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AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS www.ahwatukee.com
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Wednesday, June 13, 2018
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32nd Street debate fuels homeowner’s uncertainty
AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor
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s the Arizona Department of Transportation analyzes community feedback before deciding whether to add a South Mountain Freeway interchange at 32nd Street, Richard Slapke knows he’s damned if it does – and damned if it doesn’t. A ramp from that interchange would run no more than 10 feet from his backyard. Without it, the freeway won’t be that much farther away. Or it could be less. Right now, he’s as much in the dark as six other homeowners on East Redwood Court, just west of 32nd Street, and about 20 more east of 32nd Street along East Cedarwood (Kimberly Carrillo/AFN Staff Photographer) Lane. Richard Slapke used to have a nice view from his backyard until this year, when freeway workers created a The only exception is a home next door to six-foot-high mound of dirt running along Pecos Road, then topped it with rocks about a month ago. Slapke, where the owner won’t care what happens: ADOT has owned it for about 10 years. a possibility of a freeway on Pecos Road, but takeaway zone,” he continued. There was a time when Slapke and his that was it. “A lot of people were crying about it. There neighbors thought the agency would be buy“Then I started going to the meetings they was no disclosure our home was going to be ing all those homes. were having at Ironwood Library about 12 taken, but I figured, well, let them buy it. Our When he bought the house brand new in years ago, and we were told it was determined See FREEWAY on page 20 1992, he recalled, “We were advised there was our house and all these houses were in the
AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS A GIFT FROM THE HEART
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MEATY BUSINESS
Thunder director performs with dad at Carnegie Hall . 33
BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY AFN Staff Writer
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ALL IN THE FAMILY
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hen David Thye conducted his first concert at Carnegie Hall in 2005, he never realized that the performance would propel him to a residency at the famed venue or that he would eventually return there to perform alongside his son. Thirteen years later, he has now performed 25 times at Carnegie Hall as a conductor with MidAmerica Productions. And on May 29, he shared the stage with
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his son Josh, director of bands at Desert Vista High School Bands, at the venue’s Stern Auditorium. The performance, the second time the pair has conducted at Carnegie Hall together, featured David and Josh separately conducting the New England Symphonic Ensemble and Desert Vista’s Wind Ensemble, respectively. Despite performing at Carnegie Hall dozens of times, David Thye acknowledged that this concert felt different. “I’ve had 25 concerts in the hall and I don’t think I have ever experienced what we experienced,” David said.
He added that even his performers and collaborators, some of whom he had not worked with before, recognized how special the event was for the father and son. “One after another, they came up to me. They were inspired and very heartfelt about it,” he said. “It really seemed to stir everyone and obviously us.” The concert had a similar impact on Josh, who has now conducted three times at Carnegie Hall. “As (conductors), we have done a lot of See
FATHER on page 14
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