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PAGE 34

Wednesday, October 7, 2020

Prayer lifts Sunny Parker to volunteerism

INSIDE

This Week

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Foothills Focus Executive Editor

NEWS..........................9

CCUSD’s Horseshoe Trails named a National Blue Ribbon School

S

unny Parker isn’t one to cancel appointments.

But when brush fires are approaching Cave Creek and the town’s mayor, Ernie Bunch, comes calling, there’s no time to waste.

Parker founded Arizona Foothills 911, a 9,000-member Facebook page dedicated to neighbors helping neighbors in emergency situations. The target audience is Cave Creek, Carefree, Desert Hills, Rio Verde and North

see PARKER page 4

Sunny Parker thought that if she started a Facebook page for her area, maybe 300 people would sign up in five years. Arizona Foothills 911 now boasts 10,000 members. (Foothills Focus photo by Tim Sealy)

NEWS ..............11

Area firefighters to Cave Creek: We can’t help you

YOUTH ............38

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Foothills Focus Executive Editor

Boutique-type Hampton Inn set for Carefree

’The Great Salt Machine’ shares family’s story

OPINION.................... 15 BUSINESS.................. 25 FEATURES................. 27 YOUTH....................... 36 CLASSIFIEDS............. 38 Zone

2

C

ave Creek officials are exploring ways to provide fire protection and emergency medical services for the town, instead of relying on nearby municipalities’ departments.

The town hired independent consultant Kevin Roche of PSRM, who reviewed the recent fires and prepared a report for the council. Its current model of voluntary subscription fire and EMS is not sustainable, Roche said in his report. The limited service provided by Rural

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Metro Fire to the town’s residents depends on revenue from between 40% and 50% of the municipality’s properties.

It also depends on the provision of mutual aid from neighboring jurisdictions for simultaneous, moderate and larger emergencies.

“The willingness of the town’s neighbors to provide this backup for free is at the breaking point,” Roche wrote.

Daisy Mountain Fire & Medical Chief Brian Tobin told The Foothills Focus that it’s draining his department.

“We’re basically their de facto backup to

their going on the cheap in their town,” Tobin said.

“The metro fire departments surrounding Cave Creek are so frustrated by the city’s failure to have a fire department that they are considering not coming back for the next big Cave Creek fire. There’s way too much risk for us to go in on an hourly basis to put fires out in a town like that. We do it with our partners, and we’re all in it together. Tom Shannon (Scottsdale fire chief) will tell you that he has

see FIREFIGHTING page 5

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NEWS

THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | OCTOBER 7, 2020

PARKER from page 1 The Foothills Focus is published every Wednesday.

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Scottsdale. However, if there’s a natural disaster, fire or flooding anywhere in the state, Arizona Foothills 911 and Parker are ready to help.

Parker is modest about her motivation behind Arizona Foothills 911. It’s simply the result of prayer.

Celebration turned tragic Three years ago, Parker’s daughter named Arizona was a student at UA, while her son, Brian, worked at the university.

Parker headed down to Tucson to take the family to a resort for dinner to celebrate Arizona’s 21st birthday.

“I thought we’d do something classy and nice,” said Parker, who most recently ran a hospitalist company. “That’s what she wanted.”

The evening was muggy and rainy, and all three were struggling to breathe. But Parker noticed a bruise on Brian.

“I said, ‘How did you get that?’ He said, ‘I have no idea,’” she recalled.

He went to a clinic, which diagnosed him with cellulitis and prescribed an antibiotic. Parker questioned that diagnosis, saying, “It looked like someone beat the tar out of you with a baseball bat.”

The same weekend, Brian planned to move to a new place but felt fatigued and asked his mother if she could round up movers. Brian laid down, and the bruise bothered Parker.

At 5:30 a.m., Brian awoke his mother. He was sitting on his bed, slumped over.

“I called my husband (Dr. Steve Parker) and told him Brian doesn’t look right at all. I asked Siri for the nearest hospital because I wasn’t familiar with Tucson. It was 1.5 minutes away. The story went from bad to worse.”

At the hospital, Brian profusely apologized to his mother, who had his power of attorney.

“I looked at him and said, ‘Brian, why are you saying you’re sorry?’” she recalled with tears. “He said he wasn’t going to make it. A few seconds later, he crashed.

There were tons of people in that room.

“They forgot I was there. I literally backed up to a wall and they worked on him forever. They brought him back. One of the doctors said, ‘How is this kid alive?

He doesn’t have enough blood in his body to be alive,’ not thinking I was behind him.”

She then heard segments of a troubling conversation: “Who’s going to tell the mother? I don’t want to do it.”

“They were discussing my son right in front of me,” she added. “I said, ‘You don’t have to tell me anything. I’m right here.’

They were shocked that I was there. They forgot about me.”

Parker said she told the doctor she wasn’t going to leave Brian’s side until he walked out of the hospital.

“With all due respect,” she recalled him telling her, “that’s not going to happen.”

Parker disagreed, took a deep breath and told God, “If you spare my son’s life, the rest of my life I’m going to do something good.”

“He spared his life,” she said.

Brian has acute myeloid leukemia (AML), which progresses rapidly, with myeloid cells interfering with the production of normal white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets. Symptoms include fatigue, recurrent infections and bruising easily.

Yearning to help “I stood true to my conviction,” she said.

“He got out and we stayed in Tucson. I was gone for about three or four months, maybe longer. Right after that, my daughter was the president of the equestrian team at UA. We would travel to California every month. Through all of this, the Paradise (California) Fire had started.”

Headed to California, Parker asked if there was anything she could do. She was asked to bring buckets. She doesn’t do things halfway. She brought 500 buckets.

“I didn’t want to go until Brian was stable,” she said. “He wanted me to go. I got involved with the Paradise Fire in my own little way. It was very tiny, compared to what other people were doing. I remember going to where we dropped the buckets off.

There were thousands of buckets there, stacked up as high as the moon. The National Guard and other first responders got involved. They weren’t letting people go through with supplies. I was devastated.”

Residents told her their horses didn’t have food or water and they needed help.

Help was there, but Parker and other volunteers couldn’t get to them.

“I was compelled to come up with a solution,” she said. “I came home to Rio Verde, where I used to live. I left Rio Verde because I felt trapped there. There was only one way in and out.”

She scouted new homes in Spur Cross, New River and Desert Hills for an entire day.

Her heart sunk. She knew it was just a matter of time before fires would rage there, too.

“We have all these washes, all of this dead brush,” she said. “There was chamomile globe (also known as stinknet). I went to a couple people who are movers and shakers in our community. I told them we needed to get rid of this (fuel). I put out a video of this chamomile globe. I had three fire extinguishers. I wanted to show what happens when this stuff lights up. It was insane how that chamomile globe literally exploded. The flames went 6 feet in the air.

It just burned really hot and real fast.”

She thought if she started a Facebook page for the neighborhood that maybe 300 people would sign up in five years.

Then, the Woodbury Fire near Superior erupted in June 2019.

“I didn’t get a lot of postings on it,” Parker said. “Instead, I was asked to do things like take prescriptions to people, grocery shop for them, check in on mom—those kinds of things. I didn’t know what Arizona Foothills 911 would evolve into.”

Things picked up with the COVID-19 pandemic. Arizona Foothills 911 teamed up with another Facebook page, Cave Creekers Infamous Bulletin Board, to reunite a disabled young man with his emotional support cat, who was out of state.

“People were really fearful of getting on airplane,” Parker said. “I said, ‘I’ll get him.’

The trick was finding a plane, because everything was canceled. This poor cat needed to have his human back, and the young man needed the cat for his health.

It was the weirdest, yet coolest, thing I’ve ever done in my life. There was nobody at the airport. I was calling my daughter, saying, ‘Look at this. This is insane. There’s not a single soul anywhere.’

“I got to my gate. I looked around and I was the only person there and on the plane. On the way home, it was just two pilots, myself and a cat. I met them in the parking lot by Sprouts, and when I saw this kid’s face and the cat, I said, ‘This is cool.’”

East Desert Fire When the East Desert Fire ignited last May, Parker kept her promise. She helped evacuate animals and their owners from the path of the fire. She looked to Marc Peagler, who owns Frontier Town.

NEWS

THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | OCTOBER 7, 2020

FIREFIGHTING from page 1

had career-ending injuries to his firefighters—meaning they’ll never be firefighters again as a result of working with the Rural Metro Corp.”

Particularly frustrating for Tobin is when his and other fire departments are tied up fighting wildfires in Cave Creek when their tax-paying residents are in need of help.

“Let’s say we’re going to play golf and I have a car crash,” Tobin said. “I dial 911 and I’m close to this station. Guess what?

No one’s coming. So, I’m going to lay by the side of the road, waiting for people to come

PARKER from page 4

“He said, ‘Oh, Sunny. I’m on board. Frontier Town is yours,’” she recalled.

“I gathered up 185 trailers and we were able to get so many horses out, which was fantastic. It was the prelude to our second rodeo, which was the Ocotillo Fire. The Ocotillo Fire was the one where our membership got up to 6,000 members. We moved a lot of animals. We weren’t even really organized yet. We were just starting. I remember staying there with Mayor Bunch, and he said, ‘Young lady, what can I do for you?’ I had no idea. I said, ‘Just pray and hope this gets better.’

“Of course, later on in the day, he comes back and I said, ‘Sir, we have a problem.

I’m standing here and this fire is taking off.

We’ve evacuated that side of the road, but I don’t know what I’m going to do with all of these people. I’m responsible for their lives.’”

Bunch said it was then that the value of Parker’s project became “real apparent, real fast.”

“I am so impressed with what she’s done,” Bunch said. “I think it was the Ocotillo or Aguila fire and I said, ‘Sunny, go home and go to sleep.’ She didn’t. We gave her the rodeo grounds because (with trailers at Frontier Town), trailers were getting to be a hassle in the middle of town.

They were blocking the first responders from the fire.

“I looked at the town’s director of planning and we decided on the rodeo grounds.

That’s been the staging place since then.

She has a key to the rodeo grounds now.”

Parker was preparing to file for a 501(c) (3) when the Aguila Fire started burning

because they’re all in Cave Creek fighting fires.

“They’re at the point where every time we show up for a fire, we’re talking a six-figure bill.”

Cave Creek Town Manager Carrie A. Dyrek said the invoices received have been approved for payment by the mayor and council.

Cave Creek staff is looking at the town’s fiscal year 2020-21 budget and developing interim as well as long-term options for the town that would have to be integrated into longer-term strategic financial plans, she said. just east of I-17. They opened the rodeo grounds again.

“By the time we got there, people were lined up,” she said.

Peagler said Parker’s organization is desperately needed in the foothills.

“I’ve been up in Cave Creek over 50 years now,” he said. “This is an organization like we’ve never had. It’s all because of Sunny.

That’s what it really comes down to.

“She had this brilliant idea, and it’s taken off like crazy. I can’t begin to tell you the number of people who have rallied around her to help her get stuff done when the community needs it. When it comes to fires and having to rescue horses and other animals, it’s amazing to me.”

Having rescued 500 animals, Parker doesn’t look forward to another fire but knows she will be prepared. She hopes to have her 501(c)(3) nonprofit status by December.

“Brian is great now. He’s clear,” she added. “I do this because this is my promise to God, and this is why I’m doing good now.

“I just hope we will be able to grow into a larger organization. I just purchased the property we’ll live in. I could build out areas for emergency treatment and raise enough money to have two to three veterinary stalls. We’ll have vets on staff who volunteer.

“We were very blessed this last fire that we didn’t lose any domesticated animals.

We don’t know what the next one’s going to bring.”

Arizona Foothills 911

facebook.com/groups/AZFH911

The wildfires in May drew the response of firefighters from all over the Valley and Arizona—including Daisy Mountain, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Peoria and the state of Arizona—at “considerable expense,” Roche wrote.

