The Foothills Focus Zone 2 032322

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Around the Bluhmin’ Town

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This Week

FEATURES ........ 10 Dance Fusion celebrates artform

FEATURES ........ 15 Arts Learning Studio at Sonoran Arts League

YOUTH ............. 17 $4K offered for Arizona art students

OPINION ......................7 FEATURES ................ 10 YOUTH ...................... 17 CLASSIFIEDS ............ 18 Zone 2

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Serving the communities of Cave Creek and Carefree

Cave Creek - Carefree Area Edition

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Wednesday, March 23, 2022

Rock the District shooting for $40K at event

BY CHEUK LAM TITUS TO Foothills Focus Staff Writer

T

he Cave Creek Uni�ied Education Foundation is hosting a charity carnival from 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday, April 2, at Harold’s Cave Creek Corral.

Rock the District will feature music performances by The Bellwethers, Promise to Myself and Izzy Mahoubi.

Attendees can enjoy beverages, snacks and a dessert food truck, as well as a silent auction. Its proceeds go to Cave Creek Uni�ied School District schools.

“We are thrilled to bring Rock the District back after a two-year hiatus due to COVID,” said Jessica Spencer, the foundation’s president.

��� EVENT ���� 6

Promise to Myself will perform at the Cave Creek Unified Education Foundation’s charity carnival being held at Harold’s Cave Creek Corral from 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday, April 2. (Photo by Blushing Cactus)

Court con�irms Carefree’s water storage reservoir

BY ALLISON BROWN Foothills Focus Staff Writer

T

he Arizona Supreme Court reaffirmed Carefree’s right to construct an underground water storage reservoir, denying the Boulders Homeowners Association’s motion to halt construction on March 8.

“Having considered the motion and response, based upon the information pro-

vided and the interests at issue, and in the exercise of this Court’s discretion, it is ordered denying the (Boulders HOA’s) motion,” the Supreme Court order stated.

The response from the Supreme Court came within two business days of receiving Carefree’s response, which Mayor Les Peterson said, shows how straightforward the legality of the situation is.

“They didn’t spend a whole lot of time

on this, I mean, this was pretty cut and dry,” he said.

The dispute between the town and the Boulders Homeowners Association revolves solely around the placement and construction of an underground water storage reservoir located adjacent to Tom Darlington Road in an open space owned by the BHOA. The implementa-

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NEWS

An edition of the East Valley Tribune The Foothills Focus is published every Wednesday and distributed free of charge to homes and in single-copy locations throughout the North Valley. To find out where you can pick up a copy of The Foothills Focus, please visit www.thefoothillsfocus.com CONTACT INFORMATION Main number: 623-465-5808 | Fax: 623-465-1363 Circulation: 480-898-5641 Publisher: Steve T. Strickbine Vice President: Michael Hiatt ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT Display Advertising: 480-348-0343 Classifieds/Inside Sales: Elaine Cota | 480-898-7926 | ecota@timespublications.com TJ Higgins | 480-898-5902 | tjhiggins@timespublications.com Steve Insalaco | 480-898-5635 | sinsalaco@timespublications.com Advertising Office Manager: Tricia Simpson | 480-898-5624 | tsimpson@timespublications.com Director of National Advertising Zac Reynolds | 480-898-5603 | zac@thefoothillsfocus.com NEWS DEPARTMENT Executive Editor: Christina Fuoco-Karasinski | 480-898-5631 christina@timespublications.com Design: Veronica Thurman | vthurman@timespublications.com Production Coordinator: Courtney Oldham | 480-898-5617 production@timespublications.com

THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | THEFOOTHILLSFOCUS.COM | MARCH 23, 2022

WATER ���� ���� 1

tion of this storage reservoir is a requirement for the expansion of the Carefree Water Company, which will serve town residents currently serviced by Cave Creek water.

This location was the only one out of 32 sites evaluated by the Coe & Van Loo engineering firm that met all necessary requirements. Town Administrator Gary Neiss said it’s not as simple as just picking a random spot on a map, and it’s the town’s responsibility to choose the most practical and cost-effective site.

“The bottom line is infrastructure has to go somewhere. And in a community that is mainly residential, it will occur in a neighborhood somewhere, in theory,” Neiss said. “In this case, it’s an engineering solution.

You model the water system and that model tells you the most appropriate place to put a water reservoir. In this case, the most appropriate place is its respective location.”

The initial site preparation and

excavation have already been completed, and construction of the reservoir is set to begin right away. It is anticipated that construction will be completed this summer. At that point, soil will be put over the top of the reservoir and the site will be landscaped, so it will eventually look like a desert open space. Carefree is not under any obligation to bury or landscape over the reservoir, and will be spending more money to do so, but is trying to keep everyone’s best interests in mind.

“We need to do two things. The first is we need to serve all of our residents with an assured supply of quality water,” Peterson said. “The second thing is, this is a gateway into Carefree. We’re very cognizant of appearances. We want to make it look good for people coming into town and basically will be invisible to people with the Boulders, because the closest home is some 160 feet away, whereas if we had to go somewhere else … an above ground water tank in a neighborhood is the alternative.

22 0 2 Y / H A D C R MUARSRDAY – SATU

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And that’s just not acceptable.”

While Peterson said it’s “unacceptable,” Neiss pointed out that many neighboring communities have storage reservoirs both above ground, close to residential neighborhoods and much larger than the one proposed in Carefree. Those can be seen when driving down Pima and Scottsdale Road. For the underground storage reservoir being constructed near the Boulders community, however, Neiss said it will be practically invisible. He said he thinks, down the road, people will forget what the “big beef was about.”

“Many of the other tanks going in (around us) are a million gallons.

This is a 300,000-gallon tank, so it’s a medium small one,” Peterson said.

“Carefree already has an underground 1 million gallon tank in the northeast corner of Stagecoach Pass and Pima Road that is landscaped over the top of that most people don’t know is there. If we talked to all the residents of Carefree, a very small percentage would even know that it’s there. So, this is an overreaction about something that is necessary for the safety and welfare of over 1,000 residents.”

