June 19 - July 2, 2010
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Voters to decide $84 million school bond
by Miriam Van Scott
Building repairs, new construction, additional buses and upgraded technology are among the items Chandler Unified School District (CUSD) will ask city voters to approve in an $84.3 million bond this November. If passed, property tax rates would increase by about $8 a year for a home valued at $200,000. The bond would help SanTan Sun area schools bridge a serious budget gap, covering expenses not currently funded in the CUSD budget.
Officials say the money is desperately needed to accommodate Chandler’s ever- expanding student population.
“The bond would enable the district to purchase a site for a new elementary school and provide funding to build two new elementary schools in the southeast portion of the district where we continue to experience growing student enrollment,” says CUSD spokesman Terry Locke. “And, it would be used to renovate or upgrade existing school buildings – including improving energy efficiency and security – as well as technology, furniture and equipment.”
Over the past few years, mandatory reductions have gutted CUSD’s budget for maintenance and capital needs, forcing education advocates to seek new resources to maintain safety and performance at the city’s schools. “State cuts to capital funding and the fact that the School Facilities Board will not fund new schools until 2018 make it necessary to seek funding,” Locke says.
See School bond Page 6
New boutique seeks local designers, involvement
by Miachelle DePiano
Jillian Cooper and Bob Houk defy the rule of mixing friendship and business. They are best friends and the co-owners of Lady Luxe, a Chandler women’s apparel boutique located in the Promenade at Fulton Ranch, as well as a shoe store in northern Scottsdale. Cooper, a young, conscientious entrepreneur with a razor-sharp mind for retail, loves helping customers and making sure they have a pleasant experience while shopping at Lady Luxe. “My staff is low-pressure, fun and friendly,” says Cooper.
Lady Luxe has a wide range of shoppers from teens who love the designer clothing at its affordable price to the fashion forward residents of the area. Cooper and Houk carry hot designer labels such as Michael Stars, Miss Me jeans, See Thru Soul and KU2 from Cloth Jeans.
They travel to Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Dallas to shop the markets for the latest in
Study gives pilots thumbs-up on noise, safety
by Miriam Van Scott
Pilots using Chandler Municipal Airport are doing a good job maintaining safety protocols while keeping noise to a minimum, though there’s always more that can be done to appease residents of the fast-growing area.
That’s one of the results from the new federally- mandated noise study of Chandler Municipal Airport. This update of the 1999 Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) study identified three major noise sources to be addressed:
STSN photo
AIRPORT CONCERN: Some neighbors around the Chandler Municipal Airport believe the airport noise affects their horses.
See Airport Page 10
Giving back bears fruit for local company
by K. M. Lang
A field of watermelons along the Price Corridor is ripening beneath the desert sun, the fruit representing both the future of area youth, as well as the forward- looking generosity of an award-winning family business.
Stephen Kovach IV, president of Kovach, Inc. in Southern Chandler, teamed up with local farmers this spring to allow at-risk youngsters
STSN photo by Miachelle DePiano
GROWING: New boutique Lady Luxe in the Promenade at Fulton Ranch is growing, and looking for more opportunities to be involved in the community.
See Lady Luxe Page 16 Ahwatukee Foothills
Steve Horn 602-410-1656
Each Keller Williams® Offi ce is Independently Owned and Operated
Are you behind on your Mortgage payment, visit:
www.shortsalesdoneeasy.com
Edible Landscapes
Do it for dad
Cool pool parties
Page 41 Neighbors
Clip it! Center spread
STSN photo
READY TO EAT: Steve Kovach of Chandler, center, inspects a watermelon grown by ICAN youth on his property off Willis and Price roads.
attending ICAN programs to experience, firsthand, the joys of gardening. “When I was growing up, my dad always had me working in the garden,” Kovach explains. “It was always exciting when, at the dinner table, my dad said, ‘Run out and pick a tomato that you grew on your side of the garden.’ It gave me a sense of accomplishment. It built a work ethic.”
See Giving back Page 12 INSIDE
Business . . . . . . . . . 15-21 AZ Arts . . . . . . . . .26-28 Things to do . . . . . . .29-30 Opinion . . . . . . . . .32-34 Neighbors . . . . . . . .39-48 Youth . . . . . . . . . .49-56 Spirituality . . . . . . . 59-61 Directory . . . . . . . .62-64 Classifieds . . . . . . . .65-66 Where to eat . . . . . .68-70
Coupons Inside SAVE MONEY
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