SanTan Sun News: Community - Jan. 23, 2016

New burn building to offer better training for firefighters

BY SRIANTHI PERERA

Chandler is due to break ground in February on a new, state-of-the-art firefighter training facility.

The Class A Burn Building, as it’s called, will be located on the grounds of the current training facility at 3550 S. Dobson Rd., adjoining the Intel Ocotillo Campus. The 9,880-square-foot facility is estimated to cost about $2,879,000.

One of the best features of the new burn building is that it will enable the burning of wood and fuel, and not just gas, said Val H. Gale Jr., health and innovations battalion chief of the City of Chandler Fire, Health & Medical Department.

“The benefit of that is it’s a realistic fire environment,” he said.

The existing 6,992-square-foot, concrete facility comprises a six-story burn tower and a two-story house, where propane gas could be burnt in certain areas and turned off at will. It also has a car fire prop, roof props and other features.

“The gas burn building is a great prop for new firefighters as we train them in a very controlled environment,” Gale said. “It’s a great prop for experienced firefighters who know how smoke reacts, but it’s good practice for them to get in and do search and rescue and different techniques.”

Because modern buildings contain

Update of financial policies to strengthen City’s standing

BY SRIANTHI PERERA

Chandler has demonstrated sound finances and earned an AAA rating from credit agencies.

Recently, the City updated its financial policies, thereby taking one more step to solidify its financial footing.

Even though the financial policies are reviewed as part of the annual budget, this year’s review was more extensive, said Dawn Lang, management services director.

One of the main reasons for the update is the growing cost of pensions of public safety personnel. The “unfunded liabilities”—the amount that the City needs but is short to pay the pension plan—was a huge topic of conversation for the City Council last year.

“Every city is grappling with the fact that the costs are growing faster than we can really sustain them. In Legislative sessions, there’s been a lot of discussion around pensions and just trying to make it more sustainable in the future,” Lang said.

Over the last few years, many cities have analyzed the demographics of the public service personnel, their service lengths and other factors to figure out just how much shortfall needs to be made up to protect their pensions, Lang added.

Chandler, which has a total operating and capital budget of $910.6 million, has to also ensure that the General Fund can meet the demands of all the other departments and services.

good drywall, sprinkler systems and fire resistant materials, which contain burning, live fire experiences are harder to come by these days.

As a result, Gale said, firefighters don’t get much experience with real fires.

In 2014, Chandler Fire, Health and Medical attended to 21,442 incidents. Just 2 percent of that—about 428— were fire emergencies including minor incidents such as oven, car and dumpster fires. Officials estimate about 100 to 120 each year are working fires.

If fires are high frequency and high risk, firefighters won’t need added training on them, Gale said. However, if it’s high risk with low frequency, training in a more realistic environment is necessary, he said.

“When I go into a house fire that’s really a house fire, and before I spray the water, I know what’s going to happen next,” he said. “I can expect it, it doesn’t shock me; I work through the super heat and all the different things that happen knowing what’s going to come next.”

For crews that don’t have much familiarity with live fires, the knowledge is limited.

Currently, when Chandler fire personnel want further training or need to train new recruits, they ask to use the Class A Burn Buildings in Tempe or Mesa.

New Multi Service Center will house Department of Economic Security offices

BY SRIANTHI PERERA

The Department of Economic Security is poised to relocate its Gilbert location to Chandler in August, boosting the city’s employment by about 365.

A new 80,000-square-foot Multi Service Center is to be built at 2905 N. Arizona Ave.

The following is a breakdown of the programs that will be offered there as well as the anticipated annual numbers of clients that will be served, according to DES:

• Division of Developmental Disabilities (3,471)

• Division of Benefits and Medical Eligibility, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families and Medical Eligibility determination for some Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System programs (95,000)

• Division of Aging and Adult Services (2,500 cases of suspected abuse, neglect or exploitation of a vulnerable adult)

• Division of Child Support Services and the Office of the Attorney General Child Support Services Section (37,185).

FEATURE STORIES

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Gale said the new facility will get a lot of use.

Out of the 200 sworn firefighters in Chandler, about 170 are response staff, who are required to undergo quarterly training. The new facility will be used for this training and to train new recruits. The City plans to establish an academy in April to fill a few vacancies.

Besides Chandler’s fire safety personnel, the new facility will be also used by Gila River Fire Department, Maricopa Fire Department, Sun Lakes Fire District, East Valley Ladder and others with whom Chandler has established inter-governmental agreements.

The Class A Burn Building was planned in 2008, but was delayed due to the recession. Last year, the proposal was reinstated in the Capital Improvement Plan, and the design was updated.

The building will have different elevations—the look of a residential garage from the south, a commercial loading dock from the north, a threestory apartment or house from the west and an apartment building with a balcony and outside stairs from the east.

