Gilbert Sun News 02-19-2023

Spring Training season begins

Rail ban back on track for Council showdown

Passenger rail is back on track for Gilbert Council.

A proposed ordinance banning the town from participating or spending taxpayers’ dollars on commuter rail and light rail is resurrected for possible action this Tuesday.

“I don’t want light rail,” Councilman Chuck Bongiovanni said last week. “It’s underutilized from what I’ve seen in Mesa.”

Bongiovanni joined with Council members Jim Torgeson and Bobbi Buchli in requesting the ordinance be put on the agenda. Torgeson and Buchli also oppose pas-

Gilbert districts still have millions in COVID funds

Summer school, computers and one-time stipends are some of the items Gilbert Public Schools and Higley Uni ed plan to fund with the remainder of their federal pandemic relief money, according to the Arizona Auditor General.

e Auditor General’s special report looked

see COVID page 6

senger rail services for Gilbert.

Bongiovanni said that light rail doesn’t t with Gilbert’s landscape, adding that the Town has no say with Amtrak’s planned expansion of intercity passenger rail.

Two years ago, Amtrak announced a 15year plan to connect up to 160 communities in over 25 states, including providing train trips between Phoenix and Tucson.

Exactly when that service might commence or the station placements are not yet known. According to an Amtrak spokeswoman, the decision on nal station locations will be made at the local level and discussed by stakeholders.

e ordinance also would prevent Gil-

bert from assessing a tax or fee for designing, planning, building, operating or maintaining commuter or light rail.

e ordinance was rst discussed last year in study session but when it reached the council for action, then-council members Laurin Hendrix and Aimee Yentes, who spearheaded the measure, raised concerns that the version before them was water-downed.

Council tabled the item, allowing Hendrix, Yentes and Councilman Kathy Tilque to work on a compromise to bring back to the Council in November for consideration, which never happened.

see TRAIN page 8

Very special Valentines

First-grader Emma Munoz-Fuentes, 6, was among the students in Gilbert Elementary School’s Kindness & Service Club who were joined by staff and family in hanging up Valentine posters around the Heritage District Feb. 10. “Hopefully, a ripple effect will start with this one act of kindness,” said Jenni FeidlerAguilar, an art teacher and coadvisor with the club. Feidler-Aguilar started the club with fellow teachers Kim Figueroa and Reyna Fuentes.

(David Minton/GSN Staff Photographer)

Gilbert lawmaker makes impassioned plea for kids’ mental health

As he appeared Feb. 14 before the state House Education Committee, state Rep. Travis Grantham bluntly told members that he wasn’t happy last year when he was assigned to the task force on teen mental health that had brought him before them.

“In the last session, I was asked to serve on an ad hoc committee dealing with teen mental health,” the Gilbert Republican told his colleagues. “And to be honest with you, I didn’t want to. But once I got on the committee and I understood how important of an issue this is, I changed my mind.”

Grantham had been appointed with then-state Rep. Joanne Osborne, R-Goodyear, to co-chair a committee that would “take a substantive look into the issues and causes a ecting teen mental health, including substance abuse, depression, and suicide, and

State Rep. Travis Grantham, R-Gilbert, implored the House Education Committee to approve the first of three bills he has submitted to improve state and local response to the worsening teen mental crisis in Arizona. (Arizona Legislature)

to identify potential solutions and improvements.”

From September through November, that panel – comprising police, school

o cials and various medical experts –heard at times gut-wrenching testimony about the rising incidents of drug overdoses, substance abuse, suicides and

attempted suicides among teenagers in Arizona.

at panel produced 23 recommendations and Grantham in the committee’s rst meeting warned members and the audience they shouldn’t get their hopes up.

Grantham warned the panel and people in the audience against unrealistic hopes for the committee’s work.

“ ere was an understanding that while mental health can be addressed and can be changed and for the better,” he said, “it’s like steering a ship: you turn the wheel and over time, the ship slowly starts to move, hopefully, in the right direction. It’s not an overnight x.”

And though he echoed those cautionary remarks in the task force’s nal meeting in December, he appeared before the House committee last week as a crusader.

“I heard stories that quite honestly

see MENTAL page 13

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Ocotillo Bridge adding $3.9M in design costs

Town Council is expected on Tuesday to approve an additional $3.9 million to complete the engineering design of a bridge over the 272-acre Gilbert Regional Park that would connect Ocotillo Road between Green eld and Higley roads.

Kimley-Horn has already been paid $1.8 million to provide a partial set of design plans. e item is on the consent agenda and would bring the total cost for the design to $5.8 million.

“ e increase in design is included in the project’s budget,” said spokeswoman Jennifer Snyder in an email. “ e design work is estimated to be approx. 4-5% of construction costs.”

Snyder said last August that the Town’s design budget was approximately $4.7 million and that Kimley-Horn’s total contract amount was expected to stay within that budgeted amount. Last week, Snyder explained the 23.4% increase. stating:

“ e budget of 4.7 million was based o a 16-month design duration. Due to the complexity and the level of e ort it takes on this type of project, the design has been extended to 24 months which has increased the schedule and budget.”

e adjustment, or change order, to the original contract will have Kimley-Horn provide nal and post design services through the end of the project.

“It is common to approach the design process with one or more contracts initiated at de ned milestones to safeguard the town’s interests as the project progresses,” Snyder said. “ e original contract was intended to only go to the 30% design. e change order on council will take their contract from 30% to nal design and through construction.”

ing a multi-modal roadway, analyzing the need for tra c signal modi cations, planning for future trails and relocating the 69kV overhead power lines.

Last year the Town said the total budget for the Ocotillo Bridge and the roadway improvements was $79 million with $66 million for the construction.

Snyder didn’t say if that budget is expected to increase due to in ation and supply-chain issues that have been driving up construction costs on numerous municipal and school projects throughout the Valley.

“ e project team continues to collect information on how market volatility is impacting this project,” she said. “Project costs will continue to be re ned as design progresses.

e project is funded out of the $515-million transportation and infrastructure bond that voters approved in November 2021.

the shade structures. e only portion that will feature the design concept will be the main section located over the future phase of Gilbert Regional Park.

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e bridge incorporates four structures spanning the existing water channels at the park. e 545-foot-long span will have four travel lanes along with bicycle lanes and pedestrian pathways on both sides, according to the Town.

e Ocotillo extension project also included a roadway alignment, design-

According to the Town, connecting Ocotillo Road will mean faster response times for police and re in the southern portion of Gilbert. A re station is located on Ocotillo Road less than a quarter mile from where it ends.

But some residents have taken issue with the bridge’s cost.

Four designs – all having lights for nighttime display –were trotted out in spring 2022 for public feedback. e Palo Verde concept was picked and was undergoing further revisions such as to

One woman at a council meeting last fall called it a “Disneyland-style bridge” while dozens of people on social media have criticized spending on the bridge, calling it a waste of taxpayer dollars.

According to the Town, this area of Gilbert is unique as it connects communities through multiple modes of travel and extends through the future phase of the Regional Park, a destination spot for local residents as well as national and international travelers.

Snyder said construction of the full bridge project is estimated to begin in fall 2024, adding, “Preliminary work to relocate some utilities... has already been started.”

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at the total COVID-19 funding districts and charter schools in the state got and how they spent and will spend their awards.

“Districts and charters reported spending just over $2.2 billion, or 48 percent, of their nearly $4.6 billion allocated relief monies through June 30, 2022,” the report said, adding that the state Department of Education “identi ed spending priorities for its discretionary relief monies, of which it had $321.7 million, or 79 percent, yet to spend/distribute as of June 30, 2022.”

Gilbert Public School received a total of $56.7 million and has $15.2 million left to spend, according to the report.

HUSD received a total of $15.4 million in CARES money, including $7.8 million in ESSER III funding.

e Auditor General report shows Chandler Uni ed through June 30 spent $54.3 million of the $85.8 million it received.

But Gilbert Public Schools spokeswoman Dawn Antestenis said the amount left over was actually about $11.2 million because GPS will have to return $4 million.

Antestenis pointed out that the district’s funding includes all the CARES Act funding such as the Governor’s Education Plus-UP Grant Program, the Governor’s 100 Day Grant and the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund, or ESSER.

“GPS was just noti ed that only EPU and 100 Day Grant monies spent by Dec. 31, 2022 would be reimbursed,” Antestenis said.

She added that around $500,000 in EPU monies and most of the 100 Day grant funding was expected to be returned.

“To date, about $1 million of the set-aside monies in ESSER III have been spent or are intended to be spent during the spring break intersession and summer school with the remaining set-aside monies going to curriculum materials and on-demand tutoring,” Antestenis said.

“Anything left will be held for 2024 summer school as the grant ends Sept. 30, 2024.”

ESSER III required school districts to set aside a minimum 20% of their nal allo-

cations to address learning loss stemming from the school closures and remote learning that occurred during the pandemic.

GPS’ total ESSER III award was $22 million. e district has about 31,800 students and 39 campuses.

“ e remaining ESSER III monies of about $6.3 million are designated for computers and one-time stipends to be paid in June,” according to Antestenis.

According to the report, GPS through June 30, 2022 spent $42 million in federal relief money.

e expenditure included $35 million for stipends, salaries and bene ts, $1.7 million for curriculum and educational programs, $1.1 million for technology and $2.7 million for food services.

Higley Uni ed had $4.2 million remaining, according to the report. Some of the planned spending included free summer school and instructional software.

e district has about 12,700 students and 16 schools.

e district set aside $1.6 million of that third allotment for learning-loss initiatives such as tutoring, a phonics program and additional counselors.

