Gilbert Sun News 07/30/2023

$2M claim leads garbage truck mishap complaints

Ryan Cook was stopped at a tra c light on Elliot Road near Silverado Street when a Gilbert garbage truck rear-ended his Ford pickup, slamming him into the vehicle in front.

e Gilbert man was taken to Banner Desert Medical Center, where he was treated for injuries, including a broken nose, facial fractures, a broken left wrist and head and back trauma.

“His truck was literally an accordion,” said litigation paralegal Brianna Duey for the Kelly Law Team. “ e only reason he didn’t die is he was driving a pickup truck.

e bed of his pickup truck took the hit. It was totally crushed in.”

e Phoenix law rm in April led a $2 million notice of claim against the Town of Gilbert, which spokeswoman Jennifer Harrison said “remains open and under review.”

“We will not be providing any additional information at this time,” Harrison said.

According to state statute, however, because the town passed the 60-day window without taking action, the claim is legally deemed denied, according to Duey, who drafted the claim.

She said the Town has made no attempt to reach out and that her plan is to le a civil suit against Gilbert in the next three months.

Cook’s claim put the full blame of the accident squarely on the Town’s shoulders for hiring a driver who had a “negligent driving history.”

“He has several infractions,” said Duey. She said John Navarro Olivan’s three trafc infractions involved the use of his personal vehicle and because the information was not available to the public, she was prohibited from disclosing additional details.

A search of the Maricopa County Superior Court system found a case where a woman sued the Town of Gilbert and Olivan in

Woman claims 2 on council ‘bullied’ her

Maureen Hoppe doesn’t want to see any more apartments go up in Gilbert.

e longtime resident helped put Town Council members Jim Torgeson and Bobbi Buchli on the dais because both advocated limiting multifamily housing in town during last year’s election. She worked on Torgeson’s campaign and put up yard signs and distributed palm cards for Buchli.

But in April, Hoppe soured on

Torgeson and Buchli when the 612-unit District at Cooley Station apartments won council approval. A month later, she went after them for supporting pay raises for elected o cials.

Now, Hoppe has led ethics violation complaints against them.

Hoppe declined an interview but in an email last week told the Gilbert Sun News: ““I’m thankful that my ethics complaint against Councilmembers Buchli and Torgeson was found to have merit and that an independent investi-

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HOA les claim against town over apartment plan

The 307-home Vintage Ranch Homeowners Association says it was deprived of its ability to weigh in on a 352-unit apartment that Gilbert Town Council eventually approved.

The association has filed a claim alleging the town failed to ensure that the project applicant adequately notified Vintage Ranch of the Stillwater Rivulon apartments planned for 10.31 acres near the southwest corner of Lindsay and Pecos roads.

The association claimed it didn’t become aware of the development until late March 2023 and wants a meeting with town officials.

Attorney Josh Bolen, representing the HOA, said his clients seek a “productive discussion,” but added:

“Should the town continue to ignore the rights of the association and its members, the association will have no choice but to seek relief from the courts,” Bolen said.

Town spokeswoman Jennifer Harrison said last week that the June 8 notice of claim is under review.

She said that under the Town Code, the project’s applicant is responsible for notifying all homeowners associations or property owners associations within 1,000 feet of the property.

“The town received the applicant’s affidavit for their notifications as part of the Town Code requirements,” she said. She did not answer the question if the town will meet with the association as requested.

Nationwide Realty Investors issued a statement early this year that said: “The applicant complied with the Town of Gilbert’s public hearing requirements, notice mailings and site postings.”

Bolen did not respond to questions but he noted in the claim that “in the association’s absence, the Planning Commission has approved several variances for the project that will harm the association, including permitting an additional fifth floor for the

apartments and diminishing the green space within the development.”

“These changes will increase an influx of traffic that directly impacts the association, as well as driving residents of the new apartments to use green spaces and parks maintained by and for the association and its members,” he said.

Bolen said the association was not notified about a March 28, 2022, virtual neighborhood meeting on the project.

According to staff, no one from the public attended.

“Notice of the early neighborhood meetings was grossly insufficient,” Bolen said.

“Proof of such notice is required to be submitted and reviewed by the Town as part of the pre-application process, pursuant to the code,” he said.

Bolen said notice of public hearings for the project was also insufficient.

“Public records indicate that the notices given to Vintage Ranch during all phases of development were sent to an address in Scottsdale,” he said.

He said it wasn’t until March 2023 that the applicant began sending notices to the association’s correct address in Phoenix.

“This address is on record and easily accessible to the public via the Arizona Corporation Commission or a simple Google search for the association,” Bolen said.

While he acknowledged that the

town’s code doesn’t expressly require notice to be sent to any particular address, he said that “generally recognized legal principles pertaining to notice – as well as common sense – require that notice is reasonably calculated to inform interested parties and give them an opportunity to respond.”

Bolen faulted the applicant – a landuse law firm – and the town’s principal planner and planning manager for not doing a basic web search in the first place to find the association’s right mailing address.

Gilbert requires applicants to notified property owners within 300 feet of the site and HOAs within 1,000 feet.

For public hearings, the applicant must submit to the town a signed affidavit with copies of the mailing addresses before the hearing. An affidavit of neighborhood notice dated Sept. 22, 2022, was submitted.

Bolen maintained that the town has “produced no public records indicating that the association received notice for either the required neighborhood meeting or subsequent public hearings prior to March 20, 2023.”

Harrison said the town has since provided the requested documents.

“Despite the applicant’s failure to provide adequate neighborhood notice regarding the development, the town has approved general plan

gator has been assigned.”

e claim was referred to retired Judge Ken Fields.

In her claim, Hoppe alleged that Torgeson and Buchli violated a number of provisions in the Town’s ethics code, including fairness and respect, loyalty, personal interests and interference with duty to disclose violations.

“I have experienced a signi cant amount of harassment for speaking out against the wrongdoings I have witnessed,” Hoppe wrote. “I have been lied to, bullied, inappropriately contacted, and have endured numerous attempts to coerce and intimidate me into being silent.”

She blamed Torgeson and Buchli for “irreparable damage” to her reputation.

She added that her personal information was “illegally shared” and that she feared reprisal and increased harassment for moving forward with her complaint.

Hoppe backed up her claims mostly with screen grabs of postings on the LD 14 PC Center Facebook page, a private group for members.

She said she’s since been removed without explanation from the Facebook group, which a ected her ability to serve as an elected precinct committeewoman for LD

14 Republicans.

In April, Hoppe posted a news story about the council’s 6-0-1vote on District at Cooley Station.

“ anks to all of them,” commented Hoppe, who went by the pseudonym “Gertrudis Berta.”

“ anks to Buchli, and (Councilman Chuck) Bongiovanni. Toregeson didn’t vote. 6-0 vote is to blame ALL of them!”

And she directed a post to Buchli: “Why do you keep voting for apartments when your campaign was all about NO MORE APARTMENTS? Seems like a disconnect from your campaign message to your voting history.”

Buchli, who’s on record as opposing higher density high-rise apartment complexes but is open to less dense multifamily housing in the future, said District at Cooley’s four-story building is proposed for the right location.

Torgeson, who opposes changing the Town’s General Plan to accommodate apartment builders, abstained that night from voting, saying he was trying to make a point.

A month later, four council members and the mayor commented that they were opened to higher pay for elected o cials after a resident at a public meeting said they were not compensated enough for

the job.

at’s when things escalated for Hoppe.

“From a scally conservative stance, you believe that voting yourself a 120% raise ve months into your elected positions, you deserve a raise?” Hoppe posted on Facebook. “Even after voting against your campaign stance of no apartments?

In another post, she said the “newly elected conservatives are pushing for over double their current compensation package.”

And in another, Hoppe wrote, “Mean no disrespect. But …when you decided to run for public o ce you knew what the pay was and what the responsibilities entailed.

“So now what? You give yourself a raise? I read what two of the scally conservative new town council members have to say… Just wowza!”

e council has not broached the idea of increasing pay publicly. e May news story in question asked council members if they agreed with the resident’s statement and nowhere in the story is there a proposal to increase pay by 120%.

Buchli did, however, suggest raising the mayor’s yearly salary to $79,900 from $43,631 and council members’ annual pay to $49,900 from $21,012 to be in line with peer communities. e responding council members explained that the increased compensation would widen the pool of candidates to serve.

After Hoppe’s comments, Buchli posted that the current council could not give itself pay increases but if a vote were taken to raise the salary, it would be for a future body.

Torgeson also weighed in, saying that the current sitting council members would not bene t from an increase, only the new

Mayor accuses councilman of ethics violation

Mayor Brigette Peterson has turned the tables on one of her arch detractors – Councilman Jim Torgeson.

Peterson has led an ethics violation complaint against Torgeson, alleging that he’s created and spread a “false narrative and disparaging comment” about her.

e basis for the complaint stems from a voicemail of a private conversation between Torgeson and resident Maureen Hoppe, who also has led an ethics violation against Torgeson and Councilwoman Bobbi Buchli.

