••
American Legion Post 34 auxiliary president PAGE
CNBC STATE RANKINGS
8
TheFoothillsFocus.com
INSIDE
This Week
NEWS.................. 9
Cactus Foothills Little League softball team
BUSINESS.......... 16
Platinum Living Realty growth
FEATURES......... 18
Phoenix Herpetological Sanctuary debunks snake myths
OPINION.................... 10 BUSINESS.................. 16 FEATURES................. 17 YOUTH....................... 21 CLASSIFIEDS............. 22 Zone 2
PAGE
Serving the communities of Cave Creek and Carefree
Cave Creek - Carefree Area Edition
11
Wednesday, July 27, 2022
New American Legion commander is motivated by service BY ALLISON BROWN Foothills Focus Staff Writer
B
rian Fernandez has been elected commander of American Legion Post 34 after spending his entire adult life in service, including seven years in the organization. Prior to becoming commander, Fernandez has served as the post’s judge advocate and Legion Rider’s vice president. In his new role, he will be responsible for all aspects of the American Legion, including finances, membership and activities. He said becoming commander felt like a natural transition and allowed him to continue doing what he loves — serving. “I joined the military at 18, and then
that (service) kind of blended into both of my next careers. I got off active duty and then I went to the National Guard and then the reserves. While I was in the reserves, I was also a police officer for the city of Phoenix,” Fernandez said. “Some people are motivated by a sense of accomplishment or some people are motivated by money, and some people are motivated by the need to serve. I realized that’s what motivated me, my need to serve people, a community, the country, whatever capacity that is.” Fernandez joined the military after getting bored in college, as he put it. He had an extensive family history of military ser-
see COMMANDER page 4
Brian Fernandez is the newly elected American Legion Post 34 commander. (American Legion Post 34/Submitted)
Cave Creek fights back green waste drop off reduction
BY ALLISON BROWN Foothills Focus Staff Writer
A
t the July 18 council meeting, Cave Creek town council unanimously approved a resolution to formally oppose Maricopa County’s schedule change for green waste collection, which reduces collections to quarterly instead of on all operating days. As of July 1, 2022, the Maricopa County Waste Resources and Recycling Division’s Transfer Stations is no longer accepting bulk
green waste year-round. Going forward, green waste and bulk lumber disposal will be offered every quarter, which Cave Creek Mayor Ernie Bunch said greatly impacts the town’s efforts to improve fire safety. At a separate meeting in early July, Jen Pokorski, assistant county manager and head of the environmental services department, spoke about why the Waste Resources and Recycling Division is making this change. “At most of our waste transfer stations, we only accept green waste that’s bagged or
bundled,” Pokorski explained. “At Cave Creek, we were accepting all waste because our landfill still needed to be capped. So, we were taking that and basically chipping it and spreading it over the landfill. The landfill has now been capped, so when we take the bulk green waste, it now becomes a fire hazard for us. We have to manage it and move it off to other landfills and it becomes quite expensive.” So, to help with the fire issue, the Waste Re-
INDOOR/ OUTDOOR LIVING A TREND THAT’S NEVER OUT OF STYLE
4454 East Thomas Road • Phoenix, AZ 85018 602.508.0800 liwindow.com Mon-Thurs 8:30-5p.m. | Fri 8:30-4p.m. | Sat 9-2p.m. | ROC#179513
see COUNCIL page 6