The Foothills Focus - Zone 2 - 04.28.2021

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Wednesday, April 28, 2021

Parents want Mandarin program to remain

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Foothills Focus Executive Editor

Artist auctioning works to support land trusts

D

avid Lin and his wife, Sara, wanted their children to learn about their father’s Taiwanese heritage, so they enrolled them in Horseshoe Trails Elementary School’s Mandarin Immersion Program.

Now the Lins, as well as other Horseshoe Trails Elementary School parents, are up in

arms because the Cave Creek Unified School District Governing Board fell victim to budget cuts.

CCUSD officials did not return messages for comment. During the immersion program, students learn in Mandarin and English throughout the day.

“We’re beyond just sad,” Sara said. “We’ve already decided this is important for our family culturally as well as educationally. My

husband’s first language is Mandarin. We are just super sad that the board just decided to up and make a unilateral decision.”

Sara said parents have a huge pool of resources as they’re from all professional walks of life. She advised the board should meet with those parents and figure out a plan to make the Mandarin Immersion Pro-

�ee IMMERSION page 5

Cave Creek takes ‘baby step’ toward �ire protection

BUSINESS .........13

The Market and Spa on 41st bursts with creative local items

FEATURES ........17

Musician Duffy Kings has “really good stuff ”

OPINION ......................8 BUSINESS ................. 13 FEATURES ................ 17 YOUTH ...................... 21 CLASSIFIEDS ............ 21 Zone

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Serving the communities of Cave Creek and Carefree

2

BY ALLISON BROWN Foothills Focus Staff Writer

C

ave Creek Town Council recently discussed how to implement a fire protection plan to maximize the town’s safety but with minimal tax increases.

According to Jim Ford, Scottsdale’s deputy chief and fire marshal, Cave Creek relies entirely on other organizations for fire and emergency medical services, with no resources of its own.

They use Rural Metro as a subscription-based fire protection. This system has worked well in the past, but after two major fires in 2020 and the town’s steadily growing population, the council recognized the need for more established emergency services.

�ee PROTECTION page 4

Mayor Ernie Bunch calls the proposed increase in sales tax and new property tax “a baby step toward fire protection for Cave Creek.” (File photo)

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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 Associate Publisher: Eric Twohey | 480-898-5634 | erict@thefoothillsfocus.com ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT Display Advertising: 623-465-5808 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: Lori Dionisio | 480-898-6309 | ldionisio@timespublications.com Director of National Advertising Zac Reynolds | 480-898-5603 | zac@thefoothillsfocus.com

THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | THEFOOTHILLSFOCUS.COM | APRIL 28, 2021

PROTECTION from page 1

“Cave Creek is no longer a small, isolated outpost that is unconnected to the larger metro area,” Ford said. “Now, we’re part of the metroplex. The number of people that have moved into the community has grown dramatically and continues to grow.”

Cave Creek suffered two major fires last year, that, combined, burned more than 2,000 acres. The town had to rely on surrounding communities to help put out those fires. While those communities weren’t contractually obligated to, they helped anyway. The state also sent in helicopters to maintain the fires.

After those incidents, neighboring communities said they could no longer provide that type of aid, according to Ford. “(The communities) basically got in touch with Cave Creek and said, ‘We’re not going to continue to do that. You don’t get to not support the system and still get to use all of the resources of the system.’ So that’s when the discussion started,” Ford said.

Ford has been helping Cave Creek establish a fire plan after Scottsdale and Cave Creek signed an intergovernmental

agreement in November 2020. This was his third presentation to the Cave Creek town Council, which largely revolved around estimated costs for establishing emergency services and how to pay for them.

Because Cave Creek is starting from scratch, it will have the one-time start-up costs of building a fire station, purchasing a fire truck and buying other essential items, but then will also have annual operating costs of paying staff and providing maintenance.

“The discussion is we think we have enough money for the capital one-time cost in savings. That’s not an issue,” Ford said. “But how are we going to guarantee that we have enough revenue coming into the town that we can afford to pay the $2.5 or $3 million every year as we go forward?”

Financial adviser Pat Walker had several suggestions. Most notably, and most discussed, was a hybrid-model increase in sales tax as well as introducing a very low property tax.

While some councilmembers were initially hesitant at the idea of a property tax, Walker and Ford explained that, ultimately, it will save residents money.

NEWS DEPARTMENT Executive Editor: Christina Fuoco-Karasinski | 480-898-5631 christina@timespublications.com Photographer: Pablo Robles | probles@timespublications.com

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The Foothills Focus is distributed by AZ Integrated Media, a circulation service company owned by Times Media Group. The public is permitted one copy per reader. For further information regarding the circulation of this publication or others in the Times Media Group family of publications, please contact AZ Integrated Media at circ@azintegratedmedia.com or 480-898-5641. For circulation services please contact Aaron Kolodny at aaron@azintegratedmedia.com

The content of any advertisements are the sole responsibility of the advertiser. The Foothills Focus assumes no responsibility for the claims of any advertisement. © 2020 Strickbine Publishing, Inc.

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Rural Metro Fire Protection is subscription-based, and, theoretically, every homeowner should contract with it to provide proof of fire protection to his/her insurance company. However, Ford said only about 40% to 45% of people in Cave Creek do this.

“That’s a huge problem, especially when you’re relying on assistance from other communities, but your own community is not supporting it,” Ford said.

When homeowners do not have fire protection, they pay a maximum rate for house insurance. However, the rates for Rural Metro are high, too. The proposed property tax would be about a third of a typical property tax, but that small amount would go toward establishing fire protection within Cave Creek.

“What we’re hoping, and what we expected to happen, is once we get this in place, everyone’s insurance across the board will level out a handle will go down because there’ll be able to say we’re also in the automatic aid system.”

