With the Affordable Care Act (ACA) set to begin open enrollment in October, many businesses are rushing to prepare for the changes it will bring. The Tempe Chamber of Commerce will be hosting a Hot Topics and Lunch event about the ACA this Thursday, June 20 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Radisson Hotel Phoenix Airport, 427 N. 44th St.

Sometimes it’s best to start out small and work up to something bigger.

Teens are bound to be excited to leave backpacks and books behind for carefree summer fun. However, if your teen’s summer includes driving or riding with a teen driver, there are a few things to consider.

On Aug. 27, you will once again have the opportunity to exercise your given right to vote — this time in the Phoenix City Council District 6 election.

The Arizona Newspapers Foundation, Inc. (ANF) announced a scholarship available to Arizona college students majoring in journalism. This summer, ANF will award scholarships to students attending Arizona State University, University of Arizona or Northern Arizona University full-time. Students must have completed at least one term and have one term remaining before graduation.

REALITY TIME is fast approaching on the conclusion of the public comment period on the proposed Loop 202 for the South Mountain Freeway, as we have just until July 24 to submit our opinions.

Members of the South Mountain Citizen’s Advisory Team (SMCAT) have until July 24 to submit the official recommendation from its group on the proposed South Mountain Loop 202 Freeway to the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT).

For the second consecutive summer, Salt River Project (SRP) is helping customers save energy, conserve water and beautify the environment with the popular SRP Shade Tree Program.

Dr. Pat Quigley has practiced clinical psychology in Ahwatukee for more than 10 years, and is offering something new to the area for kids and adults with attention-deficit disorders or working memory issues.

Tired of waiting for action, Gov. Jan Brewer forced lawmakers back to the Capitol late Tuesday to approve her budget and Medicaid expansion.

State Farm recently announced its role as the anchor tenant in the Marina Heights development on Tempe Town Lake. The company will be hosting a career fair in Phoenix June 11-12 to fill 900 positions in many departments in the Papago Buttes and Gateway facilities, where the company expects continued hiring throughout 2013. The job openings include full- and part-time positions and some bilingual opportunities.

What a crazy three days for area athletes.

Three students recently promoted from the eighth grade at St. John. Bosco Catholic School in Ahwatukee recently received scholarships for private high school tuition, each worth $8,000.


All quarterbacks and receivers in sixth to 10th grade are invited to attend a specialized instructional camp June 24-27 from 8 to 10:30 a.m. at Mountain Pointe High School, 4201 E. Knox Road.

An Ahwatukee couple’s youngest son was killed in Afghanistan this week when a suicide bomber attacked his unit.

The Court of Appeals won't stop the state from continuing to fund a controversial voucher program, at least not now.

We need to have STANDING ROOM ONLY at the Arizona Department of Transportation’s (ADOT) Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway Study Meeting on June 18 at the Foothills Golf Club, 2201 E. Club House Drive, from 4 to 7 p.m. The time is NOW to voice our deep concerns about the highly negative impacts this proposed freeway will have on our village.
Here is a direct quote from the ADOT Fact Sheet: “Traffic volumes for the proposed freeway are expected to be in the range of 137,000 to 142,000 vehicles per day by 2030, which is comparable to current use on Loop 101 and existing segments of Loop 202. The analysis of travel patterns shows the demand for the freeway consists of mostly regional traffic, not traffic moving through metro Phoenix.”


