The Foothills Focus 02/08/2023

City faces $70.5M revenue loss from cuts

BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

State lawmakers are moving to strip cities and towns of their ability to tax residential rentals and grocery store food — a move that would cost the city of Phoenix about $70.5 million.

In addition to a vote Feb. 1 by the Senate Commerce Committee on that measure, Senate Republicans also are considering a cut in the corporate tax that would cost the

city another $33.55 million.

The Commerce Committee’s approval of the food and rent tax cuts came despite objections from mayors and lobbyists for the majority of communities that have the levies. They told senators that their budgets are dependent on these revenues.

A legislative analysis says the $70.5 million in revenue from Phoenix’s rent tax — it does not impose a food levy — represented 5.5% of the total sales tax revenue that Phoenix received last year.

The corporate tax cut, under a different bill, would cost Phoenix another $3.5 million in revenue, according to legislative estimates. Republican lawmakers last month began moving to cut income tax rates for Arizona corporations by nearly half, a move that legislative budget analysts say eventually could cut state revenues by nearly $670 million a year.

The party-line vote in January by the

see CUTS page 4

Phoenix council to discuss another water rate increase

BY PAUL MARYNIAK Foothills Focus Staff

Phoenix City Council this spring likely will be considering an increase in water and sewer rates for the seventh time in eight years.

And that hike could include a monthly payment for a pipeline repair insurance program for single-family homeowners that has been voluntary since it was implemented a decade ago and would become part of their monthly water bill unless they opt out of it.

Council’s Community and Cultural Investment Committee last week voted to include the conversion of the Service Line Warranties of America by

HomeServe “as part of our discussion about potential changes to the city’s current water and sewer rates.”

Water rates rose 3% in October 2021 and 3.5% last March. Since 2016, water rates have increased 18%.

Around the time of the last increase, Water Services officials said the increase was needed to ensure reliable delivery to north Phoenix and other areas that normally rely on Colorado River water by investing in infrastructure to improve access to banked water and groundwater.

In moving along the discussion of an opt-out pipeline insurance program to the full council for deliberations later this spring, subcommittee Chair Betty Guardado on Feb. 1 said that “with an

increase in the water rate discussions that we’re about to have,” she wanted to “bring it all together as a package and see how is it that people feel about this.”

“I think it’s worth exploring,” Councilwoman Debra Stark said of the pipeline program. “I just want to make sure that we’re sensitive to our ratepayers and that a we go into our discussion on increasing water rates that we’re looking at all avenues.”

The pipeline insurance program covers repairs of the pipes between the city’s service line and an individual house. Without that insurance, homeowners are on the hook for the entire see WATER page 8

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House Ways and Means Committee came over objections from all the Democrats on the panel who questioned both the wisdom and the need to take the tax rate from its current 4.9% to 2.5% by 2026. That follows a series of cuts a decade ago that dropped the rate from nearly 7%.

During last week’s hearing on the elimination of the rent and food taxes. the municipalities’ claims of hardship drew derision from Sen. Anthony Kern, R-Glendale, who said most cities and towns have a surplus.

He rejected the claims that the surpluses are appropriate, even if the state itself has a “rainy day’’ fund, money set aside to protect against future economic downturns.

In its weekly report to City Council on bills affecting Phoenix, the city administration lists the rent tax and corporate levy cut as “bills that staff has identified as negatively impacting the city.”

Sen. Steve Kaiser, R-Phoenix, the

sponsor of the measure to phase out the tax on rentals, said it is crafted in a way to ensure that tenants get the benefit of the mandated reduction.

But that drew a skeptical response from Sen. Mitzi Epstein, D-Tempe.

“Whatever the market price is, that’s what the rent will be,’’ she said. All SB 1184 will do, she said, is allow landlords to pocket what they no longer have to forward to cities in taxes.

Nick Ponder, lobbyist for the League of Arizona Cities and Towns, told lawmakers that SB 1063, the companion measure to eliminate local taxes on food purchased for home preparation and consumption, won’t reduce overall taxes.

He pointed out that state lawmakers, facing an initiative, voted in 1980 to exempt the state sales tax on food.

But three years later, facing a deficit, Ponder noted the Legislature raised the overall state sales tax on all remaining items from 4% to 5%, an increase that never was repealed. He suggested that cities, facing a similar loss of one source of revenues, may have to follow suit.

And he said that cities where the decision was made to eliminate these taxes have a higher overall sales tax rate than others where the levies remain. He cited in particular Tucson where shoppers pay 3.5% on everything else they buy.

Ponder said the decision on what to tax is best left to local elected officials and their voters.

Not all communities levy rent or food taxes.

But they can be a big part of what communities collect. And the impact is particularly great on the smallest towns.

posed by Sen. Sonny Borrelli, R-Lake Havasu City.

“To be taxing food, essential items that are consumed at home, not only is it unreasonable, it’s outrageous,’’ he said.

But Globe Mayor Al Ganeros told lawmakers that the levy, which is paid not only by residents but folks from outside the city who drive into town, helps his community cover its costs. And he said there are costs, citing, for example, the $1.5 million to $2 million it will take to replace a 35-year-old ladder truck at the fire department.

Casa Grande Mayor Craig McFarland said revenues from the food tax amount to 7% of the total city budget.

“I struggle to understand why the Legislature feels the cities are the one who are robbing from our citizens,’’ he testified.

“We are where the rubber meets the road,’’ McFarland continued. “We are where citizens rely on the services that we provide.’’

One argument by proponents of both measures is that the cities are getting more money now from the state.

Ponder said it is true that lawmakers are now giving local communities 18% of the revenues they collect, up from 15%.

But he pointed out that occurred only when lawmakers voted two years ago to cut income taxes by more than $1 billion a year by enacting a flat income tax. All the higher share did, Ponder said, is keep the actual revenue sharing dollars from declining.

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In Nogales, for example, the tax on food is nearly 14% of total sales tax collections. It’s close to 16% in Cottonwood, 17.6% in Douglas, 18.5% in Safford, 19.9% in San Luis and 35.2% in Taylor.

Overall, the levy amounts to more than $161 million a year statewide.

Rental taxes are a smaller percentage of sales taxes in most communities, though they total nearly $180 million statewide for affected communities.

The food tax repeal is being pro -

Lawmakers also approved a measure several years ago allowing the state and local sales tax to be levied on online and phone purchases. Ponder said, though, much of this simply makes up for the taxable sales no longer being made at brick-and-mortar stores.

Not every local official who testified was opposed.

“We have a regressive tax on a fundamental human need,’’ said Allen Skillcorn, a member of the Fountain Hills City Council, said speaking specifically about the rental tax. “That’s just mean.’’

The party-line 4-3 votes by the Republican-controlled committee send both measures to the full Senate.

