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Free movies showing at Dobson Library

Written By empatlima on Kamis, 20 September 2012 | 08.36

Sept. 20, 2012 08:23 AM
The Republic | azcentral.com

A grant from Mesa Councilman Dennis Kavanaugh's discretionary fund is paying for free movie showings at the Dobson Library, 2524 S. Dobson Road:

"Frankenstein," 5:30 p.m. Oct.4.

"Ghostbusters," 1:30 p.m. Oct.27.

"The Nightmare before Christmas," 5:30 p.m. Nov.1.

"Pocahontas," 1:30 p.m. Nov.24.

The library is coordinating the reading program, Bookin' it at the Movies, which urges people to read the novels before watching:

"The Hunger Games," 2 p.m. Oct.9.

"Alex Rider: Operation Stormbreaker," 2p.m. Oct.12.

Information and future movie listings: www.mesaaz.gov; click on "Mayor and Council" and follow the links to Kavanaugh's page.

20 Sep, 2012


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Source: http://www.azcentral.com/community/mesa/articles/2012/09/19/20120919free-movies-showing-dobson-library.html
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Special night is Saturday at Arizona Museum of Natural History

Sept. 20, 2012 08:25 AM
The Republic | azcentral.com

Several special programs are planned for 6-9 p.m. Saturday at the Arizona Museum of Natural History, 53 N. Macdonald.

A Night With the Stars will include these activities:

Crafts and demonstrations, 6-7 p.m.

Telescope viewing with the East Valley Astronomy Club, 7-9 p.m.

Students from Arizona State University's School of Earth and Space Exploration will discuss their research.

A special program in ASU's portable planetarium and a presentation by ASU professor A.D. Anbar, who will discuss the search for life in deep space.

Admission for non-members is $7 per adult and $4 per child and students with identification. No discounts or passes will be accepted. Admission for museum members is free.

20 Sep, 2012


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Source: http://www.azcentral.com/community/mesa/articles/2012/09/19/20120919special-night-saturday-arizona-museum-natural-history.html
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Volunteer at Mesa Urban Garden

Sept. 20, 2012 08:13 AM
The Republic | azcentral.com

Two upcoming meetings will explain how to rent a plot or volunteer at the new Mesa Urban Garden, 212 E. First Ave.:

10:30 a.m.-noon Saturday at the main library, 64 E. First St.

6-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, also at the library.

A Coffee at the Garden open house is 9-10 a.m. Saturday to meet those involved with the project and learn about plot rentals.

Information: www.mesaaz.gov/sustainability.

20 Sep, 2012


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Source: http://www.azcentral.com/community/mesa/articles/2012/09/19/20120919volunteer-mesa-urban-garden.html
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Bob Beck, regular at Cubs spring-training games, dies at 91

Written By empatlima on Rabu, 19 September 2012 | 22.46

by Jim Walsh - Sept. 19, 2012 09:36 PM
The Republic | azcentral.com

For more than 80 years, no one was a more devoted Chicago Cubs fan than Bob Beck, a fixture at Mesa's Fitch Park and Hohokam Stadium for the team's spring training and at Wrigley Field in Chicago.

But even eight decades of following the team wasn't long enough for Beck, who died Thursday at 91. In that time, Beck never got to see his beloved Cubs win a World Series -- their last title was in 1908, 13 years before Beck was born.

Beck remained a mainstay at Fitch, where the Cubs practice in early spring training, and at Hohokam, where they will play Cactus League games for one more season, even though in recent years, he could see only shadows through years of macular degeneration.

"I feel bad for him, that he didn't get to see them go to the World Series," said Linda Beck Olson, Beck's daughter and owner of the iconic chain of Chicago textbook stores founded by her father.

"If they ever get to the World Series, the whole family would represent him," Beck Olson said. "He is one of many."

Jim Hendry, the Cubs' former general manager, said he always wanted to assemble a championship team for Beck and other dedicated fans.

"That did hit me. It was about people like Bob; you wanted to win for them," he said. "A lot of people are fans, and loyal fans, but Bob took it to a different level."

Scott Nelson, director of baseball operations for the Cubs, said he was proud to be Beck's friend for decades.

"He was just part of the family,'' Nelson said.

Even though the team didn't win a World Series during Beck's lifetime, "I know it still filled his life with a lot of joy.''

A Chicago native, Beck grew up near Wrigley Field, where he often sneaked into games. He even got busted for ditching school by going to a ballgame when he was 8. His mother heard a radio announcer describe a boy walking along a fence and realized it was her son.

Beck never was a dreamer, however, refusing to allow his passion for the Cubs to cloud his sense of reality.

Every year, Beck and his friends would come to Fitch for the first day of early spring-training drills and assess the team's chances.

Beck would use his sense of humor as a defense mechanism to deal with all the disappointments he'd experienced following the Cubs, but he also witnessed many of their finest moments. They included Hall of Fame catcher Gabby Hartnett's "Homer in the Gloamin'," a twilight shot that helped clinch the 1938 pennant. He also witnessed Ernie Banks hitting his 500th home run.

Beck would sit in the front row at Hohokam Stadium, peering through binoculars that were never strong enough.

Beck Olson said her father had macular degeneration for at least 20 years and had been a winter resident of Mesa for at least 30 years.

"It sounds corny, but the crack of the bat means more to me now," Beck told a reporter with The Arizona Republic during an interview for a Cactus League story in 2000.

Beck enjoyed his game-day conversations with old friends and the atmosphere of the ballpark, even though he also had lost much of his hearing.

Bud Page, former head of the Mesa Hohokams, a civic organization that sponsors the Cubs every spring, said Beck was a Hohokam for 28 years.

Beck and his wife, Nadine, bought a condominium within walking distance of Fitch Park decades ago and became winter residents so they could spend more time with their Cubs.

"Bob Beck was an ambassador of the Hohokams," Page said.

Beck helped them keep a good relationship with the team and worked behind the scenes to keep them training in Mesa.

"He always knew the management, he always knew the coaches, he always knew the general manager" Page said.

Beck would wear his Hohokams uniform to the annual Cubs Convention in January and help the Mesa delegation encourage fans to come to Arizona for Cactus League games, according to Page.

"He thought it was very important to be a Hohokam. He was so proud," Beck Olson said.

Beck will be remembered Sept. 29 at a party in Chicago at Bernie's Tap and Grill, a favorite hangout across the street from Wrigley Field, where his friends will enjoy free hot dogs and beer.

Beck Olson said her father was still talking about the Cubs on his deathbed at Chicago Northwestern Memorial Hospital, remembering their crushing loss to the San Diego Padres, 3 games to 2, in the 1984 National League Championship Series.

"He was kind of delirious. He was remembering the 1984 series. He said, "We only have one more game to win,' " Beck Olson said.

20 Sep, 2012


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Source: http://www.azcentral.com/community/mesa/articles/2012/09/17/20120917bob-beck-cubs-spring-training-games-dies-91.html
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Truck-motorcycle collision in Mesa leaves three injured

by Chris Cole - Sept. 19, 2012 03:38 PM
The Arizona Republic-12 News Breaking News Team

A truck collided with a motorcycle near the intersection of Southern Avenue and Stapley Drive in Mesa, leaving three people injured Wednesday afternoon, authorities said.

The two people on the motorcycle were taken to local trauma centers, while another person suffered only minor injuries, according to authorities.

20 Sep, 2012


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Source: http://www.azcentral.com/community/mesa/articles/2012/09/19/20120919truck-motorcycle-collision-mesa-leaves-three-injured-abrk.html
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MCC dental program seeks those needing cleaning

Sept. 18, 2012 02:54 PM
The Republic | azcentral.com

Mesa Community College's dental-hygiene program is looking for patients who have not received dental-hygiene care in the past three years or longer. Requirements of the students' clinical education call for challenges, and instructors are seeking people who have periodontal disease and have never been treated as well as people suffering other conditions such as puffy and bleeding gums.

SIGNING UP

The students will conduct complimentary oral-health screenings from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sept. 29 at the Arizona School of Dentistry and Oral Health, 5855 E. Still Circle, Mesa. To register: 480-248-8195.

PROCEDURE

Students will screen patients to determine if they have the oral-health conditions they are looking for. Participants will be X-rayed and can get a copy of the X-rays for $20. Although the screening is free, patients selected for the program will be charged for services.

THE CLINIC

MCC's dental-hygiene clinic offers a full range of services utilizing the latest technology at fees lower than private practices charge. Students work under the supervision of licensed dental hygienists and supervising dentists.

