The Foothills Focus - Zone 2 - 8.4.2021

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TheFoothillsFocus.com

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This Week

Cave Creek - Carefree Area Edition

19

Wednesday, August 4, 2021

Abrazo Cave Creek embraced by community

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Foothills Focus Executive Editor

BUSINESS ......... 11 Living in full bloom, new floral company is a “gem”

FEATURES ........ 18 Cave Creek CreekWest SummerFest ends summer

YOUTH ............. 21 Youth events are a plentiful at Desert Foothills Library

OPINION ......................7 BUSINESS ................. 11 FEATURES ................ 12 YOUTH ...................... 21 CLASSIFIEDS ............ 22 Zone

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Serving the communities of Cave Creek and Carefree

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A

brazo Cave Creek, which opened on July 26, has been well received by the community, according to administrator Sarah Bird, RN. When she visits restaurants on breaks, residents often stop her and ask about the neighborhood hospital at 5227 E. Carefree Highway.

“We had really great support from the community,” Bird said. “Even when I run to get lunch, I am asked, ‘Oh, are you guys open?’

“We had a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The community, city council and local �ire departments are super excited to have us in their neighborhood.”

The hospital boasts a 13-bed emergency room, an operating room and eight inpatient rooms.

“We have one operating room that can

��� ABRAZO ���� 5

Abrazo Cave Creek Hospital hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the 5227 E. Carefree Highway location on July 26 opening the 13-bed emergency room, operating room and eight inpatient rooms to the public. (Photo

courtesy of Abrazo Cave Creek Hospital)

Cities pay millions toward $11.8B pension debt

BY PAUL MARYNIAK Foothills Focus Staff Writer

D

espite an $11.8 billion unfunded liability owed by more than 300 Arizona municipalities, counties and state agencies, the

system that provides pensions for nearly 60,000 retired �irst responders, corrections of�icers and qualifying elected of�icials is seeing some encouraging trends.

Shaped in part by the unexpected surge in revenue many of those government entities have seen

for nearly a year, those trends aren’t just good news for the retirees who receive pensions from the Public Safety Personnel Retirement System.

They’re also good news for taxpayers.

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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 NEWS DEPARTMENT Executive Editor: Christina Fuoco-Karasinski | 480-898-5631 christina@timespublications.com Photographer: Pablo Robles | probles@timespublications.com Design: Nathalie Proulx | nproulx@timespublications.com Production Coordinator: Courtney Oldham | 480-898-5617 production@timespublications.com Circulation Director: Aaron Kolodny | 480-898-5641 | customercare@evtrib.com Proud member of :

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.

THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | THEFOOTHILLSFOCUS.COM | AUGUST 4, 2021

PENSION ���� ���� 1

One trend involves the largely un�lagging health of the stock market that — combined with some astute investment decisions by PSPRS — produced an unaudited return of close to 25% on investments for the agency’s pension funds.

Though the �inal percentage won’t be known for several months pending the outcome of a routine annual audit, that oneyear return is the biggest the PSPRS has seen in more than 30 years.

The other trend not only puts the pension fund on more solid footing but also spares taxpayers millions of dollars in fees on the unfunded liability owed by municipalities, counties and some state agencies.

Over the past �iscal year, many of those employers have paid a total $1.58 billion in additional contributions to PSPRS to whittle down some of their unfunded liability.

For taxpayers, that means savings in penalties for the unfunded liability totaling more than $1.7 million.

Employers either devoted some of their budget surplus from the 2020-21 �iscal year to pay down their pension debt or borrowed money at interest rates that are less than half and even a third of the 7.3% rate PSPRS assesses annually on their unfunded pension liability.

That $1.58 billion in extra payments is on top of the $1 billion employers were required to pay on accruing pension bene�its and the interest on their pension debt.

Required contributions to cover the unfunded liabilities account for roughly twothirds of total required employer contributions each year.

“The additional contributions help secure pension stability for employers’ retirees and members while saving taxpayers money by eliminating or reducing unfunded pension debt that will escalate employer costs each year if left unaddressed,” PSPRS spokesman Christian Palmer said.

His boss, PSPRS Administrator Mike Townsend, was even more ebullient.

“This milestone is the result of an all-out effort to help employers understand and realize the true cost of public safety pension bene�its and the taxpayer savings that can be achieved by paying off unfunded pension obligations,” Townsend said.

“Although the large amount of additional contributions is great, the other impressive fact is the total number of employers that are

Mike Townsend, administrator of the Arizona Public Safety Personnel Retirement System, praised the dozens of municipalities, counties and state agencies that have made extra payments on their unfunded pension liability. Phoenix taxpayers are paying additional penalties on an unfunded police and fire pension liability of $3.2 billion. (Special to Foothills Focus) taking action. Employers across the state are chopping down a mountain of pension debt.”

One thing Townsend didn’t mention is the role he personally played in the employers’ big paydown effort.

Sources said he personally appeared before more than 40 county boards of supervisors and city and town councils to urge them to take advantage of historically low interest rates to pay down their pension debt.

