S Chandler Exchange

More School Shootings

2006-10-02T23:44:00.000-07:00

I am disheartened and sickened at the school shootings that have occurred over the past few weeks. From the Colorado tragedy resulting in the death of a 16 year old girl and the sexual assault of other teenage girls to the Principle who was shot and killed by a student upset over a disciplinary action to todays attack at an Amish school killing 3 and wounded 7 others. Folks, we must protect our schools. These are our children. When we as parents turn drop them off at school, we expect them to be safe. I have stated in a previous post that security needs to be addressed at our schools to ensure that our children are safe. Gunman and madmen should not be allowed to think that schools are easy targets. They should be stopped at the gates. Please write to your congressmen and state reps and ask them to make this a priority.

I have a headache...

2006-10-02T23:24:00.000-07:00

In watching my Monday night television, I was inundated with negative attack ads by both Jim Pederson and Jon Kyle. For those of you who know me, I really dislike those types of Ads. It has gotten to the point where they are each responded to each others negative ads and are no longer campaigning on the issues they both seem to want to address - Immigration, health care, and national security. Both candidate's web sites are also promoting negativity. In the congressional race, I am seeing the negatively fly by both Harry Mitchell and J D Hayworth - again, more mudslinging and lack of issues. I understand that when one candidate strikes - the other must respond. I just wish they could respond without further mudslinging. For instance, instead of having a actor spout off negativity in the commercial - maybe have the candidate do an ad addressing the negativity of the opponent. I actually saw Jon Kyle do this in one of his ads and in my view it gave him some stronger credibility. Thoughts?

Recent Rasmussen Report

2006-09-02T09:50:00.000-07:00

A recent Rasmussen Report shows Jon Kyl with a 17 point lead in the polls (Kyl 52 - Pederson 35) - see Arizona Senate: No Concern for Kyl.

"Thirty-two percent of voters say they have a 'very favorable' opinion of Kyl. Seventeen percent have a 'very unfavorable' view of the senator. The numbers are less positive for the challenger - 17% have a 'very favorable', and 18% a 'very unfavorable' view of Pederson"

This is good news for us supportors of Jon Kyl ;-).

But - there is some bad news for Republicans - the total number of Americans calling themselves Republicans has fallen - see Partisan Trends: Number of Republicans Declines to 32-Month Low.

"Just 31.9% of American adults now say they're affiliated with the GOP. That's down from 37.2% in Ocotber of 2004 and 34.5% at the beginning of 2006. These results come from the Rasmussen Reports tracking surveys of 15,000 voters per month. The number of Democrats has grown slightly, from 36.1% at the beginning of the year to 37.3% now. Those who claim to be unaffiliated have increased to 30.8% this month. That's the highest total recorded since Rasmussen Reports began releasing this data in January 2004." -- see monthly data here.

Sad State of Events

2006-08-31T18:56:00.000-07:00

Over the past few months, I have read with sadness articles involving violent crime. It may be just my impression, but it seems to be on the increase. From the "Serial Shooters" to the "Baseline Rapist" to the Sexual Assault at Saguaro High to the Sexual Assault of a girl attending a party to the Rapist running rampant in the Ahwatukee Foothills....Not to mention all of the shootings and regular assaults. Do these crimes single a change in our community culture/makeup? Is this the price we, as a community, pay for our rapid growth? What ever the cause, I find it unacceptable! We should be able to live in communities where our wives can go for jogs without worrying about being assaulted; Where our children can go outside and play safely with friends; Where our children's schools are places of safety! So where do we start? More Police on the streets? Increased security in our schools? Stronger background checks on people who work in our schools? Neighborhood Block Patrols? These all seem like a good places to start. I would also go a step further with stronger sentences on offenders (with this comes topics on jail overcrowding). But how do we move forward with ideas like this?