19 Sep, 2012


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Source: http://www.azcentral.com/community/mesa/articles/2012/09/12/20120912mcc-dental-program-seeks-those-needing-cleaning.html
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Mesa PE teacher touts virtues of martial arts

by Cathryn Creno - Sept. 19, 2012 09:12 AM
The Republic | azcentral.com

Peter Hill, 52, head physical-education teacher at Sequoia Secondary School, has found a way to get students at the charter school who don't like PE class to move around. The Mesa resident teaches them the basics of tai chi and a martial art called kenpo.

The Republic recently caught up with him for an interview.

Question: How long have you been a teacher and what drew you to the field of education?

Answer: I have been a teacher for over 30 years. I love people and I love to inspire and empower students of all ages.

Q: How long have you been teaching martial arts at Sequoia Secondary and how is that going?

A: It is great! I have been teaching martial arts and tai chi at Sequoia for over 15 years. Students who normally dislike PE will take martial arts. My students have performed at the Governor's Council on Aging and many have continued on post-high school. A number have become martial arts and tai chi instructors.

Q: Do you teach kenpo and tai chi anywhere outside of Sequoia?

A: I have been teaching and training in the arts since 1977. I have owned and operated seven schools here in the Valley. I have trained and have certifications in Chinese kenpo, tai chi, qi kung, arnis, balintawak, jujitsu, wu shu, Shaolin kung fu and wu tang internal arts. I just taught two workshops at the Southwestern Schools annual conference for behavioral health in Tucson, and I also taught at the international symposium for tai chi at Vanderbilt University a few years ago. I also have a distance-learning program through www.worldtaichi.com.

Q: Do students notice any mental changes along with the physical changes after taking these new forms of PE?

A: The integration of the right and left brain into whole-brain development along with conflict-resolution skills, knowledge of the laws regarding use of force and the confidence and self-esteem that students gain transform their lives in a variety of positive ways.

I was talking to a senior today who is very good. I asked him what he felt the greatest benefit from his martial-arts training is and he said, "It helped me manage my anger better than any anger management class." I asked how he thought that happened. He responded that he felt his anger had come from the fact he had moved around a lot, got pushed around a lot and it was a reaction to his emotional pain and frustration from not being in control.

The discipline and control in martial arts helped him realize that the more he had control of himself and his self-esteem increased, the less angry he was and the less anything or anyone bothered him.

Q: In general, do students at your school get enough exercise?

A: Generally, students get enough exercise. The challenge comes after they graduate and do not keep up with an exercise regimen.

Do you know a Mesa Public Schools student, educator or community leader who should be featured? Contact Cathryn Creno at cathryn.creno@arizonarepublic.com.

20 Sep, 2012


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Source: http://www.azcentral.com/community/mesa/articles/2012/08/28/20120828mesa-pe-teacher-touts-virtues-martial-arts.html
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Upper Iowa tops off Mesa bid for colleges

by Gary Nelson - Sept. 19, 2012 09:11 AM
The Republic | azcentral.com

By the time the first Anglo pioneers straggled onto the land that would someday be called Mesa, Upper Iowa University already had a generation of students under its belt.

It wasn't called Upper Iowa University when it started, and it was more a church school than anything else. Its first name was "Fayette Seminary of the Upper Iowa Conference," a unit of the Methodist church.

That cumbersome monicker was shortened to its present form in 1858, only a year after the school opened. Thereafter, Upper Iowa sent a contingent of students to fight in the Civil War, educated a future speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives (David B. Henderson), welcomed electrical power to its campus in 1895 and saw its gym become a military barracks during what was then called the Great War.

Meanwhile, Mesa was busy fighting droughts and floods, growing cotton and clinging to its tenuous place in the baking desert.

With all that on its plate, Mesa never produced its counterpart to Elizabeth Alexander, who in 1854 saw the need for a college in the nascent town of Fayette and persuaded her husband and son-in-law to donate $15,000 and 10 acres.

Stories like that were playing out all over the East and Midwest at the time, planting seeds for a rich legacy of higher education that churned out generations of American leaders.

Fast-forward to the early 21st century. Mesa is hardly an educational wasteland, with one of the best public-school systems in the country, a thriving community college and a burgeoning medical school, all topped off with Arizona State University in next-door Tempe and in Mesa's own southeastern corner.

But as to an Upper Iowa-style legacy, nothing.

It wasn't just a prestige thing, Mayor Scott Smith said when he started talking about it early in his term. Without educational choices, Mesa and Arizona could lag in the increasingly fierce global competition for brainpower.

So, if Mesa had neglected during its first 130 years to nurture its own college legacy, could it at least borrow one?

The city launched an aggressive effort to find out. The answer was a resounding and amazing yes.

Last week, Upper Iowa became the fifth college this year to establish a campus in Mesa. The city is now home to five liberal-arts institutions with a combined age of 676 years. The others:

Illinois-based Benedictine University, the first Catholic college to set up an Arizona campus, founded in 1887.

Westminster College of Fulton, Ill., which has done a bit of legacy-borrowing of its own by tapping deeply into British history, founded in 1851.

Albright College of Reading, Pa., founded in 1856.

Wilkes University of Wilkes-Barre, Pa., the baby of the clan, founded in 1933.

All except for Upper Iowa are locating in downtown city-owned buildings. Mesa said after Wilkes committed in July that its Center for Higher Education at 245 W. Second St. was maxed out, and Benedictine will fully occupy the former Tri-City Services building at 225 E. Main St. But Upper Iowa was still in the game then, looking to rent empty retail space in the Fiesta District.

Economic Development Director Bill Jabjiniak said that didn't pan out, so Upper Iowa is renting space from Mesa Public Schools in its student-services center at 1045 N. Country Club Drive.

That's only temporary, Upper Iowa's president Alan G. Walker said. The goal is permanent quarters in west Mesa, working in concert with efforts to revitalize that part of the city.

Upper Iowa, aiming its diverse bachelors programs at adult learners, doesn't plan a residential campus in Mesa.

20 Sep, 2012


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Source: http://www.azcentral.com/community/mesa/articles/2012/09/14/20120914upper-iowa-tops-off-mesa-bid-colleges.html
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Mesa holds off on self-certify permits

by Gary Nelson - Sept. 19, 2012 08:38 AM
The Republic | azcentral.com

The folks at LongHorn Steakhouse were mighty pleased with how Mesa handled the permits for their new restaurant in Mesa's Fiesta District.

But Sal DiCiccio, a Phoenix city councilman, thinks the restaurant chain and other Valley developers should be given an even faster green light for their projects.

His reason: The sooner buildings come out of the ground, the sooner construction workers can start collecting paychecks and the sooner those buildings can begin generating other economic benefits.

LongHorn, a branch of the Florida-based Darden Restaurants Inc., picked the southeastern corner of Fiesta Mall for its first Arizona restaurant because of the area's economic potential.

Despite the fact that several of the neighborhood's strip malls have dried up, Darden saw a potential market in the thousands of health-care, education and other workers who still pour into the district every day. Further, Mesa is planning to sink nearly $12 million into a major Fiesta District streetscape project in an effort to attract upscale investment.

It didn't hurt that Darden already has two popular brands -- Red Lobster and Olive Garden -- doing well just a stone's throw from where the steakhouse is going up.

Still, the chain had to nail down its construction permits. Things went smoothly, said John Keen, who is LongHorn's site development manager.

"Mesa had an open-door policy and was very willing to work with us," Keen said. "City Hall was willing to have dialogues very early on in our building process, gave ongoing feedback and was very open to being our partner."

"This is a win all around," Keen said. "It allows us to create jobs faster."

DiCiccio, however, is pushing a new system that in many cases boils the permitting process to a day or less.

He is spreading the news with the zeal of an apostle, approaching numerous other Valley communities with the idea because, he said, a job for one city is really a job for all.

The program is called self-certification.

After a period of training, the design professionals are entitled to walk into Phoenix City Hall with a set of self-certified plans and walk out all but immediately with their building permits.

The program, DiCiccio said, sprang from the deliberations of a 125-member committee representing such diverse groups as unions, builders, city staffers and the libertarian Goldwater Institute.

DiCiccio organized the panel along with Phoenix Councilman Tom Simplot, even though the two differ as to political philosophies.

The aim, DiCiccio said, was "to make the city of Phoenix literally the best in the country when it comes to job creation."

Government, he believes, is too cumbersome in approving construction permits. On the other hand, privatizing that function into the hands of just one company would only create another monopoly.

