30 JULY 2024 By Rachael Bouley A renewed passion for golf is bringing plenty of fun opportunities to 8-year-old Julee Diaz, who is going into third grade at Great Hearts Veritas this coming school year. Julee was in preschool when she first started swinging a club after watching her older brother take golf classes and lessons. She started playing competitively at the age of 5, participating at her first tournament in the US Kids Golf Phoenix Local Tour girls 8 and under group. “She was a little discouraged playing with girls three years older than her, who could drive the ball much further than she could. She stopped until she wanted to try again at the age of seven,” mom Cyndi Diaz said. “She played in the 2023 US Kids Golf Winter Tour and finished in the top 5.” The whole family was overjoyed with her success, and now Julee has fully embraced the junior golf circuit, regularly practicing at Papago Golf Club, Biltmore Golf Club, and in their backyard, where she chips over the pool onto the putting green. Julee is a member of First Tee Phoenix and attends weekly classes in addition to lessons at the Biltmore with her golf coach, Tina Tombs, once a week. She is also a member of local golf organizations including First Tee Phoenix, LPGA Girls Golf of Phoenix, and PGA Jr. League, where she is playing for the Papago team this summer. With events and tournaments every month, Julee stays busy on the course and is dedicated to improving her game. Her family said they are happy to see her having fun while chasing her golf goals, so much so that even after flying in from an overseas trip late on a Saturday night, she still wanted to take part in her First Tee tournament Sunday morning. What’s extra special for the family is that Julee’s older brother Gavin still plays golf and the siblings both participate in US Kids Golf and Arizona Junior Golf X3 tournaments. “The whole family also likes to play when we have some free time on the weekends or when the kids have a day off from school,” Diaz said. Her parents said they are very proud of how far Julee has come. When Gavin first joined the Rising Stars program with Tina Tombs Golf, Coach Tina observed Julee’s natural swing at the range, encouraging her to hit more balls and eventually fall in love with the sport. Julee then joined Rising Stars and started to practice and play more frequently, eventually moving up to train with older and more experienced kids. With multiple first and second-place finishes in the First Tee Phoenix 7-10 age group and LPGA Girls Golf of Phoenix tournaments, Julee said she has gained confidence while navigating the challenges of the course. She also got to test her skills as the family headed to Edinburgh, Scotland in May for the US Kids Golf European Championship. Julee was the only participant from Arizona and one of four girls from the US in the 8 and under group. She was five shots out of the lead after the first round and finished middle of the pack, placing 14 out of 30. Later this summer, she will attend the US Kids Worlds 8 and Under Tournament in Pinehurst, North Carolina. As she strives for more competitions and achievements, her family will be there to cheer her on. “We hope Julee continues to enjoy playing golf, loves the game, and overall goes out there to have fun and make new friends,” Diaz said. “She has aspirations of playing golf professionally, and we will support her along the way.” Outside of golf, Julee enjoys math as her favorite subject and also likes to play softball and play outside with her dog. However, golfing has captured her heart, and she has her sights set on one day heading to the LPGA. “I like playing the game, having fun, and making new friends,” Julee said. “My favorite memories are when I play with my family and they tell me to always have fun, no matter how bad or good I am doing.” For this third grader, it’s always tee time Julee (and her extra-large hat) took home first place at the LPGA Girls Golf Day Tournament. PHOTO: CYNDI DIAZ By Sherry Sklar In an inspiring collaboration, Spartan Luxury Homes recently offered one of its properties to the Phoenix Fire Department as a training ground, providing firefighters with a unique opportunity to enhance their skills in a realistic environment. Firefighter Cameron Allen lives next door to a Spartan property that was slated to be torn down, so he contacted one of the project managers and pitched the idea of using the home for training. “These exercises are crucial for us. It’s like building muscle memory,” Phoenix Fire Captain Shaun Dubois said. “You use it or lose it. These sessions help us stay sharp and prepare for emergencies.” Older homes in established neighborhoods like Arcadia provide an opportunity to train newer firefighters, so when Allen contacted Spartan Founder Jason Lockett, it was an easy decision. “It’s a house I’ve had for a while, and we were going to tear it down. So why not allow them to do what they do?” Lockett said. “I’m a huge supporter of these guys. They deserve all the appreciation the community can give them, so we were happy to offer the home.” Dubois explained that captains value having firefighters trained in simulated scenarios. This equips them with the knowledge and skills to handle challenges of older structures, ensuring readiness and effectiveness. “By the end of the day, there were at least three or four different trucks, and different groups of firemen were gaining essential skills from the training,” he said. Multiple crews from Station 11 – around 10 firefighters – performed all the functions they would typically enact during a fire. Stringent guidelines and regulations on when and how to use training props mean no actual fires were set to the home. “We set up supply lines, hooked up to the fire hydrant, and pulled hoses off our trucks. We put water into the hose lines and dragged them through the house, wearing