2012 Southeast Valley Ledger Christmas Edition

NoVember 15, 2012 SoutheaSt Valley ledger Page 9

Southeast Valley Holidays“Family Friendly Fun”

Southeast Valley HolidaysSoutheast Valley HolidaysSoutheast Valley HolidaysSoutheast Valley Holidays

By Zach RichterSoutheast Valley Ledger A long-standing tradition, the Queen Creek Holiday Parade and Festival 2012 is currently seeking participants and sponsors with all pro-ceeds benefi ting the QC Boys and Girls club. This year’s parade will take place Dec. 1, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and run from Ellsworth Rd. at Sierra Park Blvd. to the

festival grounds at the Queen Creek Library. Presented by the QC Kiwanis Club, the Holiday Parade has a 30-year history and club president Jim Ski-otes spoke with the Southeast Valley Ledger about what the community can expect this year. “This year’s theme is Christmas fairytales, the participants’ preparation is

Registration going on now for QC Holiday Parade

Santa Claus took time out of his busy schedule to appear in the 2011 Queen Creek Holiday Parade. Photo/Chase Kamp

always unique and of course there will be food and craft vendors and rides,” he said. “Last year’s parade lasted more than an hour or so and raised over $4,000 for the Boys and Girls Club.” Located at Desert Moun-tain Elementary School, the QC Boys and Girls Club offers children a place to go after school and on holidays where they can fl ourish in a controlled environment. QC students have the opportunity to participate in sports, com-puter and learning programs. According to Skiotes, slots in the parade are available for $60 or $35 for nonprofi ts organizations, and competi-tion can get rather heated. “Prizes are given out in several categories for best fl oat, best dance studio, there are about a dozen different awards,” he said. “It creates a lot of enthusiasm among the community, people sign up early.” “Profi ts from the event all go the Kiwanis Club Boys and Girls Club general fund so they can continue their op-erations,” Skiotes continued. “SRP feels it is a worthwhile event and has already com-mitted to be a gold sponsor.” Structured sponsorship op-portunities are available for $250 to $5,000 and include donor name and logo dis-plays in a variety of sizes and locations, space on the event t-shirt, space on the event website, recognition in event announcements, complimen-tary vendor booth and parade entry and VIP passes to the event. A $10,000 sponsorship

is also available with custom incentives. A 10x10 vendor space is available for $55 with a $10 discount for nonprofi t groups. Vendors may begin setup at 8 a.m. on Dec. 1 and remain until 3 p.m. Sponsorship, vendor and parade participation forms

are available online at Que-enCreekParade.org. For additional sponsorship and advertisement informa-tion, contact Chris Clark at 480-231-8959 or e-mail Cclark@azfamilyfi nance.com. For additional food and craft, vendor informa-tion contact Andrea Reyes at

602-908-7129 or [email protected]. Those interested in vol-unteering are encouraged to contact Laura Richins at [email protected]. Parade participants should contact Monica O’Toole at [email protected] for scheduling.

By Zach RichterSoutheast Valley Ledger Founded by Jack Malpass, Executive Director of the San Tan Valley Think Tank, the Desert Song Community Choir is currently seeking adult singers of all skill levels

in the San Tan Valley area in preparation for a number of holiday performances “When you defi ne a com-munity it’s defi ned by what its people are involved in, by what activities it offers,” Mal-pass said in an interview with

the Southeast Valley Ledger. “[A choir] this is the type of group you would expect to fi nd in a growing area like San Tan Valley.” The Choir will be perform-ing on Dec. 7 at the Johnson

New choir readying itself for the holiday season

Choir, 3

SoutheaSt Valley ledger NoVember 15, 2012

Other Sponsors:

10th Annual

PolarFest 2012A Holiday Festival for

San Tan Valley

Business Vendors & Crafters Welcome!Get out and meet the public! Vendor Applications

are available online at www.polarfest.net

Join us!Saturday, Dec. 8, 2012

(Rain Date: Feb. 9, 2013)

11 a.m. to 5 p.m.Behind Walker Butte School

PolarFest Activities will include:• Business Vendors • Arts & Crafts

• Snow • Pony Rides • Hay Rides • Bouncies• Fun Games • Music/DJ/Entertainment

• Rock Wall • Carnival Rides • Helicopter Rides• Giant Sledding Hill •Snowman Making Contest

Great Give-Aways Throughout the

Event!$8 Wristbands are required for all games & attractions!

HOLIDAY PARADESan Tan Valley

Please send your entry forms to:San Tan Regional Chamber270 E. Hunt Hwy S-16#228San Tan Valley, AZ 85143

December 8th, 2012 at 9:30 a.m.Registration at 7:30 a.m.

