www.SanTanSun.com March 3 - 16, 2012 37Opinion

Publisher’s Note

All the newsthat fits

The New York Times’ masthead logoincludes “All The News That’s Fit to Print,” andreportedly the phrase dates back to 1896.

While the SanTan Sun News strives to main-tain those similar lofty goals, our challenge –even at 80 pages – becomes space, and thenbecomes “All the news that fits.”

We just want you to know that we do ourabsolute very best to get in as many of your news

stories as we possibly can. My philosophy is that I would rather have manyshorter stories than a few long ones, to allow as many news stories, differ-ent events, activities and voices on our pages as possible.

But submissions do not guarantee placement – unless it’s a paid ad –and sometimes we simply run out of space. When we can, we sometimeshave to hold a story until the next issue.

We routinely receive emails inquiring about whether a story ran or whya story didn’t run. Often the sender just missed it, and our dutiful EditorLynda Exley takes her precious time to note what page it’s on. But it’s timeconsuming, so we would ask you to first check our online version of thepaper to look for your story before emailing or calling. You can do a simple word search for a key word in your story to find it.

If you don’t find it, instead of asking whether it ran or is going to run,simply resubmit it with a note that you previously sent it in, to make sureit didn’t get lost in the wild, wide world of the Internet.

Remember, we do print all our news for no charge to the sender. If youreally want to make certain it gets in on a certain date, consider taking outa display, directory or classified ad. Our rates are very reasonable, andchances are if we get it in time, we will also include your news story withit as well.

Meanwhile, we welcome a few new team members to the SanTan SunNews. Christine Bryner of Studio 509 jumped in and very ably took overall the graphic design of ads and layout, and is doing a terrific job on avery timely basis. We are pleased to have her working with us.

Long-time Valley journalist Mark Scarp, also a former president of thePhoenix Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, has taken overthe role of technical editor while Lynda Exley is traveling around the statepromoting her new children’s book. He is bringing his solid journalismbackground and a sharp eye to our pages.

Kristen Sherman of Chandler just started as proofreader, to make sureour writing is consistent, accurate and meets Associated Press and ourown STSN style guidelines. She’s making great catches that help us lookour best.

And Elliott Soth of Sun Lakes will begin editing the Business sectionwith the next issue, and we welcome him to our pages.

Thanks for your understanding, and for your support of the SanTanSun News.

Laurie Fagen, Publisher

MAILING ADDRESS:PO Box 23Chandler, AZ 85244-0023

TELEPHONE:480-732-0250

FAX:480-883-8714

©2012 SanTan Sun News

PUBLISHERLaurie Fagen

ADVERTISING/PRODUCTIONGeoff Hancock

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANTDarlene Keberle

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVESJane MeyerDebbie Jennings

WEBSITE MAINTAINED BYSusan Kovacs, n-ergizing

GRAPHIC DESIGNERChristine Bryner, Studio 509

WRITERSSusan Henderson, Managing EditorLynda Exley, EditorMark Scarp, Technical EditorKristen Sherman, Proofreader

K.M. LangSharon McCarsonLora RobinsonKevin RolfeAlison StantonMiriam Van ScottAnn VideanJoan Westlake

For News Tips, EditorialArticles, Opinion orClassifieds, email is preferred.

NEWS EMAIL ADDRESS:News@SanTanSun.com

ADS EMAIL ADDRESS:Ads@SanTanSun.com

WEBSITE ADDRESS:www.SanTanSun.com

CONTRIBUTORSContributors: Kevin Rolfe, Katie Struzynski, Sue Bowers, Sarah O’Brien, Suzanne Incorvaia, Susan Hegarty, Katie Perry, Robyn Kelly, Jennifer Sifuentes, Renee Clancy, Kathie Butters, Ximena Rodriguez, Cindy Gould

Deadlines FOR THE

MARCH 17, 2012 ISSUE

EDITORIAL AND ADVERTISING:noon, Wed., March 7

38,000 Total Circulation

29,500+ DrivewaysFifty square mile coverage area from Price/101 to Greenfield

and from Frye to Hunt Highway.

Photo by LightRainImages.com

In the Feb. 18 issue on page 61, we had a story about the upcoming Chandler JazzFestival, and showed a photo of Papa John DeFrancesco, but the caption said Joey

DeFrancesco, who is Papa’s son. Bart Salzman said he wanted to get Joey to perform, but he is on tour.We apologize for that error.

Have a story idea or news tip? Know of an interesting photo opportunity? How about positive feedback or constructive comments? We’d like to hear from you.Email us at News@SanTanSun.com

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Hundreds of mournersfilled Chandler Center forthe Arts late last month tosay farewell to the matriarchof one of Chandler’s mostprominent pioneer families.

Audrey June Stall Ryan, aChandler native, diedpeacefully Feb. 21, 19 yearsto the day after she lost herhusband of 43 years, RobertDavid Ryan.