Many of those bodies heeded Townsend’s encouragement, with Gov. Doug Ducey taking the biggest step by adding $500 million each to the unfunded liability owed on pensions for corrections of�icers and retired state troopers.

The current unfunded liability for retired adult and juvenile corrections of�icers combined is $1.12 billion while the unfunded liability for Department of Public Safety employees totals $898 million.

The city of Phoenix plunked down an extra $26 million on the unfunded liabilities for police and �ire pensions totaling nearly $3.4 billion. That city’s total �ire and police pension debt exceeds $5.4 billion.

At a city council meeting last month, Phoenix City Manager Ed Zuercher said he may seek permission in the fall for a bond issue to pay down another $1 billion of that pension debt, essentially borrowing money at an interest rate far lower than the penalty assessed by PSPRS.

Zuercher’s plan also takes 1.2% of the $5.6 million in expected new revenue from recreational marijuana sales taxes and an extra $39.7 million from the general fund for a total payment of close to $300 million on the city’s pension debt.

Mayor Kate Gallego voted against the bond issue part of the payment plan, claiming PSPRS had made “unnecessarily risky investments” in the past.

And several other council members, including Vice Mayor Carlos Garcia, expressed reluctance to keep using marijuana tax revenue after this year, suggesting they might want to use the money to fund other city services.

But a memo from Zuercher and Chief Financial Of�icer Denise Olson to council underscores the importance of paying down that pension debt.

The memo cited the urgency to “avoid a huge burden” down the road that would require “signi�icantly decreasing services or an increase in taxes.”

“This taxpayer burden must be balanced with being �iscally responsible and committed in providing pensions to retirees,” the memo said.

And because pension debt is a priority expenditure for any governmental employer, the unfunded liability’s costs “have placed signi�icant budgetary constraints on the

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NEWS

THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | THEFOOTHILLSFOCUS.COM | AUGUST 4, 2021

5

ABRAZO ���� ���� 1

have to transfer them.”

The neighborhood hospital offers handle appendectomies, gall bladder CT, X-ray and ultrasound. The physiremoval and simple surgical stuff like cians can handle chest pains, stroke, that,” Bird said. “The only thing we don’t trauma and anything orthopedic. The handle are laboring mothers. We don’t hospital saw its first patient shortly have an OB-GYN on site there. We would after opening.

“Our �irst patient was a trauma patient,” she said. “We’ve seen a lot of lacerations and trauma.

We had a person who was kicked by a horse.

We’re seeing a lot of trauma patients and a lot of really sick people.”

Dr. Sara Beckett elaborated.

“Patients with abdominal pain, sprains and broken bones, lacerations, pneumonia The single operating room is equppied to handle appendectomies, and flu are typical of gall bladder removal and simple surgeries not including laboring the types of conditions mothers. (Photo courtesy of Abrazo Cave Creek Hospital) we expect to see in the emergency department,” explained Beckett, medical director of emergency services at Abrazo Cave Creek Hospital.

“As an emergency medicine physician, it is an honor to be involved with this new hospital,” Beckett said.

“The town of Cave Creek and its residents will surely bene�it from having medical care The first patient at Abrazo Cave Creek Hospital was a trauma pa- nearby. Minutes matter tient. (Photo courtesy of Abrazo Cave Creek Hospital) in an emergency. We will strive to keep ER

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wait times short, and to provide safe, high-quality care. It’s about providing the right care in the right place.”

Bird said Cave Creek was a natural choice for Abrazo.

“They looked at Cave Creek because there was nothing that far north to serve Cave Creek/ Carefree, and even North Scottsdale and Phoenix,” she said. “It’s de�initely an area that’s been underserved for the last couple of years.”

Abrazo Cave Creek’s staff is just as excited as the community.

“It’s a great community,” Bird said.

“We’re not like a bigger ER. Patients get

in really quick. There are no three- or four-hour waits. No one wants to wait when they’re not feeling well.”

Abrazo Cave Creek Hospital and Abrazo Scottsdale Campus chief executive of�icer, Naman Mahajan is said he was impressed by the ribbon-cutting turnout.

“Many of our leaders and team members have dedicated a signi�icant part of the last year making Cave Creek a reality,” Mahajan added. “I could not be prouder of the team who over the course of the last month has worked diligently around the clock to ensure a successful opening.”

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NEWS

THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | THEFOOTHILLSFOCUS.COM | AUGUST 4, 2021

Barro’s, Pepsi raise $40K for childhood cancer

BY FOOTHILLS FOCUS STAFF

B

arro’s Pizza and Pepsi partnered to help Arizona families affected by pediatric cancer.

Last month, Barro’s Pizza and Pepsi donated proceeds from the sale of all lunch specials from all Barro’s Pizza locations in the Valley.

For the sixth consecutive year, they reached their goal of donating $40,000 to Arizona Cancer Foundation for Children (ACFC), a local nonpro�it whose mission is to help Arizona families with the high costs and challenging logistics while caring for their children during cancer treatment.