Forms must be in no later than Nov. 23

“Where it’s NOT business as usual”

www.SanTanShopper.com

All

proceeds will

benefit the San

Tan Valley Toy

Drive!

Bring the whole family and support a great cause!

� e parade will start on Johnson Ranch Blvd. near Wal-Greens and will end in front of Walker Butte Small School.

For questions: Call 480-987-4705 or

email [email protected]

By Zach Richter Today Publications San Tan Valley’s largest annual event, PolarFest, is back for its tenth year and vendor space is still available. This year’s event will take place on Dec. 8, 2012 at Walker Butte K-8 School located at 29697 North Desert Willow Blvd. in San Tan Valley. Event organizer Janet Anderson explained that the purpose for the event is three fold. It gives the community local enter-tainment opportunities, helps local parent teacher organizations and booster clubs raise money and creates an opportunity for local vendors to display their wares. “It is very important to support the businesses in Pinal County so our Com-munities can prosper and grow,” Anderson said. “We need vendors and sponsors in order to put such a large event on. The more spon-sors and the more vendors, the more activities can be supplied.” Up to an estimated 5,000 community members have attend the event in years past to enjoy holiday fun and support a bevy of lo-cal nonprofit groups and school booster clubs. PolarFest staples such as specially delivered snow and helicopter rides will be returning this year as will a wide variety of carnival rides, food and live enter-tainment giving children plenty to do, and allowing parents an opportunity to take advantage of the vendor fair. New this year is a snow-man building contest where contestants are en-couraged to bring supplies

A holiday tradition, San Tan Valley’s own PolarFest is back for its tenth year.

Vendor space still open for this year’s PolarFest

from home in their quest to build the best snowman. Entries will be judged and prizes will be awarded. According to Anderson, another new feature this year is the business scav-enger hunt where 20 busi-nesses will be printed on a sheet of paper that will be distributed to patrons. As they find each busi-ness, patron’s will receive a stamp and those who fill the sheet will be entered to win a box of fresh beef. “This helps all the ven-dors get extra exposure as people will be looking at all the booths to find the scavenger hunt booths,” she said. The Pinal County Sheriff and the Pinal County Attorney’s Office will also be on hand to collect prescription drugs and shred sensitive material.. They will also be collect-ing old cell phones for use in the Triad Home Alone Unit program, which takes the donated devices and adapts them to only call 911 before providing them to elderly members of the

community. Wristbands for the event are $8 per person or $7 with a can of food dona-tion to the Pan de Vida Organization, and are required for all games and attractions. Helicopter rides are not included with an event wristband. Vendor space is still available in the form of 10x10 booths, canopies, tables and chairs not pro-vided. Space is available for $75 with a $15 late fee after Nov. 15. Only two vendors per company will be accepted. Setup begins at 9:30 a.m. with takedown starting at 5:00 p.m. No vehicles will be allowed on the field. No raffles will be allowed to generate money for any organization but raffling items to acquire leads, names or addresses is al-lowed. No bake sale items will be accepted. For more information including sponsorship information and vendor applications, call Janet Anderson at 480-987-4705 or check out PolarFest.net.


By Zach RichterSoutheast Valley Ledger The holidays are a time where everyone from the most devote to the devot-edly atheist can come to-gether and agree that help-ing those in need should be a top priority. The Central Christian Church in Queen Creek has several events planned in the coming weeks to celebrate the season in the best way its congregation knows how, through service. The Central Christian Church Queen Creek Cam-pus (22149 E Ocotillo Rd.) is hosting a Thanksgiving Community Dinner event and also hopes to bring Christmas to 50 families in the area. Edyi Keller-Williams, Community Outreach Coordinator for Central Christian, spoke with the Southeast Valley Ledger about the church’s plans and what interested community members can do to help. “This is the second an-nual Queen Creek Central

Christian Thanksgiving dinner,” she said. “The meal is free to the general public; we’re looking to feed 300 people.” The meal will feature all the traditional fixings including turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, biscuits and pie. “And probably sweet potatoes,” Keller-Williams said with a laugh. Keller-Williams went on to say one of Central Christian’s goals is to fos-ter a sense of unity in the Queen Creek area. “The San Tan Valley and Queen Creek areas are pri-marily bedroom communi-ties but they seem separate from the rest of the Val-ley,” she explained. “We do what we can to build a sense of community.” The community Thanks-giving Dinner will be held on Sat., Nov. 17 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Canyon State Academy located at 20061 E. Rittenhouse in Queen Creek. Preregistra-tion is not required.