It will also feature different roofs and a small crane in one corner that will be used to move wood when part of the roof is cut over and over again during training sessions.

The construction will be awarded to Danson Construction Inc., which is estimated to have it ready in six months.

Agencies require that the City keeps a certain size of a reserve to help with achieving the top credit rating as well as reduce the amount of debt service when the City borrows funds to build facilities, Lang said.

The legislative discussions centered on how much the City may reduce the General Fund balance while maintaining this positive position. It was decided to maintain an operating revenue total of four months at all times and the financial policies document was updated accordingly.

In Gilbert, these programs were located in three buildings, at 2328, 2288 and 2290 W. Guadalupe Rd. DES spokesman Todd Stone said that the department outgrew its Gilbert location and that the parking was maximized there as well.

Stone said that Multi Service Centers are DES offices that house all or most DES programs so that clients can access them in one location.

The consolidation will increase the efficiency of the programs, he said. The public will receive centralized services through a main lobby which accesses all programs housed at the facility.

“This will allow for an increase of staff in similar square footage due to elimination of duplicate amenities— lobbies, break rooms, restrooms and conference rooms—in each building,” Stone added.

Initially, about 340 employees will move to Chandler, but the facility will accommodate up to about 365 to

Another reason for the review of financial policies is the new book on financial policy best practices published by Government Finance Officers Association. The Chicago, Illinois-based nonprofit agency provides guidance to counties, cities, school districts and the like on best practices for finances.

The City Council wanted to crosscheck Chandler’s policies with the best practices in the book.

As a result, a new policy for grants management was added. The city receives grant funds from federal, state and local jurisdictions, and a certain procedure is in

place to process the funds.

“We’ve never had a policy in writing, although we have managed our grants very wisely,” Lang said.

Following the update, the City’s financial policies are divided into eight categories: Operating Management, Capital Management, Reserves, Debt Management, Long-Range Financial Planning, Grants Management, Investment and Accounting, Auditing and Financial Reporting.

The public may access Chandler’s financial policies at www.chandler.gov.

accommodate program growth.

The 16-acre site located at the southeast corner of Arizona Avenue and Elliot Road is called Pollack Business Park South and is owned by Valley real estate developer Michael A. Pollack. Chandler’s Senior City Planner Erik Swanson said that the site is slated to be sold to developer Harrison Properties.

During its Jan. 14 meeting, City Council approved the development plan and an extension to the zoning that enables it to be used for office buildings.

The construction has been awarded to Sun State Builders of Arizona and the office building will occupy 9.4 acres of

the site.

According to the memorandum presented to City Council, the singlestory building will utilize concrete tilt as the predominant building material with elements of masonry block and metal paneling. The site will feature a large pedestrian gathering area for the public at the main entrance, with low seat walls and planter boxes.

The relocation benefits Chandler, Swanson said.

“Chandler stands to gain from an income tax base and additional taxes from users if they visit the commercial areas,” he said.

Array of speakers featured at Sun Lakes Rotary meetings

BY NORM NOBLE

The Sun Lakes Rotary Club lines up guest speakers for nearly all of its meetings. The next of couple months sees a stellar lineup of special guests ranging from Mayor Jay Tibshraeny to Greg Podd, Rotary International vice president.

Tibshraeny will discuss his tenure and the future of Chandler during the club’s Tuesday, Feb. 2, meeting.

Since he was originally elected in 1994, Tibshraeny has seen the city transform from a rural town to a bedroom community. He oversaw the construction of the Chandler Fashion Center. He was re-elected mayor four times over the next eight years, the maximum number of times a mayor can be re-elected in Chandler.

In 2002, Tibshraeny ran and won the newly created state senate seat for the 21st district. In 2010, he stepped down and ran again for mayor, this time unopposed, winning more than 99 percent of the votes. His current term expires in 2019.

On Feb. 9, the club will celebrate its annual Valentine’s Day Sweetheart Breakfast.

A CPA and personal finance specialist, Podd will address the Rotary on Feb. 23. He is a past president and owner of a metal fabrication firm for the telecommunications industry and an international health care software development firm.

A Rotarian since 1982, he is a member of the Evergreen Rotary Club of Evergreen, Colorado. Podd has served Rotary as RI president’s representative, major gifts adviser, member of the finance and investment committees, regional Rotary Foundation coordinator, regional RI membership zone coordinator, Council on Legislation representative, training leader, Rotary Foundation Future Vision training leader, district governor and assistant chief sergeant-at-arms at the International Assembly.

During his professional tenure, he has written four continuing education courses and has been a keynote speaker at five national conferences. Podd has taught many courses as a guest professor at ASU in the master of taxation program and has made presentations to more than 20,000 CPAs and chartered

accountants from the United States and abroad.

Most notably, Podd has served as a Rotary Foundation major gifts adviser where he established his district’s Million Dollar Dinner raising more than $3.1 million for the Rotary Foundation.