Cave Creek has extensively studied the issue of fire and EMS provision in the past.

In June 2008, after six months of work, the Citizens Advisory Committee on Fire Coverage Options for the town of Cave Creek made a number of recommendations on

the future of fire protection there.

Roche said that if the town were to choose to fund its own fire and EMS, initial capital costs for facilities, vehicles and infrastructure would likely exceed $4.5 million, with annual expenditures of over $3.5 million.

“This estimate is for two of the possible three fire stations that would be needed to cover the town and includes fire stations,

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NEWS

THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | OCTOBER 7, 2020

FIREFIGHTING from page 5

vehicles and staffing,” he said.

“Cost should not be the only consideration in these discussions. While fire insurance can replace many belongings and health insurance can pay ambulance bills, what insurance cannot take the place of is time. In a fire and medical emergency, time is of the essence. A person’s chance of surviving a fire or urgent medical emergency event drops dramatically in minutes. The timely arrival of properly trained responders can, without being overly dramatic, be the difference between life and death.”

Roche determined three options for Cave Creek remain the same, with a subscription model available for property owners through Rural Metro; required subscription through Rural Metro; or town-funded fire and EMS, either by contracting through neighboring municipalities or a fire district funded primarily for property taxes.

“The fire chiefs of Phoenix and Scottsdale have indicated that their departments are not interested in serving Cave Creek as contractual service providers,” Roche said.

The final idea is to allow Daisy Mountain

Fire District to process a boundary change that includes the town in the district. It’s the only fire district eligible to change its boundaries due to an Arizona statutory requirement.

Roche said that if an option other than the status quo is chosen, the town would be “well advised to consider the fate of the firefighters currently serving Cave Creek in the course of their employee with Rural Metro Fire. They have first-hand knowledge of the community and residents’ needs.” Rural Metro Fire operates Fire Station 825 in Cave Creek at 37402 N. Cave Creek Road with four firefighters operating an engine company, a 2,700-gallon water tender (tanker) and a wildland firefighting apparatus.

It also operates fire stations in Carefree and Rio Verde that provide backup. Rural Metro Fire is not a partner in the automatic aid system.

Roche suggested starting discussions with the Daisy Mountain Fire District board to expand its boundaries if its staff is willing. Right now, with its five fire stations, Daisy Mountain Fire District covers approximately 210 square miles from Black Canyon City, south to the Phoenix city lim-

its and east to approximately 24th Street on the north side of Carefree Highway. It’s a member of the automatic aid system.

According to Roche, mutual aid is not meant to be used for day-to-day emergencies. Instead, it allows fire departments to cross town and city limits and help in a time of need.

“The key to mutual aid is that each participant in the system needs to contribute to the whole in a balanced and meaningful way, hence the word ‘mutual.’”

Rural Metro Fire has mutual aid agreements with many, but not all, of the cities, towns and fire districts it borders in Maricopa County.

In the Valley, fire departments have participated in a more “functional and agile system of mutual aid called ‘automatic aid,’” Roche said.

The system began in the 1970s and includes more than 25 jurisdictions from Maricopa to Sun City West and Scottsdale to Buckeye Valley. The key is that all fire departments agree to operate according to the same procedures and to staff their emergency response units according to set minimums. Fire departments can plan fire

station locations in cooperation with one another and rely on one another for dayto-day first-response coverage.

“In automatic aid, the closest firefighters are sent to respond to a fire or medical emergency, without regard to jurisdiction,” Roche wrote. “The system has been found to improve service to the customer in need and to save money for all jurisdictions since resources are shared.”

Communities that border Cave Creek are members of the automatic aid system, including the Daisy Mountain Fire District and cities of Phoenix and Scottsdale.

Scottsdale’s Shannon said the automatic aid system has “no quarrel with the firefighters of Rural Metro.” He met with Rural Metro Chief Brian Davis and he was “very, very forthright. He acknowledged the resources in Carefree and Cave Creek are inadequate. He’s coming at this from a pragmatic perspective.

“We can no longer supplant the services of surrounding communities. We don’t allow it in the automatic aid system. We can’t allow it from communities with whom we have no agreements. Our agreement is with Rural Metro. That is just not a realistic relationship at this point.”

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NEWS

THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | OCTOBER 7, 2020

Eagle Scout builds flagpole in Carefree to earn rank

BY SARAH DONAHUE Foothills Focus Staff Writer

D

evin Smith always knew he wanted to do something to honor veterans for his Eagle Scout project. The stars aligned when he was asked to manage the installation of the flagpole at Carefree’s new Veterans Memorial.

The American flag, as well as the National League of Families POW/MIA flag, stands on the western half of Carefree Desert Gardens, the finished memorial’s location. Carefree Vice Mayor John Crane, who is working with the five veterans who organized the effort, said he hopes the project will be completed by Veterans Day. “We’re really excited about it, and we think it’s going to be a perfect area for people to go and sit and just contemplate the contribution our veterans have made to our country,” said Mike Ferrell, the veteran managing the project.

The semi-secluded monument consists of benches, brass plaques, stonework as well as the flags. They are awaiting the arrival of the curved pavers, which will be the finishing touch.

Smith’s Eagle Scout project provided him an opportunity to demonstrate leadership while performing a service for the good of the community, something he had never done before, he said.

“I’ve never been the person who really is an out-front leading type. I was always the person helping the leader so that they could become all that they were supposed to be,” Smith said. Between this project

7

and other efforts with his church, Smith became the leader God called him to be.

On July 19, under the leadership of Smith, Boy Scout Troop 603 and his church friends installed the flagpole, which was donated

by Jason Macke with FlagPole Today in Peoria. Macke also donated his time, guiding the Boy Scouts through its installation.

“It was just really nice being able to look up after that hard day at work and be able to see the two flags standing there,” Smith said. He said he can’t wait for the project to be completed so they can have a proper flag ceremony to make it official.

After the flagpole was installed, he had to complete paperwork to finish the process of becoming an Eagle Scout. However, he emphasized that the project is just a small part of becoming an Eagle Scout.

The Eagle Board Review is “wanting to see the man you’ve become because of Boy Scouts, the leader you’ve become, how Boy Scouts has really changed your life for the better.”

“They want to see that you deserve to be an Eagle Scout, not just because of the project but because of how you live your life,” he said.

Smith is an Eagle Scout and said the project was “the final steppingstone that I needed to get over right before I turned 18.” Smith now works full time at Discount Tire, and in December, he plans to cut his hours back to intern at his church as a youth pastor.

Ferrell, who served in the U.S. Army for three years, said working with Smith and the other Boy Scouts “restored my faith in the younger generation.” He added that

the Scouts did an excellent job and were very well organized and coordinated.

The town didn’t pay for the monument, as it was a grassroots effort, Crane said.

The organizers were going to start asking for donations from businesses and local residents but decided to hold off once COVID-19 started running its course.

Businesses and community members were still able to contribute. Kiwanis and Happy Fitness with Patricia provided significant donations, Crane said.

“As vice mayor, I could’ve had the town contribute to this, but I didn’t want them to. I wanted this thing to be grassroots. I wanted the citizens, whether Carefree or neighboring communities, to fund it; and it has been just great.”

Many of the vendors the organizers pur-

chased supplies from offered discounts once they understood the cause, he added.

“We’ve had a lot of donations, some small, some large, but people have different means. Everyone contributes within their bounds.”

This is an exciting feat for the North Valley, as the only other Veterans Memorial he knows of is in Anthem, Crane said.

As a veteran, seeing the monument come to fruition was a meaningful experience, Crane said, as he served in the Navy for seven years as a submarine officer.

“Carefree is a veteran-friendly community. We have a very strong Veterans Day program every November and a strong Memorial Day program in May, but we’re looking for ways to honor veterans all the time, every day.”

In October, the Golden Reef Stamp Mill demonstration will tentatively reach a new audience via Facebook Live, with free online streaming at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Saturday, October 10. Visit the Cave Creek Museum’s Facebook page to see the stamp mill roar to life, crushing gold-bearing ore mined at the stamp mill’s original location on the back of nearby Continental Mountain.

The public debut of the Cave Creek Museum’s recently completed interior renovation will take place via Zoom from 5 to 6 p.m. Sunday, October 30. The theme is “Digging into the Museum and Building Dreams.”

“Attendees will get an exclusive preview of the exciting projects we have been working on, as well as some of our new programs and offerings,” Executive Direc-

tor Karrie Porter Brace said.

Those who register by October 12 will be eligible to receive a complimentary bottle of wine delivered to their home. Tickets for this live Zoom event can be purchased via the museum’s website, cavecreekmuseum.org, or by calling 480-488-2764.

Other events are being planned.

Devin Smith, center, his fellow Boy Scouts and church members, along with veteran team members, stand in front of the partially finished Carefree Veterans Memorial. Smith led the flagpole installation for his Eagle Scout project with help from the Boy Scouts and veterans. (Photo courtesy Devin Smith)

Dig into history with the Cave Creek Museum

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Foothills Focus Executive Editor

T

he Cave Creek Museum is getting ready to open for the 2020-21 season, and guests are invited to dig into history through outdoor and indoor exhibits, special collections, Kiwanis Family Sundays and a myriad of signature events.

see MUSEUM page 9

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THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | OCTOBER 7, 2020

NEWS

THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | OCTOBER 7, 2020

9

Horseshoe Trails named a 2020 National Blue Ribbon School

BY CONNOR DZIAWURA Foothills Focus Staff Writer

H

orseshoe Trails Principal Aaron Pettinato feels the elementary school’s recognition as a 2020 National Blue Ribbon School was 16 years in the making.

The award is a morale boost in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, reaffirming the hard work of many, he said.

“This news could not have come at a better time for our school and district and, most importantly, our students and staff, just with how hard everyone has been working since really March— with crisis schooling, distance learning and now that we’re back in the building for in-person instruction,” Pettinato said. “These teachers, this award belongs to them as well as the students and families of our school.”

Horseshoe Trails, in the Cave Creek Unified School District, is one of five Arizona schools to be honored by the Department of Education this year— announced by U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos. A ceremony will be held virtually on November 12 and November 13, honoring 317 public and 50 nonpublic schools. Plaques and flags will be sent by mail.

The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program has recognized more than 9,000 schools with nearly 10,000 awards over 38 years. Schools are eligible after five years, with up to 420 nominated each year by the top education officials in all states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands,

MUSEUM from page 7

“The Cave Creek Museum Dream Team and volunteers have started putting up the Water Tower for the Gold Mining Sleuth and Panning exhibit for the kiddos,” Brace said.

“Be sure to check the Cave Creek Museum Facebook page for more sneak peek updates as we get closer to the museum’s season opening, starting November 1.”

Guests are also invited to visit the blacksmith shop and chat with Cave

Horseshoe Trails Elementary School Principal Aaron Pettinato reads to a class of students. The school was recently named a 2020 National Blue Ribbon School. (Submitted photo)

the Department of Defense Education Activity and the Bureau of Indian Education. Private schools are nominated by the Council for American Private Education.

There are two performance categories: Exemplary High Performing Schools, which perform among the highest on state assessments or nationally normed tests, and Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing Schools, which perform among the highest in closing achievement gaps.

Horseshoe Trails is an Exemplary High Performing School.

Staff personalizes learning, Pettinato noted when asked what the school is

doing to foster achievement.

“What that means is that our teachers use best practices in the classroom for the implementation of personalized learning, flexible grouping of students, and differentiated instruction,” he explained. “And so what that looks like is, during math and literacy blocks, students rotate through stations, or they have a menu of activities and/or tasks that are differentiated to meet the needs of individual learners.

So, our teachers practice natural reteaching of content to students who may struggle with the mastery of a concept.”

And data-driven decision making is Creek Museum volunteers, like Paul Diefenderfer.

As a member of the Golden Reef Stamp Mill Dream Team, he helped rebuild the Golden Reef Stamp Mill and assists in the popular blacksmithing demonstrations.