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MAG executive director retires after 40 years

BY FOOTHILLS FOCUS STAFF

Calling it the “best job I have ever had the opportunity to hold,” Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG), Executive Director Eric Anderson has said he will retire from the agency after 40 years of service.

“It is time for me to retire from the best job I have ever had the opportunity to hold. I will be stepping down as executive director of the Maricopa Asso -

ciation of Governments effective July 1, 2023,” Anderson told employees in a written statement announcing his retirement.

“Whether in the private or the public sector, helping make communities better has been a common theme of my career. But the best memories that I will have from my work life will be the experiences I have had with the amazing MAG family.”

Anderson began working with MAG in 1983 preparing socioeconomic projections for the region. In 1992, he was retained by MAG to lead the fiscal analysis unit, which was charged with putting a solid foundation in place for the management and financial integrity of the MAG Freeway Program. He was hired in 2000 as transportation director and was appointed executive director in 2018.

“Eric is an outstanding leader and a true champion for this region,” said MAG Chair Kenn Weise, mayor of Avon-

dale. “On behalf of the Regional Council and for the residents whose lives have been improved by the work of MAG, I want to thank him for his service.”

Over his career, Anderson has focused on regional and urban growth, economic development and economic impact analysis. He has been involved in a number of planning and research efforts related to technology, including autonomous and connected vehicles. He has focused on the urban form and social impacts of new technology and the implications for the regional transportation system. Recent efforts include overseeing the development of a 25-year regional transportation investment plan known as MOMENTUM 2050. Funding for the plan would need to come through an extension of the half-cent sales tax for transportation, which was approved by Maricopa County voters in 2004 as Proposition 400. The current funding expires in 2025.

“The work to extend Proposition 400 will continue and I will be available to provide whatever assistance I can to make sure this region continues to have a world class transportation system,” Anderson said.

“Our members and business community understand how critical this is to not only the MAG region, but to the state of Arizona. The MAG staff has no equal in terms of expertise, professionalism and commitment to improving our community,” he said.

Anderson served as interim CEO for Valley Metro prior to the appointment of Scott Smith in 2016. He is a member of the Urban Land Institute Arizona Advisory Board, Lambda Alpha International and the board of directors of the Arizona Transit Association. He earned an M.S. degree in economics from ASU. Anderson said he will work together with MAG member agencies to ensure a smooth transition.

cost of pipeline repairs – an expense that can run into thousands of dollars.

HomeServe National Director Brian Davis told the subcommittee that since 2012, when Phoenix joined with the National League of Cities in a partnership for the program, some 27,324 homeowners have saved $7.4 million for 13,461 pipeline repairs while the city garnered $3 million in revenue.

Davis said about 20% of Phoenix single-family homeowners currently subscribe to the program, which costs $7.95 a month to cover the water line and an additional monthly fee of $9.45 to cover septic and sewer line breaks.

But if the program were to be opt-out, he said, homeowners likely would pay only $2.50 or $3 a month.

“You’d be the first big city to roll that out” if it became an opt-out, he told the committee. He noted that Phoenix was one of the early

pioneers of the voluntary program, which has since drawn the active participation of more than 1,300 municipalities and other water providers.

There is no limit on the number of claims that can be filed in any given year – though only one break can be covered per claim and a homeowner is covered for up to $8,500 per claim.

Davis also asked the subcommittee to consider a separate insurance program that would cost homeowners 50 cents to $1 month.

Called ServeLine, that “leak adjustment program” indemnifies the city in instances where a homeowner on any given month has a water bill that significantly spiked from their average monthly rate because of a leak.

“Right now Phoenix is very kind to water customers,” he said, explaining that in instances of such spikes, the city only requires the customer pay half the total cost of that spike.

But ServeLine would cover the full overage so that the customer would only pay their normal monthly aver-

age and the city would not lose any money.

In discussing the benefits of making the policies opt-out, Davis also touted the benefits the program offered for conserving water.

“This would save you on the average water leak,” he said. “We’re saving about two days of lost water because we’re fixing that leak faster.”

Davis said the average leak wastes 1,000 to 1,500 gallons and that a mandatory program could save the city 700 million gallons of water a year.

HomeServe’s programs are unique in the country and there are no similar insurance policies for waterline breaks, Davis said.

Stressing the savings in both water and money, Davis also told the subcommittee that making the insurance programs mandatory might also make a basic water rate increase more palatable to homeowners.

“We can’t be partners with the National League of Cities for 15 years and not be doing things the right way,” Davis told the panel. “As elected officials you can say (to customers) ‘Look, we had to raise water rates but now you don’t have to worry about a water line break, an expensive leak. We’re covering it.’

“And that’s why I think the impact of this program is going to be so great and Phoenix – I think you’re going to be a trailblazer for a lot of cities to do that.”

Meanwhile, homeowners interested in signing up for the pipeline program can go to slwofa.com or call 1-844-257-8795.

Additionally, residents can enroll by sending in the enrollment form that comes in the information letters that SLWA sends to Phoenix homeowners periodically.

Aviation Ordnanceman 3rd Class Erin Martinez, from Phoenix, left, and Aviation Ordnanceman Airman Jesus Garcia, from Clearwater, Florida, build a weapons ammunition skid aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69). IKE is underway conducting ammunition onload, flight deck certification and air wing qualification as part of its tailored

phase prior to deployment. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Janae Chambers/Released)

Let them eat cake

BY JUDY BLUHM Foothills Focus Columnist

How do you celebrate your birthday? My girlfriend, Carol, has a big birthday coming up. She is thinking about going skydiving to celebrate. She wondered if I might like to join her. I told her there wasn’t enough alcohol in the world to get me to jump out of a moving plane. That’s when she said three mean, heartless, sad little words, “You are boring.” Oh, come on.

If aging isn’t bad enough, so is the pressure to do something “exciting” to celebrate the passing of time. We are encouraged to make bucket lists with lots of places we should go and things we should do. You know, like going to Pamplona, Spain to run with the bulls (terrifying). Zipline through the jungle in Costa Rica (nope). Swim with the dolphins (possibly). Well, I am not having any of it! I don’t have a bucket list!

Carol also suggested that I go to France with her and a few other friends, so we can take cooking classes at Le Cordon Bleu. She said it would be a “delicious” way to enhance our cooking skills, plus have fun. When I mentioned this to my husband, Doug, he just looked at me and laughed, “But you have a Julia Child cookbook.” So true. You see, it is not “normal” (in my world) to go flying off to Paris to learn how to make coq au vin. Although I would like to wear a white apron and chef’s hat for a day.

