthe2016CDBGNOFAandCDBGProgram:ConstanceBachman,CommunityRevitalizationSpecialist(480) 644-3364orconstance.bachman@mesaaz.gov, orDennisNewburn,(480)644-5867ordennis.newburn@mesaaz.gov

AcopyoftheAgendaforthePublicMeetingswillbeavailablebeginningonSeptember19,2016, uponrequestfromtheCityofMesaHousingandCommunityDevelopmentDepartment,20E.Main Street,Suite250,Mesa,AZ85211-1466,ormaybeviewedatthesamelocationbetweenthe hoursof7:00a.m.and6:00p.m.,MondaythroughThursday.Torequestanalternativeformatof theAgenda,orforgeneralinformation,youmaycallPatriciaPearsonat480-644-3660.

TheCityofMesaende avorstomakeallpublicmeetingsaccessibletopersonswithdisabilities.If youareapersonwithadisabilityandrequireareasonableaccommodationinordertoparticipate inprogramsandservicesofferedbytheCityofMesaHousingandCommunityDevelopmentDepartment,pleasecontactthePatriciaPearsonat480-644-3660.Hearingimpairedindividuals shouldcall711(ArizonaTDDRelay).Totheextentpossible,accommodationswillbemadewithin thetimeconstraintoftherequest,andyoumayberequiredtoprovideinformationtosupportyour reasonablerequest.

DennisNewburn September18,2016EastValleyTribune/2267

Life Events

Obituaries

MACK

, Edward Beach

89, of Mesa passed away on September 2, 2016 Born in Watertown, Conn on June 10, 1927, son of the late Harold P and Ruth Beach Mack Johnson He graduated high school in Newport, R I in 1944 and joined the U S A

Connecticut State University and was an art instructor and department chairman in the Wilton, Conn public schools for 33 years His studies and training took him to Yale University, Columbia University, University of Chicago (as a John Hay Fellow), Williams College, and the University of Bridgeport During the 1960s and '70s, Ed and his wife Jean were civil rights activists with the Congress of Racial Equality (C O R E )

After retiring to Mesa in 1994, he volunteered his time and skills for the Heard Museum Guild, the Arizona Museum of Natural History, the Mesa Arts Center, and two international organizations that sent him to Honduras and Guatemala as a design consultant to indigenous woodcarvers He was recently honored by the Arizona Natural History Museum for his 20+ years as a sculptor assisting with exhibition design As an amateur archaeologist, he worked on precolumbian sites in Connecticut, and locally at Mesa Grande and other sites of the Southwest Archaeology Team affiliated with the Arizona Natural History Museum He actively supported the Mesa Arts Center and attended classes there; he and his wife also supported the Sonoran Desert Chorale for more than 20 years

He was predeceased by his wife, Jean Baker Mack in 2009 Survivors include daughters Jan Northcutt, Lyn Mack (Larry Welty) and Wendy Mack Allred (Jeffrey) of Mesa; a sister, Audrey Mack Hall (Harold) of Phoenix; a niece and several cousins Memorial contributions may be made to: Mack Art Scholarship, Mesa Arts Center Foundation, 1 E Main St , Mesa 85201; and/or The Edward & Jean Mack Endowed Music & Art Scholars

s Mae

Delores went to be with the Lord on September

1934, in Mansfield, Ohio to Adam and Margaret Bauer and is preceded in death by her sisters

loved the Lord and had a calm and quiet spirit while being grounded in strength and courage; she was relentless in prayer and intercession

She was a master baker, loved to cook, spend time with her 10 grandchildren, and enjoyed collecting beautiful antique glass and furniture Deg Mesa High School in 1952 where she met her loving husband and high school sweetheart Phil Dana, marrying him at the age of 19 She worked for Valley National Bank and later worked for Mesa Pubic Schools in the administration offices Delores and Phil were happily married for 62 years They raised five wonderful children: Kevin Dana, Kimberly Thomas, Kristen McLaughlin, Kurtis Dana, and Kitchell Dana all of whom will survive their loving mother in death A grave side service was held on Saturday September 17th, at Mountain View Funeral Home and Cemetery One of her favorite Bible verses was Colossians 3:13 “Forgive as the Lord forgave you ” Please Sign the Guestbook at eastvalleytribune com

Employment General

Clairvoyant has openings for Software Engineers (SE) Operations Research Analysts (ORA) Chandler, AZ

SE & ORA candidates require a US Masters degree/equiv or US Bach/equiv w/ 5yrs exp SE & ORA will dsgn/dev/implement/ test applics/software/ systems using skills in J2EE/Java/XML /SQL/Unix

Email resume w/ ref no 2016-19 on front for SE position; 2016-20 for ORA position to Chandra at chandra@ clairvoyantsoft com w/ ref to ad in AZ newspaper

Software Developer Develop software using Java7+, ANTLR4, Flex, AS3, MySql, JS, HTML, Python,C, C++ MS in CS or related req 3 openings. Mail to Job loc: Massively Parallel Tech, Inc 1475 N Scottsdale Rd #200, Scottsdale, AZ 85287

HUMAC has multiple openings for Software Engineer (SE) & Operations Research Analyst (ORA) in Phoenix, AZ SE & ORA candidates reqs Masters degree/US equiv and/or bachelors degree + 5 yrs exp SE reqs skills in SQL Oracle, J2EE, JSP, SAP, JAVA, & UNIX; ORA reqs skills in WebLogic, ClearCase, Oracle, JAVA, & UNIX to analyze/dsgn/dev/ implement/test systems & applics

Email your resume to Sri at hr@humacinc com with ref no 2016-19 for SE; 2016-20 for ORA on front of resume & reference ad in East Valley Tribune

Receptionist Position PT - Animal Hospital Committed to the human-animal bond? If you have customer service experience, this is the place for you! For more information please call Heidi 480-892-7958.