“We love being able to help organizations like Arizona Cancer Foundation for Children,” said Ken Barro, co-owner of Barro’s Pizza. “A big thank-you goes out to our customers who helped us reach our goal of $40,000 once again. We are so grateful that our customers continue to support our efforts to help others in our community.”

With this year’s contribution, Barro’s Pizza has now raised more than $180,000 for ACFC. The gift goes directly to providing �inancial assistance to families for living expenses, travel expenses for treatment, treatment and prescriptions and funeral expens-

es for a minimum of 80 families. This year, Barro’s Pizza and Pepsi’s support will help keep up with the increasing demand for help directly related to additional challenges families are facing due to COVID-19.

“Each year we are amazed at Barro’s Pizza and Pepsi’s generosity,” said Chrisie Funari, president and founder of Arizona Cancer Foundation for Children.

“Thanks to companies like Barro’s, we are able to help more than 800 families with children battling cancer in Arizona.

We are so grateful for their continued support and passion for our mission.”

City’s ability to provide employee wage and non-pension bene�it increases, public services and infrastructure maintenance,” the memo noted.

Up until the end of the last century, unfunded pension liability for PSPRS didn’t exist.

Then came the housing market crash in 2008 and the subsequent economic collapse that not only adversely impacted the stock market but also reduced government hiring to a crawl.

At the same time, more government employees were retiring, and with fewer new employees paying into the plan, the agency’s pension obligations were increasing.

As municipalities started putting more of their available revenue into more immediate public services, their pension debt steadily increased — fueled in part by the penalties assessed annually on that debt.

Voters in 2016 overwhelmingly approved

Proposition 124, which reduced cost-of-living increases in the pensions for retired �ire�ighters, police and elected of�icials.

Those cost-of-living adjustments were now tied to the regional Consumer Price Index with an annual cap of 2%.

For nearly 20 years, an annual 4% compounded increase had been paid out to retirees, signi�icantly cutting into the amount of money remaining to pay future retirement bene�its.

But that prop had the strong support of public safety unions, which said the move would make the pension fund more secure.

A subsequent for two years later made the same changes in pensions for corrections and probation of�icers.

Not everyone favored the props.

The Arizona Tax Research Association and the Goldwater Institute contended the measures provided no short-term �inancial relief for taxpayers and that savings may occur only years down the road.

PENSION ���� ���� 4

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OPINION

THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | THEFOOTHILLSFOCUS.COM | AUGUST 4, 2021

Opinion TheFoothillsFocus.com

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7

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Requiem for a problem solver

BY JD HAYWORTH Foothills Focus Columnist

M

ike Enzi was never too big for his britches, nor too small for his shoes.

Instead, he was just the right fit for the people of Wyoming, whom he served in the United States Senate for nearly a quarter of a century.

Enzi, who died Monday, July 26 at age 77 from injuries sustained in a bicycle accident, was not your typical senator. He didn’t seek out celebrated columnists to offer the lofty comments of the self important, nor make himself “must-see TV” on the networks’ Sunday news interview shows.

Unlike so many of his colleagues, he didn’t look in the mirror and see a future president.

His path to the “World’s Most Exclusive Club” was not paved by wealth, and certainly not by a famous last name.

Mike was an Eagle Scout, and he took the scout motto seriously: Be prepared.

That’s why his initial time in Washington came not as a senator but as a student. Enzi earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from George Washington University in 1966, 30 years before he was elected to the Senate. He followed that with an MBA from the University of Denver, where he concentrated on the study of retail marketing.

Then, it was back to Wyoming for Enzi, who put the marketing he had learned to good use by courting and winning the hand of the former Diana Buckley in 1969. That same year, the retail component of his education came to the fore, as he expanded the

small business started by his dad.

Mike and Diana opened NZ Shoes in the central Wyoming town of Gillette in July of ’69, one month after their marriage. They would eventually open additional locations in Sheridan and in Miles City, Montana.

For both the Enzi Family and the place they called home, one word described the 1970s: growth. Mike and Diana welcomed two daughters and a son, while Gillette doubled in population. The abundance of coal in the Powder River Basin fueled the transition of the town into a small city.

Mike’s transition into politics was

prompted by Sen. Alan Simpson, the man he would one day succeed in Washington. After hearing Enzi deliver a speech on community leadership at the Wyoming Jaycees Convention, Simpson told Mike he should lead by example and run for elective office.

“That town you live in, Gillette, needs a mayor,” Simpson said pointedly.

After discussing it with Diana, Mike mounted a mayoral campaign, winning the office in 1974 at age 29.

He served two terms, and years later recounted in an interview that the inexperience of youth was actually

an asset.

“The advantage of young people is that they don’t know what can’t be

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OPINION

THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | THEFOOTHILLSFOCUS.COM | AUGUST 4, 2021

The erosion of trust threatens all of us

BY DAVID LEIBOWITZ Foothills Focus Columnist

A

1972 poll named television anchor Walter Cronkite “the most trusted man in America.” The designation stuck until Cronkite passed away in 2009, and was featured prominently in his many obituaries.