I may not take a French cooking class, but I do know how to make a birthday cake. In Western cultures, particularly in the U.S., we eat lots

of cake. The American Institute of Baking estimates that Americans eat about 100 million cakes per year! This started out as a German tradition centuries ago and carried over from early Roman times when birthdays were celebrated with a gathering (for men only). Then, candles were added by the ancient Greeks to make the cakes glow like the moon in honor of the goddess Artemis.

Today, birthday parties, balloons, cards and singing “Happy Birthday to You” are as American as apple pie. And aside from greeting cards and gifts, we also like to give (kids) birthday spankings. Well, in Brazil they pull earlobes (ouch), in Ireland they like to give bumps (kicks) and in Venezuela they like to push the lucky person’s face into their own birthday cake (yum).

My granddaughter just turned 7 and after doing cartwheels at her party, she announced that her birthday “is the happiest day of my life.” My mother said the same thing when she turned 90. How we celebrate is less important than the fact that we are joyful to have

see BLUHM page 11

Conspiracy theories hide a simple truth

BY DAVID LEIBOWITZ Foothills Focus Columnist

Minutes after the conclusion of the AFC Championship Game, won 23-20 by the Kansas City Chiefs courtesy of a number of controversial plays culminating in a game-deciding late-hit penalty against the Cincinnati Bengals the phrase #NFLrigged began trending on Twitter. Because, gee, why wouldn’t it?

The theory, in a nutshell: The powers that be in the National Football League wanted the Kansas City Chiefs to advance to the Super Bowl, thus the referees failed to call several penalties against the Chiefs late in the game, meanwhile flagging Bengals defender Joseph Ossai for a late hit that advanced the Chiefs into field goal range with three seconds left.

Chiefs kicker Harrsion Butker converted the 45-yard kick. Let the accusations of a massive conspiracy commence.

Normally, I would ignore such silliness, except conspiracies, cover-ups and illogical reasoning have never been more rampant.

Back in the day, you used to hear the

occasional doozy the CIA assassinated President Kennedy; Roswell is the site of an alien landing; Sept. 11 never happened.

Now everything is fixed, fake or staged by a powerful cabal intent on screwing the rest of us.

There’s the 2020 election, which according to President Donald Trump was “rigged.” Or as he put it, absent any evidence: “It’s about poll watchers who were not allowed to watch. So illegal. It’s about ballots that poured in and nobody but a few knew where they came from. ... It’s about machinery that was defective, machinery that was stopped.”

Not to be outdone, losing Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake has continued to assert that she, too, was the victim of outright theft again, absent a scintilla of evidence that her loss was due to votes not counted or fraudulently counted.

As Lake told her supporters at yet another fraud-fest rally last week: “Our experts actually testified, with 99.999% accuracy and certainty, that a minimum of 140,000 fraudulent mail-in ballots with bad signatures were counted in our election. It’s outrageous. Bogus

signatures.”

There’s a word for that claim. It rhymes with, uh, “bull twit.”

Already, Lake’s case has been tossed out of court for lack of evidence, but so long as she can continue to raise money claiming fraud $2.5 million and counting since Election Day, according to campaign finance reports she will continue to spew falsehoods.

Lest you believe I think only the political right is capable of bad logic and fantasy, let me assure you that’s not the case. I’m equally tired of the political left and its ability to take one incident or a string of incidents and use it to damn an entire swath of humanity.

An example? The recent awful beating death of Tyre Nichols at the hands of five Memphis police officers has been used to advance the notion that all police officers are thugs, racists and violent predators.

Currently, there are 670,000 sworn men and women in law enforcement in this country. Nichols’ death, while absolutely tragic, says little to nothing about any cop who wasn’t present that night, in exactly the same way that a crime committed by one member of a race or

religion says nothing exact about every other member of that group.

As a devoted subscriber to Occam’s Razor, my predisposition is to believe in the simplest explanation possible.

The refs, fallible humans, blew calls in Kansas City. Trump and Lake lost in elections marked by a few anomalies, not widespread fraud. And five cops in Memphis who deserve to be prosecuted for homicide do not mean an entire profession is evil.

Call me overly simplistic if you’d like. But in 2023, the same old saying remains viable: What you see is still exactly what you get.

State universities must halt their new ‘pledge’

BY J.D. HAYWORTH Foothills Focus Columnist

You could say it before you could spell it.

And even now — years later — you can recite the words with ease.

“I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

Yes, the Pledge has been amended… Most notably in the 1950s, when the Knights of Columbus, a Catholic fraternal organization, led a public campaign to add the words “under God.” On June

14, 1954 — Flag Day — President Eisenhower signed a bill into law adding that phrase to the Pledge.

Might someone mount a similar effort today?

If so, who… And what changes would they want to make?

It’s not a wild leap of imagination to conclude that the “Woke” among us might offer the following alterations:

“I choose to express my conditional support for this flag, which represents the People, who can freely change what it stands for, through their collective will, based on their genuine feelings. While Haters promote division, We the Enlightened embrace a future of Diver-

sity, Equity and Inclusion for all.”

Don’t laugh.

It’s already happening.

What amounts to a “pledge” to uphold DEI — Diversity, Equity and Inclusion — is in statewide circulation.

No, it’s not occurring in elementary schools.

Granted, it is not performed as a public recitation.

Instead, Arizona’s taxpayer supported universities are getting it in writing… And while it does not focus on the flag, a leading public policy organization has quite properly “flagged” it.

The Goldwater Institute released a report last month that most assuredly will

not be the last word on the long-term leftist goal of redefining indoctrination as education.

The January study is entitled “The New Loyalty Oaths: How Arizona’s Public Universities Compel Job Applicants to Endorse Progressive Politics.”

The Goldwater scholars and researchers took to Twitter to reveal the report’s disturbing conclusion:

“Arizona’s public universities FORCE job applicants to provide MANDATORY ‘diversity statements.’ It’s a full-frontal attack on free expression and equal opportunity for ALL…”

If you’re scoring at home — or more importantly, if your hard-earned money is being used to pay tuition at one of our three state-supported universities — it’s only fair to ask: “Just how widespread is this mandated ‘profession of faith’ in DEI?”

ASU (USA spelled backwards) leads the way, making such statements mandatory in 81% of its job postings; NAU requires the same in 73% of its job applications; and the U of A lags far behind at a surprisingly low 28%.

Unsurprisingly, the Goldwater Institute advises that all of this nonsense should stop. “The Arizona Board of Regents and/or state lawmakers must prohibit this practice.”

Such a prohibition would “restore the ideological neutrality of taxpayer-funded universities and restore compliance with the state constitution’s ban on political tests.”

The not-so-funny thing is that the way in which DEI is utilized in “woke” constructs. It clearly fails the contextual requirements needed for passing the most elemental of freshman vocabulary tests. “Diversity” is not “uniformity;” “equity” is not “equality;” and “inclusion” does not promote “exclusion.”

