SanTan Sun News - April 26 2020 by Times Media Group

April 26, 2020 | www.santansun.com

Relentlessly local coverage of Southern Chandler

An edition of the East Valley Tribune

Quarantine fueling rise in violence in homes BY KEVIN REAGAN Staff Writer

Volunteer James Kang loads a box of food for a family that turned for help to AZCEND, a Chandler nonproﬁt that will beneﬁt from new pandemic relief funds coming to Chandler. (Pablo Robles/Staff Photographer)

$900K in pandemic relief is coming to Chandler BY KEVIN REAGAN Staff Writer

The city of Chandler is expecting more than $900,000 in relief aid from the federal government to stave off economic hardships caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Chandler is planning to use $850,000 of its allocation from the CARES Act for its Community Development Block Grant program, which distributes funds out to local organizations that service low-income neighborhoods. See

CITYMONEY on page 18

Local law enforcement answered a higher number of calls for domestic disturbances last month after Phoenix East Valley residents were told to stay home in order to reduce the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Agencies in Chandler, Gilbert and Mesa reported subtle increases in its number of domestic-related calls over the last few weeks, but some say the data’s not clear enough to conclude whether Arizona’s stay-at-home order is to blame. But Phoenix police officials are fairly certain that stay-at-home orders have powered an increase. The Phoenix Police Department dispatched officers to 3,587 domestic violence calls in March – a 5.6 percent increase in officers responding to reports of family fights or aggravated assault of domestic partners compared to the 3,395 incidents reported in March 2019, police said. “We are seeing an increase in these types of calls, but I think it goes back to what people are living through and trying to cope through, many people aren’t

working because of the public health crisis,” Sgt. Mercedes Fortune told the Associated Press. She said the reports appeared to increase more after Republican Gov. Doug Ducey issued a stay-at-home order on March 31. Police received 942 domestic violence calls in the first week of April, a 15 percent increase compared to the 820 calls made the same time last year, Fortune said. Chandler Police officers responded to at least 522 domestic calls for fights, assaults and trespassing in March – a notable jump from the 364 calls received in February. Last month further appears to be an outlier when comparing it to the call logs of previous years. Chandler Police reported getting 454 domestic-related calls in March 2019 and 438 calls in March 2018. It’s the same trend observed elsewhere across the country as police departments see a rise in calls for domestic violence after Americans were instructed to stay home indefinitely until See

DOMESTIC on page 2

Chandler 85224 stands out for virus cases BY KEVIN REAGAN Staff Writer

One of Chandler’s northern ZIP codes has recorded 13 deaths related to the COVID-19 virus and an infection rate that’s twice as large as others in the city. ZIP code 85224, which stretches from Elliot to Pecos roads, reported at least 67 cases of the coronavirus by April 22 – the highest case count seen so far within Chandler’s city limits, state data show. The area also home to an assistedliving facility that’s reported 13 virusrelated deaths in recent weeks. ZIP codes south of 85224 had reported no more than 30 cases by mid April while 85225 logged at least 41 cases. The Arizona Department of Health Services released a geographical breakdown of COVID-19 cases earlier this month, but the numbers are not completely reflective of where infected residents are actually living. If the state’s unaware of a patient’s home address, then their case is placed in the ZIP code where their infection was originally confirmed or detected. This could explain why 85224 has a higher case count, since Chandler Regional Medical Center is positioned at the ZIP code’s southern edge. The ZIP code additionally has more than 30 assisted-living homes for the elderly and disabled – places that

inside the facilities and discouraged multiple infections residents from leaving their rooms. among its residents. Despite these new safety procedures, Pennington Gardens, the virus continued to spread as more a senior living facility Pennington residents started testing located near Dobson and Pecos roads, has had positive. Amira Fahoum, a spokesperson for 13 residents pass away Pennington Gardens, said the facility from the virus and at least 28 confirmed cases attempted to test every resident immediately after the first couple cases of COVID-19. were confirmed but a scarcity of testing The facility first sent kits slowed down the process. out letters on April A majority of residents and staff have 7, notifying families now been tested, she said, and at least 39 that five residents have been cleared of the virus. and one employee The several residents who have tested positive for the State Health Director Dr. Cara Christ says ZIP code data needs careful already succumbed to the disease have coronavirus and had consideration by the public. (Capitol Media Services) been a tragedy for the whole Pennington begun implementing community, Fahoum added. procedures to contain have been especially impacted by the the contagion. COVID-19 pandemic. Pennington started requiring any More than 450 residents and outside visitors to wear masks while See on page 14 employees of these care facilities in the Valley have contracted the virus and 44 have died, according to the Maricopa More F E AT U R E STO R I E S County Public Health Department. Community . . . . . 01-24 States like Minnesota and Oklahoma Farm readies for a peachy good time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Community . . . . Page 16 Business . . . . . . . .25-30 have begun naming care facilities that Sports . . . . . . . . . . .31-33 had COVID-19 cases, but Arizona is not Venerable Chandler taco eatery reopens. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Business . . . . . . . Page 25 Opinion. . . . . . . . . . . . 34 releasing this information due to privacy Neighbors . . . . . . 35-39 Chandler consultant authors inspirational book . . . . . . . . . . . .Neighbors . . . . . Page 35 Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 concerns. Faith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41 Maricopa County won’t disclose Quarantine inspires area artists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Arts . . . . . . . . . . . Page 40 Directory . . . . . . .42-43 which of its 500 assisted-living and Classiﬁeds . . . . . . . . . 44 nursing homes have had cases, but one in Lawayers helping restaurants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 46 Where to Eat. . . . . . . 46 Chandler’s northern region has reported

VIRUS

COMMUNITY NEWS

DOMESTIC

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the health pandemic ends. Sgt. Jason McClimans emphasized that Chandler’s call numbers don’t necessarily mean an act of domestic violence was actually committed – but rather that someone had initially reported a possible disturbance. The agency’s online arrest log indicates March 2020 didn’t show an exponentially higher number of arrests for domestic-related crimes compared to February or January. A closer snapshot of the agency’s data demonstrates how Chandler cops have remained busy responding to domestic disputes during the statewide shutdown. At 10:30 a.m. on April 4, Chandler Police arrested a 34-year-old woman for criminal damage and fighting at a residence on Kingbird Drive. Four hours later, a 32-year-old man was charged with violating an order of protection a few miles away on California Street. Chandler Police then detained a 38-year-old man for fighting on Folley Street at 7:30 p.m. Less than an hour later, a 29-year-old man was arrested for assault at an apartment complex on Federal Street. At least two more men would be cited for domestic violence charges by the end of the night. The agency’s arrest logs show officers make arrests for domestic crimes on a nearly daily basis – long before the COVID-19 pandemic forced families to

A New Leaf staffer Kimberly Hubbard talks to a domestic violence victim seeking help at one of the Mesa organization’s shelters. Police and advocates say data so far has been sketchy on whether the pandemic has driven up domestic violence, though they fear many victims may be trapped. (Pablo Robles/Staff Photographer)

stay indoors. But April 4 stands out as a day that appeared to be particularly active. The extra calls for domestic disturbances have not forced Chandler Police to reshuffle resources among the agency’s units, McClimans added. Its Family Advocacy Center, where victims of sex crimes and child abuse often go to report crimes, has not experienced a significant uptick in victims seeking refuge from abusive relatives. But some advocates worry this period may only be the calm before the storm

and believe more victims may suddenly reach out for help once the pandemic starts to subside. Tasha Menaker, co-chief executive officer of the Arizona Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence, said her nonprofit’s hotline has recently seen a 15-percent increase in calls from victims wanting to file restraining orders, find a shelter or ask for legal advice. The pandemic could be trapping even more victims from not reaching out for help, Menaker said, because their abuser is always around and they may not feel safe calling the coalition’s hotline.

“It might feel very dangerous to try and look at other options outside of leaving the home,” Menaker said, “but maybe as things settle down a little bit. We’re kind of worried we might see a spike at that time as people then try to exit the home.” Before the public health crisis, domestic violence shelters in the East Valley were already having trouble placing clients in apartments they could afford on their own. Rising rents across the Valley has made cheap rentals increasingly sparse and has been creating another barrier for victims to not leave their abuser. “That’s a significant reason why survivors don’t leave,” Menaker added. “They just don’t have any place to go.” Menaker’s coalition has some funding available to help survivors pay the first month’s rent on a new apartment, but those funds are becoming an increasingly finite resource since the nonprofit’s had to postpone all its fundraising events until after the pandemic ends. Most domestic violence shelters across the Valley continue to remain open, but some say the ongoing pandemic hasn’t curbed the constant need for available beds. My Sister’s Place, a domestic violence shelter located near Chandler, is regularly at its capacity and demand for the shelter’s beds hasn’t slowed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jean Christofferson, a spokesperson for the shelter, said its help hotline has been getting more calls in recent weeks See

DOMESTIC on page 14

Pandemic ticking timebomb: child absue BY CECILIA CHAN Staff Writer

Last week, Gilbert’s iconic Water Tower lit up blue for three days in recognition of National Child Abuse Prevention Month. And a possible fallout of COVID-19 is an uptick in children being abused or neglected parents lose their jobs and the country remains on lockdown. “We are anticipating with economic stressors and social stressors there will be increases in child abuse,” said Dr. Shawn Singleton, a pediatrician who works at the Banner Health Cardon Children’s Medical Center in Mesa and Thunder Medical Center in Glendale. “Some areas of the country have seen increases of cases. “Right now, we have not had any cases of child abuse in our centers, which is a good thing.” Singleton surmised that may be because the weather is still nice, allowing people to be outdoors to walk, bike or hike. But if social isolation remains in place as the Valley heats up, that may change. “If we are unable to be outside to work off some of the energy and to just have some fun, perhaps we may see our spike if we are still required to do social isolation and quarantine,” Singleton said. Another factor is that schools are closed – but not in a good way. Teachers and other school personnel

often see signs of child abuse, and calls to the state child abuse hotline have dropped since Gov. Doug Ducey closed schools for the rest of the academic year, according to Darren DaRonco, spokesman for the Department of Child Safety. “On average, we are seeing an over 25 percent decrease in calls to our hotline since schools closed,” he said. “Teachers and school personnel comprise one of the largest groups to report child abuse.

That means many children are suffering in silence.” DCS cannot investigate child abuse and neglect unless it receives a report from the public. Education personnel are responsible for making 20 percent of investigated reports, and law enforcement personnel, including school resource officers make 18 percent of reports that get investigated, according to Caleb Kimpel, spokesman for Scottsdale-

based Childhelp, a nonprofit that helps child-abuse victims. Kimpel said DCS identified 15,446 victims in 2018, ranking Arizona No. 24 in the country and tied with Colorado, Louisiana and Florida. “There were nine victims of abuse or neglect for every 1,000 children,” Kimpel said. “The rate has actually gone up in the last few years. But I would caution See

ABUSE on page 3

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ABUSE

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against taking the maltreatment rate as necessarily indicating an increase in abuse. It could just as easily indicate more effective investigations and more reports. In the early-mid 2000s DCS reported rates as low as 2 per 1,000 children.” Also in 2018, the latest available data showed the department investigated 87,498 cases in Arizona – tying with Iowa, New Mexico and New York at 53 investigations per 1,000 children, according to Kimpel. “That rate has been consistently increasing over the years,” he added. During the Great Recession, data on child abuse was mixed, according to the Pew Research Center – but “hospitals reported an increase in injuries consistent with abuse, including an increase in the number of reported bran and head traumas.” Kimpel said a number of studies suggest economic downturn is associated with increased child maltreatment. “While no child is free from risk of child maltreatment, at-risk children and children in poverty are substantially more vulnerable,” Kimpel said, noting: “Economic downturns create stress for parents and conflict within families. Basic needs like housing, food and medical care are more difficult to secure in some families.” He added with the widespread financial crisis, supportive structures

like schools and social services are threatened by tighter budgets. Several factors make it especially dangerous for children in the pandemic’s wake, Kimpel said. “Most perpetrators of maltreatment are parents of the victim,” he said. “In Arizona, more than 90 percent of child maltreatment perpetrators identified by the Department of Child Safety are the parent, guardian or partner of a parent to the victim. If a survivor of abuse is at home with his or her parents, that child faces that much more risk.” Kimpel said an adequate social support is vital in preventing abuse and neglect but when parents lose touch with their network of care – like churches, workplaces and families – the risk of abuse increases. “It is likely that for every child who has been identified as a victim of abuse, another child will have been abused without the knowledge of authorities,” Kimpel said. So not only are abused children out of school, away from watchful eyes, but they are isolated with their abusers. “That means it is likely there will be fewer cases reported and acted upon by the Department of Child Safety, but more abuse and neglect actually occurring in households,” Kimpel said; “the worse of both worlds.” Singleton said there is a concern of increased cases of corporal punishment that do not require medical care. “Our primary care physicians and urgent care also are aware of these red flags,” he said. “They are aware to bring these children in when they may have a

concern during a telehealth visit.” Use of remote medical visits has grown tremendously during the pandemic but the tool has its drawbacks. “It makes it hard to assess certain injuries,” Singleton said. “It’s very dependent on a family’s computer and their camera, it could be dependent on the screen resolution on the provider’s end. “It’s not always easy to evaluate bruises and injuries on skin so primary care providers will try to have those patients seen so they can be in the same room as the child,” Singleton said. “We are hoping that providers with any level of concern to get that child in to see them in person.” Both Singleton and Kimpel said families can take steps to prevent the abuse or neglect of a child. “There are ways we can support our friends and family,” said Singleton who suggested people do virtual checkins with each other during this highstressed time. He said people who are not sick can “go over and help pay with the kids and give caregivers a chance to go shopping, a moment of kid-free time.” There’s also a number of children activities online such as at Sesamestreet. org and coronavirus resources and tips for families at Prevent Child Abuse America, Singleton said. Families in crisis can call 211, a nonemergency line in many communities that provides appropriate resources, according to Kimpel. For parents who are in recovery

from alcohol or substance abuse or in treatment for mental health, it is vitally important that they continue to engage in therapeutic interventions that have been helpful before COVID-19, he said. And “for parents who find strength in faith, it is important to stay engaged in faith practices and community, even if they can’t physically go to church or synagogue,” Kimpel said. “If children have been involved in sports or activities that encourage them to be active and do their best, stay involved in whatever capacity is possible. “The best resource to prevent child maltreatment are the ones that will be used,” Kimpel add. “What I mean by that is that every family is different and has different strengths and priorities. Likewise, every family faces different challenges.”

Getting help • To report suspected child abuse or neglect, call Arizona Department of Child Services at 888-SOS-CHILD or (888-7672445). •C hildhelp also has a national child abuse hotline, 1-800-4-A-CHILD, available over phone or text, or online chat at childhelphotline. org to talk with parents, survivors or children who are struggling to find resources to help.

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City of Chandler Insider

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | APRIL 26, 2020

New recycling guidelines implemented in Chandler BY THE CITY OF CHANDLER

Recycling is changing in Chandler. Market conditions have shifted, causing limits to the items that the City can accept. There are three main factors that determine what materials can economically be recycled: Quantity: There must be a large enough quantity of the material available to recycle. Cost: The cost for the material must be greater than the cost of collection, processing and transportation. Acceptance: Just as important as cost, the material recovery facility (recycling center) must accept the material. If the item is not listed as accepted in Chandler’s recycling program, then the recycling center does not accept the item for processing due to one of the factors noted above. Residents have shared their desire to continue recycling programs in Chandler. Recycling was the number one service selected by respondents in a survey completed earlier this year, in which they were asked which solid waste and recycling services were most important to them, other than weekly trash service. In order to keep its recycling program alive and healthy, the City is working to remind residents the importance of taking extra care to recycle right.

A Chandler employee checks recycling bins during a route check in an area neighborhood. (City of Chandler)

Recent changes to what can be recycled can be narrowed down to the simple topics: the elimination of shredded paper and the types of plastics that are allowed. But these two simple changes are sometimes hard habits to break. Shredded paper is the easier of the

Chandler needs to controlling skyrocketing recycling costs, so it is limiting the kinds of materials people can put in theeir blue bins. (City of Chandler)

two to explain. The bags holding the shredded paper were causing issues with the equipment, and this type of paper is difficult to capture through the current sorting process. So, residents are asked to bag and tie their shredded paper and dispose of it with their regular trash. The change to the types of plastics allowed is a more difficult habit to break. Only plastic bottles and jugs are now accepted for recycling in Chandler. These are items such as milk jugs, water bottles and detergent bottles. All other plastic products are no longer accepted by the recycling processor due to market conditions. This includes items such as plastic cups, tubs, berry clamshell containers, food trays and take out containers. Any plastic items besides bottles and jugs should be reused or bag and tied and placed in the trash. Other items that can continue to be recycled include paper, cardboard, metal cans and food and beverage glass bottles and jars. All items should be empty and free from food or liquids. City staff is doing a tremendous amount of outreach right now to educate and inform residents about these changes. You might have already seen social media posts and bus shelter ads with reminders. In May, water customers will be

receiving an insert with their water bill reminding them how to “Recycle Right.” Staff is also promoting the Recycle Coach app available for Apple and Android devices, and the City’s website chandleraz.gov/ recycle features a tool in which you can enter an item into the search tool to see if it’s recyclable. In addition, two teams of solid waste environmental specialists perform regular inspections throughout the City to ensure compliance. If they spot an item that shouldn’t be in the container, they will leave an informational flyer on the bin, remove an item as a one-time courtesy or even leave information and turn the bin so it will not be collected. This last option is for recycling containers that have excessive amounts of nonrecyclable items or items that cause health and safety issues such as diapers and hygiene products, pet waste, liquids, chemicals, and other hazardous materials. They provide this service to better educate Chandler residents about the changes and reduce contamination sent to the recycling processor. You may be wondering, “What’s the big deal? What harm will it cause if I put the wrong item in the bin?” It might seem insignificant, but the costs can really add up. Not only is the City charged a processing fee, an additional fee is charged for the disposal of these items. That is why residents are encouraged to use all of the tools to make the right choice, but if in doubt, you are asked to throw it out. Items that are not accepted by the recycling processor are landfilled so it is essential to place items in the curbside bin that are actually being recycled and made into new products. The bottom line? Recycling helps protect the environment. It keeps valuable items out of the waste stream and reduces what goes into the landfill. It also helps ensure we have resources for the future. Let’s all recycle right. For questions, or for more information, please visit chandleraz.gov/ recycle, or call 480-782-3510.

