April 25, 2018 • Vol. 16, No. 22
POSTAL PATRON CAVE CREEK
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Anthem | Black Canyon City | Carefree | Cave Creek | Desert Hills | New River| North Phoenix | Tramonto | Vistancia
Teachers vote to strike, what it means for parents TARA ALATORRE STAFF
Photo courtesy of Justine Fritz
Pictured: Teachers at Desert Willow Elementary participating in the statewide walkin held on April 11.
EPCOR announces new completion date for Anthem water station TARA ALATORRE STAFF
ANTHEM – The private utility company EPCOR announced that delays in construction has pushed back the Anthem water station’s completion date to July. The standpipe and water station was meant to provide potable water for hundreds in the communities of New River and Desert Hills by April 30. “We are committed to have the station up and running for the water haulers by July 20,” said Troy Day, head of EPCOR operations in Arizona. The City of Phoenix is set to cutoff water haulers access to city fire hydrants on April 30,
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TEACHER STRIKE continued on page 11
Cholla Patch brush fire is a somber reminder of fire threat this season TARA ALATORRE STAFF
which was a deadline that was set by the city so EPCOR would have enough time to build the Anthem water station and avoid a lapse in water deliveries for area residents. However, there were many unforeseen setbacks despite the project being expedited. “The reason it is not built now is because of the open space designation,” Day said in an interview last week. First, there were right-of-way issues that needed to be resolved with Maricopa County, then the Army Corps of Engineers EPCOR
PHOENIX - Teachers across Arizona voted to walkout of their classrooms on Thursday, April 26, turning down Governor Doug Ducey’s proposed 20 percent pay raise by 2020. Educators decided to strike despite the governor’s pay raise offer because the deal does not meet many of their demands, which includes increasing school funding, raises for support staff and legislation that creates a long-term solution for schools. The Arizona Education Association (AEA), and
Arizona Educators United (AEU), which are leading the grassroots Red for Ed movement in the state, announced the strike last week after over 70 percent of teachers voted to walkout. No information has been announced regarding how long the strike will last. However, the AEU stated in an open letter to the governor that they want to be brought to the discussion table, so negotiations can begin. The groups claim that Arizona is over $1 billion below 2008 funding levels and
NEW RIVER – Daisy Mountain Fire Medical responded to a small brush fire that ignited at the Cholla Patch property near New River Road and 23rd Avenue at around 2:45 p.m. on April 17. The owner of the home noticed a fire had ignited on her property and she attempted to put it out, but quickly realized that the fire was too big for her to handle, so she called the fire department for assistance, according to first responders on the scene. The fire was contained and extinguished by Daisy Mountain Photo courtesy of Tara Alatorre/Staff
Pictured: Daisy Mountain Fire Medical on the scene at a brush fire that ignited in New River on April 17.
NORTH VALLEY:
NEW RIVER:
PEORIA:
County drafting Daisy
MCDOT looking to make
Music Fest showcases
Mountain Area Plan
road improvements
performers with disabilites
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CHOLLA PATCH FIRE continued on page 9
OTHER : • Bluhm Column
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• Service Directory
15
• Classified Ads
18