Then again, “War is Peace… Freedom is Slavery… Ignorance is Strength,” reads the official motto of the fictional nation

BLUHM from Page 9

HAYWORTH from Page 10 a birthday.

I made my friend, Carol, a birthday cake and gave her a small decorative bucket with a notepad and pen, so she could make her “list” in style. For your next birthday, dear readers,

of Oceania, in George Orwell’s dystopian masterpiece, “1984.”

The administrative “educrats” in charge of our three public universities are so collectively comatose that they are choosing to restrict the rights guaranteed in our Constitution. And, in so doing, they are helping establish a real-life American Dystopia.

It seems the least they could do is rearrange the order of the acronym to which they pledge their allegiance.

Sure, “Diversity, Inclusion and Equity” are not arranged alphabetically… But it would more accurately reflect the fate these so-called intellectual elites would insure for our Republic.

It would D-I-E.

That’s easy to spell.

eat the cake and blow out the candles. Avoid spankings. Try doing a cartwheel (let me know how that works out). Celebrate the “happiest day of your life!” No parachute required.

Judy Bluhm is a writer and a local Realtor. Have a story or a comment? Email Judy at judy@judybluhm.com.

The Foothills Focus welcomes letters that express readers’ opinion on current topics. Letters must include the writer’s full name, address (including city) and telephone number. The Foothills Focus will print the writer’s name and city of residence only. Letters without the requisite identifying information will not be published. Letters are published in the order received, and they are subject to editing. The Foothills Focus will not publish consumer complaints, form letters, clippings from other publications or poetry. Letters’ authors, not the Foothills Focus, are responsible for the “facts” presented in letters.

Cartel brings an appreciation of coffee to consumers

BY GREY GARTIN Foothills Focus Staff Writer

Cartel Roasting Co. co-owners Jason and Amy Silberschlag liken coffee to fine wine, as the two share a level of complexity.

Coffee, like wine, can lose the nuances of flavonoids and terroir when it is overly roasted and distributed on a mass scale.

Because of this, more than a decade ago, the Silberschlags set out to create a better coffee product for aficionados. Cartel only sources coffee that scores 80 or above on the Specialty Coffee Association’s scale of 1 to 100.

“We have always sourced and roasted our own coffee, which is one of the things that makes our cafes unique,” Amy said.

Founded in Tempe in 2007 with a single coffee cart, Cartel has 12 locations across Arizona, California and Texas. Cartel’s freshly roasted coffee is also available at Whole Foods and select grocery stores across Arizona, as well as via the all-new website, for both in-store pickup or delivery.

The couple recently celebrated the grand opening of its first North Valley store — at Desert Ridge Marketplace — complete with free giveaways and the chance to win free Cartel coffee for a year.

Cartel Desert Ridge is between Cold Stone Creamery and Slices in the food court near the AMC. The shop serves the whole of Cartel’s menu and will include the expanded line-up of Cartel canned cold brew.

Since the beginning, Cartel’s products have represented a respectful stewardship of coffee — an appreciation for the coffee bean and the process of specialty coffee making. Their “light roasting philosophy” allows for the full expression of flavors in Cartel coffee, which may not be readily available in large coffee chains.

The relationships fostered by Cartel reflect its commitment to “make good things from seed to cup” and to “create community through coffee.”

“Our goal is to actually draw attention to coffee producing farms in countries on a much, much smaller scale,” Jason said.

“We’re basically saying, this small local farmer in Colombia in the Wheeler region is growing this really great coffee, and here it is.”

Cartel ignores the commodity market when sourcing coffee. Hand picking coffee fruit, also known as cherries, allows farmers to choose the ripest coffee. This allows for the coffee producers to set their own prices and for Cartel to taste the coffees three separate times before it reaches the cafes.

Cartel also creates community by working with artisan vendors. The company makes specialty drinks, thanks to locally sourced ingredients like vegan caramel from Nami and matcha from Maya Tea Company.

Part of “making good things from seed to cup” has to do with Cartel’s sustainability habits.

“Sustainability is one of those things where it’s a lot of little decisions that add up to big sorts of effects,” Jason said.

One of these decisions was the opening of a 12,000-square-foot production facility that houses a cold brewing and canning line and a commercial bakery.

Taking steps like moving to one size of cups to be more logistically efficient, often results in a more sustainable business mod-

el for Cartel. For instance, Cartel has brought on NuMilk, which specializes in alternative milks, to make products like almond and soy milk in house. This reduces Cartel’s carbon footprint as it no longer needs to order pre-made milk alternatives — instead, it can order NuMilk pouches that take up a fraction of the space in shipping.

Cartel offers its “Give Back Blend” program by donating 10% of all proceeds from each bag of coffee sold to local charities and nonprofits. The cause changes throughout the year, but currently, Cartel has partnered with Nourish Phoenix, a nonprofit that works to combat poverty in the area.

“With Nourish Phoenix, I think there are some additional opportunities, like for

clothing drives and some other things that we’re going to be able to use our cafe spaces to help engage the communities around them to give back in that way,” Amy said.

“We imagine a world where everyone is equal, where community and business meet for good and provide safe space for individuality and human connection, and where opportunities are fostered in order to collectively contribute to healthy change in our communities.”

High Rise partners with Gridiron Greats

BY FOOTHILLS FOCUS STAFF

The East Coast-based High Rise Beverage Co. will be the premium sponsor for the Saturday, Feb. 10, Gridiron Greats Celebrity Golf Classic.

Hosted by NFL great Jim McMahon, the Gridiron Greats Celebrity Golf Classic is a cannabis-friendly charity event whose mission is to assist retired NFL players and their families in dire need situations.

The foundation provides hands-on assistance to help with the hardships players face after getting out of the league. Services include medical assistance, pro-bono orthopedic surgeries, housing assistance, financial assistance for utilities, medication, food and any other day-to-day necessities.

“We are extremely excited about this sponsorship opportunity,” said High Rise’s founder, Matt Skinner, “Not only are we bringing our product to the West Coast for the first time, but we are also thrilled to be a part of such a phenomenal event benefit-

ting a great cause.”

High Rise is crafted with North Carolina spring water, fresh fruit juice and then infused with CBD, Delta-8 or Delta-9.

The cannabinoids infused into these seltzers are nonalcoholic and enhance pleasure and motivation, regulate sleep and reduce inflammation. Another advantage, especially beneficial to athletes, is the pain-relieving properties of these cannabinoids, giving competitors an alternative to NSAIDS and opioids.