When the floor was open for public comments, Sue Sisley encouraged the council to move forward with the plan because it would save her money and make everyone contribute.

“I think it’s the best way to support our future emergency service needs,” Sisley said. “I’ve been paying the rural metro subscription annually since we first moved here. I just renewed for $1,153 last week.

I felt like this was common sense, that this should be mandatory, but I was really disheartened to hear that only 40% of my fellow town members feel that they should make a similar commitment.

“So, I would rather pay a property tax where everyone is participating, and everyone should have some skin in this game.

I really want to thank you for making the efforts that you are.”

The proposal of an increased sales tax and a new property tax were discussed only. The council unanimously approved the exploration of options regarding fire protections. Mayor Ernie Bunch called it “a baby step toward fire protection for the town of Cave Creek.”

Councilmember Ron Sova made the motion to proceed with the fire protection plan and to begin scouting property sites to place a fire station, as well as acquiring an initial design proposal for the station, construction bids and fire equipment needed.

THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | THEFOOTHILLSFOCUS.COM | APRIL 28, 2021

NEWS

5

IMMERSION from page 1

gram stay.

“If we need to pay a stipend, absolutely we would do that,” Sara said. “We feel so strongly about what it accomplishes — not only for the elementary school but for our kids as future leaders of America.”

David’s parents are from Taiwan, met at grad school in the United States and his mother gave birth to him in America.

Students and parents rallying against the school board’s decision to stop the Mandarin Immersion Program April 22, 2021 in Phoenix, AZ an immersion program work through and through. I’ve lost compete trust with the administration and the way they went about this.”

Sara added, “We sang the praises of the Cave Creek Unified School District for two to three years. We feel they’re the huge differentiator is the languages program. They did the easy thing. We’re reasonable people. We get numbers are numbers and there’s a Holly Weddle and daughter Madison Weddle, 7, pose for a photo on April 23, 2021 in Cave Creek, AZ shortfall in the budget. There was no struggle to try to save something that was the “We don’t speak a whole lot of Man- benchmark of the school system.”

The Lins aren’t the only parents pulldarin at home,” Sara said. “Watching my boys in kindergarten (Samuel) and ing their children out of the district. Holly first grade (Joshua) converse with each Weddle is a retired certified public accounother is so cool. It’s really neat to see tant and has approached the board and them embrace the culture. They’re really district officials with alternative ideas. well-founded human beings.”

The superintendent posted a public A cardiologist, David is discouraged letter about the program. In it, he wrote, with the school district. He and his wife the world language program costs $2.25 are moving their children to a Mandarin million.

Immersion Program with the Scottsdale “When I saw that number, I thought Unified School District. that was very misleading at best,” she “Several parents have actually talked said. “For high school, you need to take with the Cave Creek Unified School District world languages to graduate. It doesn’t administration to try to see if the Mandarin make sense. The parents are so dedicatImmersion Program could be sustained in ed. We even had this two- to three-hour some part and form,” he added.

Zoom call with more than 100 parents.”

“My wife and I think that, although it In response, Mandarin Immersion Prowould really be nice to have, I don’t think gram parents rallied at Horseshoe Trails it would be up to the ‘immersion’ pro- Elementary School and before a board gram idea we would want for our kids. meeting. Parents also spoke at school “It would be an extra class or an elec- board meetings. tive. You have to be committed to make “The amount of stress all the parents

are going through is terrible and it hasn’t “There was no indication that this was stopped,” Weddle said. “It’s been a com- going to happen—no warning whatsoevpletely uphill battle. My husband and I er. There was no discussion about parhave met with the superintendent, the ents contributing funds or anything. It chief financial officer, the principal, the was just a shock.” president of the board, the new executive Cain, who attended a Mandarin Imleader. We put together a full deck show- mersion Program while growing up in ing them this is not going to help them fi- Canada, said she’s ready to battle. nancially but hurt you financially.”

“We just wanted them to know that Like Sara Lin said, parents are moving we’re still trying to get our voices heard their children out of the district, which and we want answers,” she said. “It’s will, in turn, lose money. The district receives state and federal funding per student. Losing students means decreased revenue.

“You sign a contract when you start the program committing to it through sixth grade,” said Weddle, whose daughter, Madison, attends the program.

“That shows how incredibly committed the parents are. The Mandarin Immersion Program at Horseshoe Trails was started in 2015. Mackenzie would have attended in kindergarten.

“We just keep getting canned responses and they never want to find a solution. We’re willing Milan Chavkin, 4, and Sierra Palethorpe, 6, rallying to fund it, but they say it’s an HR against the school board’s decision to stop the Mandarin Immersion Program issue.”

April 22, 2021 in Phoenix, AZ Jennifer Cain is just as frustrated. Her daughter, Harper, is a Mandarin Immersion Program student. tearing the whole immersion family a “It was very shocking when we re- part. Our kids have gone through a lot alceived the phone call from the principal, ready. To adjust from the online thing on a very random Tuesday afternoon, and then back to school, and then having saying the program’s been cut,” said Cain, to figure out a new school situation. It’s who lives near Anthem. too much.”

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NEWS

THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | THEFOOTHILLSFOCUS.COM | APRIL 28, 2021

Artists auctioning works to support land trust

BY LAURIE FAGEN Foothills Focus Contributing Writer

S

upport area artists and help the nonprofit Desert Foothills Land Trust protect land in the North Valley by taking part in the Spring 2021 Creative Connections Fine Art auction Thursday, April 29, to Monday, May 10.

This is DFLT’s seventh annual art exhibit and sale, following last year’s event which had to be shut down prematurely by the statewide COVID-19 orders.