A Tubercular Cabin, which is an official Historic Landmark, is on-site nearby, along with the first church and the gazebo.

Paul Diefenderfer mans the blacksmith exhibit at the Cave Creek Museum. (Photo by Bill Watters/AirMajorMedia)

“at the heart of everything,” he said.

“We gather data quite frequently from our students that informs basically what we do in the classroom, so we get to know their personal interests and backgrounds as well as their academic strengths and preferred approaches to learning,” he said. “The data collected basically informs our instructional decisions and groupings and makes targeted instruction possible in the classroom.”

Pettinato attributes consistency in teachers, with little turnover, as one of the main reasons for Horseshoe Trails’ recognition.

“We’ve got a veteran staff with very little turnover, they’re very experienced, responsive to student needs, and they just work extremely well with one another, whether they’re collaborating vertically or horizontally,” he said. “It’s a combination of just us really going the extra effort to personalize instruction, to meet the needs of all learners where they are, as well as just the fact that it kind of sets our school up for success when I don’t have to hire a bunch of new teachers each and every year.”

He feels he “has the best staff in the world.”

“I know most principals say this—it’s a cliché statement—but we really are like a family here at Horseshoe Trails.

I think if you talk to students and families and teachers, that would be one of the first things to come out of their mouth as well.”

For more information on the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program, visit ed.gov/nationalblueribbonschools.

Intriguing tales, cultural insights and fun facts are highlighted regularly on the Cave Creek Museum Facebook page.

To volunteer at the Cave Creek Museum, contact Remington Pettus at remington@cavecreekmuseum.org.

All events at the Cave Creek Museum are subject to change.

Please call to verify events before visiting or logging on. The number is 480488-2764.

The Cave Creek Museum is located at 6140 E. Skyline Drive, Cave Creek.

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NEWS

THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | OCTOBER 7, 2020

Body believed to be missing North Phoenix woman

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI AND SARAH DONAHUE Foothills Focus Staff Writers

P

hoenix police believe they have found the body of Julie Concialdi, who was reported missing by her husband, Joseph, on September 6.

The body was found at approximately 3 p.m. October 1 in the area of 5600 E. Deer Valley Road that was open desert, just north of the Loop 101. Phoenix Police Sgt. Mercedes Fortune said the medical examiner will determine the cause of death and the identity of the body.

Joseph, who lived with his wife in North Phoenix, was arrested in September on charges of first-degree murder of his 59-year-old wife of 30 years.

“It was investigative techniques that allowed us to get this information,” Fortune said.

The discovery supports the arrest, she added. Fortune said investigators

will decide if there will be additional charges in the case.

In Joseph’s missing persons’ report, he claimed he last saw his wife on the evening of September 4, the same night the Phoenix Fire and Police departments responded to a car fire in an industrial business area in Deer Valley at around 11:07 p.m., according to police documents.

After the car fire was extinguished, police determined the vehicle was registered to the couple. Investigators attempted to contact them by phone and in person but were unable to, documents say. The vehicle was later impounded and thought to be stolen.

A later examination found the fire was set intentionally, and video footage showed someone walking away from the fire without looking back while holding an unidentified object. However, the video footage wasn’t clear enough to identify the person.

According to the documents, when

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the police went to the couple’s home at 1:33 a.m. September 5 to notify the couple about the car fire, bodycam footage showed Joseph’s work truck was parked in the driveway—which didn’t line up with his alibi.

On the evening of September 4, the last time he claimed to have seen his wife, Joseph said the couple got in a heated argument about vacation plans.

He claimed that it escalated to a point where he felt he needed to remove himself from the house and walk around the neighborhood.

After a 10-minute walk, he claimed he briefly returned home to grab clothes before leaving in his work truck for a nearby Fry’s grocery store to get food before leaving to camp alone in a remote area outside Payson, the documents state. He stated that he didn’t interact with anybody else.

However, his work truck was still in the driveway when the police arrived to notify them of the car fire around 1:33 a.m. on September 5, hours after he claimed he left for Payson, court documents state.

An investigation into Joseph’s phone records found he frequently corresponded with a woman who lived in Payson. Investigators contacted the

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woman and found the two were having an affair since March. He met the woman on a dating app where he portrayed himself as “almost divorced,” documents say.

“Joseph’s own admissions paint the marriage as a tumultuous one, with prior separations and talk of divorce,” according to court documents. He told his son that a divorce would be “financially damaging” for him. Julie left behind a life insurance policy, the addendum states.

Multiple witnesses confirmed that Julie was suspicious that her husband was unfaithful, documents state. After investigation, it was made apparent that he visited the woman in Payson on the weekend of September 5 instead of camping solo.

Julie’s phone activity abruptly stopped on September 2 after seeing her doctor. She didn’t return calls or texts from her adult children, which they described as uncharacteristic.

She was on vacation from her job from August 31 to September 7 but didn’t return to work, the documents state. Her employer of 25 years said this was unlike her, saying she was a reliable and conscientious employee.

She made almost $100,000 a year at that job.

She left behind her wallet, identification and payment methods as well as all her clothing, belongings and medications, according to the documents.

Police identified Joseph Concialdi as a suspect from video footage acquired from the nearby Fry’s grocery store that he went to on the night of his wife’s disappearance. In the video footage from Fry’s at 8:53 p.m., Joseph was wearing the same clothing as the suspect in the video footage from the car fire, the addendum says.

“We’re always hoping we find someone safe,” Fortune said. “Our hope is to find a good ending or outcome to any investigation. We found a body we believe is Julie. As tragic as it is, we hope it brings closure to her family. That’s something the investigators are truly passionate about.”

NEWS

THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | OCTOBER 7, 2020

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Boutique-type Hampton Inn set for Carefree

BY SARAH DONAHUE Foothills Focus Staff Writer

A

“boutique-type” Hampton Inn is set to be finished this time next year at the northwest corner of Easy Street and Carefree Drive.

Construction started in late spring, and the final pour on the foundation was laid last week, said Gary Neiss, Carefree’s town administrator. Vertical elements will start being constructed in the next month.

COVID-19 presented construction delays, which pushed back the completion date three to four months, Neiss said. During the shutdowns it was hard to find enough qualified trades to complete the work, he said.

“I would say by next fall by this time you should see a complete building there,” he said.

The Southwest-style hotel will have stucco with stone accents on the sides and will consist of 97 rooms. Resort-style amenities like a large pool as well as a spa and fire area will be part of the completed project, which goes above and beyond a normal Hampton Inn. “This one is a higher-end type of Hampton Inn,” Neiss said.

The Hampton Inn will also have a bar and will provide a continental breakfast

the shape around Easy Street so it would have a softer face to it.”

While Carefree residents are dealing with a closure on Easy Street, the long-term impacts of the hotel will bring direct and indirect benefits to the town as well as the residents, Neiss said. He said the Hampton Inn will add “a new dimension” to the town center.

Direct benefits from the hotel are included in the construction, as it will generate revenue for the town. When it’s open for The Hampton Inn in Carefree will have a spa. (Foothills Focus photo by Tim Sealy) business there will be a direct benefit from the bed and sales tax on each room. for its guests, Neiss said. The finished With a critical mass of restaurants in hotel will provide up to 80 new jobs. the town center conducting most of its The architectural design is also atyp- business in the evening, the hotel will ical to how most Hampton Inns are complement that and act as another anlaid out. The first floor will be buried chor, Neiss explained. into the hillside, making it appear as a “This will be an intrinsic change to our three-story building on the east side and town center, and it’s for the viability of a four-story building on the west, he ex- this commercial area for three years to plained. come,” he said.

“It’s not going to be your prototypical Collectively, the hotel and restaurants will Hampton Inn, which is kind of rectangu- create an organic foot traffic pattern that lar,” Neiss said. “It’s going to morph into also complements the business and retail

district within the town center, he added.

“That will generate indirect revenue from additional sales tax from business being generated by those folks leaving the hotel, going to a restaurant and then walking by a shop and maybe wanting to buy some art or some other things,” he said.

The direct benefits for residents? “We do not assess a property tax,” Neiss explained.

The town is mainly funded through sales tax, he said. Businesses such as the Hampton Inn will help create the anchor that indirectly creates more business that generates more revenue to offset increases in cost of the inflation rate index of the services the town provides.

The revenue will also help fund capital projects like paving the streets as well as implementing drainage improvements and other projects that the community would like to see in the future, he explained.

“All of these projects help to benefit the town residents by funding the services that they desire,” he said.

Overall, the hotel attracting guests and foot traffic is something “that’s very positive to the future of our town center and will create a more sustainable environment economically for the town.”

“Our No. 1 mission is to help others who are (living) in place and those with disabilities who live independently and with purpose,” Cochran said. “We did some surveying and determined the needs of our neighbors in the area.

Based on the needs of our constituency, the community partnership would meet a vital need.”

The flu can be deadly, she added. To keep the public safe, the Carefree nonprofit is doing its part.

The Foothills Caring Corps is celebrating more than 20 years of serving neighbors in need by providing meal delivery, medical transportation, home repairs, wellness checks and respite

nization has pivoted to smaller-group outings and retrofitted all of its transportation so it could best help neighbors.

“We also have the Spread the Joy Convoy, where we decorate our cars and celebrate the neighbors,” she said. “We dress up in costumes and perform little songs in front of their homes. We’ve been doing that throughout the summer to stay connected. We are determined to help our neighbors feel loved and connected and fight off any social isolation issues. We are close with our neighbors, and we’re a family with our overwhelmingly loyal group of volunteers.”

Foothills Caring Corps to offer in-home vaccines

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Foothills Focus Executive Editor

R

obin Cochran, executive director of the Foothills Caring Corps, wants to look after the commu-

nity.

Part of that involves pairing with the Maricopa County Department of Public Health to administer flu vaccinations in homes of clients who are 55 years and older and do not drive. The deadline to sign up for the free program is Friday, October 9. Call 480-488-1105 for more information. The vaccines will be administered by a nurse in October and November.

care for caregivers. Since March, its mobile meal delivery has increased by 58%, due to increased need.

“We evaluate each of our neighbors in need and try to figure out holistically how we can help them live as independently as possible,” Cochran said.

“We then continue to advocate for them medically with other health care professionals when necessary. We are there to support them and help them thrive and live as independently as possible.”

Prior to the pandemic, Foothills Caring Corps provided pet therapy and hosted group social outings. Since the COVID-19 pandemic started, the orga-

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NEWS

THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | OCTOBER 7, 2020

Mission is ‘Fed Up!’ with poverty and hunger

BY FOOTHILLS FOCUS STAFF

A

rizona has the third highest poverty rate among the nation’s 25 largest metro areas, with one in five children suffering from hunger, according to statistics measured prior to the pandemic. In response, Phoenix Rescue Mission recently launched its “Fed Up! Hungry for Change” holiday campaign.

It runs through December 31.

Phoenix Rescue Mission created the “Fed Up!” campaign as a response to the way in which society has dealt with hunger for too long—primarily by treating the symptoms of hunger without addressing the root causes, which stem from a lack of vocational development, education, counseling, mental health services and other resources.

“This is Phoenix Rescue Mission’s shout to the community that we are not satisfied with the status quo and we’re shedding a light on the root causes of hunger,” Phoenix Rescue Mission CEO Ken Brissa said.

Public support for this effort is needed, due to the recent pandemic and its effects on the economy. While the hunger crisis in Phoenix has existed long before COVID-19, the problem has since become more prevalent because of the thousands of families that have lost jobs, been furloughed, or have otherwise seen their income dry up with no warning over the past few months.

The “Fed Up!” campaign makes it easy for the public to help stop hunger by providing a means in which anyone can help, either through a small donation online or by bringing food and other needed items directly to Phoenix Rescue Mission. The campaign will feature several events, including its Frozen Turkey Saturday on November 14 and Food Box Delivery Day on November 21, aimed not only at feeding those suffering from hunger during the holiday season but also connecting them with resources to end their cycle of poverty.

