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AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS www.ahwatukee.com
MYSTERY SMELL
Wednesday, September 13, 2017
@AhwatukeeFN |
@AhwatukeeFN
Blasting begins as court rejects pleas to halt it
AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor
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ontrolled blasting along Pecos Road in Ahwatukee for the South Mountain Freeway began Monday as a federal appeals court tersely rejected opponents’ bid to stop it. In a two-page notice to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit on Sept. 6, attorney Howard Shanker reminded the court that his client, Protect Arizona’s
Resources and Children, is seeking an order preventing the blasting from occurring until the panel resolves his appeal of a lower-court ruling in July 2016 that cleared the way for freeway construction to begin. But on Monday, the court finally responded with a single word: “Denied.” Up to one controlled blast per day will be scheduled between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. on weekdays only, said Dustin Krugel, a spokesman for the Arizona Department of
Transportation. “During any controlled blast, Pecos Road traffic will be diverted for approximately 30 minutes. Once the blast is completed and the area has been cleared, Pecos Road will reopen,” he said, adding: “On average, residents should expect three controlled blasts per week. Depending on the production, there may be fewer or more blasts needed.” Krugel said there are up to six locations
AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS See
BLASTING on page 16
Ahwatukee youngsters lead Harvey victim relief efforts
BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor
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oved by the plight of Texans hammered by Hurricane Harvey, some of Ahwatukee’s youngest residents reached out to touch the victims last week. Children ages 6 to 9 at Keystone Montessori collected nearly $1,800 for the Red Cross while St. John Bosco Interparish School students collected toys and other playthings for kids staying in emergency shelters in the hurricane’s aftermath. Both groups of students were practicing what the schools teach as part of their curriculum. “This is one of many service projects over the years,” explained Bosco first grade teacher Jena Gump. “Service to others is a huge part of our mission as a school. It’s even part of our mission statement.” At Keystone Montessori – which champions “a lifelong commitment to give something back through service to others who are in need” as one of its main missions – teacher Tony Courtright said her little pupils took an idea she advanced during a discussion about hurricanes in general and Harvey in particular. Courtright said her students, who com-
KEYSTONE
MONTESSORI A Foundation for a Lifetime of Learning
prise the school’s “Great Horned Owl Classroom,” wanted to help the victims and that they “got right on it, decorating a box to be put in the office” after she suggested raising money for the Red Cross. “I sent an announcement to the school, telling them what we were doing. We titled it ‘Small Change Makes a Big Difference,’ asking for any spare change that families may have laying around. “The money started coming in, and the children emptied the donation box, brought the money to the classroom, sorted the coins and bills, and counted it. They gave the total to the office, and took a picture for the Keystone community. They did this for the next three days, giving the community a running See
HURRICANE on page 8 (Tonya Courtright/Special to AFN)
Red Cross representative Cassidy Penney hugs Keystone Montessori students Gia DeAgostine and Zach Treglia after they and classmates presented the agency with nearly $1,800 they collected to help Texans suffering in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey.
Toddler • Primary • Elementary • Adolescent www.keystonemontessori.com • (480) 460-7312 1025 E. Liberty Ln. , Phoenix, AZ 85048 (Across the street from the YMCA)
• (480) 460-7312