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June, 2016

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Table of Contents

Get Connected.

Event Calendar.....................4

Eastmark News....................6

Mullberry News...................8

Cadence News.....................9

Meet The Neighbors .........10

Chalkboard Chatter............12

Student of the Month .......14

Teacher of the Month .......15

Around Town.....................16

Dining Out.........................17

Travel Tips.........................18

Welcome to the first edition of Mesa Gateway Connection. Inside you will find information about the people, places, and amenities that make the Mesa Gateway area a great place to live.

Whether you moved here to build your career, raise your family or enjoy your retirement, there is something for you to love. It is my hope that you will learn about it in Mesa Gateway Connection.

I want to tell the stories of our community in a way that will help us better understand and support each other. My desire in launching this publication is to connect you with the neighbors and local businesses who have made this beautiful place their home.

Thank you for supporting this vision and if you do find a new favorite place through a story or advertisement in Mesa Gateway Connection, please be sure to let the owner or manager know.

Sincerely, Tricia A. Moore,

Managing Editor

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What’s Going On?

Phoenix ComiconJune 2-5, Phoenix Convention Center and Hyatt Regency.Discover your inner geek at the 2016 Phoenix Comicon June 2-5 at the Phoenix Convention Center. Shop for unique merchandise, meet your favorite sci-fi actor, and party with your favorite characters. Enjoy world-class cosplay and hear from a variety of interesting guests.Dance Studio 111: On The Red Carpet!6:30, June 3-4, Chandler Center for the Arts. LightsDancers from Dance Studio 111 celebrate the awards shows that take place On The Red Carpet! This full stage dance production is great for all ages.

Salt River Pirates June 11, Salt River Tubing, Mesa.Celebrate National Get Outdoors Day with Salt River Tubing's 9th annual Salt River Pirates day. Visit the Salt River Tubing Facebook page for details.

Father-Daughter Soiree: A Night in Paris June 11, Apache Junction Multi-Generational Center.Hosted by the Apache Junction

Chamber of Commerce. The $8 per person ticket price includes dinner, dancing and crafting.

Phoenix Bridal Show and Wedding Expo June 12 Phoenix Convention Center. A wedding dress is given away every hour at the Phoenix Bridal Show and Wedding Expo. See the latest in wedding trends, sample award winning cakes, preview top wedding venues, book your photographer and more.

Los Lonely Boys June 12, Chandler Center for the Arts. Enjoy the vocal blend, rhythms and songwriting skills of this trio of brothers. Henry, Ringo and Jojo perform selections from their recent studio album, Revelation which was released to rave reviews including a four star rating in USA Today.

Feel the Magic June 18, Mesa Arts Center. Enjoy a dance performance presented by Dance Connection Scottsdale with dancers ranging from 2-19 years of age performing in all styles of dance.

John Carpenter - Live Retrospective June 19, Mesa Arts Center. John Carpenter performs themes from his classic films and new

compositions live for the first time during his summer tour including a stop at Mesa Arts Center.

Miss Arizona and Miss Arizona Oustanding TeenJune 23-25, Mesa Arts Center. Watch as 64 contestants from across the state compete to represent Arizona as Miss Arizona and Miss Arizona Outstanding Teen at the Miss America Pageant in September.

The Music ManJune 24, Queen Creek Performing Arts Center. Part of the Queen Creek Performing Arts Center Family Theater Series, The Music Man follows fast-talking traveling salesman Harold Hill as he cons the people of River City. Meredith Wilson's six-time, TONY Award winning musical comedy has been entertaining audiences since 1957 and is a family-friendly story to be shared with every generation.

The Joker cosplayer at the 2013 Phoenix Comicon. Photo credit: Gage Skidmore

Photo credit: backstagevips.com

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Camp Zoo Offers Summer Fun and LearningThe Phoenix Zoo is only about 30 minutes away for most Mesa-Gateway area residents and offers plenty of entertaining opportunities to learn about the more than 1400 animals

who live there. Camp Zoo is a particularly popular educational program aimed at supporting an ongoing culture of empathy and conservation.