“The holidays can be difficult for struggling families, especially as oth-

ers across the Valley prepare their celebratory feasts and purchase gifts,” Brissa said.

“Imagine being a parent and having to tell your child that there won’t be any gifts this year—now imagine there won’t be any food either. We can do something to prevent that.”

The public is encouraged to get involved with the “Fed Up!” campaign this holiday season, either by volunteering time, donating food and other items, or making a monetary donation. Donations made to the “Fed Up!” campaign will support the thousands of families served each month by Phoenix Rescue Mission’s various programs, including its Hope for Hunger Food Bank, Mobile Food Pantries, Hope Coach Street Outreach services, and many others designed to lift families out of hard times and end their cycle of poverty.

“We need the Valley to come together in support of our hurting neighbors this holiday season, while helping us advance long-term solutions for ending hunger once and for all in our communities,” Brissa said.

“This starts with equipping our community members with access to addiction recovery services, vocational development, job opportunities, counseling, case management and many other programs.”

This year’s public events include: The Free Community Markets on October 20, November 17 and December 15 This new venture came about in response to the growing need of those who are not only struggling to make ends meet but also are located in regions where support is limited—and they do not have the means to travel for help. Each Free Community Market will provide food and necessities that are donated from sources, including St. Mary’s Food Bank and the community as a

whole. Food bags and hygiene items will be given to families while supplies last.

The public is encouraged to stop by from 9 to 11 a.m. at First New Life Church (1902 W. Roeser Road, Phoenix). There is no cost to participate. ID is required.

For questions, contact Rachel Stacke at 602-346-3383 or rstacke@phxmission.org.

Frozen Turkey Saturday on November 14 Phoenix Rescue Mission’s Frozen Turkey Saturday aims to collect more than 2,000 turkeys, which will be delivered directly to families in need during the mission’s Thanksgiving Meal Distribution Day and at its Hope for Hunger Food Bank. The public is encouraged to stop by the drive-thru event at the Mission’s Hope for Hunger Food Bank (5605 N. 55th Avenue, Glendale) and bring a frozen turkey from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Contact Catie Hammann at 602-346-3347 or gikhelp@phxmission.org to start a nonperishable foods or turkey drive.

Public Thanksgiving Meal Distribution Day on Saturday, November 21 Because Phoenix Rescue Mission cannot deliver Thanksgiving meals directly as in the past, the mission will fulfill its goal of serving 400 families this year by

working with volunteers to operate a drive-thru event at Sullivan Elementary School (2 N. 31st Avenue, Phoenix) to distribute turkeys and sides, food bags and hygiene kits. There is no registration required and first come are first served from 9 a.m. to noon or as long as supplies last. To volunteer at this event, sign up at prm.volunteerhub.com.

Winter Wonderland Community Event (guests by pre-registration only) on Saturday, December 12 The mission is partnering with local businesses, churches and individuals to collect new, unwrapped toys; small household items; and personal gifts.

The mission will then provide the gifts to families in need via its annual Winter Wonderland event. This year, Phoenix Rescue Mission hopes to serve as many as 400 children during the event, which will also be conducted in drive-thru fashion. Families will be pre-registered through local schools or Community Market outreach events. Families will also receive food assistance and toiletries to supply them through the Christmas season. To volunteer at this event, sign up at prm.volunteerhub.com.

Contact Catie Hammann at 602-3463347 or gikhelp@phxmission.org to hold a gift or food drive.

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THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | OCTOBER 7, 2020

A Letter to Our Trump-Supporting Neighbors Dear Arizona Trump Voter, Can we talk? We promise to be civil and reasonable. No name calling, cussing, lies, or false argument.

We’re not lifelong liberal Democrats. We are libertarian Republicans. We believe in personal and economic liberties. Free minds and free markets.

Yes, we support Biden, and you support Trump. But whoever wins, what do we do after the election? We have to live together, but we don’t even speak the same language anymore.

We try to understand each other, but we can’t.

Our society no longer treasures the truth, learning, education, reason and sound argument, common sense. Most political conversations now consist of slogans and insults.

But history matters. Constitutional law is important. Political philosophy is good. Defined terms. Sound premises. Logical conclusions.

These aren’t political; these are the foundation of our American society.

We hope you will read this letter, think, and answer us. A personal email address is provided below. And we will try, in turn, to engage you. Our country, and maybe even the planet, depend on it.

We are in despair. Why? Because we can’t hug our adult son, our only child. Because we can’t see our 87-year-old mother, who said on the phone to us: “The world is wrong. Just so wrong.

Everything is wrong.”

Viruses aren’t political, but politics can affect

them. No, the President isn’t responsible for the virus, but he is responsible for not addressing it early, not addressing it properly, and for keeping the truth from us.

The virus is a real virus; the numbers are real.

We know people who have died, almost died, have heart damage, suffered. It’s not a hoax.

We ache every time Trump takes the true meaning of freedom and turns it into a faux freedom, like not wearing a mask. (If you think about it, freedom doesn’t include the right to recklessly endanger others.)

We are in despair because we are on track for more unnecessary deaths from this pandemic, the loss of so many individual souls, passing alone, dying of suffocation, wondering why and how it came to this in America.

But let’s leave all that for a moment.

We despair over the corruption, too. Trump took your campaign donations for his personal use.

He uses his government position to line his own pockets. He has no sense of conflict of interest or transparency – what the heck is in those tax returns, anyway?

We also cringe every time he alienates an ally and embraces a dictator; every time he misapplies the great constitutional principles of due process and free speech; every time he confuses “the rule of law” with “law and order” – destroying the first and exploiting the second; every time he politicizes the independent judiciary; every occasion where he is ignorant of separation of powers, federalism, and all these essences of

our Republic.

But the epitome of our despair is the hatred. Trump has insulted women, the disabled, soldiers, anyone who disagrees with him. He is just plain mean. He has incited violence, telling police to rough people up even as police brutality becomes an increasing problem that tears us apart. He takes the worst of our history and ourselves and ignites it for his own power and advantage.

No matter what you think of the Black Lives Matter movement, most of the protesters are peaceful. We know because we are two of them.

We protesters are simply upset that police are killing too many people – in a free society, cops don’t get to be judge and executioner. We believe in individual liberties and justice, just like you do.

But even if we Americans don’t agree on the things we’ve mentioned above, don’t we agree on the right to live, even for the elderly?

On truth, decency, and kindness? Or maybe we can go further and agree on constitutionalism, saving the monarch butterfly, or a free (if irritating) press?

Surely, we agree on something. And if we do, we beg you to reconsider your support for Trump.

Because he is against all of these fundamental American – and human – principles.

Linda and Tom Rawles Carefree, Arizona rawleslinda@yahoo.com NOTE: Thank you Foothills Focus for accepting this political ad.

Sonoran News refused this ad due to its rejection of the free exchange of ideas and its rigid ideological bent.

THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | OCTOBER 7, 2020

Opinion TheFoothillsFocus.com

|

@TheFoothills.Focus

OPINION

15

For more opinions visit thefoothillsfocus.com /TheFoothillsFocus

Welcome to the ‘new and improved’ Foothills Focus

BY MAYOR LES PETERSON Town of Carefree

C

ongratulations! Considerable excitement and anticipation were generated when the town of Carefree learned that the new ownership group of the Foothills Focus was in the process of expanding the newspaper. Our best wishes to all involved, and in particular to the management and staff who will shape the future for this historic newspaper.

The residents and businesses of Carefree welcome a publication that features

local news that is timely and pertinent to their interests, interesting articles written about local people and attractions, and a listing of upcoming events and activities.

Also, the functioning of the local town governments, activities and accomplishments at local schools and churches, editorials and a place for residents to express their viewpoints and concerns are also necessary components.

Local merchants also need a publication in which they can communicate to residents about themselves, their business and the products and services they offer.

Foothills Focus fills a void in the area

BY MAYOR ERNIE BUNCH Town of Cave Creek

T

he Foothills Focus has come to town! Starting with the edition you hold in your hand, you’ll see them in your mailbox weekly. This is great news!

Throughout the recent primary election, one of the complaints I heard most was a “lack of transparency” in Cave Creek’s politics. This is what I had to say about that on my ErnieBunch.com website.

I’m reminded of the old joke where a very cheap man gets on his knees to beg God to let him win the lottery. Months go by with no luck. Then, once again on his knees, he begins to beg and he hears a booming voice. It says, “OK already.

Meet me halfway. Just buy a ticket.”

There has never been as much information available to our residents as there is now. Agendas are online; you can add yourself to the email list for them.

We’ve even added a media position to help keep the public informed—all in an effort make up for the fact that we have

no meaningful local media!

The meetings are open to the pubErnie Bunch is the mayor of Cave lic and are Creek. (Submitted photo) even available livestreamed. The only things that are not available are ongoing negotiations, legal issues, employee issues and any items discussed in executive session, with the exception of employee issues resolution, which must occur in an open council meeting. Executive sessions are special in that state law does not allow us to divulge details ever.

Well, I’m hoping the addition of the Foothills Focus will solve the “transparency” issue for those who need to hold the information in their hands!

Mayor Ernie Bunch and the rest of the town council’s contact information can be found at cavecreek.org/2/ Town-Council.

While there is a considerchosen profession. Not to able group of businesses be overlooked is a publiin Carefree that have been cation which offers these very successful for extendmerchants a forum to aded time periods, there are vertise and talk about the always fresh new busiproducts they sell and the nesses selecting Carefree services they offer. as their location who have Again, welcome to the communication needs to community, and we look help establish their busiforward to a successful, nesses. enjoyable and long-lasting Frequently, the owners relationship between the Les Peterson is Carefree’s mayor. and employees of these (Submitted photo) Foothills Focus and the resestablishements and new idents of Carefree for the businesses have fascinating long-term future. life stories to tell about themselves, and it Carefree Mayor Les Peterson can be is interesting to learn the interests and reached at Carefree Town Hall, 480-488circumstances which led them into their 3686.

Good news. Auto rates just got lower.

623-742-6866 Nanette McClelland-Miller, Agent nanettemiller.com

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THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | OCTOBER 7, 2020

Frankly Speaking

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REAL ESTATE PANDEMIC CAUSE AND EFFECT David M. Brown

Market Dynamic For Q4 2020

Canadians may not be coming to the Valley for a while, but Californians are coming on strong.

The Maricopa County luxury market was red hot in a red-hot summer, despite COVID-19 and in some ways because of it. Buyers are from out West and from back East and even in town.

They want bigger homes with new spaces inside and they want homes with more space outside: residential social distancing. They even want more pets.

What’s more, they bought in the hottest summer ever recorded in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area. Only Death Valley made the Valley of the Sun look cool.

“In a nutshell, everybody’s staying home, and everybody’s buying a home,” says Frank Aazami, Brand Ambassador, principal of the Private Client Group at Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty, Scottsdale.

“The first thing we’ve noticed is that no one has said, ‘Let’s take our home off the market. Instead, this summer we’ve thrown seasonality conversations out of the window –– despite how hot it was and the pandemic.”

Aazami and his 17-member Private Client Group have been telling their seller clients, “If you don’t list now, the next market may be a different cycle when the forbearance program is lifted.”

This has been a good market: Real estate licensees have increased worldwide. In Maricopa County, that total was 87,983 for fiscal year 2019; that increased to 88,616 in fiscal year 2020, based on Arizona Department of Real Estate numbers.

“People are selling their luxury homes here,” Aazami says. “Demand is at a record high.”

A State of Movement, a Statement on Space

The top five states for in-migration to Maricopa County, and a recent monthly tally: California, 4,762; Washington, 1,722; Colorado, 1,292; Illinois, 1,167; and Minnesota, 774 (U.S. Census Bureau). “People still want to come here,” he says. “We have the combination of great weather, jobs and the lifestyle advantages.”