Our first stop is to our communities. Strong neighborhood block watches can help decrease neighborhood crimes. These block watches should have volunteers who walk the neighborhoods beginning in the early evenings to a designated time at night. By having these folks (in groups of two of more) walk the neighborhood, there will be a greater sense of community and increase the overall security of the community. It will also show the 'bad guys' that somebody is always watching.

Our next stop is to our schools. Scottsdale is already working on increasing its security by mandating security officers are on campus from 6:30 am to 5:00 pm, mandating background checks be sent to the school district on all school staff, and changing the hours custodial workers are on campus. However, this should be the minimum standard and it should, at least, be law for public and private schools. I would challenge Tom Horne and Slade Mead to make this part of their individual campaigns.

For the tougher sentences, I turn to our State Reps. They need to make it known that Arizona is tough on Crime. We already have a media dubbed 'Toughest sheriff in the US' - lets put him to work by creating tougher laws and sentences! We need to do more then say we are tough on crime, we need to back it up with strong action.

These are my ramblings for tonight. Please comment if you share my frustrations!

Waste Transfer Station Deja Vu?

2006-08-31T18:39:00.000-07:00

Jeepers. It seems that the trash lords are bound and determined to place a waste transfer station in SE Chandler. First, it was the Chandler City Council. That plan went up in smoke and forced out two city council incumbents. Now, its private company Allied Waste. Allied Waste has purchased land on Germann between Arizona Ave and McQueen and are looking into building a transfer station there. And, since they are private and the land is zoned appropriately for this type of industry, there might not be much that can be done - see full story on AZ Central.

I am personally opposed to these stations in neighborhoods and near parks (Tumbleweed park is on the corner of McQueen and Germann). I will be emailing both our City Council and our current State Reps about this issue in hopes to continue to shine light on this issue and to reiterate the opposition the community has to these stations. I would encourage you to do the same!

District 21 Information

2006-08-27T11:01:00.000-07:00

In doing some further research about the District 21 candidates, I came across the following articles and thought I would share the ones I found with you:

Chandler Voters Limited on Choice:
This article discusses the limit choices in the Republican race for District 21. It also gives short bios of the folks running for the house seats.

Arizona Conservative

This site lists out the candidates The Arizona Conservative endorses. The site also has links to state briefs, news, and legislation that The Arizona Conservative finds important.

Steven B. Yarbrough State Legislature Page, Jay Tibshraeny State Legislature Page, and Warde Nichols State Legislature Page

These pages list out the committees these two are assigned, the bills they sponsored, and bios.

Warde Nicols Interview from 2004 Election

Old interview - but still relevant.

Steve Yarbrough Interview from 2004 Election

Yes - old - but relevant.

Opinion Pages on District 21 House Candidates

This page lists out folks opinions on the Republican House candidates and contains an article from Chandler Mayor Boyd Dunn.

Az Central did an interviews with the candidate's running for a House seat in District 21. They asked some pretty tough questions in the interview and I will let you judge the responses.

Interview with Republican Warde Nichols
Interview with Republican Steve Yarbrough
Interview with Republican Donna Wallace
Interview with Democrat Phil Hettmansperger

Well - this is all I have dug up for now using Google. I have added links on the right of the page to each candidate's site as well to assist you with learning more about them. Hope you find this useful.

