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Serving the communities of Anthem, Desert Hills, Norterra, Sonoran Foothills, Stetson Valley, Tramonto, New River, Desert Ridge and North Phoenix
TheFoothillsFocus.com
INSIDE
This Week
NEWS ................. 6
Healing of Memories workshop Nov. 14
FEATURES ........ 23 Sandi Ciaramitaro crafts Arizona history
YOUTH ............. 27 Superintendent Dr. Finch looks back on school year
OPINION ................... 18 FEATURES ................ 23 YOUTH ...................... 27 CLASSIFIEDS ............ 30 Zone I
Anthem Area Edition
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28
Wednesday, November 3, 2021
Anthem seeks facility improvements ideas BY ALLISON BROWN Foothills Focus Staff Writer
A
nthem is accepting project proposals from community members for facility upgrades and improvements to be funded and built in the next five years or more. “We’re looking to see if the citizens of Anthem have any further ideas about facilities improvements that we might be able to pursue and that everybody can agree is a good project,” said Doug Sutherland, chair of the Anthem facilities master plan subcommittee. “The whole idea is to not only talk to
staff about ideas for physical improvements, but also people in our community and ask them what we are lacking and what we need to improve.” Community input is the second of four phases to update the facility master plan. It kicked off on Oct. 23 specifically to get input from residents at Autumnfest. Kristi Northcutt, senior director of community relations, explained the process and timeline applicants should expect. “They need to let us know by the end of December that they plan to submit a project, and then they have until the end of January to submit it,” she said. “Then, between the
beginning of February and the end of April is when the committee and our project staff will be evaluating the proposals and doing community meetings. Then our committee will present the initial report to the board in May.” Sutherland pointed out several previous project proposals that turned out to be great successes, such as the dog park, skateboard park and pickleball courts. Northcutt added those projects were successful because of the proposal’s details. She said they are looking for more than an idea and a name,
see FACILITY page 4
Unsung Vietnam War heroes: Flight attendants
BY ALLISON BROWN Foothills Focus Staff Writer
W
hen Anthem resident Melani Abbott joined Pan-American airlines in 1964, she was hired as a flight attendant. Besides serving hot towels and meals, she and the crew spent about two and a half years ferrying soldiers in and out of Vietnam during the war, and made sure they received more than first class service. “I was a flight attendant with Pan-American world airlines in 1965. Most people don’t know, but Pan-Am helped the government during the Vietnam War,” she said.
“They flew flights and only charged the government $1 per flight. We were taking soldiers in and out of Vietnam and we took them on their RNRs, we fed them filet mignon and all the ice cream and milk they could drink.” This was not the first time Pan-Am had assisted in a war effort, as it was involved in World War II and the Korean conflict. During the Vietnam War, Pan-Am made no profit from the services related to the war. While they only charged the government $1 a month, Pan-Am reports show the cost was
see
WAR HEROES page 4
Melani Abbott served as a flight attendant for Pan-American airlines during the Vietnam War. (Photo courtesy of Melani Abbott)
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