So far, he said, 115 professionals are entitled to use the speeded-up process, and other individuals or companies can go through them if they want quick permit approvals.

Not all projects are eligible, however. Buildings taller than 75 feet, steep-slope projects and potentially hazardous land uses still need full vetting by city staffers. Otherwise, every commercial and residential project in Phoenix can hit the fast track.

Further, DiCiccio said, the professionals undergo rigid scrutiny their first few times through the process.

"If they fail three times they can't do business in the city of Phoenix under this model for three years," DiCiccio said.

Self-certification, he said, allows people with skills in one area -- say, large industrial buildings -- to serve that sector more quickly than can a city building department that must have expertise in everything.

He has met with officials from numerous Valley cities to push the idea, but said he hasn't gotten around yet to having discussions with Mesa.

That doesn't mean Mesa is out of the loop, however.

Development and Sustainability Director Christine Zielonka said the city has known about the idea for several years but hasn't seen a need for it yet.

"We actually had proposed, through the budget process, allocating money to put a pilot program together," Zielonka said. "That particular project did not get funded. At this point in time, it's on a back burner."

Mesa meets the needs of the development community by speeding up permits in whatever other ways are feasible, Zielonka said. As examples, she cited quick approval within the past two years for two large projects -- the Crescent Crown beverage distributorship on West Broadway Road and the 1.3-million-square-foot First Solar Inc. factory in southeast Mesa.

Mesa began issuing permits for First Solar even as the Tempe-based company was still haggling with Mesa and the state over the last details of its development agreement.

"Folks for the most part, I think, have been pretty happy with the level of interaction with staff and our willingness to work with the development program on their schedule," Zielonka said.

Developers, in fact, often rely on city expertise to fine-tune plans with a view to the latest building and safety codes. The last thing Mesa wants, she said, is for a self-certified project to be shut down in the middle of construction because of serious safety concerns.

"It seems like it's working," Zielonka said.

Mayor Scott Smith, a former homebuilder, said self-certification has been a buzz topic in the construction industry for at least a decade. Although he can see advantages, he also sees potential drawbacks.

"The reality is that some engineers and some architects do not stay completely up to date with building and fire codes," Smith said.

Even so, he expects Mesa to take a closer look at self-certification and perhaps move toward that model in the near future. "We're going to be looking very carefully at what Phoenix does," Smith said. "There's no perfect elixir."

Mesa permit numbers

Mesa's monthly building permits have climbed steadily over the past year and a half, from a low of 95 in February 2011 to 283 this past May.

Permits include everything from demolitions and minor jobs with no valuation to multimillion-dollar factory projects.

The most lucrative area from month to month typically is home construction. Other areas with high valuations are commercial buildings and commercial additions and remodels.

In 2011, Mesa issued 1,728 permits of all types. Of those, 523 were for single-family homes.

Through August of this year, the city had issued 1,466 total permits, including 556 for single-family homes.

19 Sep, 2012


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Source: http://www.azcentral.com/community/mesa/articles/2012/09/11/20120911mesa-holds-off-self-certify-permits.html
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Mesa Gateway director retiring after 20 years

by Maria Polletta - Sept. 19, 2012 08:49 AM
The Republic | azcentral.com

Lynn Kusy's 20th anniversary at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport will be his last.

The 66-year-old executive director on Monday submitted a retirement letter to the airport board, announcing he would be leaving March 15 to relax for the first time in two decades.

Kusy started on March 15, 1993, hired to transform what was Williams Air Force Base into something the greater Southeast Valley community could use.


slideshowPhotos: Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport | Gateway parking fee going up 67%

"I'd had my eye on this job a year and a half before it was advertised," he said. "I knew about the growth that was taking place in the Valley. I knew the military base was a project that could be very successful, given the right leadership and the right commitment from the local government."

Despite his eagerness to revamp the former base, Kusy initially wasn't set on staying with Gateway beyond the initial transfer process.

"Honestly, when I took the job, I thought at the end of five years I might be somewhere else. But the project was just so exciting and had so many facets to it, I wanted to continue working on it," he said. "It's actually still very exciting to me, and there's still a lot of work to be done here."

Among other milestones, Kusy has seen the airport through land and terminal developments, the acquisition of three passengers airlines, an explosive uptick in passenger service and the site's evolving status as an economic driver.

He will leave as the airport wraps west-side expansions and begins looking toward the east side of the property to accommodate future growth.

"It's a natural point in our evolution and a natural time (for Kusy to leave)," said Gateway Deputy Director Casey Denny, who has worked with Kusy for nearly 19 years. "He's not leaving any of us hanging."

That it may make sense for Kusy to leave now doesn't make it any easier for his staff to accept, however.

"He's been more than a boss to us. He's been a leader, a mentor and a friend through all these years, and I think there will be a lot of emotion as we get closer to his retirement," Denny said. "It's hard to even think about someone else coming in, just because Lynn has meant so much not only to the airport but to the whole community."

Airport officials have begun working out the details of a national search for Kusy's replacement.

19 Sep, 2012


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Source: http://www.azcentral.com/community/mesa/articles/2012/09/17/20120917mesa-gateway-director-retiring-after-years.html
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Undercover prostitute sting nets 40 arrests

by JJ Hensley - Sept. 18, 2012 10:07 PM
The Republic | azcentral.com

A recently concluded undercover sting started simply enough: A Maricopa County sheriff's detective conducting surveillance on a drug operation noticed odd activities going on at a central Tempe motel.

Detectives commented on their radios about a woman they saw going from one room to another and, later, a man who stood outside several rooms and appeared to be "keeping time."

The operation soon transitioned from drug surveillance to a prostitution sting. Over the course of a month, detectives made nearly 40 arrests for prostitution-related crimes, drug possession and unlawful-weapon possession in an unincorporated area of the county tucked between Tempe and Guadalupe. The investigation led detectives to east Mesa and south Tempe before the operation was complete.

"It's not just the county island, we've done this in other hotels," Sheriff Joe Arpaio said. "I'm sure you're not going to stop this type of activity. Some media attention ... might act as a deterrent to others getting involved in this type of thing."

The operation had the familiar feel of any sting, with detectives making contact with suspects who came to a designated hotel. There, the suspects made contact with an undercover deputy, who secured an offer of sex for money and then used a code word as a signal for other deputies to storm the hotel room.

On a recent weeknight, a half-dozen detectives crowded into a Tempe hotel room to run the sting. Two deputies were assigned to contact women advertising as escorts on the Internet. Within 30 minutes, two women had agreed to spend an hour with the undercover detectives in exchange for $200.

Samantha Siqueiros, 24, was arrested soon after she arrived. She discussed the fetishes of some of her clients and noted that she had been in the hotel room before.

Detectives searching her purse found a medical-marijuana card, a switchblade and paperwork indicating she had attended a prostitution-diversion class earlier in the day in an effort to avoid prosecution for an August arrest in Phoenix.

"I like sex," Siqueiros said when detectives asked how she got involved in prostitution. "It's just easy."

In the ongoing battle between Valley police and prostitution rings, Internet sites advertising adult services have become a valuable tool for police. The sites feature photos of women typically wearing little more than lingerie offering body rubs, massages, escorts and companionship. Police use those ads to generate investigative leads.

Backpage.com, an online-classified site owned by alternative-media conglomerate Village Voice Media, whose holdings include the PhoenixNew Times, has garnered national attention for publishing such ads. In response, groups from around the country have protested and encouraged boycotts of businesses that advertise with the media company.

A law was passed in Washington state this spring that threatened five years in prison and a $10,000 fine for anyone who knowingly or indirectly displays content that offers sexual contact for something of value, if the content includes an image of a minor. A federal judge in July issued an injunction to prevent the law from taking effect.

Liz McDougall, an attorney representing Backpage.com, has said the company will not remove the site. It instead wants to create a framework for adult advertising that can be implemented throughout the industry. It would allow cooperation with local law-enforcement agencies to fight human trafficking while developing a comprehensive approach to adult-services advertisements. The concern, according to Backpage supporters, is that shutting down the site might drive the content to offshore networks outside the reach of American law-enforcement agencies.

McDougall said there is another reason Backpage does not intend to shut down: There is minimal likelihood that any of the women are advertising exclusively on its pages.

"When you talk with people who have used Backpage for prostitution, they will tell you you can't make a living with one Internet resource," she said. "I would be shocked if Backpage is their only source of advertising."

McDougall also said the company has worked with law-enforcement agencies to seek out women police have brought to their attention and provided information from other websites.