This was not the first time BHOA tried to stop the reservoir from being built at that location. There were two parallel cases in the Superior Court last year, both of which the BHOA lost. Peterson said, after that, the BHOA appealed it to the Court of Appeals, where two separate three judge panels also turned down the request to halt construction. Then, most recently, the BHOA filed with the Arizona Supreme Court and lost again. Peterson said, by his count, that’s at least nine judges that denied the association’s request.

“There’s absolutely no question (that it’s in the best interest of the town),” Peterson said. “We can get into all kinds of technical reasons why it makes sense to integrate the remaining Carefree accounts into the system, and this assures a more assured long term supply of water to these accounts. Without question, it makes sense for the public good.”

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NEWS

EVENT ���� ���� 1

THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | THEFOOTHILLSFOCUS.COM | MARCH 23, 2022

“This show will help us fund new programs and initiatives for our Cave Creek classrooms.”

The foundation is a nonpro�it formed by a partnership of parents, local businesses and community members. Their mission is to support and reinforce the purpose of every school in the Cave Creek Uni�ied School District.

The education foundation was founded in August 2008, and it immediately became an essential support to the different schools in the district. The foundation hosts various programs and events, including the Rock the District, Run the District 5K and others for charity purposes. As of March 19, the CCUEF has donated more than $225,000 to classrooms in the community.

“It is for everybody actually. It is a family-friendly event,” said Heidi Brashear, the foundation’s president. “It is a great opportunity for parents to come with their kids and they could run around in the back and visit outdoor to have fun.”

The fundraiser will also provide a teacher’s ticket option, to encourage guests to support their educators.

“People outside the district, though, are also welcome, cause it is just a great, great show,” Brashear said.

“This is the 11th time we are having the show. It is just amazing to see these kids. They are so talented getting up on the stage, so con�ident with the music. It is just a lot of fun.”

The CCUSD includes �ive elementary, one middle and one high school. All the raised funds are allocated to different schools, which teachers are able to submit for a grant depending on what they need for their classroom.

“We are really trying to get the schools to come and participate, and make this an even bigger event than in the past,” Brashear said.

Brashear’s goal is to raise and make $40,000.

“That would be signi�icantly more that it has ever raised,” Brashear said.

Rock the District

WHERE: 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday, April 2 WHEN: Harold’s Cave Creek Corral, 6895 E. Cave Creek Road, Cave Creek COST: Tickets start at $20 INFO: rockthedistrict.net

Scottsdale’s Valerie Thompson appearing at museum

BY FOOTHILLS FOCUS STAFF

T

he “world’s fastest female racer,” Scottsdale’s Valerie Thompson, will headline “Fast & Fabulous” at the Cave Creek Museum from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 2.

Thompson is the 10x land speed record holder with membership in the Sturgis Hall of Fame as well as eight 300 MPH clubs and one 300 MPH club. She consistently is ranked as one of the world’s top 10 fastest motorcycle racers.

Racing the BUB 7 motorcycle streamliner during the 2028 Dry Lake Racers Australia (DLRA) Speed Week competition at Lake Gairdner, she set a new speed record off 32.8467 miles per hour to become Australia’s fastest female streamliner motorcycle racer.

Days later, she experienced a horri�ic

Statewide distracted driving/ riding event planned

BY FOOTHILLS FOCUS STAFF

P Catalyst, Convener, Champion

crash at more than 360 miles per hour during the World Speed Trails. Thompson walked away from the catastrophe that scattered wreckage for more than a mile.

Thompson has a busy 2022 as the designated rider for two motorcycle teams in addition to attempting new records on four wheels piloting the dual-engine Target 550 Streamliner owned by land speed racing legend Marlo Treit.

She began playing pickleball in February 2021 and fell in love with the sport. The new �itness regime led to playing several times a week, attending pickleball camps and taking professional lessons. Thompson’s pickleball passion has generated media interest resulting in cover and feature stories in USA Pickleball and front-page news in the Wendover Times after a spirited game with city’s mayor at Bonneville Salt Flats.

For more information, call 480-488-2764.

eoria-based Arizona Motorcycle Safety and Awareness Foundation will showcase “Share the Road & Riding for the Long Haul” at Phoenix Shrine Auditorium and Event Center at 552 N. 40th Street in Phoenix.

Set for 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday, May 7, the event features a dinner adventure and fundraiser with 1950s characters, guest speakers, live and silent auctions, mega raf�les, door prizes, visual entertainment and music, to focus the public on the critical need to reduce distracted driving and help eliminate crashes and fatalities. The evening’s entertainment theme is bebop.

“This great annual event should be important to every individual who rides or drive on our roads, and to Arizona companies and organizations that need to step up and help make change for the safety and well-being of their employees,” said Mick Degn, executive director for AMSAF. “In

Arizona, crashes and fatalities are a huge concern.”

Law Tigers Motorcycle Lawyers and Dignity Health, Chandler Regional Medical Center, serve as supporting sponsors.

The Arizona Governor’s Of�ice of Highway Safety is the focal point for highway safety issues in Arizona. GOHS provides leadership by developing, promoting and coordinating programs; in�luencing public and private policy; and increasing public awareness of highway safety; www.azgohs.gov. The Governor’s Of�ice of Highway Safety has supported AMSAF through multiple grants to help promote safety and awareness.

There are more than 210,000 registered motorcycles in Arizona and the numbers continue to grow. According to GOHS, the number of motorcycle and distracted driver crashes and fatalities has increased, resulting in the Share the Road effort.

For more information and tickets, visit AMSAF amsaf.org/RFTLH.