Its uses of ESSER III included $1.4 million to upgrade the HVAC system district wide, according to HUSD.

HUSD’s $11.2 million in expenditures

through June 2022 included $2.2 million for salaries and bene ts, $515,000 for technology, $318,233 for curriculum and education programs and $113,000 for transportation costs, according to the report.

Overall, districts and charters in the state spent just over $528.4 million on new salaries and bene ts with $137.4 million or 26% spent going toward adding positions for other than an increase in student head count and $176 million or 33% for extra duty pay to existing sta .

Other reported new costs included almost $204 million or 24% spent for technology.

e report also included Arizona Department of Education’s spending and planned future spending.

Between March 2020 and June 2022, the department received a total of $405.9 million in relief monies, of which $225 million was categorized as administrative and discretionary monies.

Another $180.9 million was required set-aside monies for statewide strategic projects and investments that support schools’ recovery needs and increase learning opportunities for students.

e department reported spending $84.2 million or 21% of its discretionary relief monies through June 2022 with

most of this spending – $37.7 million –going to districts and charters for additional relief funding.

e millions of dollars allocated to schools, districts and the state education department came about after Congress passed three separate COVID-19 federal relief packages in 2020 and 2021.

e report included three ndings and recommendations

“Our rst nding found that Statewide, districts and charters reported that they plan to spend $1.1 billion of remaining relief monies, which expire in 2024, for ongoing expenses to maintain operations,” it said, recommending “they develop plans for their operational needs supported by these monies.”

e report also said “that numerous districts and charters failed to comply with statutory relief monies spending reporting requirements designed to ensure necessary data is available for this report and to increase nancial transparency.

So the other two ndings are based on “statutory nancial reporting requirements.”

One nding told districts to report their COVID spending “in the format and manner prescribed by the required deadline to ensure transparent reporting and the availability of complete and accurate nancial information for decision-makers, other key stakeholders, and the public.”

It also said 89 districts and charters “reported fund balance information that appears inconsistent when compared to other self-reported nancial information.”

Moreover, the report said, “58 districts and charters reported relief monies spending in addition to or instead of state and local monies that appears inconsistent with their reported fund balance increase or decrease.”

It therefore recommended that those districts submit more complete reporting and increase transparency of information available and indicated state auditors would be following up to ensure compliance.

Bongiovanni said that he hoped enough council members would join in passing the ordinance.

“ ey wrote the ordinance and they tabled it,” he said. “ ey were in support enough to write it.”

e whole issue of passenger rail blew up last spring as the council considered spending $288,760 on a study to site a transit station downtown and in the Cooley Station neighborhood.

According to sta , a transit center for Cooley Station has been in the works for over two decades. e centers would not only serve as a hub for commuter rail and intercity rail but other modes of transportation such as bus, bicycle and rideshare.

Yentes led the charge in opposing the study and later drummed up public opposition to passenger rail, hosting two forums on the issue in Gilbert and in Queen Creek.

Residents then began showing up at council meetings, claiming that rail service would increase crime, taxes and

homelessness in Gilbert.

Council postponed formal action on the study until this year and let the new members help decide the issue.

According to the mayor at the time, the town has no plans to extend light rail into Gilbert.

Torgeson, Bongiovanni and Buchli also have requested that the council revisit the Ocotillo Road widening project. Under Town code, the mayor or three council members are needed in order to request an issue be put on an agenda.

e trio are now exing their political muscle after taking o ce in January.

ey were an alternative to the status quo for voters in last year’s election that saw a sitting councilman and a former councilman fall at the ballot box.

e road widening project is on Tuesday’s agenda for discussion only.

“ ere are always other options,” Bongiovanni said. “I’d just like to see the other options and dive into it a bit more.”

Widening of Ocotillo Road from 148th Street to Green eld Road will take land from 46 property owners, most of whom live on unincorporated county land, un-

der sta ’s recommendation.

Gilbert sta says 130 feet of right-ofway – 65 feet on each side of Ocotillo Road from its center – is needed in order to upgrade the two-lane roadway into four travel lanes, a center-turn lane, sidewalks, bike lanes and a multipurpose trail.

Two county-island residents spoke Feb. 7 in favor of bringing the project back for discussion.

Terri Naddy for one has always thought that the project can be done with less impact to the surrounding homeowners.

“I am logical, probably to a fault but I’m not an engineer,” she told council.

“Yet, I’ve managed to accumulate a bunch of research on roads and widths, sidewalks and angles and safety and all kinds of fun stu .”

She said sta ’s presentation of the widening project to council in August showed “no creativity,” unlike the options presented to them for a project to x aging pipes.

Originally, sta recommended taking property from 24 homeowners to do the project but council eventually chose a

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less intrusive option – acquiring land at six manhole locations instead.

“I have a lot of ideas,” Naddy said. “I just want to be heard.”

Rich Robertson backed his neighbor, saying, “We don’t believe that the other options have been given any kind of legitimate consideration and we’d like to see that done.”

He said although Council last year directed sta to look at other design options, none of the a ected residents were consulted.

“Instead the sta reported back directly to the council that after considering those various options the only viable one was the one that they started with,” he said; “the one that they had already chosen.

“ ere has been no meaningful dialog about the design options. is has been a one-way street.”

If you go

What: Gilbert Town Council meeting

When: 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, Feb 21

Where: 50 E. Civic Center Drive

New uncertainty looms over MAG gas tax extension

State lawmakers are moving to wrest control of transportation planning from local o cials to instead represent their own political philosophies. And now the question is whose vision among all those lawmakers should take e ect.

Strictly speaking, the debate on SB 1122 deals with whether Maricopa County voters will get a chance to extend a half-cent sales tax for transportation projects for another 20 years.

at can happen only with permission of the Republican-controlled Legislature. And several GOP lawmakers said they will give the go-ahead only if the amount set aside for mass transit is reduced from current levels – and if absolutely none of that goes to fund light rail.

For the moment, the 4-3 vote on Feb. 13 to kill SB 1122 by the Senate Committee on Transportation and Technology

quashes any future election.

e Maricopa levy is set to expire in 2025 unless lawmakers give the goahead for an election.

Last week’s debate and vote show that any county that wants to fund transit projects will get the necessary legislative approval to ask their own voters for approval only if the plan complies with how state lawmakers agree how the money should be spent.

And that has become tainted by political philosophies, including a speci c bias toward roads at the expense of mass transit and light rail in particular.

Sen. Frank Carroll, R-Sun City, has backed a broader approach with continued funding for alternatives to freeway construction.

at’s the plan prepared by and backed by the Maricopa Association of Governments, made up of elected ofcials of all area cities, tribes and the urban areas of the Maricopa and Pima counties.

But Sen. Jake Ho man, R-Queen Creek, rejected that as being driven by “nudge theory.’’

“It’s a tactic the Left likes to use called ‘choice architecture,’ ‘’ he said, essentially forcing people to accept the policies desired by those setting the rules.

Ho man said that’s what’s happening under President Biden by shutting down the Keystone Pipeline, curtailing o shore drilling and refusing to renew some lease permits for drilling in Alaska.

“ e Left is making a concerted e ort to drive up the cost of gas,’’ he argued, to advance its agenda of reducing driving and emissions.

But Carroll, who supports more money for mass transit – and even sponsored a bill continuing dollars for light rail – said while that may be true, it’s also irrelevant. He said the gas prices are a reality for taxpayers.

“ ey’ve still got to get to work, they’ve still got to get to places,’’ Carroll said. And that, he said, makes it logical to assume that ridership on mass transit will increase with higher gas prices.

e more over-arching question is whether lawmakers, being pushed by groups like the Home Builders Association of Central Arizona whose members are developing housing projects farther from the county’s urban core, know better than local elected o cials what their constituents want.

Avondale Mayor Kenn Weise, who chairs MAG, acknowledged that not every community bene ts from each part of the regionally developed plan. For example, he said, his residents would not be aided by light rail which doesn’t extend into Avondale. But he said the plan was unanimously adopted after “extensive public input’’ as being the best for all concerned.

In fact, state lawmakers agreed last year to put that on the ballot. But that was

quashed when then-Gov. Doug Ducey vetoed even letting the issue go to voters.

at resulted in this year’s new and sharply modi ed plan, with more of the share going to pavement.

What the Legislature wants to do, Weise said, is override the locally adopted plan with its own priorities and those of “special interests,’’ meaning groups who would bene t nancially by nancing more road-construction rather than transit.

MAG wants lawmakers to simply give voters a chance to approve the plan it created, the votes that adopted the tax and the rst 20-year plan in 1985 and its renewal in 2005.

Weise rejected Ho man’s suggestion of two separate votes: One on road construction and the other on mass transit. at, he said, would destroy the idea of having a plan where everyone recognizes the needs of the larger community.

He said that’s what enabled the MAG plan to include money for extension of State Route 24 in Ho man’s district even though his own residents might otherwise have wanted dollars for a new State Route 30 to funnel tra c into his own area of the county.

Ho man and some other lawmakers also want to insert other political elements before giving local voters permission to vote on transit funding.

For example, he wants to say that projects cannot be developed to t “demand management’’ policies to reduce vehicle miles traveled. And he said he is not bothered if that means giving up federal dollars, a large share of transit funding that the state and counties receive.

e committee’s vote leaves in limbo the question of whether Maricopa County voters will get a chance to enact or extend existing taxes for their transportation plans if they do not meet with approval of a majority of lawmakers.