"We've found a victim on up to 13 other sites," she said.

Sheriff's deputies did not consult with Backpage's monitors for their operation, instead trolling the site for women who advertised services in an unincorporated area of Tempe near Baseline Road and Priest Drive. The area is outside the jurisdiction of surrounding police agencies and not subject to local zoning laws and restrictions.

The sheriff's deputies also did not identify any minors during the monthlong operation that took place near the Arizona Mills mall. But working through Backpage allowed detectives to contact the women, leading to 10 arrests on suspicion of prostitution, five for solicitation and three for allegedly receiving the earnings of a prostitute.

On the night they arrested Siqueiros, detectives arrested another woman and her alleged pimp, a 20-year-old who told deputies that he had picked up the woman, a friend, earlier in the day at a bus station and used his brother's Mercedes to drive her to appointments around the Valley.

The suspect, James King, was carrying a 9mm gun and ammunition in the car. The $960 he had in his wallet was from work at a local record studio, supplemented by gas money from his companion, he said.

The discovery was indicative of what detectives found in the operation, Arpaio said.

"It's not just prostitution," he said.

19 Sep, 2012


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Source: http://www.azcentral.com/community/mesa/articles/2012/09/18/20120918undercover-prostitute-sting-arrests.html
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Arizona has unremarkable summer

by Michael Clancy - Sept. 18, 2012 10:16 PM
The Republic | azcentral.com

It wasn't terribly hot, not especially cool, not too wet but not super dry. Arizona's summer was not very distinguished at all, even though in the first half of August it felt extra hot and possibly endless.

The National Climatic Data Center has put out its statistics on the months it classifies as summer: June, July and August.

Using those guidelines, Arizona had its:

12th-warmest summer, averaging 74.41 degrees. Phoenix's average for the whole year has been higher than that since 2000, according to the National Weather Service.

Eighth-wettest summer, with total rainfall of 5.37 inches. Phoenix has seen less rain annually in four of the last 11 years.

The data center bases its figures on averages of seven climate divisions around the state.

Such numbers seem positively heavenly to a resident of the Phoenix area. The temperature dropped to 74 degrees only once in each of the data center's summer months.

But the official numbers for Phoenix do not show any standout figures either. The average temperature was about 94.3 degrees, and the total rainfall was 2.41 inches -- neither figure especially high or low.

Phoenix had 85 days of temperatures over 100 during the three-month period and 108 so far this year, perfectly average. But the area had more than its fair share of 110-degree days so far this year -- 23 of them, more than the average of 18 but 10 fewer than in 2011.

Both summer and the monsoon continued well past the national data center's end-of-August cutoff. Summer ends on Friday, and the average temperature for the month through Monday was 88.4, or 2.2 degrees below normal. The addition of the September temperatures, along with the deletion of the first three weeks of June, would knock the summer temperature average down even further.

September also added 0.59 inch of rain, contributing to a total of 3 inches of rain during Phoenix's 2012 monsoon, a bit above average. No rain is forecast through next Tuesday, and the monsoon ends on Sept. 30.

19 Sep, 2012


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Southeast Valley police target drinking by minors, drivers

by Jackee Coe - Sept. 18, 2012 07:51 PM
The Republic | azcentral.com

Southeast Valley police are on the lookout for underage drinkers and for those who drink and drive near schools.

Wise decision-making about alcohol use is an annual back-to-school theme by law enforcement, and this year, southeast Valley police departments are partnering with the Governor's Office of Highway Safety to conduct saturation DUI patrols the first few weeks of school. Police are joining with Arizona State University, schools, businesses and community groups to reach students.

Officers are reminding minors to not drink and those who are at least 21 to drink in moderation in an effort to cut back on sexual assaults. They also are urging people to not get behind the wheel while intoxicated.

"It's really an opportunity for us to reach out to the students while we have their ear because we want them to be safe," Tempe police Lt. Kerby Rapp said. "We don't want the unfortunate incidents to happen, and every student that we can reach out to is potentially a crime that's not going to happen."

Officers want to make sure that returning community-college and ASU students are aware of "the realistic dangers out there" and that good decision making can enhance their personal safety, Tempe police Lt. Scott Smith said.

Drinking too much alcohol can lead to many issues, including DUI-related collisions and fatalities, criminal damage, disorderly conduct, fights and rapes, Chandler Detective Seth Tyler said.

Sexual assaults in the region have risen slightly in recent years, and police say the majority involve acquaintances and alcohol. Most take place between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. on weekends, when people are out with friends.

Tempe officers arrested a man recently who they believe was drunk and who they suspect attempted to rape a woman near Mill Avenue, police said. The woman had had a few drinks while out with friends but was not intoxicated, police say. She had been walking alone about 3 a.m. after being separated from her friends when the man is suspected of attacking her.

In Mesa, there have been incidents of people passing out after drinking too much alcohol and waking up while an assault was occurring, police Sgt. Tony Landato said.

Tempe school-resource Sgt. Josie Montenegro said resource officers have seen an increase in teen-dating violence, which is "a vicious cycle that can lead to sexual assaults." School-resource officers will be teaching classes on the subject.

Officers from ASU, Tempe, Chandler, Gilbert and Mesa will conduct saturation patrols during the first few weeks of school.

Underage DUI citations have decreased in the southeast Valley since 2010. Chandler, which had the fewest, dropped from 18 in 2010 to 14 in 2011. Gilbert decreased from 447 to 307, and Mesa from 355 to 338 during the same time. Tempe was the only city with an increase, from 171 in 2010 to 253 in 2011.

Southeast Valley cities have several programs targeting underage drinking.

Tempe's social-host ordinance holds responsible those who provide alcohol to a minor.

The first offense carries a $250 fine that could be reduced if the person completes an education class. A second offense is a $1,000 fine, and third and subsequent offenses are $1,500 each.

19 Sep, 2012


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To our readers: Southeast Valley constantly changing

Written By empatlima on Selasa, 18 September 2012 | 23.15

by Paul Maryniak - Sept. 18, 2012 11:06 PM
Southeast Valley Communities editor

The evolution of the southeast Valley since I moved here from Philadelphia in 1999 has been nothing short of astonishing.

Mesa is popping with the vitality of its arts center and Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport. Gilbert is home to four hospitals, a regional mall and burgeoning high-tech center.

Buoyed by Intel, Chandler exudes a vibe that beckons all generations. And while Ahwatukee Foothills, Queen Creek and Apache Junction don't have the same resources, each has taken steps to help make the area vibrant.

From our Mesa office, we've charted these developments and more in our Community newspapers, The Arizona Republic, and community sites on azcentral.com. We continue to pay unparalleled attention to the area's local governments, school districts, neighborhoods, businesses and people.

Most of us live in the region and cover the good and the bad with the commitment you would expect from a good neighbor, as demonstrated by today's Valley & State story on Tempe's move to edit public comment out of its public- access channel.

We'll continue to demonstrate that dedication.

E-mail: paul.maryniak@arizonarepublic.com.

19 Sep, 2012


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Mesa police: Drug-deal texts on man's cellphone

by Danielle Grobmeier - Sept. 18, 2012 03:25 PM
The Arizona Republic-12 News Breaking News Team

A 51-year-old man was arrested Monday in Mesa after police found methamphetamine in the car he was driving and text messages about drug-related transactions on his cellphone, according to a court document.

An officer pulled John Parsons over near Alma School Road and Southern Avenue after the officer noticed that one of the car's headlights was out, according to the document.


slideshowMesa police mugshots, September 2012

Police reported that Parsons told the officer that he was driving a friend's car.

When asked about his arrest history, Parsons told police he had been arrested several months before because of drugs, the document said.

Parsons agreed to let police search him but declined to let them search the vehicle because it was his friend's car, according to the document.

Though police found nothing on Parsons, a K-9 unit was brought to the car to search the outside of the vehicle for drugs, according to the document.

Police reported the service dog alerted to the odor of drugs, and a search of the car revealed a small bag of methamphetamine under the driver's seat.

Parsons told police the vehicle's owner did not use drugs and that he had used methamphetamine two weeks before, the document said.

Parsons agreed to let police look through his cellphone, which was found to contain texts about Parsons receiving $80 and a ring for drugs, according to the document.

Police reported finding $90 and a ring on Parsons.

19 Sep, 2012


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On a mission to Mexico, veteran stakes out site that would become Mesa

by Jay Mark - Sept. 18, 2012 01:50 PM
Special for The Republic | azcentral.com

Years before Anglos rediscovered the agricultural potential of the Salt River Valley and began settling communities on land farmed centuries before by the Hohokam, there was the Mormon Battalion -- a unit of the U.S. Army -- over 500 volunteers organized to help the U.S. military's fight in the Mexican-American War.

