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Around the Bluhmin’ Town PAGE
ProMusica Auditions
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TheFoothillsFocus.com
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This Week
NEWS ................. 8
Veteran Mary Lou Spicer makes her mark
OPINION........... 14
Wildfire starters deserve more harsh sentences
BACK TO SCHOOL... 19
Imagine Schools strive for students to reach potential
OPINION.................... 10 FEATURES................. 17 BACK TO SCHOOL..... 19 CLASSIFIEDS............. 22 Zone 2
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Serving the communities of Cave Creek and Carefree
Cave Creek - Carefree Area Edition
17
Wednesday, July 20, 2022
IFL MVP hired as Cactus Shadows coach BY NOAH VELASCO Foothills Focus Contributing Writer
C
actus Shadows football is stepping into the spotlight with the recent addition of Christopher Dixon as head coach. Armed with an extensive resume as a player and coach, Dixon is a four-time Indoor Football league MVP and eight-time IFL champion with the Montana Outlaws and Sioux Falls Storm between 2005 and 2014. More importantly, his knowledge is key to Cactus Shadows’ success. “In his first interview with the committee, he was infectious with his passion for the game of football, his knowledge for the game of football and his passion for kids in helping them grow and improve,” said Drew Ammon, Cactus Shadows’ athletic director. “It was really infectious.” Upon his hiring, Dixon quickly famil-
Christopher Dixon takes on Cactus Shadows football as head coach. (Photo by Enrique Garcia/Contributor)
iarized himself with the student athletes, coaching staff and community. “They’re hungry to see growth,” Dixon said. “I think (Cactus Shadows) is ready to go into the next chapter of its football life. It’s time for Cactus Shadows to stop being in the shadows.” Football is in Dixon’s blood. He played at Contra Costa College in San Pablo, California, before transferring to Humboldt State in Arcata, California. After college, Dixon went undrafted. He then turned to arena football with the IFL. Inside arena football, he found his stride. He posted all-time league records in completion percentage (68.6%), passing yards (12,963) and passing touchdowns (323) among others. During his career, he collected four IFL
see COACH page 6
Carefree Water enhances conservation efforts BY ALLISON BROWN Foothills Focus Staff Writer
T
he Carefree Water Company is stepping up its water conservation efforts by asking customers to cut back and initiating a multistep, long-term plan to help ensure an adequate supply of water in an increasingly dry future. “Our customers have always been conser-
vation minded — we live in a desert,” said Greg Crossman, general manager of the Carefree Water Company. “But this drought has really exemplified that we need to dial our water conservation practices up a level, just to make sure that we’re using water wisely not only in Carefree, but throughout the Valley.” To conserve water, the Carefree Water Company is challenging all customers to cut
their water usage by a minimum of 10%. Crossman said one simple way to meet this goal is by monitoring irrigation timers. If the drip system is set to come on for 20 minutes, he said to reset it for 18 minutes. This one action will reduce outdoor water usage by 10% and plants will hardly tell the difference.
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see WATER page 4