City debunks some common recycling myths Myth: If the item has a recyclable symbol on it, then it is recyclable. Fact: Many items that have the recycling symbol are not accepted in the curbside program, but may be accepted elsewhere. For example, plastic bags and wrap are recyclable at grocery stores. The recycle numbers on plastic only tell the type of plastic it is made from, not if it’s ok to place in the

curbside recycling container. Myth: Recyclables need to be spotless to be recycled. Fact: All containers should be empty, dry, and free of food and liquids. Bottles, cans, and jars should be rinsed or wiped out before placing in the recycling container. Remove and discard plastic packaging and foam from boxes before recycling.

Myth: If an item is made from plastic, metal, or glass it can be recycled. Fact: The type of material an item is made from does not determine if it can be recycled. Only place items accepted for curbside recycling in your blue recycling container. Scrap metal, appliances, and electronics can be recycled through curbside

bulk collection or dropped off at the Recycling-Solid Waste Collection Center. Myth: Bag your recyclables. Fact: Leave your recyclables loose in the can. Bagging recyclables causes sorting slowdowns and plastic bags can get caught in sorting equipment. If you use a bag to collect or transport recyclables, empty recyclables in the recycling can and reuse the bag.

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | APRIL 26, 2020

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COMMUNITY NEWS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | APRIL 26, 2020

Chandler Chamber to grill council hopefuls online

SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

The Chandler Chamber of Commerce will hold a virtual forum for the six candidates vying for three City Council seats and it’s giving the public a chance to submit questions for the candidates. The forum, at 5 p.m. May 19, will be broadcast on Channel 11 and the city’s website with candidates gathering virtually from their homes or offices for the session. Chamber CEO/President Terri Kimble said the forum will include introductory remarks from each candidate, several questions and a “lightning round” of around 20 questions requiring a “yes” or “no” response. While the Chamber Public Policy Committee has also been formulating questions for the candidates, Kimble said she’s also interested in hearing from Chandler citizens. People can send their questions to terri@chandlerchamber.com. "The Chandler Chamber has always taken a proactive approach in government affairs that benefit business and the community" Kimble said, calling the forum "an accesible way for residents of Chandler to learn more about the candidates and their stands on issues of importance in order to make an informed decision at the polls." The Chamber sent a short questionnaire to all candidates with a deadline of April 17 that touched on their background and also asked why they are running, what top three issues they want to focus on if elected, how will their campaign will “embody the values of the

Beth Brizel

JeremyMcClymonds

Chandler Chamber” and how will the Chamber’s endorsement help their race. As of the SanTan News’ deadline last Wednesday, only Rick Heumann and Christie Ellis had submitted answers. The other candidates in the Aug. 4 election include incumbents Jeremy McClymonds and Mark Stewart; Beth Brizel, a former Kyrene Governing Board member who owns a commercial real estate business; and OD Harris, a pastor and longtime community activist who founded a seven-state chain of 35 tax-and-accounting businesses before selling it to his major competitor. In her response to the Chamber’s questionnaire, Ellis, a registered nurse who owns several East Valley assisted living homes, did not say why she is running. She said her top three issues are: “higher education, more free market solutions, enriching our neighborhoods, embracing our diversity.” On the question of how her campaign will embody the Chamber’s values, Ellis replied, “In demonstrating strong leadership in the focus areas above and

Christine Ellis

OD Harris

in becoming a bridge for the business community with the city of Chandler.” An endorsement by the Chamber, Ellis wrote, “will empower me to hit the ground running as a council member, and it will give me access to important knowledge on how to best serve the business community" and "will allow me to victoriously cross the finish line.” Heumann, who served eight years on Chandler City Council before being termed out and has sat since then on the Chandler Planning and Zoning Commission and as chair of the Chamber’s Public Policy Committee, said he is running “to lend my experience in leadership and the business community.” His city experience "and my numerous years with various nonprofits in Chandler give me the expertise and knowledge to help us through these challenging times,” he wrote. “Now is the time for strong leadership willing to make the tough decisions.” Two of his top three issues had to do with life in a post-Covid-19 world.

Rick Heumann

Mark Stewart

“With the coronavirus giving our economy a great attack, my expertise in getting the city through the great recession will enable me to help get us back on our financial footing in a proper manner,” he wrote. He also cited the pandemic’s financial hit on public safety. “We cannot waver in making sure our citizens are safe and secure in their neighborhoods and places of employment,” he wrote. His third issue involved his work on education “to make sure we pull together our many great schools, businesses and city resources to give our residents the best education experience of any city. Without that as a backbone then we will not have the workforce we need for the high-tech jobs our city has to offer.” Heumann said his experience and track record demonstrate how his campaign embodies the Chamber’s values and that an endorsement will “show our residents and business leaders that the Chamber has the confidence that I will do what is right for our city."

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COMMUNITY NEWS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | APRIL 26, 2020

Chandler Councilman loses mother to COVID-19 BY KEVIN REAGAN Staff Writer

The deadly COVID-19 virus has claimed the life of Chandler Councilman Matt Orlando’s mother. Orlando said his mother, Teresa Orlando, passed away April 6 – the same day her doctors in New Jersey confirmed she had contracted the coronavirus. Orlando said his 84-year-old mother was tested on April 1 and her condition quickly deteriorated over the next few days to the point where she suddenly stopped breathing. Due to the hospital’s safety protocols, Orlando and his family were unable to be present at his mother’s bedside during her last moments. “She basically died alone,” the councilman said, “I just hope it was peaceful.” Orlando’s mother is one of the more than 2,300 people to die from COVID-19 in New Jersey, a state that has seen significantly more cases of the virus than many other parts of the country. By contrast, Arizona’s coronavirus death count surpassed 100 over Easter. Orlando, who’s serving his fifth term on the Chandler City Council, said his mother’s death has forced him to examine the global pandemic from a new perspective. All the numbers and figures he sees on the news suddenly feel more personal after his mother’s death has

Chandler Councilman Matt Orlando, second from right, and siblings John, Patsy, Theresa, Lucille remember happier times when they could gather with their parents, Teresa and Matthew. Theresa Orlando lost her life to COVID-19 earlier this month. (Courtesy of Matt Orlando)

become one of the data points. “Now there’s faces to that number and one of those numbers is my mom’s face,” he said. Orlando’s family suspects Teresa may

have caught the virus while recuperating from knee surgery at a rehabilitation facility. The odds of her overcoming the disease were probably low, Orlando added, since she had suffered from

asthma – which, with her age, put her into a high-risk category for the disease. Patients with pre-existing heart and lung conditions have tougher times surviving the virus because it severely impacts the respiratory tract, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has warned. Orlando said he last spoke to his mother on the Saturday before her death. She claimed to have been feeling better and was anxious to get out of the hospital, he recalled. As a joke, Orlando told his mother she would have to show the doctors she could tap dance before they’d discharge her. His mother laughed and told Orlando she had never learned that particular dance. “I said, ‘Well it’s a good opportunity to learn while you’re there,’” he recalled. Orlando said he was planning to call again the following Monday, but got the heartbreaking news of his mom’s passing before he got a chance. Orlando’s father had been calling Teresa on a daily basis throughout her hospital stay. Though his father was able to speak to her the day before she died, Orlando said he didn’t get a chance for a more personal goodbye. The whole grief process has been rather difficult, Orlando added, since he and his four siblings are spread across the country and are unable to physically console one another – or even have a See

ORLANDO on page 10

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COMMUNITY NEWS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | APRIL 26, 2020

Chandler kids help clothier launch plans for mega-prom SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

Nearly a dozen Chandler and other East Valley students have are helping a local clothier give new hope to high school juniors and seniors that they may get a prom after all. Josh Fink, whose native North Dakota family owns Nick’s Menswear, has partnered with an event company on planning “Promchella,” a two-day festival featuring live music, DJs, food from local vendors and even fireworks to climax each night. An integral part of his effort comprises students, particularly from Chandler. Playing on the name of one of the world’s biggest music festivals – the annual Indio, California, event called Coachella – the event has caught on like wildfire on social media, with more than 2,500 students already following developments on Instagram. Seniors across Arizona lost out on proms after schools were shut down and Fink said his family-owned business came up with the idea “so juniors and seniors from all over the state can have a chance to make memories together.” “When the concerns over large public gatherings end, and they will end, people are going to be ready to get out, see their friends and make memories – something Promchella stands for,” said Josh Fink, owner of Nick’s Menswear. He said “the response has been overwhelmingly positive” to his announcement. “Students feel like they’ve had their year ripped away from them and Promchella provides them some hope and something to look forward to,” Fink told the SanTan Sun News. Fink hasn’t announced a location for the event, but has set a $70 ticket price and a $20 tab for a food truck voucher for the event. And, it won’t be a version of Woodstock where teens will be showing up in cutoffs and tanktops. “This is absolutely a prom,” he told the the SanTan Sun News. “Dresses and suits or tuxedos/formal dress code are required.” Fink also said Promchella is the name of a nonprofit that will turn all proceeds

ORLANDO

from page 8

timely funeral. They’ve been having family meetings over Zoom, trying to figure out whether they can plan any type of memorial service. It’s unclear exactly when it will be safe for the family to gather together, but Orlando hopes they can schedule a service sometime this summer.

t? o G ws Ne

Sasha Gesner

Austin Morrow

Airion Medina

Brintley Spencer

from the event over to “to local students and families affected by COVID-19.” That’s in keeping with the store’s tradition of working with local student councils. Nick’s Menswear has donated over $250,000 over the past five years and holds a place in the Arizona Association of Student Council Hall of Fame. Promchella is lining up local and national bands, DJs at a pre-party and “hundreds of door prizes and giveaways throughout the night,” Mia Nelson Mackenzie Schmader Hannah Hudson according to a release. “Promchella is the summer The students who appear in the measures or precautions necessary to camp, house party and music video include: Christian Nunez and make sure this is approved and safe for festival for any high school junior or Brookelun Gomez from Mountain all to attend. senior,” it added. Pointe High, Kareem Parks of Campo “In these times of uncertainty, the To help publicize the event, put Verde High, Brintley Spencer of wellness of guests, staff and partners together a video produced by Chandler Perry High, Hamilton High students is the top priority of Promchella High film student Trevor Vega. Mackenzie Schmader and Airion organizers.” “These are students across the state Medina, Chandler High students Mia Students can keep up to date who have seen their year come to an Nelson and Sasha Gesner, Liam Combs on developments in plans at end, and these students want to make and Ahlias Jones of Arizona Collge Prep promchellaaz.com. They can also search a change,” said Chandler High senior – Erie ACP, Jillian Lopker of Desert Vista, #PromchellaAZ2020 across social media class President Austin Morrow. “We Mario Weiler of Mountain View and platforms for the latest details. have a vast variety of kids from all Hannah Hudson of Casteel High. And students can also join the demographics who want to help put on Organizers have partnered with local planning, Fink said, explaining: Promchella, from athletes to theater businesses and even sports teams to “We created a Promchella Prom kids to student council members.” plan the event despite the uncertainty Committee made up of high school “Prom is a quintessential high school of what summer might look like if social students across Arizona and these experience and many students saw distancing regulations continue. students wrote the script for the video that slip away this year,” he added. “In “We are very cognizant of the and produced the video and are an an effort to provide students with an situation and are following updates integral part of the planning process. If amazing, one-of-a-kind event this is from the CDC and government and any students would like to be part of an exciting launch and an entirely new Promchella will only happen if deemed the committee please message us @ approach to what prom is.” safe,” Fink said. “We will take whatever promchellaaz on instagram.”

Orlando was tasked with writing his mother’s obituary – a duty he found challenging since it’s difficult summarizing 84 years of a person’s life down to a few short sentences, he said. His mother was affectionately referred to as “Duchie” by her eight brothers and sisters, as she liked to think of herself as like the Duchess of a large royal family.

She married Orlando’s father at a young age and the two remained together for more than 60 years. She lived a simple life, Orlando remarked, but an important one. Since the COVID-19 virus first made its presence known in Arizona earlier this year, Orlando said he’s advocated for being extra cautious in suppressing its spread around Chandler.

He’s been in favor of restricting access to public places and encouraging residents to practice social distancing. He said his mother’s death has only enhanced his conviction that cities should be stringent about protecting citizens from the virus. “I’d rather be criticized for overreacting than maligned for underreacting,” Orlando added.

Contact Paul C Contact Paul P l Maryniak Maryniak M y i k at at 480-898-5647 480 898 5647 or or pmaryniak@timespublications.com p pmaryniak@timespublications.com pmaryniak@timespublications y i k@ i p bli i com

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COMMUNITY NEWS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | APRIL 26, 2020

Former Chandler teacher surrenders certiﬁcate SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

A former Chandler educator has surrendered his teaching certification after authorities accused him of photographing students inappropriately and possessing erotic images of young girls. Charles Kidder, who had been teaching science at Arizona College Preparatory-Erie up until last November, voluntarily surrendered his teaching certificate earlier this year. The Arizona Board of Education officially rescinded Kidder’s credentials on April 20, requiring him to wait at least five years before he can re-apply for certification. Authorities began investigating Kidder last summer after the Tempe Police Department was tipped off about someone living in Kidder’s home viewing content that sexually exploited children. Another man residing at the home was later connected to the content, but Tempe Police opened a separate investigation into Kidder after detectives questioned him during a search of his residence. Kidder allegedly told investigators he had an attraction for 16-year-old girls because “that’s when they begin to look like women,” according to a police report. The suspect further told authorities he frequently visited a website called “primejailbait.com” to

look at pictures of teenage girls. Kidder knew it was “not right” to view this material, police said, and admitted to trying to delete pornographic files he had saved on his computer.

Tempe Police couldn’t file criminal charges because the girls were only partially nude and had parts of their bodies covered up. Arizona law requires pornographic images to display specific body parts in order to charge a suspect with sexually exploiting a minor, a Class 2 felony that carries a prison sentence of five years for first-time offenders. Police reported finding at least one image in Kidder’s possession that allegedly met those statutory requirements, resulting in a grand jury indicting Kidder earlier this year on one count of sexual exploitation. His case is still pending in Superior Court. Authorities also uncovered evidence on Kidder’s devices suggesting he had been taking photos of his female students at school. According to police, investigators found a large quantity of pictures taken inside a classroom of Willis Junior High, where Kidder taught for several years before moving over to ACP-Erie in 2017. “Photos taken inside the classroom

Photos taken inside the “classroom were mostly

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were mostly of females and many appear to have been taken without the student children knowing they are being photographed,” detectives wrote in a report. Kidder allegedly told police his attraction to teenage girls started when he began teaching at the middle school. He would sometimes look up students on social media and download photos from their personal accounts, which he would allegedly use for sexual gratification, according to police. The Chandler Unified School District claims it never received any complaints about Kidder before he resigned in November 2019. Shortly after authorities advised the district of Kidder’s alleged behavior, Chandler Unified sent out a letter to advise parents of the situation. “It is important for you to know that the Tempe Police Department has confirmed that there is no evidence that any former or current CUSD students were victims of a crime,” the letter stated. By surrendering his teaching certification, Kidder gave up his legal right to challenge the allegations that were submitted to the Board of Education. Teachers who are accused of misconduct can request a hearing before the board and present evidence to disprove the state’s allegations.

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COMMUNITY NEWS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | APRIL 26, 2020

Pandemic has slowed, not stopped, home price rise BY PAUL MARYNIAK Executive Editor

The lingering scarcity of homes for sale in Chandler and across the Valley continues to bedevil homebuyers, keeping home values where they’ve been before the pandemic-fueled economic meltdown, experts say. Worse for buyers, prices continue to creep upward, according to the Cromford Report, the leading authority on the Phoenix metro housing market. “As long as supply remains lower than demand,” it said last week, “there will be no downward pressure on prices and home values will therefore be sustained.” In its latest analysis of listings in 17 Maricopa County municipalities, Cromford said Phoenix and the East Valley showed “the biggest rises in supply” in April from last month – adding, “but even here supply remains lower than in April 2019.” A case in point is Chandler, where in the three northernmost ZIP codes, there were 144 homes listed for sale last week as opposed to 177 a year ago. In ZIP code 85249, the 114 homes listed last week pales in comparison to the 190 listed in April 2019. In ZIP 85286, 86 homes were listed, down from 120 a year ago. Valleywide, Cromford said, “New listing counts are still declining by larger percentages each day - last week they

were down 29 percent from the same week in 2019. If this trend continues, then it becomes more likely that supply will remain tight and stay below the diminished level of demand.” Meanwhile, prices continue to inch up – a trend that is largely driven by the big imbalance between supply and demand. Cromford last week said sales throughout the Valley were down 20 percent for the first two weeks of April compared with the same time last year. “The really interesting thing is that the fall in closings is not affecting all price ranges equally,” Cromford said. “The range between $250K and $1 million is almost unchanged from last year – down less than 2 percent. If anything, the pandemic may have dampened demand and is keeping prices from shooting up faster, Cromford said. Cromford noted that the success rate for listings – the measure for how quickly homes sell – fell from 89 percent to 82 percent after March 21, when many businesses closed. But, it added, “89 percent is abnormally high and 82 percent is still a long way above average. “We have never seen prices decline when listing success rates are above 65 percent,” it said. “In fact, apart from a few isolated instances, price declines tend to follow listing success rates

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below 50 percent.” On April 13, the report also said, “Not until supply and demand meet will we see prices stabilize and not until supply is higher than demand will we see prices decline. A lot can happen in the next 4 weeks, however. It’s still too early to be making apocalyptic projections for the Greater Phoenix housing market.” But Cromford and other real estate experts say too much uncertainty even over the immediate future makes it impossible to say where the housing market is heading. That was apparent in various mixed messages by different economists for Realtor.com, the website sponsored by the National Association of Realtors. Realtor.com reported that nationwide, “the number of homes for sale fell by nearly half as sellers are pulling them off the market or holding off on listing their abodes. And as nonessential businesses remain shuttered and unemployment soars, reaching 22 million jobless claims in just four weeks, home price growth is also beginning to slow. Moreover, Realtor.com senior economist George Ratiu noted, “Sellers are recognizing the economic downturn is already a lot deeper than expected.” Still, while the economy has slowed home price increases dramatically, they’re not falling.