Hoppe submitted the recorded message in her claim.

In the May 2, 2023 message, Torgeson is heard calling Peterson “s****y” and saying

“she’s that bad a human being.”

Peterson said Torgeson’s belittling comments violated provisions of the town ethics policy, including fairness and respect and loyalty.

Peterson did not respond to a request for comment.

According to the town last week, the mayor’s complaint was still in review and has not been assigned to any outside counsel/investigator yet.

Torgeson called the complaint a retaliatory move by the mayor because of the led three ethics complaints he led against Peterson and because he publicly skewered her leadership before he won his council seat last year.

Since taking o ce in January, he’s toned down his public criticism of her.

Peterson had nine ethics violations led against her since January 2021 when she

was sworn in as mayor. She was cleared of wrongdoing but in April 2022 the state attorney general found that Peterson violated the state’s Opening Meeting law.

Torgeson said that Peterson’s complaint is a typical pattern in her behavior – going after political enemies.

In May, three residents led suit in federal court against Peterson and the town alleging their freedom of speech was violated. ey claimed that Peterson in a retaliatory move against those critical of her, ordered police to remove them for silently holding signs at the back of council chambers.

One of the residents went a step further and sued Peterson in state court, claiming that she made “false statements” that painted him “as a confrontational, disruptive bully who is not capable of controlling his emotions or temper.”

Torgeson, in a statement, called the complaint a “waste of tax dollars.”

“In regards to the voicemail that the mayor decided needed an ethics complaint, it is obviously political theater without regard to the cost to the Town,” said Torgeson, who labeled Peterson “hot-headed and immature.”

Although the voicemail was a private conversation, he said he “absolutely” stood behind it, saying “the mayor earned the expletive from me.”

“ e mayor’s willingness to abuse her position of power to retaliate against those with a viewpoint with which she disagrees has now grown to include elected o cials such as myself,” he said.

“ e mayor feels empowered to use her position to weaponize the government against the people and their duly elected representatives.”

Nonpro t hits ‘extreme need’ for food in region

ANew Leaf is facing an unprecedented demand from the community for food, saying it is in “extreme need” of nonperishable food items

“We’ve seen an irregular increase of families in need this historically hot summer,” said Benjamin Adelberg, a spokesman for the Mesa-based nonpro t. He added it expects to outpace the 222,367 meals it served needy people last year.

A New Leaf provides a wide range of services to domestic violence victims, homeless people and many other families and individuals through over 40 programs across the Valley,

e 50-year-old agency estimates it directly helps over 30,000 people of all ages a year.

A New Leaf said its daily ability to feed families in “desperate need” depends on help from the community.

“ e huge de cits of shelf-stable food are Valley-wide – from our shelters in Apache Junction to the newly opened shelter for families in Surprise,” Adelberg said. “ e same is for A New Leaf’s domestic violence shelters that help people escape abuse.”

A New Leaf’s donation center typically has 300 boxes of ramen at any given time, but now has only eight individual packets left.

“ e hundreds of canned vegetables are now just a few that will be given to select families and the same is for oatmeal and other foods,” Adeleberg added, noting, “ e unprecedented shortage of shelf stable foods has put families in a precarious situation who may go back to

not knowing when the next time they eat will be.”

Adelberg said the spike in need “is caused by an increase in more people and families seeking shelter, needing to be o the street to escape the signi cant levels of heat.

“Many shelters have been serving at capacity and an over ow of families and adults have been placed into hotels,” he said. “ is caused a spike in the need for food that can be easily made for families who may have access to only a single microwave for food preparation.”

Summer typically sees a drop in donations because many residents leave, he added, “but this year the need in the community is far outstripping the supply.”

In e ect, A New Leaf is serving hundreds of individuals who have nowhere else to turn.

“Every contribution, big or small, can go a long way in providing urgently needed food to families facing homelessness,” Adelberg added, saying food and water can be donated at its Mesa center while nancial contibutions can be made online.

e donation center, 2245 W. Ella St., Building A, Mesa, is open 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday- ursday and 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Fridays. Information: 480-464-4648 and turnanewleaf.org/get-involved/donate-items.

With 7,419 people experiencing homelessness in Maricopa County last year, A New Leaf provided 77,750 nights of shelter for those in need last year and served 2,344 domestic violence victims – women and children – at its La Mesita family shelter.

ETHICS from page 6

members who take o ce in January 2025.

Hoppe, who did research with the town, told them that they were wrong.

If council were to vote on an increase, it would go into e ect the next election cycle and all members would then receive the raise, according to the town.

Buchli in a follow-up post agreed that Hoppe was correct.

Hoppe also called out Torgeson and Buchli for putting out “untruths” and to hold them accountable.

“ ey, in fact, would be voting themselves a raise,” Hoppe said. “ is should be raising alarms with everyone. Putting out misinformation is UNETHICAL!”

Hoppe in her posts also accused Buchli of violating the First Amendment for blocking her on her personal Facebook page.

In four emails to Buchli, Hoppe demanded the councilwoman unblock her. Hoppe also said Buchli used her personal page to communicate town business.

“To date, Ms. Buchli has not replied to my emails nor apologized for her illegal activity,” Hoppe said in her claim.

Hoppe also took digs at Buchli on Facebook: “Doesn’t seem like you are interested in serving the people of Gilbert. us far, your e orts have served developers, your cronies and yourselves!”

She also corrected Buchli on a post that was not included in the 185-page claim.

“I had to correct you because you did not even have your facts right,” Hoppe said. “Just like you didn’t know that trains, ie commuter rail, use a push pull method.”

And she referenced Buchli in another post as “the other councilmember just does not understand most issues on the agenda.”

She also accused Buchli of having an “emotional outburst” on the dais, calling it “an embarrassment to the professional positions you all hold.”

A Facebook member questioned Hoppe’s posts regarding Torgeson and Buchli.

“I have no problem with someone calling attention to things that we need to know about or be concerned about,” the woman said. “I have no problems with discussion issues and sharing opinions but it doesn’t have to be such an ugly tone.”

NothingBundtCakes.com NothingBundtCakes.com

She also questioned why Hoppe used a fake name on a private group. According to Hoppe, she is a single woman and for personal safety sometimes on social media uses the aliases “Gertrudis Berta” and “Dynamo Hopski.”

Andrew Adams, chairman of the Legislative District 14 Republicans, also criticized Hoppe for her posts. He sarcastically thanked her for “continuing to tear down the people that are actually doing something in this district while being a ghost.”

Hoppe responded that she was no ghost and that she shows up at council meetings.

She questioned why there wasn’t a push for single-family homes and condos because apartments “bring in transient voters who don’t care about our community.”

Adams replied that if Hoppe’s involvement in the district “consisted of anything more than trying to harass and bring people down,” she would know that they were working on it.

Hoppe in her claim said she provided both Torgeson and Buchli with the correct information about the pay raises but neither have “corrected the misinformation that they had put online, which would have helped restore my credibility and reputation.”

She also said that in May she received a phone call from George Dottl, who left a

message for her to call him back because he wanted to talk to her about Gilbert politics.

“I have never met, nor have I ever talked to Mr. Dottle,” she said.

She said she later learned that Dottle had talked to Torgeson and Buchli before calling her.

“My con dential personal information may have been shared for the purpose of intimidating me,” she said.

Dottle is an octogenarian who frequently attends the council’s meetings and regularly donates to council candidates’ campaigns directly and through ads supporting them.

“When I recused myself from Cooley Station she went ballistic on social media about me – ‘I’m a liar, I didn’t vote,’” said Torgeson, who also released a public statement about Hoppe’s complaints against him and Buchli.

In his statement, Torgeson said there is no evidence regarding bullying or harassment and that because of Hoppe’s “continued tirades on social media” he’s gone silent.

“Sadly, the complainant has been a value and recognized volunteer on my campaign but has since become antagonists and demeaning, especially towards Ms. Buchli, Torgeson said.

Young voters the most engaged in state, study nds

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Arizona’s young voters, ages 18 to 29, may have been the state’s most engaged youth electorate group ever, driven in 2022 by concerns about cost of living and reproductive rights.

at was the nding of a study by the McCain Institute, which found that Generation Z and younger millennial voters surpassed expectations and previous voting records in the state’s midterm elections last year.

e level of involvement held true for young voters regardless of party, the report’s authors said at a panel discussion last week.

John Della Volpe, the director of polling

at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Institute of Politics who assisted the McCain Institute in its research, called the results and attitudes of younger Arizona voters encouraging.

“What we captured in this last survey was, I would argue, a very engaged, if not the most engaged, youth electorate, in many, many years, certainly, in many, many generations,” Della Volpe said.

e study found that 51% of those voters spent time researching a candidate or issue before casting a ballot and that they tend to be more politically active online than in person: 36% have shared or posted political content on social media where 24% have attended a political event.

amendments, rezoning, and even preliminary site development,” Bolen said.