During the Rotary year 2014/2015, in addition to his duties as a Rotary International director, Podd served as chairman of the Rotary Audit Committee, the Rotary Board Council on Legislation Advisory Committee, and the Service Above Self Award Selection Committee.

During the Rotary year 2015/2016, he is vice president of Rotary International and a member of the Executive Committee, Strategic Planning Committee, Council and Board Committee and the Workgroup to examine Rotary’s current International Convention model.

The Rotary Club of Sun Lakes meets for breakfast every Tuesday morning at 6:30 a.m. in the Oakwood Country Club Ballroom, 9649 S. EJ Robson Blvd., Sun Lakes. The meetings start at 7 a.m. and end promptly at 8 a.m. Cost of breakfast is $12. To make reservations for any meeting, contact Rotarian Don Prestin at (480) 802-0439.

Intergovernmental affairs coordinator joins City

BY SRIANTHI PERERA

Chandler has a new staffer to keep a watchful eye on legislative matters.

Ryan Peters, who has more than a decade of municipal public policy and state legislative experience, is the City’s new intergovernmental affairs coordinator.

Peters came to Chandler from the League of Arizona Cities and Towns, where he served as a legislative associate for three years and represented 91 cities and towns in Arizona.

In this role, however, he will focus on one city.

“I’m excited about the opportunity to really dive in to advocate on behalf of Chandler,” Peters said. “The mission is clear for Chandler and we have different interests than some other cities and a lot of similarities, so I’ll continue to work with our resident partners and our state partners, but with an eye on protecting Chandler’s interests.”

Among the issues on Peters’ radar are state shared revenue; pension reform; residential rental tax elimination, which means a significant revenue loss for the City; and an evaluation of backyard farming, all of which have changing legislation.

“A lot of the focus is on the state capital and a lot of their bills have the most direct meaning for and impact on the City operations,” Peters said.

Concerning state shared sales tax revenue,

Peters said, vigilance is necessary to “make sure that stays as whole as possible.

“Whenever there are different proposals down at the Capitol that may impact us and our bottom line or the way we do our operations, it’s my job is to go to the Capitol and provide information that they need to make their decisions,” he added.

Prior to his position at League of Cities, Peters worked for the City of Glendale and the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry to represent them in public policy and legislative affairs. He also interned with the Arizona House of Representatives.

Peters’ experience includes six years in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, and a deployment in Iraq.

He has a master’s degree in public administration from ASU and earned a Bachelor of Science degree from ASU as a double major in political science and psychology.

His education and experience with these various entities have been vital.

“I’ve built a reputation for really working collaboratively with our members of the legislature, trying to find solutions where we can and trying to find common ground,” he said. “I’m pretty proud of being able to bridge that divide.”

Peters resides in Goodyear, but plans to move to Chandler in the summer, with his wife, Deanna, who is a school psychologist, and three children, McKenzie, 9, Zachary, 7, and Jason, 3.

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Volunteer tax preparers needed

Volunteer tax preparers are needed for the City of Chandler’s Earn Income Tax Credit campaign, in partnership with the Internal Revenue Service. The campaign offers free tax return preparation to households with an annual income of $54,000 or less.

Volunteers helped prepare 1,841 tax returns last year, resulting in approximately $1.96 million in federal

refunds for Chandler residents. No experience is required for volunteers, who will receive free IRS process-based tax law training in January at various locations. Tax professionals can earn continuing education credits for volunteering.

Info: Tricia Helbing at (480) 782-4358, patricia.helbing@chandleraz.gov or www. chandleraz.gov/vita.

Operation Welcome Home looking for nominations

Operation Welcome Home Chandler is accepting nominations and sponsorships for the fourth ceremony to be held in spring.

During the ceremony, veterans are part of a procession escorted by the Arizona Patriot Guard to the Chandler City Council Chambers, where the Chandler City Council will recognize and thank each individual. During the ceremony, the honorees will be presented with a gift basket with donations from the community. After the public event, the veterans and their families will be treated to dinner at a local restaurant.

Veterans should be Chandler residents and have been on active duty within the last three years or leaving soon. Residents or businesses also may participate through sponsorship or in-kind donations for the program.

Ceremonies are scheduled several times a year, based on the number of nominees. Residents are encouraged to attend the event, and donations are being accepted through the Chandler Chamber Community Foundation.

To nominate a veteran or sponsor the program, visit www.chandleraz.gov/ patriotism.

Stone & Vine Urban Italian makes Valentine’s Day shopping easier

A Valentine’s Boutique is being held 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 24, at Stone & Vine Urban Italian, 1035 W. Queen Creek Rd., Suite 103, Chandler, by local business owners.