For more information, or to donate food, time or funds to the Thanksgiving Community Dinner contact Misty McCoy at [email protected]. According to Keller-Williams Queen Creek Central Christian is also looking for members of the community interested in providing a family in need with a Traditional Christ-mas. “We get families from Queen Creek elementary schools and the family resource center,” she said. “It’s an opportunity to help community members in need.” Central Christian is ask-ing that those who adopt families spend $50 per child on gifts and clothes as well as supply two $25 gift cards for the parents and an optional dinner. For more information, contact Shawna Weeks at [email protected]. Keller-Williams also pointed out that Queen Creek Central Christian

Getting into the spirit of the holiday season

Queen Creek Central Christian Church will be providing meals like these to 300 guests on Nov. 17.

will also be participating in the Queen Creek Holiday Parade Dec. 1 and show-ing the Jim Carey version

of “The Grinch who Stole Christmas on Dec. 16 at Queen Creek High School (22149 E. Ocotillo Rd.) at

3:30 p.m. “We really just want to be God’s hands and feet,” Keller-Williams enthused.

FLORENCE, Ariz.- Ev-ery year, the Project Bridge Family Assistance Program delivers holiday boxes full of food and household cleaning and hygiene prod-ucts to families in need. This year, the number of families served at Thanks-giving has more than tripled. With limited resources, this effort would not be possible without the generosity of folks like Jim and Norlene Tchida who donated $750 to purchase turkeys and hams for the 70 food baskets that will be delivered. In a letter accompanying the donation, Jim Tchida stated, “We appreciate

all of the good work that you are doing at Project Bridge to serve the needs of the people. This is our small way of making their holidays bright.” The Tchidas have taken a special interest in Proj-ect Bridge this year. In addition to the holiday funds, Norlene and her friends, Sharon Schmidt, Betty Wheeler, Christine Burkhart, Phyllis Anderson and Debbie Sweeney have spent numerous volunteer hours laundering and orga-nizing clothing, checking expiration dates on donated food goods, maintaining inventory logs and assist-ing with non-confidential office work.

Members of the Student Council at Poston Butte High School are also lending helping hands as they donate their time and energy to assemble, organize and deliver the holiday baskets. Each bas-ket will contain a turkey or ham along with all the side dishes to make up Thanks-giving dinner. Besides the food, each family will receive household cleaning sup-plies, laundry soap, a box of kitchen garbage bags, sandwich bags, freezer Ziploc bags, hygiene prod-ucts, toilet paper and paper towels. “This is my favorite time of year,” Tonya Thomp-

son, Executive Program Director at Project Bridge smiles, remembering, “Last year; one young man lingered around waiting to talk with me after class. He was one of the kids who had helped assemble the holiday boxes. When all the other kids had left the room, he asked, ‘How did you know my family needed help with food? When we put the boxes together for Project Bridge, I didn’t know that one was for my family!’ Well, I had overheard him telling one of his class-mates, ‘My mother doesn’t have enough money to buy Thanksgiving food; we

Norlene and Jim Tchida present Project Bridge Director Tonya Thompson (center) with donation to purchase holiday turkeys.

Donation launches 2012 holiday drive for local charityhardly have any food in the house.’ So I spoke with

his teacher and his mother Drive, Page 14


Other Sponsors:

10th Annual

PolarFest 2012A Holiday Festival for

San Tan Valley

Business Vendors & Crafters Welcome!Get out and meet the public! Vendor Applications

are available online at www.polarfest.net

Join us!Saturday, Dec. 8, 2012

(Rain Date: Feb. 9, 2013)

11 a.m. to 5 p.m.Behind Walker Butte School

PolarFest Activities will include:• Business Vendors • Arts & Crafts

• Snow • Pony Rides • Hay Rides • Bouncies• Fun Games • Music/DJ/Entertainment

• Rock Wall • Carnival Rides • Helicopter Rides• Giant Sledding Hill •Snowman Making Contest

Great Give-Aways Throughout the

Event!$8 Wristbands are required for all games & attractions!

HOLIDAY PARADESan Tan Valley

Please send your entry forms to:San Tan Regional Chamber270 E. Hunt Hwy S-16#228San Tan Valley, AZ 85143

December 8th, 2012 at 9:30 a.m.Registration at 7:30 a.m.

Forms must be in no later than Nov. 23

“Where it’s NOT business as usual”

www.SanTanShopper.com

All

proceeds will

benefit the San

Tan Valley Toy

Drive!

Bring the whole family and support a great cause!

� e parade will start on Johnson Ranch Blvd. near Wal-Greens and will end in front of Walker Butte Small School.