He acknowledged that the association was unlikely able to stop the development “despite the clear violation of its rights.”

Although the public did not attend the virtual presentation, some nearby residents did speak out against the project later during the in-person meetings.

In October 2022, despite the Planning Commission continuing the Stillwater Rivulon project to November, residents spoke and raised concerns about the project’s impact on schools, traffic and quality of life.

They said that there were already too many apartments in the area and that it was not the right fit for the mixedused 280-acre Rivulon development, home to Fortune 500 companies such as Deloitte and Morgan Stanley and restaurants.

A commissioner did question staff

about the notification process after a disproportionate number of people claimed that they were not notified about the proposed project.

The town planner on the project explained that a limited number of people were notified because “this area is quite a distance from those other communities” and that the requirement was met.

The following month, despite residents yet again in opposition, the commissioners voted 5-1 to recommend the council approve the minor General Plan amendment and rezone. Planning staff and the Gilbert Chamber of Commerce also supported the proposed project.

Council signed off on the project Nov. 15, converting the land from business park use to multifamily-high.

Stillwater Rivulon is planned to be five stories tall with 28 studios, 228 one-bedroom units, 82 two-bedroom units and 14 three-bedroom units. Amenities will include a pool, open courtyard, co-working space and an indoor fitness area.

2019. Her personal injury case was dismissed in 2021 with prejudice.

Duey said the Queen Creek man was hired by the Town in 2014 and as far as she knew, Olivan was still employed there.

“ e Town of Gilbert, as the owner of the garbage truck and employer of the driver, is required to provide adequate sta ng, training, and safety procedures to ensure proper vehicle driver safety,” attorney Jennifer Tinoco said in the claim.

collapse a sedan, which is what most people are driving.”

Although Cook was wearing a seat belt, he sustained severe bodily injuries.

“He had to get reconstructive plastic surgery due to the injury to his face,” Duey said. “He’s still in treatment and recovery.

“He has been out of work (due to) several medical injuries as the result of this incident that happened less than a year ago.”

Cook’s medical bills so far totaled $51,126, and was climbing, according to Duey.

“ e Town of Gilbert has proper information, or the capability to gather it, regarding the negligent driving history of the driver, John Navarro Olivan, prior to employment and during.

“ e Town of Gilbert therefore had notice of the unreasonably dangerous driving records of such employee because either the employee created the dangerous condition; the Town or its employees actually knew of the dangerous condition or this dangerous condition existed long enough that the Town in the exercise of reasonable care, should have known about it.”

Duey faulted Gilbert for not properly “looking into the driving history of who they are hiring before putting them behind the wheel of a vehicle that could kill somebody – that’s heavy enough to

Cook was continuing to receive medical care and was likely to have a permanent injury, impairments, and will need future care, according to Tinoco.

Colliding with other vehicles on the streets of Gilbert aren’t the only accidents these garbage trucks cause.

e average weight of a loaded garbage truck is 25 tons.

e most recent batch of claims led against the Town show a number of people asking for damages caused by the Town’s trucks.

For instance, one claim asked for $8,649 after a garbage truck hit a parked car while another demanded $3,185 af-

GARBAGE from page 10

ter a bulk trash truck hit a residential wall.

And one claim wanted $1,225 to repair a hole in a casita caused by a garbage truck arm attempting to pick up a trash can.

“Each incident is unique and the safety of those involved is the primary concern,” Harrison said.

She said that when an accident occurs, the driver immediately noti es the supervisor who documents it and provides the resident with information on how to submit a claim.

“Operator incidents go through a peer review process for recommendations for changes to routing, policy or standard operating procedures, driver training or equipment,” she said.

She added that the average tenure of a town solid waste operator is seven years, not including previous solid waste experience.

According to a posting for a solid waste operator on the town’s website, quali cations include a high school di-

ploma or GED, a commercial driver’s license or CDL and a year of experience in heavy-equipment operation, or manual labor.

e posting notes that a motor vehicle report will be run as part of the pre-employment process.

According to the town, Gilbert paid out $197,670 to settle accidents caused by its trash trucks in Fiscal Year 202223. And 41 claims were led that year with 31 settled and six remaining open in the current scal year.

e Town in Fiscal Year 2021-22 received 39 trash truck claims and settled 31 at the cost of $100,005.

Harrison said Gilbert has 56 collection trucks and 65 solid waste operators providing residential services, including trash, recycling, and bulk trash collection as well as commercial collections services.

“Solid waste and recycling trucks are on the road six days a week to provide service to the Town’s 83,000 homes and commercial customers,” she said. “In 2022, solid waste trucks serviced more than 6.9 million trash and recycling

containers.”

Garbage truck mishaps are not uncommon as attested to by the number of attorneys who specialize in these types of accidents.

In the United States, there were 80 fatal crashes involving refuse trucks, 1,200 injury crashes and 1,992 towaway crashes – where at least one vehicle was disabled as a result of the crash and towed – in 2020, according to the latest data available by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

Besides the trucks’ bulky size and large blind spots, experts say the ongoing shortage of workers with a CDL means overworked or unquali ed drivers, which contribute to accidents.

By 2026, the solid waste collection industry will have 14,200 new jobs for collection drivers and riders, according to the National Waste and Recycling Association.

“A tightening labor market with more job openings than potential quali ed employees will only exacerbate the situation as demand for these positions grows,” the trade association stated.

YOUTH from page 8

Researchers are calling it an “era of activism.”

“ ey voted at roughly twice the level of their older or millennial brothers and sisters and their Gen X parents, and their baby boomer and Silent Generation grandparents,” Della Volpe said.

e study consisted of more than 1,500 interviews conducted in late November in English or Spanish.

It found that friends and family often motivated people to vote. Of those who said they did not vote in the midterms, 36% wished they had.

Poor candidate choices, lack of available information and intimidation at the polls were among the reasons young adults in Arizona did not vote, the study said.

Registered Republicans were reportedly driven to the polls because of in ation, while Democrats were motivated by women’s reproductive rights, the study found.

But cost of living was the biggest concern for younger Arizona voters, regardless of

see YOUTH page 15

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Downtown building sailing toward approval

Amixed-use building with restaurants, o ces and a rooftop patio and bar proposed for the Heritage District is likely to get a stamp of approval when it returns to the Redevelopment Commission this fall.

e Brundrett project is planned on vacant land between Norwood Furniture and the Farmhouse Restaurant on Gilbert Road in the downtown.

“I like the building,” Vice Chairman Casey Kendel said at the commission’s July 19 study session on the project’s design review. “I think it ts well. I think it matches other buildings in the area.”

e proposed four-story, 28,831-square-foot building would reserve the rst oor for a full-service restaurant, bar or cafe, the second and third oors for o ces and the fourth oor for the rooftop patio with a portion of the roof enclosed to protect against inclement weather, according to planner Kristen Devine.

e rear will include a patio area surrounded by a screen wall at the ground oor, which would be used as an outdoor seating area. e ground oor also would include an external pedestrian connection on the south side of the property that would connect patrons from Gilbert Road to the alley at the rear of the site towards Water Tower Plaza.

Kendel asked if there were plans to safeguard the adobe building housing the Farmhouse Restaurant.

“How is it going to be secured in the sense of, it won’t fall down?” Kendel said.

Nathan Moyers of Circle West Architects said the proposed Brundrett Building would be set o the property line to allow a bit more clearance from the footings underneath the adobe building.

“Also, when we go further in the design process and working more with our consultants, especially our structural engineers, there’s di erent footings that we can employ,” he said.

“We’re very mindful of our neighbor’s building and obviously we don’t want

anything to happen to it from lots of di erent standpoints.”

Commissioner Cassandra Updike said she agreed with sta that the Indian Laurel trees proposed for the rooftop would be too tall as they can grow 50 feet to 60 feet. building is 55 feet tall.

“With the 50- to 60-foot tree height at the roof that is quite a drastic scale from the adjacent building,” Updike said.

Property owner Todd Brundrett accepted that the Indian Laurel was too tall and said the project was leaning toward olive trees instead.

He said the trees would be planted in boxes, which would restrict the roots and limit their heights. Additionally, the trees would be regularly pruned, capping the height.

“We’re mindful of the height and the concern with the heights of the trees,” he said. “It’s something that we’re working with our landscape architect and he’s aware of.

“We’re not going to have a humongous tree on top of our building. Just structurally it would not work.”

Commission Adam Baugh said, “I love the way the balcony overhangs create shade opportunities on both sides of the building and create activity within the ground-level uses.”

He said if the applicant moved forward with olive trees, then the landscaping plan for the project needed to be redone because currently it’s not included.

He also questioned why the applicant went with tree options that were not on the recommended plant palette for the Heritage Village.