Given that Cronkite retired from CBS when I was 15, I can’t say he was my North Star. But of this much I’m certain: If Cronkite had the misfortune of being an anchorman in 2021, his trust scores would rank down there with congressmen, priests and used car salesmen. I can say this with certainty because nowadays no one trusts anyone.

Which is a damn shame.

When I was a kid, Dr. Goldberg was our family physician. He made house calls toting his enormous black valise, and he dispensed prescriptions and wisdom, neither of which we questioned.

If Dr. Goldberg said get a vaccine

against measles, mumps and rubella, we got a shot. If he said give your son Naldecon four times a day for a cough, that’s what my mom did – because Goldberg was a doctor, he had parchment diplomas on the wall and we trusted him.

Now? Half of America could be bleeding out on the sidewalk and they’d insist on knowing who the paramedics voted for in 2020 before accepting life-saving medical treatment.

Get a COVID-19 vaccine because over a dozen scientific studies say they work?

Ha! Wear a mask because the Delta variant is undoing our progress fighting the pandemic? What are you, some kind of sheep who listens to scientists?

Actually, I am a sheep like that, as are most Americans. Gallup does an annual poll of trust in American institutions.

This year for the first time they asked respondents how much they trust science.

Nearly two-thirds of respondents – 64% – reported having “a great deal” or “quite a lot” of trust in science. Anoth-

er 24% had some trust. Only 12% had “very little” trust or “none at all.”

Only two institutions were deemed more trustworthy than science: Small business at 70% and the military at 69%.

The big losers? Congress, with only 12% of those polled claiming significant trust in that clownish body. Meanwhile, TV news – sorry Uncle Walter – was trusted by 16% of respondents. “Big Business” also had the trust of 16% of those polled.

Surprisingly, 51% of Americans say they have a great deal or quite a lot of trust in the police, even after the vicious onslaught directed at cops over the past few years. That’s down a dozen points in the last 15 years, but it’s still more trust than we have in the Presidency (38%), public schools (32%) and newspapers (21%).

This erosion of trust plays a role in dividing us and rendering communities unable to solve problems large or small.

The city that doesn’t trust its leaders, schools and people of faith is a city that struggles to solve its problems and to prevent those problems from recurring.

The individual who doesn’t trust a

doctor, schoolteacher, minister, anchorman, CEO or Senator is someone with few ways to calculate what’s true, what works, what’s dangerous and what should be avoided.

Back in the day, Walter Cronkite ended each nightly newscast with his signature line: “And that’s the way it is.”

Cronkite could say that, and it drew no laughter, because people trusted him.

Today? The way it is has little to do with actual facts and everything to do with who’s saying it, who’s listening and who else is saying the exact opposite.

Trust me when I tell you, a country that trusts no one is one that eventually loses everyone.

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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.

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OPINION

THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | THEFOOTHILLSFOCUS.COM | AUGUST 4, 2021

9

AROUND THE BLUHMIN’ TOWN

Mother Nature can be �ierce

BY JUDY BLUHM Foothills Focus Columnist

L

ord, could we get some rain? Our prayers were answered. OK, can it stop for a while? Because it was a doozy of a storm that trounced Arizona.

The destruction to lives, livestock, trees and property that comes from a “100year monsoon event” showed us that Mother Nature can be fierce. In Arizona, even if you are a newcomer, it is almost sacrilegious to complain about the rain. We are in the midst of an extreme drought that has lasted over 20 years.

The lack of precipitation has lowered our water tables, drying up the lakes, rivers, wells and reservoirs. It has caused many to wonder what the future holds for the inhabitants of our great state. Will agriculture survive with water restrictions?

Will watering lawns and golf courses be limited? Will forest fires keep raging?

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And then came the storms. The sudden torrential rains (in some places 5 inches) on packed earth with nowhere to run, saturates the soil quickly, causing mini-rivers to form. Dry stream beds can instantaneously turn into torrents of fast-moving water. Burn scars from the fires scattered throughout the state create more flash flooding, as the soil cannot absorb the water and the vegetation that typically holds soil in place is destroyed. The drive across that little channel of water that is running quickly and only a few inches high can suddenly become white-water rapids and start to move your vehicle. Roads that are paved were ponds; dirt roads quickly became mud holes. Danger lurks in these storms.

When the thunder cracked in the middle of the night last week in some places in Maricopa County, hundreds of folks called 911 because they thought bombs were going off. Thousands of lightning

flashes and wind gusts over 60 miles per hour ripped through towns and subdivisions with fury. One golf course had 220 mature trees downed in a few hours.

People looked out and found strange “items” had landed in their backyard.

Where did that trampoline come from?

Wait, is that a storage shed upside down in our yard? And where did all of our lawn furniture go? Hey, didn’t we just spend about 2,000 bucks on decorative rock for our front yard? Is that it being washed down the road?

