May 10, 2005

A fire that damaged Marcela Rodriguez’s downtown Chandler apartment left her family of five not only without a place to live, but with no clothing, furniture and personal items.

Chandler City Councilwoman Trinity Donovan was selected to lead the nonprofit Chandler Christian Community Center.

Thirty years ago, Valley Christian High School opened its doors to students for the first time.

You can help nourish elderly and disabled residents in Chandler and Gilbert by serving as a volunteer for the Chandler Christian Community Center’s meal delivery and food box referral program.

Chandler Christian Community Center will host a family day of play in the snow Jan. 26.

As summer approaches and schools let out in coming weeks, Chandler teens will continue their nightly quest for something to do.

Editor's Note: These letters to the editor have been sorted by topic by the Tribune editorial staff in an effort to allow readers to read varied opinions on the issues, candidates, and other circumstances surrounding the 2012 general election. These submissions are the opinions of the author, not the Tribune, and have not been edited for grammar or content.

Dobson Family Farms and Kovach, Inc. is helping teen leaders from ICAN learn to grow food this summer as part of a leadership and work ethic program. The teens, ages 13-18, have spent weeks growing watermelons. This week, they donated 315 pounds of watermelons to Chandler Christian Community Center to be given to families in need and food will continue to be donated while it's available. ICAN is an afterschool program for at-risk youth in downtown Chandler. "Each of the kids oversaw a row (at the five-acre farm)," explained ICAN teen program manager Kyle Kiger. "They've taken ownership of their work." Information: (480) 821-4207.

In the days following the fatal shooting of Chandler undercover narcotics Detective Carlos Ledesma, no photographs of him were publicly released as the department cited the dangers that came along with his job and for his co-workers in the future.

On this Easter Sunday, multitudes of the faithful, along with those who casually attend church, will gather for outdoor sunrise services or worship inside grand sanctuaries and modest harbors of faith. They will celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ the Savior.

For more than five years, teams of employees at the Bank of America call center in Chandler have given what local food banks could only hope for during the season of giving while participating in a little friendly competition:

Trinity Donovan was elected Chandler's vice mayor for the coming year by the City Council on Thursday night.

Ernesto Farfan says he’s the “StarCraft King.”

Ernesto Farfan says he’s the “StarCraft King.”

Gang activity in Chandler has been on the decline since December when a drive-by shooting left a 19-year-old woman dead, police said.

When the holy month of Ramadan arrives Sept. 1, about 400 Muslim families in the south East Valley will finally have their own masjid, or mosque. They'll gather there for their nightly prayer services and cultural activities, meals and events that traditionally make a mosque a center of Islamic community life.

Remaining fiscally responsible, attracting and retaining jobs and maintaining safe and stable neighborhoods were the three main issues the seven Chandler City Council candidates were most concerned about during a Thursday night forum.

Most of the candidates for Chandler City Council have unleashed a barrage of criticism on two major downtown projects in their quest for office.

Students at Chandler’s Valley Christian High School have spent the last few months collecting items to give back to the community.

Children and their caregivers will now have a fun place to play outdoor games and activities in Chandler.

I’ve always been interested in local politics since the decisions made by local elected officials affect me and my family every day. Over the years, I have worked on the campaigns of many school board and Chandler City Council campaigns, and a few campaigns for the state legislature.

Ten acres of pistachios are ripening on the trees at the Grove Bible Church of Chandler. “We are going to have a good crop this year,” said Pastor Palmer Chinchen, but first he has to find someone to harvest them in the fall.

A new church campus with 93,000 square feet of space may be impressive. But the church is fast to tout one specific feature: 32 restroom stalls for women.