“I’m just curious is it because ou want to create a larger shade canopy on the roof?” Baugh said. “If there’s a good enough reason I could totally be agreeable to a di erent type of tree planting.”

Moyers responded that most of the proposed landscaping should t within district’s new guidelines and that the

rooftop tree palette before the commission was just one of several options. Baugh said it was di cult for him to comment further on the trees not knowing exactly what is being proposed.

“We wanted something that would provide enough shade up there because it is going to get hot especially now this time of year,” Moyer said. “So we were looking for trees that had a wide enough shading capacity and so that’s why we presented this.”

He reiterated that his team was mindful of the tree height.

“We don’t want anything to happen as far as these blowing over,” Moyer said. “We’re very mindful in working with the landscape architect to restrict those heights. ey are not going to be overwhelming.”

He said an example of rooftops with trees is the residential projects by developer Optima.

Chairman TJ Claassen said he agreed with Baugh and Updike.

“I think it can be done in a really attractive and well executed way,” Claassen said. “I think it would be outstanding to have shade cover, natural shade cover on the roof.

“I would encourage the landscape architect just to look at the approved trees that are allowed in the Heritage District. It would just make the process easier.”

Claassen said if an approved tree doesn’t provide the shade the applicant

is hoping for, it could be remedied by adding more box trees on the rooftop.

“Maybe it’s not one tree but maybe it is two trees that grow not as high but combined can produce similar shade,” he said.

Kendal asked for an anticipated start date, noting projects in the vicinity such as the Water Tower renovation project directly behind the site and the Heritage North project.

“It’s going to be pretty busy in a very small amount of space,” he said.

Moyer explained that the project was in the very early stages and has been sent out for bids from general contractors.

“ e start of construction would be early next year,” he said, adding that the construction would take between 10 and 15 months.

Devine later said that she expected the project’s design to return to the commission for formal action in September, possibly October.

Unlike in 2021 when the proposal rst came before the town, the project this time does not need the approval from the planning commission or council because it stayed within the Heritage District’s 55-foot height limit.

e original proposal called for a 68-foot-tall building, which was rejected by the planning commission, prompting the applicant to withdraw the proposal and rework the project.

Lawmakers dispute judge on transgender ruling

The state’s top Republican lawmakers contend that it is a medical condition and not a discriminatory state law that entitles Arizona to bar transgender girls from participating in girls sports.

In a new court ling, the attorney for Senate President Warren Petersen of Gilbert and House Speaker Ben Toma of Peoria told Judge Jennifer Zipps she got it wrong in concluding that “biological boys’’ who have not reached puberty have no inherent advantage over girls of the same age.

“As virtually any elementary-school sports coach can attest, there is a competitive advantage for boys over girls before puberty, and there is not a scintilla of evidence that puberty blockers and hormone therapy eliminate this advantage,’’ wrote Justin Smith.

Zipps, in her ruling July 20, said that’s not what the evidence shows.

But Smith, in asking her to delay her order and allow the state to enforce its 2022 law that bars transgender girls from competing with and against girls has a new argument. He said the statute is not a matter of illegal discrimination.

“ eir exclusion from girls’ teams is due to a medical condition, not the states’ sexbased separation of sports team,’’ he said.

Zipp noted that the lawyers for the transgender girls contended that their clients have “gender dysphoria.’’

While Petersen and Toma appeal Zipps’ ruling, Higley Uni ed Governing Board member Anna Van Hoek and two other mothers are awaiting her ruling on whether they can join them as defendants in the suit.

at is generally de ned as an individual’s sense of mismatch between biological sex -- the sex assigned at birth -- and gender identity. And the judge said denying transgender girls the opportunity to participate in sports with other girls can be harmful, citing high rates of suicide in the transgender community.

Van Hoek and the two other women, one from Maricopa and the other from Yuma, contend their daughters have been bullied

in the past by transgender girls and that they fear further harassment.

Smith said the diagnosis cannot become the basis to allow those born male to participate in girls’ sports.

“It is not uncommon for biological males to have medical conditions that prevent them from participating on male sports teams,’’ he said. “And those males su er the same injury of being unable to participate in sports.’’

Zipps’ ruling enforcement of the 2022 law against the two transgender girls is not a nal order. And it permits the state to seek a full-blown trial on the issue.

But Smith said it’s not fair to allow the two transgender girls to participate in the meantime.

e 2022 law that says public schools and any private schools that compete against them must designate their interscholastic and intramural sports strictly as male, female or coed.

More to the point, it spells out that teams designated for women or girls “may not be open to students of the male sex.’’ And the statute says that is de ned as the “biological sex’’ of the participant.

In ling suit, the National Center for Lesbian Rights and other attorneys did not seek to overturn the 2022 law entirely and entitle all transgender girls to participate on girls’ teams.

Instead they argued that each bid by a transgender girl should be considered individually. And in this case, they say that because neither girl is experiencing puberty – one is too young and the other is on puberty blockers – they should be allowed to play with and against other girls.

Zipps agreed and cited the policy of the Arizona Interscholastic Association, which has approved a handful of such requests.

In her ruling, the judge also cited the social, emotional and physical bene ts from participation in sports. Smith, in his bid to delay the order, said that doesn’t just work one way.

“Needless to say, these same bene ts of participating in competitive sports ...

see TRANS page 15

Legislature, Hobbs in last-ditch transit tax talks

Republicans in the Arizona Legislature are working to strike a nal deal with Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs and leaders of cities, counties and tribes over an extension of a transportation tax that has funded massive expansions of the region’s freeway and roads system, bus routes and the light rail over nearly four decades.

Failure to get a plan out of the Legislature that the governor will sign – and can win support from voters in Maricopa County next year to extend the half-cent sales tax for another 20 years – would affect all of Arizona.

at’s because the regional planning agency called the Maricopa Association of Governments funds its own projects outside the state General Fund using the sales tax proceeds, which will average about $1 billion a year over the coming 20 years. If the tax goes away, transportation

projects in the other 14 counties would suddenly be competing for limited state transportation dollars with a county that is home to nearly two-thirds of Arizonans.

e lack of an agreement remains the sole major issue for the Legislature to address in this year’s highly unusual session, which has seen multiple prolonged breaks, including one that will have stretched nearly seven weeks when lawmakers return tomorrow, July 31.

Hobbs vetoed the Legislature’s extension plan in June, siding with MAG, whose plan was eviscerated by GOP lawmakers.

Republican House Speaker Ben Toma told Capitol Media Services that the plan is to adjourn for the year the day the Legislature returns on Monday, with a potential deal on extending Proposition 400 and what he called some “administrative types of things’’ all that remains to be accomplished.

He and Senate President Warren Petersen, R-Gilbert, both said there’s been progress on settling the Proposition 400

extension but stopped short of proclaiming a breakthrough.

Toma’s said MAG has to come back with an acceptable response for a deal to happen.

“Unfortunately, I can’t tell you if we’re going to have the deal or not yet, at this point,’’ Toma said two weeks ago. “My understanding is they’re waiting for input from some of their people before they before they respond to us.’’

New House rules adopted in January by majority Republicans say the speaker must sign o on all legislation before it goes to a vote.

Hobbs spokesman Christian Slater declined to comment on the status of negotiations. Requests for comment from new MAG chair and Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego were not immediately answered.

Gallego, who took over as MAG chair this month, said in a news release after being elected as the group’s leader that extending Proposition 400 was a top priority.

“ e regional strategic transportation infrastructure investment plan is critical to propelling our region forward and to our continued prosperity,’’ Gallego’s statement said.

Toma said nalizing a deal is in the hands of MAG.

“I’ve made it pretty clear to them what it’s going to take,’’ Toma said. “So it’s a question of whether or not they want to take that seriously and if they want the deal for them or not.’’

Hobbs took the lead in negotiations for the sales tax extension in late May.

Rather than adjourn for the year, GOP leaders kept lawmakers in session after the budget was enacted, mainly to keep up pressure on the governor.

Hobbs decision to directly negotiate with the Legislature came after MAG failed to persuade Republican lawmakers to back their plan.

ose talks failed to lead to an agreement that would pass muster with the 27 mayors, three tribes and two counties who lead MAG. On June 20, the governor vetoed the measure, which passed with only GOP support and would have asked voters to extend the sales tax.

e proposal Republicans sent to Hobbs dedicated much more of the estimated $20 billion the sales tax will collect over 20 years to freeway and major road building and maintenance than MAG’s plan.

eir plan also slashed the portion of the revenue that went to public transit and barred any of it from being spent to extend the metro area’s light rail system.

Republicans also split the extension vote into two parts, one for the road and highway projects and one for light rail maintenance.

Also tucked into the GOP-passed plan was a provision requiring the Arizona Department of Transportation to set the speed limit on all Maricopa County freeways at 65 mph or more. at’s designed to eliminate a 55 mph limit on the portion of Interstate 17 between the Capitol and Dunlap Avenue.