District 21 Mailing

2006-08-25T20:18:00.000-07:00

I have to say I am disappointed with a mailing I received today regarding the District 21 State Legislature campaign. The piece I received today was a 'promotion' card for Warde Nichols and Steve Yarbrough. Unfortunately, this was a smear piece against Donna Wallace (who, by the way, I do not endorse for the position in which she is running). I should have stated from the outset, I am against smear pieces and smear campaigns. This particular piece states "A majority of all who have served with their (Nichols' and Yarbrough's) opponent (aka Donna Wallace) on the Chandler City Council endorse Nichols, Yarbrough". This could have simply stated that a majority of the recent city council members endorse Nichols, Yarbrough and avoided going 'negative'. However, the piece does not stop there. Nichols and Yarbrough obtained quotes from Jay Tibshraeny, Boyd Dunn, Lowell Huggins, Bob Robson, Dean Anderson, and Bob Caccamo. Of the quotes, Lowell Huggins, Jay Tibshraeny, Bob Robson, and, in affect, Boyd Dunn all gave quotes reflecting negatively on Donna Wallace. Only Bob Caccamo and (surprisingly) Dean Anderson gave endorsements without negative words against Donna Wallace. While I'm sure this piece is a response to the negative campaign Donna has been running against them, I had to express my displeasure in seeing their campaign slip to her level.

Found This Interesting..

2006-08-20T22:48:00.000-07:00

I was reading the San Tan Sun opinion pages (http://www.santansun.com/pdfs/081906/081906_Opinion.pdf) and noticed that all of the letters in favor of Donna Wallace we forwarded from her personal email (I know this because the editor made a special note of this fact). I find this both interesting and puzzling. Interesting that she would feel the need to personally forward three emails to the San Tan News and puzzling that she felt the need to do this as well. In the same opinion pages, two council members she served both promoted her opponents (not that I found comfort in the fact Dean Anderson is promoting Yarbrough and Nichols). At any rate, my personal opinion is that Donna Wallace will find herself on the losing end of this election. She did do some good things on the Chandler City Council, but her divisive personality has tainted her good deeds. Donna - you can catch more bees with honey than vinegar....

Recall - 'Called Off'

2006-08-20T17:31:00.000-07:00

After a long battle (and few signatures) the recall of the embattled council members Martin Sepulveda and Matt Orlando has ended. Matt Orlando stated he had attempted to meet with recall organizers, but they declined offers to meet to work out their differences - "They were just throwing things out there to see if it sticks. That's unfair to me and my family". Matt Sepulveda, in his typical condescending, arrogant manner had this to say "At the end of the day, they were a small group of very naive, very vindictive people who didn't have the money, didn't have the signatures and lost traction on whatever issue they did have. I didn't enjoy being used as a punching bag by these people. It was a waste of my time."

It should come as no surprise (as I have stated this before) - I am not a fan of Martin. And his comments (at least to me) continue to shine a light on his lack of concern for the people of Chandler. At least Matt stated he attempted to meet with the recall organizers to work out the issues. It seems that Martin either didn't care or - as he put it - didn't' feel it was worth his time....What else isn't worth your time Martin? Schools? Spending Chandler money in a wise and fruitful way? What has happened to the Issues you stated you would deliver on? Did you stance on Mr. Pentz help with 'Creating a user friendly environment for citizens and business to interact with city government"? Has your divisive, condescending nature helped with the other issues you listed on you website (http://martinsepulveda.com)?

- Enhance safety and ease traffic congestion by requiring that major road construction projects be done during off-peak hours

- Committed to improving public safety standards and keeping our neighborhoods safe and crime-free.

- Create partnerships with neighboring communities and businesses to address transportation, downtown redevelopment, and sustained economic growth.

- Partner with the school districts in development of more parks and recreational amenities.

- Develop a business attraction strategy with the Chamber of Commerce and Arizona State University, that will bring the next generation of high paying jobs to Chandler.

Anyway, as I said, I'm not a fan. Anybody who continues to talk down to the people who put him into office and spurs divisiveness instead of open communication does not rate high on my list of good politicians.

Back after a long absence

2006-08-20T17:28:00.000-07:00

Sorry everybody - work has been a bit hectic lately and I haven't had the opportunities to update this blog. I am planning to do some updating this week with the latest news in Chandler and, as always, with my thoughts on them. Look forward to hearing from you as well.

Tired of Partisan Rhetoric..