“Camp Zoo offers opportunities for children in kindergarten through 8th grade to go behind the scenes at the Phoenix Zoo and observe animals in their habitats, interacting with their caretakers, monitoring their

behaviors and learning about their plights in the wild,” said Phoenix Zoo Family Program

Supervisor, Shannon Howard. “These experiences foster empathy, promote care for the environment, animals and conservation, motivating the next generation of

environmental stewards.”

The summer day-camp style program is filled with up-close animal encounters and hands-on experiences. Participants in the Camp Zoo program enjoy

outdoor activities in the cooler morning temperatures and spend their afternoons indoors engaging age-appropriate learning activities.

Camp sessions in each age group alternate between two different topics and children are welcome to attend multiple sessions throughout the summer. Camp lessons and activities are designed for multiple learning styles encouraging individual expression and promoting collaborative skills. Modified lessons and accommodations can be made for campers with special needs.

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Eastmark Leadership Participants Invite Residents to 'Leave Your Mark' at Honors Park in Anitole SquareClass one of the Eastmark Leadership program invites the entire community to participate in the creation of Eastmark Honors Park at Anitole Square in the northeast section of the Eastmark development.

The leadership class project includes the installation of a lighted flagpole and engraved legacy pavers. It will provide residents with a gathering place to commemorate individual milestones, recognize the service of others and memorialize loved ones.The pavers, which are available for purchase on the Eastmark website, include up to 3 lines of text at 15 characters per line. It’s a perfect opportunity to congratulate a recent graduate, celebrate a birth or commemorate a special anniversary.

“The engraving doesn’t have to be memorial,” said leadership class one member Kathryn Atwood. “In fact, we encourage celebratory messages commemoratingthe first day of kindergarten or the date a family moved into the community. We may even see some ‘Joanie loves Chachi’ types of sentiments and that would be fun too!”

While the lighted flagpole at the Eastmark Honors Park will pay tribute to men and women in uniform throughout the community and around the world, the engraved bricks will commemorate the lives of those they serve and protect.

The Eastmark Leadership program is designed to cultivate community leaders and each class is asked to complete a project that will provide value to the Eastmark community.

It is the hope of Eastmark Leadership's inaugural class that the Eastmark

Honors Park project at Anitole Square will spark conversations about both unique and shared experiences, that it will encourage neighbors to celebrate milestones, and that it will result in a deeper sense of community pride.

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BASIS Mesa Celebrates First Graduating ClassThe Eastmark community celebrates an educational milestone as BASIS Mesa graduates its first class of seniors.

“From the first drawings of the Eastmark community, education was deliberately included in the foundation, as it is in every DMB community,” said Eastmark General Manager Dea McDonald.

“Welcoming BASIS to Eastmark four years ago set us on the map as a destination for families and helped to connect families and community engagement here. We are honored to join the family and friends of these fine graduates in congratulating these students on their achievements. We look forward to seeing what the first graduates of BASIS Mesa will accomplish!”

BASIS Mesa Head of School Matt FritzMiller is also excited about the school's first graduating class.

"We are so proud of our eight graduates, They entered BASIS Mesa as 10th graders, which means that they had to work even harder to acclimate themselves to the BASIS curriculum. These eight students did a fantastic job, worked really hard, and even found time at the end of the year to, as a group, tutor 6th and 7th grade students during the

school day."

Graduate Bailey Fuchtman said she has gained confidence after successfully completing the notoriously challenging BASIS curriculum.

“After three years of learning, studying, learning, studying and some more learning and studying, graduating from BASIS means I am not terrified of the workload ahead of me in college. College will be an entirely different environment than the one I am used to, but if BASIS taught me one thing, that is to adapt to my environment and do so quickly to succeed.”

Graduate Veedhi Shah who will be attending ASU Barrett Honors College after graduation said she is proud to be graduating from such a rigorous program and feels confident about her future as a doctor.

“Graduating from BASIS means that I am fully prepared to go to college,” Shah said. “I will do my undergraduate work at ASU Barrett, get an internship related to medicine while I am there, and then go to medical school to complete my childhood dream of being a doctor.”

Graduate Braegen Fuentes, who transferred to BASIS after attending an online high school in Pennsylvania, said she too plans to attend ASU Barrett

Honors College where she will pursue a degree in biomedical sciences. She encourages incoming BASIS freshmen to take advantage of the resources available to them.