Selections for “Jurors Choice” have been made by jurors A.H. Smith, an Arizona Artist Guild member, painter and mixed media artist who taught locally for 32 years; and Tempe glass artist and painter Laurie Nessel, a member of the Arizona Glass Alliance.

The public will have a chance to vote for “People’s Choice” during the preview days through April 28.

Bidding for the online auction opens at 6 a.m. Thursday, April 29, and closes at 8 p.m.

Monday, May 10.

“The past 12 months have brought many surprises, challenges and changes for us all,” said DFLT’s Mary Warren. “Desert Foothills Land Trust, like other nonprofits and businesses, has had to seek out creative ways to continue their work, engage the community and earn support. We’re excited to be selected as benefactor for the online auction.”

Warren said the theme of celebrating the connection between art and the land will remain the same, as more than 50 artists have their 2D and 3D work available for “Protecting the Land We Love.” Included will be representational art, contemporary art and craft and indigenous peoples.

Nancy Breiman, founder of Creative Connections, said they are happy to support DFLT, and has set a goal to raise at least $20,000 in total sales.

“The auctions are a win-win for everyone,” she says. “As local artists, we cherish our beautiful, protected lands, wildlife and

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indigenous culture to both enjoy and paint.

Giving back to those in need fills my soul.”

In addition, several artists and collectors have donated significant items for which DFLT will receive nearly 90% of the proceeds.

They represent art inspired by the artists’ love of protected lands, use of natural materials and ancient techniques, the contemporary Southwest and honor indigenous peoples.

They include “The Way” by acclaimed artist J.E. Knauf, valued at $3,500; a contemporary, colorful glass sculpture by Carole Perry valued at $4,500; a hand-woven “algodon” or cotton Peruvian textile valued at $5,000; and an oil painting of one of DFLT’s protected lands, “Galloway Wash,” by award-winning painter Michele Schuck, valued at $680.

DFLT is accredited by the Land Trust

Accreditation Commission for meeting the highest national standards for excellence and conservation permanence.

Founded in 1991, DFLT focuses conservation efforts in the communities of Anthem, Carefree, Cave Creek, Desert Hills, New River, North Phoenix and North Scottsdale.

To date they have permanently conserved 850 acres on 27 sites. DFLT’s mission is to protect these lands cherished by the community and sources of inspiration for artists. For details, go to dflt.org.

Creative Connections Fine Art is dedicated to fostering the artist and collector community, established by Breiman of Scottsdale.

Information: creativeconnectionsfineart. com or email Breiman at CreativeConnectionsFineArt@gmail.com.

To bid on the artwork, visit the Creative Connections Fine Art website at creativeconnectionsfineart.com.

NEWS

THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | THEFOOTHILLSFOCUS.COM | APRIL 28, 2021

7

Library begins its Summer Reading Program

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Foothills Focus Executive Editor

D

esert Foothills Library’s Summer Reading Program kicks off on June 1 and runs through the end

of July.

Sign up at maricopacountyreads.org.

The theme of this year’s program is “Tails & Tales,” encouraging readers to explore the many stories of the animal kingdom by reading, completing challenges and attending virtual events and participating in community experiences.

The program begins Tuesday, June 1, and plays a vital role in helping to reduce the “Summer Slide” — the learning loss experienced while transitioning between school years.

Registration is required for all events.

Participants can register for events by visiting dfla.org or calling the library at 480-488-2286.

Bookish Beasts Storytime 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, June 1: toddlers 10:30 a.m. Thursday, June 3: preschool Celebrate bookish beasts in this fun, interactive animal-themed storytime. Be sure to register at dfla.org for the time that best suits your family, as registration is limited.

Stuffed YOU Animal Sleepover Jamboree 4 to 5 p.m. Friday June 4 TO BE 10 to 11 a.m. Saturday June 5 Bring your favorite stuffed animal friend to the library for a party and a sleepover.

When you go home in the evening, the animals will undoubtedly get up to some mischief. Don’t forget to come back the next morning to pick them up, enjoy some juice and donuts, and see what fun they had in the library overnight.

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Take a walk on the wild side in this fun, interactive animal-themed storytime. Be sure to register at dfla.org for the time that best suits your family, as registration is limited.

Dr. Doolittle & Friends Storytime 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, June 15: toddlers 10:30 a.m. Thursday, June 17: preschool Let’s talk to the animals in this fun, interactive storytime. Be sure to register at dfla.org for the time that best suits your family, as registration is limited.

Owl Pellet Dissection 10 a.m. Saturday, June 19 Find out what an owl eats for dinner by getting an up-close look at owl pellets.

This is not for the squeamish, as you will uncover real animal bones that owls cannot digest and regurgitate in the form of pellets. This program is appropriate for children and teens ages 8 and older.

Grab & Go Beastly Letters Monday, June 21, to Saturday, June 26 Turn everyday letters into something beastly. Children will create animal-inspired art from the first initial of their name. This grab-and-go pack will be available for pickup at the library all week.

No Place Like Home Storytime 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, June 29: toddlers 10:30 a.m. Thursday, July 1: preschool Learn about animals and their habitats in this fun, interactive storytime.

Be sure to register at dfla.org for the time that best suits your family, as registration is limited.

HAVE A NEWS STORY? Contact Christina Fuoco-Karasinski at 480-898-5631

or christina@timespublications.com

••

OPINION

•• 8

THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | THEFOOTHILLSFOCUS.COM | APRIL 28, 2021

Opinion TheFoothillsFocus.com

|

@TheFoothills.Focus

For more opinions visit thefoothillsfocus.com /TheFoothillsFocus

AROUND THE BLUHMIN’ TOWN

Devices are always listening

BY JUDY BLUHM Foothills Focus Columnist

A

lexa never seems to stop listening. Evidently, our “helpful” devices never turn off, meaning that your private conversations are not so private. Is this the price of convenience?