2006-06-18T15:51:00.000-07:00

Over the past few weeks, I've read numerous news articles and blog entries surrounding AZ and National politics. These items contain much of the same old mud slinging and name calling I've come to expect. Republicans bashing Democrats and Democrats smashing Republicans. Both of our political parties claim to have the answers to our nation's problems. Both parties state they will lower taxes and the debt - both parties believe they can solve the immigration problem - both parties claim the other party has ethic problems. The problem is, both parties want to be the 'White Knight' and, seemingly, are unwilling to work with each other to solve these problems. Political infighting, finger pointing, name calling, special interests, and rambling speeches do not help solve our problems. We need smart people who are willing to work together, regardless of party affiliation. We don't need one-upmanship - we need leadership.

Unfortunately, I fear this will only occur with a changing of the guard. For Arizona, I believe this change needs to occur both at the State and Federal level. At the State level, I believe change is needed in both our legislature and executive branches. I say this because neither branch is willing to work with each other on the big issues (Education and Immigration). Am I proposing a same party structure (ie. one party majority in legislature and executive) - NO, I'm not. I'm stating we need to find and elect representatives who listen to the needs of the people and do what is in their best interests and the best interests of the state - rather than follow a party line or doing what is in their best political interest.

At the Federal level - I'm not sure a changing of the guard will be so easy. There are so many 'in-trenched' Congressmen and Senators with huge war chests I feel it will be difficult to push them out. However, it is not impossible (one needs to look no further than our state to see that there can be serious competition to 'entrenched' politicians). This changing, however, needs to be done with care. The electorate needs to cautious with who replaces these individuals and then hold these individuals to their campaign promises and ensure they are acting in the best interests of both the electorate and the country. In addition, the electorate should not stand for any partisan baloney

In short, I'm saying either our elected officials need to start working together or be voted out of office for individuals who will stay focused and work together.

2006-06-10T08:48:00.000-07:00

I just read an article about some Pot Giving Parents on AZ Central. Apparently, a Chandler couple gave marijuana to their children (two boys ages 11 and 12) as a reward for being good.

"Aaron Virgil Carlson, 23, the stepfather, and Toni Lynn Carlson, 31, were arrested at 6 p.m. Thursday at the couple's home in the 400 block of West Aloe Place, near Ocotillo Road and Arizona Avenue, after police searched their house and learned the two were supplying the 11- and 12-year-old boys with marijuana, police said.

Authorities received an anonymous tip from a neighbor and were able to get a search warrant for the house, where they found an undisclosed amount of marijuana and drug paraphernalia, said Sgt. Rick Griner, a Chandler police spokesman"

As a parent, I can not fathom giving marijuana, or any other "recreational" drug to my child. I can only hope this arrest serves as a wake up call for other parents who may be doing the same thing.

City Council Meeting - June 8th

2006-06-09T20:29:00.000-07:00

The Chandler City Council voted on a few items last night in their hour long meeting. One of the items was authorization for the Mayor to enter into contract negotiations with former City Manager Mark Pentz to return his previous position. The council was split on this 5-2 with Orlando and Sepulveda dissenting. I am a bit torn on this decision. While I completely disagree with how Pentz was chased from office - I'm not sure of the wisdom in bringing back an employee who has been such an electric rod of controversy. I do not doubt that Mr. Pentz is a very capable person and has the skill necessary to be City Manager - my concern surrounds how effective he will be considering the amount of coverage he has received (both good and bad) over the past few months. My hope, if he returns to his position, is that everybody will give him a fair shake and let him do his job. If he decides not to, I wish him the best in starting out fresh wherever he decides to go.

See Full Story

Technology Incubators

2006-06-06T22:24:00.000-07:00

Martin Sepulveda recently wrote an article highlighting a recent city council plan to "chart a path for Chandler's first pure technology incubator". You may be saying "Techno What". Well, technology incubators, as I understand them, are used to provide assistance to new startup companies. These 'incubators' are actually services that companies can draw upon to help them with concept evaluation, business plan development, capital acquisition, financial and strategic planning, and access to technology and technical support. Some 'incubator' plans go farther by offering office or lab space, equipment usage, office furnishings, advanced telecommunications, etc. The extent of what Chandler's plan will offer will be determined by Facilities Solutions Group (http://www.fsgconnect.com) at a cost of $81,400.

