Whether you’re a parent or caregiver, we all want the best for our kids. Part of that is making sure they have the reading skills to succeed in school and in life.

Dr. Amy Puls and Dr. Peter Pinto of Ahwatukee Foothills announce the upcoming wedding of their son, Johnny Pinto, to Dr. Chelsea Dinner. Parents of the bride, Dr. Alan and Anne Dinner, reside in Indianapolis, Ind. 

Many health complaints, inability to lose weight and underlying causes of disease, can be attributed to poor digestive health. The digestive system is responsible for breaking down the food we eat into tiny particles that can be used for energy, maintenance and repair. The digestive process also involves creating waste to be eliminated.
 

The Arizona Educational Foundation (AEF) is accepting applications from business leaders for its UnitED program designed to establish, build and sustain beneficial and meaningful relationships between schools and local businesses.
The program gives business leaders throughout Maricopa County a way to support local schools through available resources and expertise within the company.


Ahwatukee residents Dan and Lisa Roger announce the engagement of their daughter, Kate Roger, to Graham Lerner, son of Paul Lerner of Chicago and Victoria Olson of Bradenton, Fla. The wedding will be on Sept. 14 in Chicago.

Question: My mom has been feeling lost ever since my dad passed. I think she misses taking care of him. How can I help her feel more involved?

Do your kids love chocolate milk? It may have more calories on average than you thought.

While planning a patient appreciation event when Pecos Pool opened about 10 years ago, Dr. Joe Pearson never thought it would continue on into a decade-long summer tradition.

At 14, Tyler Cohen had never been out of the country or traveled without his Long Island family when he found himself in Costa Rica on a monthlong service trip for teens.

All-day kindergarten registration opened this week for the Kyrene School District, offering parents tuition-free classes where kids can engage in music, art, technology and other activities.

When most men hit their 30’s, something changes (besides a receding hairline). It is almost as if men are destined to finally obtain that gut that they were meant to have. A gut signifying a real man. One who is now married with kids, works hard, and doesn’t have time to exercise anymore like he did when he was younger. And a healthy diet? A man is hungry and stressed and a salad just isn’t going to cut it. You don’t have to be that guy. Because that guy won’t be very happy when he gets into his 50’s and 60’s, if he makes it there at all. If you are over 30, think about your male friends and family members who are your age. How many of them are in reasonably good shape? How many do you observe following a healthy diet and who are very active? It would be surprising if the answer was over 25 percent. Look at yourself. Have you fallen into this trap and become complacent with it?

Companies that hope to enforce their out-of-state judgments against Arizona firms have to follow the procedures to the letter of the law, the Arizona Court of Appeals has ruled.

The Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits (Alliance) and Arizona Grantmakers Forum (AGF) awarded $179,500 in prizes to 40 nonprofits who participated in Arizona Gives Day at a reception on May 2.

In an effort to help wounded service members, Ahwatukee residents Agnes Oblas and Peggy Coomans are hosting a seven-hour knit-a-thon this weekend.

With the onslaught of Oscar contenders that debuted last November, there’s a good chance that a little-seen indie gem, “Starlet,” managed to fall off your radar during its short, theatrical run. Winner of the Special Jury Prize at the 2011 SXSW film festival, “Starlet” explores the unlikely friendship between a cheerful, aspiring actress (played by the winsome Dree Hemingway) and a cantankerous, elderly widow (the late Besedka Johnson).

The people of "Peeples" make a better impression than most collections of oddballs in the weary mold of comedies centered on meeting the prospective in-laws.

If you watch the trailer for “Renoir” – a new period drama from French filmmaker Gilles Bourdos – a variety of adjectives are bound to come to mind: conventional, humdrum, lackluster. Sure, they’re trying to sell the story of one of the all-time great painters in a mere two minutes, but nothing about it grabs your attention – let alone, compels you to sit through the actual film. Luckily, this is not exactly the case for the movie itself, which is exquisite to look at but unfortunately devoid of any real insight into Pierre-Auguste Renoir. You come wishing to learn about the artist and his work, but instead leave dwelling on the film’s more engaging supporting characters.

Registration opens April 27 at 10:30 a.m. for Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department summer programs including full-day supervised recreation programs at 13 sites to keep kids engaged, active and safe over the summer break. The full-day programs will start June 3 and run through the end of July. In addition to the full-day programs, centers also are offering a large selection of general interest classes and sports programs. Many smaller centers also are offering free, drop-in programs during the summer.

"Oblivion” is another movie that seems better suited for a video game than a motion picture. Watching the characters engage in endless shoot outs and explore vast, abandoned terrains, all you want to do is get your hands on a controller. Since a movie is unequipped with game play, though, you’re forced to sit back and merely observe the story. Then again, most modern video games have more three-dimensional characters and smarter plots than “Oblivion.” This science fiction mystery from director Joseph Kosinski isn’t completely without some good ideas, elevating it above “Transformers” schlock. It’s just unfortunate those ideas never meld into anything that intriguing.

I would like to respond to a recent guest column, “SRP needs to provide vision and advance energy efficiency,” which appeared in this newspaper (March 29). The author makes inaccurate assertions regarding the ability of customers and stakeholders to provide meaningful input to SRP’s resource plan and more generally questions our commitment to sustainable resources.

Domestic violence is a problem that hits all neighborhoods.

Arizonans who have to seek protection from creditors in bankruptcy court soon will be able to hang on to more of what they own.

The company looking to open a medical marijuana dispensary in Ahwatukee Foothills has located a new site for a possible dispensary at 48th Street and Warner Road.