Roofs were pelted with hail or shingles blown off. Vehicles that were once parked in driveways were seen floating down streams that didn’t exist hours earlier before the rain. Houses were flooded. Some things can be replaced, repaired and rebuilt. But not the precious lives that were lost. We collectively mourn for the two children swept away in sudden raging waters. It is an unimaginable loss for the

families. And so we hold each other close as we realize that monsoons can have disastrous outcomes. We paid a steep price for precipitation.

The Navajos say that when the clouds look like sheep in the sky, the heavens will soon open up and drench the parched land, cleanse the earth, refresh the trees and sustain life. I see sheep congregating in the northern sky. Looks like rain. Stay safe, dear readers.

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 | AUGUST 4, 2021

HAYWORTH from Page 7

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done. They just go ahead and do it,” Enzi remembered.

After eight years as mayor, Mike took a break from public life to concentrate on family and business.

He returned to politics in the late ’80s, representing Gillette and Campbell County first in the state House, then in the state Senate during the early ’90s.

Alan Simpson retired from the U.S. Senate in 1996; Enzi succeeded him. Mike’s closest race came in the GOP primary, where he edged future colleague John Barrasso by less than three percentage points; the general election was a comparative breeze, as Enzi won with 54% of the votes cast.

The people of Wyoming liked Mike, as they returned him to the Senate in three subsequent elections with more than 70% of the vote.

What made Mike Enzi so effective?

As a legislator, it was the “80-20 Rule.” He discovered that about 20%

of issues were so partisan that no legislative remedy could be found.

But that left 80% of the issues that could be addressed and eventually remedied.

A problem solver at heart, Sen. Enzi was at first surprised, then gratified by the casework he and his staff performed for constituents.

He put it this way in an interview earlier this year: “I went to legislate, and then I found out that probably our most important work is casework, where people are having a problem with the federal government. Often it can be solved, because there’s not a lot of common sense in the federal government.”

The good Lord blessed Mike Enzi with common sense in uncommon quantities.

Wyoming was blessed to have a shoe salesman-turned-senator.

Rest in peace, Mike.

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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New �loral company is a ‘gem’

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Foothills Focus Executive Editor

M

ariam Chekmeyan was working full time for a construction company and made a great salary.

But the desk job sti�led the North Phoenix woman’s creativity.

“I’m a very creative person,” the Sandra Day O’Connor High School graduate said.

“I couldn’t be myself doing things with construction and of�ice work. I told my boyfriend, ‘I am quitting my job.’

“He said, ‘Not until you �igure out what you’re doing.’”

Chekmeyan quit her job and, for three weeks, she cleaned houses in Anthem to make money. It was then that she had an epiphany.

“I have a small baking business on the side,” recalled the 23-year-old. “A lot of my work includes �lowers.”

Chekmeyan then founded Deer Valley’s Gem Floral and Rentals.

“I’ve always decorated my pastries and chocolate-covered strawberries with �lowers,” Chekmeyan said. “I’ve always loved �lowers and being creative.

My goal since I was 15 years old was to be in the wedding (business). I have a love for creating.

“When I suggested starting our own �lower shop, my boyfriend supported me 100%. He said to go for it. We’ve been really busy.”

Her wedding business is picking up and she called those events “fun.”

“I recently did my �irst wedding,” she said. “I hope to, one day, be a full-time wedding �lorist and to have a team to continue what I’m doing now.”

This summer, Chekmeyan will add a cre-

ative activity to her events.

“I will be introducing a �lower bar,” she said. “I rent out a bar and, instead of passing out drinks, I make fresh �lower arrangements. Whoever is at your �lower bar or party gets a fresh bouquet to take home.”

While Chekmeyan is building her website, she is taking orders through social media and text via @gem�lorals on Instagram, facebook.com/ mchekmeyan on Facebook or 480-310-8323.

“I work with wire companies as well,” she said. “We take a lot of orders from there. We’ve been posting through social media, spreading the world through word of mouth. We have a plaza with a lot of men. They’re always buying �lowers for their wives.

“I love that they have that choice of creating (arrangements).”

Chekmeyan is a �irst-generation American, as her parents are Armenian.

Her brothers were born in Armenia and Russia, and 15 years later, their parents had her.

“My grandmother was a huge �lower fanatic,” said Chekmeyan, who will decorate her wedding with peonies. “You could buy her �lowers and she would be the happiest person on Earth. She passed away eight years ago.

“I think �lowers can change your mood.

It changes my mood all the time. Every morning, when I get my shipment of �lowers, I’m the happiest person ever.”

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FEATURES

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The Buffalo Chip remains boisterous

BY ALEX GALLAGHER Foothills Focus Staff Writer

T

he Buffalo Chip Saloon and Steakhouse has offered entertainment every night of the week for over 20 years and remains a staple in Cave Creek.

“From its award-winning barbecue to hosting bull riding among all skill levels twice a week to just offering an Old West experience to its customers, The Buffalo Chip has it all,” said owner Larry Wendt.