From the May 11 Meeting Minutes:

39. CONTRACT: Facilities Solutions Group

APPROVED a Contract to Facilities Solutions Group for the preparation of a Community
Technology Incubator/Accelerator Facility Implementation Plan, in an amount not to exceed
$81,400.00.

Facilities Solutions Group (FSG), based out of Illinois, is a team of expert planners, architects,
engineers, interior designers and project managers focused on facility functionality and
profitability. Their firm provides important up-front research that is used to determine the viability
and scope of a potential incubator/accelerator, as well as determining the discipline and focus of
the space for such a facility.

Currently, FSG is working with the Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC) to determine the
viability and location of several disciplines of incubator/accelerator facilities in the Greater
Phoenix metropolitan area. Staff had the opportunity to meet with the Facilities Solutions Group
during one of their visits to the region and began to discuss the potential for locating a
bio/nanotechnology facility in the Price Road Corridor, in close proximity to Arizona State
University, Chandler-Gilbert Community College and various knowledge companies in the 101
Science and Technology Corridor.

Staff met with FSG again and a nanotechnology expert while at the BIO2006 trade show in
Chicago in April 2006 to further discuss a formal proposal for a Chandler incubator/accelerator
study. This incubator space would assist early stage entrepreneurial and technology-related
companies to become financially sustainable organizations. Two of Chandler's ASU Technopolis
spin-outs would already have benefited from this space instead of choosing to locate in
neighboring communities (Scottsdale and Tempe) due to lack of available space in our
community. The City of Surprise is also considering working with FSG, as are several other
communities.

Full Story: http://www.azcentral.com/community/chandler/articles/0603cr-sepulveda0603Z6.html

Holy Loophole Batman...

2006-06-06T22:08:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure how many of you remember the case where a father took his sleeping two year old daughter out to the desert, poured gasoline on her and then set her on fire as she woke up. Well, this fellow was sentenced to death but his attorneys have found a loophole and the state high court has agreed with them and ordered a new sentencing for Shawn Grell on the grounds he was entitled to a jury trial for sentencing. Apparently, Grell's attorneys are arguing that he is mentally retarded and the state Arizona Legislature prohibited the execution of mentally retarded peopled in 2001.

The good news is this awful man is still in jail and most likely will stay in there for a long time. My concern, however, is that this opens up a chance that he will eventually get out of jail.

Full story: http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0606az-childburning06-ON.html

Interesting Veto By Gov. Napolitano

2006-06-06T21:41:00.000-07:00

Janet Napolitano vetoed yet another immigration proposal today into what some see as a continuing battle between her office and the Republican led Legislature. The Governor wrote a two page letter stating that the proposal, House Bill 2577, was "a weak and ineffective illegal immigration bill that offers complete amnesty to employers, violates the Constitution and is overwhelmingly opposed by law enforcement and top border elected officials in the state."

Republican responded to this by saying "We provided the governor meaningful opportunities to address the illegal immigration problem in this state and she has chosen not to do so," said House Majority Leader Steve Tully, R-Phoenix . Tully shrugged off Napolitano's criticism, saying that talk of the bill being too soft on employers is "their most recent spin they have come up with. The business community doesn't think it's amnesty, they are very concerned about the strength of the bill."

The bill includes more than $160 million in state funding. Among its provisions, it would:

Â• Fund the deployment of Arizona National Guard to the border, enough to pay for 100 troops for just under a year.

Â• Expand the state's trespassing statute to allow for the arrest of undocumented immigrants, an estimated 300,000 to 500,000, living in Arizona.

Â• Require random audits of employers' hiring practices and impose new penalties for knowingly hiring undocumented workers.