all our gear. This included going upstairs, around corners, and over carpets, which added to the difficulty,” Dubois said. Training sessions lasted up to 90 minutes. Lockett and his wife, Amy, also contributed by bringing their ice cream truck, Leo’s Ice Cream, to help cool the firefighters off. Dubois said he appreciates Spartan Homes’ gesture, noting how such opportunities benefit the firefighters and the broader community: “Training in a real- life setting like this is essential for us. It’s not just about the drills but about building confidence and skills that we can rely on during actual emergencies.” Lockett’s motivation for offering the property extends beyond his role as a home builder. “This is one of those opportunities where you feel you can give back. It’s about contributing to the community and doing so selflessly. I’m a strong advocate of this,” he said. The collaboration also underscores the value of acknowledging and supporting first responders. “I come from a family of teachers and police officers. We should thank them more often: EMTs, police officers, teachers, and firefighters,” Lockett said. “Just look around and see that these people are part of our community, and we expect them to be there when we call. I hope they always know they’re appreciated.” “Knowing that the community supports us makes a significant difference. It motivates us to keep doing our best,” Dubois said. Phoenix Fire Department holds training sessions in Arcadia Jason and Amy Lockett with the crew from Fire Station 11. PHOTO COURTESY OF JASON LOCKETT

If you are currently working with an agent, please disregard. NATHAN ANDERSON + PAUL NICOLETTI 480.888.5800 | NATEANDPAUL.COM NATHAN ANDERSON + PAUL NICOLETTI NATHAN ANDERSON + PAUL NICOLETTI ROC #314154 Be a neighbor in the know! Interested in what our next project will be? We have several projects coming soon. Scan the QR code above! 3832 E MONTEROSA STREET ARCADIA | NEW BUILD 3809 N 51ST STREET KACHINA ESTATES | ACTIVE 2225 N 38TH WAY PHOENIX | ACTIVE 4501 E TURNEY AVENUE ARCADIA | NEW BUILD Interested in any (or all) of these beautiful listings? Call us today! HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY! 31 JULY 2024 By Mallory Gleich Every year, we cover local businesses and nonprofits who are organizing donation drives to ensure each student has the supplies they need for a successful academic year.  nourishphx.org When: NourishPHX accepts donations throughout the year. This summer, people can bring school supplies to the Arcadia News office until July 24. Where: 3850 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix, Monday-Friday from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Needs: Backpacks, scissors, loose leaf paper, pencils, pencil cases, markers, highlighters, spiral notebooks, pens, folders, and index cards.  bp4kidsaz.com When: Ongoing Where: 6819 N. 21st Ave., Phoenix or 1244 E. Kerry Lane, Phoenix. Tuesdays from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and Thursdays 6-7:30 p.m. Donors can also schedule a pickup online. Needs: Backpacks, pink erasers, pencil pouches and No. 2 pencils, highlighters, pencil sharpeners, crayons, colored pencils, folders, glue sticks, spiral notebooks, 1.5-inch binders. The organization is also collecting individually wrapped snacks.     azhelpinghands.org When: Throughout July Where: Donations are accepted at the Phoenix Resource Center at 3110 E. Thunderbird Road, Phoenix, Monday-Friday from 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Needs: School supplies are welcome, but Arizona Foster Alliance is also in need of clothing items – shirts, socks, underwear, etc. – and shoes for school-aged children. AFA’s back-to-school shopping event will happen July 8.     bhghaz.org When: Through July 26 Where: 3443 N. Central Ave., Phoenix, or through its Amazon Wishlist. Needs: Composition notebooks, 5-subject notebooks, 1- and 2-inch binders, dividers, mechanical pencils and leads, college ruled and graph paper, index cards, sticky notes, dry erase markers.         jfcsaz.org When: Through July 15 Where: 4747 N. 7th St., Phoenix from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Needs: Backpacks, index cards, rulers, spiral notebooks, pocket folders, crayons, markers, blunt-tip scissors, highlighters, erasers, pens, pencils, etc. JFCS will also accept donations of hygiene products like body wash, shampoo/conditioner, hand soap, socks, toothbrushes and toothpaste and deodorant.    

 aztv.com/stuffthebus When: Through July 6 Where: Through the website or at participating Desert Financial Credit Unions (there’s one at 2500 N. 44th Street). Needs: Backpacks, glue, construction paper, markers, crayons, pens, pencils, flash drives, notebooks and loose leaf paper, etc.     phxmission.org When: Through July 24 Where: 2515 N. 34th Dr., Phoenix, Monday- Friday, 7:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Needs: Composition notebooks, backpacks, pencil sharpeners, pens, pencils, markers, crayons, colored folders, spiral notebooks, lined paper, glue sticks, highlighters, etc. PRM will host a back to school event on July 27 to hand-out backpacks, supplies, shoes and uniforms to the community.  duetaz.org When: Through July 8 Where: 10000 N. 31st Ave., Phoenix, Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. or via Amazon Wishlist. Needs: Sharpies, Post-its, pens, folders, spiral notebooks, fidget toys, backpacks, lunch bags, water bottles, erasers, colored pencils, markers and tissues. The nonprofit will also accept donations of new clothing and shoes.         swhd.org When: Through July 22 Where: SWHD recommends donating through the website. Needs: Backpacks, spiral notebooks, pencil boxes, scissors, glue sticks, pencils, colored pencils, crayons, pens, rulers, dictionaries, rulers, binders, planners, highlighters, etc. SCHOOL SUPPLY DRIVES NEED YOUR HELP