Senior Consultant I Tempe, AZ: Architectural dsgn & dev of d/bases using SQL w/ focus on Business Intelligence & Big Data solution implmtns Telecommuting permitted & travel up to 50% of the time to unanticipated client sites MA in Comp Sci Eng, Eng Mgmt or related & 5 yrs exp reqd Send resumes to: Neudesic, LLC/Kevin McClelland, 100 Spectrum Center Dr, Ste 1200, Irvine, CA 92618 REF JOB CODE JD16

Professional Playground

Installers is looking to fill full time positions in their installation department, specifically commercial playground installers, concrete form setters and rubber surfacing installers Candidates should ideally have 2 years of playground installation or related construction experience, Must be willing to work in extreme heat and have a valid Arizona Drivers license

Please email your resume to Jason Meler at: jason@hesscor com

Obituaries

YOUNG, Priscilla

Priscilla passed away on July 21, 2016 in Salem, Oregon Priscilla was the oldest of 3 girls born to Louise

from Keene State Teachers College in 1955 and married Leslie Young in 1957 They relocated to Tempe, AZ in 1960 and always considered Arizona their home

forced them to move closer to family in Oregon Priscilla was pre-deceased by her parents, her sister, Eleanor McLaughlin; her daughter Debra Candioto; and spouse Les Young in 2014 She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law Linda and Harvey Prudhomme; sister and brother-in-law Mariilyn and Jim Toner son-in-law Mark Candioto and 4 grandchildren-Chance, Kelsey, Alyssa and John

You are not forgotten loved one nor will you ever be As long as life and memory last we will remember thee We miss you now, our hearts are sore As time goes by, we miss you more Your loving smile, your gentle face No one can fill your vacant place

Classifieds: Thursday 5pm for Sunday Life Events: Thursday 10am for Sunday

Employment General

IntraEdge has multiple openings for Software Engineer (SE), Operations Research Analyst (ORA), and Programmer Analyst (PA) positions at different levels in Chandler, AZ PA candidates req BS/BE degree/US equiv; ORA, SE candidates req Masters degree/US equiv and/or bachelors degree + 5 yrs exp, w/ skills in C, SQL, Oracle, J2EE, SAP, JAVA, JSP, UNIX to analyze/dsgn/dev/ implement/test systems & applics

Fax your resume to V Singh @ (866) 273-1073 with ref no 2016-19 for SE, 2016-21 for PA, or 2016-23 for ORA directly on resume & reference ad in East Valley Tribune

Drivers Needed P/T 2-3 days Mesa Area Professional Appearance Good driving record required Retirees welcome! 866-560-6245

Employment General

Janitor Position MonFri $8 05 7pm-2:30am 60th Freeway and Country Club Location (Mesa) Posicion de limpeza lunes-viernes 7pm - 2:30am

Please call / llama (602) 437-8869

PT Day Porter

$9-10/hour Main and Dobson, Mesa Monday-Friday Derrick 623-210-8719 Only serious need apply

Employment Opportunity

FIRST TWO MONTHS FREE! 2 Hair Stations for rent in Mesa Main & Greenfield. (Bring in old and new clientele) 602-999-4450

CAREGIVERS

Starting Wage $9 50 per hour! Hiring for all East Valley cities Call us today for more information or stop by our Recruitment Event:

Date: Wed , Sept 28th

Time: 9:00am - 2:00pm

Location: 1930 S Alma School Road, Mesa AZ 85210 - (ResCare HomeCare Office)

Great Caregiver Candidates:

* Are Caring & Compassionate

* Looking for Rewarding Work

* Have LIFE Experience Caring for a Loved-One and/or Currently a PROFESSIONAL Caregiver

* Would like to Give Back to the Community While Earning Income

* Seeking Part-Time & Flexible Hours

Training is Provided for FREE!

Open Caregiver Positions:

* Companions * Personal Care Attendants

* Caregivers with Habilitation Experience a plus For more details please call: Robin or Carol at 480-491-1140

www.ResCareHomeCare.com

Employment General Merch andise

SFM, LLC, d/b/a Sprouts Farmers Market - Senior Data Scientist in Phoenix, Arizona

Expected to engage in sophisticated marketing and merchandise planning analysis including development of predictive models for driving better decisions on buying, pricing, promotions effectiveness, revenue management, marketing, supply chain, and operations Master's degree in Operations Research, Statistics, Industrial Engineering or related field 3 yrs exp with the following: quantitative & model implementation, designing & developing algorithms for supply chain management, incl working w/statistical software (including R & Python,), machine learning packages; optimization software, XML and SQL; and w/algorithmic prototyping, data visualization, forecasting, development of predictive models using simulation software & machine learning algorithms, and/or optimization routines

All women are invited to a Bible study and discussion of how the lessons can relate to our current lives Every lady brings something different to the group and learns from each other to get to know new friends Sun Lakes United Church Of Christ, Sun Lakes Country Club Chapel Center, 9230 Sun Lakes Blvd , Sun Lakes. Info: Jan Olson, 480-802-7457 or Joy King, 480-588-1882