For questions: Call 480-987-4705 or

email [email protected]

By Zach RichterSoutheast Valley Ledger This holiday season the Pan de Vida Foundation is offering a helping hand to families in need around the Queen Creek/San Tan Valley area. Started by Mary Gloria in 2003, the Pan de Vida Foundation provides services that promote self-sufficiency, education and equality to those in need in the San Tan Valley and Queen Creek areas. In her own words, “Pan de Vida was created in response to a need in the community,” and for nearly ten years, the foundation has strived to fill that need. Since its inception, Pan de Vida has expanded into numerous projects including food distribution, college scholarships and holiday assistance programs like this year’s Adopt a Christ mas Child

program that, according to Gloria, is currently registering families and looking for donations. “We have families that we cater to including those on the boundaries of San Tan Valley and Queen Creek and those that are referred to us, if they have a need, they have a need,” Gloria said. “They have to have a low income and live in the area; we want to avoid double dipping.” Families interested in registering for assistance should call 480-987-0819, local identification and proof of financial need required. Registration will take place at the M&I Bank located at 21479 South Ellsworth Rd. According to Gloria, the program typically helps approximately 100 families or 200 children and Pan de Vida is currently looking for donations of new

or gently used toys and clothing to assure this year will meet or exceed that goal. “We make sure that each child has a present that is right for their age and also something like a pair of pants or new shoes, it’s not flashy but it’s something they need,” Gloria explained before pointing out that Adopt a Christ mas Child will have donation points at local Walmart Supercenters and is looking for local San Tan Valley and Queen Creek businesses interested in serving as donation points. Donations to the Pan de Vida Foundation fall under the umbrella of the Arizona State Working Poor Tax Credit for 2012 and qualify as a donation on federal tax returns , but only if they are postmarked by Dec. 31, 2012.

Pan de Vida looking to give

Pan de Vida is helping to make sure every child has a gift to open this holiday season.


Crossword: ThanksgivingACROSS1. Necklace feature6. *He moved Thanksgiv-ing Day to extend holiday shopping season9. Hurries or moves fast13. Swahili, Zulu and other languages14. Bard’s “before”15. X-ray generator16. The dish ran away with this17. Swedish shag rug18. Second most-populous country19. *Presidential offering to a turkey21. *He designated last Thursday of November as Thanksgiving Day23. Creme de cassis plus wine24. Every which way25. Water tester28. Relative of a gull30. Sans clothes, as a social practice35. Humming noises37. Gives a helping hand39. Lecterns40. Left behind by a mos-quito41. Found under a bowl or dish43. Done to an iPod44. It’s good, according to Gordon Gekko46. *Most put this up around Thanksgiving time47. Kill, as in dragon48. Paid close attention50. Possesses52. Fleur-de-___53. Any time now55. Gymnast’s goal57. *Seafood at first Thanksgiving

61. *It also celebrates Thanksgiving, but on dif-ferent day than U.S.64. Plural of #58 Down65. Dance-around-the-pole month67. Game outcome69. Active or lively70. Proof of age, pl.71. Bay window72. Egg yellow73. Army bed74. Kidney-relatedDOWN1. *It airs Thanksgiv-ing Day football and 60 Minutes2. Nomadic people of northern Scandinavia3. Dwarf buffalo4. Baby carrier?5. Presidential debate analyst, e.g.6. Little girl in “Charlotte’s Web”7. Sometimes used to describe humor8. Camelot to King Arthur, e.g.9. Zn10. ____-European lan-guage11. Jack and Jill went to fetch this12. Diagnostic test15. Make a connection20. Companion of Artemis22. Charge carrier24. Metal support for logs in fireplace25. *Good place to check turkey temperature26. Grossly unconventional27. Roast host29. Heavy Metal band Quiet ____31. Sleep in a convenient

place32. Tennyson’s poem, e.g.33. Red Sea peninsula34. *Thanksgiving Parade host36. Lose one’s coat38. Multitude42. Woman who talks too much, Yiddish45. “Cease and ______”49. They said their “I ___”51. Metal detector, e.g.54. Relating to ohms

56. Mother-of-pearl57. All-in-One Printer button58. Three-layer cookie59. Game show “Let’s Make a ____”60. *Turkey is cut with a carving knife and ____61. Benign lump62. Knock off or get rid of63. Domain or field66. Commotion or fuss68. Architectural add-on