With the Canadian border closed at least until September 21 and the cost of the Canadian dollar low against the American, the regular inter-country trek to the Valley may be cancelled for a while, Aazami explains.

Not so California, which continues to send many buyers of luxury homes across the state border: “They’re tired of politics and policies, taxes and the price of real estate –– and now the pandemic,” says Aazami. “They want privacy and space and they find it here at prices unheard of there.”

17

THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | OCTOBER 7, 2020

pcgagents.com/2025Missouri

And Easterners, many of them snowbirds, are thinking: theaters, closed; restaurants, restricted or closed; sports, playing to cheerless empty seats.

They ask: Is that a future, especially now that we have obtained some success in our lives? “And, the high cost of living relative to the Valley is difficult to justify and high-rise living is getting lower and lower on their enjoyment scale,” Aazami says. “They also want the elbow room that we offer abundantly here.”

Valley homeowners buying luxury properties have shifted their home-size goals as well. Pre-COVID-19, they wanted downsizers, less than 5,000 square feet; now they want 6,000 square feet and above, whether the children have fledged or not. Give me space: I can empty nest with more branches around me. “People are saying they cannot spend time in smaller spaces; they feel locked in,” he says. pcgagents.com/2025Missouri

Because of this, Arizona communities that are particularly strong for luxury sales offer large parcels and open space: Fountain Hills, Cave Creek, Gold Canyon, Tucson and Flagstaff. “There’s a shortage of inventory, which is good for sellers, and people are acquiring them to live in, not just for seasonal stays,” Aazami says, noting that his group is also seeing more demand for hillside and multi-acre parcels. “People want space and are buying space.”

Many people are working at home now. Cromford® Associates cites a recent MIT report, documenting that 34.1 percent of pandemic-affected U.S. workers had switched to telecommuting from home beginning in April. Another 14.6 percent told the researchers they were already doing this prior, making 48.7 percent of the workforce home based.

“Employers see how much they can save on high rents, especially in high-dollar spaces with high taxes and parking issues,” Aazami explains. He notes that this may also affect the commercial market, reducing office leases and the footprint size desired.

Add the costs of travel to work, personal safety and insurance. “Business owners are finding that they can be more productive working from home, they’ve had less to none HR-related complaints and their people are liking the arrangement, too,” he says. Many have noticed the impact on traffic and air quality nationwide.

As a result, COVID-19 buyers are asking him for bigger spaces to accommodate two split offices, multiple zoom walls are most popular. They want an exercise room to stay fit in place. And outdoors, they’re listing fenced larger yards with multiple patios.

A guest or pool home is popular, as older parents will be staying with their children; many millennial and Z-gen children will also be remaining in nest longer before breaking away. Larger garages are also requested, including an RV garage so travel can also be socially distanced. Buyers have even asked for in-ground trampolines and sport courts.

18

THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | OCTOBER 7, 2020

pcgagents.com/2025Missouri

These changes relate to quality of life as much as to pandemic effects. Aazami says, “They can spend more time with their families, they can balance work/ play and even adopt more dogs for companionship.”

“Attribute this, too, to a rise in demand and a decline in inventory,” Aazami says.

“The fed printed too much money, and this caused hard assets, like brick and mortar, gold and other precious metals to rise in value. It’s unprecedented.”

Figuring Out the New Market

Another figure: The average year-over-year appreciation rate, August 2019 to August 2020, is 15.2 percent across all areas and types of homes in the county based on the August Cromford Report Daily Observation developed from Arizona Multiple Listing Service (ARMLS) figures, says Mike Balzotti, M.Ed., at RLSIR.

Aazami notes that Maricopa County broke the mark for average price sold this August, posting $358,279, according to Cromford Associates –– an alltime high. Compare this to the very strong $339,029 for August 2007, just at the verge of the Great Recession, and $157,140, as that bottomed out in October 2011.

Moreover, the number of homes under contract in Maricopa County is up 20 percent year over year for all categories: 13,471 for August 2020 against 10,700 for August 2019, again says Cromford Associates.

“All the factors are there supporting this,” Aazami explains. “Demand for homes exceeds supply; interest rates are low; there’s a housing shortage with public reports up countywide for new housing developments from fiscal year 2019 to fiscal year 2020; we have that high relocation figure; and home priorities have shifted for locals.”

In June 2020, 1,200 homes exceeding $500,000 sold in Maricopa County; in July 2020, that rose to 1,800 sales of $500,000 plus. In August, the county’s total sales volume was $4 billion; compare that to the previous high in 2008, pre-recession, $3.2 billion for the month, according to Cromford Associates.

Regarding appreciation, the Daily Observation adds, “Prices are now beginning the powerful surge upward that was predicted when the Cromford Market Index started to rocket skywards in June.”

Breaking down market dynamics further, the Daily Observation suggests: “The age of the home is crucially important because a home that is updated and modern is going to sell for a whole lot more than one that is tired and outdated. This is why fix and flip works, even when the size of the home is unchanged.”

And a final. For Scottsdale, the monthly average sales price (different from appreciation) is showing a 25-percent year-over-year increase. Balzotti: “That’s rather stunning.”

Contact Frank Aazami for a consultation, 480.266.0240, text “SIRFAAZAMI” to 87778 or email frank@PCGagents.com PCGagents.com.

Brown is a Valley-based writer (azwriter.com).

Frank Aazami, Global Advisor

480-266-0240 | frank@pcgAgents.com PrivateClientGroupAgents.com | 844-PCG-8080

OPINION

THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | OCTOBER 7, 2020

‘Welcome to the neighborhood’

Discount up to 30%

BY TERRY MULLARKEY Anthem Community Council Board President

“W

elcome to the neighborhood!” When was the last time you gave out that kind greeting? How about the last time you heard your neighbor thank you for something? It’s great when you have good neighbors, but it is an even greater blessing to be one. Fortunately, in Anthem and the nearby areas, we have many. This roller coaster of a year has shown us that our communities coming together, even when we don’t always agree, is the best way to get through tough times.

Anthem has endured much in 21 short years—the low times of economic recession, major floods, fires, and dealing with the impact of 9/11. There also have been high points that we all remember—special events, parades, the opening of many new amenities, many awards and honors, and the Anthem Veterans Memorial among them. The Foothills Focus has covered it all. This year, COVID-19 has impacted the lives and livelihoods of our business community, care facilities, residents, programs, sports, schools, churches, special events—it seems no area has gone untouched. And The Foothills Focus has covered it all.

The year is far from over; we face a plethora of issues that will try to divide us rather than unite us. But in the pages of this expanded publication, you’ll see ads and read stories about businesses working hard to

with Drive Safe & Save !* ™

Retired from IBM Corp., Anthem Community Council board President Terry Mullarkey has been in his position since April 2019. (Photo courtesy Anthem Community Council)

stay open, schools continuing to impact the lives of our future leaders, places of worship serving those in need, public safety and first responders protecting us, and special moments like our planned New Year’s Eve fireworks that will allow us all to say goodbye to this year and welcome what we hope is a better, stronger 2021.

The Foothills Focus will continue keep us all covered and connected—because that’s what good neighbors do. Now they will be doing it with arms that reach even wider— and so will the Anthem Community Council. Our staff and board are here to care for your resources and provide residents with a safe, beautiful community, filled with opportunity, in both the best and worst of times. My hope is that we all will continue to serve each other with truth, facts, transparency, hope and a neighborly smile—that is, after all, the Anthem Way.

Justin Simons, Agent 3655 W Anthem Way Anthem, AZ 85086 Business: 623-551-3700 justin.simons.j663@statefarm.com

I’m inviting you to make our roads safer and get rewarded for doing so. Are you in?

Contact me today to get started.

*Some customers could see a discount up to 50%. Discount names, percentages, availability and eligibility may vary by state and coverage selected. Enrollment, terms and conditions apply.

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OPINION

20

THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | OCTOBER 7, 2020

The presidential debate was mortifying for America

BY DAVID LEIBOWITZ Foothills Focus Columnist

D

etermined to avoid the first debate between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden, I gave up not even 20 minutes after the spectacle began.

Friends were texting about a train wreck, and social media was ablaze. Work could wait. I flipped on the debate in time to hear Biden tell the president of the United States, “Will you shut up, man?”

Amazingly, that wasn’t the night’s low point.

That came about 20 minutes later, when Chris Wallace, the Fox News anchor turned overwhelmed crossing guard, beseeched Trump to denounce white supremacists and militia groups—a denunciation Trump then refused to make.

Said the president: “Give me a name, go ahead, who do you want me to condemn?”

Wallace again requested a condemnation of right-wing militias. To which Trump replied, “Proud Boys, stand back and stand by.”

Then he reverted to the left-wing nutjobs who also represent a pox on this country.

“But I’ll tell you what,” said Trump, “somebody’s got to do something about Antifa and the left, because this is not a right-wing problem, this is a left wing.”

At the risk of stating the obvious, it’s a tragic state of affairs in America when our elected leaders can’t condemn lunatics who sow dissension and violence on either side of the political aisle.

I’m amazed such a topic is actually worth debating, given that any sane person can condemn violent extremism in, YOU gee, less than TO 60 BEwords. Let me prove it.

“I see little difference between extremists like the Proud Boys and the chaos agents known as Antifa, or between neo-Nazis and violent anarchists on the extreme left. They wear different clothes, use different symbols, but make no mistake: They’re all proponents of hatred. I condemn these scumbags and their anti-American tactics in no uncertain terms. Stand down. Go away.”

There you go—59 words.

My attention wandered until I heard raised voices and surging anger: A debate about the future of America had turned into two grumpy

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old men yelling at each other over whether one guy’s son made a fortune in the Ukraine.

I’ve witnessed arguments like this before. I actually thought Biden might scream at Trump to get off his lawn or offer to cross the stage and whip his ass.

That was when a strange thing happened.

It took more than 20,200 days, during which I’ve lived through Vietnam, Watergate, the Oklahoma City bombing, the Iraq War debacle, 9/11, recessions and a murderous pandemic.

For the first time, I felt ashamed to be an American. Before, American train wrecks moved me to anger or a form of grim determination: anger at the actors or a rising conviction that an injustice, an atrocity, demanded a fix. Not this time.

This time I felt the humiliation that comes

with knowing you have done or witnessed something dishonorable, unforgivable, ridiculous in the extreme.

I had no anger left in me for Trump or Biden or their partisan cheering sections, who spent the days after the debate engaged in yet another game of “Well, he started it!”

What happened in Cleveland that night was the culmination of everything wrong with our politics and culture: The rudeness, lying, disrespect, threats, the inability to articulate a single actionable solution for what ails this country, or even to condemn what is plainly evil.

Two centuries ago, the French philosopher Joseph de Maistre observed: “Every nation gets the government it deserves.” That was never more true than during Trump-Biden I, where two cranks engaged in a mortifying shouting contest and America was the loser.

AROUND THE BLUHMIN’ TOWN

Laying the smackdown on television

BY JUDY BLUHM Foothills Focus Guest Columnist

I

t was a messy brawl that started with name-calling, gut punches and plenty of lies. OK, unvalidated, unverified “facts.”

When you see two grown men “going at it” with such venom, the stakes are clearly high.

I hate watching fights, but I felt forced to do it. The referee looked inept and unable to stop the train wreck that was unleashed before the viewing public. Fans were cheering for their “guy,” but it was mostly a sad affair.

So, what happened to friendly fighting?

Common decency? You know, the times when true opponents shook hands (preCOVID), smiled and respected each other.

Disagreement used to be OK. No hate. No personal attacks. Just stick to principles.

Explain your position and let the facts and reality determine the winner. Instead, the posturing, trash talking, interruptions and heckling have become the “new normal.”

Social media is a fierce firestorm of opinions and rudeness. The year’s biggest matchup, and folks will bicker over everything and only see what they want to see. We used to have a sense of decorum. Well, I am getting too old for this! Yikes, was it really necessary to have ambulances waiting in the wings

in case the loser had to be hauled off to the emergency room?