Although in existence for just one year, 1846-47, the battalion achieved several remarkable accomplishments, including a nearly 2,000-mile march from Council Bluffs, Iowa, to San Diego, thereby establishing one of the earliest southern land routes to California.


•New column explores Mesa's long, rich past | slideshowHistoric Mesa

The battalion traveled across the southern breadth of what is now Arizona, but was then Mexico. Along the way, it was involved in a skirmish in the San Pedro Valley, it's only fight in Arizona.

The battalion learned much about territory and about desert farming from Native Americans, information that would prove valuable three decades later.

Almost from the time Salt Lake City was settled in 1847, Mormons were exploring and traveling throughout Arizona on missions to the native peoples.

A longstanding goal of Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints President Brigham Young was to colonize into Mexico. To that end, he sent his most experienced envoy, Daniel Webster Jones, an LDS convert who fought in the Mexican-American War as a Missouri volunteer.

Jones and his party of seven began a horseback journey to Mexico from Nephi, Utah, on Sept. 10, 1875. When they reached Kanab near the Arizona border, a telegraph message from Young was waiting, instructing Jones to make a reconnaissance stop in the Salt River Valley.

Years later in his memoir, titled "Forty Years Among the Indians," Jones recalled his first visit to the Valley:

"We were much surprised on entering the Salt River Valley. ... there opened before us a sight truly lovely. A fertile looking soil and miles of level plain. In the distance the green cottonwood trees; and what made the country look more real, was the little settlement of Phoenix, with its streets planted with shade trees for miles."

While resting their animals, Jones learned about the fledgling community of Tempe.

The party's first encounter with Tempe founder Charles Trumbull Hayden "... found the owner an agreeable, intelligent gentleman, who was much interested in the development of the country ... and could sympathize with the Mormon people in settling the deserts."

It was the start of a warm relationship that would last until Hayden's death in 1900.

While camped at the nearby ranch of Winchester Miller, Jones learned of an ideal settlement site, just up the Salt River from Tempe, in which an ancient irrigation ditch could be excavated.

It's where present-day Lehi was established two years later by a party of 84 immigrants: Thus beginning a settlement that would one day lead to an urban center of nearly 450,000.

But that's for later.

A 46-year Mesa resident, Jay Mark has a long association with the museum and preservation communities and has been researching and writing about East Southeast Valley history for many years. Reach him at jaymark@twtdbooks.com.

19 Sep, 2012


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Source: http://www.azcentral.com/community/mesa/articles/2012/09/10/20120910mission-mexico-veteran-stakes-out-lehi-mesa.html
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Two Mesa schools on lockdown while rape suspect sought

by Danielle Grobmeier - Sept. 18, 2012 01:23 PM
The Arizona Republic-12 News Breaking News Team

Two Mesa elementary schools are on lockdown while authorities search for a rape suspect near 96th Street and Birchwood Avenue, authorities said.

Maricopa County Sheriff's Office spokesman Brandon Jones said the rape might have involved a man holding a gun to a female's face.

Taft Elementary School, near University Drive and Crismon Road, and Stevenson Elementary School, near Broadway and Crismon roads, were the two schools on lockdown.

According to Jones, the schools will remain on lockdown while authorities search the area.

19 Sep, 2012


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Source: http://www.azcentral.com/community/mesa/articles/2012/09/18/20120918mesa-schools-lockdown-while-rape-suspect-sought-abrk.html
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Motorcycle collision closes east Mesa intersection

by Danielle Grobmeier - Sept. 18, 2012 12:58 PM
The Arizona Republic-12 News Breaking News Team

The intersection of Signal Butte Road and University Drive in east Mesa was closed temporarily following the collision of a motorcycle and a truck, according to officials.

According to Maricopa County Sheriff's Office spokesman Brandon Jones, the accident is "possibly fatal" and remains under investigation.

19 Sep, 2012


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Boeing braces for federal reduction in aerospace, defense spending

by Sarah Pringle - Sept. 18, 2012 08:48 AM
Cronkite News Service

MESA - It's a typical day along Boeing Co.'s production line turning out Apache AH-64D helicopters, new and remanufactured.

Kelley Miles hammers rivets above the cockpit of a stripped-down helicopter getting a refit. Ronald Young builds the pylons that hold missiles and rockets. Pat Chi puts together a streamlined exhaust vent.

Outside, finished helicopters roar above the desert.

Miles, Young, Chi and close to 5,000 co-workers are among an estimated 40,000 Arizonans working in aerospace and defense, a sector that contributed roughly $300 million to state and local tax revenues in 2009, according to the Arizona Commerce Authority.

Those depending on Arizona's defense contractors and subcontractors, as well as its military installations, are looking warily toward year's end, when automatic spending cuts will occur unless the White House and Congress agree on an alternative plan for reducing the federal deficit.

U.S. Sen. John McCain calls it a "fiscal cliff."

"If you're going to enact savings, and we need to enact savings, you do it with a scalpel," McCain said at an August appearance with West Valley leaders. "You don't want to do it with a meat ax."

McCain cited a George Mason University study predicting that Arizona would lose more than 35,000 jobs and suffer a $3 billion loss in gross domestic product.

President Barack Obama and GOP leaders in Congress are at odds over the $1.2 trillion in automatic reductions over 10 years called for by the Budget Control Act of 2011. Under the current plan, about half of the cuts would come from defense.

In a letter last Friday, Obama, who wants a revised plan that increases taxes on those with higher incomes, called sequestration a "blunt and indiscriminate instrument" that was never intended to happen.

Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton, who heads a U.S. Conference of Mayors defense transition task force, said sequestration would harm Arizona's many subcontractors in addition to major military contractors.

"It would be greatly damaging to our small-business economy, not just the big ones," Stanton said in a telephone interview. "Massive cuts will affect mainstream America."

Boeing's operations could be harmed by losing second- and third-tier suppliers, such as those providing one specific part, spokesman Dan Beck said in a telephone interview.

"If you lose that you lose the capability to produce these products in the future," he said.

The primary business of Prescott Aerospace, one of Boeing's 578 suppliers and vendors in Arizona, is precision parts for the Apache program, said Michael Daley, president of Prescott Aerospace.

"We're not expanding or doing much of anything," he said.

The sequestration cuts would cost Maricopa County firms more than $1.37 billion in annual revenue from 2013 to 2021, according to the Center for Security Policy, a conservative think tank based in Washington. Pima County firms would lose an estimated $740.4 million over this same period, the group said.

Tucson Mayor Jonathan Rothschild said one of the concerns for his city is that its economy relies heavily on Davis-Monthan Air Force Base and Raytheon Missile Systems.

"We don't want to see what's a slow recovery take another hit," Rothschild said.

But Arizona is in a much better position than most of the nation when it comes to defense spending and commitments, said Werner Dahm, director of the Security & Defense Systems Initiative at Arizona State University and former chief scientist of the U.S. Air Force.

Dahm pointed to the decision to base three squadrons of F-35 jet fighters at Luke Air Force Base as well as Marine Corps Air Station Yuma awaiting the arrival of the first F-35B Joint Strike Fighter jets this winter.

"If we weren't talking about sequestration the net positive impact of that on the state would be enormous," Dahm said. "Sequestration will offset some of those wins, but that's huge."

Mark Muro, director of policy for the Metropolitan Policy Program at Brookings Institution, said military budgets are likely to decline long-term regardless of whether sequestration occurs.

"The great challenge now is for these government-related industries and firms to begin moving to 'get off the dole' of U.S. military contracting and seek new, more commercial business opportunities," Muro said in an email.

Boeing is focusing on growth in its commercial business and international sales, said Beck, the company's spokesman.

"There are a number of things that will be a hedge," he said. "But we don't want to overstate that because [sequestration] will have an effect."

18 Sep, 2012


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Curtain could soon rise at Silver Star

by Maria Polletta - Sept. 18, 2012 08:18 AM
The Republic | azcentral.com

Design plans for the Silver Star Playhouse, the reincarnation of northeast Mesa's Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre, are being finalized as the theater's new operators prepare for a Nov. 29 reopening.

Executive producer Mike Todd has declined to release renovation details until they're official, but he said "the process is moving along" and "a number of modifications will make the theater," at Higley and Brown roads, "look and feel different."