Husbands and boyfriends who need help shopping for Valentine’s Day will be able to choose from vendors such as Origami Owl, 31 Gifts, Longaberger, Scentsy, Lori’s Treasured Souls, Tastefully Simple and Juice Plus. Or, ladies can shop and make a wish list that will be passed along to their sweeties.

Info: (480) 209-4115 or rslagter1003@ gmail.com.

Chandler Rotary Club boosts hope of Valley Veterans

A “Hooked on Healing” motorcycle ride to benefit the Phoenix Chapter of Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing and the Arizona Stand Down Alliance is being sponsored by the San Tan Crown Rotary Club, Saturday, Feb. 27. Registration begins 7:30 a.m. at the Chandler Harley-Davidson dealership followed by three stops before arriving at American Legion Post 35 at 3:30 p.m.

Ride organizers have laid out a 100-mile round trip starting with a pancake breakfast at the Chandler Harley-Davidson dealership at 6895 W. Chandler Blvd., and dinner, games, prizes and awards at American Legion Post 35 at 2240 W. Chandler Blvd. Highlights of the day include cash prizes of up to $1,000 as well as raffle prizes.

Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing assists injured veterans with

physical, mental and spiritual rehabilitation, by engaging them in the basics of fly tying, rod building, casting and practical catch and release fishing skills.

Arizona Stand Down is an alliance of community-based organizations that provide annual, one- to three-day events that bring together the homeless and at-risk military veterans, connecting them with services ranging from health care, mental health services, clothing, meals, emergency shelter, transitional and permanent housing and other services and resources.

Registration is $25 per motorcycle and passenger and includes an inaugural ride patch. Raffle tickets are $5 for the first 200 bikes. Info: info@healingvets.org, www.healingvets.org, or (480) 339-0247.

Volunteers needed to provide tax help to Native Americans

Last year 2,296 Arizonans gave back to their communities as volunteers, providing free tax services by preparing more than 86,000 federal and state of Arizona individual income tax returns through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance and Tax Counseling for the Elderly Programs.

“The IRS and its partners are looking for volunteers who are interested in taking a little time to learn about taxes and then helping others by preparing federal and state income tax returns for free,” said IRS spokesman Bill Brunson.

“Volunteers are certified to prepare simple, non-business tax returns for people with low to moderate incomes. People of all ages and backgrounds are welcome to volunteer. There is a role for anyone who is interested and wants to help give back to their community.”

For residents of the East Valley, there is an opportunity to volunteer nearby to provide free tax help to the Gila River Indian Community and its employees.

Anyone can be a volunteer and volunteers are needed to help at this site as tax return preparers and quality reviewers. The site coordinators may also

prepare returns.

All volunteers will be provided with free training materials on how to prepare basic individual income tax returns and how to file them electronically. Instruction will cover both federal and Arizona individual income tax returns.

Training is usually held in January and volunteers generally study online with Link & Learn Taxes to obtain their volunteer certification. The Link & Learn program is an interactive course that teaches all of the basics needed to prepare simple income tax returns accurately for individuals. Classroom training may also be offered. Once certified, volunteers generally spend three to four hours per week volunteering in February, March and April. Last year, Arizona families received more than $95 million in federal refunds using the VITA/ TCE programs to prepare their taxes.

To volunteer for the Gila River Indian Community free tax help site, send an email to elizabeth.bohnee@theplfc. com. More information about the IRS volunteer tax preparation program is available at www.irs.gov, keywords “Tax Volunteer.”

Attorney, author Shane Krauser speaks at Sun Lakes Republican Club

The public is invited to attend a presentation entitled “The Presidential Candidates and the U.S. Constitution,” that will be given by attorney Shane F. Krauser at the regular meeting of the Sun Lakes Republican Club, 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 9, in the Arizona Room of the Sun Lakes Country Club, 25601 N. Sun Lakes Blvd., Sun Lakes.

Krauser will talk about how to hold the 2016 presidential candidates accountable to the nation’s founding documents and how to preserve personal freedoms enshrined in the Bill of Rights. His latest book, “What is Freedom? Is it for you?,” will be available for sale at the meeting.

Krauser is a partner at the law firm of Davis, Miles, McGuire and Gardner, as well as chief instructor of K-Force Vanguard, a firearms training institute.

He has his own radio show and has spoken on constitutional issues and has educated audiences of various ages across the country. He also has guided expert panels with various political figures and has appeared on radio and TV.

Also attending the meeting will be Alex Meluskey, a candidate running in the upcoming U.S. Senate primary, who is state director of the Fair Tax, a licensed radio host and the owner of Optimum Graphics USA LLC., and State Rep. J.D. Mesnard, R-17, who will provide his perspective on the first month of the new state legislative session.

Info: www.slgop.org or contact Mike Tennant at (480) 802-0178.

Ken Zoll, executive director of the Verde Valley Archaeology Center in Camp Verde, is presenting “Our Stories: Ancient Native American Astronomical Practices,” 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 23, at the Chandler Sunset Library, 4930 W. Ray Rd., Chandler.

