The manufacturer inspected the installation and even determined that its product was within the company standards, even though it was somewhat uneven.  Roark decided to eat the cost and replaced all 1,300 square feet of tile.

“It was a tough decision, but it was the right decision,” Roark says. “We replaced every bit of that tile because we wanted our customer to be happy. And it proved beneficial because that customer has sent a couple of referrals our way.”

That brand of customer service has made Flooring Gallery and More!, which has showrooms in Sun Lakes and in Goodyear, a success, even in a down economy.

Flooring Gallery and More! offers a range of home improvement products, such as carpets, tile, wood, laminate, vinyl countertops, cabinets, cabinet reface, natural stone, roofing new and repair, shutters and blinds and rugs and bindings.

Roark has been selling and installing floors for 16 years and is committed to making sure every installation is done with pride and professionalism.

“A quality company stands out due to outstanding customer service, trust, honesty, integrity and exceeding customer expectations,” he says. “We strive to deliver ethical and trustworthy and believe referrals are the key to the success of Flooring Gallery and More!”

Flooring Gallery and More! is located in Sun Lakes at 9666 East Riggs Road, next to Ace Hardware. It is a Mohawk premier retailer and offers the “newest and most fashionable styles at very competitive prices.” The company’s sales team is trained to coordinate flooring around existing décor and offers free in-home estimates and design consultation.

Currently, Flooring Gallery and More! is offering a special free tile rip out with the purchase of tile and installation. In addition, for each three feet of carpet purchased, the next one is free. They have many tile, hardwoods and laminate floors on sale this month.  Granite countertops are a premiered sale item as well.

For more information, call the sales team in Sun Lakes at (480) 895-4241 or in Goodyear at (623) 935-6088. The Goodyear stories located at 15479 West McDowell Road, Suite 105, at Interstate 10 and Pebblecreek Parkway.

The company website is www.flooringgalleryandmore.com.

Written by Louis Sacco

Two of the major thoroughfares in the Southeast Valley are Riggs and Ellsworth Roads.

Now, a long-time Arizona law firm bearing the same names is increasing its presences in the area with a new Queen Creek office. Not coincidentally, two of the partners are related to the families named on street signs that run throughout the area.

Riggs Ellsworth & Porter, which has been in business since 1998, recently hired attorney Keith Nelson to run the office, located at 21321 East Ocotillo Road.

The new office opened July 1st of this year.

“We really love the Queen Creek and southeast Gilbert areas,” says Matt Riggs, a principal of the firm. “It’s a fantastic area. I own property here and always thought it would be a great place to open an office.

“Our Mesa office receives a lot of calls from people in this area and we thought an office in Queen Creek would be more convenient to those clients.”

Things fell into place when Nelson heard that Riggs had contemplated expansion into Queen Creek.

“I’ve known Matt for several years and when I learned his firm wanted to open a new office in Queen Creek I knew I wanted to be a part of it,” Nelson says. “It’s a tremendous career opportunity for me.”

The firm focuses on personal injury cases, including catastrophic injury, automobile accidents, and wrongful death, along with criminal defense, including misdemeanors, DUIs, and felonies. The firm also handles domestic relations cases such as divorce, child custody and other family relations matters.

Nelson is a native of the east valley and a graduate of Arizona State University. He attended Gonzaga University’s School of Law School in Spokane, Washington, where he graduated magna cum laude.

He has been married to his wife, Jayleen, for 13 years and they have two daughters. He is very active in the Boy Scouts of America and serves on the Board of Directors for the Gilbert Chamber of Commerce and as a Judge Pro Tem for the Maricopa County Justice Courts.

Both Nelson and Riggs say the firm plans to become very active in volunteering in Queen Creek and the southeast valley. They also hope to continue to be successful in helping their clients with their legal issues.

Riggs is a fifth generation Arizonan and a graduate of the College of Law at Arizona State University, the third generation of his family to practice law. He and his wife, Dawna, have six children. He is also heavily involved with the Boy Scouts of America and with his church.

The objective of Riggs Ellsworth & Porter is to provide aggressive and skilled representation while providing compassionate legal counsel. The firm’s legal skills and experience effectively level the playing field in its areas of practice.