At the end of it all, there was blood and bruised egos; injuries to the body, soul and spirit. I only watched the spectacle because my grandson, Brandon, made me. He enjoys the WWE, so we couldn’t miss the pay-perview championship match. Geez, we paid for this? A combination of skill, trickery, luck and stamina crowned the winner. Oh, and the loser was carted off in the ambulance.

Maybe my grandson loves wrestling because, when he was a child, he played with action figures, fierce plastic men with freakish muscles who were replicas of stars in action hero movies. Now there is wrestling.

Storylines that get more unbelievable every year, big “stars” who parade around like gods or gladiators, finding extreme pleasure in pummeling their opponents. And then there is the trash talking and crazy display of bad behaviors. In the end, Drew McIntyre retained the world championship title.

Tired of the whole spectacle, I thought we would watch some television that might be more calming and educational. You know, like the presidential debate.

Judy Bluhm is a writer and a local Realtor.

Have a comment or a story? Email Bluhm at judy@judybluhm.com.

21

THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | OCTOBER 7, 2020

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THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | OCTOBER 7, 2020

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THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | OCTOBER 7, 2020

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THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | OCTOBER 7, 2020

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BUSINESS

THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | OCTOBER 7, 2020

Business TheFoothillsFocus.com

|

@TheFoothills.Focus

25

For more opinions visit thefoothillsfocus.com

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Cave Creek Distillery gets OK to make whiskey on-site

BY SARAH DONAHUE Foothills Focus Staff Writer

F

rom the Appalachian to the Sonoran Desert, Chris Chapman is planting his 250-year-old moonshine recipe in the heart of Cave Creek.

A former post office will soon be a fully operational distillery—Hillis and McGee Cave Creek Distillery—with tastings as well as basic distilling and advanced distilling courses. Guests can enjoy live music played by a bluegrass band each weekend. He plans to change the building as little as possible, preserving its classic old-school aesthetic, while still implementing the required proper safety measures.

“I grew up making whiskey,” Chapman said while sitting in the partially constructed distillery. “I grew up on a 250-acre tobacco farm out in the middle of Tennessee. Most of the counties in the south are dry, so you can’t buy liquor; so a lot of people still, to this day, make their own liquor.

“That’s what we’re doing here; we make 150-proof corn liquor.”

Chapman was given the go-ahead to make his family recipe on-site on September 21 after a unanimous vote from the town council. He expects the grand opening to be in January, as he still awaits federal approval, he said.

Those who want to join in on the fun of the grand opening can enjoy live bluegrass music as well as whiskey tastings, and root beer and sarsaparilla for those who don’t imbibe. There isn’t a kitchen, but snacks, like boiled peanuts, will be provided. It’s another Southern tradition Chapman is bringing to Cave Creek.

“I’m bringing a lot of my Appalachian culture here, because it fits perfectly,” Chapman said. The distillery’s monitor

Chris Chapman stands in front of what will soon be a major whiskey distributor for Cave Creek’s bars and restaurants.

Hillis and McGee Cave Creek Distillery is expected to open in January. (Photo by Sarah Donahue)

is made up of two family names that go back generations in Tennessee.

The whole block, including Big Earl’s Greasy Eats, will be a part of the opening day action, Chapman said. “We’re going to make a big deal about it.”

The distillery will also be a major source of whiskey for Cave Creek’s local bars, Chapman said. Many Cave Creek bars and restaurants already want to carry his alcohol or sarsaparilla and root beer.

“I’m really trying to work alongside everybody in town that will let me,” he said. “That’s our goal. We want to fit into the town completely. We want to be beneficial to everyone. We want to bring business to everyone else, not just us.”

Chapman has been in the building since last October. He submitted his applications for rezoning as well as a special use permit around March, but the

see DISTILLERY page 26

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BUSINESS

THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | OCTOBER 7, 2020

DISTILLERY from page 25

circumstances surrounding COVID-19 presented him with unexpected delays.

“I’ve had to learn a lot of patience,” he said. “I’m a go-getter. I love to work. I love to do things, to see things get finished. I’ve heard a lot of people tell me to go ahead and wait, and I’m just not used to that.”

Cave Creek’s town council wasn’t fully operational, due to the COVID-19 pandemic; however, after things started to pick back up recently, he was given the OK. Once he receives the rezoning and special use permit paperwork, that has to be submitted to the federal government to receive feedback or approval. Sometimes there are safety stipulations that have to be adjusted before approval, like assuring there are enough fire sprinklers and secure bars on all the building’s windows to protect the distillery and the building next door.

“I want the city to feel like I’m being safe, so I’m trying to go above and beyond with everything,” he said about the safety requirements.

Prices on Chapman’s whiskey range

What was once a post office will now be home to the fully operational Hillis and McGee Cave Creek Distillery. After receiving a unanimous vote from the town council, Chris Chapman will soon be able to distill whiskey on-site once he receives federal approval. (Photo by Sarah Donahue)

from $20 for a 4-ounce jar to $40 for a pint. Chapman said he is still trying to figure out the largest size that he is allowed to sell.

Once Chapman gets approval and receives his distiller’s permit, he can finish construction in the building, he said. He expects to build his 50-gallon still in less than a week, with copper supplied from a local fabricator.

As of now, he’s running the space with a food handlers card and a cottage permit, occasionally selling sarsaparilla, boiled peanuts, and retail items like T-shirts and beer koozies. He hangs out in the front room of the partially constructed distillery and keeps his door open for any curious Cave Creekers to learn what’s coming in the future.

Chapman made his way from a small town in Tennessee to Arizona around 10 years ago to be closer to his mom and brother, who lived in Phoenix.

He attended ASU to study cultural anthropology and found his way to Cave Creek after his friends took him to Big Earl’s.

After getting to know the bar owners

at Big Earl’s, he started to play music for them on a weekly basis, he said, establishing his presence in town with other business and landowners. He plays several instruments, but his primary choice is piano and sometimes mandolin.

He lives in Anthem but yearns to live in Cave Creek, he said.

“I’ve been trying to move here for years, and every time I find a piece of property, someone swoops in and gets it before I can,” Chapman said. “One day.”

Chapman has been carrying his family’s legacy of making whiskey for a long time, he said. After some friends tried some, they suggested he make a business out of it.

“Moonshine is very unique to us as a country,” he said. “It’s very unique to where I’m from in the South, and I just thought that history made a really cool fit with this town. I’ve just been running and gunning since day one. Never looked back.”

Hillis & McGee Cave Creek Distillery

6149 E. Cave Creek Road, Cave Creek 623-340-8353, hillismcgee.com

THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | OCTOBER 7, 2020

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DESERT ELITE FEATURES

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Ronnie Wainwright: getting close to nature What’s Your

BY SHEA STANFIELD Foothills Focus Contributing Writer

I

nspired by the majesty of the American West and the Alps, Scottsdale landscape painter Ronnie Wainwright interprets the land she loves with her adventurous style.

During these times of crises, each painting assures her viewers of the bounty of nature and the hope that flourishes in the wild lands she loves.

Wainwright has been a painter since early childhood, influenced by her mother, who was an accomplished oil painter and her first fine art instructor. Although she grew up in Yonkers, New York, she spent long and happy summers in the White

Mountains of New Hampshire, where she acquired an appreciation for the wonders of the natural world.

Wainwright was inspired for her first plein-air oils by those mirrored mountain lakes, tall majestic trees and rolling hillsides that characterize East Coast, forested areas.

Never losing her quest to preserve and share the landscapes she appreciated, Wainwright studied art in college and later in formal classes and in studio settings. She returned to her roots in plein-air painting by participating in workshops with painter Mark Farina on the Monterey Peninsula.

“Really” Worth Ronnie Wainwright paints in the great outdoors. (Photo courtesy Ronnie Wainwright)

WAINWRIGHT 480-770-2466 see

page 32

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FEATURES

THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | OCTOBER 7, 2020

KUMA’S ADVENTURES

Ocotillo Trail at Seventh Avenue A 501 (c) (3) Non-Profit Corporation

EIN 46-1474661

TO ALL DAISY MOUNTAIN VETERANS MEMBERS, RESIDENTS AND US ARMED FORCES VETERANS OF THE ANTHEM AND NORTH VALLEY AREA It is with heavy hearts that the Daisy Mountain Veterans organization in Anthem, AZ announces the cancellation of this year’s Anthem Veterans Day Parade that was to be held on November 7, 2020. In accordance with the CDC, Arizona Department of Health Services, and Maricopa County Public Health Department guidance, we, the Daisy Mountain Veterans, feel that it is best if the parade is cancelled for 2020.

Daisy Mountain Veterans, a 501(3) charitable organization, stages the Veterans Day Parade each year to recognize and honor all veterans of the US Military, as well as currently serving members.

While the parade will not be staged this year, we are still taking steps to recognize and honor veterans.

1. We are providing front yard signs that all veterans who live in our Anthem and North Valley service area may pick up and display in their front yards in the days and weeks leading up to Veterans Day (November 11, 2020). We will begin distributing the signs at our regular monthly meeting on October 8, 2020, 6:00 – 7:00 at the Anthem Community Council Building, 3701 W. Anthem Way, Anthem, AZ 85086. If you are a veteran or current service member please stop by and get one at no cost to you. Other places and times for distribution of the signs may be found on our website at www.daisymtnvets.org.

2. We will be providing a virtual presentation of the parade, using past years pictures and videos, that can be viewed both on our website, www. daisymtnvets.org, and as part of the Anthem Community Council’s tribute to veterans on Veterans Day. 3. Parade participants, we appreciate your involvement over the years.

We would like to share photos from previous parades on our social media to encourage our veterans. Please email photos that we can share to sponsors@ daisymtnvets.org. We hope to see years of community support and continue to share your appreciation with our veterans through social media this fall.

From all of us at Daisy Mountain Veterans, please be safe and healthy during these trying times and trust that you will join us for next year’s Anthem Veterans Day Parade on November 6, 2021.

3701 W. Anthem Way Suite 202 Anthem, Arizona 85086 www.DaisyMtnVets.org Thanks to Chris Gonzalez, All Western Mortgage, for donating this ad space.

TOLD BY KUMA AND WRITTEN BY LORRAINE BOSSÉ-SMITH Foothills Focus Contributing Writer

I

can’t believe we are coming up on six years since we have moved from Houston to Phoenix. How time flies!

My brother turned 18 years old in July, and I am 12 this month. What better way to celebrate than to do a local favorite: the Ocotillo Trail at Seventh Avenue?

The parking lot is off the Carefree Highway and Seventh Avenue and it’s free, with available restrooms. Dogs must be on a leash. Normally, we take a left just past the restrooms onto the Sidewinder Trail, but today, we went right onto the Ocotillo Trail. The loop is longer—about 5.2 miles—and moderate. Note: Even though temperatures are dropping, bring plenty of water for you and your pup. We got up really early to beat the heat, and remember, you should never hike with your dog when it is 100 or higher.

The trail starts by going around the parking lot and begins to follow Carefree Highway. You’ll have a little road noise, but it won’t last. This trail is very well marked and does have some rocky areas. Hey, it is the desert, after all. You will continue on the “O,” or Ocotillo Trail, for about 4.5 miles.

We’re very familiar with the area, but I was surprised how different things looked going the opposite direction. I could see our housing development from here! Cool. Anyway, the trail curves around and heads down a valley.

As always, keep an eye out for snakes.

We recommend that you allow at least three hours for this loop. It is popular with mountain bikers, so you will find yourself stepping aside often to let them pass. As you continue on, you keep taking lefts at any trail sign that says “O.” Don’t be tricked by a few false trails along the way. They are not marked and, therefore, are not part of the Ocotillo Trail. You will eventually come down to Dove Valley and be right alongside the paved bike/walking path.

Keep on the dirt path, though.