Before becoming the Buffalo Chip, it was a shop called The Bartlett Beer and Bait and served as a small shop for cus-

Now Hiring

The Buffalo Chip Saloon and Steakhouse has offered nightly entertainment for the past 20 years.

(Photo by Pablo Robles)

Current owner Larry Wendt took the business from 800 square feet making $40,000 a month to 10,000 square feet on 10 acres making $4 to $8 million a year. (Photo by Pablo Robles)

Apply in Person

tomers to get a few goods before heading off to the Bartlett Dam. It wasn’t until the 1970s when former NFL Player Max McGee, who scored the first touchdown in the first Super Bowl, purchased the business that would be-

come The Buffalo Chip.

The Buffalo Chip Saloon and Steakhouse changed in 1998 when Wendt purchased the restaurant and grew it to

see BUFFALO CHIP page 13

FEATURES

THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | THEFOOTHILLSFOCUS.COM | AUGUST 4, 2021

13 ••

BUFFALO CHIP from page 12

what it is today.

“I had always been interested in western cooking, so when I retired from law enforcement in 1998, I decided to purchase what I thought would be a hobby,” Wendt said. “I thought this would be a great hobby, but now that we have more than 121 employees, it’s been a bit more than that.

“It has grown from 800 square feet and making $40,000 a month to 10,000 square feet on 10 acres with indoor and outdoor venues for bull riding and music that makes around $4 to $8 million a year,” Wendt said.

In 2015, the original Buffalo Chip facility suffered fire damage and was closed for nearly two months. However, the restaurant/bar was rebuilt and is one of the most creative buildings on Cave Creek Road.

“The whole building is built out of rusted timbers, sawmill, tin and saw blades. It’s an incredibly unique building,” Wendt said.

Inside the custom redwood building

Buffalo Chip Saloon and Steakhouse is known for its award-winning barbecue, bull riding events for all skill levels twice a week and offering a classic Old West exerpiencce. (Photo by Pablo Robles) are antique insulators used as lights and tables sawed out of 6-inch-thick logs where customers can enjoy its award-winning barbecue.

“We’re really proud of our food, we go

through about 10,000 pounds of beef, pork and chicken a week and 600 cases of beer, so we must be doing something right,” Wendt said with a laugh.

The Buffalo Chip Saloon and Steak-

house prides itself on its award-winning brisket, which is smoked between 14 and 16 hours over mesquite, and ribs

see BUFFALO CHIP page 15

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Bull riding takes place every Wednesday and Friday with gates opening at 6 p.m. followed by a 7 p.m. start time. Tickets are available on the website. (Photo by Pablo Robles)

BUFFALO CHIP from page 13

as well as its selection of more than 30 beers and 60 other alcoholic beverages.

“I’d doubt there’s much you could ask for that we don’t have on tap or in bottles,” Wendt said.

Outside of The Buffalo Chip’s dining room is where it really comes alive, he said.

The Buffalo Chip has a large bull riding arena that can hold up to 500 spectators and houses amateur and professional bull riders on Wednesdays and Fridays.

Spectators can purchase tickets in advance on the restaurant’s website as these events generally sell out quickly.

Riders are required to make a reservation online and sign a waiver before riding.

For those who do not wish to ride or watch someone ride a 2,000-pound bull,

The Buffalo Chip also has live music and line dancing throughout the week.

“We’re fortunate in that Cave Creek is generally 10 degrees cooler than the Valley and we’re right up against the Black Mountain and get cool air flowing,” Wendt said. “We’ve also got huge fans and misters indoors and out everywhere.”

The Buffalo Chip Saloon and Steakhouse is excited to have events going on inside and outside of its restaurant.

“There’s always something going on, we’ve got some type of entertainment every night,” Wendt said.

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FEATURES

THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | THEFOOTHILLSFOCUS.COM | AUGUST 4, 2021

Jeriann Dosemagen: On the edge with imagination

BY SHEA STANFIELD Foothills Focus Contributing Writer

A

s a child in southeastern Wisconsin, Jeriann Dosemagen was passionate about art and had early dreams of working as an artist.

However, she put those dreams on hold to pursue a career in business.

Having completed her undergraduate and graduate degrees in business at Carthage College and Marquette University, Dosemagen freely admitted that elective art classes were her favorite courses.”

Despite thriving in numerous leadership positions throughout her business career — working eight years at a credit union and another 20 years at a health care company — Dosemagen still yearned to become an artist.

As a result, she carefully planned

Jeriann Dosemagen in her studio. (Photo courtesy of Jeriann Dosemagen)

an early exit strategy from corporate America so she could return to her original passion.

Once retired, Dosemagen fulfilled her lifelong dream of relocating to Arizona, where she then completed a comprehensive art program. She learned the painting techniques of the old masters, her favorites being Monet and Van Gogh. Today, she paints from her home studio and is a juried artist/member at On the Edge Gallery on Main Street in Old Town Scottsdale. Her artwork can be found in the homes of collectors around the world.

“I definitely don’t fit the mold of a typical artist,” Dosemagen said.

