Page 46 November 2 0 1 4 It happens to everyone: Thanksgiving mishaps By Amanda Goossen It’s inevitable. We gather. We cook. We prepare for a gaggle of friends at the table. But without a doubt something will go wrong. Whether big or small, things will happen. And when the worst takes place, at least it makes for a spectacular story. Arcadia residents share theirs: Ninty-two-year-old Gammie wanted to bring a dish to contribute to our family Thanksgiving. Knowing that cooking was difficult for her because she was elderly, we tried to talk her out of it, but she was insistent. When the day arrived, the whole family was tickled to see how proud she was of her molded jello salad. Everyone gathered round to watch her remove the upper plastic molding, then gasped in horror as the jello slithered out, made three victory laps around the sink, and the whole thing went straight down the drain with a resounding burp. The silence was deafening as we stared at Gammie and waited for her to start crying, but she cracked up and we all laughed until we cried. That was the first, last and only time she offered to bring a dish to Thanksgiving! - Tess Miller Many years ago, I was president of the North Scottsdale Rotary Club, and we had a journalist from Seoul, Korea spending Thanksgiving weekend with us. The night before Thanksgiving, I volunteered to cook the turkey a different way on the BBQ. Darkness came, and I wound up burning and dehydrating the entire turkey. I believe I am only alive today to share this story because on Thanksgiving morning (a few hours before 20+ people were to arrived at our home), we went to Smitty’s, and there happened to be one turkey there that was partially defrosted and available. Family and international relations were saved thanks to this one turkey who gave the ultimate sacrifice. - Stephen Cohen Three out of four of my kids got croup on Thanksgiving day and I had to take my youngest to the ER for treatment! - Jenny Kelly I cooked my turkey upside down last year and not on purpose! My brother-in- law and I didn’t even notice (it looked really golden and delicious) until he was having the hardest time carving it. We kept it our little secret but I really think it kept the turkey from being dry and it tasted great! - Kathleen Moroney My story happened when I accidentally left the “frozen” turkey out on the counter overnight on Thanksgiving Eve. I didn’t want two unexpected guests at the dinner (Sam & Nella) so I was the first shopper that morning at the market asking for a “fresh” turkey! Thankfully they had one. - Shirley Bruns What’s Happening, Arcadia? Food Truck Saturdays Northwest corner of Fifth Ave. and Goldwater Blvd. 6:30-10:30p.m., Every Saturday Here’s an opportunity to sample from the food trucks and listen to live music in downtown Scottsdale every Saturday. foodtruckcaravan.com Cala PHX! Festival The area between First and Third streets and Adams and Monroe Nov. 1-2 The Cala festival is held to celebrate Latin American culture and customs. The event will have music, activities, food trucks and a Mercado to buy art. The event is free to the public. calaalliance.org/calaphxfest Charles Schwab Cup Championship 10333 E. Rockaway Hills Dr. Nov. 1-2 The Charles Schwab Foundation and PGA Tour are partnering to benefit local Scottsdale and Phoenix charities through selling tickets for $20 for the event. The event signifies the end of a race for the cup and it will conclude at Desert Mountain Club in Scottsdale. schwabcuptfc.com Día de los Muertos 1201 N. Galvin Parkway 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Nov. 1-2 The 12th annual Día de los Muertos is occurring at the Desert Botanical Gardens. There will be singing, dancing and storytelling as well as an Ofrenda exhibition. There will be food, art and jewelry for sale at the event. dbg.org Phoenix Fearcon Fear Farm 99th Ave. and McDowell Rd. Nov. 1-2 The Phoenix Fearcon is a horror film festival convention, which features four films and 10 short films. It is an independent film festival that presents independent horror films from all around the world. Tickets range from $10-$110. phoenixfearcon.com The Polar Express Grand Canyon Railway 233 N. Grand Canyon Blvd. 5:30-7:30 p.m., Nov. 7-Jan. 3 The Polar Express offers an hour-long train ride to the “North Pole.” It has entertainment such as elves, singing and dancing. The train will stop and give kids a chance to see Santa and drink hot chocolate. Tickets range from $20-$34. thetrain.com NASCAR 7602 S. Avondale Blvd. Nov. 7-10 Phoenix International Raceway will hold the NASCAR Pro Series Practices. Tickets start at $5. nascar.com Annual Pie Social Roosevelt and Second streets 2-5 p.m., Nov. 15 The annual pie social is partnered with Chow Bella to provide a large selection of pies. There will be celebrity chefs as well as local bakers at the event. Tickets are on sale for $10 for tasting the pies. rooseveltrow.org Anything for My Prostate Run Wesley Bolin Plaza 17th Ave and Adam St. 10 a.m., Nov. 15 This run is a fundraiser to help pay for medical treatment for those who cannot. The event will also offer vendors, music and barbecue. Tickets range from $10- $35. active.com Arizona Aircraft Expo Landmark Aviation / Pacific Air Center 14600 N. Airport Dr. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Nov. 14-15 The expo will have some of the most advanced aircraft on display. It will provide opportunities to speak with representatives and learn details about aircraft. The expo will also have seminars on Friday, November 14 at 11 a.m. azaircraftexpo.com Tamale Dinner and Festival 400 E. Van Buren St. 12-10 p.m., Nov. 15 The Tamale Dinner will be held at the Arizona Center, celebrating culture and family. This is the 78th annual Tamale dinner and will have a Battle of Tamales, live music and activities for kids. tamaledinner.com Phoenix Tequila Fest U.S. Airways Center 201 E. Jefferson St. 12-5 p.m., Nov. 15-16 Phoenix Tequila Fest will feature tastings of tequila. It will also have live entertainment, tequila booths and expert mixologists. There will also be food from Mexican restaurants selling their signature dishes. phoenixtequilafest.com N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 4 E V E N T S Continued on page 48

Page 47 November 2 0 1 4 Tavan Elementary brings longtime teacher to new role By Heidi Jaenicke Julie Ballard relishes the rewards of hard work as she conquers her new role as Tavan Elementary School’s assistant principal. “We have a strong team of teachers, we will do anything it takes to make all of our kids successful. Everybody is really committed to doing what we have to do,” says Shelly Rose, a fifth-grade teacher at Tavan. Ballard brings Tavan Elementary over 20 years of experience in the educational industry with an emphasis on special education. Ballard holds two degrees from Northern Arizona University: a bachelor’s degree in education and a master’s degree in education leadership. Along with her two degrees, she has a K-12 Special Education Certificate and an English Language Studies Certificate. Ballard has been working for Tavan Elementary for the past 14 years and completed an internship at the school while completing her master’s degree. “I believe Julie will be an essential asset in reaching our ultimate goal of regaining our Arizona Education Department ‘A’ Label!” said Margaret Serna, Tavan Elementary principal. Serna continued, “We have many exciting staff changes this year and we are poised and ready for student and teacher success!” This year Ballard will face a variety of challenges both in and outside of the classroom. “The whole staff was thrilled to have her on board. She knows the struggle, the angle and what it’s going to take,” said Jenny Martin a fifth-grade teacher at Tavan. “We really have a strong team of teachers who believe in supporting each other.” Besides working on improving the Julie Ballard began as a Special Education teacher at Tavan and is now the Vice Principal. Hopi Elementary... Over 50 years of excellence. Hopi Elementary proudly thanks the sponsors of the 2014 Dad’s Club Golf Event 5110 E. LAFAYETTE BLVD. | PHOENIX, AZ 85018 Hopi Dad’s Golf Tournament Monday, December 1, 2014 The Phoenician Golf Club PLEASE JOIN US AT THE Golf Awards Dinner/Silent Auction Live Entertainment Register at www.hopi.my-pta.org and click on the Hopi Dads tab. Grand Canyon Title Agency | The Arcadia Tavern | First Trust | McDonald’s Helix Properties | Integrated Landscape Management | North & Company Arcadia Roofing | Rain Tree | Scottsdale Charros | Thunderbirds Fox Restaurants children’s education, Ballard enjoys spending time with her husband, kids and hiking Arizona trails. “She loves Camelback. That’s her big thing; she hikes that almost every morning,” said Martin. “Most people would be so gosh darn tired they wouldn’t think about getting up and going hiking at 4:30 in the morning,” said Rose. Ballard is currently registered to participate in the Phoenix Summit Challenge & U Rock Festival; a noncompetitive event that challenges Arizona hikers to climb selected trails within a limited time frame. For this team event Ballard has to hike 26.4 miles with an approximate 6,000- feet elevation gain over the course of 11 hours. “She’s just driven. I think that’s just her biggest thing: She’s driven to help others,” said Martin. “She’s got four healthy, happy kids and a happy staff.” “She’s very dependable. [When] she says she’s going to do something, she’s going to do it and it’ll be done well,” said Rose. “She applied for the position… she really wanted [to work at] Tavan because it’s her home school,” said Martin. Making sure education isn’t compromised and committing to success is the overall trend Ballard sets as she fills her new role at Tavan Elementary. Follow us on arcadianews.com