Throughout history, the ability of a people to survive has been tied to environmental conditions. The skill to predict the seasons was an essential element in the ability to try to control those conditions. Seasonal calendars became the foundation of early cultures for hunting and gathering, planting and harvesting, worshiping and celebrating. The goal of cultural astronomy is to understand how these early sky watchers fashioned and refined systems for regulating their calendars around celestial events, both cyclical and unique.

The program, made possible by Arizona Humanities, describes the diverse ways in which prehistoric Native American cultures perceived and integrated the objects in the sky into their worldview.

Zoll is also a site steward with the Arizona State Historic Preservation Office and a volunteer docent at cultural heritage sites in the Coconino National Forest. He has conducted extensive fieldwork in cultural astronomy of the Southwest and is a certified instructor in cultural astronomy with the Arizona Archaeological Society. Zoll is the author

Garage sale scheduled for Springfield Adult Community

Springfield

of the participants will be handed out at both

Info: Ron at (480) 802-3841 or Ken at (480) 895-8756.

of several popular books on cultural astronomy and rock art in Central Arizona, as well as several cultural astronomy articles in professional publications.

Info: (480) 782-2800, infodesk@ chandlerlibrary.org or http:// chandlerlibrary.org.

Highlighted

Team sponsored by Sun Lakes

Rotary wins competition

A team of Hamilton High School seniors took the title in the most recent competition of F1 in Schools, a program designed to excite middle and high school students about math and science. The Sun Lakes Rotary Club helped with travel costs. F1 in Schools came to Hamilton a year ago as a pilot program for all the Chandler Unified School District high schools. The goal was to have Hamilton students compete in regional and national competition events during the 2014-2015 school year, and then expand the program to more Arizona high schools during the following school year. An F1 team sponsored by the Sun Lakes Rotary Club won the statewide competition and competed in the U.S./ Canada competition in Michigan.

Info: drobins1137@msn.com or (248) 807-3604.

In other Rotary news, Chandler resident Dr. Fred DePrez, who joined the Sun Lakes Rotary Club in 2004, is the club’s Rotarian of the Month. He has served the club youth protection officer and recently became World Affairs Conference chairman. He served as principal of Hamilton High School for 17 years. Also, the club’s 23rd charity golf tournament has been scheduled for Sunday, April 3, at the Oakwood Country Club golf course, 24215 S. Oakwood Blvd., Sun Lakes. A shotgun start is at 12:30 p.m., followed by a dinner in the Oakwood Ballroom.

Foursomes are being formed. Cost for the club’s major fundraiser of the year is $100, including dinner. All of the net proceeds benefit local charities.

Info: call Don Bell at (612) 396-0069 or Peter Meade at (480) 600-2458.

Chandler Regional Medical Center receives special recognition

Dignity Health Chandler Regional Medical Center has been recognized by Blue Cross Blue Shield as a Blue Distinction Center for Cardiac Care. It is one of only four Arizona hospitals to be recognized.

Blue Distinction Centers are health care facilities with demonstrated expertise and a commitment to quality care, resulting in better overall outcomes for patients seeking services including cardiac rehabilitation, cardiac catheterization and cardiac surgery. The national program is designed to help consumers find quality and value, while also encouraging health care professionals to improve the overall quality and delivery of care nationwide.

“At Chandler Regional, we are committed to providing the highest quality of cardiac care and technology available, while maintaining personalized, community-based relationships,” said Jeff McBee, the hospital’s vice president of operations. “From our heart-screening program to our new, state-of-the-art

cardiac catheterization lab, we are fully committed to the cardiac health of the East Valley, and we are proud of this recognition by Blue Cross Blue Shield.”

Blue Distinction facilities are evaluated on objective, transparent data with quality, business, and cost of care components. The cardiac evaluation focuses on cardiac valve surgery, coronary artery bypass graft and percutaneous coronary interventions. Chandler Regional ranks above national benchmarks in several categories, including PCI in-hospital mortality rates and the proportion of heart attack patients receiving PCI within 90 minutes.

The hospital currently has a “2 star” rating—a benchmark for providing excellent cardiac care—by the Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Chandler Regional is also a designated a Cardiac Arrest Center by the Arizona Department of Health Services and is accredited as a Chest Pain Center by the Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care.

About Care seeking sponsors, donations for golf tourney

About Care, whose clients are economically disadvantaged elderly women who need help with transportation to medical appointments, is having its ninth charity golf tournament Saturday, April 23, at the Crowne Plaza San Marcos Golf Course, 1 N. San Marcos Pl., Chandler.

A Chandler/Gilbert-based not-forprofit organization, About Care is looking for tournament sponsors, participants and donations for its auction and raffle at the annual golf tournament, its major fundraising event.