How can you have a “smart house” without a little bit of intrusion from a robot?

This is the world we have created.

My old age is showing, because I do recall the world in all its old-fashioned glory before laptops, iPads and cellphones.

How my generation was able to survive

is quite shocking. I have stories to tell my grandkids. You know, that I know how to read this thing called a map, drove all the way cross country without GPS or a cellphone. We had no 911 back in the day.

There was no such thing as call waiting, you just got a busy signal! We had no caller ID, so we never knew who was on the other end of the line, we had to risk it and just say “hello.”

Many of us lived pre-texting. That’s when phones were used for talking and if we were lucky, we might have fun on a party line. Yes, the daunting experience of living in a low-tech past is simply a

fading memory that has no place in the world of “smart” devices. (Although, people might be getting dumber.)

I drove 3,000 miles with a map, and my grandson needs GPS to guide him out of his driveway.

But I digress. Getting back to technological progress, Alexa, you are a little bit too intrusive for my liking. I do not have an Alexa, but my daughter does. Visiting her at her home, we were talking about a trip to Sedona, when Alexa starts blurting out various hotels and the average temperatures.

Then I ask, “Alexa. Were you just spying on us?” She answers, “I have no opin-

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ion of that.” Well, I do! You were not invited into the conversation! So basically, you were just eavesdropping!

Even if you do not use the “wake” command “Alexa,” it seems our little voice-assistant embedded in smart speakers sold by Amazon (Echo), is listening “most of the time.”

According to Amazon, in a report with ABC News and Forbes, Amazon workers also listen into conversations to help make its artificial intelligence, aka Alexa, even smarter. Yes, there are “teams” around the world who review, transcribe, mark up and then feedback the information into its software to improve Alexa’s grasp of language and voice commands.

Yet, Amazon denies that this is done unless the “wake” command is initiated.

So why does Alexa seem to chime in on conversations? Maybe because she knows all the answers (which appears to be the main mission of Alexa). Or because she wants to help? When my grandson with autism was talking about job possibilities, Alexa spoke up and said, “There are many work options for people with autism.” When he asked, “Alexa, how do you know I have autism,” the little chatty device replied, “I have no opinion of that.”

Really Alexa? I think you have an opinion on everything. Be careful, Dear readers, our devices are always listening.

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

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OPINION

THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | THEFOOTHILLSFOCUS.COM | APRIL 28, 2021

READER’S VIEWPOINTS LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Appreciative of CCUSD Editor: As a longtime Cave Creek Unified School District (CCUSD) parent, I recognize this is a time of change in the district and I am asking the community to rally and not give up.

My son, who is graduating this year, started in kindergarten at Horseshoe Trails Elementary School. I have two other children both at Sonoran Trails Middle School. There have been many changes in the district over the last 13 years — programs, teachers, administrators — many changes. But one of the wonderful things about this district is how well we adapt. This year has shown us how important that is. This last year with the pandemic has been crazy, but CCUSD has handled it well by being open to having students in school since Sept. 7, 2020.

One thing that hasn’t changed is the exemplary quality of education here in CCUSD. There are so many dedicated teachers in this district. CCUSD has the highest percentage of national board-certified teachers in the state of Arizona. Our teachers pride themselves on being the best, and many of them have or had their own children attend school in this district. It is truly a community — a family.

This year our amazing teachers came to their classrooms despite their fears because they know the value of an in-person education.

My deepest thanks go out to these teachers.

I understand that this year presents financial challenges. This is not the first time, and it probably won’t be the last. This year COVID has been a big contributor to these financial challenges. Being open required a huge sum of money in order to operate safely. I believe it was worth it. Many dis-

tricts were closed for much of this school year, and I think it was costly in terms of students’ mental and emotional health, not to mention their education. I am proud of how CCUSD has handled itself this year.

I am also proud of the achievements of our CCUSD students. As a parent of a senior, this has been a challenging year, but our students have adapted, which is truly a life skill.

Our students are still taking advantage of the many opportunities at Cactus Shadows High School. Some students choose Puma Connection so they can get a college start as a sophomore. Some choose EVIT so they can learn technical skills (like HVAC) or so they can test drive a future college major (aviation, banking, and graphic design). Many students choose Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate, two programs that prepare students for a rigorous college

post-secondary experience. Almost 40% of our high school students take at least one AP class and approximately 60% of them score a 3, 4 or 5 on the AP exam, which is enough to earn them college credit at many colleges.

We are so fortunate to have such a wonderful district with dedicated, hard-working, and highly qualified teachers. We also have wonderful students who go out into this world and make a difference using everything they have learned in school and in our community. Thank you goes to CCUSD for opening on Sept. 7, 2020, and for staying safely open during this COVID-19 time.

I hope our community will support our district as it navigates these difficult financial times. Our students are a good investment.

Editor: It is natural for people to make comparisons between the way things are now and how they used to be. Especially during this age of COVID, while so much of the world as we know it has been shut down for over a year, it is challenging for the most optimistic among us not to focus mainly on what is irrecoverable.

People lost loved ones, livelihoods, and canceled vacations or celebrations. For children, in addition to missing out on a year of academic learning, there are meaningful life experiences that cannot be re-created for them such as their first day of school, involvement in team sports, plays, clubs, class trips, dances, promotion from middle school, high school or college graduation, and so much more.

Early into the shutdown last spring, the CCUSD No. 93 leadership, staff, and parents worked together to come up with a COVID strategy plan. Schools were disinfected, sanitizing stations put up, and other safety protocols implemented at much expense to the district’s already very limited budget.