"Different" also sums up the Silver Star's unique brand of locally flavored comedy, already implemented at the Desert Star Playhouse in Utah, according to Todd.

The Silver Star will kick off its season with "Nutcracker: Men in Tights," the story of an Arizona mayor trying to save his small town from financial ruin by putting on a ballet -- without anyone in town having ballet experience.

"This Valley is loaded with fabulous theater, but ... our philosophy is, 'Find out what everybody else is doing, and don't do that,' " he said.

The Broadway Palm, which opened in 2001, had found success producing more traditional Broadway-style musicals. It was shuttered in late July after a decline in box-office revenue followed the opening of venues such as the Mesa Arts Center.

Todd's interest in the Valley market predated the Broadway Palm's financial troubles, however. "My wife and I met in Arizona ... and we'd always wanted to bring our brand of live theater here," he said.

"We'd been acquainted with the Prather family" -- which operated the Broadway Palm and is subleasing the space to the Silver Star -- "for many years. When the circumstances presented themselves to take over this existing theater, we came to a decision that now was the right time."

In addition to its performances, the Silver Star will offer a "cabaret-style" table service with an a la carte menu of gourmet burgers and pizzas, wraps and desserts.

Mesa Councilwoman Dina Higgins, whose district includes the strip mall where the Silver Star is located, said she was thrilled that someone had agreed to take over the space. The expansive theater anchors the southeastern corner of Higley and Brown and is surrounded by smaller shops and restaurants.

"You might think, 'It's only a matter of time until someone else comes in,' but those big-box spaces are huge and they're really hard to fill," she said. "For an office or a boutique that needs 300 square feet, that wouldn't even be a postage stamp in something that big."

The chance to have the dinner-theater tradition extended was a bonus, she said.

"I think it speaks to the fact that there's vibrancy in the area, and people still want to see theater here," Higgins said. "I'm excited for some neat, quality shows to come to the neighborhood."

18 Sep, 2012


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Valley cities delay, re-evaluate parks plans

Written By empatlima on Senin, 17 September 2012 | 16.35

Here is a closer look at city projects that were affected.

Loading list...


CHANDLER

The city has postponed park construction until economic conditions improve. Among the postponed parks:

Centennial Park, a 7.87-acre facility near Ocotillo and Cooper roads.

Mesquite Groves, a 100-acre regional facility near Val Vista Drive and Riggs Road.

McQueen/Queen Creek, a 70-acre site at the southeastern corner of McQueen and Queen Creek roads, originally called Nozomi Park, a name assigned instead to the former West Chandler Park.

Roadrunner Park, a 10-acre facility near Germann and Lindsay roads, expected to be completed in 2013.

GILBERT

Several major parks in Gilbert are on hold while the town works out a parks master plan and looks for money to develop hundreds of acres that sit vacant.

After overspending to acquire 143 acres of future parkland in southern neighborhoods, Gilbert doesn't have revenue to issue new bonds to pay for sports fields, playground equipment and picnic sites.

The town plans to build a 140-acre riparian preserve in south Gilbert to double as a water-recharge site. An 80-acre activity center near Greenfield and Chandler Heights roads likely would include ball fields, sport courts, a lake and ramadas.

GLENDALE

An 83rd Avenue and Bethany Home Road regional-park site had several phases delayed, including a sports complex, urban lake, library and dog park. Other portions of the park have been completed.

Improvements to two segments of Glendale multi-use paths are in the planning stage. Those trails are the Grand Canal Pathway, along the Grand Canal from Loop 101 to New River, and the New River Pathway, from Bethany Home Road to Northern Avenue.

MESA

Voters will consider a $70 million bond issue in November, which would go toward building parks and renovating existing parks and recreation trails.

Some of the money would be used to comply with federal requirements to replace land occupied by Riverview Golf Course and an adjacent park, being converted to the new Chicago Cubs spring-training facility.

PEORIA

The city proceeded with parks plans despite the recession. Construction of the 80-acre Pioneer Park was delayed for one year to ensure money for maintenance. Construction began in June.

Scotland Yard Park, an 8.5-acre neighborhood venue, opened on Sept. 8.

Osuna and Palo Verde neighborhood parks were completed during the economic downturn.

PHOENIX

Some parks projects promised before the recession are under construction or completed. Among them is Dust Devil Park, 13 acres at 107th Avenue and Camelback Road, due for completion this fall.

The city has 28 undeveloped park sites, mostly in Laveen and in the northeastern and northwestern sections of the city.

SCOTTSDALE

Reductions to the parks budgets forced postponement of new projects.

The city is reviewing possible parks projects if the City Council puts a bond issue on the ballot to raise funds.

SURPRISE

Capital-improvement projects, including parks, were postponed indefinitely. They will not be reconsidered for least a year, possibly two.

Among the projects postponed: an aquatics center at Surprise Farms Community Park, a skate park, trails, multi-use fields and a library.

18 Sep, 2012


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Source: http://www.azcentral.com/community/mesa/articles/2012/09/17/20120917valley-cities-delay-re-evaluate-parks-plans-prog.html
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Mesa police: Man points gun at girlfriend during argument

by Jonathan Reid - Sept. 17, 2012 03:45 PM
The Arizona Republic-12 News Breaking News Team

A man was arrested on three counts, including aggravated domestic violence and reckless handling of a deadly weapon, after he is suspected of pointing a handgun at himself and his girlfriend during an argument on Friday, according to Mesa police.

Enimoa Kale Jr., 24, confronted his girlfriend outside her home in the 7000 block of East Superstition Springs Boulevard at 12:18 a.m., believing that she had cheated on him, police said. Kale Jr. took out a handgun and pointed at himself, asking his girlfriend, "Is it me or the other guy?" police said.

After 20 minutes, the sister of Kale Jr.'s girlfriend went outside and told her to come back into the house, according to Mesa police. As the two walked back inside, Kale Jr. pointed the gun at them. The gun was less than three feet away from Kale Jr.'s girlfriend when he pointed it at her, police said.

Kale Jr. then left in his vehicle and officers contacted him several miles away at 1:33 a.m., according to Mesa police.

Upon being interviewed, Kale Jr.'s girlfriend said it was the most scary experience of her life, and that she thought she was going to be shot in the back, according to Mesa police.

Kale Jr. was arrested on suspicion of aggravated assault, reckless handling of a deadly weapon and aggravated domestic violence. He has three prior convictions of domestic-violence offenses in the past seven years, police said.

18 Sep, 2012


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As Phoenix-area city budgets remain tight, new park facilities on hold

by Weldon B. Johnson - Sept. 15, 2012 08:25 AM
The Republic | azcentral.com

There is no crack of the bat on a baseball field, no laughter as children play on swings or teeter-totters in some of the Valley's newer neighborhoods, no grunts from a two-handed backhand on a tennis court, no families huddled under the shade of a ramada for a picnic.

graphicValley cities delay, re-evaluate parks plans
•City Comparison Guide

Plans to create parks, often the recreational lifeblood of a community, have stalled as the recession continues to exert economic pressure on municipal budgets across metro Phoenix.

New parks that were added to budget wish lists in more optimistic times have yet to be built. More parks, or improvements to existing parks, languish, especially on the fringes of several Valley municipalities, depriving newer residents of soccer fields, playgrounds and healthy green space.

Phoenix has 28 yet-to-be developed park sites, mostly in Laveen, northeast Phoenix and northwest Phoenix. Chandler's plans for eight new parks are on hold. Scottsdale has land set aside for four parks that it cannot develop until the economy improves. Surprise's plan for new parks is on hold for at least another year, maybe two.

Parks are more than a quality-of-life amenity. Although they often are among the first budget cuts by cash-strapped municipalities, parks can be beneficial not only to the well-being of residents but also for the bottom line of communities.

"We believe that parks and recreation are really one of our most important public trusts and are essential to quality of life on so many levels," said Lauren Hoffmann of the National Recreation and Park Association, a Virginia-based organization dedicated to advancing parks, recreation and environmental conservation.

Four out of five people use a local park at least once a year, according to association research.

"They nourish us physically, spiritually and mentally and provide such an incredible value to communities across the country," Hoffmann said.

Parks and recreation facilities are among the factors businesses consider when looking to relocate. And parks provide an economic boost in small ways, such as sales taxes and jobs connected to the purchase of sporting goods and recreational equipment and in greater ways, including boosting tourism.

The Outdoor Industry Association estimates the annual economic impact of outdoor recreation nationally is $730 billion, most of that associated with local parks and public land.