Â• Boost border enforcement with $50 million over two years to pay for a radar system to detect illegal crossings, and $55 million to be distributed as grants to local law enforcement.

The basic tenets of this bill are supported by Gubernatorial Candidate Don Goldwater who will be running against Napolitano in the upcoming election. Mr. Goldwater had this to say about today's veto:

"HB 2577 is a direct response to the illegal invasion of our state and is consistent with the sentiments of the majority of Arizona voters. HB 2577 demands a cease and desist order of all sanctuary orders which prohibit law enforcement from calling ICE or Border Patrol when they knowingly have illegal aliens in custody. HB 2577 is a bill which puts Employers on Notice and prohibits illegal aliens from welfare programs and allows police and law enforcement to protect and serve among many other significant and critical areas which are demanded by the constituents of the state of Arizona. This Governor has consistently opposed removing sanctuary orders and has vetoed any effort made by any bill to remove illegal aliens from our communities including vetoing the National Guard $10 million appropriation and trespass bill earlier this session."

Full Story: http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0606az-immig06-ON.html

Don Goldwater's response: http://phxnews.com/fullstory.php?article=36622

Wow...A lot of dust

2006-06-06T21:28:00.000-07:00

Did the Devil roll in on a dust cloud today? Well - It is 6-6-06 right....Well, I hope not because he would have rolled right over my house - as well as many others here in South Chandler. The winds continued on to Phoenix and Sky Harbor got it fair share of dirt and wind causing some flights to be delayed over an hour while Tucson received some much needed rain (.25 of an inch). So if the devil did ride in on the dust storm - he came bearing a gift of rain for the folks in Tucson.

Chandler Recall Effort Continues..

2006-06-02T21:48:00.000-07:00

Numerous publications have recently published updates on the ongoing recall effort against Martin Sepulveda and Matt Orlando. The publications have stated the recall organizers had obtained 1/3 or, in some reports, almost 1/2 of the signatures required to recall the councilmen. In today's San Tan Sun, the organizers admitted to only having roughly 1000 signatures - which is far less than the 3501 they need. Orlando and Sepulveda have consistently stated that recall effort was a ploy to help get Jeff Weninger elected to office during the runoff. If it was, then okay - but Becky Jackson really didn't help her bid for office with her wishy-washy statements either. But, back to the recall topic, given the apparent lack of support the recall effort has had - I would gander to say 'The Public has spoken and said 'No' to the Recall'. I say this because if there was wide spread support, then it wouldn't be so hard to gather up 3501 signatures (especially when you supposedly have over 35 folks willing to go door to door to collect them). I say let these two serve out their terms and let the public speak again 2008. My thought is Matt Orlando will be re-elected (if he runs) - but I think (hope) Martin Sepulveda won't be (I don't like his condescending tone).

Bill Clinton's Visit to the Valley

2006-06-02T21:30:00.000-07:00

Former impeached,,,errr...President Clinton came to valley yesterday to help raise money for U.S. Senate candidate Jim Pederson. Pederson is running what is turning into a very serious race against incumbent Senator Jon Kyl. As expected, Bill Clinton criticized the Republican's for running up the debt and stated Jon Kyl has supported the Bush administrations spending policies (as if no Democrats lent their support). All in All, Clinton helped raise more the $250,000 for Pederson's campaign (now only if charities were able to raise this kind of cash in one evening). Pederson himself has fueled his campaign with $3.2 million of his own cash (Wow! Running for the Senate isn't cheap). Pederson efforts seem to paying off as he is only down 7 points from Kyle in a recent survey of voters (40% Kyle, 33% Pederson, rest uncommitted).

Personally, I don't know enough about Pederson yet to give an opinion one way or another, but I wasn't a big fan of Bill Clinton so having his endorsement doesn't help the Pederson camp on getting my vote.