OPINION

THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | THEFOOTHILLSFOCUS.COM | MARCH 23, 2022

Opinion TheFoothillsFocus.com

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AROUND THE BLUHMIN’ TOWN

Nation budget is mind boggling

BY JUDY BLUHM Foothills Focus Columnist

B

rother, can you spare a dime? Actually, $30 trillion might help. The national debt boggles the mind and is causing panic in the hearts of citizens throughout the land. It seems our government has been printing and spending lots of money. And yes, both political parties seem to enjoy this folly. One day, we might have to “face the music” and the tune doesn’t sound real pretty. And just because we are “in the red,” doesn’t mean we still can’t spend the green.

If we use last year’s national budget as an indicator of how money can be wasted, read on. Did you know that $15,600 had been set aside just for waffle irons for the Congressional dining room? Put me in charge of acquisitions and I’ll go to the local thrift store and pick up a few used waffle irons that may cost $20. Better yet, why not serve pancakes to all those politicians? There may be less “waffling” on issues.

Dear readers, can we really trust the mental giants who are running this country if they have to eat waffles in the morning? That’s not even grown-up food!

Why does it cost $135,350 for brass polish for the Marine Corps Band that serves the White House? I am not making this up.

Little did we know that polish is part of the defense budget. We all recognize the importance of shiny trumpets and trombones, but I think a cheap solution of baking powder could do the trick. Who would have guessed that our “top brass” would have to spend so much, when a little spit and a soft cloth is all that’s required?

I think the aroma of one big pork roast is coming out of the budget report. There are all sorts of stupid (oops, I mean interesting) projects that our government likes

supporting. Hey, we’re all paying for this “pork-fest,” so maybe we need to ask questions. Like why is $9 million being spent to study alcohol consumption on college campuses. I have a better idea, let’s just watch TikTok for a few days during spring break and (for free) we might see everything we’ve ever wanted to know.

Someone suggested that we spend $100 million for the psychiatrists who need to check out our politicians who think frivolous spending is helpful and send each member of Congress to a class on “basic

see BLUHM page 8

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OPINION

THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | THEFOOTHILLSFOCUS.COM | MARCH 23, 2022

Didja hear? It’s the ‘year of living dangerously’

BY J.D. HAYWORTH Foothills Focus Columnist

C

omedian Robert Klein offers a lament-for-laughs, regretting that life does not come with an audible soundtrack.

He jokes that we would be spared mistakes, mishaps and maybe even an “apocalyptic occurrence” (gasp!) if only we could hear foreboding music to warn us.

You can be forgiven if current events have your “internal speakers” blaring a certain song.

Based on the tenor and tone of developments over recent months, perhaps you’ve been hearing an “age-appropriate” tune-of-doom in your own mind.

Based on a very limited survey conducted exclusively for this column, it seems that “Star Trek” enthusiasts of the baby boomer generation hear the threatening “BAHHM-bum-bum-bumbum-buh-BAHHM” that would inevitably usher the audience into a commer-

cial break as Capt. Kirk and crew confronted the latest peril unfolding in the plot of that episode.

Curiously, the melodic “theme-of-undoing” for the American left enjoys a wide-but-weird appeal across all demographic groups who share that political ideology, even though it permeated the collective consciousness of our culture in the monochromatic mid-20th century.

It’s the “Dragnet” theme, with those unmistakably ominous opening notes, now updated with a one-word lyric: “TRUMP-Trump-Trump-Trump! TRUMPTrump-Trump-Trump-TRUMP!” And, just as Jack Webb revised and reintroduced “Dragnet” in living color for NBC in the late sixties, so, too, does the left fear that Donald Trump will return as a “21st Century Grover Cleveland…” only this time as a Republican, employing a makeup artist who was trained using the “golden tan” pancake, so prevalent in the colorful productions emanating from “Beautiful Downtown Bur-

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bank” decades ago.

The memory of “Mister Rogers,” on loan from his estate and PBS, courtesy of the generosity of taxpayers (and perhaps “viewers like you”) might put it this way: “Can you say 45th and 47th presidents of the United States? Sure you can!

No worries for you, King Friday…After all, you rule the ‘Neighborhood of Make Believe!’ But for our friends’ parents and their Volvo-driving pals, this is all-tooreal!”

Of course, on the other side of the political street, the current occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue prompts fears that are also all-too-real — not to mention contemporaneous. Conservatives are often accused of a desire to “turn the clock back,” but based on the current calamitous atmosphere in the USA, who can blame them?

With war raging in Europe, runaway inflation here at home, and our southern border still wide open as an “invitation for invasion,” what’s a right-winger to do?

You guessed it: “Turn back the clock,” but with a high-tech twist.

Since late night network television has abandoned any pretense of even-handed political humor—must as their news divisions have deserted any efforts at objective journalism — conservatives will

BLUHM from page 7

accounting.”

There’s a deficit alright, and it’s in the brains of some of our leaders who think they can spend on crazy items. Sadly, the “pork-fest” is nothing new. I want to get a job for our government. I may not have any experience in spending billions, but I do like to shop.

Hey, what’s an average taxpayer to do?

come up with their own internet video parodies, provided they likewise find “safe” media platforms, untouched by the freedom-killing coma of “wokeness.”

Rumor has it that an ambitious creative offering is “in development,” led by a couple of logical candidates. They wish to remain unnamed, pointing out that they are now grandfathers who earned their comic chops in the that’s-notfunny-that’s-gross heyday of “National Lampoon.”

With a proposed theme song set to the tune of “Petticoat Junction,” get ready for “District of Corruption!”

“Come ride the Amtrak Train that is heavily subsidized… to the district…

“It’s a real short ride, but expensive just the same… in the district…

“Lotsa deals you bet…more big bucks than you ever thought you’d get…in the district!

“District of Corruption!

There’s a big White House on P-A Avenue in the district…in reality it’s run by a leftist few in the district…

And there’s confused ol’ Joe…still hopin’ he can make more dough in the district…District of Corruption!”

So, why the burst of “conservative creativity” amid all the doom and gloom?

Simple.