Look for the solution on Page 23

Ranch Christmas Celebration starting at 7 p.m. in the Indigo Sky Recreation Area and Dec. 8 at PolarFest at Walker Butte K-8 (29697 North Desert Wil-low Blvd.). “We have a mixture of sa-cred and secular music for the holidays,” Malpass promised. The Desert Song Community Choir held its first rehearsal Oct. 7, 2012, and while the turnout was not quite as robust as Malpass would have preferred, he’s confident the interest is there. “Once a singer always a singer,” he said with a laugh. “We’re still looking for people to sing all four parts.” According to Malpass, the non-audition choir is still put-ting together the song list for its inaugural season, which he hopes, will appeal to a wide audience. “We’re looking to a various types of music for a variety of tastes,” he said. “We’re hoping to have a number of concerts per season depending on interest.” San Tan Valley resident Patricia Crane has come on board as the choir director and according to Malpass she has quite the resume including teaching choir from the el-ementary to the college level. “She also has a background

in singing professionally, she teaches trios and does indi-vidual voice lessons,” he said. “She’s immersed in the choral arts and has quite a voice.” “I was looking for a commu-nity choir around the holidays last year and her name was given to me, I put it in a file and forgot about it, but it popped into my head when I was looking for a director,” Malpass continued. “She was more than happy to lend a helping hand.” While the choir is still find-ing its voice, and in need of an accompanist, Malpass says the group has already received requests to perform at the Coolidge Performing Art Center, the Coolidge Art Walk and with other choirs in Pinal County. “We have the music ready, we just have to find the voices, we’d like to have about 40 people, which would mean 10 per part,” Maplass continued. “We’re intending to be a nonprofit and look forward to becoming a part of the community.” The choir rehearses each Sun. at the LifePoint Church located 28479 N. in San Tan Valley. Participants are asked to contribute $40 per season to cover costs. For more infor-mation, contact Jack Malpass at 480-655-5760 or email [email protected].

ChoirContinued from Page 9

as well as receive this holiday season The Working Poor Tax Credit provides a dollar for dollar tax credit on donations made to qualifying non-profit organizations. The maximum credit for contributions made to organizations that help the working poor is $200 per person.

In addition, Pan de Vida qualifies as a nonprofit organization for a donation deduction on a federal income tax return. Federal returns generally allow for the full amount of the donation to be deducted. Making a contribution of property, such as clothing or other goods,

is deductible, but requires some record keeping. The amount taxpayers are allowed in charitable income tax deductions is the fair market value of the item at the time of donation. In addition to toy, clothes or monetary donations Gloria was quick to point out that Pan de

Vida is always looking for donations of time as well. “Gifts will be handed out Dec. 22 and it takes a lot of work, we could sure use some volunteers,” she said. “There’s so much going on and we want to be a part of it and encourage these types of events that help the community at large.”


Coloring Contestfor Kids

Hey, Kids! Show off your artistic talents! Color the picture above and have your mom or dad scan it and email it to [email protected] or drop it off at the Ledger office, 22308 S. Ellsworth Rd., Queen Creek (in the Queen Creek Municipal Complex), and you could win a prize and have your masterpiece printed in the Dec. 20 Ledger. Entries must be received by Dec. 6, 2012. Contest is open to children ages 12 and under and only with a parent’s or guardian’s permission.

Child’s Name and Age: _______________________________________

Parent’s Name & Phone Number:________________________________

and we arranged to deliver a Thanksgiving box to his family. This young man told me that as his mother opened the box, she pulled out the shampoo and said, ‘We need this! We didn’t have any.’ And as she pulled each thing out of the box, she the same thing, ‘We need this! We didn’t have any.’ The young man thanked me for hearing his words and helping his family.” Project Bridge is still looking for organizations to sponsor families for the holidays. Sponsoring a family includes giving

each family member a new outfit, a new pair of shoes, a new pair of pajamas and a wish gift/toy. A gift card to the closest store to purchase Christmas dinner foods is also a part of the holiday sponsorship pack-age. Contact Tonya Thomp-son at 520-868-7318 or [email protected] for more information. Project Bridge Family Assistance Program, Inc. exists to “bridge the gap in times of family economic crisis so that academic opportunity continues, un-impeded, for all children, despite environmental challenges.” Project Bridge is a 501(c)(3) corporation serving Florence and San Tan Valley.

DriveContinued from Page 11

By Chase KampSoutheast Valley Ledger The annual production of classic holiday ballet The Nutcracker is the signature event of the Casa Grande Drama Booster Club. This year, the show will have

two performances at the newly renovated Pence Center at Central Arizona College in Coolidge and a showing at the Coolidge Performing Arts Center. Manuel Leybas, the producer of the 2012

The Nutcracker is the signature event of the Casa Grande Drama Booster Club.