A foursome is $400 and an individual is $110. Breakfast and lunch are included. There are sponsorships still open; donations and items for the auction will be accepted.

About Care delivers support services to the homebound elderly and disabled in Chandler and Gilbert, including transportation to medical appointments, shopping and errands, and respite care at no cost.

Info: www.aboutcare.org or call Ann Marie McArthur at (480) 802-2331.

Legislative District 17 candidates speaking at Sun Lakes Democratic Club

Legislative District 17 candidates are speaking at the next meeting of the Sun Lakes Democratic Club, 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 8, in the Navajo Room of the Sun Lakes Country Club, 25601 Sun Lakes Blvd. Jennifer Pawlik, candidate for the

Arizona House, and Steve Weichert, candidate for the Arizona Senate, as well as other state and national candidates or their representatives will be attending.

Nonperishable food items are collected prior to all club meetings in

the west parking lot from 6:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. for the Matthew’s Crossing Food Bank. There is also a collection box at the north entrance of the Sun Lakes Sunset Grill lobby. The total collected through December 2015 was 2,310.5 pounds of

food and $686.

Sun Lakes Democratic Club meetings are on the second Monday of each month. Refreshments are served. Info: call Tom Amrhein at (480) 895-1162.

ICAN Chandler honored with national award

ICAN: Positive Programs for Youth received the 2015 National Exemplary Award for Innovative Substance Abuse Prevention Programs, Practices and Policies at the annual conference of the National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors. Three other organizations also received the award.

ICAN’s Be the Change initiative focuses on prevention of underage drinking, marijuana abuse and illegal use of prescription drugs through four program components:

• Development and prevention programming that uses professionally trained staff, evidence-based life skills and prevention-focused curricula for youth.

• Parent support and education groups, including substance abuse awareness and training.

• Community leadership and mobilization training for youth and adults, and monthly community service work.

• Youth, parent/adult, and substantial community involvement in ICAN’s Chandler Coalition on Youth Substance Abuse.

“ICAN has been recognized as a leader in prevention in Arizona for some time,” said Becky Jackson, president and CEO of ICAN. “For our organization to now be honored at the national level is a powerful statement about the effectiveness and impact of what we are doing.”

Evaluation results reveal that an average of 80 percent of youth attending

prevention programming at ICAN report improvements in the critical protective factors and social competencies proven to reduce the likelihood of substance abuse.

Additionally, 88 percent of ICAN youth report improved ability to say “no” to what they know is wrong, including resisting involvement in alcohol and drugs.

ICAN is a free, family-centered youth service in the East Valley that provides programs to equip youth to achieve personal and academic success by tackling substance abuse, gang involvement and juvenile delinquency. Info: (480) 821-4207 or www.icanaz.org.

Grant enables child car seat inspections to continue

The Chandler Fire, Health & Medical Department has received $37,586 to continue its child safety seat clinics through Sept. 30. The grant came from the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety.

Grant funds will be used to staff the clinics and to provide 150 child safety seats for families who cannot afford to purchase this lifesaving equipment on their own. Motor vehicle injuries are a leading cause of death among children in the United States, due in large part to the lack of or improper use of child seats and seat belts.

CFHM offers car seat clinics most Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon at various locations in the city. Clinics are conducted by CFHM personnel who

have been certified as child passenger seat technicians through SafeKids International. The firefighters ensure each child is safeguarded in the appropriate seat for their age and weight, and they provide one-on-one instruction to caregivers on how to properly install and use their child’s car seat.

Since 2002, CFHM’s partnership with the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety has enabled Chandler firefighters to protect the lives of more than 11,000 children by helping to ensure each child is properly secured when riding in a motor vehicle.

Info: www.chandleraz.gov/fire or (480) 782-2046.

Chandler City Council names Jack Sellers vice mayor

The Chandler City Council voted unanimously to elect Councilman Jack Sellers as the City’s new vice mayor. He will serve in the position until January 2017.

“I look forward to the added responsibilities and I’m grateful for the mayor and my colleagues on the Council for the opportunity to serve in this capacity,” Sellers said.

A Chandler resident since 1994, Sellers has served on the City Council since January 2009. During his tenure, he has been active in the community and in the region with a strong interest in economic development and transportation issues.

Sellers represents Chandler on the Maricopa Association of Governments Economic Development Committee, the MAG Transportation Policy Committee and is a member of the MAG Regional Council. In 2014 he was appointed by Gov. Jan Brewer to serve a six-year term on the Arizona State Transportation Board.

Wound Healing and Hyperbaric Oxygen Center receives accreditation

The Wound Healing and Hyperbaric Oxygen Center at Dignity Health Chandler Regional Medical Center, part of the Healogics Inc. advanced wound care services network, has received its third accreditation from the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society since 2005. Dignity Health Chandler Regional is the only hospital in Arizona to receive this accreditation.