You gotta laugh to keep from crying.

Put a few pork chops in the oven and have a big glass of wine (maybe a bottle of Pepto Bismol). Oh, did I mention that there’s a little cash (just a few million) that has been allocated to study the sex habits of scorpions and the effects of alcohol on bees? Sounds like a “sting operation” to me.

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

How to get a letter published

E-mail: christina@timespublications.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.

OPINION

THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | THEFOOTHILLSFOCUS.COM | MARCH 23, 2022

849 Arizona taxpayers had a curious impulse

BY DAVID LEIBOWITZ Foothills Focus Columnist

S

omewhere in this sprawling state of ours, there are precisely 849 people that I would like to meet. I’ll buy a cup of coffee, a beer, lunch, steak dinner for two. Whatever it takes to have one of these 849 individuals sit down with me for a few minutes, the length of a simple conversation.

Those of you who understand text messaging shorthand will appreciate the single question I intend to use as an icebreaker.

WTF? Some circumstances in life require such a blunt approach, because they are so stupefying, so insane, they defy all logic. Truth be told, while I do not condone murder, there are circumstances where I understand what the murderer was thinking. But these 849 Arizonans?

I haven’t a clue.

Each year on our Arizona tax returns, a number of boxes appear that allow taxpayers to make voluntary gifts. You can donate to the Special Olympics, to prevent child abuse, to support veterans in need. Then there’s the box that 849 people checked last year, making voluntary donations that totaled $25,735.

That would be the state revenuers’ I Did Not Pay Enough taxes fund.

I want to know – no, I need to know – what these 849 people were thinking?

All day, I’ve tried to imagine Joe and Jane Arizona at the kitchen table, tax documents spread out, sweating over their state 140A form.

Joe: “Dammit, looks like we’ve got a refund coming to us again. How do you want to handle that?”

Jane: “I guess we could take the grandkids to Outback. They love that Bloomin’ Onion.”

Joe: “Oh, hey, here’s an idea. The state government only collected $24 billion in tax revenue last year. Let’s give it to

them!”

Jane: “Now that’s good thinking, sweets. Either that or we can donate it to Jeff Bezos. Maybe he can buy more scalp.”

These 849 neighbors of ours represent a record number of donors to the I Did Not Pay Enough fund, established in 2010 by that noted band of deep thinkers, the Arizona Legislature. According to a recent story in the Phoenix Business Journal, the fund has collected about $185,000 total – or about $185,000 more than anyone would have predicted.

Look, I understand that Arizona is a relatively low-tax state, especially compared to California, which taxes top earners at more than 13% of annual income versus Arizona’s top rate of 4.5%.

But gifting the government more money? Voluntarily? I don’t get it, especially when you consider that we collectively paid $14.2 billion in state sales tax last year and another $8.3 billion in state income tax. And that was before recreational marijuana taxes really ramped up – $116 million contributed to the state in six months last year – and before the legalization of sports betting statewide in September 2021.

Toss in a few billion extra dollars from the feds in COVID-19 relief funds, and the state is looking Bezos-style wealthy, even as inflation bites residents hard.

To my way of thinking, checking the I Didn’t Pay Enough box is like seeing a family of homeless people in need seeking donations at a stoplight, reaching into your pocket and handing a few crumpled singles to the guy in the Porsche next to you. He was doing just fine, thanks.

At least one of these 849 people should sit for an interview to explain their thought process, and I want to be the guy.

Then again, maybe a free meal isn’t much of an inducement to these folks.

How about we go out to eat, we chat, and you pay the check? Since all 849 of you clearly have more money than you know what to do with.

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FEATURES

THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | THEFOOTHILLSFOCUS.COM | MARCH 23, 2022

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Dance Fusion celebrates the artform

BY MATTHEW ELITZ Foothills Focus Staff Writer

D

r. Linda Simon grew up watching musicals starring Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.

“My parents were huge dance and musical theater fans,” she said.

“Growing up in New York City, we would go to Broadway shows three to five times a year.”

Simon was inspired by her mother who saved every Playbill from the Broadway shows she attended in the 1950s. Simon’s love of her mother

and musicals is reflected in Dance Fusion, a Scottsdale dance, fitness and yoga studio for adults, at 7601 E. Gray Road, Suite B-C. “I took 25 of the best Playbills and made a collage back in my studio,” she said.

Simon does not have formal dance training but took jazz and tap classes with Fred Kelly at Pace University in New York City. Starting college at age 16, Simon is a chiropractor in Scottsdale. So, to run Dance Fusion smoothly, she hired the best in the business for Dance Fusion.

“I found a dance studio eight years

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Dr. Linda Simon created Dance Fusion, a Scottsdale dance, fitness and yoga studio for adults located at 7601 E. Gray Road, Suite B-C by renovating the studio from an old karate dojo to its current state. (Submitted photo) ago that had adult classes,” she said.

“I went for a year and the studio closed. People were heartbroken when the studio closed. I didn’t want to let this go. So, within 90 days, Dance Fusion was created.”

When Simon renovated the studio, an old karate dojo, she was touched by the outpouring of support. More than $18,000 worth of wood was donated to her.

“It was a miracle, miracle of miracles that helped us get this place together,” she said.

“Dancers are a very loving community. I’ve never seen anything like this. Dance Fusion has been a labor of love since the very beginning.

“Other studios shuttered, so people relocated to attend Dance Fusion.

That’s how we’ve expanded. It’s been phenomenal. It’s been like a miracle.

We have this great artwork in the studio. It’s all about love and joy.

That’s what dance is — love and joy.”

Dance Fusion Teen Division/Dance Fusion Youth Academy is a noncompetitive developmental dance program for teens and youth. It takes a different approach.

“Most of the dance studios have a similar business model, where the kids come in really, really hungry and they pick the ones who are dancers and get them into competitive programs,” she said.

“The kids are competing every single year. With the competition schedules, there’s no time to dance during the summer.”