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Ratiu said, ““Demand is already evaporating and, with that, prices will absolutely decline.” But Danielle Hale, Realtor.com’s chief economist, offered a completely different take. “I don’t expect the slowdown to be like the last recession where prices fell,” she said. “There are more than enough buyers out there to keep home sales from slowing in any major way.” For now, however, there’s no reason for homebuyers to feel any more optimistic than they were before the economy shutdown in the pandemic’s wake. “Even the most motivated buyers aren’t likely to find a home easily,” Realtor.com said, citing the drop in listings as a major factor. “Many sellers are taking their homes off the market or delaying listing them as they don’t want to lose out on fetching top-dollar for their properties or move during a worldwide pandemic,” the website said. Added Hale: “It will be different than the Great Recession. Things unraveled pretty quickly, and then the recovery was pretty slow. I would expect this to be milder. There’s no dysfunction in the banking system, we don’t have [many] households who are overleveraged [with their mortgage payments] and are potentially in trouble.”

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VIRUS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | APRIL 26, 2020

from page 1

“Our condolences and hearts go to the families of these residents,” she wrote in a statement, “We are grieving each one as we have cared for them.” Marion Berry was reportedly one of the Pennington residents who contracted the virus and died from its symptoms on April 11. Her obituary described the 90-yearold grandmother as a faithful woman who loved knitting blankets and clothes for her grandchildren. “Marion had a deep enduring faith in God that carried her through life,” the obituary read. “We know with assurance that she is with our Lord and Savior in Heaven.” Though the state’s health agencies have been routinely releasing data on new COVID-19 cases, some advocates think there should be more transparency regarding where the virus has been spreading. And even state officials have warned people to consider the data with care. Dana Kennedy, president of Arizona’s chapter of the AARP, penned a letter to Gov. Doug Ducey on April 13, encouraging him to release the names of assisted-living homes that have had confirmed cases of the virus. Kennedy acknowledged how the Health Insurance Accountability Act protects the personal medical records of patients, but argued Arizona could still disclose which care facilities had been hit by the virus without violating the law. “While it is understandable that we should be cautious regarding privacy concerns,” Kennedy wrote, “AARP suggests that HIPAA is specific to the privacy of the individual and does not apply to facilities.” Public health experts think Arizona still has some data gaps to fill before an accurate picture of the pandemic can be realized. Megan Jehn, an associate professor at Arizona State University’s School of Human Evolution and Social Change, said the state’s recent ZIP code can be confusing since areas with hospitals and doctor’s offices will understandably inflate case numbers. It isn’t clear whether all of Arizona’s 15 counties are reporting data consistently, Jehn

DOMESTIC

from page 2

as its staff continue trying to serve the clients they already have. A New Leaf, which operates a domestic violence shelter near Mesa, has also seen more clients reaching out for assistance during the last few weeks. The shelter operates a temporary overflow program that attempts to place clients in alternative housing or hotels when its shelter is out of rooms. The number of clients seeking assistance from the overflow program is 30 percent higher than this same time last year, according to New Leaf spokesman Tanner Swanson. This sudden growth in demand is “shocking,” Swanson added, and New

Pennington Gardens, a Chandler assisted living center, has seen 13 residents die of COVID-19 and other residents and staff members get sickened by the virus. (Pablo Robles/Staff Photographer)

on the herculean task of managing the public health response to COVID-19,” Jehn stated, “while developing new systems for reporting timely and accurate data, all while being chronically understaffed and underfunded.” Even state officials have warned against

making too much out of ZIP code data. State Health Director Cara Christ two weeks ago said, “While physical distancing is occurring, people do not always remain isolated within their own ZIP code when conducting essential business.” “Finally, ZIP code counts include anyone in that zip code who has tested positive, whether their infection occurred two months ago and has resolved or two weeks ago and is still active,’’ Christ added, stressing: “Thus, while ZIP code data is informative, it should not be used to determine whether or not residents of a particular zip code are or are not at risk of COVID-19.’’ County health officials also noted, “Most tests so far have only been done for those who are very sick, are known contacts of an already confirmed case, or are healthcare workers.’’

Since elderly residents have accounted for the highest number of COVID-19-related deaths in Arizona, some long-term care facilities have chosen to be readily transparent on how the pandemic impacted their communities. Koelsch Communities, which manages several care facilities in the East Valley area, has been posting daily online updates on how many of its residents and staff have tested positive for COVID-19. No one from Koelsch’s Chandler or Mesa facilities has reportedly caught the virus, but at least one resident from the company’s Surprise location died from the contagion. “We continue to monitor all residents for any change of condition, including COVID-19 symptoms, as well as screen every person entering our community,” Koelsch wrote in its most recent update.

Leaf’s caseworkers are concerned that clients stuck in dangerous relationships aren’t getting the help they need. Other police departments in the East Valley have noticed some changes in the number of domestic disturbances reported in recent weeks, but nothing that’s alarmed agencies of a potential crisis that’s the result of COVID-19’s movement restrictions. The Scottsdale Police Department reported at least 30 domestic-related incidents between March 19 and April 13, according to an online database. That number is more than what was reported during the same time frame in 2019 but less than in 2018. Officer Kevin Watts, a spokesman for the agency, said Scottsdale has not seen enough data to conclude there’s been any recent crime trends that can be tied

to COVID-19. Thirty-eight more incidents of domestic violence have so far been reported to Gilbert Police this year compared to 2019. The town was already observing slightly higher numbers before the pandemic started to hit in early March and that trend’s been continuing into April. Though the Mesa Police Department saw a small increase in the number of family fight calls last month, the agency claims the uptick is not enough to suggest it’s related to stay-at-home directives. Mesa Police got about 80 more calls for domestic fights in March than it received in February. But Detective Nik Rasheta said the extra calls were not beyond what Mesa’s experienced in the past.

In May 2019, Mesa Police received about the same level of fight calls per day as what the agency experienced in March 2020. Mesa’s Victim Services Unit had fewer in-person contacts with residents between March 16 and April 12, but the number of people contacting the unit by phone increased substantially during that time frame. And yet the number of new domestic violence cases assigned to Mesa’s detectives has been dropping since mid-February. It appears Mesa’s not yet gone outside the regular ebbs and flows it sees throughout the year, Rasheta added, but the agency’s keeping an eye on the data to spot any troubling trends that may be happening due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Information on resources for victims of domestic violence can be found at acesdv.org.

added, making it more challenging to count and authenticate numbers on a daily basis. “Our state and local public health departments are being asked to take

Our state and local public “health departments are being asked to take on the herculean task of managing the public health response to COVID-19. – Megan Jehn

”

COMMUNITY NEWS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | APRIL 26, 2020

Local scientists: no need to buy bottled water BY JANELLE MOLONY Contributor

Gilbert resident Stefan Walston and Chandler resident Jennifer Elton – both water science experts – say people should avoid bottled water hoarding during the pandemic. “I’m a scientist [not a psychologist], so I don’t know the reasoning behind that behavior,” said Walston, who holds a master’s degree in soil, water, and environmental science from the University of Arizona and has worked as a chemist at an East Valley environmental water quality laboratory with Elton for five years while teaching as an adjunct faculty member of Grand Canyon University’s Environmental Science Department. “Water is an essential element for life, so people are scared and rightfully so. There are so many unknowns happening in the world. I can’t blame people for worrying at a time like this,” he added, saying there’s no need, nor has there ever been, to panic-purchase bottled water. Walston acknowledged there’s a convenience factor with regards to the potability of bottled water, but asserted the virus can't hide in tap water. “Let’s demystify that,” he said. “There’s been no reports to show COVID-19 is in treated drinking water. Conventional treatment is shown to eliminate that exposure.” The Environmental Protection Agency echoed this sentiment April 15, declaring:

“Americans can continue to use and drink water from their tap as usual. Coronavirus, which causes COVID-19, is a type of virus that is particularly susceptible to disinfection and standard treatment and disinfectant processes are expected to be effective.” Earlier in the month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated, “The virus that causes COVID-19 has not been detected in drinking water. Conventional water treatment methods that use filtration and disinfection, such as those in most municipal drinking water systems, should remove or inactivate the virus that causes COVID-19.” This disinfection process is where a team of scientists comes into play. “This is something we pride ourselves on,” Walston said, noting that community water quality is monitored “from the moment it leaves our facility, to the moment it runs through your taps.” Elton, who specializes in microbial factors and chemicals found in the region’swater supply, added, “We perform hundreds of tests monthly and essential testing daily. One person monitors the metal levels, another does gas chromatography, and others are watching for mercury and sodiumchloride. We each have a specialty.” Elton, who holds a master’s in environmental technology from Arizona State University and a bachelor’s degree in microbiology, has worked at the water quality laboratory for eighteen years.

If any potentially harmful component were to enter the system either “upstream” or “downstream” of the treatment center, they’d know about it, claimed Walston. “We monitor from the raw influence, to the pre-sedimentation basins, secondary sedimentation basins, after filtration, through disinfection, through the reservoir, and out in the community,” he said. “We are constantly monitoring the data to ensure we deliver the highest quality water.” In accordance with federal law, suppliers of tap water must provide a detailed report to residents about the quality of the water they are provided. This Consumer Confidence Report has an extensive breakdown of chemicals or other factors that influence the safety and drinkability of the water supplied. Currently, all major East Valley water suppliers are preparing their 2019 reports, which must be distributed (by print or online) to the public by or before July 1. For a more up-to-date inquiry, Walston suggested calling the local municipality. He says he fields questions from concerned residents daily. On the flavor of Arizona’s water, the oft cited reason for choosing bottled over tap, Elton explained, “Sunlight can affect the taste of water in our state. Naturally occurring algae in the water blooms with the increased daylight, and releases a byproduct that is not harmful to us, but it is more noticeable in the flavor of water during the summer.”

To modify the flavor, Elton suggests using a carbon filter on the faucet or in a pitcher. She also questioned the logic behind spending extra money on the bottled products during an economic downturn. “It’s a fraction of a penny for the same amount of tap water that comes in a bottle for a dollar,” she said. Walston added, “I’m highly confident that we will continue to deliver clean water every single day to residents. Through this pandemic, we have never wavered one bit.”

Where to check

Here is where to find water quality reports in the East Valley. Gilbert: gilbertaz.gov/departments/ public-works/water/reports Phoenix: phoenix.gov/waterservices/ waterquality/water-quality-reports Chandler: chandleraz.gov/residents/ water/water-quality Queen Creek: queencreek.org/ departments/utilities/water/waterquality Mesa: mesaaz.gov/residents/waterresources/services/water-quality

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COMMUNITY NEWS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | APRIL 26, 2020

Schnepf Farms’ peach season adapts to pandemic BY PAUL MARYNIAK Executive Editor

The COVID-19 pandemic has made life anything but peachy for Carrie and Mark Schnepf, but the Queen Creek farmers aren’t about to let it destroy one of their favorite times of the year. In a week or so, Schnepf Farms will be letting the public into its peach orchard – Arizona’s largest with 5,000 trees – but with some new rules appropriate to this age of social distancing. Until last year, the Schnepfs held a Peach Festival every May to celebrate the advent of the ripened fruit. But even before “social distancing” became part of everyday vocabulary, the Schnepfs saw a need for crowd control, so “we quit the Peach Festival last year because it was just getting too big for us to do anymore and we couldn’t make sure we had peaches on the trees every time,” said Carrie. “So, now we’re doing peach season come on every weekend,” she said. Through most of last May, Mark estimates, between 40,000 and 50,000 people flocked to Schnepf Farms at 24810 E. Rittenhouse Road, to wander through the orchard and pick as many peaches as they wanted. Before the change, Mark said, “We had too many people coming on one weekend. And so we stopped doing it to help spread out the crowd over four or

Longtime Queen Creek farmers Mark and Carrie Schnepf say people can share in their harvest of succulent peaches by either ordering them online already picked or registering online to drop by and pick them. (Special to SanTan Sun News)

five weekends and it worked brilliantly. We loved it. We still did everything in terms of all the baking and that kind of stuff, but it just worked out a lot better

because we didn’t have 10,000 people all in one day.” This year, with social distancing still a necessity, the Schnepfs are giving

people two ways to get a hold of their succulent fruit. See

PEACHES on page 17

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PEACHES

from page 16

From Tuesday through Sunday, they can sign up at schnepffarms.com for a one-hour chance to pick their own starting at 6 a.m. “There’s going to be a reservation system for a date and a time where people can come and pick,” Mark explained, “So, for instance, where before we might have 1,000 people showing up at the same time, we’re now

Peach season holds a special fondness for Mark, who with his wife over the years has turned the farm into the state’s biggest grower of the fruit – an accomplishment in which he takes great pride. “When I was a kid. There were fruit orchards all over the place and they’re just all gone,” he said. Asked what’s so special about peaches, he replied, “Because they’re beautiful, first of all. I mean, the orchards are beautiful. They’re shady,

We’ll pick peaches in the morning on one day. And if we have, say, 300 “boxes of peaches, then that’s what we’ll put online the next morning as available so we don’t oversell. People won’t be able to just drive to the farm on the spur of the moment and buy a bunch of boxes of peaches. – Mark Schnepf

”

going to have a reservation system … we will allow 10 cars and 10 cars only to drive out to the orchard to pick peaches and when they’re gone, there will be a new group that is allowed in. That way, we can completely control the number of people that are in the orchard at any one time.” People also will be able to go online at schnepffarms.com to place an order for pre-picked peaches. “We’ll be picking the peaches ourselves with our crew and boxing them in our regular peach boxes and, like we do now with our vegetables, people will be able to pre-order and prepay online and then literally drive through and pick up the box or boxes. That will be kind of a time situation too, so depending on what time of day they place their order will depend on when they can actually come and pick them up. “We’ll pick peaches in the morning on one day. And if we have, say, 300 boxes of peaches, then that’s what we’ll put online the next morning as available so we don’t oversell. People won’t be able to just drive to the farm on the spur of the moment and buy a bunch of boxes of peaches.” The Schnepfs aren’t sure exactly when the peaches will be ready for picking or picking up and said people should start checking their website daily for updates. “We want everyone to have that experience of picking their own peaches off our peach trees, but we literally can get a couple thousand at one time, so we have to be careful this year,” Mark added. But he didn’t simply go to a drivethrough system like he’s been using the past several weeks for the other vegetables he grows and the breads, cinnamon rolls, pies and other baked goods that Carrie and her team make each day and sell from their on-site country store. For more than a month now, Carrie each morning posts on the website what’s available, so people can order and prepay and just drive through to pick up their order Thursday through Sunday from 9 a.m. To 4 p.m. Some people are still allowed to wander onto the farm and pick available vegetables themselves, Mark said, but social distancing rules still apply.

they’re quiet, the fruit is so nice to look at. “But then it just tastes so doggone good. We don’t pick until it’s ripe. I mean it just has amazing flavor. You know, I’m not bashing any grocery store but grocery stores have to pick the fruit green in order to give it a two-week shelf life. We don’t do that at the farm. We let it tree-ripen so it has more sugar, more flavor.” The pandemic has put the season and the farm under the same cloud most businesses have been under since socialdistancing guidelines were imposed. One of the biggest impacts has been on the farm’s wedding business.

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The Schnepfs keep their peaches on the tree so they become much sweeter than early-picked fruit found in supermarkets, Mark said. (Special to SanTan Sun News)

“We had 48 weddings postponed,” Carrie said. “That was the tough. We already had the food purchased. I had a freezer full of meat.” “Our event business has come to a screeching halt. The Good Life Festival has been postponed for a year.” For the first time since they started their Easter “Egg-Citement event on their 300-acre farm 23 years ago, the Schnepfs had to cancel.

The couple is thinking of inaugurating some special activities if social distancing goes on much longer – including drive-in movies and even drive-through graduations. “What is doing well is our UPICK Garden,” said Carrie, who said at least people can pick up fresh vegetables and baked goods and then “stay at home, enjoy themselves, slow down.” Information: schnepffarms.com.

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COMMUNITY NEWS

from page 1

According to city documents, grants coming from the $850,000 allotment would have to fulfill a need caused by the coronavirus and must target lowincome residents directly impacted by the pandemic. It cannot be used to plug budget gaps created by decline in revenue. Some activities the grants could be used for include rental assistance, paying for food supplies, supplementing the costs of medical transportation, and supporting organizations that help homeless individuals. Chandler notably saw a 39-percent increase in homeless residents during a survey done earlier this year. The city regularly awards CDBG funds each year for a wide variety of community projects. During the most recent fiscal year, CDBG money was spent on rehabilitating rundown homes, renovating Chandler’s parks, and hiring social workers for local nonprofits like AZCEND. Located in downtown Chandler, AZCEND has been rapidly adapting to a sudden demand for social services that’s been triggered by COVID-19 in recent weeks. Trinity Donovan, the organization’s chief executive officer, said AZCEND has observed a 30-percent increase in residents seeking emergency food boxes. Before the pandemic, AZCEND was distributing about 700 food boxes each week. That number has jumped to nearly 1,000 within the last month, Donovan noted. AZCEND isn’t close to running out of

AZCEND volunteer Andrea Bundesmann directs other workers during its food box distribution session. (Pablo Robles/Staff Photographer)

supplies yet, Donovan added, but she’s closely monitoring the organization’s inventories and seeking out emergency grants AZCEND may be eligible for. In addition to the extra CDBG funds, Chandler was given $69,000 in federal relief to maintain operations at the city’s airport. Chris Andres, the airport’s administrator, said the funding is reserved for nonconstruction expenses like payroll, supplies, and general operational costs. The Chandler Airport has been greatly impacted by the current health crisis, Andres noted, with fewer flights coming in and nearby businesses closing their doors. “Several airport businesses have suspended operations, cut back on operating hours, focused on other lines of business or are preparing for the postpandemic recovery,” Andres said. Chandler could get additional funds from a variety of federal programs created to pump cash into government entities, but it’s unknown what the city

can expect. Among those funding streams is a portion of more than $7 billion going to the state directly. The state would get the biggest share of that money but it also must distribute some to cities and counties with less than 500,000 people. Maricopa and Pima counties, as well as Mesa, Phoenix and Tucson are getting money directly from the federal government in this Cares Act program. Mesa just learned it is getting $90 million. But that money also cannot be used to plug budget holes. Chandler’s total allocation of CARES Act funding may be lower than Arizona’s larger cities, which stand to receive up to 45-percent of the state’s apportionment. Chandler Mayor Kevin Hartke was one of 307 mayors from across the country who signed a letter last month asking Congress to appropriate $250 billion in direct assistance for local governments. “This will empower the nation’s

mayors to immediately take the bold actions necessary to protect the American public from both the pandemic and the subsequent economic fallout,” the letter stated. As of this week, the city said it had not been advised yet whether Chandler will get any additional funding beyond the $900,000 already given. Regardless of federal aid, the city has begun planning to limit its expenditures in the prospect that tax revenues dramatically drop in the coming months. Chandler’s most recent budget projections for the next fiscal year shows the city earning $20 million less in revenue than what was projected before the COVID-19 pandemic. Sales tax revenues are estimated to be smaller by 11 percent compared to projections Chandler had set before the economic downturn. To combat this possible drop in revenue, City Manager Marsha Reed said she’s put a hold on all personnel travel through the end of 2020, has kept some vacant positions open, prioritized certain capital projects and is delaying the replacement of city vehicles. Reed recently advised council members there’s about a months-long delay for the state to provide updated data on tax revenues – which may pose a challenge for council members wanting the most relevant data before adopting a budget in the coming weeks. “We will not have a really great data set for a few more months,” Reed told the council, “and you will only see your first data point maybe before you have to make that first vote of the budget.”