“In that whole section if there’s no trafc, everybody’s going 70-75 still or more as they’re coming into the Capitol,’’ Toma said. “So it’s almost just bringing it to the reality of what is happening on the road.’’

Getting a deal on Proposition 400 accomplished in the one day the Legislature plans to be in session next week would be unusual, but Toma said it can be done.

“And secondly, there’s nothing precluding the governor from calling a special session if she so chose, and if we have a deal,’’ Toma said. “So that’s always a possibility. e point is less about the technical ‘how we do it,’ and more about whether or not there’s a deal.’’

Rep. David Cook, R-Globe, who chairs the House Transportation Committee, said he’s been pushing Toma and Petersen to work out a deal with Hobbs and MAG, and that the agreement is “95% done.’’

Business groups that normally have the ear of GOP lawmakers have pressed without success to get Republicans to back MAG’s plan.

“I think there are moderate Republicans and Democrats that want to get this done,’’ said Avondale Mayor Kenn Weiss, whom Gallego succeeded as MAG chair. “ ey’re the ones that are going to have to put pressure on leadership to get this done.’’

TRANS from page 13

are just as applicable to biological girls as transgender girls,’’ the attorney wrote.

What makes that relevant, he said, is that competitive sports “are zero-sum by their very nature.’’

at means each team position or winning slot taken by a transgender girl, by de nition “will displace biological girls.’’

YOUTH from page 11

party a liation, with nearly 80% listing cost of living – and speci cally housing – as their largest concern.

“ at extends not just to in ation, the cost of groceries, but I think that extends to the a ordability of housing, the a ordability of health care, the a ordability of just trying to live your best life in even a relatively modest way,” Della Volpe said.

“We nd that two-thirds or three-quarters of young Arizonans say those issues are of primary importance.”

Cost of living was closely followed by health care, protecting individual rights, mental health, education, reproductive rights and the economy.

“In every volleyball and basketball game, a plainti getting coveted playing time displaces a biological girl who thus does not get that playing time,’’ Smith said.

Smith also said that Zipps was wrong to consider only the question of whether transgender girls who have not reached puberty have an inherent physical advantage.

He said the judge should have looked at why lawmakers adopted the whole ban,

Diane Brown, the executive director of Arizona Public Interest Research Group, said that candidates who spend more time emphasizing what younger voters care about come out on top.

“Over the last couple of decades, increasingly, candidates that reach out to young adults on issues they care about, whether that be employment, housing, environment and health care, tend to top the list of interest for those voters,” said Brown, who was not part of Wednesday’s panel.

Brown said work done by her organization aims to promote nonpartisan resources and educate young voters on how participation on a local level matters.

“While it may seem a bit overwhelming to think your one vote can make a di er-

including issues of post-pubescent transgender girls.

Smith also is taking issue with the judge’s ruling that the 2022 law violates Title IX, a federal statute that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in sports.

“Title IX, from its inception, is understood to speci cally authorize the separation of sports teams based on biological sex – exactly what the act does,’’ he said.

ence when it comes to the electoral system and electing the president, local elections have often been determined by a handful … to a few hundred votes,” she said.

Avery Xola, the voter education manager at Arizona’s Citizens Clean Elections Commission, said that while younger voters are turning out, they may face a lot of anxiety doing so given the bitter partisan divides in the state, and nation.

“Regardless of demographics, for young adults, I think one thing that they all share … is they all have a certain uneasiness about their future. ey all have a certain sense of anxiety when it comes to voting,” Xola said.

Della Volpe agrees.

He worries that heightened levels of partisanship and political divisiveness might

He speci cally cited one court ruling which said that it is designed “to increase opportunities for women and girls in athletics.’’

None of that, however, may help Petersen and Toma in their bid to allow the state to enforce the law.

Much of Zipps’ order is based on the premise that transgender girls are girls for purposes of participating in sports.

be hindering younger adult participation. But he also thinks that anxiety may be what’s pushing a lot of people to the polls.

“I think the thing that really, to me, differentiates this generation of young people is the urgency that they take into these endeavors,” he said.

e study found that Arizona mirrored national trends in 2022 and 2018, when younger voters turned out in major ways.

Della Volpe said he hopes that younger voters realize Arizona – and the country –would be a very di erent place today without their participation.

“Broadly speaking, attitudes around politics and civic engagement and frankly, culture for the most part, kind of transcend state barriers these days,” he said.

Teens to rock for a reason at upcoming gig

At the School of Rock venues in Gilbert and Scottsdale, students learn to read music, play multiple instruments, write music and perform in front of an audience.

But for their next show, they’re learning how to give back to the community.

At its Aug. 6 show at Walter Studios in Downtown Phoenix, students will play an array of tunes from rock and pop’s most prominent names like Billy Joel, Elton John, Taylor Swift, John Mayer and e Beatles at its annual “Rockin for a Reason” show, which will bene t Phoenix nonpro t Elder TLC.

Elder TLC works to “distribute meaningful gifts to low-income residents in neighboring senior care facilities.”

“We had been talking about the di erent communities that we’ve already been able to help and a ect and I think one of the communities we feel has been neglected has been the elderly communi-

ty,” said School of Rock Scottsdale General Manager Michelle Worley.

Worley said it took months to select Elder TLC as the show’s bene ciary.

She recalled that her school played a special Mother’s Day concert earlier this year where students gave their mothers owers. e school ended up with leftover owers and donated them to the senior living community Friendship Village Tempe.

Worley says this spurred a desire to use the school’s platform to aid elder care facilities and organizations further.

“ ere are a lot of people that are elderly that are in need … sometimes something as simple as a new blanket or a pair of gripper socks or, you know, a little plushie might be a bene cial item for the elderly,” Worley explained.

Because of this, the School of Rock is asking for donations of new clothing like lounge pants, long sleeve T-shirts, pajamas and robes.

Worley explained the items should be new with the sales tags on them because

Elder TLC places puts them in a store at its facility so seniors can “shop” and regain the joy they once had purchasing new clothes.

In addition to taking donations of clothing, the School of Rock is collecting unique items like realistic-looking baby dolls and plush animals.

“(Elder TLC) is nding that realistic baby dolls are their most needed items,” she explained. “A lot of these folks might have dementia, or Alzheimer’s and sometimes the comfort of holding a baby for an elderly member might bring back old memories and be a very soothing thing for people who have memory issues.”

Worley is requesting that these items be dropped o the day of the show at the theater, where there will be a special collection bin, or at School of Rock’s locations: 13610 N. Scottsdale Road, Scotsdale; 885 E. Warner Road, Gilbert; or 2805 E. Indian School Road, Arcadia. Worley said the students worked for over a month to learn some of rock and

pop’s most iconic songs note for note. But she sees this gig as the perfect opportunity for the young performers to mix entertaining with giving.

“It’s showing them that they have responsibilities in our community,” Worley said. “If we can show them at a young age what that looks like, how we give back to our community and why we picked the way we did it, I think the kids need to see that.

“It ultimately comes down to the name of the concert, it’s rocking for a reason. We always have that opportunity to play music, but if we do it for a purpose sometimes it can hold a little bit more meaning in our lives.”

School of Rock Rockin’ for a Reason

When: 10 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 6

Where: Walter Studios, 747 W Roosevelt Street, Phoenix

Cost: $15 at the door.

Info: Schoolofrock.com/events and Walterstudios.com

SE Regional Library slates programs

Southeast Regional Library o ers free programs for people of all ages.

Southeast Regional Library is located at 775 N. Green eld Road, Gilbert, and is open Monday- ursday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 1 to 5 p.m.

Here are the big activities there next month. Register at mcldaz.org/southeast or call 602-652-3000.

DIY CD Coasters, 2-3 p.m. Aug. 1

Create some classy, vintage French-inspired CD coasters Registration required, all supplies provided. Adults

Digital assistance, 10-10:45 a.m. Every Wednesday.

Learn how to download digital eBooks or audio books to a reading device. Assistance is limited to questions about digital books and services and will not

address speci c technical questions about each device. Participants should know basic operation of their reading device. Limited to three people per session.

Painting rocks, 2-3 p.m. Aug. 2.

All supplies will be provided. Adults

Draw with mom and dad, 6-7 p.m. Aug. 3

Parents and children can come together and create their own drawing journal with unique prompts, some to be done simultaneously and others that require collaboration. Calming music and conversation starters are provided.

Stories and crafts for kindergarten, 10:15-10:45 a.m. Aug. 7.

Join Caroline for a story and a craft that relates to a book. is project will emphasize school readiness skills and motor development essential for new kindergarteners.

Facebook basics, 2-3 p.m. Aug. 8.

Learn to create an account, the basics

of posting, commenting, tagging, uploading photos, and more. Laptops will be provided, but people can bring their own device. Adults.