“I’m a Type A personality, spreadsheet/numbers person who actually finds it a bit challenging to escape my structured left-brained thoughts.

see DOSEMAGEN page 17

FEATURES

THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | THEFOOTHILLSFOCUS.COM | AUGUST 4, 2021

“Autumn Splendor” by Jeriann Dosemagen. (Photo courtesy of Jeriann Dosemagen)

“In The Flowers” by Jeriann Dosemagen. (Photo courtesy of Jeriann Dosemagen)

DOSEMAGEN from page 16

teresting, yet still maintain my personal voice and style.”

To view Dosemagen’s artwork, vis-

Creating art has been a gift that enables me to relax.”

Dosemagen loves experimenting with new mediums, styles and techniques. She is painting landscapes, trees and flowers in a creative style she refers to as “contemporary pointillism,” primarily in oils.

“I focus on the unique application of color and lighting in my art, transporting viewers into a realm of beauty, tranquility and contemplation,” she said.

Her process is her own. She starts her underpaintings with a thin wash of acrylics, and sometimes spray paint.

“Then, as I add more detail, I work from dark to light, thin to thick,” she said. “I always finish each piece with rich oils to ensure the most striking depth and vibrance, adding the finest details where I think they’ll have the greatest impact.”

In addition to brushes, Dosemagen also uses palette knives, sponges and just about anything else she can find that will leave the sort of effect she wishes to achieve.

“I intentionally allow my process to vary based on the subject matter, my mood, or even the type of music I’m listening to that day,” she said. “I think being open to different possibilities helps my work to be more in-

17 ••

it jerianndosemagen.com, or visit her art at On the Edge Gallery, 7077 E. Main Street, Scottsdale.

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THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | THEFOOTHILLSFOCUS.COM | AUGUST 4, 2021

SummerFest supporting charity with free event

BY JORDAN HOUSTON Foothills Focus Staff Writer

C

ave Creek’s CreekWest SummerFest is closing summer with a bang to benefit community members and staple charities alike.

The first fest, organized by Local Jonny’s Tavern & Cafe, Big Earl’s Greasy Eats and Bryan’s Black Mountain Barbecue, will mark the end of the season on Aug. 7 with a family-friendly event. From 3 to 8 p.m., the town’s streets will come alive with a plethora of activities sponsored by the restaurants, from shaved ice, to live music and drive-in movies.

The free fest, which began in June and takes place the first Saturday of each month through September, will be located at 6033 E. Cave Creek Road. A portion of the event’s proceeds will go toward supporting the

The first series will continue Aug. 7 in Cave Creek, benefiting the Desert Foothills Land Trust.

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Desert Foothills Land Trust, according to Local Jonny’s General Manager Rebecca Harding.

“It’s a block-party-style charity fundraising event series,” Harding said.

“When the snowbirds leave, a lot of charities lose half of their volunteers,” she continued. “So, we’re just trying to help fill in those gaps when we can.”

At Local Jonny’s, children can enjoy a water slide and bounce house, while live music will be featured from 6 to 9 p.m., Harding said. The restaurant, at 6033 E. Cave Creek Road, will also offer two full bars, complete with drink specials and free samples.

It will provide a space for “tons of art vendors,” Harding continued, highlighting artisan goods such as handmade soaps, local honey, local artwork, candles and vintage clothes.

“We’re trying to do something that benefits the charities, but each business has its own sense of entertain-

ment,” the general manager said.

Big Earl’s, sitting at 6135 E. Cave Creek Road, will offer shaved ice, a full bar with drink specials and a bounce house. Attendees can also kick back and relax with a drive-in movie.

Bryan’s Barbecue, on the other hand, will organize a character lunch from 3 to 6 p.m., catering to “Frozen” and Marvel movie fanatics. “(The restaurant) has a character dinner with Elsa and Anna from Frozen and Spider-man for the kids,” Harding said.

Live music will be sponsored by the grill, addressed at 6130 E. Cave Creek Road, from 6 to 9 p.m.

Frontier Town, Harding explained, will also have “those little gems on their property,” including the “momand-pop shops that are a staple” for the old western town.

CreekWest SummerFest seeks to

see SUMMERFEST page 19

FEATURES

THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | THEFOOTHILLSFOCUS.COM | AUGUST 4, 2021

19 ••

Concealed carry permit training planned at Post 34

BY FOOTHILLS FOCUS STAFF

experience by using your cognitive thinking to quickly determine your next course of action.”

Johnson Group Tactical is a North Valley-based veteran-owned firearms training company. Johnson, a veteran and an NRA instructor, spent 10 years in the military and 20 years in law enforcement with the Maricopa County Sheriff ’s Office. Johnson also served on SWAT for seven years and is a former POST-certified firearms, rifle and building clearing instructor. Johnson Group Tactical, a husband-and-wife team, focuses on training women and new handgun owners.