Nutcracker ballet coming to CAC, Coolidge Performing Arts Center

Nutcracker production, said the show can be a delight even for those unfamiliar with ballet. “It has lots of familiar elements built in,” he said. “It has traditional music you’ve heard your entire life, even if you’re not a connoisseur of ballet or classical music.” Leybas has taught theatre, play performance and leadership training at Casa Grande Union High School for 33 years. In 1990, he was the producer and direc-tor of a high school produc-tion of the Nutcracker that eventually became the annual event it is now. In addition to his involve-ment with the Nutcracker production, he has pro-duced over 100 plays, musicals and video pre-sentations. He eventually became the President and CEO of the Casa Grande Drama Booster Club Inc., a nonprofit 501(c) 3 to benefit performing arts in the area. When the Nutcracker first

Ballet, Page 15


By Chase KampSoutheast Valley Ledger The annual Loop of Lights holiday display is returning to San Tan Valley for its sixth year, looking to brighten the festive season and give some Christmas assistance to those who need it most. A lengthy stretch of the Pecan Creek South Waverly subdivision will have ornate light displays, free popcorn and some special surprises for attendees beginning on Dec. 1. The event has been organized by Pecan Creek South homeowners’ association president Rhett Homan and his wife, Jessica. When the subdivision was first developed in Dec. 2007, the two decided to ask the 95 homeowners if they would be interested in decking out their houses

for a community-wide Christmas display. “Sure enough, we had quite the participation in that first year,” Homan said. “Now every year it keeps increasing.” Combined with the growing number of home displays are decorated fire trucks and even a horse drawn sleigh. The J.O. Combs High School marching band performed at last year’s Loop of Lights. Homan said when he was young; his father instilled a holiday tradition of driving the family around to different neighborhoods to see the various Christmas lights and displays. He said Loop of Lights aims to bring the community together and enhance those annual traditions. “Growing up, I always thought it would be cool

to do something like that,” he said. In addition to providing a heart-warming holiday event, Homan said the event also aims to raise money to bring some Christmas relief to struggling families. Loop of Lights collects voluntary donations and contributes them to the Johnjay and Rich Christmas Wish program, which grants wishes and offers assistance to families in extreme need. Johnjay and Rich are morning radio disc jockeys for Phoenix’s 104.7 KISS FM who purchase helpful gifts for local families during the month of December. Last year, the event raised $1,856 for the Christmas Wish program. “It’s been a charity to donate to,” Homan said, “helping make wishes come true.”

Loop of Lights Christmas display returns to San Tan Valley for sixth year

One of many gorgeous displays on the Loop of Lights from 2011, courtesy Robert Tolar

premiered in Russia in 1892, Leybas pointed out it was actually disliked by both critics and audiences. However, the show under-went some tweaking, and after it reached American shores in 1944, the show became a holiday tradition. Leybas said he himself was not immediately enam-ored with the Nutcracker at first either. “In all sincerity, when I first did the produc-tion, I thought, ‘Oh, well that was nice, let’s move on,’” he said. That following summer, Leybas’ young daughter said she wanted to do the Nutcracker again and find a way to put it flying. Leybas

BalletContinued from Page 14

had recently done a produc-tion of Peter Pan where he brought in individuals from New York to do flying by foy, a stage flying technique that uses harnesses and suspensions. “I kept thinking about it and thought it would be kind of cool, so we brought it back and put in that spe-cial effect,” he said. Audi-ences loved it, and soon the lucrative popularity of the Nutcracker helped finance other productions by the Booster Club. Leybas now sees the an-nual return of the Nutcrack-er as an exciting opportuni-ty to keep improving upon the production. “Every Nutcracker production is slightly different in style and content,” he said. This year’s big challenge

is moving the production from one venue to an-other. “People say to me, ‘Why do you make this so hard?’” he said, “But that’s part of the joy. This year we’re calling it the travel-ling Nutcracker.” The Nutcracker will be at the Pence Center for the Vi-sual and Performing Arts at Central Arizona College on Nov. 29 and 30, with both shows beginning at 7 p.m. The show will move to the Coolidge Performing Arts Center at Coolidge High School on Dec. 1. For tickets to the Pence Center performances, visit CACNutcracker.Eventbrite.com. For tickets to the Coolidge Performing Arts Center event, visit Nut-cracker2012CoolidgePAC.eventbrite.com.

Loop Of Lights is located within the Waverly Subdivision of the Pecan Creek South community

located at Gantzel and Combs. The display will run from Dec. 1 to 25 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. For

more information visit LoopOfLights.com or search for Loop of Lights on Facebook.