Letter animals, 3-4 p.m. Aug. 9. Families can come and learn to draw animals beginning with each letter of the alphabet.

ursday Night Film Club, 6-8 p.m. Aug. 10.

ursday, Aug. 10

View and discuss lm classics and favorites from the ‘30s through the ‘80s. is month’s movie will be Psycho (1960), in honor of Alfred Hitchcock’s birthday. Adults

Historical Fiction Book Club, 2-3 p.m. Aug. 15.

e book for August is ”Four Winds” by Kristin Hannah. During the 1934 Dust Bowl era in Texas, farmers are ghting to keep their land as the dust threatens to bury them all. Will main character Elsa Martinelli ght for the land she loves

or go west to California for a better life? Adults.

Rope Baskets, 2-3 p.m. Aug. 16

Turned old jump ropes into baskets. Materials are provided. Adults. Registration required. Adults

Adopt a tortoise, 2-3 p.m. Aug. 17

Learn how to adopt a desert tortoise, courtesy of the Arizona Game and Fish Department. Registration not required. Adults.

Bookends Adult Fiction Discussion Group, 10:30 a.m.-noon Aug. 22.

Adults of all ages read and discuss ction titles. e title for this month is “ e Sweetness of Water” by Nathan Harris. Adults

Book Birthday: Dog Man, 3:15-4:15 p.m. Aug. 30.

Celebrate everyone’s favorite crime ghting canine. Originally published Aug. 30, 2016, this beloved graphic novel is a springboard for a lesson on creating ip-o-ramas: School age, tweens.

Stop PAD: The Silent Killer

“PAD is often called the silent killer because you may have it and not even know,” says Dr. Joel Rainwater, chief medical officer of Comprehensive Integrated Care (CiC). The reason it’s sometimes missed is because people dismiss the symptoms of this dangerous disease as ‘just a sign of getting older’. But it’s not. “It’s not normal to have difficulty walking to your mailbox, it’s not normal to have constant leg pain or cramping,” says Rainwater, “That’s not normal aging, it could be a sign of PAD.”

PAD (peripheral artery disease) is a circulation disorder and those with it are at a much higher risk of heart problems and death from heart attack or stroke. “If there’s poor blood flow to your legs and feet, you’ll have pain, cramping or wounds that won’t heal,” explains Rainwater. “If you ignore these signs, it may lead to an amputation. If you get an amputation because you have PAD, your life expectancy is worse than if you had breast cancer or lymphoma. PAD is no joke.”In some cases, people have been diagnosed with neuropathy. The symptoms of neuropathy and PAD are very similar and include difficulty walking without taking a break, burning, tingling, numbness and/or pain. “When I see a patient who has been told they have neuropathy and they’ve been maximized on medication that’s not working, I know there may be something else causing it and one of the big, notorious offenders in that scenario is PAD,” says Rainwater.

PAD is caused by the buildup of fatty material inside the arteries. This buildup occurs gradually over time and

Tell neuropathy pain, “later alligator.”

hardens into plaque inside the artery. This condition is known as atherosclerosis. Sometimes, it’s called “hardening of the arteries.” No matter what you call it, this plaque causes a narrowing of the passageway, restricting the amount of blood that flows throughout the body.

Without an adequate blood supply, your body can’t get the oxygen and nutrients it needs to maintain healthy legs, feet and toes. “This is something we can fix,” explains Rainwater. “The good news about PAD, is that there’s hope. There is treatment and it’s excellent, it’s been one of the biggest success stories in all of medicine.” Patients are able to get back on their feet and everyday living with almost no downtime, no stitches and no overnight hospital stay. Medicare as well as most insurance plans will cover treatment.

Dr. Rainwater’s focus is on teaching people to recognize PAD and take action. “I’m here to tell patients that there are options, all they have to do is ask. They might have to ask a different doctor, but they don’t have to live with the idea that they’re going to suffer for the rest of their life,” says Rainwater. His best advice, “Go look for answers.”

If traditional neuropathy treatments haven’t given you the pain relief you’ve been seeking, it’s time to start asking questions.

YES / NO

Could I have been misdiagnosed with neuropathy?

If I do have neuropathy, is poor circulation making my symptoms worse?

Is medication the only option to treat neuropathy pain?

If you don’t know the answer to these questions it’s time to start asking the doctors at CiC questions about how we can treat your symptoms in the comfort of one of our Valley wide locations.

Call CiC today to schedule an appointment with one of our specialists.

Line dancing, yoga among HD SOUTH programs

HD SOUTH will offer a series of informative programs for people of all ages in August that are led by artists, historians, storytellers, botanists and scientists; experts in their field who share their knowledge and skills with our community.

Home of the Gilbert Historical Museum and located in the heart of the heritage district at Gilbert and Elliot roads, the building opened as Gilbert Elementary School in 1913. It is the oldest building in Gilbert and is the only one on the National Register of Historical Places.

The museum also contains artifacts chronicling the town’s history.

Many of the educational programs are free. Information: hdsouth.org/ calendar. Unless otherwise noted, registration is required and admission is

free. In most cases, space is limited so register early.

EVENTS

Picturing Resistance

At Gallery 4 Aug. 11-Sept. 29, images from marches, protests, rallies and demonstrations show people voicing their passion for change. The photographs span seven decades of people engaged in the act of creating change.

Antique Tools

On display through Sept. 18, this exhibit shows part of HD SOUTH’s unique antique tool collection, with pieces donated by many of Gilbert’s founding families. From saws to wrenches to drill bits, these artifacts invoke a time when elbow grease and grit were vital to getting things done.

PROGRAMS

Monday Yoga, 6-7 p.m. all Mondays

Williams Field student earns perfect ACT score

The school year has barely begun but a Williams Field High School senior already has notched a pretty impressive accomplishment.

William Robinson scored a perfect 36 on the ACT test that he and thousands of other high school juniors took earlier this year. at score is exceptionally rare for kids who take ACT, the most widely used test used by colleges and universities to assess an applicant’s academic preparedness and pro ciency in math, English Language Arts and science.

In 2022, the latest available data, less than 1% of all juniors who took the test that year earned the top score, according to AC T spokeswoman Allie Ciaramella.

at translated into 3,376 out of 1.34 mil-

lion juniors across the country and of those top scorers, only 56 scored 36 in 2022, she said.

William, 17, the son of Peter and Angela Robinson of Gilbert, hasn’t settled on a college or university, though it’s pretty early for most seniors to do that, anyway.

Asked how he reacted when he heard his score put him in an elite academic category, William replied:

“I was surprised and very, very excited.”

He said he’s “researching and will be applying to a variety of great engineering colleges here in Arizona and across the country.”

He may nd those colleges searching for him.

“Earning a top score on the ACT is a remarkable achievement,” said ACT CEO Janet Godwin. “A student’s exceptional score of 36 will provide any college or university with ample evidence of their readiness for the academic rigors that lie ahead.”

e ACT is a curriculum-based achievement exam that measures what students have learned in school.

“Students who earn a 36 composite score have likely mastered all of the skills and knowledge they will need to succeed in rst-year college courses in the core subject areas,” Ciaramella noted.

With a love for “anything math-related,” William has been a Higley Uni ed student

since he began his academic journey. His mother calls him a “highly motivated, intelligent and kind individual” and also thinks his success is a testament to the effectiveness and dedication of all the teachers who have helped him.

William was president of the Williams Field High School Robotics Club last year but doesn’t spend all his time in studies.

He’s also a second-degree black belt in karate and works as a local karate instructor.

At this stage in life, William said he is thinking of a career in mechanical engineering with a specialty in robotics.

As for the ACT battery of tests, he said he didn’t prepare in any special way.

“I reviewed some ACT study guides my teachers gave me,” he said, “but that was about it.”

Instructor Darien Pruitt, The Mobile Yogi, guides participants through a hatha flow class. Pruitt has practiced yoga since 2010 and recently completed her 200-hour training. She helps her students realize how yoga, breath, and mindfulness can change their lives for the better. Ages 16 and up. Bring your own mat.

Afternoon Yoga 1:30-2:30 p.m. all Thursdays

Instructor Sara Nakai of Batch of Sky Yoga, who has been practicing yoga for over 20 years and has over 200 hours of yoga instructor training, says yoga can improve posture, reduce anxiety, improve sleep, alleviate pain and boost one’s mood and general outlook. She offer a slower and more introspective yoga practice. Ages 16 and up. Bring your own mat.

Free Line Dancing, 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Aug. 8

Laina Lee will teach participants popular current line dances such as Copperhead Road, God Blessed Texas, Boot Scoot Boogie and more. Ages 16 and up.

Family History–Conversation with an Ancestor, 6:30-8 p.m. Aug. 15.

Attendees will write questions for a conversation they would like to have with an ancestor. Some may invent a dialog with that person. Duane Roen, founding coordinator of the Project for Writing and Recording Family History in the College of Integrative Sciences and Arts at Arizona State University will facilitate this program.

