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TheFoothillsFocus.com
INSIDE
This Week
FEATURES ........ 14
Nicole Rowe makes history as the 1st Miss Anthem
FEATURES ........ 16 HOV patient shares collection of nearly 2 million stamps
YOUTH ............. 23 BC’s QB McKenzie stars for the basketball team
OPINION ......................7 FEATURES ................ 14 YOUTH ...................... 23 CLASSIFIEDS ............ 25 Zone I
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Serving the communities of Anthem, Desert Hills, Norterra, Sonoran Foothills, Stetson Valley, Tramonto, New River, Desert Ridge and North Phoenix
Anthem Area Edition
15
Wednesday, February 2, 2022
Michael Duran to be new Phoenix �ire chief BY ALLISON BROWN Foothills Focus Staff Wrier
C
ity Manager Jeff Barton welcomed Phoenix native and second-generation firefighter Michael Duran as the new chief of the Phoenix Fire Department on Jan. 25. Duran will take over as fire chief on Feb. 22, when current chief, Kara Kalkbrenner, retires. “Mike is a visionary strategist who I’m confident will help move our organization forward,” Barton said. “His strong communication skills and meaningful experience developing and maintaining relationships within the city, community and business partners will be invaluable as he takes on the role of chief.” Duran has worked with the department for 27 years. He works as the as-
sistant chief in the medical and support service division, which accounts for about 85% of all fire department dispatches, and spent time in several different positions working his way up the ladder. He started out as a firefighter, engineer and captain, during which time he got a firsthand understanding of fire services, emergency response models as well as the ins and outs of serving the city’s diverse community. Duran went on to become a member of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) AZ Task Force-1, where he helped provide service in emergencies like hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Florence. With FEMA, he has also provided public safety planning for the Super Bowl and college football
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Michael Duran will officially take over as Phoenix fire chief on Feb. 22. (Photo courtesy of Phoenix Fire Department)
‘Daughters’ preserve history through genealogy
BY ALLISON BROWN Foothills Focus Staff Writer
T
he Arizona chapter of the Daughters of Founders and Patriots society is looking for new members to help with a mission to ensure the preservation of history by tracking down, documenting and teaching their genealogy.
The national organization was started in 1898 by Eugenia Washington, the great-grandniece of George Washington, and the Arizona chapter was organized in 1966. According to club President Mary Feist, members of the society must have a very specific ancestry. “It has to be an unbroken line with the same name all the way back to the colonial founder,” Feist explained. “Then,
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within that line, you also have to have a revolutionary patriot that has already been proved to have served during the American Revolution.” The goal of the Daughters of Founders and Patriots organization is to preserve colonial heritage, whether through historical documents or family records.
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GENEALOGY ���� 4