“Go to student hours. Your teachers are there to help you,” Fuentes said. “Don’t be afraid to tell them if you are struggling or ask for help. The teachers here are always happy to help. They work at BASIS because they really care about their students and their success.”

Graduate Hannah Debray couldn’t agree more. “The teachers are inspiring, the students are driven and intelligent and it’s going to be hard to leave such beautiful, amazing people behind when we go.”

FritzMiller’s advice to the students as they go out into the world is based on the poem “One Ship Sales East” by Ella Wheeler Wilcox.

“My advice to the graduates is that while they do not always have control over their circumstances or the things that happen to them, they have control over their reaction to those circumstances.

Keep your sails set in the direction that is true to who you are, and weather the storms that come your way.”

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Water Donation Charity Event June 11 at Mulberry Park

Mulberry Hosts 'Drive-In' Movie Night

Bring a case of water to Mulberry Park June 11, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. to enjoy a fantastic public event supporting St. Vincent De Paul's efforts to supply water to the homeless and unsheltered throughout the summer.

The event is the result of a collaborative effort on the part of Blandflord Homes, CCMC Community

Management and Keller Williams Realty.

The water donation event is open to the public and residents throughout the Mesa Gateway Area are encouraged to participate.

Admittance to the event is included with the donation of a case of bottled water.

Residents at Mulberry recently enjoyed a very special Drive- In Movie Night at the Mulberry community center.

Participants created their cars from resident-donated cardboard boxes and as they "drove" through the box office, were given a speaker to attach to the window or dash.

With parents in tow, they parked in front of a 14 foot portable screen and made themselves comfortable.

Hot dogs, popcorn, candy and s'mores were served at the concession stand and as the evening got darker, the screen lit up with Looney Tunes cartoons as the opening act before the main feature, Disney's Inside Out. Photos Courtesy Mulberry Community Life

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Cadence at Gateway Means More Options For Home Buyers in Mesa Gateway Area.Home buyers moving to the Mesa Gateway area will have even more options when Cadence at Gateway opens on the southeast corner of Ray and Ellsworth in late 2017.

Craig Krumweide, president of Scottsdale-based real estate and investment company Harvard Investments said the firm studied the local housing market extensively before launching the project.

“This is really the first major master planned community that’s been designed post-great recession,” Krumweide said. “It’s really exciting to have a new generation of master planned communities coming to fruition that are specifically designed for the buyer groups that are out there now.”

According to Krumweide, the Cadence design includes parks, amenities and floor plans that appeal to specific buyers with specific needs. Single parents will find smaller floor plans with lower maintenance requirements and an accessible price point, multigenerational households will enjoy a home designed specifically with cohabitation in mind and empty-nesters or young professionals will appreciate pocket parks and other amenities that forgo the playground equipment in favor of a more grown-up feel.

Krumweide said developing in East Mesa has been a breeze and he couldn’t be happier with the collaborative support he’s gotten from the city and the community.

“This was our first project in Mesa and we’ve really been

impressed with the city and the people we’ve worked with. In fact, we now are building office buildings in Mesa because we’ve really enjoyed working with the community and we’re excited to become a bigger part of the City of Mesa.”

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Lisa and Gavin Schmitt are active within the community and well liked by all of their neighbors. They foster dogs and volunteer at Desert Harbor Doberman Rescue.

Oh...and they both ride Triumph motorcycles.

“My first motorcycle came at the age of six, and my first ride was taken at full speed into the chain link fence in our back yard,” Gavin said. “After brushing off my first crash, I knew I was hooked.”

Lisa, on the other hand took her skills course and got her motorcycle license only a few years ago.

“When Lisa first talked to me about learning to ride a motorcycle, it made me nervous," Gavin said. “but she’s proven to be a good rider, and I’m glad she decided to give it a try. It’s a fun hobby and we really enjoy riding together.”

Gavin has been riding with the Brit Iron Rebels since 2011 after the purchase of a Triumph Bonneville.

“Our local group is made up of British modern classic, and classic bikes only,” Gavin said. “The majority of them are Triumphs, but some guys ride Nortons, BSAs and Matchless.”

When they ride, the group typically avoids major highways, chain restaurants and national hotels, opting for more authentic local experiences.