Teachers and students told Simon that that rigorous program is stressful.

“The studio started as adults only,” she added. “We do have the youth students.”

Upcoming show

see DANCE page 13

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THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | THEFOOTHILLSFOCUS.COM | MARCH 23, 2022

Davis brings experience to the Sonoran Arts League

BY LAURA LATZKO Foothills Focus Contributing Writer

W

ith a legacy of arts organizations and companies behind him, Warren M. Davis is hoping to make his mark as Sonoran Arts League executive director.

In January, Davis was handed the reins after executive director Cait Huble stepped down to move with her husband to New Mexico.

Davis said he believes he is a good fit based on his background. His resume includes stints with the Joffrey Ballet, Lyric Opera of Chicago, University of Chicago’s Smart Museum of Art, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Art Institute of Chicago and Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago.

Davis has over 20 years of experience working with nonprofits and arts organizations in fundraising,

board governance, external relations and volunteer management.

The nonprofit Sonoran Arts League is dedicated to the advancement of the arts and arts education. The Cave Creek-based organization is home to more than 700 member artists.

“I think what was appealing to the board was the diversity of my background and abilities, especially given that it’s a small nonprofit,” said Davis, who recently ran Warren Davis Consulting LLC. “You have to be a jack-of-all-trades.

Given my background, especially in the last five years of being on my own for my own company, it helped me to develop the skills needed.”

Warren Davis Consulting LLC worked with collectives like Ballet Arizona and ArtWins.

Although Davis enjoyed his consulting business, he was ready for a change.

Warren Davis brings to the Sonoran Arts League a well-rounded career in the arts. (Photo courtesy of Warren Davis)

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“It was a strong desire of wanting to get directly back in,” he said.

“Even as a consultant and having multiple clients in the nonprofit sector and in the arts, it wasn’t the same as being there and being ever-present for it. So, I missed that involvement in it.”

Animal lover Along with the arts, Davis is passionate about animal welfare.

Through his consulting firm, he worked with Pawsitive Friendships, which helps special needs children through animal therapy.

Davis owns two black labs, both of whom were runts. He called Tannie, 12, the “smart one,” while 3-yearold Buddy is “not as intelligent, but equally loveable.”

A Deer Valley High School gradu-

ate, Davis grew up at 32nd Street and Shea Boulevard, and lived at 43rd Avenue and Bell Road. His mother was an interior designer and his first art teacher. She fostered a love of arts in him and encouraged him to take art and theater classes.

Davis earned a bachelor’s degree in art history and theater from ASU and went to get a master’s degree in liberal studies, with an art history thesis, from DePaul University in Chicago.

“I have worked in every major arts discipline that there is in the nonprofit sector,” Davis said. “That’s very much a conscious choice I made of having a well-rounded vision of the arts, how they functioned, what they did and how they operated.”

see DAVIS page 15

FEATURES

THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | THEFOOTHILLSFOCUS.COM | MARCH 23, 2022

DANCE

From page 10

Dance Fusion Studios is hosting “Dance Dance Fusion Revolution” dance festival and celebration of the arts on Sunday, April 3, at Cactus Shadows High School.

The two-hour family-friendly performance showcases more than 70 adult, teen and youth performers in dance, music and musical theater, featuring local talent and internationally acclaimed performers and choreographers. Performers from other studios will also hit the stage.

Also featured are vendors, raffles, prizes, discounts on Dance Fusion class packages and memberships.

“Dance Dance Fusion Revolution” celebrates the love of dance and video games. It will feature numbers in ballet, tap, jazz, musical theater, hiphop, Bollywood, gypsy folk, Indian classical, belly dance, contemporary and lyrical.

“This is a jam-packed show,” Simon said. “We have 36 routines. We’re also going to livestream it so families

13 ••

on the east coast can tune in, and grandmothers and grandparents can watch their grandchildren dance if they want to. The showcase brings everybody together—other outside groups, different dance studios that have relationships with the academy.”

The show will serve as an outreach to the greater dance community, she said. The lobby will have vendors selling items like dancewear and jewelry.

“It’s a really fun environment,” she said. “It’s a blast. Everybody who comes to the show gives such amazing feedback.”

“Dance Dance Fusion Revolution”

Dance Fusion started as an adults only studio later implementing a less rigorous youth program compared to other studios. (Submitted photo)

WHEN: 4 to 6 p.m. Sunday, April 3; lobby doors at 3 WHERE: Cactus Shadows Fine Art Center, 33606 N. 60th Street, Scottsdale COST: $25 in advance; $30 at the door INFO: 480-625-3900, dancefusionaz.com; for livestream tickets, visit showtix4u.com

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THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | THEFOOTHILLSFOCUS.COM | MARCH 23, 2022

Transactional living or transformational living?

CHURCH COMMUNITY CONNECTION

Pastor Ed Delph Foothills Focus Columnist

O

ne of my favorite authors is Laurie Beth Jones. In her book entitled, “Teach Your Team to Fish,” she talks about the difference between a transaction and a transformation.

Let’s glean from Laurie on this crucial subject that can make a difference in our lives.

“Transactions are lateral exchanges between people-be it goods or services.

Transactions occur every time two people engage in commerce of any kind. I give you this in exchange for that. Transactions are obvious and lateral, commonplace, and easy to spot. In contrast, transformations are invisible, uplifting, transcendent experiences that involve a fundamental shift or change.”

In other words, when you go to the grocery store, a transaction occurs when they give you groceries, and you give them money. You go out the same way you came in.

Transactions are necessary but not necessarily transformational.

Most people are looking for transformations rather than transactions. The person who buys drugs is looking for a transformation, but they get a transaction. After the buzz, they are, at best, still the same. Jones says, “Women are looking for transformations when they buy mascara or makeup.

They want to move from feeling plain to feeling beautiful. But the transformation does not take place by adding new clothes to paper dolls. Transformation is truly an inside job.” She is correct.