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COMMUNITY NEWS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | APRIL 26, 2020

Virus not stopping Chandler school building projects SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

The COVID-19 pandemic has not stopped Chandler Unified School District officials from moving ahead with using bond money to finance several new construction projects. During a meeting April 8, the district’s Governing Board authorized spending about $5.3 million in funding from a 2019 voter-approved bond meant to finance a number of capital improvements on Chandler Unified’s 42 school campuses. Though the ongoing public health crisis has been generating much uncertainty about the future financing of cities and schools, CUSD is finding a way to move forward with a number of projects already budgeted in a $291-million bond passed overwhelmingly by voters last November.

My fear is that we’re going to see “precipice drops like we did during the 2008 recession. ” – Barbara Mozdzen Grant Hamill, a financial advisor for Stifel Nicolaus, recently told the Governing Board the national bond market has been plagued by a lack of liquidity that’s resulted in fewer investments and a supply-demand imbalance. But a recent injection of liquidity by the Federal Reserve should improve market conditions in the coming weeks, he added, and restore the confidence of investors. “We do think the market is starting to thaw out a little bit and it’s becoming a little less volatile,” Hamill said. Chandler Unified already has a history of good bond ratings, he added, which will be appealing to investors looking to buy municipal bonds after the market stabilizes again. To better offset any economic repercussions caused by the coronavirus, the district passed a resolution this month that adds some flexibility to how Chandler Unified sells its bonds. It allows some to be placed privately with a commercial bank or sold to the Maricopa County Treasurer. Chandler Unified indicated it was not expecting the COVID-19 pandemic to impact the property taxes CUSD uses to pay the interest of its bonds. The pandemic would essentially have to cause a large number of taxpayers to not pay their bills before the district was affected. “Such an increase in the delinquency rate could negatively affect the District’s ability to pay debt service on the Bonds,” district records state. The statewide pandemic has afforded Chandler Unified more time to begin work on a number of renovation projects that would have otherwise been started during the summer break. With all its schools closed until the

end of May, Chandler Unified plans to take advantage of the current situation by having contractors start revamping campuses while they remain empty. The school board’s recently authorized spending $423,000 on repainting Andersen Junior High’s classrooms, $758,000 on replacing Hamilton High’s flooring, $445,000 on new carpeting at Santan Elementary, and $189,000 on fixing Galveston Elementary’s roof. An additional $3.5 million of the district’s 2019 bond money was authorized for transforming the old Weinberg Elementary campus into a new gifted school scheduled to open in July. Weinberg is expected to move over to a new campus currently being built near Ocotillo Road and Val Vista Drive. Superintendent Camille Casteel said the COVID-19 pandemic has inadvertently given CUSD more time to work on the old Weinberg campus and prepare more classrooms that will accomodate a greater number of students than originally planned. “Normally we do these projects during a six or seven-week summer (break),” Casteel said. “This time gives us an opportunity to whip it out.” In addition to the several renovations, Chandler Unified is building a new high school near Gilbert and Brooks Farm roads, which is projected to be open by 2021. Associate Superintendent Frank Fletcher said none of the district’s capital projects have been interrupted or delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Contractors are having crews follow health guidelines set by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, he said, and don’t anticipate having to abruptly postpone construction work. Despite all the chaos unleashed by COVID-19, Chandler Unified feels secure enough with its finances to grant a 5-percent salary raise to all certified and classified staff for the upcoming school year. Teachers can expect to see at least $1,183 added to their base salary. Administrators say the district’s continuous growth in enrollment and extra funding distributed through Proposition 123 permitted CUSD to comfortably award the salary increases at this time. But there’s still some funding sources that will undoubtedly be impacted by the lack of economic activity that’s taken place during the statewide shutdown. Some district officials worry Proposition 301, a voter-approved sales tax that generates millions for teacher salaries, will see its revenues deplete due to residents spending less during the pandemic. “My fear is that we’re going to see precipice drops like we did during the 2008 recession,” said Governing Board President Barbara Mozdzen. The district said earlier this month it’s not been given projections yet from the Arizona Legislature as to how Prop. 301 funds may change in the next fiscal year.

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COMMUNITY NEWS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | APRIL 26, 2020

Higley arts center reinvents itself as TV studio SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

The pandemic gave the Higley Center for the Performing Arts a stark choice: close or reinvent. “We had two choices in recent weeks as the new normal overtook life in Arizona and in particular the East Valley, which is our main service area,” explained center Manager Robert Zucker. “We could furlough staff and lock our doors like so many others have done.” Instead, Zucker and his staff chose the second option. They created Higley Center Television, an online streaming platform that “will allow us to create and present original programming including entertainment, educational and informational broadcasts for residents of the East Valley.” “There is so much more you can expect over the next few months as we build what we hope will be enduring service to support the community,” he said. The staff spent several weeks converting the concert hall into a professional TV studio that Zucker said will be “capable of producing all sorts of programming.” A local company loaned the center $75,000 worth of equipment and donated the streaming service platform. A local video production company is providing expertise in running the equipment while, Zucker said, “our entire staff has worked through a large

Robert Zucker, manager of the Higley Center for the Performing Arts, has transformed the theater into a TV studio so that in the age of social distancing, people can enjoy live entertainment as well as informative shows. At right, singer-songwriter Hannes Kvaran pratices for a show that will be aired at 7 p.m. April 30. (Higley Center)

learning curve.” Zucker said “doing concerts and theater is very different from doing TV” and because of that expects the first few broadcasts to be “a little rough as we get used to running video cameras and doing sound and light.” But Zucker has confidence that his “dedicated and professional team” can pull it off. “All of us are learning every day,” he said. Viewers can access the shows by going to higleycenter.org and clicking the HCTV logo. Next week, the center has a host of

offerings: Monday, April 27, at 9 a.m., noon and 4 p.m. "Rhythms of the North" for children with Johnny B is a fun show combining a sizzling piano, breathtaking scenes and environmental issues in Alaska. The show also will be broadcast at the same times Wednesday and Friday. Tuesday, April 28, 8 p.m. "The Music of the Moody Blues" will be discussed by the band's drummer Gordy Marshall, whose new band will perform some of the group's songs. It will repeat at 11 a.m. May 2 and 4 p.m. May 3.

Wednesday, April 29, 7 p.m. Guitarist Lee Rocker from the group Stray Cats will perform with his new band. The show repeats at 4 p.m. May 2. and 11 a.m. May 3. Thursday, April 30 at 7 p.m. Singersongwriter Hannes Kvaran presents “A Musical Tribute to the Life of Galileo.” Kvaran has been singing, playing guitar and writing songs since his childhood in Sri Lanka, India, and the Philippines. He has written musicals with material from the life Christopher Columbus, an Icelandic saga, economics, European philosophy and American history.

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COMMUNITY NEWS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | APRIL 26, 2020

Chandler honors student overcomes ASU closure BY KEVIN REAGAN Staff Writer

The COVID-19 crisis hasn’t stopped one Chandler college student from wrapping up his final research projects for the semester. Pratik Nyaupane, a senior studying informatics at Arizona State University, was among 72 students of the university’s Baerrett, The Honors College who had to recently present their final projects virtually. Hundreds of people traditionally come out to attend the college’s annual senior symposium – but the campus’ closure made the popular event impossible to host this year. But instead of outright canceling the celebration, ASU put together another format for students to showcase projects they need to complete in order to earn their diplomas with honors. Rather than have students collectively display their work in-person with poster boards and dioramas, the Honors College allowed projects to be submitted digitally and students conducted video interviews with evaluators over Zoom. Summaries of all the projects were compiled into a video and posted on the college’s YouTube account. Nyaupane, a graduate of BASIS Chandler, presented his findings on research related to how young people feel about data privacy. The 21-year-old was curious to discover how much information young

Pratik Nyaupane internet users were willing to sacrifice in order to keep utilizing free websites like YouTube or Facebook. Nyaupane and fellow student Stephanie Gerhart spent this last year conducting focus groups and collected enough testimonial data to suggest many consumers behave apathetically about their digital privacy. “Although people say they care about data privacy, they don’t necessarily act on it,” Nyaupane said. The project further concluded there may be a knowledge gap regarding how much young people understand the way their information can be exploited online. Many subjects were surprised to

learn how their data was being collected and used by various institutions, Nyaupane added, and expressed concern over their ignorance. Much more research needs to be done on this subject, he added, since the digital landscape keeps evolving and not everybody seems to know how to safely navigate it. The Honors College’s senior symposium is considered the most important academic event of the year, according to Nicola Foote, the college’s vice dean. So, it was vital for ASU to find an alternative platform that allowed students like Nyaupane to still present their work, she said. “Having this showcase and academic celebration is always important, but I think even more so this year, when we are all facing so much disruption and so many challenges,” Foote said. “Moving the Celebrating Honors Symposium online allows us to continue and reinvent a cherished Barrett tradition.” While the public health crisis has been obstructing academic institutions, Nyaupane said he managed to get most of his research work done before Arizona started shutting down schools and public places last month. His symposium research was only one of several projects that he has been working on during his last semester at ASU. He also wrote a thesis paper on how migrant laborers in Qatar can fall victim

to powerful institutions. Local media reports suggest laborers from nearby countries have endured abuse in recent years while building new infrastructure for the 2022 World Cup soccer tournament. Nyaupane said he has long had a passion for soccer and politics and thought this conflict in Qatar could provide the perfect case study that encapsulated his many interests. He traveled to Nepal and interviewed migrant workers who had gone to Qatar seeking jobs in the industries working to put on the upcoming tournament. Poor labor conditions have resulted in several human-rights abuses, Nyaupane noted, and there’s few opportunities for laborers to hold any of the companies accountable. The whole situation in Qatar is incredibly complex, Nyaupane added, and there doesn’t seem to be a clear solution for fixing it. “Given the power dynamic of how much money is within the World Cup,” he said, “this will kind of continue to happen.” After graduation, Nyaupane said he plans to enroll in graduate school and continue researching issues related to technology and data. There are several ways information can be mishandled, he said, but he’s on a mission to discover how collecting large swaths of data can also benefit society. “There’s a great mystery to that of what really is data and what can be used with it,” he said.

COMMUNITY NEWS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | APRIL 26, 2020

Virus could wallop state spending, revenue BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

The COVID-19 outbreak is going to blow a billion-dollar hole in state finances. The Joint Legislative Budget Committee said the decline in state revenues – plus additional costs to the state from the effects of the virus – should leave Arizona with a $1.1 billion budget deficit by the end of the coming fiscal year. That’s out of what is basically an $11.8 billion spending plan. Not long after schools and businesses started shutting down, the City of Chandler projected the COVID-19 pandemic would result in the city losing up to $16 million in revenue – but the predictions for state revenue earlier this month may make the city’s fiscal future darker. During a special budget meeting in late March, city staff gave the council some initial estimates of the pandemic’s impact on city revenues and operations. Matt Dunbar, the city’s tax and revenue manager, said Chandler is preparing for a $6-million reduction in revenue during the current fiscal year and a $10-million decrease in the next fiscal year. But the unstable nature of the pandemic could cause these figures to change over time, he said. City Manager Marsha Reed said she’s put a hold on filling 83 job vacancies across the city and has temporarily suspended traveling costs for any personnel. The city will be carefully reviewing all requests for new purchases, Reed told the council, and evaluating whether some expenditures can be delayed. The council is scheduled to reconvene on April 20 for an update of the pandemic’s impact. The potential fiscal effects of the pandemic on the state are even more dire. The new report says that $1.1 billion deficit comes even after the state uses close to $1 billion it was expected to have left over by the end of this budget year on June 30. There is one bright spot of sorts. The state does have about $973 million in its “rainy day’’ fund, a special account set aside for emergencies. And legislative budget staffers said there will be some relief funds coming

in from the federal government. But it also could mean that lawmakers, who until a month ago were planning to spend what was expected to be a cash surplus, will now have to find places to cut. Even if the more immediate revenue shortfall gets addressed, whether with the rainy-day fund or something else, budget analysts are predicting another $1 billion shortfall in the 2021-2022 fiscal year because the number of people in the state’s Medicaid program is still expected to be high. By that point, the extra dollars the federal government is providing to help will have disappeared. Richard Stavneak, staff director of the JLBC, told members of the state’s Finance Advisory Committee projections at this point are risky. But Stavneak warned that even if businesses were to start opening next month, “There is typically a second wave that comes. The hope is we would be better prepared in terms of mitigation strategies. But we’re still a year out from a vaccine.’’ Stavneak said the Arizona economy, driven by income and sales taxes, could take much longer to recover. Gov. Doug Ducey brushed aside the projections. “No one really knows because the economy is not operating,’’ he said. “And without economic activity it’s very hard to make forecasts.’’ For the moment, economists are looking at the indicators they have to make some forecasts. Among those is that the Phoenix hotel occupancy rate fell by 71 percent in the last week of March. That effects not just the tax revenues from hotel rooms but the fact that people are not coming to Arizona and spending money here. At the same time, the report says, several restaurant chains have reported a 70 percent decrease in sales, even with an increase in takeout orders. And then there’s the fact that nearly a quarter million Arizonans have applied for unemployment benefits in the past three weeks alone. “That’s just incredible,’’ Stavneak said. He said state is working with only limited data. For example, sales figures for March – and the sales taxes collected won’t be fully reported

until June. There also are variables in anticipated income tax collections. Withholding revenues – the amount taken out of employees’ paychecks – is expected to drop by 15 percent. Even the decline in the stock market

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FINANCES on page 23

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COMMUNITY NEWS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | APRIL 26, 2020

FINANCES

from page 22

notably the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System, the state’s Medicaid program, with eligibility linked to individual income. He said there was a 2.3 percent increase in enrollment at the beginning of this month alone, a figure he called “pretty dramatic for a

single month.’’ What all that means, he acknowledged, is that $1.1 billion shortfall could be as little as $600 million – or as much as $1.6 billion. Stavneak said that’s why he’s not urging state lawmakers to craft solutions at this point, given the variables, and that his staff should have better

numbers in June. Still, Stavneak said, “Legislators may well want to start holding discussions about potential solutions.’’ Economist Elliott Pollack, a member of the Finance Advisory Committee said there is reason to believe there will be a much longer-term financial hangover even after the virus goes away. He said

that “social distancing’’ may become built-in to individual behavior. “More people are going to be working from home,’’ Pollack said. “You’re going to have more takeout and less eat-in at restaurants, especially if there’s close seating. Airlines are going to have a tough problem getting people into planes.’’

Lawmakers may call it quits for 2020 BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

Legislative leaders may pull the plug on the 2020 session with the intent of not coming back to the Capitol to deal with outstanding financial and policy issues until next January. Senate President Karen Fann told Capitol Media Services Tuesday that lawmakers will vote on May 1 to shut down the session that began on Jan. 13. They have been in recess since March 23, hoping to return once the COVID-19 pandemic had passed. While Fann favors ending the session, House Speaker Rusty Bowers has told her that Republican lawmakers in the House oppose the move. Lawmakers originally planned to return not only to put the final touches on a budget for the new fiscal year but also to deal with some remaining hotbutton and potentially controversial measures.

These range from changes in water laws and re-regulating vacation rentals to ending social promotion, higher gasoline taxes and whether transgender females can legally participate in high school and college athletics. The virus shows no clear sign of abating, with single-day deaths hitting a peak of 21 on Tuesday, bringing the tally to more than 500. And with non-essential businesses shuttered and a stay-at-home order by Gov. Doug Ducey, the state’s revenue picture remains no clearer than it was when lawmakers went home. Absent some need for a special session, Fann said lawmakers would be gone until a new session in January unless there is some need for a special session before then. “The budget is pretty well secure right now,’’ Fann said, with lawmakers having adopted what amounts to an $11.8 billion “baseline’’ spending plan.