“We try to stop at most of the Mom & Pop places,” Gavin said. “It gives you more of the feeling of riding back in history.”

While the Schmitts are enthusiastic about their motorcycles, nothing can rival the love they have for their dogs.

“We got our first dog, a German shorthair pointer, in 2002 and added a doberman pincher to the family in 2008,” Lisa said. “When our first doberman passed away from wobblers disease it was pretty tough.”

Lisa made a donation to Desert Harbor Doberman Rescue as a way to memorialize the lost member of her family

and started following the organization on Facebook.

Within a year, Lisa felt a calling to do more.

“I saw this dog, Jedi, on the website and thought to myself, ‘Look at that face! He’s so sweet!’ so I made Gavin look at the pictures, and a couple days later, Gavin went to get him,” Lisa said.

“We ended up fostering this 100 pound red and tan male who came into the county shelter covered in ticks and with a necrotic front toe.” Gavin said. “After about a month of bandage changes and weekly trips to the animal hospital in Glendale, we bonded with him and he bonded with us.”

When Jedi was healthy and ready to be adopted, the Schmitts couldn’t bear giving him up.

He is now 85 pounds, healthy and happy to be a permanent member of the family.

Photos by Tricia Moore

Meet the Neighbors:

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Lisa and Gavin Schmitt

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Chalkboard Chatter

Term Project Week at BASIS Mesa Encourages Discovery

At the end of each academic year, as BASIS Mesa students are immersed in their year-end exams, they also participate in another annual tradition – term project week.Led by school staff, students can select from a wide variety of week-long activities, from Poetry to a Documentary Film

Festival, to German 101, and everything in between. These term projects expose BASIS students to non-traditional areas of academics and self-expression, and may even spark interest leading to the development of a new hobby. It’s a fun way for students and staff alike to wrap up the year.

Now that the Fry's Grocery Store at Mulberry Marketplace has opened, Mesa Gateway residents have an easy way to support local schools.

When a Fry's Loyalty Card is linked to the Fry's Community Rewards program, a percentage of the purchases made on the card will be donated to the linked school.

Community rewards program participants can select Sequoia Pathfinder Academy by searching for the Non-Profit Organization number 29954

when setting up the community rewards section of their Fry's Loyalty Card account.

Fry's Community Rewards Program Supports Sequoia Pathfinder Academy

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Desert Ridge High School Students Victorious at Spark App League EventDesert Ridge High School students Dorian Waite, Elizabeth Dieringer and Jason Deguzman were awarded Best Overall Game while classmates Matthew

Whiting and Gianni Consiglio took the award for Best Technical Game at the recent Spark App League competition. The teams, sponsored by Desert Ridge High

School Computer Programming Teacher Robert Brandl, were two of 12 regional teams to participate in the annual Spark App League event.

Photo Courtesy of SPARK App League/Gilbert Digital

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Congratulations Class of 2016!

Mesa Gateway Connection recognizes the importance of education to the success and growth of our community. Family and friends of the following graduates have asked that they be recognized and we join them in celebrating this important milestone.

Haley Johnson - American Leadership AcademyVeedhi Shah - Basis MesaBailey Fuchtman - Basis MesaBraegen Fuentes - Basis MesaHannah Debray - Basis MesaZachary Callanan - Basis MesaBrandon Adamson - Gilbert HSKileaf Stark - Poston Butte HSTena Stark - Concordia University Wisconsin

student activities and

news from our local educators

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Saeda McKoy is a first grade student at Gateway Polytechnic Academy. She has an interest in science and said she really likes to learn about rocks and metals. Her favorite class is music because she likes to learn about new beats and styles of music. She particularly likes to play the drums and maracas and her favorite song is London Bridges.

Saeda said she enjoys school because her teacher Ms. Gordon helps her get better at the things she likes to do. She said first grade taught her to read chapter books like The Magic Treehouse and about important historical figures like Dr. Martin Luther King.

Saeda said she loves when her parents come to her class to see the work she’s been doing and that it makes her happy to know that they are proud of her. Saeda plays sports, and has been participating in competitive dance since she was three.

Saeda said her grandmother is her favorite adult. “She loves me and takes me places and plays games with me,” Saeda said, “and she always lets me

play outside and do the things I want to do.”

