Neighbors

Chandler Pride marks a year of helping parents

By Ken Sain Staff Writer Every month Chandler Pride hosts a meeting where parents who are dealing with their child coming out as LGBTQ+ can get support. “I show up,” said Schroder, who is president of Chandler Pride. “I...

EV Dream Center helps people in need in many ways

By Ken Sain Staff Writer Jovani Cedeno didn’t have to look far to find the inspiration for the nonprofit that he and his half-brother, Dan Gonzalez, started in Chandler. It was their mother. “I took my mom out once when we...

Chandler girl was a finalist in Basha donut contest

By Ken Sain Staff Writer Amanda Myers can start working on her summer essay, ‘What I did this summer’ now. The short version: She became a finalist in the 7th annual Bashas’ Donut Flavor Craze Contest. The 12-year-old south...

Arizona College Prep teacher earns national kudos

By Ken Sain Staff Writer Arizona College Prep science teacher Rachna Nath’s students are looking for a way to stand apart on their college applications. Nearly all of them have top grades, play a musical instrument and are...

Sun Lakes author pens Parisian romance novel

SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF Sun Lakes author Sandra Givens has once again proven herself as one of the East Valley’s more prolific authors. The California native has just published her sixth novel, “Night Flight to Paris,” which...

Rotary adds muscle to Fulton Elementary STEM teams

By Dr. Honora Norton Guest Writer The Rotary Club of Sun Lakes (RCSL) supported the A World in Motion (AWIM) program, which was created by the Society of Automotive Engineers Foundation to get elementary students excited about...

Sun Lakes Rotary powers robotics team to global meet

SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF Rotary Club of Sun Lakes members and guests met students during a demonstration of the competitive robotics program it supports through a $2,000 donation. Several teams of students attended a three-day...

Chandler native publishes new fantasy series installment

By Janelle Molony Contributor Chandler native Parris Sheets, Desert Ridge High School’s color guard coach and now a popular young adult author, has published the third book in her fantasy series, The Essence of Ohr. The new...

Auxier teacher honored by Sun Lakes Rotary

SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF The Rotary Club of Sun Lakes has named Sawyer Merrill, a special education teacher at Chandler Unified’s Auxier Elementary School in Queen Creek, educator of the year. Merrill received the club’s 2023...

Chandler hairdresser recalls a frantic effort to rescue Ukrainian parents

By Ken Sain Staff Writer Chandler hairdresser Lyuda Hoagland pleaded with her mother, trying to convince her parents to leave Ukraine and join her in Arizona because of the Russian invasion. Her parents didn’t want to go. She...