That assumes continuation of all agencies with adjustments for growth in population and inflation. Lawmakers added $105 million before packing up last month both in direct funds for the Department of Health Services to deal with the virus as well as for aid to renters, the homeless and small business. Meanwhile, legislative budget staffers said they cannot predict how badly state revenues will be impacted from the shutdown of local businesses and the sharp drop in tourism. The most recent estimate put the shortfall at $1.1 billion for the upcoming fiscal year. But Richard Stavneak, staff director of the Joint Legislative Budget Committee, said that figure could be as little as $600 million or as much as $1.6 billion. Nor can they accurately determine how much more the state will have to spend as the recession being created is making more people eligible for

government-funded programs like Medicaid. “There’s no way we’re really going to have a good handle on any new numbers until we really know where we’re going to go with this,’’ Fann said. “Are we going to be able to start opening things up little by little over the next couple of weeks?’’ she asked. “Or is it going to take longer.’’ Anyway, Fann said, the state is in line to get about $2.8 billion in federal aid due to the pandemic, something she said can be used to plug a lot of holes until next January. The state also is expected to end this budget year on June 30 with close to $1 billion in surplus, with a nearly identical amount in its “rainy-day’’ fund. Not everyone is on board with the plan. “This is the most God-awful, embarrassing thing we’ve ever done,’’ See

ADJOURN on page 24

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COMMUNITY NEWS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | APRIL 26, 2020

Area lawmakers join protest against staying at home BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

Two Mesa Republican lawmakers were prominent among the hundreds of protesters who gathered at the Capitol last week – virtually none wearing masks – to object to orders by Gov. Doug Ducey requiring people to stay at home and closing what he says are nonessential businesses. Both Sen. David Farnsworth, who is running in the Aug. 4 Primary Election for a shot at a Arizona Corporation Commission, and Rep. Kelly Townsend, who has a clear path to becoming the new state senator in East Mesa, cheered the people who attended the April 20 rally with signs and complaints about everything from gun rights to whether boys should be circumcised. Dozens also promoted the reelection of President Trump. The common thread was a belief that the fears of COVID-19 are overblown, the governor’s orders are damaging the economy – and that all this is part of a liberal and media-fed agenda. “I love our country and I love our Constitution and I love our flag, and I love freedom, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,’’ said Jamie Jacobs of Scottsdale, dressed in red, white and blue and carrying an American flag. “And I feel that’s being tread on right now. There’s a bigger agenda going on.’’ “We hope that Gov. Ducey will open Arizona now,’’ said Farnsworth, “But I agree, if we have to come back we’ll come back with 10 times as many people.’’ John Suprock, dressed in his own American flag shirt, said, “I think the media has overblown the true virus issue’’ Suprock, carrying a sign saying “Cure is worse than the virus,’’ said original estimates were that 2.4 million people would die in this country. Now, he said, the figure is likely to be fewer than 60,000, “which is less than the flu in a typical year.’’ And he brushed aside the claim by Ducey that his orders have kept the number of deaths from getting higher. “There’s no way for either side to prove that because there’s no control group,’’ Suprock said. “So if I was a politician I would probably say the same thing.’’ In a prepared statement, gubernatorial press aid Patrick Ptak

ADJOURN

from page 23

said Rep. Kelly Townsend, R-Mesa. “What kind of policy is not going to happen this year because we decided we were afraid?’’ she asked. Townsend said there’s no reason that lawmakers cannot meet online to finish the session. She pointed out the House already has set up a process that allowed several lawmakers to vote without being on the floor. “We managed to do it for the budget,’’ Townsend said. “But we can’t manage to do it for the rest of the people’s business?’’ Townsend said that lawmakers can be creative, just as have other businesses. “Walmart managed,’’ she said.

As protestors gathered at the State Capitol last week to demand lifting stay-at-home orders, they heard speeches from Mesa Republican Rep. Kelly Townsend and, behind her, Mesa Republican Sen. David Farnsworth. (Capitol Media Services)

said those in the Ducey administration “`appreciate the passion expressed by Arizonans today, and we share their desire to get back to normal as quickly as possible.’’ But Ptak made it clear that his boss wasn’t going to be blame for taking his actions in a vacuum. He said the governor, in making his decisions about closures and stay-at-home orders, has been working with others – including those that some of the protesters clearly like. “Gov. Ducey is working closely with President Trump, Vice President Pence,’’ Ptak said. along with Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Deborah Birx, both advisers to the president. He also said that Ducey is working with state Health Director Cara Christ “and state, local and federal health experts to implement the latest guidance from the CDC and the White House,’’ And Ptak said that Ducey has “a commitment to re-energizing our economy when it is responsible to do so.’’ But Daniel McCarthy, a Republican hoping to unseat incumbent U.S. Sen.

Martha McSally, said he’s not accepting the governor’s contention that his orders are necessary to reduce the number of people contracting the virus. “When did we start trading a virus for our civil liberties,’’ he said, saying there are “almost 200 pandemics on average a year.’’ And McCarthy said that cancer kills 600,000 people a year. “And it doesn’t shut down our economy,’’ he said. Nor was he dissuaded by the fact that cancer, unlike the virus, is not contagious. “Cancer is something that’s hereditary, right?’’ McCarthy said. “So should we stop procreation because of the fact we could have cancer deaths?’’ Ducey is likely to face continued protests, with organizers saying they intend to come back every week until he lifts his orders. One of those who spoke to the crowd was Dan Mazon. He is the owner of a Winslow jewelry store who was cited for failing to close as

a non-essential business. Mazon contends he was operating as a department store because he also had other items, including some paper towels, and he had ordered some hay to sell. “You don’t have to be afraid when somebody coughs,’’ he told the crowd. “It’s normal.’’ “I don’t care if I die of corona,” Mazon added. “Give me my freedom.’’

“Why? Because Walmart is considered essential. But the people’s business is not essential enough?’’ “Literally, there were hundreds of bills hanging out there,’’ Fann acknowledged. Also dead would be various proposals to cut taxes, including a plan by Ducey to eliminate income taxes on the pensions of retired military. Fann, however, said that the fate of these bill left in the process is no different than it would have been had lawmakers gone through a full session and left issues unresolved. “They’re dead for this year, just as they would be in any year’’ when the session ends without action. “And next year we’ll take them up again.’’ Fann acknowledged that many of the issues had been thoroughly debated and probably had merit.

“But good bills die every year,’’ she said. And there was a practical matter: Who decides in what would be the short time remaining before the end of the fiscal year on June 30 which bills should get attention. “Everybody thought their bills were important and critical,’’ Fann said. “It was just decided there was no way we could feasibly do it and be fair with everybody and actually get things accomplished.’’ And then there is the reality of working against a deadline on issues that could prove controversial. “The longer we get in to session, the worse the politics are getting,’’ Fann said. That goes beyond the normal partisan bickering. This is an election year, with even some intramural spats

anticipated among Republicans vying for the same seats. “So, are we really going to get anything accomplished?’’ Fann asked. She said the prime goal is to “get the state back up and running. “Then we can work on the stuff next year,’’ Fann said. Townsend, however, has another theory about why legislative leaders want to end the session. She pointed out that Arizona law prohibits legislators from raising money from lobbyists during the legislative session. This is an election year. That prohibition would go away on May 1 if the session is over, providing time for seeking donations before the Aug. 3 primary. “We should go hang our heads in shame,’’ Townsend said.

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | APRIL 26, 2020

For more community news visit SanTanSun.com

Landmark taco shop in Chandler reopens BY JAIMEE RESNICK Contributor

Elmer’s Tacos, a family-owned restaurant in Chandler, was so ready to be back in business. After closing for several weeks in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the landmark Mexican eatery’s owner decided to get back in action. “It’s been a long few weeks but we are clean, prepped and ready to open back up,” owner Lisa Cuen announced on social media last week. “We appreciate the continued well wishes and support we have gotten,” the message said. “We have missed you all tremendously and are so ready to be back in action.” She told the Santan Sun News that while “tt was nice to be at home safe with our families,” she and her family “need to survive personally and as a business.” “This is more than just surging for a month or so. We have a bigger picture to look at: survive for years to come so our kids have a successful business to inherit one day. We are taking extra precautions with our high-risk family members and limiting our contact with them. But at the end of the day, you

need to eat and you need to let the city eat the food tthey love, too.” Located at 355 N. Arizona Ave., Elmer’s is providing drive-through service as well as third-party deliveries – but there’s a small catch: orders need to be placed in advance by calling 480963-6763. Limiting some menu items and not taking on-site orders “will help us to minimize the traffic and gathering of crowds,” the announcement said. For a while, Elmer’s Tacos was among 46 percent of the 551 local businesses polled by the Chandler Chamber of Commerce that indicated they planned to temporarily close in response to social-distancing regulations or closure orders by the governor. A number of Chandler restaurants are struggling to survive by offering takeout and/or delivery. For example, before the closure orders were issued, DC Steakhouse owners Dean and Lorie Laplant were preparing to move about a block from their old location into the newly opened New Square complex across from City Hall. They’re there – but patrons can See

TACOS on page 27

The staff at Elmer’s Tacos in Chandler is happy to be back in business, and so are its many loyal customers. (Facebook)

Couple find a winner with high school signs BY COTY DOLORES MIRANDA Contributor

As 2019 inched to a close, the world was normal as Aaron and Janine Moeller decided they would move their 5-yearold Ahwatukee PostNet outlet across the street to a new space with better parking and other amenities. By the time their move to 4611 E. Chandler Blvd. got underway March 19, the world was crashing. A week earlier, all schools were ordered closed for two weeks and subsequent directives closed them for the rest of the school year. This affected the couple personally as their 8-year-old son, Josh, is a second grader at Kyrene de la Sierra Elementary. Suddenly, it was a daunting time for the Colorado couple, who chose Ahwatukee from a nationwide list of possible places to start their own business. “It was scary signing a new longterm lease in such an environment, said Aaron. “Yet overall, the move has already been good for us and I’m sure over time it will be seen as a great move for us.” Now they also have a store in Chandler, at 2820 S. Alma School Road, Ocotillo. Unlike many businesses, the couple’s PostNet has been bustling with activity. A major reason for that is to offer an inexpensive way for families to celebrate high school and middle school

Janine and Aaron Moeller, owners of PostNet stores in Ahwatukee and Chandler, hold the high school grad tribute posters they’re selling. (Special to

SanTan Sun News)

graduations by creating yard signs to honor the students who face the strong prospect of canceled commencement ceremonies this May. Since their March 28 announcement

of the full-color signs with high school logos of many area schools – including Desert Vista, Mountain Pointe nd Horizon Honors, the business has been literally swamped with orders. The 18 x 24 inch yard signs – with a graduate’s name and or photo for $7 more – come with a metal outdoor H-stake. PostNet needs to order them in bulk with 25 per order so individual families can be charged only $10. But 25 orders per school hasn’t proved problematic. “We had inquiries from Ahwatukee, Chandler and throughout the East Valley and as far as Casa Grande and Globe,” said Janine. “These are custom order items so they are printed as we get

orders in.” Once they announced their ability to supply the yard signs, their Facebook page exploded with interests and

requests – among them parents and students from Basha, Hamilton and Chandler high schools. Inquiries were also fielded for Red Mountain and Skyline High in Mesa; Perry in Gilbert; Valley Christian in Chandler; and Xavier College Prep in Scottsdale. Aaron said the Moellers and their staff were surprised, yet grateful, for the interest. “We’re extremely thankful for the response to the Class of 2020 yard signs. We try to be very active in the community and like to think this is a way to help the class of 2020 to get a little more attention, and engage the community in what the kids have achieved,” he said. The volume of orders has grown exponentially and may yet peak as May draws closer. “We really appreciate the parents trusting us with this as well,” he said. “Many people have also been very patient as we had huge volume in a short period of time, probably 80 percent of all our signs have been custom which takes longer to set up,” he said. “Getting through the backlog was a challenge but it has kept us and our whole staff busy, which is what we were hoping for. Many people understand that even though we’re open, the See

POSTNET on page 28

BUSINESS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | APRIL 26, 2020

Virus leads to new business for local family BY PAUL MARYNIAK Executive Editor

As with countless millions, the pandemic and the ensuing economic turmoil rocked the household of Kim and Dominic Palmieri. But 30 days after their world was turned upside down, the family came up with a way to survive and help people stave off the coronavirus. The CEO of a major food service business, Dominic and his family formed Sanitized Now, a mobile disinfection service that uses EPA-registered, hospital grade chemicals to disinfect just about any kind of space. “We feel that we can help the Ahwatukee community by creating safer spaces for families, businesses, elderly residents etc.,” said Dominic’s daughter Carmela, a partner in the business that’s owned by her father. “Sanitized Now has a solution for every home, office or business to help control spread of the coronavirus. We can sanitize almost any space to help keep employees and families safer,” she added. Like it did for untold millions of others, the year began much differently for the Palmieris, who have lived in Ahwatukee for more than 30 years. A freshman at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Carmela was studying business until she switched to biochemistry. Her older brother Gino, a junior at the University of Southern California, was studying international business. Their dad was CEO of Odyssey, LLC, a large concession company whose 600 employees provide food for the Arizona State Fair and many other fairs across the Southwest and a service supplier to a number of restaurants. Then the pandemic began. Carmela and Gino went home when their schools shut down. As for dad, Carmela said, “We had a hugely successful food service company. Business had changed dramatically for us as we were experiencing shutdown on a mass scale.” As the family huddled to figure out

Carmela Palmieri disinfects a home with a hospital-grade, EPA sanitizer. (Special to SanTan Sun News)

their next move, it dawned on them that even when the world returns to some kind of normalcy, the concern over infection will make businesses and customers think much differently about their environment. “We had been looking at solutions to disinfect spaces of all sizes, primarily large spaces, but quickly realized that it was the family residences and small businesses that really needed our services more than ever with the pandemic in full swing. “We were thinking of solutions to help get our current industry up and running,” she added, “and from there we decided to make it available to the public to help the community all around us. “We thought with the recent world events, this was an opportunity to pivot

Sanitized Now includes, from left, Carmela Palmieri, younger brother Enzo, older brother Gino and dad Dominic Palmieri. (Special to SanTan Sun News)

from our previous business and begin something new.” The Palmieris repurposed equipment they already had and put 24 employees in new roles. Boasting a kill rate of nearly 100 percent, Santized Now envisions an almost limitless customer base – from churches to private homes, community and game centers to offices and small businesses and even stadiums. The misting spray used to apply the chemical ”can get into places that are just too hard to clean yet are perfect places for the spread and growth of virus and bacteria.” “A perfect example of spaces that are very difficult to treat yet potentially breed infection are backs of knobs, door handles, kitchen cabinet doors, the back inside of dishwasher pull handles, in and around counter tops,” she said. She also noted most people don’t realize that most cleaning rags “just push and spread infection from surface to surface.” The Palmieris see Sanitized Now as a much-needed company in what Carmela calls “a post-COVID world” because “sanitizing is an ongoing process.” “Infection levels of virus and bacteria depend on the daily or weekly cleaning and sanitizing that businesses or residents do in their spaces,” she said. “Depending on the level of contaminants that keep coming in to the space and how many people are in and out vary and make every space have a different rate of contamination.” Thus, its service isn’t a one-timefixes-all. Sanitized Now takes “before and after” cultures so customers “know we are making every effort to really

disinfect as much as possible.” “We have digital testing that measures the actual life energy of single cell organisms and we can check our effectiveness,” she explained. “It is important that our customers know we are here to help them start protocols of proper cleaning and disinfecting procedures.” In accordance with its motto – “Keeping Spaces Safer For Everyone” – the company gives their customers a sticker and sign that declares “that they have created a SSS - Sanitized Safe Space” – similar to security alarm companies that give their clients warning signs. “We date it for customers to see and track when they received service,” she said, adding that “helps to evaluate how often they may need more in-house processes or having us come on a regular schedule every few weeks or monthly, depending on activity in the space.” At a time when businesses are itching to reopen, Carmela said, “They have to make new efforts to keep spaces safer for both their employees and their customers and they are trying to figure best practices. “Using our services will help get infection in the home or business down to very low levels,” Carmela added. “Along with daily and weekly maintenance by the individuals – including a lot of hand washing, taking off shoes at the front door – we help to keep infection down to extremely low and safe levels.” While closed on Sundays, Sanitized Now arranges visits to suit the customer’s schedule. Rates range from 8 cents to 20 cents per square foot. Information: 602-763-7194, sanitzednow.com and facebook.com/ sanitizednow

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | APRIL 26, 2020

BUSINESS

TACOS

customers and her employees. from page 25 “There was a lot going on before the only pick up food after ordering at dcgovernor actually steakhouse.com. stated anything. We Elmer’s Tacos was opened in 1974 by saw that everyone in the late Elmer Cuen about a block away Phoenix was going to from its current location. take out and I knew As the town grew, so did his business that it was going to so he moved the restaurant in 1985. affect us very soon,” Cuen incorporated his own cooking said Cuen. “We style, his mother’s recipes and some decided to kind of flavors from Los Angeles into his take action before cooking. it officially got to us The restaurant is now owned and because I knew it was managed by his daughter Lisa Cuen and something we were her son Tyler Cuen. They work alongside going to have to get her husband and their 12 employees. used to.” Cuen said her father was always Cuen said her involved with the restaurant until he first drive-thru passed away in 2015. People must call in advance to place an order at Elmer’s Tacos in Chandler and the staff will have it ready for pick-up. system was a Initially late last month, she decided success for a while. (Facebook) that it would be best for Elmer’s Tacos But things shortly to close temporarily for the safety of drive-thru,” said Cuen. “It was more than employees and supplied them with changed. we ever could have hoped for.” food and supplies. “Unfortunately, we have Cuen said they sold out of “We would love to be able to be quite a few people in our “absolutely everything” they had that open, and to keep everyone’s income immediate families…that are day and that customers were grateful to the same, but some things are more super high risk. We have some order whatever was left. important at this time,” said Cuen. with cancer and we have “It shows that we still have something According to Cuen, customers were some that are on dialysis,” that they love and appreciate as they supportive all the way up until their last said Cuen. did when my dad was around and that day, April 1. “Because of that, we did means the world to me because I don’t “We have a great community and we choose to close because ever want anything that we do to affect are so grateful that we have such a good at some point, it’s about us negatively. I want it to stay the same, support system,” said Cuen. everyone’s health and I want the feeling to be the same, the “We did announce that we were everybody’s family more than closing that morning and that it was going food to be the same. I don’t ever want it is about money.” to be the last day, so we had a line a good Cuen said they did what Elmer’s Tacos had this inspirational sign hanging at the eatery as the See on page 28 half an hour before we even opened the pandemic made its presence in Chandler. (Special to SanTan Sun News) they could to support their

TACOS

BUSINESS

POSTNET

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | APRIL 26, 2020

from page 25

current climate is not business-as-usual since we still depend on other vendors for our supplies.” The Moellers previously worked in the corporate world in Denver. After nearly two years of intensive searching for self-employment opportunities coast-to-coast, they opted for the PostNet franchise and opened the first of their two storefronts in Ahwatukee. They had weaned the site down from a final list of 10 areas where they felt opportunities awaited them. Aaron wanted to operate a business that allowed for a good work-life balance. Six years ago they took the leap, knowing only one couple in the area, Bryon and Dawn Matesi, who were longtime friends from Denver. The pair dove into the task,

TACOS

from page 27

to change anything,” she said. Cuen said the relationship with the customers is her favorite part about being at the restaurant. She said that customers are “always supportive, encouraging and show us all so much love.” “Everyone has a story and memory to share of my dad and they come to share them with me or they come in and see someone they know and share stories with each other,” said Cuen.

networking in the community and putting in long hours, but those things, along with their joint commitment to succeed, has paid off. “We’ve lived in Ahwatukee since we moved here about six years ago to start the business,” said Janine. “We love the community and so does our son Josh. “And meeting so many wonderful people throughout Ahwatukee is another reason we wanted to honor these local 2020 graduates who deserve the recognition even without the graduation ceremony they’d been looking forward to.” The new storefront isn’t much larger than the one they had across the street at 4605 E. Chandler, but there are benefits that have already proved valuable. “We’re at about the same square footage, but we gained great parking, easy client access, double entry doors, a back door, and it allowed us to lay out the store a little differently,” he

explained. PostNet, which began as a packing and shipping business in Las Vegas in 1993, franchised and expanded its business offerings to include printing, design solutions, office services including copy, scan and fax machines, as well as a wide range of shipping services, and mailbox rentals. Due to COVID-19, customers with mailboxes now have the option of having mail forwarded to another address, such as their home. And in the age of social distancing, many of the office services can be completed remotely, including having printed projects shipped or picked up curbside. Distancing of customers within the stores themselves is also maintained. “We’re all privately-owned and operated franchises so each location can offer different services,” Moeller explained. “We focus on printing and

offering marketing to B2B (Business to Business).” Brochures, business cards, signage, and of course, banners can be printed at the Moeller’s Ahwatukee and Chandler PostNet stores. Fingerprinting services are also available, a growing need in the community said Aaron Moeller. “Basically, any industry that now requires a fingerprint card for background, and there are a lot that now require it, we can provide the standard card for them,” he said. “In a month we do anywhere between 90-120 at each of our locations. It’s not usually by appointment, but with COVID 19 going on, we’ve had to limit fingerprinting to essential service customers and only at our Ahwatukee store. Information: postnet.com or 480-753-4160, 480-917-2468 for the Ocotillo school.