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AG probing local supermarket chains’ merger

Attorney General Kris Mayes is investigating whether to try to block the proposed merger of the state’s two largest grocery chains.

Mayes said Thursday she wants to know what will be the effects of allowing the combination of Kroger Co., the parent of Smith’s and Fry’s Foods, with Albertsons Companies, which operates not just stores under its own name but purchased Safeway and all the stores that company owned in 2015.

It starts, she said, with whether that combination will be able to drive up prices for consumers who already are suffering under high inflation.

“The impacts of this merger, in particular at a time when people are struggling to pay for groceries and prices are high, could be huge,’’ she said.

Then there’s the question of whether the merged company will close stores,

forcing some people to travel farther. And Mayes wants to know how all of this would affect the 35,000 workers now employed by both.

Much of that, she said, will come from “listening sessions’’ her office will conduct to hear what Arizonans think of the deal and how it will affect them.

Mayes is not the only one looking at the deal announced last year.

The Federal Trade Commission is conducting an inquiry into the $24.6 billion deal where Kroger would purchase its competitor while a group of consumers has filed suit in California to block the deal.

Mayes is focused more on what the combination of the two giants would mean here. In fact, she told Capitol Media Services that, on a per capita basis, the merger will have a greater effect on Arizonans than any other state.

State law forbids any “contract, combination or conspiracy by two or more persons in restraint of, or to monopo-

lize trade or commerce.’’

What Mayes said she needs to study is whether what the two grocery giants are doing, at least in Arizona, meets that definition.

“The people of Arizona have important input to make here, people who live in the neighborhoods where a Fry’s or a Safeway or a Smith’s could be shut down,’’ she said.

That goes not just to the question of whether the combined operation, no longer competing for customers with each other, would be free to raise prices. Mayes said that decisions by the new company to shutter some of the stores could mean much longer drives to get food.

But she said it isn’t just the people shopping there who might be affected.

“We’re going to be getting input from the dairy operators in Arizona and the farmers and cattle growers who are worried about the reduction in competition in Arizona and the reduction

in the number of outlets for their products,’’ Mayes said.

The attorney general said she also wants to look at how many workers at the two companies will end up unemployed if the deal goes through.

A spokesman for Albertsons said there would be no comment about Mayes’ investigation. Kroger, in a statement, said the merger ``provides meaningful, measurable benefit to all stakeholders, including lowering prices, providing more choices and establishing a more competitive alternative to large, non-union retailers.’’

That last comment is in reference to Walmart, though not all Kroger stores are unionized.

But on a website set up by the two chains, Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen said the deal will “deliver superior value to customers, associates, communities and shareholders.’’

see GROCERY page 17

MENTAL from page 3

made me want to cry and formed a new appreciation for the folks who are the professionals in this industry who work so hard to try to solve these problems and the people who deal with this on a day-to-day basis,” he said.

A tragedy also struck closer to home for Grantham.

A female sophomore at a Gilbert private school died by suicide only a day earlier.

“We had an incident in my own district just a couple days ago where a young woman (died by) suicide and it set the school in a crisis mode,” Grantham told the committee.

“And I’m sure it’s a ected a lot of her friends and the people who knew her. And every time a student or a young person does that, we lose tremendously and it’s devastating,” he said.

“I can’t tell you that this legislation will change the social aspect of the family or whatever might be weighing on these people that are choosing to go down this road or having mental health issues, but

at least it provides the opportunity for help to be there at the push of a button.”

e legislation he was referring to was the rst – and probably easiest – of three bills he has led to help push Arizona into a more proactive response to a crisis that has been aggravated by pandemic school closures, social media, bullying and other peer pressures.

He won when the committee voted to send to the House a measure that would allow school districts to develop or buy an app that would enable students to anonymously report safety issues ranging from self-harm to threats against students and receive anonymous clinical support 24/7.

e app also would provide students and parents with resources on mental health, bullying and substance abuse issues. It does not require districts to provide such an app but rather clears any administrative hurdles that might be preventing one from being o ered, Grantham stressed.

Grantham’s other bills would create a teen mental health program within the state Department of Health Services and

provide a so-far unspeci ed amount of money to fund its operation.

Such a program – which Osborne suggested could be funded with some of the $14 million Arizona will receive from the settlement of its lawsuit against Juul for a marketing campaign that led millions of children and teen into vaping addictions – could help pay for school district programs like the app.

Grantham’s bill would empower DHS to also pay school districts and nonprofits for training on mental health rst aid, youth resiliency and substance abuse for sta , parents and peers.

It also would require the Health Services Department to make an annual report on projects it funded and the outcomes it achieved.

Grantham’s appearance also comes on the heels of a Chandler Uni ed School District report that disclosed 395 district students had considered suicide since July – and those are just the ones that o cials know about.

Before the House committee took its unanimous vote, Osborne also addressed the crisis, noting that Grantham,

a major in the Arizona Air National Guard, knows all too well about the “horrendous” suicide rate among military veterans in the United States. e Guard uses the app the committee voted on to the full House.

She then cited a new report by the Centers of Disease Control last week that said 57% of adolescent girls “feel persistently sad or hopeless.”

“ at’s the highest rate in a decade and 30% said they have seriously considered dying by suicide, a percentage that has risen by nearly 60% over the past 10 years,” Osborne said.

“We have a crisis. It’s not an answer from one bill. It’s not an answer from one organization or one group or one teacher. It’s all of us. As parents, it’s our churches. It’s our schools. It’s our communities. We’ve got to recognize this because our kids don’t have ve years for us to wake up as adults and say we got a problem here.

“It’s at our doorstep right now. And it’s a ecting every one of our districts. ere is no social, economic or whatever to it. Kids are having trouble.”

2023 FILM FESTIVAL

Budding Gilbert scientist vies for national honor

faster and nd patterns with greater accuracy while using less data.

Joshua Shunk is a scientist in the making.

During the pandemic, the 18-yearold Gilbert resident designed a computer program that could look at chest x-rays and predict if patients had COVID-19 or pneumonia.

For his work, Joshua is one of 40 nalists in the Regeneron Science Talent Search for 2023, the nation’s oldest and most prestigious science and math competition for high school seniors. Shunk is the only Arizona student chosen for the competition.

e nalists come from 34 schools, including one home school, in 14 states.

Joshua studied “regularizers,” which are tools that gently guide algorithms to look for the right kinds of patterns.

For his project, the teenager developed a variant of an existing regularizer that he called “neuron-speci c dropout.”

e Perry High School senior’s variant works especially well on networks that nd patterns in images, allowing them to train

A national jury of professional scientists picked Joshua and the other nalists based on their projects’ scienti c rigor and their potential to become world-changing scienti c leaders.

e scholars were chosen from a pool of 1,949 entrants, representing 627 high schools in 48 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and four countries.

“Inspiring and equipping the brightest minds to take on the world’s most pressing issues is one of the most important ways we can ensure the scienti c advancements necessary to better our society,” said Dr. George Yancopoulos, co-founder, president and chief scienti c o cer of Regeneron in a released statement.

“We know the future is bright for these young scientists and are excited to see the positive impact they will make.”

e nalists will participate in a week-long competition in March, competing for over $1.8 million in awards.

e top 10 Regeneron Science Talent Search 2023 winners will be announced during an awards ceremony on March 14, streamed live from Washington, D.C.

In total, over $3 million in awards will

be distributed throughout the Regeneron Science Talent Search, according to the release. e nalists are each awarded at least $25,000, and the top 10 awards range from $40,000 to $250,000.

Finalists are allowed to use their award prize money solely for educational purposes and can choose for those funds to be released directly to their college or university. is is not the rst Joshua has garnered recognition for this accomplishments.

Last year at the International Science and Engineering Fair, he won rst place in his category Robotics and Intelligent Machines. He also won a special award, the Dudley R. Herschbach SIYSS award, which included an all-expense-paid trip to the Stockholm International Youth Science Seminar and attendance to the Nobel Prize award ceremony in Sweden.

When Joshua isn’t busy with his academic pursuits, he’s on the ice.

He is the team captain of the Varsity Di-

see SCIENCE page 17

Higley High senior wins DAR chapter essay contest

AHigley High senior won recognition from the Daughters of the American Revolution Desert Wells Chapter for her essay on a female poet’s impact on the American Revolution.

Lexy Meyers, 18, won the American History High School Essay contest for her essay on Phillis Wheatley, an African American female poet who wrote anti-slavery poetry during the Revolution.

Her most impactful work was a poem written in 1776 about George Washington in which she encouraged him to continue the ght for American independence.

Lexy, the daughter of Aaron and Marisa Meyers, will receive a medal, certicate and a gift card during Higley High’s May 15 awards ceremony.

“While there were many heroes in the American Revolution, many people, speci cally woman and people of

color were overlooked, but still greatly important and impactful,” Lexy wrote.

“Her impact on the American Revolutionary period is directly linked to her commitment to abolitionism, or the end of slavery.”

She recalled how Wheatly was kidnapped from West Africa, and brought as a slave in 1761 to Boston where she was purchased by John Wheatley for a personal servant to his wife.

ough sickly and still assigned to household duties, Wheatley also was educated and eventually started writing poems.

“’ e White eld Elegy’ brought Wheatley national success, it was published in a pamphlet in Boston, Newport and Philadelphia. e poem is about the death of George White eld, who was a prominent English Anglican preacher,” Lexy wrote.