Audrey was born to AdahWare Stall and JohnFranklin Stall May 28, 1927in the old Le Seuer home inMesa, used for deliveringbabies at the time. The sitewould eventually become Southside DistrictHospital. She joined big brother Klyle on thefamily farm, 160 acres of land on the north-west corner of Cooper and Germann roads inChandler.

With the Great Depression of 1929, the fam-ily found themselves impoverished and could-n’t pay back taxes. The family farm, whichAudrey’s grandfather, David Washington Stallhad homesteaded since 1910, was lost becausethey could not pay the $400 tax bill to save theland. 

Audrey’s father then went to work for theRobinson family, who ran the San MarcosHotel. The Stalls moved to the Robinson farmon the corner of Pecos and McQueen roads.Audrey attended Cleveland Elementary Schooland Chandler High School, graduating fromhigh school in 1945.

When she was 15, Audrey got a job at theRowena movie theatre on Boston Street, work-ing for Joe and Alice Woods. In 1944 theWoods built a new theatre, The Parkway, andAudrey continued to work for them. The his-toric downtown Chandler restaurant El Zocalo

is now in that location. During her high school

years, Audrey was a cheer-leader and very active inany civic or extracurricularactivity that came her way, atradition she continuedthroughout her entire life.During this time, the Stallfamily lived in a smallhouse on Buffalo Streetacross from the San Marcos.The home no longer standsand it has been replaced bycondominiums. Years ear-lier, her dad, Pop Stall,worked as a trim carpenterduring the construction and

finish work of the San Marcos Hotel.Upon her high school graduation, Audrey

attended nursing school in Tucson at St. Mary’sHospital. After becoming a surgical nurse, shecame back home and worked for SouthsideDistrict Hospital in Mesa, on the same piece ofland where she was born 21 years earlier.

Robert David Ryan came into her life in thefall of 1948. He invited Audrey to a dance atthe San Marcos Hotel Oct. 4 and they dancedall night. After they both went home and toldtheir moms “This is the one!”  Bob proposedFeb. 14, 1949 and they were married twomonths later on Easter Sunday, April 17.

They settled into their new home and newlife south of Chandler while operating theircotton farm and raising four very active boys.Audrey gave so much of her time, talent andlove to the community, with a special fondnessin her heart for PEO, Chandler Service Club,Boy Scouts of America, Chandler PublicLibrary, Chandler Regional Hospital, theChandler Historical Society and Chandler

Ryan matriarch cherished family, community

See Ryan Page 38

Audrey June Stall Ryan Submitted photo

38 March 3 - 16, 2012 www.SanTanSun.comOpinion

United Methodist Church.In spite of all she accomplished in her life,

Audrey still had time for, and cherished, herfamily. Her grandchildren and great-grandchil-dren, who called her Gammie, were blessed tohave her in their lives.

“Audrey was the crown jewel of Chandler,”says Eddie Basha.

Audrey is preceded in death by her parents,brother Klyle, husband Bob and son RobertDavid Ryan, Jr. Surviving her are sons WilliamCharles (Sharon), Philip Rodney (Lori),Michael Scott (Dianne), and Penny Brooks,grandchildren Lisa Whyte, David Ryan, JaredRyan, Andrew Ryan, Jacoba Cook, Jeffrey Ryan,Sarah Ryan, Hallie Ryan, Adrianne Burton,Audra Ryan, Matthew Nissen, Dillon Ryan,Jacob Ryan and Austin Ryan. She is also sur-vived by 13 great-grandchildren.

Memorial gifts may be sent to the ChandlerHistorical Society at 178 E. CommonwealthAve., Chandler, AZ 85225 or Chandler UnitedMethodist Church, 450 E. Chandler HeightsRd., Chandler, AZ 85249.

We know you have an opinion! Share it with the SanTan Sun News. Unless you’re theMayor, however, please keep your Letters to the editor around 200-300 words, or they may beedited for length. Include your first and last name, community or development name inSouthern Chandler (Cooper Commons, Ocotillo, Sun Groves, etc.) or ZIP code and daytimephone number for verification. Anonymous letters are not typically accepted. Email is the pre-ferred submission method, to Letters@SanTanSun.com.

All submitted Letters to the Editor and Community Commentaries become the property ofthe SanTan Sun News and may be reprinted in part, quoting the letters’ authors, or in theirentirety. Your submission to the SanTan Sun News is considered your permission to print yourwritten opinion. Opinions expressed in Community Commentaries, Letters to the Editor or car-toons are those of the author, and not that of the SanTan Sun News.

Ryan From Page 37

CHANDLER EDUCATED: Audrey JuneStall when she was in eighth grade.Submitted photo

GAMMIE: Audrey Ryan with two of her many great-granchildren.Submitted photo