Building Insects, 10:30 a.m.-noon Aug. 19

Author Roberta Gibson will read and discuss her nonfiction picture book, “How to Build an Insect” and lead par-

ticipants in building an insect model. All supplies provided. Ages 5-9.

Sound Meditation, 6:30-8 p.m. Aug. 24

Meditation can provide relief from grief, as Stuart Preston, certified sound practitioner, will show in a “sound healing” session designed specifically for those grieving a loss. Participants must bring a yoga mat, a couple blankets and a pillow, wear comfortable clothing and arrive 10 minutes early. Ages 16 and up. Space is limited. Cost: $5 per person. Information: LaoStu. com.

Indoor Vertical Farming, 10:30 a.m.-noon Aug. 26.

Yujin Park, an assistant professor in the College of Integrative Sciences and Arts at ASU, discusses indoor vertical farming, teaching the basics of how to plant vertically using less space and soil. Ages 14 and up.

Gilbert woman oversees exchange program

AGilbert woman has been named the new local coordinator for a major student exchange program. International Cultural Exchange Services named Jonelle Wilsdon to the position

An Arizona native, Wilsdon will work with international high school students and local host families on student exchange arrangements.

A surgical technologist and piano teacher, Wilsdon is the married mother of two children ages 7 and 9 and is looking forward to her new assignment.

“I’m excited to work with exchange students because everyone involved in the experience can learn and grow a deeper understanding and appreciation of dif-

Jonelle Wilsdon

ferent cultures,” she said.

“ e memories will last a lifetime for

students and host families.”

Wilsdon is currently looking for families that would like to host for the current school year.

Exchange students live as a member of the host family, not a guest or boarder. ey participate in family activities, follow host family rules and help with chores.

Students have their own medical insurance and spending money to cover all personal expenses.

Host families provide room and board and parental guidance to the student.

Wilsdon’s job is to answer questions, give advice and provide general support to students and host families throughout the experience.

To reach her, email: jwilsdon@icesusa. org.

It’s

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EV man’s invention honors dad, helps campers

Sometimes a good invention has been hiding in plain sight – so much so that when it hits the market, you wonder why no one ever thought of it before.

Mesa resident Scott Jensen hit on that kind of a no-brainer a few years ago and was so convinced about its possibilities, he formed his own business and eventually chucked a 15-year career in supply chain management ago to market it and start a line of lightweight camping gear.

e idea: a lightweight backpack with a U-shaped zipper – not just one along the top – that opens to a removable organization of labeled compartments so users could get to the contents with ease.

“I don’t love the backpacks where you stu everything from the top,” said the Arizona native and Arizona State grad, who often camps with his wife and ve children.

“I can’t tell you how many times I’d get to a campsite only to discover that I’d forgotten something. Or I needed to get to something on the bottom and had to pull everything out and repack all over again,” he said.

So he invented e Dean Hiking Backpack, an ultralight, compartmentalized and easy-to-use backpack he named after his late father.

Before giving birth to that invention, a lot transpired.

“My dad, Dean, and I were going to start the business together,” Jensen explained. “We started talking about it in 2016.

“Prior to starting it, my dad passed away from an instant heart attack in 2018. His passing created an overwhelming drive for me to continue the business.”

Weeks after losing his father, Jensen and his family moved to China, where he

oversaw 100 Carlisle employees as global supply manager.

While there, in June 2019, he started his company, Near Zero, “because I wanted a simple, organized, lightweight, ready-to-go backpacking solution.”

Two months later, he started marketing a shovel and a line of ultralight tents and sleeping bags.

e “a-ha moment” for e Dean –Jensen’s rst invention – occurred in January 2020 as he and his wife were hiking in China.

“We were discussing the direction for taking the newly established Near Zero brand,” Jensen recalled.

“As we were discussing creating a backpack, my wife thought of the idea of creating a backpack that could open up like a suitcase that was organized, compartmentalized and labeled – just like my dad would have wanted.”

A ordable and lightweight gear is important to avid backpackers like Jensen.

“I love backpacking and camping,” he said. “Maybe it’s because of my dad. I

love the memories of our camping trips together.

“I love escaping the pressures of everyday life and getting out into nature. I love sitting under a sky full of stars. I love disconnecting from technology even for a little while and feeling free from all the demands. I love getting to peaceful remote locations when I need solitude, and I love meeting new people on the trails or connecting with loved ones around a camp re and making fun memories.

“But, I don’t love all the prep work to get there,” he continued.

“I don’t love garage shelves stacked with a hodgepodge of random gear. I don’t love walking into a big box store and being overwhelmed by all the options. I don’t love lugging around heavy gear.”

e family returned to the states in early 2020 and Jensen juggled his corporate job and his expanding career as entrepreneur, inventor and businessman until July 2021, when he quit corporate

life.

roughout the formative years of Near Zero and his work perfecting the patent-pending e Dean, Jensen also felt guided by his father’s spirit and example.

Dean Jensen “was the quintessential camping enthusiast – so passionate about lightweight gear that he would weigh his backpack before every hike,” Scott recalled.

“Every item would individually be weighted to the ounce,” he said, explaining how his father “often walked a mile from his home to camp in the Arizona desert just to try out his latest purchase. Finding the best and lightest gear became a near obsession for him.”

at obsession was almost as intense as his passion for hiking.

At age 70, a few years before he died, Dean, a general contractor who had built commercial structures as well as homes, hiked the Grand Canyon rimto-rim once a month for 13 consecutive months.

Jensen said e Dean “weighs in at only three pounds and when fully packed with all of our Near Zero gear, it ranges anywhere from 10-20 pounds.

“It is so lightweight,” he said. “We have tried to think of everything, so users don’t have to. It even has separate access panel for a hydration-bladder so you don’t have to stu it in with everything else.”

Now that he has got under control the usual challenges of a startup – securing capital, developing a diverse product line and marketing strategy and achieving a work-life balance that’s critical when raising two boys and three girls –Jensen is hopeful for Near Zero’s future.

“We have seen three times growth year over year for the last three years,” he said. “We hope to do the same this year.”

To check out his line of gear, go to nearzero.co, Amazon or Just Roughin It in Scottsdale.

CUSD school chief:

Dear new and returning families, parents, guardians, and sta :

I would like to welcome everyone to the 23-24 school year in Chandler Uni ed School District (CUSD). My name is Franklin R. Narducci, and I am honored to serve as your superintendent.

CUSD is the premier school district of choice with schools in Chandler, Gilbert, and Queen Creek; and I can say with condence that you have made the right choice.

As we head into this new school year, I want to share a few highlights from last year that show why we feel you chose the very best:

CUSD has a 90% graduation rate, which is 15% above the state average.

e Class of 2023 was awarded $182 million in scholarships.

e Class of 2023 took 7,361 Advanced Placement (AP) exams.

e Class of 2023 earned 23,162 hours of dual-enrollment credits.

CUSD educates just 3% of Arizona’s student population, yet our students took home one third, or 34%, of the awards at the 2023 Arizona Science and Engineering Fair.

In 2023, CUSD was once again named the #1 school district in the Phoenix-area according to Niche.com. Athletics, performing arts, ne arts and enrichments are second to none.

state and country.

Our sites have been recognized as National Blue Ribbon schools and have been honored with the A+ School of Excellence award by the Arizona Education Foundation (AEF) a record 96 times! CUSD provides a strong foundation for student success as evidenced by our former students excelling in post high school enrollment, employment, enlistment, and entrepreneurship.

ed maintains pathways for that success. ese pathways include attributes found in CUSD’s Portrait of a Learner (adaptability, collaboration, communication, critical thinking, empathy, and being a global citizen).

As we embark on the second year of Portrait of a Learner, we are excited to highlight how these traits are embedded in all the amazing teaching, learning, and recognition taking place throughout the district.

In Chandler Uni ed, we support choice and believe we have a menu of choice offerings for any child in Pre-K-12th grade. CUSD schools are among the best in the

In maintaining strong schools and high-quality education not only do our students bene t, but our communities and state thrive as well.

We believe every child has the ability to learn and succeed and that Chandler Uni-

In closing, with so many educational options, I would like to personally thank every family and sta member for choosing Chandler Uni ed School District. Here’s to another incredible school year!

Yours in education,

Gilbert teen helps Team USA ag football get gold

Ryder Noche of Ahwatukee and Gilbert resident Amos Augustine were excited when they learned in March that they were selected to compete on the 15U Team USA Flag Football National Team.

e two were picked alongside Gregory Riddell, a teammate on the Chandler Bears, a top youth tackle football program, and Elite Youth Flag Football, a team that sponsored by the Elite Community Foundation and Elite Athlete Management headquartered in Chandler.

It was an accomplishment the never would become a reality. In June, Augustine and Noche made the o cial roster, which opened the door for the two to represent Arizona on an international stage.