The downturn in the economy did not diminish the need for public parks and other recreational facilities. In fact, that need is even greater during tough times, according to Kirk Haines, Peoria parks manager.

"Quite frankly, during the slowdown, people weren't traveling and doing a lot of vacationing," Haines said. "They were spending more time at home because they couldn't afford to go out and do different things.

"The pressure was on to provide services and make sure we kept up things like our library hours, for example, not just parks."

Shrinking funds

As property values and sales-tax revenue declined over the past five years and less money went into municipalities' general funds, cities were forced to cut budgets. To cover core services such as police and fire, lower priorities such as parks became expendable.

Chandler's 2008-09 budget called for construction of nine parks. All but one remain on hold indefinitely.

Among the casualties is Mesquite Groves, a 100-acre regional park near Riggs Road and Val Vista Drive. Chandler has the land for it. An aquatics center opened in 2008, but ball fields, a lake, an amphitheater and other amenities still exist only in drawings.

Chandler resident Patricia Edquist, who lives near the proposed site of Mesquite Groves Regional Park, understands the budget constraints but wishes the park would open soon.

"We could use more parks around here," Edquist said. "Tumbleweed Park (7 miles away) is really the only place around here for the kids. It would be great if they could build another one."

Scottsdale has put its plans for new parks on hold, as well, including two in the DC Ranch area, Desert Mountain Park and Whisper Rock Park.

Valley parks that have been delayed run the gamut: from smaller, neighborhood parks that would provide playgrounds or places to play basketball or soccer to large regional parks that include amenities such as urban lakes, amphitheaters and hiking trails.

The shrinking budgets caused community parks departments instead to focus on maintenance of existing parks and recreation facilities. This strategy benefits residents in established neighborhoods, but people in newer neighborhoods on the outskirts of municipalities must wait.

"It's maintain what you have and explain to the citizens the situation we're in," said Mickey Ohland, Chandler's park development and operations manager.

"Everybody understands the economic downturn and how it's affected the city. It's affected their budgets, as well."

Phoenix parks and preserve Administrator Cynthia Peters said the silver lining is that it helps the city catch up on maintenance.

"We're able to fix some things that have been broken for a long time, and we don't have to compete with new development," Peters said. "We're able to actually do some studies in terms of what our future needs are. We're able to plan, whereas before, we were just trying to catch up with the new growth."

Parks directors said the recession slowed anticipated growth in many outlying areas, in turn easing the demand for new parks.

Chandler resident Steve Johnson, who regularly visits the aquatic center at Mesquite Groves, said he would visit a regional park if it was built, but he isn't concerned if it doesn't come.

"I think there are plenty of parks," Johnson said.

Relief is on the way

The Valley is richly blessed with parks, from large regional oases with their lakes, riparian areas, miniature railroads, water-play features and trails that offer a wide range of recreation opportunities, to nationally renowned large-scale parks like Phoenix South Mountain and Scottsdale McDowell Sonoran Mountain preserves, and small community spaces in mature neighborhoods. But the need for more never diminishes.

And although many municipalities still have their park plans on hold, there are signs of relief on the horizon as an uptick in the economy improves revenue.

Peoria continued to build parks through the economic downturn. Scotland Yard, a neighborhood park, opened this month, and the city began construction of the $20 million Pioneer Park in June, which is scheduled to open in fall 2013.

Dust Devil Park, at 107th Avenue and Camelback Road in Phoenix, opens this fall, and Chandler will begin construction on its Roadrunner neighborhood park in the next year.

The Maricopa County parks system has plans to develop a 110-square-mile recreation area around the Vulture Mountains in the far northwest Valley. The $29 million, 30-year project would be the first large-scale county park project since the 1990s.

Mesa voters in November will consider a $70 million bond issue that would fund park construction and renovation.

Scottsdale is reviewing parks and other projects as it determines whether to ask its residents to consider a similar bond issue.

Municipalities recognize the need to offer recreational opportunities and outdoor space to their residents, and they're keeping their fingers crossed that they finally may move forward with stalled projects soon.

"Some day, they will be built," said Ohland, the Chandler parks manager. "We just have to let the economy turn around ... so we can build them."

graphicValley cities delay, re-evaluate parks plans >>

15 Sep, 2012


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Source: http://www.azcentral.com/community/mesa/articles/2012/09/11/20120911phoenix-area-city-budgets-tight-new-parks-on-hold.html
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Mesa police: 3 break into home, demand beer

by Jonathan Reid - Sept. 17, 2012 02:06 PM
The Arizona Republic-12 News Breaking News Team

A Scottsdale man was charged with five counts, including second-degree burglary, after he and two others are believed to have broken into a Mesa home and demanded beer from the residents, according to Mesa police.

Ryan Andreas, 21, Yalena Thurman and Zella Andreas are suspected of knocking on the door of a home in the 1800 block of Country Club Drive and yelling for beer early Sunday morning, police said. When the residents would not open the door, the three shattered a kitchen window and forced their way into the home, according to Mesa police.

Once inside, the three are accused of assaulting two residents, police said. When one of the residents retreated to a back room and locked the door, Ryan knocked two holes in the door, according to Mesa police.

Officers found Ryan attempting to leave the home in a vehicle at 3:36 a.m., police said. After he was stopped, police found that he had a blood-alcohol content of 0.11 percent and that he had a revoked license on a previous DUI.

Ryan Andreas was arrested on suspicion of two counts of aggravated assault and DUI, second-degree burglary and criminal damage.

18 Sep, 2012


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Source: http://www.azcentral.com/community/mesa/articles/2012/09/17/20120917mesa-police-3-break-into-home-demand-beer-abrk.html
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Mesa mulls its next move on Angel Tattoo

by Gary Nelson - Sept. 17, 2012 12:50 PM
The Republic | azcentral.com

After three years of litigation, not much has changed in the case of Angel Tattoo vs. City of Mesa.

To wit: The tattoo parlor still doesn't have its permit, and Mesa is still facing court action.

That state of limbo was perpetuated by an Arizona Supreme Court ruling last week.

For the first time in the country at that judicial level, the court held tattooing to be a form of speech protected under the federal and state constitutions.

The court did not opine, however, on whether the Mesa City Council acted properly in March 2009 when it denied a council use permit for the parlor in Dobson Ranch.

That is now to be hashed out in trial at the county level, because the high court ruled that a county judge erred when he threw out the lawsuit filed against Mesa by tattoo artists Ryan and Laetitia Coleman.

Dennis Kavanaugh, the city councilman who represents Dobson Ranch, said there's a chance that such a trial might not take place.

"The (Supreme Court) opinion does maintain the right of local government to impose reasonable time, place and manner of operations of such establishments," Kavanaugh said. "The parties always have the option to resolve the dispute without further litigation, and I am sure that both sides will make a good-faith effort to explore settlement opportunities."

Contrary to some media reports, Kavanaugh said, Mesa has never banned tattoo parlors but rather approved or rejected them on a case-by-case basis.

In 2006, for example, the council approved a tattoo shop in the face of neighborhood opposition and despite a location that was closer to a school than city ordinance specifies.

In March 2009, however, the Colemans were turned away by a 6-1 council vote influenced largely by neighbors who feared the shop would drag down the area.

The Colemans appeared to have won resoundingly last November when the Arizona Court of Appeals ruled that tattooing is protected by the free-speech clauses in the U.S. and Arizona constitutions, and sent the case back to county court for trial.

Mesa appealed that ruling but got from the Supreme Court essentially the same result, the difference being that the Supreme Court "vacated" the appeals-court ruling on technical grounds.

"The 27-page opinion by the Arizona Supreme Court was carefully crafted and represents a new judicial view of this subject in Arizona," said Kavanaugh, who is a lawyer.

"Importantly," he said, "the Supreme Court vacated the opinion of the Arizona Court of Appeals, which ... had far-reaching implications for Arizona cities in a variety of governance areas."

Kavanaugh also noted the Supreme Court "did not make any finding that the city of Mesa was wrong in its council action in the case."

The Supreme Court said the Angel Tattoo case "involves the intersection of municipal-zoning regulations and the right of tattoo artists to ply their trade."

Mesa has always contended that even if tattooing is constitutionally protected, a city still has the right to regulate where it occurs. Zoning laws, for example, prohibit establishing a printing plant in a residential neighborhood, and other court cases have upheld cities' rights to confine sexually oriented businesses to certain areas.

Mesa's council-use-permit process requires certain businesses, such as tattoo parlors and pawn shops, to pass a higher level of scrutiny than mere conformance to zoning standards. In denying a license to Angel Tattoo, council members believed they were acting within their discretionary authority, even if their reasons were subjective.