“We have a great track record for winning,” Riggs says.

Riggs Ellsworth & Porter also has offices located at 1423 South Higley Road in Mesa and 240 North White Mountain Road in Show Low. For more information or to schedule an appointment regarding a personal injury claim, please call the firm at (800) 777-8529.

Written by Kirk Kern

In this economy, most business related to homes and home improvement have been taking their lumps. One local company, however, has not only weathered the storm, but has actually thrived.

Elite Shutters & Blinds, owned by Gilbert resident Dave German, recently opened a new showroom on the West side to go along with its Florence location and its mobile showroom.“Elite Shutters & Blinds continues to be one of the fastest growing small businesses and attributes its success to the fact that company leaders and staff are always looking for new and innovative products, partners and employees to set themselves apart from their competition,” German says. “Elite Shutters & Blinds exemplifies a strong commitment to business excellence and to the highest standards of integrity and ethical conduct.”

Carl Hollick, who purchased an entire blinds package for his home about a year ago, was impressed by German’s expertise along with his value. He went along with German’s recommendation for plantation shutters in the main living area and standard blinds in the bedrooms.

“What they brought was a recommendation versus just what we wanted,” Hollick says. “They had a great idea of what would look good, but still within our budget. They brought out a chocolate-black color that really made our windows pop. We’ve been told that our window coverings are actually nicer than the model homes.”

It’s not just the customers who recognize Elite Shutters & Blinds. The company was a finalist in 2009 for the Better Business Bureau’s Business Ethics Award. It was one of three small businesses recognized. The Ethics Award was established in 2002 by the BBB Foundation to recognize outstanding businesses that maintain a solid commitment to ethics and trust.

Customers can choose from a variety of beautiful window coverings for their home. Elite Shutters & Blinds offers everything from horizontal Basswood Blinds, to Cellular Shades, and beautiful shutters by Norman Shutters.

Elite Shutters & Blinds is also a one-stop source for all home improvements. Along with custom shutters, blinds and sunscreens, the company offer ceiling fans, garage cabinets, garage floor coating, custom closets, crown moulding, window tint, window cleaning, retractable awnings, roller shades, hide-away screens, security doors & lattice patio covers. “When choosing a window coverings company, there’s a lot of competition out there but what makes a quality company stand out from the rest? With Elite Shutters & Blinds, there’s one thing that will always remain the same—our values,” German says. “Customer service, trust, honesty, integrity and exceeding customer’s expectations. The company is not willing to compromise the values upon which it has built its business.”

Those interested can call Elite Shutters & Blinds at (480) 203-8425 or visit the website www.eliteshuttersandblinds.com.

A wedding is the most important day for a couple. It’s a day to celebrate their commitment for each other with friends and family.  In the San Tan Community, photographers Wendy Newman and Jody Ethington captured some local residents on their special day.

Krystle Lee Moritz and Cody Allen Henderson were married recently at St. Anne Catholic Church in Gilbert, with their reception at Villa Pallavicini in Chandler. Krystle was born in Chandler and graduated from Mesquite High School in Gilbert and also Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communications. She is a weather and news anchor on KTVL, a CBS affiliate station in Medford, Oregon.

Cody is a lifelong Mesa resident and graduate of Mesa High School. He attended Mesa Community College and is currently finishing a bio-medical bachelor’s degree.

Written by Louis Sacco

Photography by Wendy Newman

D’Vine Gourmet has the perfect gifts

Denise McCreery was just experimenting when she began taking the wine her husband would bring home from wine tastings and started making “spirit jellies.” Living in Tucson at the time, Denise decided to try and sell the product and made 1,000 jars that she thought would last through the craft fair season.

“We sold all 1,000 jars in the first two days,” she says.

At that moment, Heavenly Spreadables was born. D’Vine Gourmet, a company focusing on unique holiday and event gift baskets, was the natural progression for McCreery. The gift baskets are filled with high-quality, delicious treats that include, obviously, Heavenly Spreadables and other products that are primarily locally produced.

“We always try to use local vendors whenever we can,” McCreery says. “We like to support the local businesses.”