Gridiron Greats Celebrity Golf Classic

WHEN: 9 a.m. registration; 11 a.m. shotgun start Friday, Feb. 10

WHERE: Anthem Golf and Country Club, Ironwood, 2708 W. Anthem Club Drive, Anthem

COST: $100 general admission; $500 VIP experience; $1,500 single golfer; $4,500 golf foursome; $5,000 legend single INFO: https://bit.ly/GridironGreatsAnthem

Jason and Amy Silberschlag opened Cartel Roasting Co. at Desert Ridge Marketplace in North Phoenix. (Cartel Roasting Co./Submitted)

Celestial Artisan Meadery brews ‘the nectar of the gods’

BY SUMMER AGUIRRE Foothills Focus Staff Reporter

Heather Hurst-Kline and Uwe Boer see creating drinks at Celestial Artisan Meadery as a liquid art, one they want to share with the rest of the world.

Mead, or honey wine, is the fastest-growing alcohol subset in the country. Historically a drink choice held in high regard by Norse mythological figures, it is the world’s oldest-known beverage. Celestial Artisan Meadery blends innovative artisanal meads and craft ciders with modern techniques, all while honoring ancient traditions.

The Carefree facility, whose tasting room is temporarily closed, was launched by owners Hurst-Kline and mead master Boer only a year ago. In its short time, the meadery has found its footing in the community.

“We’re just a small company, but we’re committed to customers being happy, growing our product line and having people try (mead) and see if they like it,” Hurst-Kline said.

“We put a lot of love into what we do, we put a lot of our heart into it.”

Despite its ancient beginnings, HurstKline explained that many people they encounter in Carefree and Cave Creek are unfamiliar with mead. Their goal is to introduce the drink to as many locals as possible.

Celestial Artisan’s meads can be found at over 30 stores across the Valley, including Bottle Shop 48 in Tempe, Craft Beer Hop Shop in Phoenix and a dozen Total Wines across the state.

The meadery also has a visionary club whereby people can enjoy benefits and privileges such as discounts, priority access to specialty products, and complimentary tastings and tours.

Its traditional meads are created with yeast and water, while its melomel meads, which are made with fermented honey and fruit, contain spices. All of the honey they use is sourced from Arizona, as well.

Hurst-Kline described Celestial Artisan’s meads as “clean and crisp” and “not super sweet.”

Unlike some alcoholic beverages, their meads are healthy.

Hurst-Kline emphasized that they do not add sulfites, which are preservatives often added to products shipped on a large scale.

Their meads are also gluten-free, nonGMO and are not backsweetened, the process of sweetening a liquid after fermentation.

“We try to get the healthiest (ingredients) that we can get, so what goes into our products are healthy and something that we would want to drink,” Hurst-Kline said. “So, we are very careful about that kind of thing.”

The meadery has six flavors on the menu, with Raspberry Supernova its best-selling product. The tart raspberry and sweet honey fusion sells for $33.95 per 750 mL bottle.

Tart Cherry Quasar is also popular. The cyser, which is a mead base with apples, and is $15 for a 500 mL bottle.

“It’s sort of like a mix between a cider and a cyser, because it’s sparkling, as well,” Hurst-Kline said. “It’s not sweet at all, so it’s probably our second best-seller.”

The Omega Sweet and Helios Dry — simple concoctions of honey and water — are popular among those looking for a traditional mead. Both are $29.95 for a 750 mL bottle.

Its other meads include the orange, va-

nilla and honey Andromeda Creamsicle and the banana, chocolate and vanilla Banana Split in Space, both selling for $33.95 per 750 mL bottle. There is also 101 Hard Cider, a sparkling, unfiltered cider. A 500 mL bottle is $9.

Celestial Artisan has more flavors of mead and cider brewing behind the scenes. Currently, they’re creating many barrel-aged meads alongside their regular blends.

“A great thing about mead is you can literally do any kind of flavors or add any kind of fruit, spices or whatever to make it fun,” Hurst-Kline said.

The meadery has had many customers venture in and share that they didn’t like mead the first time they tried it, only to be quickly surprised at the quality and flavors of Celestial Artisan’s blends.

According to Hurst-Kline, what sets Celestial Artisan apart is the mastermind behind their innovative beverages. Boer crafted meads as a hobby for over three decades, creating his own concoctions at home and bringing them to parties. His home brewing has even accumulated awards.

Seeing his product’s potential, HurstKline encouraged her friend to go into the mead business for years before they opened his dream meadery in February 2022.

Oftentimes, Boer invents unique flavors for which Hurst-Kline doesn’t have

high expectations, only to be surprised at how delicious the brew is.

“Uwe is just masterful… He knows the flavor profiles and exactly what he’s doing filtering wise,” she said.

The quality and unique flavors of Celestial Artisan’s meads have brought the meadery far in its one year of business, as it has expanded quickly and become an active participant in its local community.

In October, the meadery was welcomed into the Carefree Cave Creek Chamber of Commerce.

The team regularly engages in festivals across the Valley, including Thunderbird Artists’ events, such as the fine art and wine festivals in Carefree, Cave Creek and Scottsdale.

Celestial Artisan’s next event is the Downtown Chandler Fine Art & Wine Festival from Friday, Feb. 17, to Sunday, Feb. 19, at Dr. A.J. Chandler Park West.

“It’s a great way for us to interface with people and have them try mead,” HurstKline said.

The demand for its product has become so great, that Celestial Artisan has begun plans to expand and are looking for larger locations in Carefree and Cave Creek to increase production while having space for a tasting room.

At the moment, their priority is sharing their meads by getting them onto more store shelves.

“We have some places that have contacted us and we’re looking at distribution in other states, period,” Hurst-Kline said. “The next big thing for us is getting either licensed or getting a distributor in California, Colorado, being a couple of them.”

Celestial Artisan Meadery, located in Carefree, is owned by Heather Hurst-Kline and Uwe Boer. They launched the meadery in February 2022. (Celestial Artisan Meadery/Submitted)

Marriage style home improvement through communication

Pastor Ed Delph

This coming May will be my wife Becky and my 40th anniversary. That’s right. We established the Becky Bridges/Ed Delph corporation, collaboration and combination in 1983. There were still dinosaurs alive when we got married. Where did the time go?

I’m aware many of you out there have been married for 50, 60 or maybe even 70-plus years. You are amazing. But please understand that we have never been married for 40 years before, so it is a new experience for us. Many people have asked us, “How have you stay married for so long?” “What’s your secret?” For most people, it’s easy to get married but much harder to stay married. After all, marriage is the usually peaceful coexistence of two nervous systems.

So, I thought that I would write about traditional marriage in this article. I realize there are many variations to “marriage” in this day and age. However, most of the same principles and ideas will apply, especially in this article.

First, I’ll share some marriage quotes and a key to a sustainable marriage.

Here are some marriage quotes.

“Marriage is like a deck of cards. It begins with two hearts and a diamond but often ends with a club and a spade.”

