34 April 3 - 16, 2010
Publisher’sNote
Spring has sprung
Welcome to spring in the SanTan Sun area, as wildflowers begin blooming in neighbors’ yards, along the roadway and in popular hiking areas.
We welcome Patty Talahongva to our pages as a news writer and photographer. She is a former staffer at Channel 10 here in the Valley, and is a multimedia
journalist who freelances for CBS and other media outlets. In addition, Miachelle DePiano of Gilbert joins us as a writer and photographer. She’s another multi-talented individual with backgrounds in the military and as a jewelry artist, who is now working for Intel as a technical writer.
Enjoy these picture-perfect days we’ve been having, as this is one of the primary reasons why we live here in Chandler. Your support of the SanTan Sun News is greatly appreciated.
Opinion
Community
Commentary
Teen Town Hall addresses vital youth issues
by Mayor Boyd W. Dunn
More than 60 students from a handful of Chandler high schools gathered recently to discuss some pretty tough issues. The young people dialogued on topics that include education, health and wellness, teen drug use and teen pregnancy.
This Teen Town Hall is the product of the Mayor’s Youth Commission.
The Commission is an advisory group to the Mayor and Council with the objectives of providing service to the City, developing personal leadership skills and most importantly, giving the youth of Chandler a voice in the community. For the past two years Commission members have organized the Teen Town Hall to address some of the most pressing needs of the community’s young people.
Last year, the Town Hall focused on mall loitering, teen drinking and driving and high school dropouts. Close to 30 students participated, which means there is a growing interest in the Town Hall that will hopefully continue to develop in the coming years.
Laurie Fagen, Publisher Laur u ie Fagen, Publisher
During the Town Hall, students break into discussion groups, talk about the specific issue they have been assigned and identify community concerns and potential solutions. Then, they brainstorm a viable plan for action. Last year’s discussion on high school drop outs is a good example. Dialogue within the group began by identifying contributing factors that lead to dropping out of high school. Who better to understand the realities of this decision than the teens themselves?
The identified factors included academic pressure, lack of family support, low expectations from teachers and family, students feeling disconnected and students unable to handle real life stresses. Available resources were discussed and identified as possible recommendations to address high school dropouts. Final proposals included updating school curriculum, reformatting teacher training and intervention. The report was delivered to the Council and school administrators for follow up.
Chandler is very fortunate to have so many of its young people willing to step up and make a difference in the community. The fact they are not afraid to work on the difficult issues says much about these students. Teen wellness, drug use and teen pregnancy are indeed critical to a healthy community. Each of these subjects carries with it long-term implications for the entire community. How we address them today – or worse, do not – will have a tremendous impact decades down the road.
Additionally, the students will experience a setting where they can develop better teamwork and leadership skills. Certainly this type of dialogue at the teen level is a reason Chandler has several times been named one of the Country’s 100 Best Communities for Young People by America’s Promise – an organization led by General Colin Powell. I commend the Youth Commission for working to build the Teen Town Hall as the entire community will benefit from their efforts.
www.SanTanSun.com
Oops – We mistakenly noted an incorrect donation that the Ocotillo Women’s League gave to Hospice of the Valley, Dobson House. The amount should be $1,700 instead of $1,000. Info: www.owlsgroup.org.
Corrections for “Director creates epic series for web” from March 20, 2010: Actor Vernon George Wells’ role in “Western X” is a result of a working relationship with “Western X” stuntman and former Arizona Roughrider Jayson James on previous movie projects. Liana Hubbard is a production designer.
News@SanTanSun.com.
The Deadline for Editorial and Advertising for the
FEBRUARY 16, 2002
issue is
Deadlines for the April 17, 2010 issue:
ADVERTISING:
DEADLINES:
MAILING ADDRESS:
PO Box 23 Chandler, AZ 85244-0023
TELEPHONE:
480-732-0250
FAX LINE:
480-883-8714
©2010 SanTan Sun News
For News Tips, Classified Ads, Editorial Articles, or Letters, email is preferred.
NEWS EMAIL ADDRESS:
News@SanTanSun.com
ADS EMAIL ADDRESS:
Ads@SanTanSun.com
WEBSITE ADDRESS:
www.SanTanSun.com
Fifty square mile coverage area from Price/101 to Greenfield and from Frye to Hunt Highway.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2002
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
EDITORIAL:
Thursday, April 8, 2010
38,000 Total Circulation 29,500+ Driveways
PUBLISHER
Laurie Fagen
ADVERTISING/PRODUCTION
Geoff Hancock
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
Darlene Keberle
GRAPHIC ARTS/PRODUCTION
Shawn Patrick, ZigZag Designs
WEBSITE MAINTAINED BY
Susan Kovacs, n-ergizing
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES
Jane Meyer Jennifer Baker Debbie Jennings Molly Carroll
WRITERS
Lynda Exley, Editor
Susan Henderson, Managing Editor
Miachelle DePiano K.M. Lang
Sharon McCarson
PHOTOGRAPHER
Gordon Murray
CONTRIBUTORS
Kevin Rolfe, Karen Hicks, Lisa Shore, Suzanne Incorvaia, Rachel Tanguay, Kathleen Brigham, Kerry Kester, Jennifer Luke, Dominica Peterson, Jennifer Huot, Tracy House, Peg Newendyke, Dave Constance, Julie Cooley, Pat Phillips, Ruth Zappe, Melissa Hartley, Becky Sanchez, Brenda Arroyos, Kathy Covert
Patty Talahongva Miriam Van Scott Joan Westlake
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80