Then, you begin your climb back up. I must say, it felt really long. Mom and I hadn’t had breakfast, and we wished we had eaten

Kuma at the Ocotillo trailhead at Seventh Avenue.

something. We’re tough and pressed on during this steeper section. If you were to connect onto the “S,” or Sidewinder Trail, you would head over toward Apache Wash, and that would be a 13-mile loop.

You’ll see the cell tower as you make your way back toward Seventh Avenue. It is here (about 4.5 miles into it) that you will take your first right onto a little connector trail (not marked) that takes you to the paved tower road. Don’t worry if you miss it. If you stay on the “O” trail the entire time, it will take you back the way you came. If you take the connector trail to the tower road, it is a smidge shorter. If you’ve been to Seventh Avenue before, you’ll know that the road is all downhill back to the parking lot.

I was happy to find shade for a few minutes before we made our way back to the car. Mom and I certainly earned our breakfast. The Ocotillo Trail is very scenic and offers a little more challenging hike than the short loop. Options are always good, and you can pick what works best for you. Just say hydrated!

My mom, Lorraine Bossé-Smith, is kind enough to help me share my Great Adventures, big and small. My mom is a motivational speaker, corporate trainer, business consultant, executive coach, behavioral-wellness expert, and author of nine published books.

FEATURES

THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | OCTOBER 7, 2020

29

Valley native Lindsey Reiser follows her calling to NYC

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Foothills Focus Executive Editor

international baccalaureate program at Desert Mountain, and then majored in journalism and Spanish at ASU. While living at home, watching the evening news was a family tradition.

“My parents always had 12 on— Lin Sue Cooney and Mark Curtis,” she recalled. “There was just something that was really appealing to me. Math

M

SNBC anchor Lindsey Reiser said all journalists possess an inherent “curiosity.” Some call it being nosey—she contends it’s an insatiable thirst for knowledge.

“It’s nice to be able to turn that into a career,” the Scottsdale native said. “I have a distinct memory of the Twin Towers coming down and running to my parents and letting them know this is happening.

To this day, I still have a desire to be on that front line, writing that front line of history.”

Since joining MSNBC on January 7, Reiser has anchored extensive coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic—reporting from field hospitals, sharing the story of a COVID-19 survivor following a 128day hospital fight, and the early stages of reopening across America.

An Emmy-nominated reporter, Reiser has evolved from a weekend anchor on “Arizona’s Family” and reporting on border and immigration issues as well as public corruption and violence in Texas.

“I’m kind of covering the same stories in Arizona—people stories,” she said. “I see how the pandemic is affecting them.”

Always a Sun Devil A New York City resident, Reiser still looks back fondly on her time in the Valley.

“I’m a product of the Scottsdale Unified School District and ASU,” Reiser said proudly. “I grew up in 85260. My parents, though, have sold our childhood home

Scottsdale native Lindsey Reiser went from “Arizona’s Family” to MSNBC earlier this year. (Photo courtesy MSNBC)

and live in Cave Creek. They always love to tell me it’s 5 degrees cooler there.”

Reiser graduated from Desert Mountain High School. (“Go Wolves!” she interjects.) She graduated from the

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and science never were my strong suit.

I guess I decided my sophomore year of high school to go into journalism and it stuck.”

During her time at ASU, she interned at ABC 15 for three semesters, thanks to a scholarship through the Scripps company.

see REISER page 32

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OUR OFFICE IS MOVING!

FEATURES

THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | OCTOBER 7, 2020

We might be changing locations, but we aren’t going anywhere. You can expect the same committed support, but with a new view.

Aioli Gourmet Burgers We might be changing locations, but we aren’t going anywhere. You can expect the lays it on thick same committed support, but with a new view.

OUR OFFICE IS MOVING!

We might be changing locations, but we aren’t going anywhere. You can expect the same commited support, but with a new view.

John Kovach, Agent

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Foothills Focus Executive Editor

Bus: (623) 551-7900 MOVING! he owners of Aioli jkovach@amfam.com Burgers saw their g locations, but we aren’t going anywhere. You can expect the

T

Gourmet business decline more than 75% due to the COVID-19 pandemic, between port, but with a new view. theofbrick-and-mortar and food truck New Address as August 3, 2020 establishments.

So, they did what any entrepreneur ight be changing locations, but we aren’t going anywhere. You can expect the 3715 W Anthem Way do—they Suite 112opened another would committed support, but with a new view. location.

Anthem AZ 85086 Aioli Gourmet Burgers unveiled its We might be changing locations, but we aren’t going anywhere. You can expect the third location, in the former Caveman same committed support, but with a new view.

Burgers at 7th Street and Bell Road in North Phoenix, Labor Day weekend.

“We weren’t looking to expand during COVID,” co-owner Kyle Hollenbeck said.

“Our business is food trucks, catering We might be changing locations, but we aren’t going anywhere. You can expect the and the restaurants. Really, we had to get same committed support, but with a new view. creative during the pandemic. We were slated to do the LPGA, feeding 50,000 people. We had our trucks all booked.

Then March 17, the world stopped.”

Aioli Burgers didn’t have a presence in New Address as of August 3, 2020 American Family Mutual Insurance Company, S.I. and its Operating Companies, the North Valley, and the building offer

was “too good to be true,” Hollenbeck said.

“This was a turnkey location,” he added. “During this pandemic, we realized the things that stayed steady was our takeout and online ordering.

The restaurants were staying busy even though they couldn’t dine in. This is the new norm. People want fast-casual. We jumped on it.

“The owners offered to help us with rent. It’s an established location in a busy shopping center. We said, ‘Let’s do it.’ We opened on Labor Day and only signed the lease in July. We weren’t necessarily looking to open that many locations.”

The Aioli Gourmet Burgers stores have the same premise: juicy burgers ($8 to $10) with aioli—roasted garlic aioli, chipotle aioli, white truffle aioli, basil garlic aioli, green chili aioli, black pepper aioli or thousand island aioli. Then, there’s the choice of protein—custom burger blend, chicken breast ($1.50 extra) or Beyond Burger ($2.50 extra).

John Kovach, Agent

R OFFICE IS MOVING!

OUR OFFICE IS MOVING!

Bus: (623) 551-7900 jkovach@amfam.com

John Kovach, Agent

John551-7900 Kovach, Agent Bus: (623) OUR OFFICE IS MOVING! Bus: (623) 551-7900 John Kovach, Agent jkovach@amfam.com

New Address as of August 3, 2020

jkovach@amfam.com Bus: (623) 551-7900

New Address asjkovach@amfam.com of August 3, 2020

3715 W Anthem Way Suite 112 see BURGERS page 31 3715 W Anthem Way Suite 112 Anthem AZ 85086 3715 W Anthem Way Suite 112 Bus: (623) 551-7900 Anthem AZ 85086 Kovach, Agent New Address as of AugustJohn 3, 2020

American Family Insurance Company, 6000 American Parkway, Madison, WI 53783 014472 – 1/18 ©2018 – 12539633

3715 W Anthem Way Suite 112 Anthem AZ 85086 jkovach@amfam.com Anthem AZ 85086

New Address as of August 3, 2020 3715 W Anthem Way Suite 112 Anthem AZ 85086

n Family Mutual Insurance Company, S.I. and its Operating Companies, n Family Insurance Company, 6000 American Parkway, Madison, WI 53783 American Family Mutual Insurance Company, S.I. and its Operating Companies, – 1/18 ©2018 – 12539633

American Family Insurance Company, 6000 American Parkway, Madison, WI 53783 014472 – 1/18 ©2018 – 12539633

Company, S.I. and its Operating Companies, y, 6000 American Parkway, Madison, WI 53783

American Family Mutual Insurance Company, S.I. and its Operating Companies, American Family Mutual Insurance Company, S.I. and its Operating Companies, American Family Insurance Company, 6000 American Parkway, Madison, WI 53783 014472 – Company, 1/18 ©2018 – 12539633 Gourmet Burgers is helmed by chef Tommy D’Ambrosio, who was inspired by his grandmother, and having a huge Italian American Family Insurance 6000 American Parkway, Madison, Aioli WI 53783 family, cooking and eating was a big part of his life. (Photo courtesy Aioli Gourmet Burgers) 014472 – 1/18 ©2018 – 12539633

FEATURES

THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | OCTOBER 7, 2020

BURGERS from page 30

“My favorite burger is the Italiano,” he said. “It’s like a caprese salad in a burger. It has fresh mozzarella, tomato, applewood smoked bacon and basil garlic aioli with balsamic reduction.”

To go with the burgers, the stores offer burrata caprese or Aioli wedge salads; warm pretzel bites, three-cheese mac and cheese bites, Aioli’s fry flight, elote or homemade spicy fried pickle wedges.

The sides include golden French fries, sweet potato fries, signature loaded fries, roasted farm vegetables or beerbattered onion rings.

Twelve flavors of lemonade, along with milkshakes, floats and desserts, round out the menu.

In addition, Aioli Gourmet Burgers’ Seventh Street and Bell Road location features an art gallery showcasing a collection of works by award-winning Latino cartoonist John Carvajal. The collection includes Arizona-, food truckand burger-inspired pieces. All of the art on display is available for purchase.

Open since 2013, Aioli Gourmet

The New Mexico burger ($9) is topped with cheddar cheese, New Mexico hatch green chili and green chili aioli.

(Photo courtesy Aioli Gourmet Burgers)

Burgers started as a single food truck, quickly growing with the addition of one more food truck each year since then. The original restaurant location opened in 2016 at 32nd Street and Shea

Boulevard, off the 51. That location has served as the brand’s home base for the past three and a half years.

Year-over-year, the brand has more than doubled in size and sales with several other food truck concepts introduced, including Modern Tortilla and Oak Wood-Fire Pizza. The restaurant group’s portfolio boasts seven food trucks, two taco carts and a pizza cart, specializing in catering private events, birthdays and weddings.

The culinary direction is led by chef Tommy D’Ambrosio, who was inspired by his grandmother; and having a huge Italian family, cooking and eating was a big part of his life.

D’Ambrosio attended Culinary Institute of America and completed an apprenticeship at The Greenbrier in West Virginia before returning to his hometown in Phoenix to open Aioli Gourmet Burgers. Tommy opened Aioli with two of his childhood friends, Hollenbeck and Michael Cartolano.

“Tommy and I worked for the My Big Fat Greek Restaurant,” he said. “He wanted to work in the kitchen. He went

31

to the Culinary Institute of America, and I started doing sales for Yelp while they went public.

“I worked for Living Social. I was in the Daily Deals space. I was on the marketing side. Tommy was ready to move back here, and we took him to First Friday and said, ‘Look at what they’re doing here with food trucks. We could do this and make it really cool.’

That was in 2012 or 2013. He and his wife moved back here from working at The Greenbrier in West Virginia. He could have gone to any white linen, New York restaurant. Instead, we started up a food truck.”

The food truck business is picking up again, Hollenbeck said. The team is also looking at another location, perhaps in the East Valley.

“We keep getting asked to open in the East Valley,” Hollenbeck said. “We’re taking it one day at a time.”

Aioli Gourmet Burgers

430 E. Bell Road, Suite 103, Phoenix aioliburger.com

32

FEATURES

WAINWRIGHT from page 27

She continues to draw her inspiration from her hikes through Switzerland and Italy as well as the enchanting landscapes of northern New Mexico and the canyonlands of Utah.

Wainwright realizes, just as artists Thomas Cole and Charles Russell knew in the 19th century, the wild space and uninterrupted natural horizons are vanishing. Her goal is to educate the public in becoming more aware and involved with the land and its preservation.

Wainwright, with her late husband, Abbott, relocated to Arizona more than 20 years ago from the East Coast. The North Scottdale resident is an attorney; Heard Museum guild member; and member of the Desert Foothills Chapter of the Arizona Archaeology Society, the Desert Foothills Land Trust and the Sonoran Arts League.