Classes range from beginner to advanced, as well as concealed carry weapon (CCW). Johnson Group Tactical is a member and official partner of USCCA. The business can be reached at JohnsonGroupTAC@gmail.com or by calling 602-410-7355.

J

ohnson Group Tactical will offer concealed carry permit training from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 7, at American Legion Post 34., 6272 E. Cave Creek Road, Cave Creek.

The class costs $89. Discounts are available for military and first responders. The class fee includes fingerprinting but does not include the $60 application fee to AZ DPS for the final permit.

Interested participants can sign up for the course at JohnsonGroupTAC@gmail.com or by calling 602448-8283.

“We believe in preparation and situational awareness. We teach tactical mindset,” said Oz Johnson, founder of Johnson Group Tactical.

“It’s the ability to have the thought process that comes with training and

SUMMERFEST from page 18

support local charities in the wake of the economic downturn brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, Harding said. The Foothills Food Bank and Rural Metro Fire were featured in June and July.

The Desert Foothills Land Trust, August’s charity, holds a special place in Harding’s heart, she shared.

“The Desert Foothills Land Trust is something very near and dear to my heart,” the general manager said. “I know that the owners are very passionate about it. They relentlessly try to preserve our desert in any way that they can.”

Desert Foothills Land Trust, established in 1991, seeks to connect locals to the wild “by working with communities and partners to conserve and steward sensitive lands and species for the survival of (our) Sonoran Desert,” its website states.

The trust has conserved 850 acres on 26 preserves, so far, according to its website. Most of the conserved

land is open to the public for recreation, the site continues. In 2010, the nonprofit was accredited by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission.

Following the August SummerFest event, a percentage of the proceeds from participating businesses will be funneled toward the trust, Harding explained.

“We just want to make sure that we can put a call out to the community,” she disclosed. “And really just try to lend a hand to them (the trust) to let them know that, ‘We’re still here too, and we acknowledge you. Not only do we support you, but we also take pride in what you do.’”

Donation bins during the fest will be available for cash and check donations. Credit cards, however, will not be accepted, Harding said.

Arizona Foothills 911, the series’ final charity, will be featured in September.

For more information regarding the August event, or the CreekWest SummerFest, call 480-488-9129 or visit the website at frontiertownaz.com.

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THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | THEFOOTHILLSFOCUS.COM | AUGUST 4, 2021

Youth TheFoothillsFocus.com

21

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Youth events are plentiful at library

BY FOOTHILLS FOCUS STAFF

D

esert Foothills Library has scheduled a slew of events for children in August.

All events take place at the facility, 38443 N. Schoolhouse Road, Cave Creek, or virtually on Zoom. For more information, call 480-488-2286 or visit dfla.org.

Registration is not required for free programs, unless otherwise noted.

Swimming in a 3-D Aquarium 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 10 Help your child create an underwater scene complete with fish, sand, shells or

Storigami 3:30 to 5 p.m. Friday, Aug. 27 Tell a story through the Japanese art of paper folding. The group will follow a story as it folds paper until a creation emerges. The program is suited for ages 10 to 13.

YOUTH

seaweed. Suited for children ages 2 to 5, this program helps with fine motor skills.

Ice Cube Painting 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 19

Kids can show off their artistic imagination using ice cubes. This program is great to play with colors as well as to work on their fine motor skills. The program is suited for children ages 4 to 7.

DIY Locker Accessories 3:30 to 5 p.m. Monday, Aug. 23 Teens and tweens can create craft locker accessories and magnets. All supplies are included. Bring accessories, pictures or extras for a personal touch. The program is for children ages 12 to 18.

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THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | THEFOOTHILLSFOCUS.COM | AUGUST 4, 2021

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Obituaries Karen Lee Mounce

87 of Anthem, Arizona, passed away on Friday, July 2, 2021, with her family by her side. She was born to the late Carl & Karen Pauline Nelson, February 27, 1934, in Los Angeles, CA. Karen graduated with her bachelors at UCLA. She was married to Howard Wendell Mounce (deceased) in June 1957. She is survived by her sons and their spouses, Stephen and Paula Mounce, Erich and Marla Mounce, and her daughter Katrina Kunz. Her sister Marlene Toon, brother Johnny Nelson., and by a host of grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Karen leaves nothing but beautiful memories of her friends, her church, and her family.

Her most talked about trip was fishing in Alaska, golf tournaments, and the many gin and poker nights. In her later years her passion was her church in Anthem, Palmcroft.

Join us at her celebration of life on Saturday, August 28, 2021 at 3:00 PM at Palmcroft Church, Anthem, 3715 W Anthem Way, Anthem, AZ 85086. In lieu of flowers please make donations to the church that gave her such joy and pride in the last several years.

CLASSIFIEDS Employment General Part Time Auto Parts Counter Help

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Announcements

The legendary Rock Springs Café is

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THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | THEFOOTHILLSFOCUS.COM | AUGUST 4, 2021

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Almeida Roofing Inc. All Types of Roofing

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THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | THEFOOTHILLSFOCUS.COM | AUGUST 4, 2021

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