And D’Vine Gourmet is a true local business as the McCreery’s have made the move to Chandler following her husband’s job transfer. Denise will soon open a retail space at 1075 East Riggs Road (at McQueen Road) to hopefully take care of any last-minute shoppers looking for a great local gift.

Some of the popular gift baskets include the Buon Dia, which includes fresh-baked scones smothered with Blackberry Cabernet wine jam, Italian brewing coffee, Chai tea mix, biscotti and a hand-painted spreader; and the D’Vine Pantry. a steel-ribbed willow basket with wine jellies, bourbon pecan brittle, crackers, wine infuse cheese, liquer cake, decadent sipping chocolate and other treats.

Of course, the Heavenly Spreadables wine jellies are still a staple of the business, which McCreery says is composed of about 70 percent corporate gifts. She has 20 different products including popular choices such as Black Pepper Merlot, a deep, fruity merlot flavor made even more piquant with fresh ground black pepper; Apple Chardonnay, a light, crisp, yet bold true California Chardonay combined with fresh, sweet apple juice; and Tequila Lime with Habanero, with real Mexican tequila, lime juice and freshly chopped habanera peppers.

McCreery says all the alcohol is eliminated during the cooking process and all the wine and spirit jellies are free from additives and preservatives.

McCreery built her business in Tucson through actively marketing herself and her business and she’s doing the same thing in Chandler. She’s joined the Chandler Chamber of Commerce and various other networking organizations. She recently also set up a display of her gift baskets and Heavenly Spreadables during an event at DVine Wine Bar and Bistro for an organization called Women In Need of Shopping (WINOS).

In 2007, Denise was honored with the Entrepreneurial Spirit Award, Women Entrepreneur of the Year for a Product-Based Business and was named one of Arizona’s Top 10 Women to Watch in 2005 by BizAZ magazine.

Those interested can visit www.dvinegourmet.com to see her companies selection of gift baskets, wine jellies and other gourmet gifts.

Written by Kirk Kern

Thanksgiving doesn’t have to be a chore. Don’t want to cook for Thanksgiving this year? Fortunately, you don’t have to. As always, you have the option of going out for a gourmet meal or picking one up and eating it in the comfort of your own home. Here are some great options in the East Valley for either dining in our taking out.Three East Valley resorts have great Thanksgiving dining options for those looking to make the holiday a special occasion, or just to take a break from morning-to-night football games.

Ka’son at the Sheraton Wildhorse Pass is serving Thanksgiving dinner from 5 to 8:30 p.m., with prices ranging from $55 for adults to $35 for children 12 and under. The restaurant has three choices for entrees: slow roasted turkey breast, 13-ounce bone-in ribeye or salmon.

The steakhouse at Rawhide West Town also offers a Thanksgiving feast from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., with prices from $24 for adults to $12 for children 11 and under. Entrée options are Butter-basted turkey with giblet gravey or 12-ounce prime rib, with dessert choices of pumpkin pie, warm apple cobbler or chocolate pecan pie.

The Buttes – Marriot in Tempe has options at its two restaurants. Top of the Rock has a three-course meal from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. for $49.95 for adults and $29.95 for children ages 5 to 12. The Market Café has a Champagne Brunch Buffet from  10 a.m. to 3 p.m. for $47.95 for adults and $27.95 for children and a Thanksgiving Dinner Buffet from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. for $37.95 for adults and $24.95 for children.

Of course, anyone looking at these options are strongly encouraged to make reservations.

Those looking to stay home can order ready-made takeout meals. Basha’s will serve up a full meal that includes a Turkey or spiral-sliced ham for $29.98 or a meal that has both turkey and ham for $39.98.

Flancer’s restaurant offers a Thanksgiving Dinner to Go that includes slow roasted turkey and gravy, apple sage and sausage dressing, green chile potatoes au gratin, scallion breadcrumb stuffed roasted tomatoes, vegetables, fresh cranberry and orange relish and a home-made ginger-pumpkin crème brulee for $23.99 per person, but you can get

10 percent off if you order before November 20.