Chromebooks were made available to students in need and resourceful educa-

tors across the district did their best to adapt multiple oral and hands-on lessons into daily online assignments that could be accessed by differently abled students at home in a fair and straightforward manner.

Online lessons cover only a fraction of the curriculum, are often heavy on reading, and self-taught so they can be accessed during any time during the day. This adds a lot of pressure and obstacles to educators, while also leaving much of the burden of teaching on a parent’s or guardian’s shoulders.

This is incredibly challenging especially with younger students. Zoom meetings are convenient for visiting with some of the students, but not conducive to either class discussions or the many nuances of meaningful, in-depth instruction. In short, although online learning works for some students, it is not ideal for all learners. Many CCUSD teachers and work-from-home parents know this from first-hand experience helping their own children navigate online learning, while working to effectively educate at home during the pandemic.

Fortunately, after several safety precautions and protocols were implemented last fall, Cave Creek Unified was one of the first and only districts to open all our elementary schools, middle school and high school

back to in-person learning. For those families who preferred to remain home, CCUSD also offered an online school option known as the Academy of Excellence. The superintendent and school principals were able to take into consideration the concerns and needs of parents, students and educators and make learning happen, despite the difficulties. We all shared the risk and made it work.

Excellence in teaching is the core of Cave Creek Unified School District’s mission. Although CCUSD does not receive extra school funds available to all of our neighboring districts, its schools consistently rank among the best in Arizona.

Cave Creek students score in the top 20% on standardized tests, 96% graduate, and a great many earn academic and athletic scholarships. Nationally board-certified teachers, outstanding world language programs, AP/Honors/IB courses, and partnerships with EVIT (East Valley Institute of Technology) and PVCC (Paradise Valley Community College), ensure our students have the tools to compete and succeed.

Moreover, the passionate and dedicated cadre of CCUSD leadership, administration and staff, together with amazing community partners and hard-working parents,

all band together to foster a culture of gratitude and resiliency for our students to learn, lead and give back to our community.

In the wake of this pandemic, take time to be grateful. Cultivating a culture of gratitude might be the best way to help our young people to prepare for stresses that come with change, conflict, and failure.

Grateful people are more resilient to stress and more adaptable to coming up with viable solutions, just like our Cave Creek Unified School District has managed to do by keeping our classrooms open for the entire 2020-2021 school year. Sure, the path has not been without its bumps, hiccups, or disappointments. However, our students are much further along in their studies as well as their social and emotional wellness than are their same-aged peers.

For this and so many things, I am extremely grateful to the Cave Creek teachers, leaders, staff, parents and community partners. You have made an impactful and positive difference in the academic performances and social health of my four children.

I am proud that my children are educated here. Thank you, CCUSD; You earned an A+ from me!

Kudos for CCUSD

Erica Stoutenburgh CCUSD Parent

Stephanie Stasik

OPINION

THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | THEFOOTHILLSFOCUS.COM | APRIL 28, 2021

11

Looking realistically at verdict in Chauvin case

BY DAVID LEIBOWITZ Foothills Focus Columnist

T

he last of the guilty pronouncements in the case of former Minneapolis cop Derek Chauvin still hung in the air when your thoughts turned to the other 800,000 sworn law enforcement officers on the job in this divided nation of ours.

Never has there been a more difficult time to do what I believe is the most difficult, most misunderstood job in the world today.

I will explain my logic momentarily, but first let me issue the caveat necessary anytime I write about public safety.

My day job involves public relations for a wide range of clients, among them police organizations.

They are not paying me to write this.

In fact, they don’t know I am writing it.

I am writing this piece because I care about the officers on the frontlines and I continue to believe that the vast major-

ity of cops in America can be trusted to do right by all men and women, no matter the color of their skin.

In this belief I appear to be joined by about seven in 10 of my neighbors, according to a recent poll by USA Today/ Ipsos.

Their March 5 survey found that 69% of us “trust local police and law enforcement to promote justice and equal treatment for people of all races” — a 13% rise in support from the same question asked nine months earlier.

On the flip side, the same group did an online poll hours after Chauvin was judged guilty. That survey found that 71% of 1,000 Americans polled agreed with the jury’s verdict.

These contrasting statistics underscore the two very different views that have prevailed in the aftermath of Chauvin applying his knee to George Floyd’s neck last Memorial Day. On the one side, we have those who view the Floyd killing as an indictment

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of every cop, a sign that everyone with a badge is a seething racist.

They want to “defund the police” and dismantle law enforcement, replace beat cops with social workers, psychologists and who knows what else. I’m surely generalizing, but their rhetoric seems to suggest that every cop is the enemy.

Then there’s the other side, which views policing as a profession in dire need of reform — not wanton destruction but fixes, not extinction but evolution.

What ails policing? According to a comprehensive database compiled by the Washington Post, since 2015 police officers across the United States have shot dead 136 unarmed black men and women.

Such a sad list of names is entirely too long, and it does not include killings like George Floyd, which did not involve gunshots. Nor does it include the other 266 unarmed people shot dead by police during those 75 months, including 168

white men and women.

This list of more than 400 unarmed dead strongly suggests that policing has a use-of-force problem that requires rethinking, revision, repair.

But that is a far different problem than the media and political narratives that have taken hold, stories that drive division to exactly the degree that they refuse to consider policing outside the lens of race and prejudice.

The shortsightedness at work is here is nothing new — it’s the same fallacy that makes racial profiling so unfair and appalling. Most of us understand that judging an entire group by the actions of one person or a few persons is bad logic and to be avoided at all costs.

A criminal of a certain race is not an indictment of that race. And the actions of Derek Chauvin and his culpability in the death of George Floyd say far less about the other 800,000 police officers than the critics would have us believe.