“Both Americans and Europeans were impressed by the power of Wheatly’s writing. However, because of Wheatley’s

skill, she was immediately put under speculation that her work was not done by her and that an enslaved woman

could not produce such vibrant and impactful poetry.

“Wheatley was brought in front of a panel in October of 1772, and it was ruled that she was the true author.”

Freed in 1774, Wheatley corresponded with abolitionists and used her poetry to attack slavery.

“ e major themes of this time were reason, morality, and order,” Lexy wrote. “Wheatley was focusing on morality in her poem, because she was encouraging General Washington to continue as well as wanting to encourage the troops to continue ghting because their morals were important to ght for.

“Wheatley’s entire purpose of writing this poem is to encourage Washington to continue his ght even if it gets dicult, because similar to Wheatley’s ght for abolitionism, you cannot just give up.”

Wheatley died in childbirth at age 31 and only about 70 pieces of her work survived a house re, Lexy discovered.

vision I ice hockey team and has won two all-academic awards and an all-state honor through the Arizona High School Hockey Association. His parents are Susan and Benjamin Shunk.

“I am certain these extraordinary students will be following in the footsteps of our many accomplished alumni who are the forefront of breakthrough discoveries,” said Maya Ajmera, president and CEO of Society for Science and the executive publisher of its magazine, “Science News.”

Since 1942, the Science Talent Search has recognized 24,511 nalists and scholars who have received over $34 million in awards as they launch their college careers.

Many of the participants have gone on to distinguished careers and over 100 of them have received the world’s most distinguished science and math honors, including the Nobel Prize, National Medal of Science, Fields Medal, MacArthur Foundation Fellowship and Breakthrough Prize.

It also claims that after the deal is closed, Kroger will invest $500 million to lower prices, $1.3 billion into Albertsons stores “to enhance the customer experience,’’ and $1 billion “to continue raising associate wages and comprehensive benefits.’’

Mayes said she wants details. Beyond that, she wants to hear not just from the corporations who will be getting questioned by her investigators, but from those living in the affected communities.

“I think there’s value involved in bringing to light what this potential merger means to the state of Arizona and offering a forum for Arizonans to express what it means to them,’’ she said. “We’re talking about neighborhoods that could experience the closure of a grocery store, entire communities that might have to drive 100 miles or more to get to a grocery store, and potentially the layoff of thousands of people.”

That gets into one of the details that

Mayes wants and could affect any decision on whether there would be violations of Arizona’s antitrust laws.

In its announcement, the retailers said they are willing to divest up to 650 of the stores to overcome regulatory concerns. None of the possible locations have been announced.

But even if that happens, that is no guarantee the stores will stay open.

When Albertsons bought Safeway, it agreed to sell 146 stores to Haggen, a regional grocer. But Haggen eventually went bankrupt and Albertson’s bought back many of the stores.

Then there’s the question of whether anyone would be willing to buy the stores the new company is willing to shed, what with the possibility they are likely to offer up those which are least profitable.

If a buyer can’t be found for the stores the new company is willing to sell, there is an offer to create a spinoff, still owned by Albertsons shareholders, which would operate independently and compete with the newly merged operation.

The merger – and whether it violates state antitrust laws – isn’t occurring in a vacuum that also needs to be considered is what competition would remain in Arizona.

Bashas’ operates 118 stores, mostly in Arizona.

Mayes said these will be conducted in the next few months, with her office probably having to make a decision on what action to take, if any, within six months. That should still be enough time to intercede given that the two companies are looking to finalize the deal sometime in 2024.

“I think there’s value involved in bringing to light what this potential merger means to the state of Arizona and offering a forum for Arizonans to express what it means to them.”

Gilbert theater presents high-comedy farce

It’s a play that goes wrong in every sense of the word, but the mishaps, setbacks and mistakes come together to deliver high comedy in “ e Play that Goes Wrong: High School Edition.”

Fresh o Broadway, the smash-hit farce is presented by Limelight Performing Arts in Gilbert.

With a cast of 13 teenagers, Limelight is the rst theater in the state to present “ e Play that Goes Wrong: High School Edition.” Performances are Feb. 24-March 5 at Limelight’s Artspace eatre in Gilbert.

“ e hardest part for me in this show is trying not to laugh on stage,” said Kaitlyn Woodward, 16, of Gilbert, who plays the role of Chris. “Every character has a funny role and it is so hard not to break character

see LIMELIGHT page 21

Trilogy quilt and car shows slated Saturday

The Quilting Club at Trilogy at Power Ranch is ready with its colorful annual show.

is year, the Quilt Show and Country Store will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 25 at the 55+ community, 4369 East Village Parkway. Gilbert. Quilt prices range from $2-$175 and proceeds bene t area charities. Admission is free.

“ ere is joy in creating things for others, knowing that someone is bene tting from this while we have the camaraderie of sewing with others,” said Joanne Amico, club co-president.

Quilts on display include Linda Egner’s Arizona State Fair Blue Ribbon winner. In addition, there will be quilted kitchen items, infant and children’s apparel, linens and other o erings.

“Members generally have a large presence in the shows, but this year will be somewhat limited,” Amico said.

On-going renovations to the regular venue, the Trilogy Ballroom, are prompting the club to spread merchandise across several rooms and limit the number of quilts on show. Some merchandise will be set up outside.

Also scheduled Saturday is the car show that the Trilogy Community Association started running alongside the

Sailor and historian

U.S. Navy Airman James Hoy of Gilbert, who is assigned to the USS Constitution, earned his basic interpretive historian qualification and received the command ball cap. The Constitution is the world’s oldest commissioned warship afloat and played a crucial role in the Barbary Wars and the War of 1812, actively defending sea lanes from 1797 to 1855. During normal operations, the active-duty sailors stationed aboard USS Constitution provide free tours and offer public visitation to more than 600,000 people a year.

(U.S. Navy)

Natural Gas Safety

Wherever you live, work, or play.

natural gas lines

can be buried anywhere, even in areas where homes don’t use natural gas. So it’s important that EVERYONE knows how to recognize and respond to a natural gas leak, wherever they are.

A leak may be present if you:

SMELL:

a distinct sulfur-like odor, similar to rotten eggs, even if it’s faint or momentary.

IF YOU SUSPECT A LEAK

HEAR: a hissing or roaring coming from the ground, above-ground pipeline, or natural gas appliance.

SEE: dirt or water blowing into the air, unexplained dead or dying grass or plants, or standing water continuously bubbling.

• E xit the area or building immediately. Tell others to evacuate and leave doors open.

From a safe place, call 911 and Southwest Gas at 877-860-6020, day or night, whether you’re a customer or n ot. A Southwest Gas representative will be there as soon as possible.

• Don’t smoke or use matches or lighters.

Don’t turn on or off electrical switches, thermostats, or appliance controls; or do anything that could cause a spark.

Don’t start or stop an engine, or use automated (garage) doors.

For more information about natural gas safety visit swgas.com/safety or call 877-860-6020

life.

QUILTS from page 18

quilt show four years ago.

“We started this so the women could go to the quilt show and the men could go to the car show and they would both be happy,” said Robin Crawford, lifestyle director at Trilogy. “However, it seems the women like the car show as much as the men.”

is year’s showcase will include a 1929 Ford Model A Roadster, 1939 Graham Sharknose, 1948 Chevrolet Woodie Convertible and 1930 Ford Model A Coupe among the older models. Basking in a shiny new glow are a 2018 Ferrari 488 and a 2023 Chevrolet Corvette C* Stingray Convertible.

DJ Laurence the Brit will play music from the 1950s-70s and the Tennis Club will sell hot dogs.

Creating the quilts is labor-intensive, but club members do not seem to mind.

Drawing from the 2,035 homes in the community, the club has an active membership pushing 60, plus 13 retired members known as “friends of quilters” who extend a hand now and then.

Many reside in Gilbert during the winter and leave for their home states in the summer but continue sewing there and bring the items back when they return.

“We sew all year round with full time Trilogy members, often in the air-conditioned San Tan room and studio working all summer,” Amico said.

Mondays are special.

“ at’s charity sewing day, when we open a larger adjacent room to accommodate the active sewing group which is generally 15 to 20 members, with others layering quilts, using the longarm to quilt and possible others organizing upcoming projects or keeping the fabric organized,” Amico said.

Fabric and supplies are often donated, but purchased as needed.

“Members often share fabrics from their ‘stash’ and feel good about it,” Amico said. “At least twice a year, ladies ll up cars and head o to the charities with donations, vote on money to be given to other charities and feel so fullled knowing they had a part in making it all possible.”

Some of the bene tted charities are Sunshine Acres, Arizona Kids, Lutheran Social Services, New Life Pregnancy, Saint Mary’s Food Bank, Band of Angels, and TPR Foundation, which provides meals on wheels and lock boxes for houses with elderly residents.

Amico, who has shared her club president duties with Jean Perin for two years and with Linda Coll for a year earlier, said she has been quilting since she was 12.

She sewed clothes rst for herself and then later for her children and grandchildren.

She began quilting with the Trilogy group about seven years ago, often

learning new techniques.

“While there are obviously overlapping skills, I had to learn new techniques, experience how to organize fabric for a quilt and then the nishing of a quilt,” she said. “ e club has a longarm quilting machine which I eagerly learned how to use. One day, someone brought in an embroidery machine and I jumped at the chance to learn it.”

Despite occasional nicked ngers and the constant need for more welllit areas and updated eyeglasses, the women share a passion and drive to create.

Most work in the studio and then take their projects home to continue.