Full Story: http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/index.php?sty=66871

One driver felt the 'Need for Speed'

2006-06-02T21:16:00.000-07:00

Not that I am one to cast stones at folks who speed, but a recent article in the East Valley Tribune discussing the controversial photo radar cameras on the Loop 101 caught my eye. Apparently, a fellow felt the need to push his little Hyundai Sonata to the limit and got his baby up to 147mph. Number 1 - WOW...Number 2 - I didn't know those little cars could go that fast...Number 3 - What the heck was he thinking? If you wondering, Yes - Lawrence Pargo, the driver, was arrested 5 days after the cameras took his picture. He is facing four counts of excessive speeding, reckless driving and endangerment. His 'need for speed' set a new speed record on the Loop 101 breaking the old 131mph record set on February 14th by a yet to be determined motorcyclist. Lt. Frank O'Halloran had this to say about the incident "He endangered the lives of others as well as himself. The car was beyond its capabilities, and he was beyond his capabilities of controlling it. The tires arenÂt rated for 147 mph. TheyÂre stock tires on a rental car. The car probably was shaking.Â

Being a frequent traveler of the Loop 101 in what I like to call 'The Enforcement Zone', I am not a proponent of the photo radcamerasras as they tend to disrupt what I would prefer to call the 'normal flow' of traffic. I have even witnessed accidents as folks have slowed down as they have approached the enforcement zone. However, this incident certainly helps illustrate why tcamerasras were installed in the first place.

Full story: http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/index.php?sty=66898

Chandler Center for the Arts

2006-06-02T21:00:00.000-07:00

The Chandler Center for the Arts has something going on each at month from this July through next May. A few of the most notable events coming up are:

November 11th - Glenn Campbell
November and December - Nutcracker performances
December 9 - 16 - The Spirt of Christmas
January 13 - Torme Sings Torme
February 17 - Jane Monheit (Jazz)
February 24 - Wayne Newton
February 10 - The Queen of Bingo (stage comedy)
March 11th - It's Magic
April 1 - The Second City National Touring Company (Comedy)
April 22 - The Pink Floyd Experience

For a full schedule of events, check out: http://www.chandlercenter.org/perform-2005/performances.html

Elegance or Ego?

2006-06-01T21:31:00.000-07:00

I stumbled upon a story about the Ocotillo Community Association renovating its "marquee" entry signs and it made me chuckle a bit. For a community so young, I found it surprising that the association would be looking to spend its funds on renovating signs that don't yet need to be replaced. According to Barb Brown, "The current signs do not reflect Ocotillo's image". Personally, if my HOA was going to spend funds so frivolously I would work on replacing the board. But, what concerns me more is the fact they will be considering obtaining a grant from Chandler's neighborhoods program for the renovation. If they do apply for the grant, I can only hope it will be turned down!

Full story at: http://www.azcentral.com/community/chandler/articles/0601CR-ocotillo0601Z6.html

More on Covance

2006-06-01T21:26:00.000-07:00

It appears the Chandler City Council and Mayor were spammed with a bunch of emails from the community against allowing Covance to open a facility here in Chandler. According to an article posted on AZCentral.com by Luci Scott "A flurry of about 180 e-mails has been sent to city officials in wake of anti-Covance postcards mailed to more than 71,000 Chandler addresses last week. The e-mails, overwhelmingly against the drug-testing company, targeted Mayor Boyd Dunn and City Council members."

"City Councilman Bob Caccamo said he received a lot of e-mails "that looked like almost a form. They said the same thing and had different names on them."

Caccamo said, "My mind hasn't been made up about what we should do and what's going to happen (about Covance). I'm an animal lover but . . . my wife is a cancer survivor. Chemotherapy saved her life."

Caccamo said, "When I ran I said if Covance came I'd want them testing only for life-saving drugs and not for cosmetics, and they'd have to follow FDA regulations and have no violations. And they would have to treat animals humanely."