Here is an example of the difference between a transaction and a transformation.

One weekend, an old farmer went to the city and attended the big-city church. He came home, and his wife asked him how it was. “Well, it was good,” said the farmer.

“However, they did something different.”

They sang praise choruses instead of hymns.

“What are praise choruses?” the wife asked. “What are praise choruses like?”

The farmer responded, “They’re like hymns, only different. Well, it’s like this. If I were to say to you, ‘Martha, the cows are in the corn,’ that would be a hymn. If, on the other hand, I were to say to you, ‘Martha, Martha, Martha, Oh MARTHA, MARTHA, MARTHA — the cows, the big cows, the brown cows, the black cows, the white cows, the black and white cows, the COWS, COWS, COWS, are in the corn, are in the corn, are in the corn…are…in…the …corn….

THE CORN!!!’ Well, now that would be a praise chorus.”

That’s not a slam on hymns. That’s what happens when songs come from the inside rather than outside of a person. Churches, businesses, organizations, governments and schools who discover the paradigm of transformation will be leaders in their fields in today’s transformation-starved world.

The Scriptures share an encounter with Jesus and a woman at a well. The woman had come to the well for a simple transaction — getting water in her bucket. Jesus turned this simple exchange into a transformational experience for her.

“A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus, being weary from his journey, said to her, ‘Give me a drink,’ for his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.”

Then the woman of Samaria said to him, “How is that you, being a religious man, ask for a drink from me, a woman?” Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”

After a few more rounds of discussion, the woman went into the city and said to the men, “Come, see a man who told me everything I did. Then they went out of the city and came to him.” Essentially, she said, “Men, come see a real man!” That’s still true today.

Laurie summarizes the transformation concept for us. “In this quiet exchange, which could have lasted only a few min-

utes, the woman received several transformations: 1) A new self-image, from an undesirable outsider to an insider. 2) From a lowly woman not to be addressed to an equal associate worthy of lengthy attention. 3) From an outcast to a newly forgiven team member whose heart was truly known. 4) From someone who was bound to dust to someone with a new destiny.

A shy woman, head down, seeking water, was transformed into an emboldened champion, urging everyone she knew to look up and see a fundamental transformation that was about to occur.

Jesus’ team witnessed the effect of this transformation. It was one of many they were to see. In fact, Jesus recruited the first of his team members by promising them transformations, not transactions. “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” It was such a powerful one that they gave up the only work they had ever known to begin work they’d never imagined.”

Whether it was 5,000 people listening to Him on a mountainside, a mother-in-law with a fever, or 12 frustrated disciples looking for purpose, Jesus turned boring transactions into life elevating transformations.

Jesus taught transformations, not transactions. Jesus makes the transformers in that movie look like beginners.

Successful teams, leaders, and everyday people are those that understand the desired product is transformation, not mere transactions. Next week, I’ll share some transformational examples you can apply to make your life more “transformational.”

By the way, here’s a question for you. Can an egg fly? Yes, after it’s transformed.

Ed Delph is a noted author of 10 books, as well as a pastor, teacher, former business owner and speaker. Ed 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.

Ed may be contacted at nationstrategy@cs.com.

FEATURES

THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | THEFOOTHILLSFOCUS.COM | MARCH 23, 2022

DAVIS

From Page 12

Pandemic recovery In three months, Davis has helped the Sonoran Arts League build its new website and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Davis said, like other arts organizations, the Sonoran Arts League is forced to be fiscally conservative as it grows. With the 11-member board, Davis will plan the league’s direction for the next three years.

“When you used to do a strategic plan, you would do as many as five years out,” Davis said.

“I don’t think any organization can do that now. You can change dramatically in the course of a year. We’ve seen that the last few years.”

Davis said before he started in his new role, the Sonoran Arts League’s board had a sense of the direction.

Davis will guide them and implement ideas in a way that works for the organization.

“They had a general sense of what

they wanted to do and certainly no shortage of vision of what they wanted to be and accomplish,” he said.

“It’s a matter of harnessing that creativity and that energy and getting everyone to move into that direction.”

Known for Hidden in the Hills Studio Tour, the Sonoran Arts League recently unveiled its Arts Learning Center inside its complex at Cave Creek’s Stagecoach Village. The learning center will host a variety of classes.

The league will expand its arts education programs this year. For children, the league will offer an expanded six weeks of arts camps.

“While we are most known for working in the visual arts at the Sonoran Arts League, our mission is very much centered around the arts as a broad category, not just visual arts,” Davis said.

“Certainly, that’s our core of what we do, and we will always remain that way, but we can have a broader reach in the arts community.”

Arts Learning Studio at Sonoran Arts League

BY FOOTHILLS FOCUS STAFF

T

he Arts Learning Studio is “coming alive.”

That’s from Robin Ray, a So-

A ceramics kiln, potter’s wheel, glazes and more are available at Art Learning Studio. (Photo by Lauren Fagen)

noran Arts League Education Committee member, who is also a professional ceramicist and instructor.

She and the committee, all also members of the league, have been working to create the Arts Learning Studio, where free and paid classes for youth and veterans abound, along with classes for professional artists and much more.

“People in the community who have been taking classes here have discovered our Arts Learning Studio is the best hidden secret in Cave Creek,” Ray added.

The facility is in a separate studio, 164, just down the sidewalk from the Sonoran Arts League Gallery, 144, in Stagecoach Village in Cave Creek. It’s outfitted with lots of art supplies for painting, ceramics, complete with a potter’s wheel

see ARTS page 16

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ARTS

FEATURES From page 15

and glazes, a kiln, plus plenty of tables, chairs, supplies and good lighting.

Ongoing classes include a free Veterans Art Program every Thursday. Every other week there is a guest artist teaching a specific technique, followed by an open studio the next week to practice that technique.