Like most future college freshmen, Ahwatukee’s Alexis Lupercio is determined and eager to make it to every class her first semester.
But the driving factor isn’t just a headstrong devotion to her education, it’s also because she’s never missed a day of school in her life.
Proving that senioritis didn’t get the best of her, Lupercio, 17, recently graduated from Mountain Pointe High School and has gone through some 13 years of schooling without calling in sick or leaving town, giving her a true perfect attendance record.
“It kind of just happened,” said Lupercio. “There have definitely been days where I asked my mom if I could miss school, but in the back of my head I knew I couldn’t miss.”
Though she never got sick enough to stay home all of those years, Lupercio insisted on going to school albeit tiredness from late-night study sessions and light colds.
Noting that both of her parents were supportive and encouraged her to keep up the record, Lupercio also credited a sense of independence.
“It’s just me being independent and taking responsibility instead of relying on others,” she said, mentioning that a pet peeve of hers is asking others for class notes or making up tests.
Though she was present on campus for all of her primary school years, being involved in student council as Mountain Pointe’s senior class president this year took her away from some classes for event set-up or other activities.
“I was even the one who had never missed a student council meeting last year,” Lupercio said.
Along with student council, Lupercio played volleyball as an underclassman and also was a member of the National Honors Society and the Language Honors Society. She also attended Kyrene de la Esperanza Elementary and Kyrene Centennial Middle schools.
With a plan to study business exploratory at Arizona State University this fall, Lupercio wants to be just as involved on a new turf.
“I really like being involved, I got to get to know more about the school and our other students so that was cool,” she said. “I want to see all that’s out there.”
For others who might want to finish out their high school days with daily attendance, Lupercio said it’s all about responsibility.
“I think anyone can do this,” she said. “It’s your responsibility to go to school, just go for it.”


When Ahwatukee Foothills News decided to start including a column in the newspaper, “‘Tukee Talk” seemed like a unique and clever name but the original Tukee Talks have been going on for years.

Festival of Lights (FOL) committee members are inviting the adults of Ahwatukee Foothills to come party this weekend at the 18th Annual Festival of Lights Wine and Beer Tasting.
Hundreds of people attend the event each year. This year’s festivities will take place from 7 to 10 p.m. tomorrow, June 1, at the Foothills Golf Club, 2201 E. Clubhouse Drive. The Festival of Lights Charity Golf Tournament will be earlier in the day on Saturday at the Foothills Golf Club. The shotgun scramble tees off at 7:30 a.m. The cost is $100 for individuals with discounts for a foursome. That price includes a round of golf, a cart, a buffet lunch, range balls, a goody bag and entrance into multiple drawings. Golfers can register at Safeway or through the Festival of Lights website, www.folaz.org.
Money raised from both events will benefit the community’s Festival of Lights, Ahwatukee Kiwanis and the YMCA’s Outreach Program for Ahwatukee Seniors (YOPAS).
Tickets for the wine tasting can be purchased for $40 in advance at www.folaz.org, or for $50 at the door on Saturday night. There are also additional discounts for large groups who purchase tickets in advance.
Guests will have a chance to sample more than 50 varieties of wine and beer along with food from local restaurants. Dr. Ron and the Painkillers will provide live music throughout the night.
The silent auction this year is excellent, said Linda Jochim, a FOL committee member. There will be more than 120 items up for auction including several different spa packages, vacation getaways, tickets to sporting events and even a three-day Harley rental. Of course, the silent auction will also include gift cards to local restaurants and lots of sports memorabilia. Jochim said donors to the silent auction have been more than generous this year and it should make for some great bargains for those who bid.
Every year from Thanksgiving to New Years night thousands of strands of lights span Chandler Boulevard. The tradition has continued through the support of the Ahwatukee Foothills community. Each year the kick-off party is filled with events and activities for kids and families to enjoy while the wine and beer tasting in the summer is a celebration for the adults.
To sign up, or to find out more information, visit www.folaz.org.


The search for a family-pleasing staycation just got a little easier, thanks to one of Chandler’s lushest resorts.

Arizona Christian University will hosts the 2013 Baseball Recruit Identification Camp June 3-6 at Firestorm Field. Players ages 14-18 are invited to attend the camp, which focuses on baseball skills development.

With a unique style of commencement ceremony, Horizon Community Learning Center in Ahwatukee graduated 92 seniors on Tuesday night.

My son Brett, the comeback athlete

There have been highs and lows from the 2012-2013 athletic year.