“At the end of the day, you can spend as much time and energy as you have and get back energy from the collective spirit of the group,” Amico said.

Trilogy Quilt Show and Country Store from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 25 and the Antique/Classic Car Show from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. A ra e for a quilt will take place at 2:30 p.m. and people do not need to be present to win. Admission is free to both events.

“At the end of the day, you can spend as much time and energy as you have and get back energy from the collective spirit of the group.”

on stage.”

She’s not the only one who thinks it’s funny.

Hailed as a “gut-busting hit” by the New York Times, “ e Play that Goes Wrong” won an Olivier Award for Best New Comedy, snagged two Tony Awards and is the longest-running show in the 100-year history of London’s Old Red Lion eatre.

A hybrid of Monty Python and Sherlock Holmes, this play-within-a-play follows a woefully misguided troupe of players during their opening night performance of “ e Murder at Haversham Manor,” a 1920s murder mystery.

Forgotten lines, technical ga es and set malfunctions all conspire to ruin the show, but cast members persist – and persist – in their quest to arrive at the nal curtain call.

“Anyone who has done live theater knows that things rarely go as planned, so actors have to be ready at all times to improvise and keep the show moving forward,” said director Christian Graca.

“What’s so hilarious about the play is watching this troupe of woebegone actors

persevere with their very serious murder mystery, even when literally everything goes wrong.”

Gilbert thespian Phoenix Moore, 17, plays Taylor, the sound booth tech. While her job is to keep things moving smoothly, she can never seem to nd her music or cues.

“Taylor is in charge of running the sound e ects for the show,” said Phoenix. “She often misses her cues and is thrown into some on-stage shenanigans, which is really fun to play with.”

Another Gilbert resident, Ava Chiappetta, 14, plays the role of the word-mangling butler, Denise.

“I think what audiences will enjoy most about this show is its comedic style,” said Ava. “What’s cool about this show is that ‘Murder at Haversham’ is not a comedy, but rather the mistakes that occur within it.”

Added 17-year-old Lincoln Ickler, who plays the role of Max, “ e fantastic physical comedy and phenomenal writing of the show will make it an absolute mustsee for audiences, whether they already love plays and theater or not.”

Indeed, “ e Play that Goes Wrong” is full of physical comedy – like pratfalls, st ghts and falling props – and boasts a set that is second-to-none.

“ e set is its own character in this production,” said Graca. “Built by Jorge Forero and Joe Woodward, it was created expressly to malfunction, upping the comedic value because if the set goes wrong, everything else goes wrong.”

e disasters snowball uncontrollably as the troupe presses on, desperate to get to the end of their murder-mystery production.

Said 19-year-old Meredith Woodward, also of Gilbert, who plays the role of Denise in the Setback cast, “I would say the hardest thing for me in this show is remembering all the funny mishaps we try to make for the play to go ‘wrong.’ ere are so many!”

As the saying goes, comedy is harder than drama, but Graca knows her performers have what it takes.

“ ese actors were o -book after only a couple of weeks of rehearsal,” she said. “ at means they’ve spent the last month developing their characters, adding nu-

ances, perfecting their line delivery and playing o each other.

“We have run all of the scenes in this show dozens of times, but I laugh so hard I cry at every single rehearsal.”

Tickets for “ e Play that Goes Wrong” are $15 and can be purchased at ll-pa.org.

Presented by arrangement with Dramatists Play Service under license from Mischief Worldwide Ltd. e Mischief Production was originally produced on the West End Stage by Kenny Wax & Stage Presence and on Broadway by Kevin McCollum, J.J. Abrams, Kenny Wax & Stage Presence.

If you go

What: “The Play that Goes Wrong: High School Edition”

Where: Limelight Performing Arts

Limelight’s Artspace eatre, 511 W. Guadalupe Road, Gilbert.

When: Feb. 24-March 5.

Tickets: $15 at ll-pa.org. Group discounts are available.

Gummi World opens in Chandler as it eyes future growth

First off, there’s one question the people who work at Gummi World, a new manufacturing plant in Chandler, hear all the time.

“We don’t do any CBD,” said Dr. Seemab Zaman, the director of quality and regulatory affairs for Gummi World of cannabidiol the second most prevalent active ingredient in cannabis.

It does not cause a high by itself, according to Harvard Health. Still, CBD gummies are popular because they lower anxiety and will make you sleepy, but they don’t give the same high as THC, the active ingredient in marijuana.

“All the time,” Zaman said when asked if they get that question a lot. “They’re like, ‘Oh, you did CBD.’ We’re like, ‘No, we are specifically dietary supplements.’”

Gummi World started in 2019 in Tempe, but has outgrown that location. Zaman said the company liked the pro-business attitude in Chandler and that’s the main reason they ended up moving their factory to the city’s west side.

The Tempe factory was 35,000 square feet. The new Chandler location is 55,000.

Zaman, and Christina Wessel, the research and development manager, said they need the extra space because of the growth they’ve already experienced, to say nothing about future growth.

They hope to go international soon.

So if they don’t do CBD, what does Gummi World do?

“We do vitamins and botanicals and minerals,” Zaman said.

Gummi World does not put out its own line of products but rather supplies the products for other companies.

“We are unique in the sense that we

actually have a R&D on site,” Zaman said of research and development. “Because gummies are such a different form of getting your vitamins and minerals, that you have to have that R&D right.”

The company also manufactures the gummies and then ships them to wherever the customers want them.

Zaman said handling all both R&D and manufacturing makes Gummi World unique. Many of its competitors require customers do their own research and development.

“Almost everyone wants to make whatever they’re making it a capsule and put it in a gummy,” Wessel said. “Everyone is

kind of going towards the gummy route right now.”

“And the reason for that is because gummies are tastier than a capsule,” Zaman said. “They’re easy to swallow. They’re chewable, so many people don’t like the idea of a giant capsule, or soft gel or tablet. And gummies seem to be an easier route to be able to get the same type of botanicals and vitamins and minerals that your body needs in a more fun way.”

Gummi World moved to West Chandler in September, but construction was still underway. It didn’t host an official grand opening until last month. The

company employs about 50 people now, but is slowly ramping up as it prepares to go international.

To do that, it needed to get a lot of certifications.

“There was a company that’s a global company that wanted to make gummies,” Zaman said. “And they’re like, ‘as soon as we get your halal certification, we will definitely want to make gummies with you guys.’ So there is potential there.”

Gummi World is now halal certified, kosher certified, organic certified, non-genetically modified certified, and – most importantly – GMP certified. That Good Manufacturing Practice, which lets consumers and clients know everything is manufactured using best practices. is essential if you want to do business internationally, Zaman explained.

Still, all the certifications won’t matter if the gummies don’t taste good – which is Wessel’s job to make that happen.

A client comes to them and tells them what they want to make and sell.

“We have to tell them our limitations,” Wessel said. “Usually they want to do like some crazy amounts of milligrams in a gummy. And it’s like, well, we can only fit this amount. And you know, our job for R&D is to make sure that it’s a great tasting gummy.”

They taste test all of their gummies, and Wessel said there are times when they know a gummy will not work.

How do they make a great tasting product when someone wants to make a gummy out of ashwagandha, a herb found in India and Africa that seems to help people deal with stress and anxiety?

“It’s kind of about flavoring and making sure the flavors pair well with what we’re putting in,” Wessel said. “Like we did this ashwagandha gummy that has kind of a darker note to it. So we paired it with a darker berry to kind of play with that.”

Prescott Valley, AZ

Findlay Toyota Center

March 3, 2023

Phoenix, AZ

Footprint Arena

March, 4, 2023

Glendale, AZ

Dessert Diamond Arena

March 5, 2023

www.HarlemGlobetrotters.com

Pickleball Kingdom founder franchising his concept

The founder of an indoor pickleball facility in Chandler says his business has been so successful that he’s franchising it.

Mike “Ace” Rodrigues opened the 15-court Pickleball Kingdom last May on the northeast corner of Ray and Rural roads, touting his facility as not only air-conditioned and wind-free but also an ideal spot for corporate events, birthday parties and other celebrations.

Now, he’s hoping his idea will catch on statewide and across the nation – if not the world – because he considers it “with a proven successful working model.”

“We all know how fun pickleball is. What’s not fun is waiting for a court, playing in the heat or cold with the sun in your eyes, and having the wind affect your game. We’ve solved all those problems in Arizona. Now we’re exporting it, first to the rest of the country… then the world,” said Rodrigues, founder and CEO of Pickleball Kingdom.

A recent report from the Sports & Fitness Industry Association called pickleball the “fastest-growing sport in America, reporting that it has attracted 4.8 million players nationwide and has grown in popularity by 40% since 2020. The association tracks the popularity of sports through the sale of related merchandise.

“It is almost a cliché at this point that the pandemic did not so much create trends as much as accelerated them. Pickleball has grown in popularity for

the past five years and did not miss a beat during the pandemic. Pickleball’s growth trajectory gives every indication it will be a significant part of the American sport landscape for the foreseeable future,” said Tom Cove, President/CEO of the Sports & Fitness Industry Association.

Municipalities have had a tough time

meeting the demand for public pickleball courts.

For example, the pickleball complex at Pecos Park in Ahwatukee at the southern end of 48th Street, draws players from as far south as Casa Grande, according to some local residents who are lobbying Phoenix to create more courts.

Rodrigues said his idea for Pickleball

Kingdom was born two years ago on a dirty public court while standing in the sun waiting to get onto a court on a windy day.

It took a year to build the Chandler arena and now he and his team put together an operations manual they call “The Keys to the Kingdom.”

