38 February 18 – March 2, 2012
IMPRESSIONS OF A PRESIDENTIAL VISIT A few days before President Barack Obama was scheduled
to arrive in Arizona, I told my twins, Haley and Hunter, that mom might get to go see the president, who was coming to our city of Chandler to speak. Wednesday arrived and the kids asked at 8 a.m. if I was going to get to attend, so they could tell their friends at school. I told them not to say anything, because at that point I didn’t even know if we had been confirmed. And then, it arrived: the email signed by the White House,
granting access us to attend this event on behalf of the SanTan Sun News. We’d have to move quickly though. It was around 10 a.m., so we swung into action getting cameras and recorders. So here I was with Geoff Hancock, standing up high up on the
risers, elbow to elbow with the largest cameras and lenses you can imagine and so many photographers and reporters from all over the state and country. We had a great view of the podium and a crowd of more than 6,000 people who were smashed together standing for hours waiting to hear the President speak. There were at least 50 men in black suits and sunglasses, and
they were looking around, scanning the crowds looking for anything suspicious. Sniper-type Secret Service agents were on lifts about 20 feet tall, one with binoculars scanning the newly constructed buildings, looking for anything that could threaten the president; the other agent held one of the largest rifles I’ve ever seen, looking ready to make a move. Then things started to happen. Two men in suits came on
stage to affix the presidential seal on the front of the podium, the national anthem was sung, the CEO of Intel welcomed the crowd and the prayer was said. Finally, Preston McDaniel, con- struction manager of Fab 42, introduced President Obama. President Obama gave an energetic speech about middle
class Americans paying too much tax and the rich paying too little tax; growing the economy; and creating jobs with busi- nesses like Intel. He also talked about keeping the work in the United States and not penalizing companies with taxes, encouraging them to do business here instead of overseas. When the kids got home that night, at dinner I was explain- ing the day I had experienced with much excitement. One of
Opinion L E T T E R S TO THE E D I TO R
the twins asked why Obama was here, and I said to encourage companies such as Intel to continue growing and putting peo- ple in America to work, feeling this point was one of the high- lights of the president’s speech. My son replied by saying, “Mom, the kids I know whose
parents work at Intel are not from the United States.” (Like, duh, Mom). I almost choked but realized that Intel brings new kids to his classroom all the time and more often than not, they are not from the U.S. I don’t know what the ratio is or what the statistics are, but I’d be interested in finding out. Either way, I thought it was a point to consider, especially since one of my two favorite 10-year-olds brought it up. So, Geoff and I had an out-of-the-ordinary day being part of
the first time a sitting president has ever visited Chandler. So now we are on the map and prime for the picking of other interested companies that will help our wonderful city grow! Jane Meyer, Fox Crossing
REPURPOSING MANSION BENEFITS ALL On Kyrene Road, just north of Ray Road in Chandler, sits
one of the Valley’s most beautiful homes known as the “Chandler Mansion.” The 30-year-old property, named Chateau de Vie, sat abandoned for over a year following fore- closure, and became the target of curious trespassers, treasure hunters and vandals. The lush and mature landscape began to wither and die from neglect. What was once a beautiful and majestic sight became blight to the neighborhood and a mag- net for crime – until June of 2010. Chandler native Nick Goodman and his wife, Shelly, rescued
the Chateau and the neighborhood, from disrepair. They pur- chased the property and began the needed restoration, reviving the landscape and working on their plans for the Chateau. The Goodmans’ vision for the beautiful 10.4-acre property
is to create a unique destination venue for Chandler. Their pro- posal includes turning the tennis court into an English garden, the boathouse into a breakfast and lunch bistro and the man- sion house into a wedding / reception venue and bed-and- breakfast. The Goodmans are seeking a use permit from the
City of Chandler and have drawn up a proposal that addresses concerns of surrounding Chandler and Tempe residents. The Chateau has two close neighbors: one directly west of
the property, and one directly north of the property. Both neigh- bors are separated from the Chateau property by a 7-foot block wall and 20-foot trees. All other homes in the area are separated from the Chateau by an easement, a canal or a greenbelt. Those who live close by are up in arms about the
Goodmans’ proposal. Opponents claim the wedding / recep- tion center will bring raucous noise and traffic congestion to their neighborhood. The Goodmans addressed these concerns in the application filed with the City of Chandler. The trained and experienced traffic and sound engineers working on the project have certified that the Goodmans’ proposal will not cre- ate a nuisance to the surrounding properties, and the Goodmans are committed to being good neighbors. The Goodmans have hosted three neighborhood meetings,
mailing invitations to residents of the surrounding communi- ties of Trovita, Ray Ranch and Warner Ranch and have had one follow-up meeting with those in direct opposition to the pro- posal. In these meetings, the Goodmans have presented their well-supported plans to mitigate noise and traffic concerns. As the discussions have evolved, the opposition has morphed their argument from noise and traffic concerns to a general opposition to the commercial use of the property. Some want the property torn down and subdivided. Preserving the Chateau is in Chandler’s best interest. The City
of Chandler would benefit not only in job creation and increased revenue for the city, but the Chateau would be a badge of honor for the City. Chateau de Vie is a unique and vibrant property that should be discovered, enjoyed and preserved for generations to come. The Chateau is a landmark, a destination. Please support the proposed use permit in front the Chandler City Council on Feb. 23 by emailing Mayor&
Council@ChandlerAZ.gov.
of Visit
ChateauDeVie.com,
facebook.com/ChateauDeVie, or email
ChateauDeVie@gmail.com. Nick Goodman
www.SanTanSun.com
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