See full story at: http://www.azcentral.com/community/chandler/articles/0601cr-covance0601Z6.html

Legacy of two council members

2006-05-29T12:00:00.000-07:00

Donna Wallace and Phil Westbrooks have been very influential members of the Chandler City Council championing such causes as the abandonment of a proposed waste transfer station at McQeen and Queen Creek and the way the city was handling mother's who breast feed in public. On June 1st, Phil Westbrooks will also receive the Chamber of Commerce's Diversity Champion Award for his role in starting the Small Business Minority Workshop.

Whether or not we agreed with all of the decisions these council members made while in office, both of them deserve our thanks as citizens for their willingness to step up to the plate and serve in public office.

Full story at azcentral.com: http://www.azcentral.com/community/chandler/articles/0525cr-leaving0525Z6.html

Chandler Meth Lab

2006-05-28T12:50:00.000-07:00

The man who was recently arrested for creating and operating the largest methamphetamine lab in Chandler History was sentenced to 5 years in jail. Apparently, this is his second arrest for setting up a lab at the same location - near Germann and Alma School. His first arrest was back in 2000.

Full story at: http://www.azcentral.com/community/chandler/articles/0525cr-methguy0525Z6.html

....I personally think 5 years is too light for his second offense considering the scale of his operations and the dangers meth poses to the community and our children. What are you thoughts?

Covance Fined

2006-05-28T12:32:00.000-07:00

Covance - a prospective Chandler business - was recently fined by the USDA for animal abuse related to the mishandling of lab monkeys. The company has recently been under attack by Chandler activists who would prefer the company not build a facility in Chandler. See full story at: http://www.azcentral.com/community/chandler/articles/0401cr-covance0401Z6.html

Covance, according to its website www.covance.com, "is one of the world's largest and most comprehensive drug development services companies with annual revenues greater than $1 billion, global operations in 18 countries, and more than 7,000 employees worldwide" Covance has strict polices outlining Animal Welfare. These can be found at: http://www.covance.com/animalwelfare/index.php. Covance is a publicly traded company and is listed on the NYSE as CVD. The stock is currently trading at $58.55.

So, citizens of Chandler, do you think Covance is the type of business that the City of Chandler should be welcoming? Some have said if Chandler rejects Covance it will reduce the chances of the city bringing in other bioscience companies (see http://www.azcentral.com/community/tempe/articles/0330cr-economic0330Z10.html). What are your thoughts?

DUI Taskforce This Weekend

2006-05-28T10:28:00.000-07:00

Kudos to the City of Chandler for being part of the DUI taskforce this weekend! These taskforces send a powerful message to drivers that if you are going to drive - don't drink. If you do, you will face the consequences.

Full article on AZCentral.com: http://www.azcentral.com/community/chandler/articles/0527cr-dui0527Z6.html

Recall or Not To Recall?

2006-05-20T11:31:00.000-07:00

There has been some discussion on other blogs and in the newspapers about recalling two current council members - Matt Orlando and Martin Speulveda. I am of the mindset that at least the presence of a recall movement shows the people of Chandler are at least engaged in city governance. I also believe that the recall movement will either show the people of the city find these councilmen's performance to be satisfactory or, if they are recalled, unsatisfactory. In either case, I believe this movement can only help alleviate the issues currently surrounding the City Council. What are your thoughts?

Welcome Bloggers

2006-05-20T11:11:00.000-07:00

Hello Fellow Bloggers. This blog is for the free exchange of ideas and comments regarding the City of Chandler. I hope to have and see numerous discussions involving such topics as City Governance, Recommendations for Improvements, News and Events concerning all Chandler residents, Chandler schools, etc. So please don't be shy and post any comments you have. I will be happy to exchange posts with you and having meaningful conversations. However, I must add that I will engage in any 'hostile' debates or tolerate any profanity on this blog. This blog is meant for meaningful discussions.

So - thank you for joining me on my blog and I hope this blog is useful to you.