“It would have been irresponsible of us to have launched franchising earlier,” Rodrigues said. “Indoor pickleball is a brand-new industry. It’s not a gym, it’s not a giant playground. There was so much to learn and mistakes needed to be made and fixed.

“The heavy lifting is done. I didn’t want franchisees paying us while we were still figuring it out. That learning curve happened on our dime.”

Rodrigues said his team “checks all the boxes” for the five elements of a successful franchise: a market that desires the product or service, working proof of concept, a plan, franchising experience and industry-specific knowledge.

His team includes: Jon Brovitz, who has over 20 years as a large multi-unit franchisee with Massage Envy and Amazing Lash; David Haynie, a professional pickleball player and coach and general manager of Pickleball Kingdom; and Steve Holmes, whose business serves franchisees.

“One of our core beliefs is, ‘Life is better with pickleball,’” Rodrigues said, saying his concept includes a free introductory lesson, courts without waiting, and “a better environment to play in.”

Information: PickleballKingdom.com or ladyj@pickleballkingdom.com

Arizona’s Community Colleges present

These Community College Students are selected for their academic achievement, leadership and service to the community. All receive scholarships from Arizona’s community colleges, as well as Arizona Board of Regents tuition waivers for any Arizona public university. Students are eliglible for selection to the All-USA Academic Team. For information, contact the local chapter of Phi Theta Kappa national honorary society at any Arizona community college. Presented as a public service by the

Market changing quickly in sellers’ favor

oming o of Super Bowl weekend and the Waste Management Phoenix Open, Arizona appears to be picking up the pieces from the in ux in visitors and resuming its regularly scheduled programming – which includes seasonality taking hold of our local real estate market.

Typical signs of our traditional selling season include increased demand –which we have seen since interest rates stabilized around 6%.

What we are not seeing, however, is the injection of inventory needed to sustain us until summer.

In fact, January showed the lowest number of new listings hitting the mar-

ket in more than 20 years and a higher number of accepted contracts than we saw in the fourth quarter of last year. Combined, these two trends are forcing inventory down instead of up.

CWhile we peaked at just over 21,000 homes on the market –about half of what we were left with after the market crash of 2008-10 – we continue to settle right around 15,000 available homes.

at has provided a bit of a safety net for our uctuating interest rates and moderately adjusted prices.

While the Valley has o cially fallen back into a sellers market, it is going to look and feel very di erent than the frenzied market we experienced between 2020-2022 – when inventory was about 10% of healthy and demand was pushing 120% of normal.

Here in Gilbert, demand is outpacing our inventory, putting us in a healthy sellers market that is creating opportu-

Short-term rental owners must weigh a variety of issues

While the idea of making some easy money by making a home available for shortterm rentals is great in theory, several variables make the process quite complex and demanding — and any mistakes can be costly.

Before taking on a new passive income endeavor, it is critical for Arizonans to get up to speed on the tax, time and budget constraints surrounding

short-term rentals to minimize liability and stress.

Although VRBO and Airbnb are taxed differently, here are some general considerations to keep in mind.

It’s a common misconception that every property can be a short-term rental that lends itself to massive tax savings. In reality, there are four categories for short-term rental tax deduction: pass-through, real estate deprecation, business expenses and home

see RENTALS page 27

nity for both buyers and sellers. e contract ratio has nearly doubled in the last quarter, an indication that our market is heating up.

And we expect to see a decrease in seller concessions and an increase in prices to follow.

One potential disruption in this momentum is an expected continuation of uctuating interest rates. at in turn could sti e the appetite for securing a mortgage for many.

However, the simple laws of supply and demand seem to be creating enough of a sense of urgency for buyers to pay attention. Lenders said their application volume has risen by nearly three times since the beginning of the year.

And we can expect conditions of the current market that are favorable to buyers – including sellers o ering concessions, entertaining inspection requests

and contributing to rate buy downs – to change if inventory drops even further.

Volume certainly is much lower than we had hoped going into 2023.

But consumer sentiment has changed dramatically since the end of last year with most people feeling more hopeful about the state of the market.

Here in Gilbert, not only is the case for home ownership strong but with rental rates back on the rise, it is unlikely that consumers who can qualify for a mortgage will choose to rent instead.

e percent of transactions with seller-paid closing costs has gone up but the median concession amount has gone down. at means the window is likely closing on the support many could use to transition into their rst or next home.

Mindy Jones, a Gilbert Realtor and owner of the Amy Jones Group brokered by EXP Realty, can be reached at 480-250-3857, Mindy@AmyJonesGroup. com or AmyJonesGroup.com.

Care needed in negotiating options to renew leases

fter enduring the COVID-19 pandemic and navigating a barrage of state and federal executive orders inhibiting landlords’ ability to carry out eviction actions, landlords and tenants are now living in a world facing the highest rates of in ation since the Great In ation period of the 1970s.

Skyrocketing in ation in the overall economy is translating into higher rents being demanded by landlords and carries key implications in the landlord-tenant space.

is is especially true since most landlords and tenants have not paid much attention to it lately since in ation has

RENTALS from page 26

office expenses. All of them lay out specific parameters to qualify for deductions. Most importantly, to qualify for short-term rental tax deduction, you must meet all IRS eligibility requirements.

The IRS limits the number of days owners can stay in the home and still deduct expenses; if they exceed this limit, they may not be able to apply deductions.

Owners need to be careful with their furnishing budget, as only up to 20% of

not been a signi cant news headline in decades.

AIn addition, long-term leases (especially commercial leases) usually provide the tenant with an option to renew the lease several years in the future from when the original lease is executed.

Some leases (mostly commercial) have provisions addressing in ation in connection with the renewal period in the event a tenant exercises a negotiated option to renew the lease. Extra attention and care should be used in drafting options to renew in leases.

Landlords may want to negotiate shorter rental periods and/or have lease provisions addressing escalating rent that accounts for rising rental rates in any renewal period, while tenants should attempt to negotiate rental rate “locks” that cap any rent increases, or at least modest rent increases to the rent.

It is important to note that most leases

these expenses are tax-deductible.

If there is a W-2 income involved, a CPA can ensure that all other deduction options from deferred compensation and stocks to mitigate employment-related tax liability are applied.

If owners intend to shelter W-2 income with Schedule C losses, the IRS has rules about that too that will limit the ability to claim deductions.

Subleasing should be avoided, if possible, as it comes with even greater liability risks given there is no ownership of property involved.

Additionally, to limit your investment

provide the tenant with the option to renew their lease.

e option must generally be exercised in writing and in accordance with the option to renew clause. If the tenant does not exercise the option to renew but remains at the premises, the tenant will be considered a “holdover tenant.”

Lease provisions addressing holdover terms usually contain a higher rental rate and the holdover period runs month-tomonth (meaning the holdover term can be terminated with 30 days’ notice).

Many tenants are left scrambling at the end of their lease periods and do not want to renew their lease at a higher rental rate. Ultimately, if the lease is properly terminated by the landlord, the landlord could proceed with an eviction of the tenant.

In the residential context, the landlord is not permitted to “lock out” the tenant.

Rather, under the Arizona Residential

income, your tax professional can help you explore long-term rentals and utilize tax-now, tax-later, tax-never investments.

Once it’s determined that a shortterm rental can be profitable, then day-to-day management comes into play. Owning a rental property requires significant time and effort that many full-time professionals won’t have time for, which makes other investments – including investing in stock – a better option.

It’s important to note that most short-term rentals are filled at least

Landlord Tenant Act, the landlord must proceed with a judicial eviction and obtain what is called a Writ of Restitution from the eviction judge.

In the commercial realm, if the lease permits a “lock out” remedy, the landlord may simply change the locks if the tenant has defaulted under the lease and need not pursue a judicial eviction.

Of course, a landlord cannot raise rent or charge the tenant unauthorized fees in contravention to the lease terms. In all cases, the parties should follow the terms of the lease.

Benjamin L. Gottlieb is the founding partner of Gottlieb Law at 2375 E. Camelback Road, Phoenix. e rm may be reached online at GottliebLawAZ.com or 602- 899-8188. e rm handles real estate, business transaction and estate planning law, and specializes in all forms of real estate transactions and litigation.

70% of the time, which means owners need to stay engaged in the booking process and be responsive to residents. They will also need to handle all finances and accounting (or hire a trusted CPA firm to do so) and carefully track profit to ensure your efforts are worthwhile.

There are also new regulations emerging around short-term rentals. Recently, the City of Scottsdale implemented new regulations for shortterm rentals that went into effect Jan-

Mortgage buy-downs require guidance from professionals they had to say.

Tough nancial times call for creative nancing. Historically high mortgage rates and a cooling housing market have caused buyers and sellers to look for novel ways to stretch their dollar and seal a deal.

Buyers, scared by lofty mortgage rates that threaten to add hundreds of dollars to their monthly housing bill, are seeking mortgage buy-downs as a way to trim some of that excess. Sellers, desperate to unload homes, are often willing to help out.

Simply put, a mortgage rate buydown is upfront money, often paid by the home seller (builders and lenders can also front the cost), to “buy down” the interest rate on the buyer’s loan for a period of time. This temporarily eases a buyer’s mortgage woes. Realtor.com asked experts for insight into the benefits and drawbacks of a mortgage buy-down. Here’s what

Pro: Lower monthly bills.

There are different types of buydowns, but all of them lower your interest rate.