Her children are artists as well. Her son, Michael, owns Michael Wainwright USA and is a ceramist, specializing in original designs of fine porcelain gifts and dinnerware (michaelwainwright.com).

Daughter, Lisa, is a professor of art history, theory and criticism at the School of the

THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | OCTOBER 7, 2020

Art Institute of Chicago.

Info: 9auntmil3@gmail.com Contact arts columnist Shea Stanfield at flowingquill@yahoo.com.

“Tsegi Canyon” in oils, by Ronnie Wainwright.

(Photo courtesy Ronnie Wainwright)

REISER from page 29

“It was a special internship,” she said.

“An internship is really what you make of it. I was kind of shy, but you have to get in there and say, ‘I want to help.’ It was a really good experience.”

Her first market was El Paso, Texas, where she worked for a year and a half as a multimedia journalist—she shot, wrote and edited her stories— covering border and immigration issues.

While there, she investigated public corruption, uncovered poor business practices and routinely reported on the violence across the border.

She returned to the Valley in 2011 and became the weekend anchor of KPHO/ KTVK, also known as “Arizona’s Family.”

Reiser took the job at MSNBC to live her dreams. She didn’t want to look back and wonder what else was out there.

“I wanted to scratch whatever itch I had,” said Reiser, who moved to NYC with her UA Wildcat wife, Kathy Clark. “I had an aunt who lived in New York City.

I always felt this spark when I was here.

“I have to pinch myself. The dream

isn’t without sacrifice. We have each other and we’re not sick of each other, but it’s somewhat isolating.”

Even at “Arizona’s Family,” she worked the weekends and loves it.

She calls herself a “weekend warrior,” with her days off as Wednesdays and Thursdays.

“But right now, in this craziness, a pandemic world, anything goes,” she said. “I can get a call on Wednesday or Thursday. Thursdays are when we pitch our stories. Fridays are when we have our rundown meetings.

“Weekends are the days I go into 30 Rock (30 Rockefeller Plaza), early in the morning.”

When she’s able to return to the Valley, she enjoys hiking Piestewa Peak, having ice cream at Churn Ice Cream in Downtown Phoenix, Mexican food at Ajo Al’s and walking through the Biltmore.

“I’m really lucky,” she said. “We do a weekly house party with an app and play games. That’s made a world of difference in feeling connected. I’m dorky and I like trivia. 2020 is an interesting year, to say the least.”

33

THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | OCTOBER 7, 2020

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FEATURES

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THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | OCTOBER 7, 2020

Autumnfest will be reimagined because of pandemic

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Foothills Focus Executive Editor

A

s a result of ongoing restrictions on large-scale events due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Anthem’s Autumnfest will move online this fall.

Virtual arts and crafts fair Anthem Community Council’s special events staff has reached out to arts and crafts vendors who have participated in Autumnfest the last two years to obtain websites, photos and details about their products. From October 16 to November 30, an online catalog will be posted on the ACC’s website so festivalgoers can peruse their goods.

“We know that many people come to Autumnfest with holiday shopping in mind,” said Debbie Pulidio, ACC special events manager. “This way, those who normally enjoy the event can shop online or reach out to vendors directly, in order to support the businesses they’ve come to know and love.”

Pumpkin picking A pumpkin patch will be set up in Community Park on softball field No. 4 from 3 to 7 p.m. Friday, October 23, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, October 24. Using Anthem’s online registration system, residents can reserve a timeslot. The patch will be split up into five smaller “mini patches,” and families will be asked to stay within one zone during their timeslot as they browse for pumpkins.

“This setup allows us to ensure that we can maintain social distancing protocol to keep everyone as healthy as possible, and also gives us the opportunity to order the perfect amount of pumpkins,” Pulido said.

Each registered Anthem household who visits the patch will receive two complimentary pumpkins, and kids will get foam face kits to decorate their pumpkins, as well as bagged popcorn and other treats.

“This is one small way that we can

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A pumpkin patch will be set up in Community Park on softball field No. 4 from 3 to 7 p.m. Friday, October 23, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, October 24. Using Anthem’s online registration system, residents can reserve a timeslot.

(Photo courtesy Anthem Community Council)

thank residents for sticking with us through this roller coaster of a year,” Pulido said.

If mandatory mask policies are still in place within Maricopa County on October 23 and October 24, residents will be required to wear masks during their scheduled time at the pumpkin patch.

Virtual pumpkin display For the past few years, the decorated pumpkin contest has been a growing favorite at Autumnfest, highlighting the creativity of residents and organizations in the community, said Kristi Northcutt, ACC public affairs director.

This year, a virtual pumpkin display will allow more people to participate, with pumpkins “on display” on the ACC’s social media accounts from October 16 to October 30.

The ACC announced these Autumnfest changes in August, based on several factors, including the carnival withdrawing from the event due to public health concerns, vendors being hesitant to register, anticipated reduced revenue from sponsors as a result of economic hardship, and the state’s restrictions on large gatherings (limited

to 50 people, as of press time).

“Critical lead time needed to plan the event was compromised due to the state’s restrictions on large gatherings,” Northcutt said.

“Permits, deposits, contracts and many other factors depend on longrange facts that we just don’t have. It is also our responsibility to help protect public health and ensure that we don’t contribute to community spread of COVID-19 by hosting a large-scale event that would draw thousands of people into Anthem. We’re as disappointed as we know our residents are, but we hope that our reimagined event offerings bring some joy to our one-of-a-kind community.”

For more information, visit onlineatanthem. com/autumnfest. The social media accounts are AnthemCommunityCouncil on Facebook and @AnthemAZCouncil on Twitter and Instagram.

FEATURES

THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | OCTOBER 7, 2020

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YOUTH

Youth TheFoothillsFocus.com

THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | OCTOBER 7, 2020

For more opinions visit thefoothillsfocus.com @TheFoothills.Focus

/TheFoothillsFocus

Deer Valley schools are #extraordinary

BY DR. CURTIS FINCH Deer Valley Unified School District Superintendent

J

ust when one thinks they know most everything there is about Deer Valley Unified School District, more great achievements become known. It is almost impossible to track all of the accomplishments students and staff achieve every year.

Year after year, DVUSD students and staff win hundreds of awards and are recorded on the district website to honor the hard work, dedication, teamwork and excellence. When parents ask why they should choose DVUSD, the best response is, “Your child can get there from here.” If the mili-

tary, a technical education, the most difficult university or the hardest/best job you can find is the goal, with DVUSD’s preparation, your child will be equipped to succeed.

Here are just some of the outstanding achievements by our students and staff for 2019-20. We can only imagine all of the regional, state and national awards we would have won prior to COVID-19 derailing the school year. Here is a sample of some of the awards for this past school year: • 11 students in the top 1% of ACT high scores of all test takers in the United States.

• 31 medals received by DVUSD students in the Arizona Academic Decathlon State Competition.

• DVUSD has 688 students with perfect AzMERIT assessments and 53 students

who scored perfect on the English language arts and math assessments.

• $63,257,955 in total scholarships offered to DVUSD seniors.

• Six National Merit Commended Scholars.

• State Boys Swim Champion, State Boys Wresting Champion, State Girls Wrestling Champion.

• Deer Valley High School captured Varsity Show Cheer State Championship and Varsity Co-Ed Show Cheer National Intermediate Title.

• Gavilan Peak captured Jr. High Small Show Cheer State Championship.

• Arizona English Language Learner Teacher of the Year, Eileen Nguyen, Esperanza.

• Arizona DECA Administrator of the Year, Jayme Fitzpatrick.

• Arizona State 6A ABODA Marching Championship, Mountain Ridge HS. • Arizona Special Education Driver of the Year, Sherry Curley Scrum.

• Arizona CTE Program of the Year, Barry Goldwater High School Culinary.

• Arizona Best-in-State Employers, Top 50 Business over 500 employees, Forbes Magazine.

• Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training

Corp (AFJROTC) at Deer Valley HS Distinguished Unit Award.

• AFJROTC at Sandra Day O’Connor High School Distinguished Unit with Merit Award and the Silver Star Community Service with Excellence Award.

DVUSD continues to rank as one of the best school districts in the state, year after year. The Deer Valley family takes great pride in being an outstanding school district dedicated to our local communities.

Our private and charter school friends come and go with profit margins, but DVUSD will always be here for you today and into the future. Excellence at the highest achievement and academic levels is found at Deer Valley Unified School District, the home of #extraordinary!

For a peek at all of the latest amazing achievements, go to dvusd.org/extra for some “extraordinary” highlights.

Dr. Curtis Finch can be reached at superintendent@dvusd.org and followed on Twitter at DrFinchDVUSD. His column appears monthly in The Foothills Focus.

BY JADYN FISHER Foothills Focus Contributing Writer

to a lack of productivity.

For teenagers, studies show that eight to 10 hours of sleep are ideal; and for adults, that number shifts to seven to nine hours, according to the Mayo Clinic. Having a solid sleep schedule builds a foundation to a successful day. Going to bed and waking up at the same time every day helps your internal clock and may lead to more restful sleep.

As tough as it may be sometimes, eating

A healthy mind is key to surviving the pandemic

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T

his year has been long and, for many, full of stress.

Routines might have been lost and morale may be down, but there are tons of little things you can do to make it a little more positive and enjoyable. Having a balance of a healthy mind and body is the key.

How I sleep makes a huge impact on my day. Especially over break, my sleep schedule started to become less consistent, which led

see HEALTHY MIND page 38

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THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | OCTOBER 7, 2020

‘The Great Salt Machine’ shares family’s story

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Foothills Focus Executive Editor

D

ynamite Mountain Ranch resident Tyler Hall heard a folktale that was passed down in his wife’s Polish family about how the ocean became salty.

He knew he had to write a book about it.

“The Great Salt Machine” (Amazon, $19.99) tells the story of a young deckhand and a scientist who are involved in one of the great mysteries of the ocean.

“My wife’s side of the family would tell this story,” Hall said. “I heard her tell my sons this one time. I thought, ‘Whoa, that’s a really interesting story. That would make a good children’s book.’

“I put together the basic story to the best of my ability. I did recruit a friend (Teresa Manzano), who I went to high school with.

She helped me clean it up a little as an editor.”

The Connecticut native recruited Valley artist Kris Anderson to illustrate the book, steampunk style.

“When I first interviewed him, I wanted him to have a vested interest in this,” Hall said. “I asked him what would be a good spin or angle and he came up with steampunk. It

HEALTHY MIND from page 36

well and getting exercise into your daily routine is also beneficial, no matter your age.

Walking outdoors and eating healthy food can make a difference in your mental state.

Exercising helps combat arthritis, blood pressure and diabetes, but it also helps with anxiety and depression by releasing endorphins, the Mayo Clinic reported.

Mental health plays such a large part in our day-to-day lives, and your mindset on daily tasks can completely change your day.

It is so easy to get wrapped up in negatives and a “fixed” mindset that it becomes difficult to see all the good in life. No matter how small, there is something to be happy about every day. Looking for these good things makes even bad days seem not so terrible.

Instead of being in a “fixed” mindset and only being able to see one side of things, try looking at the big picture or a “growth” mindset. For example, see little missteps as

looks Disney-ish, but it has a steampunk appeal with the images and characters.”

The actual publishing of the book proved to be tricky until he decided to self-publish through Palmetto Publishing Group in Charleston, South Carolina.

“I found out very quickly that winning the lottery may be easier than getting a book published,” he said. “It took four years and many struggles to bring the book to fruition.

“It’s really tough being a first-time author to get noticed. What I got back was there were too many words per page and the vocabulary was above the reading level of the book. But my spin on it was I wanted this to be a book that parents would read to children.”

The story rings true to what’s happening in the world, Hall said.

“I wanted to do something different, fun and outside the box that will make other people feel good,” he said. “To other people who don’t think they can do something, just go for it—just try something new.”

“The Great Salt Machine”

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