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OPINION

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Language control, not border control

BY JD HAYWORTH Foothills Focus Columnist

T

he Biden Administration is not only working to erase our Southern Border; it is also intent on erasing any term that accurately depicts the dire situation we now face.

Officials are directing department heads at Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as well as Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to embrace politically correct euphemisms.

Hence, “illegal” becomes “undocumented”; “alien” morphs into “noncitizen” or “migrant” and “assimilation” transforms into “integration.”

As expected, advocates for Open Borders champion these changes as “humane.”

“Insane” is more like it.

Aiding and abetting in this insanity are the watchdogs-turned-lapdogs of the media.

Tegna, the parent company of KPNX-TV, (Channel 12, Phoenix) has issued a corporate mandate to expunge the terms “illegal” and “illegal immigrant” from news coverage provided by its stations.

Taking to Twitter to crow about the new policy was Jeremy Jojola, a reporter for Tegna-owned KUSA-TV, Denver. Jojola insists the “language is changing to make it less harmful.”

He adds, “We will also avoid someone’s immigration status if it’s not relevant to [the] story.”

Finally, the reporter becomes a confessor: “As a Hispanic and longtime hard news journalist who worked in El Paso, Ciudad Juarez, and Albuquerque, I am guilty of immediately accepting the Americanized consensus and archaic terms.”

Americanized? Archaic?

Try “accurate,” instead.

A closer examination of Jojola’s “word salad” is troubling. Journalism is displaced by advocacy when he asserts that euphemism limits harm. Worse, the reporter becomes judge, jury, and censor when he promis-

es to avoid mentioning the immigration status of a story subject if it’s “not relevant.”

Does this mean that he won’t mention an accused criminal’s initial crime of coming here illegally — Oops! — arriving “unauthorized?”

Most troubling, Jojola confuses ethnicity with ethics. He confesses his “guilt” as a Hispanic for using terms once commonly accepted in the “reporter’s lexicon.”

Actually, the Associated Press (AP) moved to amend its “stylebook” long before Tegna took its recent actions. Way back in 2013, the AP axed the terms “illegal alien,” an “illegal,” and “illegals.” The AP went even further, also banning the use of “unauthorized.” The only time such terms were authorized?

When they came in direct quotations.

Of course, it should also be noted that the AP made its changes at the height of the Obama Administration, voicing concerns that the terms had to be changed because they were “labeling people, instead of behavior.” In so doing, the AP could very well have changed its own name from “Associated Press” to “Active Partisans.”

There are obvious partisan priorities in play when it comes to our border policy.

Simply stated, Democrats view open borders and amnesty as a chance to bring in “cheap votes.” Establishment Republicans agree because they desire “cheap labor.”

Yet Americans of a more populist bent from both parties or without partisan affiliation understand that the only thing cheapened by open borders is our national security, our economic security, and our personal security.

So, plain speaking is in order: it is time to end the illegal invasion of our country.

Our nation’s very survival is at stake.

President Reagan put it this way: “A nation that cannot control its borders is not a nation.”

J.D. Hayworth worked as a sportscaster at Channel 10, Phoenix from 1987 until 1994 and represented Arizona in Congress from 1995-2007.

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Market bursts with creative local items

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Foothills Focus Executive Editor

S

haron Smith sits in The Market and Spa on 41st in Anthem. The shop’s owner is surrounded by 80 local products ranging from Kettle Heroes popcorn and Dragon Scents bath products to AZ Lemonade Stand.

Since the store opened in August, Smith and her husband, Manny Gonzales, have introduced the North Valley to hundreds of small businesses.

“We started with one product, and then a couple of them, and then we just fell into this farmers market community,” Smith said. “It was just referral after

The Market and Spa on 41st started selling hundreds of items sourced from local small businesses.

(Photo by Pablo Robles)

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referral.

“It was just word of mouth referrals.

Don’t get me wrong, though. A lot of it was Instagram stalking and hounding.

Once we got going, a lot of people ask to put their stuff in here.”

The Market and Spa on 41st is bursting with creative items. There’s honey infused with a variety of flavors, CBD products for pets, Shannon’s Granola and gluten-free goodies. Food with allergens are labeled appropriately.

“We opened in the middle of a pandemic,” Smith said. “Basically, this was our quarantine project. During the shut-

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BUSINESS

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MARKET from Page 13

downs, there were no farmers markets going on. There were no community gatherings. Everybody was trying to hustle their stuff online.”

Smith came from a dental background, while Gonzales worked in the restaurant industry. The Anthem couple planned to use the space to expand their spa but thought a market would go over well.

Recently, they added fresh shrimp, halibut and beef.

“Honestly, the idea just kind of snowballed,” she said. “We were going to do a little coffee bar with food and snacks.

Once we reached out to our snack vendors, it turned into this market of small

businesses.

“It wasn’t in the plan, but it was in somebody’s plan.”

The couple plans to expand beyond the market and spa. Gonzales is preparing to open a green funeral home in Black Canyon City within four months.

“My husband is a mortician,” Smith said. “He’s a jack of all trades. He laid the floor this morning. He builds tables. He builds dressers. He can do it all.

“The green funeral home is better for the environment. The chemicals they use can be really harmful. He has green burial chemicals that are safer. It’ll be a new concept to Arizona. He’s really pas-

�ee MARKET Page 15

Sharon Smith reached out to small businesses through Instagram adnd eventually received refferals through word of mouth. (Photo by Pablo Robles)

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Sharon Smith opened The Market and Spa on 41st with her husband, Manny Gonzales who plans on opening a green funeral home in Black Canyon City within four months. (Photo by Pablo Robles)

MARKET from Page 14

sionate about it.”

The backstory reflects the battles that accompany the COVID-19 pandemic.