Cuen said that if her father were still here, “he would have been completely blown away by the support.” Yvonne Shaw, a longtime patron of Elmer’s Tacos, has been eating there since the early 90s, when her family moved from Phoenix to Chandler. Shaw was there on the day Elmer’s Tacos shut down temporarily. She said she noticed that customers were patient with the employees and she didn’t see any angry faces. “The line was long but not long enough to make us turn away, especially knowing we wouldn’t be able to come back for at least two weeks,” said Shaw.

Shaw said the employees never showed any signs of being overwhelmed and “there were some crying spells, but it was out of sheer amazement at the support they were getting from the community.” “We have to remember that these small local businesses don’t have all the luxuries and funding that chain restaurants might. We take for granted that they’ll always be there, but we don’t know the overhead they have and sacrifices they make to still be a presence in the community,” said Shaw. Cecilia “Cece” Martinez, has worked on and off at Elmer’s Tacos for many years.

Martinez said she worked with Elmer for about 28 years and her job has been to mainly help customers at the front of the restaurant. Martinez was working at Elmer’s Tacos on April 1. She was inside, packing up the orders for the food runners to bring out to the customers. “It was busy, let me tell you,” said Martinez. “Elmer was loved by a lot of the community. He would have loved to see it.” Cuen said that customers can keep up with updates on their Facebook page (Elmer’s Tacos) or on their website at Elmerstacos.com for more information.

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | APRIL 26, 2020

Virus throws wedding industry into chaos, planner finds BY PAUL MARYNIAK Executive Editor

Love may conquer a lot, but it’s no match for the COVID-19 pandemic – at least as far as weddings are concerned. Not only have countless couples’ plans been shattered by the virus and social distancing, but the entire wedding industry is in meltdown, said Kim Horn of Ahwatukee. Horn knows full well how the wedding industry – from venues and florists, caterers to clothing shops – has been devastated by the pandemic. As one of only about 75 professionals in the world who hold the certified title of Master Wedding Planner, she has planned more than 650 weddings in her career and has developed a vast network of all the different businesses that help make a bride’s dream come true. And right now in Arizona, those dreams are nightmares – and not just for the bride and groom and their families and friends. The impact is particularly heavy in Arizona because March and April are one of Arizona’s two peak wedding seasons – the other being OctoberNovember, Horn said. But regardless of when any area in the country hits a peak for marching down the aisle, the coronavirus has taken a major toll, Horn said. “I got a report the other day that said that weddings are going to be down this year 30 percent,” she said. “I think that’s very low.” The scramble is already on as couples that postponed nuptials till later this year are now competing with those who had or were planning to schedule in the fall. “All of those brides are trying to move to a September, October, November,” she said, adding that even before the pandemic struck, the competition was keen for Oct. 10 because the idea of having a wedding on 10-10-20 had a numerical attraction for many couples. On a macroeconomic scale, the breadth of the devastation is almost incalculable. “Caterers are going to be hit very hard,” Horn said, “and the reason is they have food and if they have their liquor license, they have food and bar materials ready for those events that were supposed to happen. They’ve already purchased it because the events were supposed to happen and then the client calls and says, ‘Hey, we canceled or we’re postponing. It’s perishable things that they can’t wait on. They’ve already ordered it. It’s on its way to them.” Even companies and individuals that don’t necessarily come to mind when you think of weddings have suffered a major blow, Horn said. Take the rental companies, for example, that supply linens, tables and chairs for receptions. They’ve already lost out on spring and Easter events in general, especially at churches, Horn said. Then there are the musicians and DJs, who already lost considerable income they may have earned playing gigs at

Kim Horn helps organize the twice-a-year Arizona Wedding Show, which draws hundreds of brides and their entourages to the Phoenix Convention Center in January and June to check out a variety of vendors and get deals on wedding gowns. While the January event went off without a hitch, the June show has been canceled because of crowd-distancing guidelines. (Special to the SanTan Sun News)

now-closed bars and restaurants. Some of those musicians – and many other wedding vendors – also have lost out on vying for any weddings that might be held later this year because the June Arizona Wedding Show that Horn helps to organize at the Phoenix Convention Center has been canceled. The biannual event – the January show went on without interruption – draws thousands of brides and their entourages for an up-close-andpersonal look at musicians, gown makers and other vendors available for the big event.

traditionally forfeited if the client cancels the event,” she explained, some may have a ‘force majeure’ exception that provides an escape from a major financial hit. But, Horn said, “‘force majeure’ is defined in many different ways... so that’s important” to understand exactly the kind of major, unforeseen circumstances in which a venue will either allow the couple to postpone the reception or refund at least part of the money they’ve paid. But the virus has opened a myriad of issues.

It’s very important that everybody reads their contracts – not only reads “ them but I should say reads and understands the contracts they’ve signed. ” – Kim Horn Of course, venues and the couples and their families are among the prime victims of the social distancing tsunami that has swamped so much of the economy, Horn said. But in there is a lesson for couples that may be thinking of a wedding down the road. Many venues likely have already received partial or full payment if they were hosting an event when social distancing regulations took effect, Horn said. “It’s very important that everybody reads their contracts – not only reads them but I should say reads and understands the contracts they’ve signed,” she said. That’s particularly important when it comes to language on cancellations. Normally, 75 percent of wedding expense involves the venue. “So let’s say the venue has a nonrefundable retainer and they are

Even before the full brunt of stayat-home orders took effect, couples who had big wedding plans even in mid-March, for example, likely had paid already for food and beverage – only to find guests canceling out. “And so, when your guest count drops off,” she said, “you may have to pay the minimum for attendance.” Venues don’t want to get stuck, said Horn, explaining: “Let’s say you picked March 21 and you said ‘I am guaranteed 100 people.’ They’re saying, ‘Okay, then we’re going to buy enough chicken and potato salad, everything for 100 people based on what you’ve agreed with us and sign in your banquet event order.’ They paid for it. There are no refunds whether you hold that event or not. They’ve already hired the staff. They’ve ordered the bar. They’ve taken that date out of inventory.” “There are so many things that go

into that that people don’t see – If they had to order the cake. If they had to order special linens, crystal centerpieces or they had a specific champagne that they wanted. They’ve already ordered that in order to get it in for that March 21st date.” “That’s why it’s really important that you have documentation in writing” as to what a venue will do or not do in the event the wedding is abruptly cancelled or postponed, Horn said. “There are people that put their heart and soul into planning their wedding and haven’t thought about their life the day after their wedding,” Horn said. “Then there’s the people that at the end of the day say, ‘you know what it doesn’t matter on what day it is.’” But even those couples who just think eloping will do are running into problems since the actual exchange of vows not only requires an officiant but also two witnesses, Horn noted. “There’s at least five people involved,” she said. Given the uncertainty as to when some semblance of normalcy might return to Arizona and the country this year, Horn is recommending that couples contemplating a wedding this year to put off the big event until 2021. “They’re saying that potentially this epidemic will affect us for 18 months,” she said. “I would rather err on the side of safety for my family and for my clients….The whole thing is they have to be aware of what is happening on travel restrictions, what’s happening on local quarantines.” And people who think wedding insurance might cover them might want to carefully read the contract since “a lot of the wedding insurance doesn’t cover a pandemic.” “The whole thing is knowing what you’re signing before you sign it,” she said.

BUSINESS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | APRIL 26, 2020

Three ways to maximize unemployment benefits BY JOSHUA C. BLACK Guest Writer

As the unemployment rate in Arizona continues to rise, the Department of Economic Security (DES) is experiencing a major increase in initial claims filings. To give you an idea how this is impacting residents, at the end of February, 2,953 unemployment claims were filed in the state. One month later, more than 88,000 claims were filed. This increased number of applicants means processing times for unemployment benefits are expected to be longer than usual. DES estimates it may take up to 21 days from filing to process claims. Applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible to get the process started. Given the current state of the country, it’s no surprise that many Arizonans are facing the prospect of being unemployed for the first time in their lives. Currently, the unemployment rate in Arizona sits at roughly 4.5 percent and it’s expected to rise in the next few weeks because of COVID-19, better known as the coronavirus. As an employment lawyer, I understand the stress of losing a job and the challenges of applying for financial aid. At my office, we are sharing

valuable information and support for our clients right now including the three most important tips for maximizing unemployment benefits during this unprecedented time: Don’t delay, file today! The waiting period for unemployment benefits has been waived in Arizona. Employees who have lost a job, or had pay or hours decreased, should apply for unemployment benefits as soon as possible at azui.com. DES recommends individuals apply now even if they are unsure if they qualify for benefits. New federal

programs are being rolled out to provide supplementary relief during the global pandemic, so many additional Arizona residents will qualify for the support they need. Indicate that your unemployment is related to COVID-19. When applying for unemployment benefits, make sure to provide information on your application that shows you lost your job because of COVID-19. In order to qualify for the additional $600-weekly unemployment benefit provided by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act – also

known as the CARES Act - applicants must indicate that their job loss is a result of COVID-19. The unemployment application paperwork has been updated online and now has a COVID-19 indicator that can be selected. Applicants would also be wise to submit documentation from work or a physician stating that their job loss is related to COVID-19. Complete weekly requirements. The CARES Act allows for up to 39 weeks of unemployment benefits. To ensure benefits continue for the duration of the unemployment, the applicant must complete a weekly certification that he/ she is still unemployed. Applicants can submit their certification online at azui. com. Additionally, the standard requirement that applicants be “actively seeking work” to receive benefits has been waived for those unemployed due to COVID-19. We understand that this is a very stressful time. At the Law Office of Joshua Black, PLC, we are offering several free community clinics to help Arizona employees understand available resources and how to take advantage of the recent emergency relief provided by the CARES Act and Arizona Executive Order 2020-11. Joshua C. Black is an Arizona employment attorney. Information:. azemploymentlawyer.com

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For more community news visit SanTanSun.com

Athletes staying active despite lost season BY ZACH ALVIRA Sports Editor

The spring track season was supposed to be special for Highland High senior Zach Schroeder. He had already shown his speed and skill on the football field, leading the Hawks with 33 receptions for 599 yards and six touchdowns. As one of the top hurdlers in the state, he was banking on a strong showing this spring to potentially continue his career at the next level. But on March 30, when the Arizona Interscholastic Association announced it had canceled all spring sports activities. “It’s very stressful,” Schroeder said. “I had colleges looking at me. I’m just trying to stay in track shape as much as I can right now.” Schroeder shares the same sentiments as other seniors across the East Valley who saw their final seasons end abruptly. But he has found outlets to stay active. “I’ve been doing more power stuff,” Schroeder said. “I’ve really been trying to get my endurance up. Just doing anything I can.” For a while, Schroeder found open tracks to set up hurdles and conduct workouts sent by Highland coaches. But as more schools locked their gates, he

Highland senior Zach Schroeder had planned to make a statement this spring on the track, but that opportunity was cut short due to the cancellation of all sports. (Photo courtesy Zach Schroeder)

realized he had to be creative. Using extra materials laying around his house, he made a handful of hurdles

to set up in a park near his house. It’s an unconventional way for him to stay active should an opportunity present itself for

him to continue playing either football or competing in track at the next level. “It’s all about staying positive,” Schroeder said. “All I can do is continue training and see what happens.” Makayla Donahoo has also found ways to be creative in the absence of the spring season. The Red Mountain senior softball player routinely works out, juggling online schoolwork at the same time. If she isn’t at a park fielding ground balls or taking batting practice in the cage in her backyard, she and Mountain Pointe senior Theresa Wilsterman are running and doing other exercises. “My college sent me monthly workouts to help stay in shape,” Donahoo said. “It’s a lot of body weight stuff and running. We usually try to meet up Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. If we can’t meet up in person then we Facetime on the phone. “She keeps me motivated.” The two are best friends and play on the same club softball team, so training together has become a ritual. But even then, she still can’t help but miss her teammates at Red Mountain. “It’s just weird not seeing them when I used to see them every day,” Donahoo said. “I think this whole situation shows See

ATHLETES on page 32

Quarterbacks find outlets while exercising precaution BY ZACH ALVIRA Sports Editor

Arizona’s rise as one of the premier destinations for college coaches searching for next-level quarterbacks doesn’t come as a surprise to players or coaches. It’s been one of the main goals for two of the state’s premier private trainers, Dan Manucci and Mike Giovando. Now, both trainers and the players have made several adjustments to maintain a safe atmosphere for all involved. “We all want to get a workout in, but be safe while doing it,” Desert Ridge junior quarterback Austin Kolb said. “We all keep a safe distance from each other, I wash my hands and just overall have good hygiene. “This offseason I’ve been working harder, working out every day. I have to keep grinding for my team.” Kolb enjoyed a breakout junior campaign throwing for 2,980 passing yards and 22 touchdowns to help lead Desert Ridge to the quarterfinal round of the playoffs. He spent the entire offseason heading into his junior season working with Manucci, who has experienced his own success playing three seasons for the Buffalo Bills. Manucci is now using his own experience to help players like Kolb seek a future at the next level.

Desert Ridge junior quarterback Austin Kolb has taken extra precaution while training for his senior season in the fall. (Eric Newman/Contributor)

“I tell them not to go through a workout but to grow through a workout,” Manucci said. “My passion is to teach them the right way, to respect the game and what it takes to get to that next level.”

Manucci has coached the likes of former Hamilton and current Oregon quarterback Tyler Shough, as well as former Notre Dame Prep and Auburn quarterback Cameron Yowell.

He’s also mentored former Chandler High quarterback Darrell Garretson, who went on to play for Oregon State. Giovando has trained the likes of See

QUARTERBACKS on page 32

SPORTS & RECREATION

ATHLETES

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | APRIL 26, 2020

from page 31

them they have to expect the unexpected and things can always change. That’s why it’s important to always play your hardest always because you never know what could happen.” For athletes like Donahoo who have already signed to continue their academic and athletic careers in college, the cancellation of the spring sports season allows them time for extra training. While seniors are using the spring cancellations to prepare for the next level, younger players are doing so to prepare for breakout seasons in high school. Robert Moore III wakes up every morning and completes online schoolwork to maintain his 4.0 GPA. He then heads outside for workouts, where he has become creative. “It was difficult at first to find workouts, but I just thought of different things and looked up stuff on Twitter,” Moore said. “Usually I’ll eat, do some schoolwork then start a workout in the afternoon.” This spring was supposed to be a

Mountain Pointe High senior Theresa Wilsterman, left, routinely works out with Red Mountain softball player Makayla Donahoo. (Courtesy Makayla Donahoo)

comeback tour for Casteel junior Gavin Jury. The 6-foot-4, 205-pounder suffered a season-ending injury to his hand as a sophomore playing football. It led to him being diagnosed with Kienbock’s disease,

where blood flow to the lunate bone in his hand is interrupted. He was told he may never be able to play football or volleyball again, but his condition improved, and he was cleared to

play on Feb. 12. “I was really happy, I had the biggest smile on my face,” Jury said. “When my parents said I was cleared to lift and get back into sports again, I realized I was able to do something I love.” His volleyball season was cut short, but that hasn’t deterred him from preparing for the fall. He anticipates putting up big numbers for Casteel as a senior. He’s been working out on the field with his freshman brother, Landon Jury, a quarterback for Casteel. He’s also worked out on the field and in the garage with Tyler and Brady Shough, his cousins. Tyler will likely become the starting quarterback at Oregon next season while Brady enters his senior year at Hamilton. He’s doing everything he can to prepare for the upcoming season in hopes of earning a scholarship offer to continue his athletic career in college. Even as the spring sports season has been taken away, he remains positive for the future. “I’ve really used this time to focus on football,” Jury said. “I’m excited to get back into it.”

