The eighth annual Warrior Baseball Camp, hosted by the Mountain Pointe baseball program, will be from 7 to 11 a.m. July 26-27 at the school’s baseball field, 4201 E. Knox Road.

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.

Voters who have seen how medical marijuana works in Arizona may get a chance to extend the ability to use the drug to all other adults.

Not waiting for formal gubernatorial approval, foes of her Medicaid expansion already are moving to undo at the ballot box and in court what they could not block at the Legislature.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says an outbreak of hepatitis A linked to a frozen berry mix sold at Costco has grown to 87 people with illnesses in eight states.

Why is it that from 2004 to 2010, the gluten-free food industry has grown at a compounded annual rate of almost 30 percent? Probably because 1 in 133 persons is now being diagnosed with a condition known as celiac disease. Patients with celiac disease are unable to tolerate a protein called gluten, which is found in the grains wheat, barley and rye. The inability to digest these grains when eaten leads to inflammation of the small intestines manifested by destruction of microscopic hairs, called “villi,” lining the small intestines. Without these villi, the patient is unable to absorb vitamins, minerals, and other vital nutrients, and malnutrition and anemia ensue. Young children who develop celiac disease are particularly vulnerable as their growth and normal development can be stunted.

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.

Seton Catholic Preparatory High School starts its first summer session of Music Theater Camp for ninth-graders this week. The first session will be June 10-21 and a second session is July 15-26. The camp will be Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to noon. The cost is $150 for each session.

When it comes to fitness, some people have their own agendas on why they want to get off the coach and start shedding their unwanted body mass.

As the saying goes, “Good things come to people who wait.” For some time I have been suggesting to anyone who is in the market for a new computer to wait a while for Windows 8 to be improved, and that time may be around the corner. This is welcome news to those of you who have had the misfortune of either purchasing a Windows 8 computer or have received a gift with the ill-fated operating system installed on a new computer.

Father’s Day gifts have morphed over the years. It used to be a tie, a golf hat or a jazz CD. But dads are more tech-savvy these days.

After being stuck in a storm drain for a week, Ellie was sick and scared, but with love and good care she’s gotten her “sparkle” back. Ellie is very curious and just has to see what’s hiding in an open drawer, cabinet or a box because if it’s hidden, it must be something special. Although not a big talker, she does chatter at the birds and will let you know its snack time or if I need your help with a toy that got stuck. Affectionate but not needy, Ellie is happy to just be in the room with you, although I she loves to snuggle at bedtime.

Beautiful Bean has a rare Havana brown coat. She is sweet and lovable. Bean will answer to her name, craves attention and petting. Currently a little chubby, Bean should trim down some when in her new home eating light food. She is fixed, tested, and is getting all her shots.


Police cannot use the state's traffic laws to draw blood from suspected drunk drivers without a warrant absent their specific permission at the time of the test, the Arizona Supreme Court ruled last week.

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 state's high court is going to give Arizona lawmakers another chance to argue that they don't have to obey a voter mandate to annually increase basic state aid to schools.

After reading that the Senate has passed a bill to have online retailers charge sales tax exactly the same as brick and mortar businesses, I am hopeful that Congress will see the impact this will have on their communities. Small businesses have suffered and many have closed because people can save tax dollars by purchasing online. In fact, many people use local retail businesses as testing grounds for whatever they want to buy online. While we all love the idea of getting a deal, it shouldn’t be done on the backs of our local retail businesses. If the same tax is charged online as in person sales, both types of retail would be better served. I hope our Congressmen will realize that when the issue comes to a vote.


Each year, the Arizona Association of Teachers of Mathematics (AATM) sponsors a state-wide Algebra math competition. 
Summit School of Ahwatukee algebra students distinguished themselves for the third year in a row, with six students scoring in the top 10 percent in the state. Of the six, one Summit student, Mark Rakowski, tied for the third highest score in the state. Classmate Dillon Shipley tied for the state’s fourth place honor.
Summit students also earned top math honors in 2012 and 2011.
For more information, visit summitschoolaz.org.


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.

Searching for the perfect active adult community to enjoy during retirement creates all sorts of questions. Do you want to live somewhere else? If so, where? Do you want warmth and sunshine? Do you want to stay close to family? Do you want a condo or single-family home? With questions like these, doing your homework is important. As is starting early.

Taylor Guthrie, a student from Chandler, was recently honored as one of the brightest young students in the nation at a statewide awards ceremony for academically advanced children sponsored by The Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth (CTY).

After the high-profile shooting of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry in 2010, Scott Rollefstad felt he had to do something to help keep other agents safe.