Mayor Scott Smith was the lone vote in favor of Angel Tattoo during the lengthy March 30, 2009, meeting.

He said at the time that opponents had not proven their case for denying the license and that if the free market did not want the shop in the Albertson's-anchored strip mall, it would fail.

Smith said this week he has not had time to read the latest ruling and wasn't prepared to recommend whether to settle the case or continue with the court fight.

18 Sep, 2012


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Source: http://www.azcentral.com/community/mesa/articles/2012/09/10/20120910mesa-mulls-its-next-move-angel-tattoo.html
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Kids found in car at bar; parents arrested

by Cecilia Chan - Sept. 15, 2012 03:00 PM
The Republic | azcentral.com

Maricopa County sheriff's deputies arrested the parents of two young children found alone in a car at a Cave Creek bar parking lot, officials reported Saturday.

Desiree David and Landrey Alex both of Mesa both were found to be intoxicated more than double the legal limit late Friday night, officials said.

Both were arrested and booked into the Fourth Avenue Jail on felony child abuse/endangerment charges, officials said.

The two young children, ages 3 and 4, were turned over to their grandmother after CPS was contacted.

A deputy on routine patrol discovered the children at 11:30 p.m. Friday sitting in the car and "it had appeared they had been there for some time," a press release said.

During the investigation, the deputy discovered the children arrived with their parents at the restaurant/bar about at 8:30 p.m. Around 11:00 p.m., the parents were believed to have taken their children back to the car so they could continue drinking, officials said.

The parents came out of the bar shortly after the deputy arrived on scene and were found to be highly intoxicated, officials said.

16 Sep, 2012


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Source: http://www.azcentral.com/community/mesa/articles/2012/09/15/20120915PNI0915-met-arizona-kids-found-car-cave-creek-bar-parents-arrested-brk.html
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National Guard captain from Mesa awarded Purple Heart

Sept. 17, 2012 10:08 AM
Special to The Republic | azcentral.com

Cpl. Barbara Liau, a spokeswoman for the Arizona National Guard, submitted this article.

Capt. Michael W. Potter of Mesa, the executive officer of the Arizona National Guard's Medical Hold Detachment, was awarded the Purple Heart this month for injuries he sustained in Iraq when he was with the 259th Engineer Company in 2007.

Maj. Gen. Hugo E. Salazar, the adjutant general for the Arizona National Guard, awarded the Purple Heart, the oldest military decoration in the world presently in use.

Potter was on a combat-logistics patrol when an improvised explosive device detonated next to his gun truck. The impact of the explosion left him with a traumatic brain injury that he is still dealing with today.

"I see this award as more of a symbol. A symbol of what I've been through, but more importantly a symbol of what my family has been through, and what we have to deal with every day and into the future," Potter said. "Just because somebody comes back and they have all their fingers, their toes, no extra holes, doesn't mean they're not feeling something."

Although the injury has limited what Potter can do in the military, he hasn't let that stop him from moving on with life and continue doing his job.

"Despite the injuries, he does not take that as a setback," said Maj. Margaret E. Bielenberg, the surface maintenance manager for the Arizona National Guard and Potter's work supervisor. "He is my go-to guy for everything. He's a completely reliable employee, and I can't imagine doing the job without him."

Bielenberg spoke about the example of true resiliency Potter sets for those around him.

"He's a great example to soldiers," she said. "Showing them you can take setbacks and still keep going forward and use that as a chance to grow."

In his acceptance remarks, Potter encouraged soldiers to help each other use the tools provided by the military to get help if they are struggling with any type of injury.

"Just because we're back on American soil doesn't mean we have to stop looking out for our buddies," he said. "If you see somebody struggling, encourage them to get the help they need."

"It truly is an honor to receive such a historical award and be grouped with a class of soldiers who have received the Purple Heart."

18 Sep, 2012


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Source: http://www.azcentral.com/community/mesa/articles/2012/09/11/20120911national-guard-captain-from-mesa-awarded-purple-heart.html
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Mesa theater to open with 'Seussical'

Sept. 17, 2012 09:48 AM
Special to The Republic | azcentral.com

Submitted by Jared West, a spokesman for Mesa Encore Theater.

Mesa Encore Theatre's season opener will take us back to childhood with the zany antics of "Seussical: The Musical."

Tony winners Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty have brought to life all the favorite Dr. Seuss characters, including Horton the Elephant, Gertrude McFuzz, lazy Mayzie La Bird and Jojo, a little boy with a big imagination. It transports the colorful characters from the Jungle of Nool to the Circus McGurkus to the microscopic planet of the Whos of Whoville.

The Cat in the Hat (played by Chad Campbell), who acts as the "host and emcee" throughout the show, leads the audience through a magical world where Horton the Elephant (played by Julian Pena) finds himself faced with a double challenge.

Not only must he protect his tiny friend Jojo (double cast as Cameron Pinion and Gabby Vatistas) from a world of naysayers and dangers, but he must guard an abandoned egg. Ultimately, the powers of friendship, loyalty, family and community are challenged and emerge triumphant in a story that makes you laugh and cry. Award-winning director/choreographer Edgar Torrens is at the helm of this season opener.

The proceeds of the 50/50 raffle during intermission will benefit a local Reading Is Fundamental program.

"Seussical: The Musical" runs from Friday to Oct. 7 with performances at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays and 2:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Extra matinee performances have been added at 10 a.m. Sept. 29 and Oct. 6.

Tickets are $25 for adults, $22 for students/teachers/seniors and $10 for children under 12 if purchased early; tickets sold on the day of the show are $2 more. Tickets may be purchased through the Mesa Arts Center Box Office at 480-644-6500 or www.mesaartscenter.com.

Mesa Encore Theatre is a non-profit, all-volunteer organization and was founded in 1937.

18 Sep, 2012


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Source: http://www.azcentral.com/community/mesa/articles/2012/09/07/20120907mesa-theater-open-seussical.html
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Mesa Public Schools board OKs policy on disciplining teachers

by Cathryn Creno - Sept. 17, 2012 10:00 AM
The Republic | azcentral.com

The Mesa Public Schools governing board has approved a new teacher-discipline policy that specifically prohibits falsifying test data and bans excessive use of technology for personal reasons during school hours.

The board voted unanimously on Tuesday to update an old discipline policy that was written before people routinely carried around cellphones and before recent high-profile standardized-test cheating scandals.


•Mesa high schools loosens student tech-device rules

The policy continues to ban falsifying documents or time cards, misuse of district property, giving students preferential treatment in exchange for gifts, possession of illegal drugs or alcohol and sexual harassment.

Superintendent Michael Cowan clarified during a board study session before the meeting that teachers may still carry cellphones to work and make occasional personal calls.

"This addresses excessive use," he said.

The board took the first step toward formalizing a new teacher-evaluation system that will rate teachers on how well their students perform on standardized tests and whether their schools meet performance goals -- as well as on their own teaching skills.

Under the new policy, expected to be approved at the board's Sept. 25 meeting, teachers will be evaluated by principals annually instead of once every three years.

Mesa schools' new performance-evaluation system is based on Arizona Department of Education requirements for the 2012-13 school year. Mesa teachers will get their first formal evaluations under the new system at the end of this school year.

Under the new evaluation system, teachers will receive one of four ratings -- highly effective, effective, developing or ineffective -- based on their teaching skills, how well their students perform on standardized tests and on whether their schools achieve overall goals set by the principal and staff.

The ratings will be reported to the Arizona Department of Education, which will tally how many highly effective, effective, developing or ineffective teachers are working at each school in the state, Cowan said.

Pete Lesar, assistant superintendent for human resources, said he expects 80 to 85 percent of the district's teachers to be rated either highly effective or effective.

How well teachers handle their classrooms and communicate with students, parents and others in the community will make up 60 percent of their evaluations. Seven percent will be based on whether a teacher's school meets goals for things like improving student attendance, lowering dropout rates and test-score improvement.

The most controversial part of the new rating system, which is required by the state, focuses on how well a teacher's students perform and show improvement on standardized tests like the AIMS. The results will account for the remaining 33 percent of a teacher's evaluation.

Principals will be evaluated under a similar new system. But instead of being rated on the AIMS performance of one class, they will be rated on their overall school performance on the state measurement.

18 Sep, 2012


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Source: http://www.azcentral.com/community/mesa/articles/2012/09/11/20120911mesa-public-schools-board-oks-policy-disciplining-teachers.html
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