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Genealogy group says finding family is addictive By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski ‘IT’S LIKE A PUZZLE’

Nancy Roy comes from a small family, one that didn’t share a lot about their lineage.

When she was 21, she met with her grandmother to discuss her family’s history and thus began her 50-year genealogical journey. As president of the Daisy Mountain Genealogy Group, Roy helps others find joy in learning about their family.

“More and more people are getting interested in genealogy because of the DNA craze,” she says. “It’s exciting to start your family history. You want to know about your grandmother and grandfather and their lives and occupations.

“You can find out other things about the family that are personal and exciting. My grandfather was in theater. He became prominent. He had the biggest costume provider in New York City. He’s fascinating to me. I wanted to learn more. What was their life like? Were they poor? Wealthy? It’s really exciting to find out those little details.”

The group was formed 18 years ago by members of the women’s group at Anthem Country Club.

“We just all loved genealogy,” she says. For eight years, they met at members’ homes and then the community center. Now the Daisy Mountain Genealogy Group is open to the public and holds meetings at the North Valley Regional Library at 9:30 a.m. the first Monday of the month.

“Now we’re a library-sponsored group. It’s open to everyone,” Roy says. “We have a speaker every month and they’re experts in genealogy. They speak around the Valley. Most of them we get from the West Valley Genealogy Club’s speaker’s bureau.”

Pamela Blair-Sheldon, North Valley Regional Library’s library manager, says it’s been a “wonderful partnership.”

“Our new Friends of the North Valley Regional Library help with the presenter fees,” she says. “It’s been nice to give the general public an opportunity to learn about genealogy. It’s one of our most popular library programs.”

Between 25 and 50 people attend the meetings each month, according to Roy.

Speaker topics include the LDS Church’s role in genealogy with familysearch.org and websites like HeritageQuest Online powered by Ancestry.

“There are so many advances with DNA and information,” she says. “There are a million documents a day that go online that come through the LDS Church that they put out to everyone. It’s free. It’s been really great.

“It’s like a puzzle. It’s my passion. I love it.”

Daisy Mountain Genealogy Group When: 9:30 a.m. the first Monday of the month Where: North Valley Regional Library at Boulder Creek High School, 40410 N. Gavilan Peak Parkway, Anthem Special Presentation: “Using Timelines with Suzanne Young Brayer,” 9:30 a.m. Monday, March 9 Cost: Free admission Info: mcldaz.org/locations/northvalley

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Your Nine-Day Itinerary is Ahead Experience a Sonoran adventure this Spring Break By Heather Maxwell, Anthem Area Chamber of Commerce

With busy metropolitan Phoenix to the south and Arizona’s high country to the north, the communities along the Phoenix Sonoran corridor enjoy clean air and a casual, active lifestyle.

Bookended by Lake Pleasant Regional Park on the west and the stunning Phoenix Sonoran Preserve on the east, few areas in the Valley of the Sun are home to such a diverse collection of manicured parks, local attractions, outdoor adventure and untouched desert landscape.

Seemingly unnoticeable to outsiders, the quiet suburban communities that call the north edge of Phoenix Sonoran Desert home are always buzzing with events and activities.

Keep the bags unpacked! Your nine-day, local Spring Break itinerary is ahead!

Saturday, March 14

But first—coffee! The Anthem Community Council hosts Java & Jammin’ the second Saturday in March, May, October and December from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. on the terrace of the Anthem Civic Building. The free, family-friendly program features live music by Janelle Loes, coffee and treats. The Sonoran Desert Pet Resort and Anthem Pets are hosting a pet adoption event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. You can view all of the adoptable pets on the Anthem Pets website, anthempets.org.

The Plant Bar Spring Festival promises fun for all ages from noon until 8 p.m. The free, family-friendly event will include food, music and, of course, plants!

Wind down the night with dinner and a sunset at the Glossy Heifer Bar & Grill. Enjoy fresh, local-inspired American cuisine and live music by David Sheehy from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Sunday, March 15 There’s always something to do at Lake Pleasant Regional Park! Open to the public 365 days a year, Pleasant Harbor Marina is a full-service marina and RV park and features Dillon’s Bayou, a floating restaurant redefining “lake food.” Rent a kayak or standup paddleboard (SUP) and explore the shoreline, then relax and take in the spectacular lake views while enjoying award-winning barbecue at Dillon’s Bayou. Stop by the Discovery Center at Lake Pleasant Regional Park from 2 to 3 p.m. for fun and educational arts and crafts—perfect for families! Learn about the history of petroglyphs in the region while you design and create your own. Visit maricopacountyparks.net for a full list of upcoming events and activities at the park.

Monday, March 16

Grab your bike or take a hike! The Phoenix Sonoran Preserve is comprised of more than 9,600 acres of wild, mostly undeveloped desert in North Phoenix. Three trailhead locations—Desert Vista, Desert Hills and Apache Wash—offer 36 miles of trails, open to the public from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. Trail maps are available at the Anthem Area Chamber of Commerce office. Bring plenty of water and review the “Take a Hike. Do it Right” guidelines before enjoying the preserve. For more information, visit phoenix.gov/parks/trails/locations/ sonoran-preserve.

End the day with a bucket-list sunset hot air balloon ride. Explore the unmatched beauty of the Phoenix Sonoran corridor from above. A variety of operators offer both sunrise and sunset hot air balloon rides daily November through March, weather permitting.

Tuesday, March 17

Head east to enjoy a guided hike of the Caroline Bartol Preserve on Saguaro Hill in Cave Creek with Desert Foothills Land Trust. Space is limited, so sign up in advance or learn more about DFLT’s other guided hikes at dflt.org/hikes-and-events. Daisy Mountain Veterans and Youth for Troops invite the community to help make mats for homeless veterans from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. This monthly service project is free and open to all ages. Visit youthfortroops.org for more information. Don’t miss Trivia Tuesday at Amped Coffee Co., 6 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesdays. This is a great event for all ages.

Wednesday, March 18

Spend the day at the park or shopping. Most of the communities along the Phoenix Sonoran corridor offer a wide variety of amenities, trails and parks to residents and their guests.

Visitors to the Anthem Community Park can see the award-winning Anthem Veterans Memorial, an Arizona Historic Landmark, locally designed and built to honor the service and sacrifice of our country’s armed forces. Playgrounds, catch-andrelease fishing lakes, a skate park, a hockey rink, sport courts and the Daisy Mountain Railroad make this park a perfect destination on a spring day.

The Outlets at Anthem is always high on the itinerary. The pedestrian- and petfriendly, open-air environment offers more than 60 designer brand shops, dining and other attractions.

Thursday, March 19 To the north, the Black Canyon Heritage Park provides visitors with a chance to experience nature and culture in a friendly, nurturing environment. Efforts at the 30-