QUARTERBACKS from page 31

Spencer Brasch, a standout quarterback at Higley who is now at Cal-Berkeley. Others include former Gilbert and University of Arizona quarterback Will Plummer and his brother, Jack, who plays for Purdue. Perhaps one of Giovando’s most notable players, however, is former Pinnacle star Spencer Rattler, an early candidate for the Heisman next season. Some players are also impressive, with Hamilton sophomore Nicco Marchiol, a four-star rated prospect, Higley junior Kai Millner, who has picked up offers from Miami, NC State, Michigan State and others, as well as Red Mountain sophomore Jalen Daniels. “A lot of these guys have been coming to me since the sixth grade, which has given us a lot of time to get the mechanics down,” Giovando said. “I really challenge them by making the throw a little uncomfortable for them or pressure them. We try to switch things up every day.” Normally in large groups, both Manucci and Giovando have cut down the number of players allowed to attend each of their training sessions. Other measures put in place include telling players not to high-five, fist bump or have any physical contact with one another, remaining 5 to 10 yards apart at all times during drills. Landon Jury, a freshman quarterback at Casteel High School and cousin of Shough, has been working with Left: Manucci since he was in the sixth grade. He’s seen his skills on the field improve drastically, as he’s become quicker, more agile and overall more accurate inside and out of the pocket. Along with abiding by Manucci’s additional rules, Jury carries disinfectant wipes. “We all keep a safe distance from each other, and we don’t do a lot of close interactive stuff,” Jury said, who has

Above: Mike Giovando, who runs Elev8 Quarterback Academy, said he has limited the number of players at each of his workouts to maintain a safe environment while helping them train. (Photo courtesy Elev8 Quarterback Academy) Left: Dan Manucci (center) has trained several quarterbacks from Arizona high schools, including Notre Dame Prep’s Cameron Yowell (left), who is now at Auburn, and Hamilton’s Tyler Shough (right), who is now at Oregon. (Photo courtesy Dan Manucci)

worked with Manucci since he was in the sixth grade. Similar efforts have been made by Campo Verde sophomore quarterback Reilly Garcia. Still just over a year removed from an injury that left him with a torn meniscus, a fracture at the growth plate on his femur and a torn hamstring, workouts with

Manucci became a key part of Garcia’s rehabilitation. Now that he has recovered, he plans to compete for the starting role for a team that made it to the 5A Conference game. Both coaches emphasize mechanics and footwork, putting each quarterback through simulation drills for what could happen in a game setting. They admit it’s hard to replicate 11-on11 football in pads while in a small group setting and t-shirt and shorts. But both have seen some of the drills pay off during game situations. Facing a third down deep in Florida territory during the 2019 Orange Bowl, former Chandler standout Bryce Perkins escaped pressure in the pocket, leaping

over a would-be tackler and stiff-arming another to throw back across his body and find his receiver in the back of the end zone. It was one of the premier highlights of the New Year’s Six bowl game, and it was something Perkins and Manucci worked on during training. “The hurdling was him just being a phenomenal athlete,” Manucci said. “But we would go right and make him throw back to his left accurately. Things like that just happen automatically in games, even if it seems repetitive in training.” Both trainers remain keen on emphasizing player safety as their main goal. “We’ve got the wipes, we’ve got sanitizer, the kids all wash their hands and spray down the balls,” Giovando said.

SPORTS & RECREATION

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | APRIL 26, 2020

Grand Canyon University leads nation in e-sports BY LORENZINO ESTRADA Cronkite News

Hidden within the exploding global esports movement lies Grand Canyon’s burgeoning program, headed by athletic esports coordinator Albert Lee. GCU has emerged as one of the premier universities in the country housing esports, offering a diverse set of games in the competitive scene, and being one of the first schools to offer scholarships for players. The program also boasts one of the largest member groups in the nation. “When esports just started in its conception on the university end, we only had 18 to 24 people,” John Kalua, GCU’s campus technology director said. “We didn’t have any faculty or staff support for esports at the time. That was 2016-2017. “We went through a process where we hired Albert, built a facility, and put the right components in place on campus. In his first year, we went from 60 to about 500. Here we are in year two and he’s grown the program to over 800. It keeps going up and up.” The program, established in 2018, started with about 10 members. Sean Shannon, GCU’s League of Legends varsity coach, saw a simple reason for the growth of the program when he joined in early 2020. “I was aware of how good they were but I didn’t know how backed they were by the university,” Shannon said. Lee came to Grand Canyon after studying at Georgia Tech, where he was president of esports, as well as Tespa chapter founder and lead. Having the option of taking an engineering job after graduation with his degree in communication and media studies, Lee instead elected to follow his love of esports. “It is my passion to connect students. It’s not just about video gaming even though that is a huge plus,” Lee said. “It’s about connecting the shared experience and I wanted to pursue that.” Now, GCU’s esports program is the largest student organization on campus, supporting 124 students across 20 competitive teams, and registering 750 unique students every school year. The program is a major recruiting tool, with 39 percent of incoming freshmen citing the esports program as a reason for enrolling in the university, Lee said.

The growth of esports is evident, with more than $1 billion in market revenue in 2019, Forbes reported. In 2019, there were 253 million occasional viewers and 201 million frequent viewers watching their favorite games around the world. “I think we’re seeing it across the nation,” Shannon said. “We’re seeing professional basketball players, NASCAR and FIFA players who are playing online tournaments on Twitch. I think it’s cool because it not only validates the job hemisphere but it validates the kids who are just doing it as a hobby or seeing if they want to do it in the future.” GCU also continues to grow membership and holds tournaments for local high school players who can earn small scholarships. Competitively, GCU esports Since joining Grand Canyon University in 2018, Albert Lee has created a premier esports program that contains close to 1,000 offers scholarships for players on members. (Reno Del Toro/Cronkite News) both varsity teams for “Overwatch” “I came into the role to help lead and “League of Legends.” In 2018, GCU important, then it’s as important as their the initiative because right now in the earned a spot in the quarterfinals of the focus on recruitment for the future,” Lee collegiate esports space, it’s very much 2019 “Overwatch Collegiate Championship.” said. “Esports is definitely only going to open ended,” Lee said. “What I like It’s one of the most efficient and rise in popularity. The younger generations to say is it’s the wild west right now. university-backed programs in all of got smartphones, they all have consoles It’s comparable to the early days of collegiate esports, but Lee said he will and PCs. American football when there were no “Everything has become so intertwined continue to build GCU esports. rules or regulations. We’re on the brink of “Right now, we’ve been established as online that if you’re not committing something big here.” one of the pioneers in Arizona and the resources to at least researching into The biggest draw for GCU’s esports esports or engaging your students who are West Coast in terms of esports programs,” program is its large esports arena, Lee said. “We want to be a forerunner, that already using technology, you’re missing outfitted with more than 70 gaming PCs, campus driving forward what esports can out on a large chunk of what could be the along with a space for console players and be at the collegiate level.” next recruiting bubble.” a lounge to watch tournaments and study game play. A stage with gaming setups is available for competitive teams when playing tournaments. The arena went through renovations and reopened in late 2019. Despite the renovations, the continued membership of current and prospective students will require the program to expand once again soon. “We also have a capacity limit in our facility that can manage so many club members and it’ll get to that point where our success stories and club membership will usually lead to building more facilities,” Kuala said. “We’re going to max out our capacity real quick.” With the success of the GCU’s esports program, Lee hopes it can be a shining example for other colleges that are looking to create similar programs and allocate resources. “If schools want to view it as

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Political conflict, like COVID-19, is spreading like wildfire BY DAVID LEIBOWITZ Columnist

The conversation with a progressive politico friend of mine took place in a Walgreens parking lot on April 15 – two men standing six feet apart swapping tales of quarantine woe. His wife sensed a furlough is near; his clients are drying up. Still, they made too much money to qualify for federal stimulus checks. His sister-in-law, a nurse in Boston, had tested positive for COVID-19. Fortunately, she appeared to be recovering. “This President, the way he’s botched the COVID response, it’s literally criminal,” was how he put it. “He’s dead at the polls in November. Or he’s dead if we’re not all dead before then.” An hour later, a buddy called from Florida. The proud owner of at least one red Make America Great Again ball cap and a selfie of him and Donald Trump, my friend

sounded buoyant. “Looks like we’re past the worst of all this,” he said. “They’re saying maybe the economy opens back up like May 1st. That sounds about right.” Welcome to the Twilight Zone: COVID-19 pandemic edition. I’ve written before about how we’ve never been more partisan, never more disagreeable than at present. Explaining that yawning divide, I’ve always held out hope that in a crisis we might overlook our disagreements and come together as both the United States and as united states. Judging by recent polling and by personal anecdotes like the above, I get the sense that 9/11-style unity won’t be returning anytime soon. We appear to be living through multiple pandemics right now: One through the eyes of America’s registered Democrats and another as witnessed by Republicans. Then there’s the rest of us, independents and the apolitical, who have yet another story to tell. Consider the April 10-12 Gallup poll of

3,365 random American adults. Asked to assess the coronavirus situation, the responses couldn’t have been more different depending on political affiliation: 69 percent of Democrats said the pandemic was getting either a little or a lot worse. Meanwhile 63 percent of Republicans said it was getting either a little or a lot better. Asked how long COVID-19 disruption would last, 32 percent of Democrats said the rest of this year, 52 percent said a few more months and 9 percent said a few more weeks. The GOP numbers were flipped around entirely: 52 percent said a few more weeks, 39 percent a few more months and 5 percent said the rest of the year. It’s not just Gallup showing this divide either. A Global Strategy Group survey last week had 87 percent of Republicans approving of the President’s handling of the COVID-19 crisis. Democrats, by contrast, registered an 83 percent disapproval rate. Stuck in the middle? Independents, who disapproved of Trump’s handling of the pandemic by a 49-37 margin.

According to a YouGov poll taken at the same time, we can’t even agree on how fearful to be of becoming infected with the virus. For Dems, 82 percent are very or somewhat worried. For independents, that number is 62 percent. For Republicans, 59 percent are very or somewhat worried. As for yours truly, I tend to take an approach best described by that old X Files tagline: “The truth is out there.” When politicians, government officials and reporters speak, I take their pronouncements with an Everest-sized grain of salt. Facts require sources and sources require vetting. I try to invest my belief in opinions the way I do my retirement funds: Carefully and while always being open to new and better information. When my friends call, I try to do more listening and comforting than challenging. Because if there’s one thing I know about America in 2020, it’s that conflict is a lot like COVID-19. It spreads like wildfire if you’re not abundantly careful.

Now more than ever, Arizona foster kids need a hand BY DAN SHUFELT Guest Writer

For many children in foster care, birthday celebrations are not ever expected. I’ve met many teens who have never celebrated their special day. For teens in group homes, the March party might be held on the 15th, and no mention is made when Alicia’s birthday comes on the 25th. Many whose birthdays fall during March and April this year will be able to relate to Alicia. Arizona Helping Hands provided essential needs to the 14,000+ children in our State’s foster care system. We provide beds and cribs to give children a Safe Place to Sleep. We help foster families become licensed for

fostering by supplying home safety items including fire extinguishers, first aid kits and more. We provide back-to-school supplies, personal care items, diapers, clothing and other basic needs to help children who have experienced abuse and neglect in their short lives. We also go well beyond the basics; we seek to bring joy into the lives of boys and girls who have not experienced that emotion enough. We want children to know every day, but especially on their birthday, that they are loved, and that we care. Our Birthday Dreams program assembles gift packages for children in foster care. Learning that Samantha likes crafts or Pedro is a Paw Patrol fan, we will assemble a few toys and a book in a personalized gift package for their birthday. In 2019 alone, Arizona Helping Hands

provided 3,596 children with a gift package, and we added in a party pack – cake mix, frosting and candles. All of our efforts were to say that YOU MATTER. Children in foster care should have a celebration. In these days of the coronavirus, this message takes on an additional meaning. We want these boys and girls to know that outside of the house they can’t leave today is a community that supports them, that wants to say “Happy Birthday to You!” Perhaps you can relate to children in foster care whose life experiences have never included a party. Our program seeks to change that. Even without our army of volunteers to help us fill packages while they observe stay-at-home directives, we are sending our Birthday Dreams to boys and girls every day, especially these days.

These kids deserve a celebration, now more than ever. Arizona Helping Hands is open. We are shipping out beds, cribs and birthday dreams to make a difference for children in foster care. We need community support to continue to fill birthday dreams, and to provide essential needs to thousands of children in foster care each year. Arizona taxpayers can donate $1,000 per year as a married couple to support our work, and receive every dollar back on your Arizona tax return. Contributions are due by April 15 to claim as a credit on your 2019 tax return. Help us bring joy and hope to children in foster care. -Dan Shufelt is president/CEO of Arizona Helping Hands. Information: 480889-0604, dshufelt@azhelpinghands.org, azhelpinghands.org.

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Chandler leader coach authors inspirational book BY LACEY LYONS Staff Writer

As a highly successful leadership coach, speaker and entrepreneur, Chandler resident Lisa Pérez can now add author to her list of successes. “My book is about how to ease your heart, be resilient and think of situations in the best way possible,” said Pérez, author of “Beautiful is… A Reflective Guide to Ease Your Heart During Life’s Challenging Moments.” Pérez’s book follows her journey through the challenges of losing her mother to cancer and shines light on all the beautiful moments that came from her experience. “My mother was beautiful. An Elizabeth Taylor kind of beauty. This horrible disease was really taking the physical beauty away from her throughout the 37 days she was in the hospital, but my mother was handling radiation so well that it was truly so beautiful to watch,” Pérez said. “I journaled throughout the process, and I really think it helped me to cope with what was happening,” she added. As an Arizona native, Pérez grew up in a family of entrepreneurs, earning her master’s degree in psychology from Arizona State University in 1995. Pérez also founded a leadership development coaching program called Vital Transformations, over 10 years ago.

Chandler speaker and leadership coach Lisa Perez says her new book on the challenges she faced when her mother passed away is meant to inspire readers. (Special to SanTan Sun News)

Pérez offers workshops, online courses and individual coaching to those seeking a mentor. During these times of social distancing and the global pandemic, Pérez said she is coaching many of her clients on how to handle the stress of change and be mindful with their health during quarantine.

“My favorite thing about coaching is helping individuals develop a strategy to empower themselves to be able to reach their goals,” said Pérez. “I use well-being as a platform whether that is at work or at home, so if it is how to get along better with your boss, how to communicate more effectively, how to manage workload

stress and then I also coach well-being on a personal level as well on how to have better relationships at home and how to have healthy habits,” she added. Pérez said the hummingbird on the cover of her book is also symbolic of her mother’s passing. She said during her funeral, a hummingbird flew right over her mother’s casket. “A hummingbird is really about joy, and even though they are the smallest of birds, they overcome and manage but in a beautiful graceful way,” said Pérez. Pérez said Mother’s Day will always be a special holiday for her because it gives her the chance to really reflect on the selfless, strong character her mother demonstrated throughout her whole life. “I am grateful that my mother had such grace and compassion towards others, and I really think that that is what we celebrate every Mother’s Day,” Pérez said. In her free time when not coaching or writing, Pérez says she loves to ride her bike, walk her dog and catch up on her leisure reading. “You must see the glass half full instead of empty in the most dire times,” said Pérez. To purchase her book or download the digital version and watch her book trailer please visit: lisaaperez.com You can also find Lisa Pérez on Facebook for updates and events at: facebook.com/lisaaperezcoach.

Chandler nurse helping Detroit virus victims BY KEVIN REAGAN Staff Writer

A Chandler nurse has traveled to the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic in Detroit, where more than 7,000 cases of the virus have been burdening the city’s understaffed health care centers. Austin Fifield, a nurse who works for Abrazo Central, is among a group of local nurses who recently volunteered to complete a short-term nursing assignment in Detroit’s hospitals. Fifield will spend three weeks assessing patients, passing out medications, and triaging symptoms in a city that’s experienced some of the worst rates of the coronavirus. As of April 13, the Detroit Health Department logged at least 424 fatalities related to the COVID-19 virus – while at the same time Maricopa County, which has a population seven times larger than Detroit’s, had only recorded 131 deaths. Michigan’s public health officials have said that Detroit’s high prevalence of concentrated poverty has made the city more vulnerable to the COVID-19 virus compared to other metropolitan areas. Fifield said he felt compelled to

Chandler nurse Austin Fifield is helping COVID-19 patients in badly-hit Detroit hospitals. (Special to SanTan Sun News)

travel out to Michigan and apply his nursing skills to a region in dire need of more health care workers. “I know this is an unprecedented time we will all remember forever,” he said, “and I knew I would want to look back knowing I stepped up to help those in need.” The day-to-day experience has almost felt surreal, Fifield added, with every nurse working nonstop from the moment their 12-hour shift starts.

“There is stress and there is sadness,” he stated, “but there’s also a sense of teamwork and appreciation that we have all come together to help save lives.” The team of traveling nurses must take extra precautions working in an environment that’s been overwhelmed by the pandemic. Fifield said everyone is vigilant about sanitizing surfaces and keeping track of everything they touch. Their daily uniform encompasses masks, face shields, gloves, gowns, hair caps, and booties. Fifield is trying to boost his immunity by taking vitamin supplements, eating healthy foods and trying to get as much sleep as possible amidst his hectic schedule. But the days can still feel arduous, he said, especially when Fifield has to comfort the patients who are not expected to overcome their ailments. The resources are extremely limited, Fifield added, yet there’s an abundance of patients needing treatment. Fifield is one of several health care workers who’s been flying across the country to provide emergency services to cities plagued by the contagious virus.

Abrazo Central, part of a national network of 65 hospitals, dispatched five of its nurses from across the Valley who traditionally work in surgical units. Because hospitals have been performing fewer elective operations during the pandemic, Abrazo suddenly had staff available to help where it was needed most. “Our colleagues in Detroit are fighting the COVID battle in a way that most of us are not experiencing,” said Tami Biggs, Abrazo’s chief nursing officer. “They have fought hard and with such grace and determination. However, they were in desperate need of staff.” Abrazo Interim CEO Ed Staren said its facilities already had enough resources to maintain current operations, so it made sense to share some of its staff with cities overwhelmed by the pandemic. “There has been tremendous teamwork and compassion from hospital staff, physicians and board members, who are offering all of their support during this pandemic,” Staren said. “This is like running a marathon at the pace of a sprint, but we are all in this together to protect the health of our community.”

NEIGHBORS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | APRIL 26, 2020

Local engineers help ﬁll mask, shield gap BY KEVIN REAGAN Staff Writer

Chandler engineers are using their technical skills to innovatively produce vast numbers of masks and shields for health care workers battling COVID-19. As the number of cases rises in Arizona, hospitals and nursing homes are preparing for a potential shortage in protective gear needed to keep staff safe while caring for infected patients. Some Chandler engineers are attempting to streamline the manufacturing by generating costefficient designs of the equipment. Patrick Milligan has developed a relatively simple process for assembling face shields that requires few materials and basic knowledge of how to work a laser-cutter. Known as the “Chandler Shield,” Milligan’s design is nothing more than a plastic sheet three-hole-punched onto a foam visor with an elastic band tied around the back. They can be produced, used and disposed of rapidly, Milligan said, adding that his design helps an industry racing to catch up with a sudden demand for supplies. It’s not meant to outright replace the protective gear doctors are accustomed to using, Milligan stressed, but the Chandler Shield can still provide some protection. “If they have nothing left, this is better than nothing,” he said.