11/15 Copper Basin K-8 4th Grade Music Concert: 6:30 p.m. 11/16 La Catrina String Quartet: 7:30 p.m. Gold Can-yon United Methodist Church www.gcac1.com11/17 Central Christian Church Queen Creek Thanksgiving Dinner: 3 p.m. Canyon State Academy lo-cated at 20061 E. Rittenhouse in Queen Creek11/18 Golden Corridor Center for the Performing Arts fall concert: 2 p.m. Free Advanced Tickets available at www.eventbrite.com11/20 Jack Barnes Elemen-tary Third Grade Music Program: 1:30 p.m.11/23 Queen Creek Olive Mill Black Friday Event: 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. 30% off all gift boxes and 15% off gift boxes for the rest of the day from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. 25062 S. Meridian Rd11/24 Queen Creek Olive Mill Small Business Satur-day: 15% off Oil Lovers’ gift boxes 25062 S. Meridian Rd.11/24 Kickback Weekend: Avoid all the crowds by kick-ing back and enjoying the weekend with free movies at the QCPAC 9 a.m. – Pocahon-tas, 11 a.m. - American Tail, 1 p.m. - The Game Plan, 3 p.m. - The Santa Clause, 5:30 p.m. - Santa Clause 211/25 Artists of the Super-stitions Members Holiday Show: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. 6100 S. Kings Ranch Rd. in Gold Canyon11/28 Combs Traditional Academy: Winter Orchestra Concert: 6 p.m. at Simonton Elementary 11/28 Skyline Ranch K-8 Band Concert: 6 p.m.11/28Skyline Ranch K-8 Chorus Concert: 6:30 p.m.11/29 Walker Butte K-8 Win-ter Concert: 6:30 p.m.11/30-12/1 Bethlehem Vil-lage: 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Step back in time and history Christ the Victor Lutheran Church, 6173 E. Arizona Farms Road,

Florence 480-987-7658 11/30 Desert Mountain Elementary PTO Watches your kids while you shop: DesertMountain.qcusd.org12/1 Queen Creek Holiday Parade and Festival 2012: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Ellsworth Rd. at Sierra Park Blvd. to the festival grounds at the Queen Creek Library12/1 Combs High School orchestra concert: 1 p.m. 12/1 AJ Holiday Light Parade and celebration: 12 p.m. Perishable items donated in lieu of admission Trail be-tween Phelps and Thunderbird12/1 22nd Annual Nutcrack-er: 7 p.m. Coolidge Perform-ing Arts Center Ticket $12 www.eventbrite.com12/1 Ranch Elementary Holiday Orchestra Concert: Combs High School 1 p.m.12/3 Desert Mountain Elementary Second grade music performance: 6 p.m.12/4 Copper Basin K-8 2nd Grade to Junie B play: Cop-per Basin K-812/4 Walker Butte K-8 Coyote Chorus & Coyote Holiday Singers Winter Concert: 6:30 p.m. 12/5 Copper Basin K-8 Or-chestra Concert: 6:30 p.m. at Skyline Ranch K-812/5 Skyline Ranch K-8 First Grade Holiday Performance:6 p.m.12/5 Copper Basin K-8 3rd Grade & JH Choir Concert: 6:30 p.m. 12/6 Combs Traditional Academy Winter Choir Concert: 7 p.m. 12/6 Magma Ranch K-8 Band/Choir Concert12/6 San Tan Heights El-ementary School Holidays around the world family night: 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.12/7 Johnson Ranch Christ-mas Celebration: 7 p.m. Indigo Sky Recreation Area, Santa, hot chocolate, cookies, live entertainment and more RSVP to myjohnsonranch.org12/7 Florence Christmas on Main Street: 6 p.m. An-

nual Christmas on Main Street event. The fun begins with music, entertainment, food, games, infl atables, pictures with Santa, and ends with the Light Parade.12/8 Queen Creek Christmas Car Show: 9 a.m. Admission is minimum of two unwrapped toys for a boy and two unwrapped toys for a girl A vintage, classic and collect-ible car show to benefi t less fortunate children with toys for Christmas 480-688-381812/8 San Tan Valley Holiday Parade: Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. parade starts at 9:30 a.m. Johnson Ranch Blvd. near the Walgreens Pharmacy located at 333 E. Hunt Hwy. Businesses may participate for $20 and nonprofi t groups may participate for free.12/8 PolarFest: Walker Butte K-8 School located at 29697 North Desert Willow Blvd. 10 a.m. Wristbands for the event are $8 per person or $7 with a can of food donation to the Pan de Vida Organization, and are required for all games and attractions. Helicopter rides are not included with an event wristband12/9 Queen Creek Olive Mill Sonoran Desert Art Fair: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. local artists, mu-sic and complimentary wine tasting 25062 S Meridian Rd.12/10 Poston Butte High School Holiday Music Festi-val: 6 p.m.12/10 Combs Middle School band concert: 6 p.m. CMS cafeteria 12/10 Queen Creek High School Orchestra concert: 7 p.m. 12/11 Combs Middle School Orchestra Concert: 6 p.m. CMS cafeteria12/11 Copper Basin K-8 2nd Grade Concert: 6:30 p.m.’12/11 Queen Creek High School Choir concert: 7 p.m.12/11 Third Grade Holiday Performance: 6 p.m.12/11 Walker Butte K-8 Be-ginning Band & Orchestra/Cadet Band Concert: 6:30