“Love is blind, but marriage is a real eye-opener.” “Love is grand. Divorce is a hundred grand.” “The best way to compliment your wife is frequently.”

“My wife and I often laugh about how competitive we are. But I laugh more.”

“Marriages don’t work for people unless the people work for the marriage.”

“You can never be happily married until you get a divorce from yourself.”

“You can’t sink someone else’s end of the boat and keep your end afloat.”

“Marriage is the world’s most expensive way to discover your faults.” “Opposites attract, and that’s too bad.” “Marriage is often a union that defies management.” “It would be a much better world if more married couples were as deeply in love as they are in debt.” “Adam and Eve had the perfect marriage. He didn’t have to hear about all the men she could have married, and she didn’t have to hear about how his mother cooked.”

Here are some reflective quotes about marriage. “Marriage has different attractions for different people. Those who marry for love want something wonderful, and they sometimes get it. The people who marry because they want to escape something usually don’t.” “People searching for the ideal mate rarely stop to ask themselves why such a paragon would be interested in them.”

One thing is for sure: marriage isn’t a battle somebody is supposed to win. In marriage or any relationship, the same issue can be a deal breaker or a deal maker. So don’t put the key to your happiness into anyone’s pocket but your own. Change yourself and your attitude first before you try to change another. Marriage is a Declaration of Interdependence, not Independence. Marriage is less ‘me’ and more ‘we.’

So, how does a marriage become less me and more we? I think it starts with communication. But before I start sharing, please understand that there are few perfect communicators. A happy marriage needs good communication for both parties. It’s hard to have cooperation without communication. Think about this. The average couple in America talks 17 hours per year. In other words, talk two-thirds of the day

and then don’t speak for the rest of the year, and you’re average in America. The lack of meaningful communication is a significant reason why one out of two marriages end in divorce and one out of five marriages end before the first anniversary.

As I said before, marriage is a real eye-opener about ourselves and our communication ability. The object is to communicate, not get mad because ‘they’ didn’t hear you the first time. Remember, nothing is so simple that it can’t be misunderstood, especially when one’s partner is from Venus and the other from Mars. In the long run, what goes on in the dining room influences what goes on in the bedroom.

Women are from Venus. Men are from Mars. No, you’re both from Earth. Deal with it. How do you do that? Twoway communication. Generally, opposites attract and then negotiate the differences that takes communication. Honest communication opens the possibility of commitment. Real commitment often comes from understanding. Marriage may feel least comfortable when it is most necessary. Our differences may not go away, but our hostilities can.

Fear or anger will never accept responsibility. Love does. Love embraces the mess. When responsibility is accepted, repentance and a new beginning become possible. Forgiveness means giving up control. When you admit you made a mistake and apologize to the offended party, you are simply acknowledging that you are wiser now than you were when you made the mistake.

Since none of us is the whole, independent, self-sufficient, superb, capable, all-powerful hotshot being, let’s quit acting like we are. Life is lonely enough without us playing that silly

role. To make this thing called marriage work, we must lean and support; relate and respond; give and take; confess and forgive; release and rely on God working with each other. Partner in making excellent decisions together.

Marriage is a blend of love and friendship via communication. It’s easy to leave a spouse, hard to leave a friend. Friends and lovers in the bond of marriage usually stay in love. Why? They communicate.

Would you like to have a home improvement in your marriage? Then, communicate. After all, marriage is a game that two can play, and both win.

Ed Delph is a noted author of 10 books, as well as a pastor, teacher, former business owner and speaker. He has traveled extensively, having been to more than 100 countries. He is president of NationStrategy, a nonprofit organization involved in uplifting and transforming communities worldwide. For more information, see nationstrategy.com. He may be contacted at nationstrategy@cs.com.

Foothills Focus Columnist

‘Art Affaire’ showcases expanded gallery

BY FOOTHILLS FOCUS STAFF

One of the North Valley’s largest art galleries is gearing up for a reintroduction of sorts.

The Finer Arts Gallery will host a special “Art Affaire” artist reception from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 17, to showcase its expanded 4,000-square-foot gallery space and celebrate the new, diverse works of its 50 artists, all of whom are Arizona professional artists. The gallery is located inside the historic Treehouse building, 6137 E. Cave Creek Road, in Cave Creek.

Pat Isaacson, a talented glass artist and one of the gallery’s eight co-owners said The Finer Arts Gallery has come a long way since it opened in September 2021.

“When we first opened, we occupied a 2,200-square-foot section of the building,” Isaacson said. “Over time, we were able to expand into the full building and add to our roster of fine artists. It has been very rewarding to hear from visitors how warm, inviting and beautiful our gallery is, and we hope those who have not visited in some time will come see how we’ve grown.”

Landscape painter Linda Lindus, also a gallery co-owner, explained that The Finer Arts Gallery has a unique business model.

“Our desire was to be able to focus exclusively on local artists, Arizona pro -

fessionals, all of whom we juried prior to offering a space in the gallery,” Lindus said. “Additionally, we wanted to ensure that the gallery captured the charm of the area by including work that is diverse in both subject and medium. It is reflective of this eclectic area.”

Visitors to The Finer Arts Gallery will find diverse paintings, drawings, sculpture, mixed media, photography, glass, wood, fiber, ceramics, jewelry and other original work. With more than four dozen fine artists, the gallery features all genres of art, from western to contemporary and even some AI-inspired and Steampunk-inspired art.

The February “Art Affaire” event marks a six-month rotation of art, but the gallery also features four artists every month. In addition, the gallery

hosts an “Art Affaire” event on the third Friday of every month.

The Finer Arts Gallery’s February featured artists include:

Jo Adams: As a child, Adams became enamored with turquoise when she spent a summer with relatives in a rural part of New Mexico. She has fond memories of visiting the nearby trading post, where an entire wall was covered with stunning Native American turquoise pawn jewelry. Years later, she discovered her passion for working with beads when she accidently broke some fetishes on a necklace and ventured into a bead supply store. Today, Adams works out of her Scottsdale studio to create breathtaking, original contemporary, Southwest and Native American jewelry designs.

Suzie Black: A Scottsdale resident, Black blends her background of traditional painting with the freedom and energy of abstract expressionism. Growing up in New Jersey, Black and her family often visited art galleries and museums in Manhattan. She began painting as a teenager and was drawn to abstract expressionist and expressionist portrait painters, including Richard Diebenkorn, Julian Freud and Egon Schiele. She strives to create mixed media paintings that are “brimming with emotion, rhythm and pulsing life.”

Paulette Galop: Best known for her large sculptural ceramics, Galop has been active in the arts community for

many years. In her early career, she was a studio potter making functional ware until adventure called. She traveled extensively throughout the U.S., Mexico and Belize. After earning a fine arts degree, she started a family and worked in retail before pursuing her passion for clay. An award-winning artist and Cave Creek resident, Galop often finds inspiration hiking in the mountains, riding her Clydesdales on desert trails and diving in the ocean.

