COMMUNITY
Devereux Arizona Receives Grant for Shade Structure By Tracy House For the kids at Devereux Arizona, having a shade structure over the basketball court is more than just a convenience as the summer months approach. The much-needed structure will provide a safe environment for the students who need to be protected from direct sunlight due to medications they take. Students at Devereux Arizona, a residential treatment center (RTC) in Scottsdale, receive help with emotional, behavioral and/or substance abuse challenges. An integral part of the program is playing sports. Lane Barker, executive director of Devereux Arizona, explained the facility was awarded a $75,000 Legacy Grant from the Finish Line Youth Foundation that will enable the RTC to build the shade structure. “We had a visit after we put in the application, one of the executives from the Finish Line, came out and did a sight inspection, spending half a day with us, talking to staff and touring the facility. It was a wonderful experience.”
The structure will cover the entire court. “The kids love using (the court),” Baker said. “It’s great exercise. It’s a great opportunity to learn a lot of important skills, like team building and cooperation, all working together toward one goal. Because of our weather, in July and August, it’s not so great to be outside on an asphalt basketball court with no shade on it.” With no indoor recreation space for the students, the covered court will serve many purposes at Devereux. It will allow for team-building exercises, a sports therapeutic program called Fit Club, and focusing on overall wellness for the students. Baker said, “We take a whole child and whole family approach to things and wellness, exercise builds self-esteem. Teamwork makes them feel like they belong, so it’s important for a number of reasons beyond the physical exercise.” Devereux, a 48-bed facility, serves youths between 5 and 17 years old. The average length of stay is four months. “We view our service as
A much-needed shade structure will be going up at Devereux Arizona, just in time for the summer months. The facility was awarded a $75,000 grant from the Finish Line Youth Foundation.
something that helps kids and their families get through a difficult time. Our philosophy is we don’t want to have any child stay with us any longer than he or she absolutely needs to,” Baker said. The goal is to return the child to the home environment. Taking a whole family approach, family engagement and involvement are critical to the youth’s success. The structure, measuring 95 feet by 50 feet wide and 16 feet high, should begin construction in March. “The goal is to get it all in place before the heat starts,” Baker said.
In addition to the shade structure, Baker mentioned that funding was provided from another source to resurface the court and put in a scoreboard and bleachers. “We are really excited to have the capability now to transform that into a cool sports complex. Kids can invite their parents, their families, to come and watch a game, and be comfortable and feel welcomed to do that.” Devereux Arizona has been in Scottsdale since 1967. To contact Devereux Arizona, visit www.devereuxarizona.org or call (480) 9982920.
THE MARKET UPDATE The Real Estate Market is Changing
By Jason Mitchell, Real Estate Professional The Mitchell Group Realty Executives uring the past three years, homeowners have found themselves surrounded by a booming market. Phoenix led the nation nine of 12 consecutive quarters in appreciation. Coming back from the abyss of our housing crisis, opportunities presented themselves for new homeowners, move up buyers and investors alike. Today, many homeowners are sitting on a decent amount of equity—can you believe it? With the economy continuing to push ahead and the ability to once sell a home again and not be upside down, inventories during the past six months have been climbing. In fact, it is the highest climb of properties since 2008. Are we in a bubble? No, we are not in a bubble. However, we are finding ourselves in a normalized market. Sellers must now have the mindset that properties are taking longer to sell. It’s important that you price your home competitively and do all that you can to make your home stand out from the rest. It is no longer a seller’s market. Be realistic, have a little patience and most importantly, have a great agent.
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February 15, 2015