“Receiving recognition by voluntarily participating in this process is a testament to the high quality wound care available at our facility,” said Dr. Brian Paterick, the center’s medical director. “For referring physicians, it means we are available when they have patients with chronic, slow healing wounds. For patients, it means our dedicated

team of medical professionals is able to provide consultations and treatment while focusing on patient safety and satisfaction.”

At the center, hyperbaric oxygen chambers surround a patient with 100 percent oxygen at a higher than normal atmospheric pressure, creating a condition that is similar to what a deepsea diver experiences. Sessions, or dives, last from two to two-and-a-half hours. Each session increases the amount of dissolved oxygen in the patient’s blood, allowing it to go directly to the wound and stimulate healing.

The center offers hospital-based outpatient wound care and hyperbaric oxygen therapy, as well as disease management and diabetes care.

DEADLINES FOR SANTAN SUN NEWS: FEB. 6

Sellers also has been active with the Greater Phoenix Economic Council, serving on its international leadership committee, and has served as a board member and executive committee member. With the East Valley

Partnership, he is an ex-officio director, serves on the economic development and government relations committees and co-chairs the transportation committee. He also is a member of the Chandler Chamber of Commerce and participates on its public policy committee.

The deadline for news and advertising is 12 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 28, for the Saturday, Feb. 6, issue of the SanTan Sun News. All news must be submitted to News@ SanTanSun.com by that day to be considered for the next issue or by filling in the “submit a news release” form on the newspaper’s website at www.SanTanSun.com. To send an item for consideration in the SanTan Family Fun, email it directly to STFF@SanTanSun.com. Send advertising files and information to account reps or contact Ads@SanTanSun.com. For deadline information, visit SanTanSun.com and click on “About us” or call (480) 732-0250 for advertising rate details.

And, while she may be suffering from Alzheimer’s, it in no way diminishes the place she holds in people’s hearts. The gifts and contributions she has shared. The story she has to tell.

At Chandler Memory Care, our goal is to help her continue her story with a decidedly different approach to caring for those with memory loss.

Resident-centered, activity-based programming provides a supportive lifestyle tailored to her specific needs.

Sun Lakes rocket scientist remembers the Challenger disaster

BY VICTORIA R. GINDICK

Jan. 28 marks the 30th anniversary of the Challenger disaster that claimed all of the crew, including Dr. Judith Resnik, the second woman and first Jewish-American astronaut.

That may have been three decades ago, but for Sun Lakes resident Dr. Mark Salita, it’s like it happened yesterday.

Salita is a true rocket scientist; a retired aerospace engineer who was closely involved with Space Shuttle missions. Although he never met her, he said he believes his “intersection with Judy Resnik was pre-ordained.”

Many parallels can be found in their early lives— from excelling in math and music, to being serious students who liked to have fun. While pursuing their education through Ph.D.s, they were both drawn into the space program, but from different directions.

as her Ph.D. in electrical engineering. She worked on NASA projects during her first job with RCA’s missile and surface radar group.

When Resnik saw a NASA recruitment ad seeking women and minorities, she applied for the chance to be an astronaut.

Resnik was born in 1949 in Ohio to Ukrainian immigrants. She was a perfectionist, a private yet popular person, a rebellious teen who snuck out to meet her forbidden boyfriend.

Her father, with whom she shared a close relationship, sparked her interest in science and nurtured her desire to succeed. Resnik sought challenges, pushed her limits to achieve, and yet took time to help younger students while she earned a bachelor’s and master’s degrees, as well

To prepare and succeed, she immersed herself in a vigorous exercise regimen, read extensively and even sought advice from John Glenn. It paid off in January 1978, when Resnik was chosen as one of only six women, including Sally Ride, who “had the right stuff.” Never settling for second best, Resnik focused all her energy on helping to design and then operate the remote shuttle manipulator arm. Her playful sense of humor was displayed by her in-flight weightless acrobatics during her first space flight on the 36-orbit Discovery shuttle mission in 1984.

Parallel story Salita’s story begins in New York in 1943. Salita’s mother, an accomplished pianist, introduced him to the clarinet at 9. Meanwhile, he was exposed to space travel in the “new” physics text featuring the Sputnik flight. Taking calculus in the eighth grade, Salita continued to be among the very high achievers in his high school. His hobby of collecting trading cards matched his love of history, math,

airplanes and ships.

With a Bachelor of Science degree in aeronautical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Salita pursued a master’s degree in aerospace engineering at Penn State. Summer internships with the Manned Spacecraft Center brought him into the world of space flight. By 1977, when he joined Thiokol Corp. in Utah, Salita earned a PhD in fluid mechanics/ numerical methods and work experience at Pratt & Whitney on gas turbine engines. After each shuttle flight, the vehicles are inspected. One year prior to the

Challenger launch, inspectors found single O-ring erosion. Pairs of O-rings seal all the joints in the shuttle booster rockets. Failure of any one pair would allow 6,000-degree F ignition gas to burn a hole in the booster, resulting in a flight disaster.