Together with their teammates, Amos and Ryder helped lead Team USA’s 15U ag football team to a gold medal in Charlotte, N.C.

“It was just an honor, really,” Ryder said. “I never thought that every time I played ag football, I would get the chance to be on the USA National Team. It’s a dream.”

e selection process for the team consisted of a tryout process in the spring. It mirrored the NFL Combine, with timed 40yard sprints, shuttle drills and various other tools used by coaches to evaluate players on the eld.

ey knew right away they would have another shot at making the team come June when a nal roster was out together for the team. Noche, an Ahwatukee resident preparing to play his rst season of high school football at Brophy, got the nod to play on the team.

So did Amos, who is in his last year of junior high at Casteel in Queen Creek.

“It was honestly really good,” Augustine said of his experience. “We were all really close, the players, the coaches.

“O the eld we had fun studying, learn-

game is interpreted in different parts of the world.

“Mexico was very quick, very shifty,” Ryder said. “Japan was very smart. ey just had a high IQ and knew how to get in your head. ey were strong, mentally. at’s how I saw it.”

e two boys will now prepare for their tackle football seasons this fall.Ryder headed to camp with the Brophy freshman, which is held on its downtown Phoenix campus while Amos prepared for his nal season in youth ball.

ing new plays and guring out what we had to do to succeed and get the gold medal like we did.”

e two boys headed to Charlotte in early July. ey both agreed that once they got there, it felt like they were receiving an experience similar to college football.

Early morning practices gave way to tight schedules that didn’t allow for much free time until later in the day. It was football all the time, something Amos and Ryder enjoyed from an athlete’s perspective. ey stayed at the dorms on UNC Charlotte’s campus and played on elds nearby.

ey had the chance to interact with teams that arrived from across the world.

“It was de nitely cool,” Amos said. “ is next year I’m going to de nitely learn some Spanish and maybe some French so I can speak to them. Maybe Japanese. It was de nitely a good experience.”

Once competition began, Amos and Ryder were all business.

Team USA went undefeated in pool play, beating Mexico and Canada. ey faced

Mexico yet again in the rst elimination game but advanced with ease. By the time the championship game against Japan rolled around, the 15U team was ring on all cylinders.

ey scored quickly and with ease against Japan, taking a 35-point lead in the second half. ey knew they were going to come away with gold.

“When we got to the ceremony, when we all got the medals, everyone had smiles on their faces,” Ryder said. “ en the national anthem played. It was a real Olympic feel.”

Team USA swept the competition as a whole.

e 17U boys, 17U girls and 15U girls all won their respective tournaments. Team USA’s men’s and women’s teams also won gold that weekend in the International Federation of American Football Americas Championship.

Having the opportunity to play against international teams allowed Noche and Augustine to see di erent brands of football. Some teams played fast and with different styles of plays than what is commonly seen in the U.S.

Some teams took a slower approach to the game. It opened their eyes to how the

Next year, he’ll decide where he attends high school.

Both boys had good showings in Charlotte as a tune-up of sorts for the fall.

Ryder said he caught one to two touchdown passes per game and played a key role on defense. Augustine, being one of the younger players there, caught two touchdown passes and made the most of every opportunity he was on the eld. e two often look at their gold medals. Both have positioned them in a spot they can’t miss.

Amos’ medal is hanging on the wall in front of his bed along with his jersey so it’s the rst thing he sees when he wakes up and last thing when he goes to b ed.

Ryder still hangs his on his door but said he would nd a permanent spot soon.

It still hasn’t quite set in for either boy that they are gold medal winners at a young age. It was always a dream when they learned about the opportunity, and they made it happen.

“I never thought this opportunity would come but it did, and I made the most of it,” Amos said. “It felt really good. It’s a very good memory in my life.”

Gilbert thespians help power a powerful musical

It’s one of the most popular musicals in the world, and soon, Limelight Performing Arts in Gilbert will bring “Les Misérables School Edition” to life at the Mesa Arts Center from Aug. 4-13.

The musical will be presented by 30 youth performers from Gilbert and across the Valley, transporting audiences to 19th century France in a stunning musical adaptation of Victor Hugo’s epic tale where love triumphs over adversity and dreams never die.

“Les Mis” is double cast. Gilbert per-formers include Ava Chiappetta as Madame Thénardier; Jordan Gingell as Javert; Nathan Gingell as Bishop of Digne and Combeferre; Lincoln Ickler as Enjolras; Peyton Kuehn as Chain Gang and Lesgles; Ellie Nevels as Fac-tory Worker and Lovely Lady; Emily Scanio as Little Cosette; Ainslee Schmidt as Factory Worker and The Poor; Kaitlyn Woodward as Old Woman and Grantaire; and Meredith Woodward as Fantine.

Director Christian Graca believes she has assembled just the right cast to do Hugo’s masterpiece justice.

“The best thing about this cast is their overwhelming desire to tell this story in a compelling way, and to move audiences with the timeless messages of enduring love and devotion,” she said.

“Les Mis” centers on the tumultuous world of Jean Valjean, a former convict imprisoned for 19 years for stealing a loaf of bread to feed his sister’s starving child.

After his release, Valjean breaks his parole and assumes a new identity, determined to leave his troubled past behind. When he crosses paths with Fantine, a factory worker fallen into destitution, he promises to care for her young daughter, Cosette, rescuing her from unscrupulous innkeepers. Years later in Paris, a group of stu-

dents rise up against the oppressive regime. Among the students is Marius, who falls deeply in love with Cosette. Their love story unfolds against the backdrop of the June Rebellion of 1832.

“‘Les Mis’ has time jumps where characters age in the show, so they have a significant change in character and perspective as the story progresses,” said Graca.

The score includes unforgettable and emotionally charged songs like “On My Own,” “Bring Him Home” and the rousing revolutionary anthem, “Do You Hear the People Sing?”

“As an operetta, the show, with very limited exception, is sung in its entirety, which brings a whole new level of complexity to the production and raises the bar for performers to achieve,” said Graca.

“The music is challenging to learn, but it’s so beautiful with a lot of duets, harmonies and layered melodies,” added Emma England of Gilbert,

Limelight’s artistic director who, along with Tom Graca, is music directing “Les Mis.”

“I have really enjoyed working with the cast on how to act the music, like figuring out where the phrases need to rise and fall and how to convey the emotion this story demands.”

While “Les Mis” doesn’t traditionally include much dance, England and co-choreographer, Marie South, are using movement to elevate the performance.

“We were very deliberate in designing choreography that would add impact without taking away from the intent of the show,” said England.

“For example, Christian designed custom flags to communicate the time hops in this story. Our cast uses dance to place the flags and reinforce this message of forward motion.

“It’s one way we’re putting our own touch on ‘Les Mis’ and supporting the continuous movement of this story.”

After nine weeks of rehearsals, the directors and cast are eager to open the show and excited about the audience’s response.

“Audiences will love the enduring and classic ‘Master of the House,’ and bring tissues for those tragic pieces of the story, too,” said Graca.

“I’m also so excited for the costumes! They really deliver the right theme for each character and set the tone for each time period character and scene.”

Winner of over 100 international awards and seen by more than 70 million people, “Les Mis” has been performed in more than 40 countries and in 22 languages.

Tickets for “Les Misérables School Edition” start at $21 and can be purchased at mesaartscenter.com, search “limelight.” The run includes both matinee and evening performances. Group discounts are available.

ACROSS

1 Satan’s purchase

5 Chest protector

8 Ski lift type

12 Old U.S. gas brand

13 Piercing tool

14 Hindu royal

15 Pub potables

16 King, in Cannes

17 Choir voice

18 New

20 Pal of Pooh

22 Stephen of “Still Crazy”

23 Hobbyist’s abbr.

24 Mineral-hardness scale name

27 Tot’s train

32 Rock’s Brian

33 Science room

34 Klutz

35 Folks from Indiana

38 Garrison

39 Flop

40 Ostrich’s kin

42 Exhibited ennui

45 In a way

49 “Metamorphoses” poet

50 Hosp. hookups

52 Carry on

53 Ms. Rowlands

54 Golf prop

55 Like some vaccines

56 Gross

57 Last letter in London

58 Mr. Disney

DOWN

1 Line of fashion?

2 Capital on a ord

3 Secondhand

4 Also-rans

5 Clinging

crustacean

6 -- Jima

7 Radar dot

8 Dire

9 Hype

10 Pot starter

11 Laugh-a-minute

19 Concerning

21 Altar vow

24 “I’m not impressed”

25 Music’s Yoko

26 Snooker

28 Gu aw syllable

29 Fanatical

30 Rowing need

31 Frequently 36 Half the weekend

37 Chemical su x

38 Groove

41 Kansas City’s st.

42 Quotable Berra

43 Opposite of “sans”

44 Bubblehead

46 O’Hara estate

47 Cameo shape

48 Fedora fabric

51 Victory sign