Merrily Kulmer: A Scottsdale resident, Merrily Kulmer is an “experimental artist” enjoying the disciplines of both realism and abstraction. She said she believes they both have challenges and keep her humble. She was a member of the Ching Hai Oriental Painting Association, and many of her abstract paintings reflect an Asian influence. Kulmer is drawn to contemporary abstract expressionism, and she hopes these paintings invite viewers of her work to draw their own interpretations. Her new work includes colorful, vibrant acrylic paintings, including an Arizona sunset series.

The Finer Arts Gallery’s Art Affaire

WHEN: 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 17

WHERE: The Finer Arts Gallery, Treehouse building, 6137 E. Cave Creek Road, Cave Creek COST: Free

INFO: 480-488-2923, thefinerartsgallery.com

The Finer Arts Gallery is in the historic Treehouse building in Cave Creek. (Sandy Ashbaugh/Contributor) Glass artist Pat Isaacson and landscape painter Linda Lindus inside The Finer Arts Gallery. (Shannon Taggart/Contributor)

Merrily Kulmer in her studio. Kulmer is one of 50 artists exhibiting work at The Finer Arts Gallery in Cave Creek. (Merrily Kulmer/Contributor)

Merrily Kulmer in her studio. Kulmer is one of 50 artists exhibiting work at The Finer Arts Gallery in Cave Creek. (Merrily Kulmer/Contributor)

Boulders serving various special dinners

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Foothills Focus Executive Editor

The Boulders Resort & Spa will show its versatility with various special dinners throughout February.

Kobrand Fine Wine & Spirits will prepare a four-course gourmet dinner paired with the wines at the Palo Verde restaurant. It offers views of the resort’s sixth golf fairway, the scenic duck pond and the lush surrounding desert landscape. The Friday, Feb. 24 dinner is $165 per person at Palo Verde Restaurant, 34631 N. Tom Darlington Drive, Scottsdale. For more information, call 480-4889009 or visit theboulders.com.

To celebrate Valentine’s Day, dinner will be served at Grill Kitchen & Bar, 34631 N. Tom Darlington Drive, Scottsdale. The Grill Kitchen, located at the Boulders’ award-winning golf course, offers a varied menu. Ladies will receive a beautiful red rose.

For starters, guests can choose from red root soup with red beets, golden Yukon, tuile and micro flowers or Valentine salad with red gem, macadamia nuts, dehydrated strawberry, goat cheese and cacao vinaigrette.

The choice of entrees are rack of garlic crusted lamb, sweet potato mash, mint gremolata and baby planet carrot; charred Romanesco hangar steak, pearl onions, black garlic polenta, heirloom cherry tomato and chimi churri; or black striped sea bass with pea puree, yucca hash, tiny vegetable crudité with butter and lemon emulsion.

Tiramisu with chocolate sauce and marbled chocolate shavings, and red velvet cake with strawberry coulis and dehydrated strawberry are the two dessert choices. Tickets are $94 per person. To make a reservation, call 480-595-4621 or visit opentable.com.

The Boulders’ signature restaurant, The Palo Verde, is hosting Valentine’s Day, too, from 5 to 9 p.m. Women receive a rose.

The choices are, for a starter, asparagus soup, young garlic puree, roasted tomato, charred baby onion, asparagus tips, green curls and crisp egg, or strawberry

citrus salad, crisp farm greens, local orange, fresh strawberry, Crows Daily goat cheese, berry dust and dried strawberry with mesquite honey vinaigrette.

The entrees are a choice of flame finished prime beef striploin confit heirloom potato, miniature globe carrots, buttered turnips, wild forest fronds, black garlic jus and herbed butter powder; or plugrá seared diver scallops, roasted red beet risotto, English pea, aged pancetta, vanilla butter, rose coral and farm herb salad; or steadfast herb-roasted chicken breast, celeriac puree, caramelized yam, pickled golden beet, red ribbon sorrel and miso bon jus.

For dessert, guests can choosen between charred lemon meringue tart, champagne crème Anglaise, wild berry powder and organic blueberry tangerine lace; or double chocolate espresso tart, cultivated blueberry sauce, lemon essence, organic farm flowers and berry tuile.

The cost is $102 per person. To make a reservation, call 480-488-9009, ext. 7486, or visit opentable.com.

On a completely different (musical) note, the Boulders is hosting a Mardi Gras jazz brunch from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 19, at the Grill Kitchen & Bar, 34631 N. Tom Darlington Drive, Scottsdale. The cost is $112 per person.

Choices are:

• New Orleans-style gumbo with dirty rice

• Carved Delmonico steak with traditional b éarnaise

• Bourbon Street pasta salad with blackened aioli

• Creole spiced eggs Benedict

• Chilled royal red shrimp/remoulade

• Cajun seafood boil-mussels/crab/ prawns/crawfish

• Duck roasted potato hash/duck confit/ caramelized onion

• Crème fraiche mashed potatoes

• Pecan praline torte

• Traditional king cake

• Bananas Foster

• Fresh beignet station/powdered sugar/ honey/café au lait sauce

• Hand-crafted New Orleans hurricane cocktails

• Live entertainment New Orleans band For reservations, call 480-595-4668 or visit theboulders.com.

Carefree hosts gardening seminar

BY FOOTHILLS FOCUS STAFF

Gardening educator and author Kirti Mathura will return to the Carefree Desert Gardens on Saturday, Feb. 11, for a seminar on drought-tolerant landscaping.

The program, which usually includes a plant raffle, begins at 9:30 a.m. and runs through noon at the Sanderson Lincoln Pavilion in the town center. A donation — $5 or more — is appreciated to support these programs.

For more information, visit carefree.org or call 480-488-3686. This is the second of four programs in the 2023 Carefree Desert Gardens seminar series.

The city of Phoenix issued a stage-one water alert activation of the drought management plan in June 2022. Mathura will discuss that through water-efficiency, sensible planning and proper all-around maintenance, residents can still have beautiful landscapes in times of extreme drought.

The Arizona Municipal Water Users Association said, in a statement, “Water conservation and efficiency are essential for a sustainable future here in the desert. Amid worsening conditions on the Colorado Riv-

er, practical lifestyle changes will positively impact our community’s water future.”

Mathura has worked at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix for over 17 years. She worked as the horticulturist for Cesar Mazier Landscaping & Consulting and Singh Farms. She taught plant materials for the landscape architecture program at ASU’s School of Design.

She is the program coordinator for the Smartscape training with the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension and teaches landscaping and gardening workshops in the Valley. Mathura authored “The Arizona Low Desert Flower Garden” and has contributed to other landscaping and gardening publications, including Desert Landscaping for Beginners, published by Arizona Master Gardener Press.