“Everyone was complacent, lulled by the success of previous missions, Salita noted. They knew there was an issue.”

His unique expertise enabled him to develop a model of O-ring erosion for a joint redesign project.

As the Challenger fell in line for the next launch, O-ring failure was a priority

at the Flight Readiness Review meeting. Salita was given only two days to develop another O-ring erosion model.

“I can still see the tension-filled room, like it was yesterday,” Salita said. “It was dark and packed with NASA personnel, Thiokol’s CEO and engineering staff.”

Despite the potential dangers posed by the O-rings as shown in Salita’s model, and against the advice of the engineers, Thiokol’s management called the Challenger safe to fly—even with a private citizen, Christa McAuliffe.

“It’s the best I could do in two days,” Salita said.

After multiple delays, the Challenger and its crew launched on Jan. 28, 1986, from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The shuttle lifted off, and for 73 more seconds, Resnik, was a pioneer, an explorer and an astronaut. This female scientist epitomized a life of courage.

Under the auspices of the Presidential Commission, Salita developed further O-ring models, seeking answers to why this happened. In his March 2004 article, “Shuttle Disasters: A Common Cause?” published in Aerospace America, he detailed five detrimental factors, any one of which alone would not have caused the Challenger to explode.

Linked together, however, were low temperature, steady wind, unusual wind direction, human error and finally, the worst wind shear experienced by a shuttle up to 1986.

“She still haunts me,” said Salita, who is writing a book called “Memoirs of a Rocket Scientist.”

CPD to kick off Coffee with a Cop

BY MEGAN MARPLES

In an effort to strength its ties with the community, the Chandler Police Department is kicking off its Coffee with a Cop series from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 27, at Kneaders.

CPD detective Seth Tyler said he is hoping to make this an enduring program.

“The main goal of this event is to provide an opportunity for residents and citizens to ask questions and interact with officers in a relaxed setting,” Tyler said.

Each meeting will feature new officers with whom to interact with. Commander Michael Heikes and Officer R. Atwood will be in attendance at the first event.

Sgt. Joseph Favazzo revealed how his department selects the quarterly representative.

“Generally there will be a commander, an officer from crime prevention and quite possibly a sergeant and or lieutenant from the precinct that is hosting,” Favazzo said.

Everyone is welcome to attend this free community event. Each meeting will be located at a different location

throughout the city.

For additional information, check out the Chandler Police Department Facebook page. Kneaders is located

Obituary Neil Patel

Neil Patel, a 39-year-old Chandler resident, died Jan. 15, 2016.

Born in Burbank, California, on Dec. 9, 1976, Patel earned a bachelor of arts degree in finance and accounting from ASU. He was a customer service manager for Toyota Financial Services, where he had worked since 2001.

Patel was also an active runner, community champion and devoted fan of the Arizona Cardinals. Neil is survived by his mother, Champa, Patel, brother Nitesh Patel, both of Phoenix and his wife, Kirsten Patel and daughter, Kaitlen Rocha, both of Chandler.

Patel is proceeded in death by his father, Ramesh Patel. Funeral services were held at 9 a.m. Friday, Jan. 22, at Green Acres Mortuary 401 N. Hayden Rd., Scottsdale. Contributions may be made in Patel’s name to The Larry Fitzgerald First Down Fund at www.larryfitzgerald.com/ helpingpeople/firstdownfund

Small to medium business owners join us for a morning of interactive sessions that will stimulate thoughts regarding how to overcome your biggest hurdles in 2016.

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Wisdom teeth are almost certain to cause problems if left in place. This is particularly true of impacted wisdom teeth, such problems may occur suddenly and often at the most inconvenient time. While the kids are out for spring break, there couldn’t be a better time to take care of this preventative procedure.

The average mouth does not have room for the third molars, also known as “wisdom teeth,” to come in properly. These poorly positioned impacted teeth can cause many problems such as swelling, stiffness, pain and illness. The pressure from the wisdom teeth may move other teeth and disrupt the orthodontic of natural alignment of teeth. The most serious problem occurs when tumors or cysts form around the impacted wisdom tooth, resulting in the destruction of the jawbone and healthy teeth. It is now recommended that impacted wisdom teeth be removed early to prevent these problems.

Most commonly we remove wisdom teeth between the ages of 14 and 22 years whether they are causing problems or not. The procedure is technically easier and patients recover much quicker when they are younger. What is a relatively minor procedure at 20 can before quite difficult in patients as they get older. Also, the risk of complications increases with age and the healing process is slower. We utilize the latest technologies and techniques to make your procedure go smoother and your healing process faster.

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For a consultation, please call Dr. Shah at 480.814.9500. Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon. Board Certified, American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.