“While these funds are temporary, they immediately lower buyers’ monthly payments, making homeownership more affordable in the short term,” said Shri Ganeshram, who works with real estate investors as CEO of Awning.com.

Con: When the buy-down expires, regular payments may come as a shock.

One of the biggest downsides of a buy-down is that it’s temporary. A buy-down will offer homebuyers a lower monthly mortgage payment for a set period of time, typically one to three years. But once the buy-down expires, your bills could become a lot heftier.

If this does happen, it may defeat the purpose of the buy-down and po-

tentially lead to more costly payments down the line. It’s a risk that buyers have to consider and should discuss with their lender.

Pro: They can provide cash flow for repairs or furniture.

As every homeowner knows, moving into a new home—no matter how perfect it might seem initially, and no matter how many furnishings you already have on hand—often entails a series of unexpected fixes and furniture buys. The break you’ll get on your mortgage bill courtesy of a buy-down can leave you with some cash on hand.

Con: Not all lenders offer buydowns, and terms vary.

Buy-downs are not offered universally, and when they are offered, one lender’s terms might differ considerably from another’s in the same region.

Weighing the pros and cons

Whether or not a buy-down is right for you might also depend on your timeline and how long you plan to live

in the home.

“If you’re planning on selling your home in a few years, a buy-down is a smart move,” said Emmanuel Guignard, senior mortgage broker and director of Loanscope. “But if you don’t have a steady income and are planning on living in the house long term, you may struggle to make the repayments.”

When making this momentous decision, it’s important to consult professionals.

“My advice is to consult a mortgage professional and understand the terms and conditions of the buydown, including the buy-down period, the increase in payments after the period, and the costs associated with the buy-down before making a decision,” Ganeshram said. “Ask them to do a calculation of how much you would save on the monthly payment in total versus how much they are asking you to commit upfront.”

(Realtor.com provided this report)

RENTALS from page 27 can maximize their profit:

uary 8, 2023, and other municipalities may soon follow suit. Owners should be prepared to jump through several licensing and insurance hoops before they can legally start renting.

While it seems most short-term rentals seem to be a very profitable venture, there’s a good chance that owners will actually be investing for a year or two before they see any profit. In addition to furnishing costs ranging from $7,000 to $20,000, most hosts spend the following on monthly expenses:

• Mortgage: $2,000 - $3,000

• HOA: $100 - $200

• Insurance: $100 - $200

• Utilities & Internet: $300 (Arizona average)

• Overhead: $700 - $2,000

• Maintenance: 1% of property’s annual value

• Management Service (Optional): 10%-40% of income

These costs can stack up quickly, but there are still several ways owners

• Own, don’t lease: Lock in that mortgage rate to avoid yearly rent hikes

• Offer alternative rates during peak seasons

• Remarket to travel nurses and similar professions

• Use a self-service management software

• Be strategic in deciding whether “extra” amenities and furnishes will actually increase value

• Encourage renters to be mindful of energy use

While renting out your home can be costly and time-consuming, it may also pay dividends over time.

The team at eeCPA provides unconventional entrepreneurs with the guidance they need to kickstart their short-term rental success stories.

Elizabeth Hale has helped entrepreneurs, investors, family offices and commercial real estate developers pinpoint new and creative avenues for growth while mitigating risk. eecpa.com.

Keaton Jones putting nal stamp on HS swim career

Keaton Jones had a feeling he could make something special out of swimming just before his freshman year at Higley High School. He swam against older athletes on his Swim Neptune club team, beating them in on multiple occasions. at wasn’t always the case, though. His parents preached hard work early on, especially as he questioned his ability when others around him made the sport look e ortless.

en, he found his stride, and Jones quickly went from eighth grader on the rise to one of the top swimmers in the state at the high school level. at was a title he never gave up.

“I didn’t expect everything to happen as a freshman to prepare me to get to what I want to do,” Jones said. “I’m excited to get to the next level. e school and community has been really great, I

think it’s helped me with that aspect of my life.”

Jones capped o his swimming career for the Knights this past fall by winning

Keaton Jones is on the tail end of his high school career with graduation around the corner. Before departing for Cal, though, he added to his resume by breaking two world records in ice swimming, a new event for him.

two state titles. e rst of the state meet came in the 200-yard freestyle. e second in the 100-yard backstroke.

e two championships this season

raised his total for his high school career to six in the Arizona Interscholastic Association. He also broke a state record in the 200 free in the process, which had been intact since 2010.

Jones’ illustrious career at Higley began when he rst made the cut for Olympic Trials as a freshman. He dominated every event from that point forward, and even used his talent to raise awareness and funds for PPE and other protective equipment for rst responders and healthcare workers during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

With every accomplishment, his legacy began to be cemented at Higley and in the state. One that centers around hard work and remaining patient for accolades to come.

“My parents taught me to grind and that was the thing I always fell back on,” Jones said. “Even when the natural talent wasn’t there, I said, ‘I am the hardest

see JONES page 31

Juniors breaking records, leading Arete Prep basketball

For two years Grace Howell was faced with adversity in the form of a back brace doctors instructed her to wear 23 to 24 hours a day.

e only time she was able to take it o was during a workout or while showering. She had to quickly become accustomed to a life with scoliosis, a spinal condition she was diagnosed with in eighth grade. Even while in pain, however, she never gave up basketball.

Ryan Mourad didn’t have the same bout with adversity. ough he was always referred to as the little brother to

two former Arete Prep basketball players. But he hit a growth spurt and began making a name for himself.

Now juniors for the boys’ and girls’ basketball programs at the small charter school, both Mourad and Grace have become standout players.

Both are nearing the 1,000 points mark in their careers, both are sharpshooters from 3-point range, and they both hold records for most 3 pointers in a season – records they set as sophomores last year.

“I was playing in a lot of pain. It physically hurt and mentally hurt,” said

see ARETE page 31

juniors

Howell and

have set records during their time playing for the Chargers. They’re both able to shoot from anywhere on the floor and are nearing 1,000 career points.

ARETE from page 30

Grace, who averages 12.5 points per game for the Chargers. “I felt di erent because of it. When I would step on the court I thrived when I could take it o .”

Grace’s journey with scoliosis was one she battled both physically and mentally. In eighth grade she had a choice to either follow her club teammates to Mesquite or her father, Jake, to Arete Prep where he is the head girls’ basketball coach.

She feared what a large setting would be like for her given her condition and need to wear a back brace virtually all day, every day. So, she went to Arete.

She missed her teammates. She missed her coaches, one of which Candice Gonzales, who has built Mesquite’s girls’ program into a powerhouse at the 4A level. But Grace began to come into her own as a freshman.

She would take o her brace to play a game and immediately put it back on. She did that for two years, but it didn’t stop her from performing and making her father – and coach – proud.

“It’s a blessing, it’s my why. If it wasn’t for my kids, I wouldn’t be doing this,” Jake said with tears in his eyes. “It just brings me so much joy. And when they perform, it’s icing on the cake.

“I saw it from her at a really young age. She just has a natural touch and a good work ethic.”

Arete Prep boys’ coach Mike Caviness remembers Mourad when he was a child. He described him as small, and never imagined he would outgrow both of his older brothers to become a 6-foot sharpshooter for the Chargers.

But that’s exactly who he has become.

Mourad got his shot at the varsity level as a sophomore. It was then he began to show o his range from beyond the arc. He was con dent, yet still quiet and reserved around the seniors of the program. But he took advantage of the opportunity and became the best 3-point shooter on the team.

“Really, it was all about getting more points than the other team,” said

Mourad, who averages 16.2 points per game. “I thought it would be cool to shoot a lot of 3s. But I just want to do whatever it takes to win the game.”

is year, with a group of freshman and sophomores leading the charge, Mourad has stepped into more of a leadership role, though he feels as if he hasn’t had to do too much.

“Everyone kind of leads each other here,” Mourad said. “Even if I’m not saying anything they will go up and talk to each other. It’s good to know we all have each other’s backs.”

Not only has he noticed a di erence in himself, but his coach has seen him step up and lead the team in a way that has

allowed the younger players to become comfortable at the varsity level.

“It’s been nice to see him progress over the years,” Caviness said. “He’s the type of kid you can really cheer for and root for. He does a great job in practice and stays humble – but he de nitely has con dence.

“To have him gure out how to talk to these guys and encourage these guys, it took a little while. But these guys respect him.”

Both Mourad and Grace have been key to the Arete basketball program’s success across both genders.

e girls entered the 2A state tournament as the No. 16 seed and faced topranked Phoenix Country Day this past Friday. e boys, meanwhile, were No. 11 in 2A and faced No. 5 Arizona Lutheran on Friday.

e two juniors have some similarities. ey are both leaders on the oor and can shoot from anywhere. ey both set records as sophomores and broke them as juniors.

ey both are nearing 1,000 career points, with Grace needing 213 and Mourad 250. But most importantly, they both want to take Arete Prep basketball to new heights.

“I hope girls just come out to play,” Grace said. “We lose a lot of athletes to bigger high schools and its hurtful to our program. I hope we leave it out on the oor and other girls see that and want to be a part of Arete athletics.”

worker.’ at’s been a big thing for me and I think that’s why I’ve had so much success.”

Jones’ time swimming didn’t end last fall.

He committed to the University of California-Berkeley entering his junior year. e program is known for producing short course swimmers, which will be what he primarily competes in with the backstroke at the next level.

His club team will wrap up its short course season soon. He aims to not only win another title at that level but go on to sectionals as well.