For homeschoolers, ALS has a fourweek class on Tuesday mornings from

THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | THEFOOTHILLSFOCUS.COM | MARCH 23, 2022

10 a.m. to noon to explore drawing, painting, compositional design and 3D techniques with a professional artist.

Other new classes coming up include a ceramics program on Fridays for beginners to advanced students; and the April “Intensive Workshop,” sponsored by the Kiwanis and Sonoran Arts League, is “Jewelry Fabrication” by Marlene Sabatina of Feather Heart Studio from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Thursdays in April for students ages 12 to 17.

Instructor Marcia Lang leads a class at the Art Learning Studio. (Photo by Laurie Fagen) “The students will be starting with basic jewelry-making techniques, building each week to the final day when they will reveal the components that have been created to incorporate into a whole body of jewelry work,” Sabatina explained.

“Many skills will be learned for bringing basic paper, metal, wire, chain and leather together to create fun updated jewelry to wear and give as presents.”

Located at 7100 E. Cave Creek Road, Suite 144, Cave Creek, the studio hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, closed Sun-

Art supplies are aplenty at the Art Learning Studio. (Photo by Laurie Fagen)

A young student learns about value at a recent Arts Learning Studio class. (Photo by Laurie Fagen) day and Monday. The Arts Learning Studio is located at the same address, Suite 164.

For information about an event or to register for a class, visit sonoranartsleague.org, email info@sonoranartsleague.org or call 480-575-6624.

YOUTH

THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | THEFOOTHILLSFOCUS.COM | MARCH 23, 2022

Youth TheFoothillsFocus.com

For more Youth News visit thefoothillsfocus.com @TheFoothills.Focus

/TheFoothillsFocus

$4K offered for Arizona art students O

BY FOOTHILLS FOCUS STAFF

utstanding arts high school seniors going on to college in the visual arts can apply for scholarships offered by the nonprofit

17

Sonoran Arts League.

The league’s Visual Arts Scholarship is for students who have excelled in the visual arts field and who have enrolled in higher education and plan to continue their artis-

YOUTH

Alyssa Tate, graduate of Cactus Shadows High School, is attending the Chicago Institute of Arts after receiving a Sonoran Arts League scholarship as well as the Bronze Bell award as a memorial to Jeff Cross. With her is Deborah Wales, recently retired Cactus Shadows art teacher. (Photo courtesy

of the Sonoran Arts League)

1720 E DEER VALLEY RD., #104

tic studies. A total of $4,000 will be awarded in 2022.

“We are excited to offer these scholarships once again to support Arizona students pursuing an art career,” said Sonoran Arts League Executive Director Warren Davis. “We know there are many deserving young artists across Arizona who are eligible for this award and welcome their application for this scholarship.”

Applicants must be a graduating high school senior with a G.P.A. of 2.5 or better and be a legal resident of the state of Arizona. Those interested must be planning to enroll in a university, college, community col-

lege or school of design either full time or part time and must register for one visual arts class their freshman year.

Selections will be made by a blind jury process by professional artists from the league.

Online applications are now open for submission at sonoranartsleague. org, by clicking on Art Education. A downloadable file is available with all the information. The deadline is Wednesday, April 13. Notifications will be emailed the week of April 21.

For more information, email scholarship@sonoranartsleague.org or call 480-575-6624 for details.

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It’s tempting to spend so much time prepping for questions which you may be asked in a job interview that you forget to ask your own. required. Ask what types of skills are missing on the current team that the new hire will be expected to possess. What’s the biggest challenge that someone in this position typically faces? Will the principal responsibilities evolve?

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WHAT TO SAY Try to frame your questions such that you’re also looking forward to long-range goals, and future career prospects. It’s easy to focus on the immediate things that need to be addressed, to the exclusion of biggerpicture projects that will ensure a lengthy tenure with your new employer. What sort of budget will you be working with, and is that set in stone? What training programs are available for professional development?

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Employers are likely to make a series of tried-and-true queries to any potential job candidate: Why should we decide to hire you today? What unique experience do you bring to the table? What are your strengths as an employee – and your weaknesses?

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Western Milling in Buckeye is looking for a full-time machine operator as well as other positions (general labor) Forklift experience is a plus. Full benefitpackage offered along with 401K. We are an ESOP em-ployer. Candidates are welcome to apply online at careers-westernmilling.icims.com Walk ups are also welcome.

Apply at 29700 W Lower River Road, Buckeye, AZ 85326.

602-251-3600

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To Advertise Call:

480 898 6465

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THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | THEFOOTHILLSFOCUS.COM | MARCH 23, 2022

Ahwatukee Chandler Gilbert Glendale Mesa North Valley Ocotillo Peoria Phoenix Scottsdale Tempe West Valley

MetroPhoenixClassifieds com To Advertise Call: 480-898-6465 or email Class@TimesPublications.com Employment General

Commerical/ Industrial/Retail

Needed: Horse Wrangler. Must be able to drive a truck and pull a horse trailer. Also, Need someone to do pony parties.

Call 602-316-3360

Affordable Anthem Executive Office Suite for Lease in Gateway Office Park. Incl: Internet, util, alarmed.

623-696-8670

Auto - All Makes FOR SALE 2009 Mercedes ML 350 4Matic. $11,950.

104,750 miles. Excellent condition. Beige leather seats.

Beige interior. Clean.

All Maintenance.

Towing Hitch.

602 448 1776

Meetings/Events Alanon meeting : New River Serenity Thursday nights 7P Desert Hills Comm Church, 34835 N. 7th St. 85086 newriverserenity.com

MISSED THE DEADLINE? Place your ad online!

Air Conditioning/Heating

FEEL THE

Comfort

YOU’VE BEEN

Missing!

602-789-3000 info@azperfectcomfort.com www.azperfectcomfort.com

Landscape Design/Installation

Glass/Mirror • Custom Glass • Shower Doors & Enclosures • Window Glass Replacement • Custom Mirrors • Glass Table Tops & Shelves

Affordable!