Engineer John Modi works on a 3D printer to make sorely needed face shields for healthcare workers. (Pablo Robles/SanTan Sun News Photographer)

Milligan is part of a group of engineers from across the Valley that’s been volunteering their time to manufacture hundreds of masks for doctors and nurses. The Arizona chapter of Open Source

COVID-19 Medical Supplies has quickly amassed more than 300 members who can operate 3-D printers, sewing machines and laser cutters. Recently, some members met up at Engrave My Memories in Chandler and

used Milligan’s template to assemble and sanitize 169 face shields. They were all packaged and distributed by the end of a weekend. See

ENGINEERS on page 38

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Post 619 calls attention to vets’ needs in pandemic

BY GEORGE STAHL Guest Writer

Memorial Day, red paper poppies and the Jewish War Veterans Copper State Post 619 have been synonymous for the past 25 years. The Sun Lakes JWV Poppy Program raises funds for local veterans’ organizations in the Phoenix area to offset costs for thousands of men, women and their families who served our country in all branches of the military. This year, a new crisis faces our nation in the form of the COVID-19 pandemic. That means that for Post 619, there is a new objective for the volunteers who – conditions permitting and the threat of COVID-19 is subsiding, will be posted at local Frye’s supermarkets – to receive your donations. One of the organizations JWV assists is, Veterans First. The group helps vets and their spouses, surviving spouses, veterans with compromised health, disabled veterans, and veterans struggling with families with children. In this time of COVID-19, Veterans First works to provide food for our elderly and vulnerable veterans who are in need of food. Some veterans are not capable of getting to stores or handling other essential activities during this selfisolation period. They need extra help, and the people at Veterans First and JWV Post 619 are there for them. Another local group, U.S. VetsPhoenix, also benefits from money raised by the Poppy sales. According to Michelle Jamison,

Jewish War Veterans Copper State Post 619 collected money last Christmas season to help homeless and hospitalized comrades in arms. (Special to SanTan Sun News)

executive director of U.S. VetsPhoenix, “Jewish War Veterans Post 619 has donated over $42,000 to our

organization.” In light of what has been gripping the world since December, Jamison said,

“Now, with the COVID-19 pandemic, Post 619 has come through for us again, with a sizable donation to be used to place homeless vets into motels and supply them with food. We know we can always count on the Jewish War Veterans to come to our rescue.” Bob Brooks, commander of JWV Copper State Post 619, said, “As long as the circumstance permits, we will be out in front of three of the local Frye’s Grocery Stores on Memorial Day weekend.” According to Brooks, if the group is not able do poppy sales at the stores, a contribution would be welcomed. A check made out to: Jewish War Veterans Copper State Post 619, can be mailed to them at P.O. Box 13113, Sun Lakes, AZ. 85248. For more information contact Bob Brooks at robtlinda72@gmail.com or 480-588-1827. The members at the Post invite you to attend their meetings, resuming in September on the third Sunday of the month, at Sun Lake’s Country Club. These are unprecedented and uncertain times, an overwhelming number of us are in need, and are frightened. A great number of the organizations that JWV Post 619 helps support are on the front lines and in tune with the needs of the vets they help. With your support, vets’ lives will be a little easier, and together we can overcome the odds of COVID-19. For those who served us when it was crucial, your contribution now or anytime will help support a vet through the JWV Post 619 Poppy Program, our major source of fundraising. We say thank you.

Chandler director makes COVID-19 pandemic movie BY KEVIN REAGAN Staff Writer

It’s almost lucky Mitesh Patel finished shooting his movie around Chandler in less than eight days. If the director had gone over schedule by no more than a day, then Patel and his crew would have been in violation of the stay-at-home order Gov. Doug Ducey issued on March 30 to stop the spread of COVID-19. Filmmaking was notably not on Ducey’s list of “essential” services immune to his shutdown order, so Patel knew he’d have to race against the clock in order to wrap up his production. Patel’s new film, “Anti-Coronavirus,” is a medical drama about a couple who return from a trip in Italy and unknowingly spread the COVID-19 virus to their friends and family. With scenes showing actors in hazmat suits and facemasks, the film almost appears as if Patel was mimicking footage seen on the daily news as the COVID-19 pandemic has gradually unfolded these last few months. Also the president, founder and organizer of the Chandler International Film Festival, Patel wrote the script in

Chandler director Mitesh Patel was inspired by the COVID-19 pandemic to make a movie about it and had to race through filming before social distancing measures were imposed. (Special to SanTan Sun News)

a week and quickly assembled a small crew to shoot it quickly. His productions typically take a couple months to complete, so shooting a film in a fraction of that time

posed a daunting challenge. Actors scrambled to memorize lines, shooting locations around Chandler had to be secured quickly – and no more than 10 crew members could be near each other

at one time. The film had to be shot in no more than a week, Patel explained, because See

MOVIE on page 38

NEIGHBORS

MOVIE

from page 37

they knew the government could shut everything down at any moment. “We were afraid that we might have to stop the production so we were rushing to finish it,” he said. Thankfully, the last scene was shot the day before Ducey handed down his executive order. Patel thinks the end result is an uplifting story about a subject that’s interrupted everyone’s daily lives. “It’s telling the story of what’s going on around the world, but it’s bringing something to inspire audiences,” Patel

ENGINEERS

from page 36

Marcos Garciaacosta, an engineer at Chandler’s Northrop Grumman campus, organizes the OSCMS group and keeps track of all the destinations of his members’ gear. “It’s kind of like herding cats,” he joked. Garciaacosta said they’re trying to serve other populations who continue to have daily, face-to-face contact with the public but may not be a top priority for receiving donated personal protective equipment. “There’s a huge need for PPE in the homeless shelters,” he said. “There’s a huge need for PPE in rehab clinics.” His group has been contacting Arizona’s tribal communities and is now

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | APRIL 26, 2020

said. “Anti-Coronavirus” is unlike the two previous films that Patel has directed in recent years. While his other projects have delved more into the horror genre, Patel’s latest film is more heartfelt and emotional. Today’s current events are already frightening and unpredictable, Patel said, there’s no need to make COVID-19 more horrific through film. “It’s better to give some positive message to everyone,” he said. The 70-minute film has both its lighter and darker moments with the protagonists regularly having to deal with the public backlash of bringing a contagious virus to their community.

But the characters still encounter bizarre scenarios that almost come off as comedic – like fighting toilet paper with customers inside a grocery store. One of Patel’s favorite scenes involves the family angrily confronting a nosy reporter trying to ask too many questions about their condition. The audience sees the family almost reach a breaking point at that moment, he said, and it makes for a riveting moment. The film’s cast of local actors include Keith Lopez, Tina Marie Nigro, Courtney Asher, John Carr, Harper Wasensky, and Bali Bare. Patel has been heavily immersed in the Valley’s film community since relocating from Los Angeles to Chandler

a few years ago. He helped to boost the city’s presence in the movie market by putting on the annual Chandler International Film Festival, where he gets the chance to invite unknown filmmakers to showcase their work for the local community. Though it was shot quickly and on a small budget, Patel thinks “AntiCoronavirus” will appeal to audiences looking to make sense of the chaotic pandemic. “I think we came up with something really good in just a week,” said. The film should be available to stream online by the end of April. Information: anticoronavirusmovie. com.

sending face shields to doctors working on nearby reservations. The Navajo Nation in the northwest corner of Arizona has seen its number of COVID-19 cases jump significantly in the last couple weeks. The OSCMS chapter has already sent out a few dozen face shields to the Navajo Nation, Garciaacosta added, and is actively communicating with other tribal hospitals in need of gear. Garciaacosta, a Seton Catholic Preparatory graduate, said his years of education and training as an engineer have conditioned him to seek out new solutions for a complex predicament. “If I see a problem, I know it can be fixed,” he said. It bothered Garciaacosta to repeatedly read about supply shortages and knew

there was a community of resourceful people who could help fill the gap. Engineers are always searching for optimization and innovation, he added, so they’d be great at introducing fresh ideas that could remedy this national crisis. “Our members are trying to constantly come up with a solution to make things better,” Garciaacosta said. Patrick Milligan said he’s been impressed by how members have been creatively experimenting with new materials and prototypes to find a maskmaking process that can produce large volumes in a short amount of time. “It’s like a new renaissance of designing and building this gear,” he said Though the OSCMS group has accomplished a lot in a few short weeks, its members are hopeful they won’t be

needed in the near future. The big corporations and manufacturers need to do more to fill this supply gap, Garciaacosta said, because it’s not sustainable to rely on a bunch of volunteers to laser-cut shields. The group has already experienced problems finding enough materials to keep producing, Garciaacosta said, and that may get even harder as supply chains continue to be interrupted by the global pandemic. “I honestly hope we just don’t have to keep on doing this,” he said. “We should not be depending on the PPE that we’re making. It’s just not right.” The OSCMS group is accepting monetary donations to help purchase materials through a page on GoFundMe. com.

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | APRIL 26, 2020

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Chandler, other EV artists inspired by virus pandemic BY SRIANTHI PERERA Contributor

East Valley artists are finding a somewhat brighter side of sheltering in place. With long, uninterrupted hours to be creative, many area artists are using the unexpected free time to appeal to their muses. Chandler artist Shachi Kale, whose art show in Scottsdale scheduled for April was postponed, is among them. “A lot of my current art is centering around home, oddly, a subject that was part of my show too,” she said. “So I do have art that deals with home and shelter that would have been in my show.” Kale’s watercolor on paper, “Shelter in Place,” depicts a bird’s eye view of a Valley neighborhood, a cluster of cookie cutter houses with backyards and swimming pools, where all seems calm and orderly. “But as all of us try and shelter in place, home takes on a whole new significance,” she said. “Is it a place where you feel safe? Or a place you feel stuck? So many of us having very individual experiences and responses to this crisis, but all of us sheltering in place till this dark cloud passes over and we can finally be free to soar.” In another painting titled “Aware,” she depicts from above a young woman lying on the bed with her hand on the stomach. “I find myself becoming hyper-aware of my hands, my face, my breath, my thoughts, my existence,” she said. “Yet, strangely, it has also made me hyperaware of my blessings, my home, my family, food, friends, art, nature and how critical they all are to keep the anxiety of these times in check.” Therosia Reynolds, a professional artist who resides at Mesa Artspace Lofts, an affordable housing complex in downtown Mesa, created a drive-by art show in the art gallery within the complex. The gallery is closed, but Reynolds

Above: Bright Moment, Donna Finter of Gilbert thinks of a “Bright Moment” with her watercolor of brilliant red flowers. (Photo courtesy Donna Finter) Right: Shelter in Place, Shachi Kale colors a bird’s eye view of her Chandler neighborhood in her watercolor, “Shelter in Place,” that speaks to the seclusion within the home. (Photo courtesy Shachi Kale)

has positioned the artwork high above the floor, making it possible to drive by and view her work without leaving a vehicle. Her nine inspirational pieces featuring bold, universal colors are visible from the large windows that face South Hibbert Street. Each piece has a deeper meaning that falls in line with the current situation. A 4’x3’ painting features “Our Deepest Fear,” a powerful poem by Marianne Williamson. “It’s an inspirational drive-by, that’s what I want it to be,” she said. “I’ve watched people fighting in grocery stores over toilet paper. That’s a little bit of a loss of humanity. That’s a fear mode, it’s not a faith mode…we are bigger than the current circumstance.” Paul Soderquist, a Navy veteran and retired Presbyterian minister in Mesa who paints for leisure, painted his vision of the virus, inspired by the media’s depiction of it, rather than painting his usual landscapes and nature scenes. He obtained an Let’s Party, Sharon Hess of Gilbert casts a longing to return to happier times easel, brushes and with mask and beads in her watercolor entitled “Let’s Party.” (Photo courtesy canvas and set out to Sharon Hess)

paint in his quiet backyard. “Something just stirred within me,” he said. “I sensed a need to express outwardly something of the stress and anxiety I was feeling inwardly. Painting relaxes me. Maybe painting for me is a kind of prayer. The spiritual masters write about spiritual practices of solitude and silence. I think it’s that.” Soderquist’s painting depicts the virus as seen through a microscopic slide, surrounded by a number of smaller satellites. He named the acrylic painting “Corona Chaos.” “I think it probably represents my own anxiety regarding the corona

virus and what it’s doing to everyone around the world,” he said. Members of Gilbert Visual Art League have also taken up brush and pencil to portray their emotions. Sharon Hess’s watercolor of a theater mask draped with a string of Mardi Gras beads, titled “Let’s Party,” speaks to how we associated the object in the past – more with a festive or entertainment element rather than with a security or lifesaving component. After Covid-19, our memories of masks will change forever. “The mask I wish I could wear,” Hess said. “Let’s party when this is over.” For some, the pandemic and the new normal life of seclusion led to detachment and sorrow. “Visual artists tend to work alone creating artworks. However, our ideas don’t form in a vacuum. They are influenced by the world around us,” said Donna Finter, who found it difficult to paint until a fellow artist invited her to a challenge. Now, she’s back in the groove. “Bright Moment” is a trio of red flowers giving a cheerful nod to the world at large. “I’m trying lots of subjects and painting methods. Creating gives me feelings of peace and accomplishment. I hope my artwork gives others a little lift,” Finter said. Barbara Tibbits has embarked on a series of watercolor abstract paintings. “Salmon Run” illustrates in blues, greens and gold-reds salmon swimming upstream. “What meant the most for me was a calming body of work that helped rest my mind and lower my stress level, plus, surrender to the fact that our plans for a month-long visit to Washington State was cancelled,” she said. Everyone seems to have made up their minds to make the most of the precious commodity of time. Said Soderquist, “I am going to count my blessings, which are many. I am going to take time to slow down, to breathe deeply, to appreciate, to hug my family, to pray. And I’m going to keep painting.”

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | APRIL 26, 2020

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May memorializes 2 kinds of people who sacrifice BY RABBI IRWIN WIENER, D.D. Guest Writer

In May we mark two important holidays: Mother’s Day, which allows us the opportunity to express our gratitude for the nurturing and unquestioned acceptance, and unconditional love; Memorial Day, the occasion of which enables us to pay tribute to the men and women who died in defense of our country. Mother’s Day represents a beginning. The sum total of who we are rests in our ability to recognize the beauty and faith and understanding and caring and love that started at birth and continues throughout our lives. And even when she is lost to us we know that her example and goodness will remain a part of the legacy she leaves behind. Memorial Day signifies an acknowledgment of the sacrifice put forth by men and women who were called to duty and gave that full measure of devotion so that we, the beneficiaries of their sacrifice, may live. We set aside time to reflect. And silently and sadly we wonder how they would have lived their lives. What contributions would they have made to themselves, their loved ones, their country and the world. Mothers wipe our brow, cuddle with us when we are hurting, read to us, play with us and steer us on a path

to independence. They laugh when we laugh and cry when we hurt. They celebrate our joys and accomplishments and never forget to mention our deeds to anyone who will listen. And yes, they search through their purses to flash pictures of yesterday and today. There is nothing like the love of a mother. The people who died and are remembered at Memorial Day services in every corner of our great land will not have their tears wiped by their mothers. Their sorrow is felt, not only by a grateful nation, but also by God who received them much too early. God is

now easing their pain and will continue to kiss their brow as He always caresses each soul. Mother’s Day should teach us that life is about hope; it is about shaping a blessing from a single touch; it is about caring and trust; it is about making our moments last. Motherhood signifies the extension of God’s creation through tenderness. Memorial Day should teach us that hate destroys, but building a community of human concern and dignity dedicated to the enhancement of life’s enjoyments will eventually eliminate despair. This holiday should encourage us to create a more vibrant society of people

dedicated to living and not sacrifices – the needless sacrifices of human suffering. There is a story of a holy man who meets the prophet Elijah in a crowded marketplace. “Master,” asked the holy man, “who among all who are present is most likely of eternal life?” Elijah, answering, pointed toward two men of unpretentious manner. The holy man was struck that these commonlooking souls could be so special. “What,” he asked, upon confronting these two, “make you worth special merit?” “We are not,” the men answered, “unless you want to take into consideration that whenever people are having trouble we try to comfort them, and when people quarrel we make them friends again.” Is this not the mission of the soldier? Each man and woman who fights for the rights of others is deserving of that special attention, that special reward from God because they bring peace and comfort and oneness to the human experience. May the commemoration of these two holidays find us closer to each other by all the words and deeds that will make our lives and those of the generations that follow more meaningful. And may their sacrifices not be in vain but rather help us as we journey to the ultimate destination of reaching our purpose for being. Rabbi Irwin Wiener is spiritual leader of the Sun Lakes Jewish Congregation.

Sun Lakes United Methodist Psalm author’s words ring true even in pandemic Church offers counseling BY DEB RALSTON, LPC Guest Writer

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Beginning in 1949 in the United States by a group now known as NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness). During my career as a mental health counselor I have encouraged people of all ages to learn and practice healthy coping strategies. These behaviors are known to help alleviate difficult symptoms of anxiety, depression, and other life events. Recent public health concerns have increased the need to find ways to cope with the ongoing related stressors as well as the aftermath. In his book “Real Happiness: Proven Paths for Real Happiness: Proven Paths for Contentment, Peace and Well Being,” Dr. Jonah Paquette states “The cultivation of gratitude has been shown to be one of the most effective and reliable ways to change our lives in meaningful and lasting ways.” One very simple way to do so is to keep a daily “Gratitude Journal.” This is

The cultivation of gratitude “ has been shown to be one of the most effective and reliable ways to change our lives in meaningful and lasting ways.

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a daily list of 5-10 reasons (or more) for which you feel thankful. This list will be different each day and may vary in intensity of feeling. Examples may be: “I am grateful to talk with family members” or “I appreciate that my son has a job.” Expressing these in writing strengthens them in our mind and over time, can increase our happiness level! It is important for all of us to continue to take care of our own health including our emotional well-being. Sun Lakes Counseling Services offers confidential counseling on a sliding fee scale. To speak to a counselor call: 4800895-8766 or NAMI at 800-950-NAMI or online at info@nami.org.

BY MARVIN ARNPRIESTER Guest Writer

In Psalm 30:11-12 the author exclaims “You have turned my mourning into dancing; you have taken off my sackcloth and clothed

me with joy….” I’ve been reflecting on the fact that some people I have known through the years seem to be clothed in: …self-pity and despair, or …anger and depression, or …guilt and shame, or

…fun and games, or …goodness and mercy, or …clam and quietness, or …a sense of peace and assurance, Sometimes there may be a combination, while other times something happens which changes what a person seems to be clothed in at the moment. I am thankful for a God who can clothe me with joy, even in the face of difficulty and fear, when life doesn’t go the way I want it to go. I want my life to be filled with dancing and clothed with joy. Rev, Marvin Arnpriester is senior pastor at Sun Lakes United Methodist Church

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