Saeda’s mother Shannon McKoy said she is most proud of Saeda’s passion and drive and really appreciates that she can be driven without losing sight of what’s important. “She’s interested in learning and growing and getting better and having fun,” McKoy said. “She’s competitive, but she has a fun side so it’s always light and entertaining. She has a lot of her dad’s fun personality.”

McKoy said she began reading to Saeda when she was a baby and that she believes it makes a big difference in how Saeda performs academically.

“I would just read to her all of the time when she was a baby” McKoy said.”I think it really helped her. We also try to show her

that we are interested in her education and the things she's learning in school. We help her with her homework packet and she reads to us every night. It's a nice way to end the day.”

Photos L-R: Featured Student Saeda McKoy at the Eastmark Great Park (Photo credit: Tricia Moore)and performing with her dance troupe at Spotlight Dance Cup (Photo credit: dancepix.com)

June Featured Student: Saeda McKoy

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Kelli Gordon is a first grade teacher at Gateway Polytechnic Academy.

Ms. Gordon was nominated for recognition by Staci David on

behalf of her son Tucker.

“Tucker has been in speech therapy since he was three. When he went into first grade he could not read, could not write and barely knew his sight words,” David said. “After a year with Ms. Gordon, he is where he is supposed to be. She is amazing!”

According to David, Gordon was consistent in maintaining contact and prepared a personalized folder with specific items for David to work on with her son over the summer.

Gordon also prepared information for Tucker’s second grade teacher to ensure a smooth transition and make sure his next teacher knows the student’s needs.

“She helped us through all of the developmental issues Tucker has,” David said. “If it weren’t for Ms. Gordon, Tucker

would not be where he is academically today.

We needed guidance and she provided it. She treated me like a friend and fellow parent.”Teaching is a lifelong passion for Gordon who says it is parents

who truly make the difference for most children.

“I have wanted to be a teacher for as long as I can remember,” Gordon said. I believe it was always my destiny to be a teacher since I come from a long line of teachers.”

“While recognition is always nice, what the David family may not realize is the integral part they play in their child’s story. A child will only succeed with the parent, child and teacher working together.”

Gordon said she believes children haven’t really changed much since the days when she was just playing pretend with a chalkboard and her friends from around the neighborhood. “I think it’s important to let children be children,” Gordon said. “They can learn the curriculum and standards in ways that are appropriate for their age.

Letting students get up and move around actually fosters a positive learning environment while promoting kinesthetic learning.”

Gordan said it's important to her to provide her students with an experience that draws them in as learners and prepares them for a lifetime of curiosity.

“I want to ensure children in my class have a fun experience and learn to love school," Gordon said. "The most important thing I do on a daily basis is love. I love my kids. I love my job. That’s what really makes the difference.”

Featured Teacher: Kelli Gordon

"The most important thing I do on a daily basis is love. I love my kids. I love my job. That’s what

really makes the difference.”

Visit mesagatewayconnection.com to submit a student or teacher of the month nomination.

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Happening Around Town

Sprouts Farmer's Market is now open at Rittenhouse and Ellsworth Loop Roads in Queen Creek.

The location includes the standard features one would expect and has added three new services that Sprouts Chief Development Officer Ted Frumkin said customers have been asking about for awhile.

"We're constantly tweaking and if you look around the store, you'll find some new things, like the 'what's for dinner tonight case,'" Frumkin said. "We only have a couple in the Valley right now, but we are building it out to more stores."

Frumkin said the coffee bar is another new feature that customers are excited about.

"Customers have been asking for a coffee bar for some time. We tested it in a couple of stores and now we're rolling it out to more and more stores. It's very popular."

The last new addition is a salad bar. "Obviously, we're a really healthy environment, so it makes sense," Frumkin said."And these are the things we're getting really good feedback about."

Customer feedback plays an important role in the decision making process including where to build new stores.

According to Frumkin, the deision to open in Queen

Creek was driven by customer demand and Store Manager Tony Duval said he's excited to

be a part of the community.

"We look forward to making a positive impact on the Queen Creek community," Duval Said. "We donate all unsold and edible but not marketable groceries to United Food Bank through our Food Rescue Program."

Duval added that he recognizes the store's role as a business in the local community as well.