“During COVID, people have been dying, unfortunately, every day,” she said. “Knowing that my husband is going to be the one taking care of them is comforting. I want to refer everybody to them. I personally had a friend who died recently. I wish he was taking care of them.”

Smith and Gonzales strive to find problems and solve them — like having a funeral home up this way.

“Looking on Facebook, people were always asking for a Trader Joe’s or Sprouts or Whole Foods,” Smith said.

“So, we thought, ‘Why not open our own mom and pop?’ And instead of carrying these big names, we’ll carry better products from small businesses.

“They get excited when they make a sale. This is going to help her daughter

go to school. They’re local residents, and a sale for them goes to their kids.”

The market’s adjacent spa boasts an acupuncturist, Reiki, crystals, a nail technician, a behavioral therapist and organic facials. Smith called it calming with infrared saunas, detox, wraps and natural products.

“For entrepreneurs, we tried to create a space that was reasonable,” she said. “I do airbrush tans and when I moved here from Ventura, I was looking to start with a brand-new clientele in a whole new state. Paying over $1,000 a month for a studio was insane.

“I want to make it affordable for somebody who just graduated or somebody just starting. You need to build your clientele.”

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BUSINESS

THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | THEFOOTHILLSFOCUS.COM | APRIL 28, 2021

The Kiwanis Club of Carefree gives back

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Foothills Focus Executive Editor

T

he Kiwanis of Carefree’s program committee, led by Alexis Popovich, pulled together the Kiwanis Membership’s first meeting in a year at Sanderson Pavilion recently.

President Kimberly Jack introduced member Steve Morse, who led the invocation with the announcement that long-term member, Jim Shaw, died on Good Friday. Shaw was a major contributor to the community over many years.

Kiwanis Marketplace General Manager Sandra Carrier was introduced to strong

applause to recognize her team’s great efforts in providing record-breaking revenues at the marketplace. It supports the grants and awards Kiwanis provides the local community. She unveiled the expanded hours and the optional mask policy. Dressing rooms and restrooms are open, too.

Jack then introduced Dr. Cort Monroe, superintendent of the Cave Creek Unified School District, who looks forward to working closely with the Kiwanis Club. He appreciates the support the nonprofit has provided.

Wine Committee Chairperson Ed Edling introduced Cait Huble, Sonoran Arts League’s executive director of the Sonoran Arts League. A jury is selecting the Kiwanis wine bottle label from 30 renderings.

The winner will be announced this fall.

Joyce Jordon, chairperson of the funds request committee, introduced the committee and introduced the awardees.

Laya Field accepted the donation to the Jubilate Conservatory of Music, which provided scholarships to local students to attend an online lesson program.

“Without Kiwanis support, these kids

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would not have had this opportunity to learn about music in their lives,” Field said.

Huble accepted the donation to the Sonoran Arts League’s Veterans Program, which provides a bridge between the U.S. Armed Forces and the art community to engage veterans and allow them to tell their story through creative expression.

Shelbi Schmidt accepted the donation to the Desert Foothills Family YMCA for the Children’s Spring Break Safety Around Water swim lessons. She said the generous support awarded to the YMCA by Kiwanis helps give children access to swim programs.

Vince D’Aliesio, outgoing Cave Creek Museum board president, accepted a donation to the facility, which will go toward the maintenance of the children’s gold panning program and the operation of the stamp mill. These programs help the museum reconnect with the children of the community.

Chad Forbes accepted the donation to the Horseshoe Trails and Black Mountain elementary schools for the replacement of their scoreboards.

The scholarship committee chaired by Janet Busbee will present the 2021 Kiwanis Scholarship Awards on May 4 at the Fine Arts Center to 22 students. Kiwanis members are encouraged to come and follow COVID-19 protocols.

Jack said the annual meeting on May 5 will kickstart the lunch program at Harold’s. The Kiwanis board amended the bylaws to the officer program to allow the president to serve two consecutive years, if elected.

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Musician Duffy King has ‘really good stuff’

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Foothills Focus Executive Editor

G

uitarist Duffy King forged a successful career in suburban Detroit and around the Great Lakes State. When he and his wife bought a condo in Carefree, he felt he had to start over again with music.

But North Valley venues rallied around the performer and gave him a second musical home.

“When I moved to Arizona, The Hideaway gave me my first gig,” he said. “They said anytime I come out here, they’ll put me on their sched-

Guitarist Duffy King who was given a second musical home in Arizona plays a “really wide range” of music. (Photo by Pablo Robles)

ule.”

His upcoming shows include 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday, April 29, at Keeler’s and 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, May 8, at Local Jonny’s, where he “rocks it out.”

“They can expect to hear anything from John Mayer, OneRepublic to Led Zeppelin to The Who to Al Green to Steely Dan to Maroon 5 and Van Morrison. It’s a really, really wide range.

“There is a little jazz from my solo stuff, and Stevie Wonder. It’s all really good stuff. Everyone really enjoys

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MUSICIAN from page 17

my setlist.”

Music is in King’s blood. His mother, Patsy King, was a professional singer, long before he was born. She turned down a major recording contract to care for her children.

“They wanted her to go on the road,” he said. “She said she couldn’t because she had kids.”

Still, she performed around the state — sometimes with 5-year-old Duffy in tow.

“I remember her taking me sometimes to performances when I was a little kid when she couldn’t get a babysitter,” he recalled. “She would put me on the couch and tell me to go to sleep. But I’d crawl out and look under the stage curtain and watch her.”

King’s brothers — Duane King and Nick King — are musicians.

Their band, Magic, was one of the first white bands signed to Motown. Stevie Wonder even played on one of their albums.

“Here I am, 12 years old, and my brothers have this album out,” he said. “It was pretty cool.

They mentored me big time.

Their guitarist (Joey Murcia) used to say I was his protégé.