• We Spread Rock • Sprinkler Repair • Same Day Service

Come and visit our custom glass showroom behind the Dairy Queen in Cave Creek.

480-235-6101

www.aboveandbeyondglass.com ROC 233846 & ROC 236899

JOE 480-703-6686 Serving Cave Creek for 40 years

wZ Desert Care AIrrigation ROC#215280

VETERAN OWNED & OPERATED • ROC#300933 • BONDED & INSURED

HEATING • COOLING • INDOOR AIR QUALITY

Call 480-898-6465

Drywall

DONALDSON DRYWALL Cave creek Resident Since 1984 • Water Damage • TV Niche Changes • Texture Match • Repairs/Remodels • New construction

FREE ESTIMATES

Irrigation

& Landscape est. 2002 ~ Anthem, Arizona

Install • Repair • Replace

623-203-7717

KIB EXCAVATING Your Septic System Experts

Complete Septic Systems • Conventional & Alternative and Repairs

Engineered Pads • Site Prep • Grading • Hard Digs Utilities • Trucking/Hauling • Driveways (Gravel, Dirt and Rock)

Mobile

Licensed • Bonded • Insured COMMERCIAL/RESIDENTIAL

602.319.1089

Meetings/Events?

Get Free notices in the Classifieds!

Submit to ecota@timespublications.com

480-861-1375

Family Owned & Operated

Licensed Bonded Insured ROC #289594

Sprinkler Repair Landscaping & More!

See MORE Ads Online!

www.TheFoothillsFocus.com

• Affordable Same Day Service • Dependable • Guaranteed • 12 Years Experience

No Job Too Big or Small

602-330-6965

Residential & Commercial

CLASSIFIEDS

THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | THEFOOTHILLSFOCUS.COM | MARCH 23, 2022

Landscape/Maintenance

North Valley Landscaping Quality you deserve for a great price you can afford.

✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔

Yard Clean-ups Maintenance Tree trimming Water features Irrigation / Repair

Plumbing

Plumbing

Drain Cleaning Experts, water heaters, disposals, water & sewer lines repaired/replaced & remodels.

Rapid Response.

If water runs through it we do it!

602-663-8432

Wyman Plumbing.

Your friendly neighborhood plumber for the NORTH PHX area!

We can quote most jobs over the phone!

623-551-6688 ROC License #309216 Book Online at wyman-services.com

Roofing

Tax Services

Almeida Roofing Inc.

NORTHRIDGE TAX & ACCOUNTING

All Types of Roofing

PREPARATION

602-743-3175

480-388-9442

35+ years experience Specializing in IRS problems

Roofing

IRS Enrolled Agent

Free Estimates & Inspections • Tile • Shingles Foam • Coatings • Modified Bitumen • New Roof Repairs • Reroofs

Personal & Business

Anthem Plaza

Serving All Types Clean, Prompt, Friendly and Professional Service of Roofing:

42302 N.Vision Way, #113, Anthem, AZ (Just South of Walmart)

FREE ESTIMATES

623-551-0552

Tiles & Shingles sunlandroofingllc@gmail.com Installation Repair Re-Roofing

602-471-2346

CALL CLASSIFIEDS

480-898-6465

DUKES EXCAVATING

We'll Get Your Phone to Ring!

We Accept:

SEPTIC SYSTEMS ◆ COMMERCIAL & RESIDENTIAL CONVENTIONAL, ALTERNATIVE SEWER, STORM DRAIN & RETENTION SITE DEVELOPMENT ◆ UTILITIES

COMMERCIAL RESIDENTAL COMMERCIAL && RESIDENTIAL

We Got You Covered!

ROC KA 302118 General Contractor JIM DUKES

623.606.8411

COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL

Specializing in New, Tile and Shingle Roofs • Repairs New Roofs, Repairs, Roof, & Coatings •FlatCoatings, Roof HotFlat Mopping Hot Mopping & Patching Patching •Total Rubber Roof Systems & Total Rubber Roof Systems

FREE ESTIMATES • 623-465-2546

PREMIER LANDSCAPING & GARDENING

ROOFING LLC

We Got You Covered!

515 E. Carefree Hwy, #44, Phoenix, AZ 85085 dukesexcavatinginc@gmail.com

• Custom Design • Water Feature • Container/Pot Gardens • Fireplaces & BBQs • Patio & Walls • Irrigation Specialists • Tree Trim/Removal • Bi-weekly/Monthly

PHILLIPS Family Owned and Operated 43 Years Experience in Arizona

Same Day Service All Work Guaranteed

623-873-1626

FREE Estimates SAME DAY SERVICE

602-551-2255 30 Years Experience

Licensed, Bonded & Insured • ROC #166390

ROC#288-123 • Licensed • Bonded • Insured

We Pay Your Insurance Deductible

Free Estimates Monday through Saturday Licensed 2006 ROC 223367 Bonded Insured

Licensed Bonded Insured ROC 288-123

Senior & Military Discounts CALL CLASSIFIEDS

480-898-6465

We'll Get Your Phone to Ring!

602-551-2255

PhillipsRoofing.org PhillipsRoofing@cox.net

Email Your Job Post to: class@times publications.com

898-6465

www.almeidaroofing.com

• • • •

People are looking in the Classifieds Every day!

or Call 480

Licensed • Bonded • Insured • ROC #215758 Backhoe • Hammer Hoe • Grade Tractor 1,000 Gallon Water Wagon • Dump Trailer Septic Install & Repair (Lic. #276732) Tree Brush and Cactus Removal Road/Driveway Repair & Maintenance Utility Trenching & Plumbing Construction Cleanup Material Screening

???

Former IRS Auditor

FREE ESTIMATES! Call Brian

TAX

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CLASSIFIEDS WORK

480-898-6465

It Only Takes Seconds to Drown.

Always watch your child around water.

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CLASSIFIEDS

THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | THEFOOTHILLSFOCUS.COM | MARCH 23, 2022