12/12 Pickett Elementary Choir/Handbell perfor-mance: 6 p.m.12/12 Queen Creek High School Band Concert: 7 p.m.12/13 Combs Middle School Student Dance Concert: 6 p.m. CMS cafeteria12/13 Ranch Elementary Holiday Choir Concert: 6 p.m. Ranch/Simonton com-bined at Simonton12/13 Circle Cross Ranch K-8 Band/Choir Concert: 6:30 p.m.12/13 Walker Butte K-8 Concert Band & 6th-8th Orchestra: 6:30 p.m.12/15 Ranch Elementary Holiday Band Concert: 1 p.m. Combs High School12/15-1/4 Schnepf Farms: 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. closed Christ-mas Day ice skating, train rides, hayrides to deer, bon fi res, bakery SchnepfFarms.com12/15 Schnepf Farms Breakfast or Lunch with Santa: $20 per child includes breakfast or lunch, train ride, visit with Santa, ice skating and hay ride to see Santa’s deer SchnepfFarms.com12/18 Pickett Elementary second grade music perfor-mance: 6 p.m.12/21 Desert Mountain Elementary Polar Express PJ Day12/22 QCPAC: Elfi sh Event: 10 a.m. Escape to the candy-cane forest and take a well-deserved break from all the holiday hoopla with the movie “Elf”12/24 Saint Michael The Archangel Christmas Vigil Mass: 4 p.m. Copper Basin K-812/25 Saint Michael The Archangel Christmas Day Mass: 10:30 a.m. Copper Basin K-812/31 Saint Michael The Archangel New Year’s Eve Vigil Mass: 4 p.m. Copper Basin K-81/1 Saint Michael The Arch-angel New Year’s Day Mass: 10:30 a.m. Copper Basin K-8

Calendar of Holiday Events

PINAL COUNTY, Ariz. - As almost every parent knows, you can spend a lot of money on a child’s toy and have them spend more time playing with the box or packaging instead. As the holiday season kicks off, First Things First reminds caregivers to take advantage of that natural curiosity and spend time playing and talking with kids. “From the time they are born, kids are learning by studying their environment and seeing how things work, how people interact,” said Kay Vilay, a family support program specialist at First Things First. “As adults who care about young kids – particularly kids 5 and younger – the best thing we can do is give them time and opportunities to explore their world in new ways.” Research shows that 80 to 90 percent of a child’s brain develops by the time they are fi ve years old, and the experi-ences a child has in the early years lay the foundation for success in kindergarten and beyond. These festive times offer many opportunities to help young kids learn. Holiday decorating offers an opportu-nity for children to learn about shapes and colors. Cooking or baking family favorites is a chance to learn about numbers and textures and singing along to holiday music and telling stories about prior holidays build vocabulary. The top choice for holiday gifts for young kids? Books and your time in reading them. Reading to children – 15 min-utes per day for infants, up to 30 minutes a day for toddlers and preschoolers – is the most important way to encourage language and literacy and impact school performance. For infants (under the age of

one) the best toys are those where the child’s touch creates sounds, fl ashing lights or other action; toys they can safely chew on; toys with mirrors,

where they can observe facial expressions. For toddlers (1-3-years-old) the best toys are those they can ride on or climb on; balls to roll, catch, etc.; blocks or building-type toys; toys that encourage matching and sort-ing shapes, colors, or objects; and materials for playing with sand, water and other textures. For preschoolers (3-5-years-old) the best toys are anything that encourages imaginative play, such as dress-up clothes or toys that mimic household items or tools; puzzles and simple games; art supplies including plain white paper, markers, crayons, fi nger paints, molding clay or dough, etc. “Young kids learn from every positive interaction they have with adults,” Vilay explained. “They do something, see how adults react to it, do something else, and it’s that constant exchange of information back and forth that is the most benefi cial to our kids’ brain development and learning.” Which gifts to avoid? Almost anything with a screen. In a policy statement, the American Academy of Pediatrics recom-mended that parents keep children under two as “screen free” as possible, including television, movies and video games. For older children, limited screen time is recom-mended.

Best gifts for kids under fi ve require time and attention

action; toys they can safely chew on; toys with mirrors,

2012 Southeast Valley Ledger Christmas Edition

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Transcript of 2012 Southeast Valley Ledger Christmas Edition