14 Dec. 15 - Jan. 18, 2008
Community
www.SanTanSun.com
Artist from Page 1
captured my daughter’s innocence and spirit,” always looking to improve it. and try to do what I’m doing.” Alternatively, she will
she says. “The amount of detail displayed in the “Every time you do something, you get better draw pictures on their behalf.
drawing was truly astonishing.” as you do it because you’re practicing and you see Meanwhile, in a family of all girls, Laura is the only
Indeed, a strong detail orientation has been your mistakes in the last one. Now you can fi x it in sibling to inherit her mother’s and grandmother’s
a characteristic of Laura’s artwork since early the next one,” philosophizes Laura, who takes two artistic interests. Lynn and Diane, 19-year-old twins,
childhood, says Sharon Wasley, Laura’s mother. to three days for larger portraits and as little as one favor the fl ute and clarinet instead, and 10-year-old
“When she was 2, she could draw people. They evening for something smaller. Dayna’s loyalty lies with the clarinet and karate.
looked more like stick-fi gurish people, but they One larger, ongoing project Laura soon begins is Even with all her adult-level achievements, Laura
looked like people. Most 2-year-olds can’t do a stint as a volunteer art therapist at Mercy Gilbert still takes one thing at a time. She enjoys ceramics
that.” Medical Center. and just bought an easel for acrylic and oil painting.
She also colored inside the lines at an early age, As part of the community service hours required She also likes playing piano, shopping and just
her mother adds. by the National Junior Honor Society, Laura hanging out with friends. She’s considering art
Laura, who usually creates portraits in graphite applied to Mercy Gilbert for general volunteerism therapy as a career but hasn’t decided yet, and she
pencils, recalls that others fi rst helped her recognize opportunities. However, when the hospital staff also likes to dream big.
her creative abilities. learned of her artistic capabilities, they decided “It’d be nice to be a famous artist or something
“I can remember in third and fourth grade, a to kick off a brand-new art therapy program with like that,” she concludes.
whole bunch of kids always saying ‘Oh, you’re so the mostly self-taught Laura as their fi rst featured
good at art.’ And I would say, ‘Oh yeah, I’m okay.’” artist.
Sharon Schnakenburg is a freelance reporter who can be
reached at Sharon@SanTanSun.com.
Modesty aside, the self-proclaimed perfectionist The teen says her duties at Mercy Gilbert involve
started getting portrait requests last school year drawing with patients’ families while patients are
when people would see her portraits and spread the in surgery.
word. Though she receives praise for her art, she is “They can take their mind off it and join in with it
Citizen Police
Academy to start
The next Citizen Police Academy starts Wed.,
Jan. 9, 2008 and runs for 13 weeks through April 2.
“The goal of the program is to teach citizens about
the guidelines within which an offi cer functions
and why offi cers handle situations as they do,”
says Chandler Police Department Detective Frank
Mendoza.
Some of the courses taught include Media and
the Law, Firearm Training, Gang Awareness, Patrol
Functions, K-9 program, Criminal Investigations/
Narcotics, Traffi c Law, and Use of Force. Classes
are held every Wednesday evening from 6 to 9 p.m.
in the Chandler Police Department’s Community
STSN photo by Gordon Murray Room, located at 250 E. Chicago St. Students must
HOPEFUL KIDS: Cancer patient Tyler Danner with dad David and sister Megan take part in a special HopeKids creative day at Mind be at least 18 and either work, live or attend school
Over Splatter in Downtown Chandler, decorating hot chocolate mugs. HopeKids provides ongoing events and activities plus a
support community for children with cancer and other life-threatening medical conditions.
in the city of Chandler. Class size is limited to 40
students.
Chandler Police began its fi rst Citizen Police
Academy program in 1994 to develop citizen
Last minute tax credit drop off
awareness and understanding of the role of law
enforcement.
Procrastinators waiting to make an Arizona State Tax Credit donation for 2007 can drop off checks from
Citizens can contact Rosenda Contreras at
9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Mon., Dec. 31 at Hamilton High School. Forms will be available in the parking lot at 3800
S. Arizona Ave., south of Queen Creek Road in S. Chandler for married couples wanting to donate up to
480-782-4521 for application information or go
$400 a year, or singles donating up to $200.
online to www.chandlerpd.com.
For more information, call Renee Coombs at 480-883-5040.
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