Rawhide West Town and Steakhouse, 5700 West North Loop Road, (480) 502-5600

Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Kai / Ko’sin, 5594 West Wild Horse Pass Boulevard, Chandler, (602) 225-0100

Marriott Buttes Top of the Rock / Market Cafe, 2000 Westcourt Way, Tempe, (602) 225-9000

Flancer’s Cafe, 610 Gilbert Road, Gilbert, (480) 926-9077

Bashas’ Markets, Locations in and around the East Valley.

Written by Louis Sacco

Sidelines Grill is a great place to catch a game. Jeff Lever and Trevor Miller are both long-time Phoenix Cardinals’ season-ticket holders and never miss a home game. But when the Cardinals are on the road, they can still share camaraderie and cheer on the home team in the same building.

Only it obviously isn’t University of Phoenix Stadium, it’s Sidelines Grill in Chandler.

“This is a great place to watch a game,” Lever says. “The food is great and there are televisions all over the place,”

Miller will come to Sidelines to watch the games even through he spends some of his working hours at the bar and grill, located at Alma School Road and Queen Creek Boulevard. Sidelines features three 60-inch plasma screen monitors and numerous 50-inch screens that show games from all angles of the restaurant.

Owners Paul and Kristina Grako say all NFL games will be available at Sidelines, along with numerous NCAA games on Saturdays and various other sporting events. Sidelines also features a breakfast menu during NFL Sundays.

Lever, a 12-year season ticket holder, is excited for the upcoming Cardinals’ season. He says the teams’ playoff run to the Super Bowl was a pleasant surprise, even though they lost in the last minutes of the game.

“I truly believe they will be as good as they were last season,” Miller says. “Coach (Ken) Whisenhunt is really making a difference on this team.”

Watching the games on television is only half the experience. You don’t have to go through the trouble of tailgating in the parking lot because the food at Sidelines is just as good. Favorite items are burgers, wings and chili. Sidelines also offers great happy hour specials from 3 to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and late-night reverse happy hour specials from 10 p.m. to midnight Monday through Thursday as well.

Sidelines is located at 2980 South Alma School Suite 2. Those interested can call (480) 792-6965 or e-mail info@sidelinesaz.com. Its website is www.sidelinesaz.com.

Written by Louis Sacco

Photography by Kirk Kern

It’s time to be the big person on campus.

This month, Community Publications, with the help of Wendy Newman Designer Portraits, takes a look at some top seniors from various area schools.

Wendy Newman Designer Portraits photographed these students at the Downtown Ocotillo shopping center, with the assistance of Enclave Global Denim, which provided fashions for the students, and hair and makeup from Leiden Mitchell Salon and Spa.

Downtown Ocotillo is located at Queen Creek Road and Dobson. Wendy Newman Designer Portraits can be reached by calling (602) 908-0359.

Photography by Wendy Newman

Fashions provided by Enclave Global Denim

Hair and makeup by Leiden Mitchell Salon

Shot on location at the Downtown Ocotillo

Kristina looks good in black and ivory Juliet Dream tube top with embrodiry and Paige denim capris.

Maternity fashions not all about the bump.

At Chandler and San Tan magazines, it’s all about the family. And in this issue, we honor two people associated with the magazine, graphic artist Christine Bryner and Sidelines Grill owner Kristina Grako, as they get ready to again plunge into the world of motherhood.

Christine is comfortable in her purple Maternal America tube top.

We put them in the hands of Stephanie Miller, owner of Tailored for Two Maternity in Chandler, to help them look their best. Tailored for Two offers fashionable maternity wear from designers such as Olian, Maternal America, Juliet Dream, Bravado, Paige Denims, Citizens of Humanity, Ripe, 2 Chix, Tummy T’s, Baby Cakes, Binky Coutoure and Japanese Weekend.

Tailored for Two is located at 2560 West Chandler Boulevard and can be reached at (480) 893-0465. Sidelines Grill is located at 2980 S. Alma School Road and can be reached at (480) 792-6965. Studio 509 can be reached at (480) 888-7121.

Photography by Martin Christopher

Fashions by Tailored for Two

Models: Christine Bryner (Studio 509 LLC) and Kristina Grako (Sidelines Grill)

Shot on location at Chandler Fashion Center