Page 54 October 2012 ANLC Continued from page 39 Arcadia neighborhood,” Hagen said. “A ‘big box’ looking school just wouldn’t fi t in here.” Some teachers, like Kathy Mason, like to go on a discovery walk throughout the campus with students’ clipboards and pencils in hand ready to observe nature in action. There are outdoor chalkboards, too. The new gymnasium and soccer fi eld will allow student athletes to fi nally host home games of volleyball, basketball and soccer, fostering pride and healthy competition. Neighbor and design-team member Liz Mather said, “The project is a beautiful asset to the entire neighborhood. … It’s the product of the hard work and vision of a lot of civic minded people – from ANLC’s students, faculty and administration to the neighbors, designers and construction folks. “We should all be proud and enjoy the new ANLC.” The project took 17 months as opposed to the scheduled three years. Last year, the learning center went without a physical education space to allow buildings to be demolished during the school year. PE was held outside on the existing baseball fi eld. All classes rotated using one small playground for recess. Seventh- and eighth-graders were moved out of their buildings a month ahead of schedule into newly built classrooms that would eventually house kindergarten, fi rst and second grades. “We weren’t able to hold our annual fundraiser due to lack of space,” said Friends of ANLC Parent Teacher Organization co-president Jorah Visage. “But we are excited about our upcoming dedication ceremony with our annual carnival and silent auction.” Light it up! www.ThePinkLightDistrict.org *Sage facials incorporate local raw honey & organic goats milk yogurt for a blissful and holistic experience! 4636 North 32nd Street | 480.336.0042 info@sageorganics.az.com | www.sageorganicskincare.com 75-MINUTE SIGNATURE ORGANIC FACIAL* & LIP AND BROW SUGARING VALUE $105.00 October Facial Special TREAT TREAT YOURSELF YOURSELF TO A GIFT TO A GIFT OF OF HOLISTIC HOLISTIC BEAUTY... BEAUTY... $65

Page 55 October 2012 By Erin Roman The owners of Arcadia’s The Secret Village changed the company name to The Shops at The Secret Village to re fl ect changes made during expansion, which is scheduled to be completed Oct. 15. Two new stores are being added for a total of six and the existing ones are getting their own names, co-owner Frank Mineo said. “All the stores had assorted merchandise, but now we’re moving things around and actually specializing each of them,” he said. The Shops at the Secret Village will consist of The Paper Trail, The Village Market, Frank’s Man Cave, Bonnie’s Place and the two new stores, The Pet Corner and The Kid’s Station. Mineo’s co-owner and wife Bonnie Mineo said they always are looking for ways to grow and evolve their business. “Most people look forward to their days off but we’re in here fi guring out how to make things better,” she said. “It’s our passion.” Right now, about 70 percent of their customers are women, but the goal is to make it about 50-50 women-men, Frank said. “We have guys that come in and sit in the lounge chairs while their girlfriend or wife shops, but they’ll look around if something strikes their interest,” employee Steve Shearer said. The hope is that Frank’s Man Cave, with its men’s apparel, barbecue supplies, gadgets and games, will attract more male customers, Mineo said. It will complement Bonnie’s Place housed in the same building, he said. The owners also are launching a website at the end of October to reach out to their nonlocal customer base, Bonnie said: www.shopthesecretvillage.com. She said she’s received calls from people from other states who want to order something from the shops, which can be done on the website. “We had two women from Minnesota that came in looking for a boutique-type shop because in the Midwest that’s what they thrive on,” Shearer said. “They loved our store.” Customers can fi nd stationery, cards, books and other paper products at The Paper Trail and kitchen supplies, cookbooks and local goods at The Village Market, Frank said. The Pet Corner will have collars, food and water bowls and other pet accessories that can’t all be found in a mass market, he said. The Kid’s Station, located in the same building, is brightly colored and will have toys, games and accessories for kids and babies, he said. The Mineos fi rst opened The Secret Village in 2011 after closing their previous apparel store Frankie M’s. Sales doubled from the fi rst year to the second and are expected to double again this year, Mineo said. “Everybody said I was nuts to open this during the recession,” he said. “But I didn’t just open a 40,000-square-foot store because that’s not unique. From Day One, I knew we would be different enough that people would be interested.” The Mineos said they had customers from their previous store follow them to The Secret Village. Now, about 60 percent of customers have shopped there before or were referred by someone who had. The Mineos need to hire additional employees for the new shops. “But it’s not just hiring employees, it’s hiring a family team member,” said Bonnie Mineo, who manages the employees. “They have to fi t the puzzle.” The Mineos currently have eight employees. Shearer has known Frank for more than 20 years, and their grandson Jason Mineo also works for them, Bonnie said. “It’s hard to work for family at times, but overall it’s good because we all get along,” Jason said. “We can talk to each other honestly about things.” The Shops at The Secret Village are at 2601 E. Indian School Road. New name to re fl ect new shops 3927 E. Indian School Rd. Phoenix AZ, 85018 | Open Monday – Saturday, 10am – 5pm F A S H I O N A B L E P H I L A N T H R O P Y Join us for a Fall Festival Thursday, October 25, from 6-8 pm for refreshments, raffle prizes and a gift certificate drawing. When you visit our boutique, you’ll find a great selection of beautiful, high-quality furniture and home décor. All hand-selected from loving donations made to St. Vincent de Paul. With new items delivered several times a week, there is always something new to discover! FALL Celebrate at