2023 Carefree Desert Gardens seminar series w/Kirti Mathura

WHEN: 9:30 a.m. to noon Saturday, Feb. 11

WHERE: Sanderson Lincoln Pavilion, 101 Easy Street, Carefree COST: $5 donation or more INFO: 480-488-3686, carefree.org

• Scallop creole station with trinity rice and creole sauce

The Boulders Resort & Spa is hosting dinners for Valentine’s Day and Mardi Gras. (The Boulders Resort & Spa/Submitted)

Harold’s, Mel Blount hosting cornhole tourney

BY FOOTHILLS FOCUS STAFF

Mel Blount, the Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Famer, four-time Super Bowl champion and NFL Top 100 player, returns to Cave Creek on Saturday, Feb. 11, for the 11th annual “Legends of the Game” Cornhole Tournament at Harold’s Corral, also known fondly as “Heinz Field West.”

The popular fundraiser, which will feature other NFL stars and sports greats, benefits the Mel Blount Youth Home, a multi-service treatment program for young males who are victims of child abuse and neglect. A portion of proceeds will also benefit the Foothills Food Bank.

Several other former Steelers players are expected to attend along with other sports greats, including Arizona Cardinals analyst Ron Wolfley. KNIX’s Tim Hattrick will emcee the event, which is sponsored by Sanderson Ford and UniBet.

Hundreds of Cardinals and Steelers fans are expected to attend the week

end events at Harold’s, which also feature a “Backyard BBQ Special” on Sunday, Feb. 12. For $15, guests receive one of five barbecue options that include a pint of either Four Peaks drafts, Bud Light or Michelob Ultra drafts, or a nonalcoholic beverage for those under 21.

Guests sitting outside on Harold’s new backyard patio can watch the Big Game from a giant outside projector or while playing cornhole or ping pong. The event will also feature a free raffle of a 65-inch HD TV for all those in attendance, as well as free prizes and giveaways.

“Get your friends together and come play cornhole for a good cause,” said Harold’s Corral co-owner and Pittsburgh native, Danny Piacquadio. “Harold’s is also the place to be to watch the Big Game and make bets at our new sportsbook.”

Harold’s is one of just nine bars and

restaurants in the Phoenix metro area that has live sportsbook wagering through UniBet. The sportsbook offers off-track betting on horses and live wagering on all major sports. Harold’s sportsbook is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. or when major sports events are taking place.

“Legends of the Game” Cornhole Tournament

WHEN: 1 to 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 11

WHERE: Harold’s Corral, 6895 E. Cave Creek Road, Cave Creek COST: Team fees start at $50

INFO: 480-488-1906, haroldscorral.com

James Wagner stands in front of Harold’s Corral new UniBet sportsbook, which offers both offtrack betting on horses and live wagering on all major sports. (Harold’s Cave Creek Corral/Submitted)

Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Famer Mel Blount and other NFL stars will be part of Harold’s Corral’s “Legends of the Game” charity cornhole tournament on Saturday, Feb. 11. (Harold’s Cave Creek Corral/Submitted)

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Jujitsu for Life kids achieve higher rank

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI

Foothills Focus Executive Editor

Martial arts students ages 7 to 12 at Jujitsu for Life in Anthem demonstrated their skills to

test for a higher rank on Jan. 24.

They were asked to perform basic skills and particular kata, or forms, which are combative techniques and movements, done solo.

They also demonstrated self-defense against a myriad of attacks, including bear hugs, various wrist grabs and chokes. Throws, takedowns and defensive moves on the ground pertaining to their rank were also included.

Students approached their test with

“It teaches one how to set and reach goals,” said Mike Lewenczuk of Jujitsu for Life.

“It teaches discipline and how to handle a certain amount of mental and emotional stress. This is paramount to being able to keep one’s cool, make good decisions and to take appropriate actions if ever confronted or attacked in the real world.”

The new yellow belts are Liam Knudson, Sam Specker, Christian Nicaj, Addison Nicaj and Peyton Zimmerman. Lauren Den and Brooke Boulware are the new or-

Info: jujitsuforlife.com

Jujitsu for Life’s new yellow belts are, from left, front row, Christian Nicaj, Addison Nicaj and Peyton Zimmerman. Back row, from left, Sam Specker and Liam Knudson, also new yellow belts, and orange belts Lauren Dent and Brooke Boulware. (Jujitsu for Life/Submitted)

Career fairs are a time-honored way of bringing many employers and job seekers together at once.

Whether sponsored by colleges, government job agencies or professional organizations, career fairs are an opportunity to meet with employers, learn about job openings and companies, schedule interviews and maybe even go home with a job.

PREPARING FOR

A CAREER FAIR

The first thing you need to do is decide what you want from the fair. Are you merely collecting information? Are you hoping to get a job while there? Are you planning to market yourself?

Dress for the job you want. If you’re going to a career fair that is hiring for a manufacturing job, it may be acceptable to wear clean

Find a Job at a Career Fair

jeans and a shirt. For a professional job, a business suit is more appropriate. It is always better to be overdressed than underdressed. While a career fair for artistic/design and creative jobs might allow for more leeway, generally you want to dress conservatively.

Get a list of who will be at the career fair and research them. This helps you plan who you want to see. This also lets you spend your limited time with each recruiter talking about your qualifications rather than having to learn their basic information.

Prepare questions to ask about a job opening — but avoid such things as pay rate or benefits. What are some good questions? Ask things like the average tenure of employees at the organization, what sort of attributes are essential to success in the organization, or what accomplishments are valued and

rewarded in the organization.

Prepare your elevator speech or commercial. Introduce yourself in 30 seconds and communicate what you are looking for and why you are interested in a job provider. Practice before you go. The ASHA Career Portal recommends including who you are, what your passion is, what your purpose is and the skills you have to achieve it, and what your something “extra” is.

PACKING FOR A FAIR

Print several copies of the strongest version you have of your resume, one designed to appeal to the type of companies that will be at the career fair.

Other things to take include a pen, notepad and breath mints. Don’t chew gum. Carry a portfolio or a briefcase.

AT THE FAIR

Always behave professionally—whether you are in the restroom, the elevator or standing in front of a booth. You never know who is going to see or hear you.

Project confidence. Use a strong handshake, make eye contact and speak in a clear and natural voice. Be aware of your body language and project the image of a professional.

AFTER THE FAIR

Send thank-you letters to those employers that you have a high amount of interest in, especially if you gave them a resume. Identify the jobs you are interested in and if you didn’t give them a resume at the fair, follow up with a cover letter and resume, mentioning that you met a representative. Update your resume with anything you learned that better reflects your qualifications.

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