He ended up going on to be the guitar player for the Bee Gees.”

King started playing gigs professionally at age 15 and has continued doing so full time.

His mom would have to take him to gigs because he was too

young to get into clubs.

“When I was a teenager, I played every bar there was in metro Detroit,” he said with a laugh.

As a teen in Indian River, in Northern Michigan, King met fellow musician Alan Hewitt, who lived nearby in Petoskey.

“We’ve known each other since we were teenagers in competing bands, per se,” he said. “He went to the Berklee College of Music and I went to Central (Michigan University). After a couple of years of music schools, I ended up back in Detroit.”

Hewitt then moved to Los Angeles, where he connected with the Moody Blues when the legendary rock band was looking for a keyboard player. In 2009, he was hired. Bassist John Lodge went solo and took Hewitt with him.

King was then recruited to play guitar for Lodge’s solo project.

Lodge and his solo band perform his Moody Blues songs like “I’m Just a Singer (in a Rock ‘n’ Roll Band),” “Gemini Dream” and “Isn’t Life Strange.” Lodge, Asia and Yes were on tour when the COVID-19 pandemic halted it.

Currently, King hits the stage with the prog-rock band Alan Hewitt & One Nation, who recently released the single “We’re One Nation,” and Lodge.

“I play so many different kinds of music,” King added. “The One Nation is prog rock/jazz. It’s pretty prog rock. We’re all really accomplished musicians in that band. Not much can get by us, as far as music goes.”

Duffy King has two upcoming shows on April 29 at Keeler’s and May 8 at Local Jonny’s. (Photo by Pablo Robles)

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THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | THEFOOTHILLSFOCUS.COM | APRIL 28, 2021

Youth for Troops fetes 5,000 packages

BY TYLER BUDGE Foothills Focus Contributing Writer

A

nthem-based nonprofit Youth for Troops has made 5,000 deployed troops smile this month by sending care packages to them.

Youth for Troops works every day to support service members, veterans and their families through community service projects. Tonya Piatt and Renee Hoffa are considered the president and vice president, but, according to Piatt, it’s their kids who run the show.

“When we get an invitation to an event or school, the kids vote on who’s going,” Piatt said.

The children on the founding youth board are Hannah, Heather and Taylor Piatt and Sophie, Walter and Leo Hoffa. Considering they’re all friends and family, they are able to trust each other when hosting projects.

On April 12, Youth for Troops hosted

an event where it prepared care packages to send to deployed troops and it marked 5,000 packages shipped this month. The event saw volunteers organizing and shipping boxes in person, as COVID-19 requirements began to ease up.

“We still haven’t seen a lot of our veteran friends for a year,” Hannah said. “Not seeing them was really sad. We’re really glad that we’re getting to see a lot of them again. We missed them so much and we missed all our volunteers.”

Earlier in the month, Youth for Troops celebrated its four-year anniversary by helping veterans and service members.

“We’re getting youth involved and we’re really getting out there,” Hannah said. “It’s really amazing to see how much we’ve grown in the last four years.”

Youth for Troops’ work goes beyond the care packages, however. They as-

semble mats for homeless veterans, organize events with local veterans groups and host holiday events for children of veterans in crisis.

In April, Youth for Troops completed more than 500 plastic mats for homeless veterans and accumulated over 22,000 volunteer hours from local youth.

“Whatever we can do to remind them of our gratitude and appreciation for their service is worth it,” Taylor said. “It’s a great feeling knowing that we can send a little comfort and love their way.”

For Anthem-area youth, Youth for Troops provides a sense of community, and allows these impressionable young minds to feel as if they are doing something important for the greater good.

“As a parent, you’re amazed and proud of the work that they do behind the scenes to provide these opportu-

19 ••

nities for everyone in the community,” Tonya said. “To get that amazing feeling, it comes from serving others. That’s a proud moment as a parent.”

Tonya added, “I believe that the future of America, as well as patriotism for our troops, is in the hands of our younger generations.”

Youth for Troops will host other events in April and through the summer. For information, visit youthfortroops.org.

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Cave Creek Unified School District notes

BY HRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Foothills Focus Executive Editor

S

hanna Schuckman has been accepted to Chapman University in Orange, California. She will major in business and will play for its golf team.

She received a $80,000 scholarship.

Jennifer Persyn will study nursing at NAU. She received the $46,0000 Lumberjack Scholarship.

Zach Stephens enlisted in the U.S. Air Force.

Mason John Speciale received the Provost’s Academic Scholarship of $26,000.

He’ll attend University of Puget Sound, Tacoma, Washington.

Carter Ajamie was accepted to NAU and received a Lumberjack Scholars Award and the President’s Resident Tuition Scholarship.

Caroline Nieminen will study at the University of Manitoba so she can earn a Bachelor of Science degree. She’ll major in physics.

Merit Thompson has been accepted to Barrett the Honors College at ASU, WP

Carey School of Business. Thompson was recruited to run on the women’s track and field distance team. She received the ASU President’s Award Scholarship. YOUTH Emma Suess has been accepted to NAU and received the Lumberjack Scholars Award, a full-ride academic scholarship totaling $42,600.

Three Cactus Shadows High School band students are participating in the regional band festival. They are Chris Spilsbury on trumpet, Katie Rink on tenor saxophone and Devin Pease on clarinet.

Black Mountain Elementary School Excellence Award winners were honored at a recent board meeting. They are Stephanie Mullinix, Kylee Green and Tinley Ziehmer.

Katianna Blackwell-Scott, Cactus Shadows’ National Merit Finalist, was honored at a recent governing board meeting. She is a varsity/club diver and volunteers at the National Charity League, Mom’s Pantry, Teen Lifeline and Puppy Love.

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