Jones recently competed in the Ice Swimming World Championships in France. Conditions were di erent from

what he is used to with ice cold water. He trained for a month in Arizona before traveling overseas, where he was given just one day to test out how cold the swim would be. His body felt good but mentally he wasn’t sure how he would handle it.

He went in to break world records in the 50-meter backstroke and 100 buttery.

“It was surreal,” Jones said. “I had goals going into it for sure. I thought I would be able to do pretty well. at’s why I stuck to the shorter stu . It was denitely something I knew I could handle. Swimming is swimming. It was unique and it was hard. It was super awesome.”

Jones said he plans to take a vacation this summer with family after the long course season is over. at’ll be the only

time he gets a true break from the sport before heading o to Cal.

With the Olympic Trials set to take place next summer, he and his Golden Bear teammates will be thrust into the program immediately and begin training. It’s an opportunity he looks forward to, especially as he estimates multiple teammates of his to qualify for the Trials.

His rst go-around at the Olympic Trials as a freshman was an experience to remember. He swam next to those who made the Team USA Summer Olympics team that went on to compete in Tokyo.

Now, it’s his turn. Competing in the Olympics has always been a dream of his and he feels as if he is ready to qualify and make the cut.

“ at’s been my dream since I was a little kid,” Jones said. “America has such

a rich history in backstrokers and so does Cal. I think being able to rep Team USA in an event we’re so historically good at – we own the world record – I think would mean so much to me.

“A little kid’s dream nally comes true.”

Jones admits it’s hard to think about graduation in a few short months. He was able to accomplish many feats at Higley and grow as both a person and athlete in the process.

It’s time that he will always cherish, and he hopes the legacy he leaves behind on the program will motivate young athletes aiming to be like him to never give up on their dreams.

“Hard work beats talent every day,” Jones said. “My parents told me my time would come, and it did. I grinded and got to where I am today.”

A more robust Spring Baseball season beckons this year

There were times in the past three years when Huss Brewing Company considered getting out of the Spring Training business.

“We did have some hearts-to-hearts about it,” said Chip Mulala, the director of operations for the company, which sells its local craft beers at seven of the 10 Cactus League stadiums.

e past three years have hurt businesses and frustrated baseball fans who like to visit Arizona in March for the nice weather and Spring Training games.

First, the COVID pandemic forced an end to nearly all sports in mid-March 2020, abruptly ending a strong Cactus League season. In 2021, stadiums had to deploy social distancing, limiting capacity to 50%. Plus, they started late and had fewer games.

COVID was not a problem last year, but Major League Baseball’s labor dispute was. e owners locked players out until they reached a new collective bargaining agreement, forcing a late start and fewer Spring Training games.

In 2019, there were 220 Spring Training games played in Arizona, drawing

7,900 fans per game. e number of games dropped to 143 in 2020, hit 208 with the limited capacity in 2021 and bottomed out at 135 last year.

e impact those three years had on the state’s tourism and the industries that support it is still being felt.

“It made something abundantly clear,” said Steve Chucri, the president/CEO of the Arizona Restaurant Association. “Spring training is crucial to a lot of restaurants.”

e Cactus League schedule begins on Feb. 24, and for the rst time since 2019, a full slate of games awaits with no capacity restrictions.

“In 2023, we are looking forward to a ‘normal’ season,” said Bridget Binsbacher, executive director of the Cactus League. “Combine that with an upswing in tourism and I’m optimistic we will see much higher attendance. Everywhere I go, people tell me how excited they are to get back out to the ballpark.”

ere are 15 Major League Baseball teams that train in the Valley, playing their games at 10 stadiums. Five ballparks are home to two teams.

Most of the stadiums are support-

see BASEBALL page 34

Papago Brewing ready for spring ball fans

With Spring Training just around the corner, Huss Brewing Co. is ready for thirsty fans at its new Papago Brewing Company taproom at Mesa Riverview – realizing a dream of owners Je and Leah Huss.

e taproom, occupying the former home of e Brass Tap at 1033 N. Dobson Road, is inside a standalone

2,100-square-foot, 104-seat taproom and restaurant that will pour an ever-changing selection of 60 craft draft beers, plus packaged beers to-go.

Its opening earlier this month coincided with Huss’ refresh of the Papago brand. Leah Huss spent 14 years as co-owner of the original Papago Brewing Company in Scottsdale and helped pioneer the local craft beer scene, including the creation of Papago’s signature beer, Papago Orange Blossom.

Leah and her husband Je Huss made the new taproom a personal passion project and said she long dreamed of reintroducing the Papago Brewing experience to the East Valley – not with a rehash or a replica of the old taproom, but a brand-new iteration.

“I really wanted to envision what Papago Brewing would look like in 2023,” Leah said. “So, we’ll still have elements of a traditional European-style beer pub and vintage furnishings, yet very fresh

and forward-looking.”

Beside freshly crafted brews spanning the entire Huss family of beers, the new taproom will also feature local beers from Arizona, along with small-batch and experimental beers. It includes past favorites such as Elsie’s Milk Stout and Hopago IPA, all paired with a compact menu of premium bar bites like the sausage and pretzel board as well as 12” piz-

see PAPAGO page 33

PAPAGO from page 32

zas, paninis, sandwiches and salads.

Most important, Leah said they’re excited to build on the solid craft beer foundation built by Brass Tap owners Jesse and Jason Rowe.

“ ey’ve been great stewards of the Mesa craft beer scene, and we’re excited to introduce Huss and Papago to the neighborhood,” she said.

e quiet locale at Mesa Riverview runs contrary to what’s happening for the rest of their locations – especially their taproom inside the Phoenix Convention Center.

Brewmaster Je Huss – a diehard Chicago Cubs fan – looks forward to the next month-and-a-half when Cubs fans will ll nearby Sloan Park as part for Spring Training.

Starting on Feb. 25, Papago will open for lunch at 11 a.m. and o er free shuttle from Papago Brewing Co. to Sloan Park for those attending Cubs Spring Training games.

MaLeea Cole-Briggs, Mesa Riverview property manager, said called the tap-

room a welcome addition to the center coming at an opportune time.

“ e opening of Papago Brewing Co. couldn’t have been better timed,” ColeBriggs said in a statement. “ e pub’s wide selection of craft beers and oldworld ambiance will provide a comfortable gathering space that we are sure our

Huss Brewing Company owners Je and Leah Huss are reviving the Papago Brewing Company taproom in time for Spring Training season. (File photo)

Huss Brewing Co. opened in 2013 with taprooms inside the Tempe brewery.

In 2016, Huss acquired the Papago Brewing Company in Scottsdale, creating the newly formed Huss Family of Beers and transforming Huss into the third largest brewer in the state.

Although the Scottsdale taproom eventually closed, Leah and Je Huss made sure Papago’s pioneering spirit lived on, purchasing Papago Brewing Company in 2016 and expanding the product line to include Papago Cherry Blossom and the brand-new Papago Blueberry Wheat beers.

And now approaching nearly two decades of existence in the Arizona marketplace, Huss has taken the iconic brand to the next level with newly designed cans.

guests, including the area’s top sports fans and tourists, will heartily embrace.”

Leah and Je Huss have 35 years of combined experience in the brewing industry. Je , a former head brewer for BJ’s Brewing in Chandler, attended the Siebel Institute in Chicago and the Doemens Academy in Munich, Germany.

“ is refreshing and iconic brand is almost 18 years old, so we wanted to give it a bright and fresh new feel,” Leah Huss said.

“ e new cans really showcase the oranges and refreshing nature that has made Papago Orange Blossom one of Arizona’s favorite beers for almost 2 decades.”

BASEBALL from page 32

ed by local charity groups, such as the underbirds in Scottsdale and the HoHoKams in Mesa, that raise money and then spread it around to local charities.

e charities’ ability to do that has been hurt during the past three seasons.

Binsbacher said before 2020, the Cactus League generated $644 million annually for the local economy. In 2020, that dropped to $363.3 million. e league does not have the numbers for the past two years yet.

One Scottsdale based-business, Bella Palazzo Collections, rents out private homes. Owner-operator Margie Van Zee

said MLB’s labor issue last year was the hardest on her business.

Many of the people renting some of the 80 homes in her collection are ballplayers.

“We had to have a cancellation clause in our contract so that if MLB continued to obstruct the ballplayers, then they could get out of it,” Van Zee said, adding that it forced her to be more exible.

Ironically, the pandemic’s onset in 2020 led to an increase in business.

“2020 was the best year we’ve ever had, even during the pandemic,” she said. “What happened was nobody wanted to go back to their hometown. ey were already here for spring training, COVID

happened. A lot of them would have to go back to their cold weather climates and areas that were still shut down.

“So, a lot of the ballplayers just said we’re extending, many of them extended and stayed till the beginning of the year.”

Mulala said Huss Brewing Company decided to stay in the Spring Training business. In fact, they just opened a new location – Papago Brewing Company, close to Sloan Park in Mesa where the Chicago Cubs play.

“We actually have it set up that we’re going to have a shuttle that is going to be taking people to the games on game day for most games that start at one o’clock,” he said.

While the past three years have been di cult, right now is a great time to be in the restaurant business. In addition to Spring Training, the Super Bowl and Waste Management Phoenix Open were also in town.

ose events brought a lot of tourists.

Chucri expects to see between a 20-to25% increase in sales just because of the Super Bowl.

“ e restaurant economy, for all of our hopes and desires this February and March, is going to be very, very much needed,” Chucri said. “[We’ll] really get a huge boost when it comes to these these big events coming to the state, especially Spring Training.”

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