"From a business perspective, we brought approximately 80 new jobs to the Queen Creek community. We also have a successful local product program designed to benefit local growers and businesses, like our neighbors at Queen Creek Olive Mill.”

Mesa Hydration Donation Takes Place June 1 - September 18

Sprouts Farmer's Market Now Open In Queen Creek

The City of Mesa, Mesa Chamber of Commerce, Eastmark and about a dozen other organizations are working together this summer to promote the Ninth Annual Mesa Hydration Donation Campaign taking place June 1 through September 18 accross the city.

The program, designed to supply water to the homeless and unsheltered, collects bottles of water to be distributed through United Food Bank to agencies across the valley.

There are donation locations throughout Mesa including Mesa Community College, Fiesta Mall, Superstition Springs Center and Eastmark residents can donate water at the Eastmark community center.

“Water is a fundamental human need. It seems unimaginable that people in our community may not have consistent access to it," said Suzanne Walden- Wells, Eastmark Director of Community Life. "We felt we could make an impact by raising awareness and encouraging Eastmark

residents to donate. When thecases of water started filling our entryway, we knew we were onto something special.”

Benefits for participating include one free admission to USA-Skateland Mesa when you donate a case of water at the Mesa Skateland location between 6 and 8:30 p.m. any Thursday in June or July. Fiesta Mall merchandise gift for donations made at Fiesta Mall and two-for-one admission at Golfland Sunsplash from June 3 - July 29 with an on-site donation of a case of water.

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Restaurant Recommendation: Crackers and Co. CaféBy Brittany AllynThere’s nary a cracker on the menu at Crackers & Co. Café so it would seem the name is a reference to the act of cracking eggs, lots of eggs.

Choose from breakfast skillets, omelets, pancakes, French toast, crepes, a traditional two egg and meat option and more.

For those eggs Benedict lovers who just can’t bring themselves to order anything else when brunching out, there’s a dream of variations on the classic dish.

Try the Southwest with a spicy chorizo patty, avocado, tomato and two perfectly cooked poached eggs atop a toasted English muffin all drizzled with a smoky spicy

adobo hollandaise. Cracker’s Country Potatoes accompany egg dishes and are a testament to the chef’s restraint. Letting the sliced potatoes sizzle on the flat top resisting the urge to flip them too soon gives potatoes that are soft on the inside a buttery golden crust on the edges. And there are plenty of those magnificent edges.

Lunch items can be ordered starting at 10:30 a.m. and include house made soups, salads, sandwiches and burgers.

Crackers & Co. Café1325 N. Greenfield Rd., MesaCuisine: American Breakfast/Brunch/LunchHours: 7:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. DailyAverage price per plate: $11 Children’s menu $6.99

About Brittany AllynEastmark Resident Brittany Allyn is the host of Savor the Flavors cooking show, author of Wine and Opine wine reviews, and volunteer field editor for Taste of Home magazine. She gained an appreciation for the varied flavors of local cuisine while on tour with George Jones.

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Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport Offers Convenience, SavingsBy Carl OngTemperatures are rising and it is time to start planning that summer vacation. If flying to a far-off destination is in the cards, consider skipping the crowds at Phoenix Sky Harbor and take advantage of the convenience and pricing at nearby Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport (AZA).

Housed in the Charles L. Williams Terminal at AZA, Allegiant Air serves more than 30 destinations nationwide, and offers an affordable alternative to the bustling Phoenix hub downtown. Valley Metro and other major providers of ground transportation make travel to and from the airport stress-free. Those who prefer to drive themselves will find ample parking in one of three parking lots. With only one airline and

significantly fewer passengers to process, check-in and security screening is a breeze. AZA might not have an art museum or world renowned restaurants and shopping, but Paradise Bakery offers reasonably priced food options and passengers can snag a magazine and some

local flair at Arizona Highways gift shop to show off during the trip.

About Carl OngEastmark resident Carl Ong is the owner of Expedia CruiseShipCenters, a full service travel agency in Mesa.

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Communitiesconnect with the

Eastmark ~ Mulberry ~ Bella Via

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that matter to you

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Communitiesconnect with the

Eastmark ~ Mulberry ~ Bella Via

Advertise in Mesa Gateway Connection.

connectionmedia.org

that matter to you