Open Doors Arizona - December 2018 by Jonathan Himlin

CONTENTS | DEC | 2018

06 06

SPOTLIGHT

Helping Animals Win Big in the New Year Five Ways to Help Local Homeless Animals When Adoption Isn’t An Option

HOME SERVICES

Getting the Most Out of Your New Holiday Devices

OUTDOOR SPACES

Plant Smart to Enjoy Your Best Yard Ever

CRAFT

Cinnamon Stick Ribbon Christmas Ornament

HAPPY HOUR

Dom Pérignon: The Incomparable Champagne

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SPOTLIGHT

Helping Animals Win Big in the New Year Brought to you by The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals® (ASPCA®) | www.aspca.org

As the year comes to a close, animals and the people who love them have much to celebrate. In state legislatures and city halls across the country, the ASPCA worked all year long to pass lifesaving bills—and defeat a few bad ones, too—all with the goal of making the U.S. a safer place for animals. Check out some of the wins the ASPCA and our Advocacy Brigade helped secure for animals in 2018. Keeping Pets and People Together The City Council of Springfield, Missouri, passed a local ordinance in October 2017 banning city residents from bringing new pit bulls into their homes. The ASPCA assisted the locally based Citizens Against BSL (breed-specific legislation) in educating Springfield citizens about the dangers of BSL and waging an onthe-ground campaign to repeal the ordinance via a question on the city’s August 2018 ballot. On Election Day, voters overwhelmingly voted to keep pets and families together, striking down the law by a margin of 68% to 32%. Just weeks later, after the ASPCA joined forces with local advocates, the Yakima City Council in Washington State followed suit and voted to repeal a 30-year-old ban on the ownership of pit bulls and pit bull-mixes in the city. In September, we worked to win a 13-0 vote from the Los Angeles City Council on a motion to create more pet-friendly housing in the city, helping more families avoid the impossible choice between their pets or a roof over their heads. Cracking Down on Cruel Dog Breeding Last spring, the puppy mill industry once again pushed for special protections in Georgia and Florida that would have stripped local governments of their ability to regulate the sale of cruelly bred dogs in their communities, invalidating existing bans and

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preventing communities from enacting similar bans in the future. ASPCA staff and advocates engaged in both states to block them, and we are pleased to report that lawmakers stood their ground for humane animal treatment. The Georgia Senate rejected repeated attempts by the puppy mill industry to attach its harmful language to unrelated bills, and the Florida Constitutional Revision Commission’s Local Government Committee unanimously voted to reject Proposition 95.

We worked closely with the Atlanta City Council to pass an ordinance prohibiting the retail sale of puppies and kittens in pet stores. They joined eight other Georgia cities that have banned pet store sales of commercially bred puppies and kittens in an effort to protect consumers, animals and public health. Maryland took a historic stand against puppy mills when Governor Hogan signed a new law banning the sale of dogs and cats

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SPOTLIGHT

in pet stores statewide. We worked at the outset of their effort to ensure that the law encourages pet stores to partner with rescues to adopt out homeless animals. In New York, the State Legislature passed—and Governor Cuomo signed—a bill we spearheaded outlawing pet leasing of dogs and cats, making New York the third state in the nation to ban these deceptive, predatory financing schemes. New York follows California and Nevada, both of which outlawed the practice in 2017. Helping Shelter Pets Florida’s Governor Scott signed legislation we helped craft requiring shelters and humane organizations that accept lost/stray dogs and cats to employ reasonable procedures that better help them quickly and reliably return lost pets to their families. While many animal shelters in Florida already have these commonsense policies in place, statewide minimum standards will be crucial in ensuring more lost pets in Florida are able to return home. Governor Brown signed a new law we developed to help California’s shelter pets by allowing rescue organizations to forgo the state’s three-day waiting period and immediately pull kittens and puppies under the age of eight weeks from shelters and place them

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with organizations or foster caregivers that have greater capacity to provide care, making it more likely that these animals experience happy and healthy outcomes. Currently, the Bronx and Queens—home to nearly 3.6 million New Yorkers—have only “animal receiving centers,” which don’t provide shelter, medical or adoption services to homeless animals.

Our long-term goal has been for every borough to have these resources in place and we have been vigorously pressing for legislation mandating it. In June, the New York City Council passed critical legislation requiring full-service animal shelters in each of its five boroughs by July 1, 2024. Last month, the Council made its first steps toward breaking ground by approving the new site for the Bronx Animal Shelter. Fighting Cruelty Public animal-abuser registries tend to do more harm than good. These databases create a false sense of security but may actually decrease the prosecution of serious animal cruelty cases. The ASPCA lobbied against—and Governor Malloy vetoed—a well-intentioned but misguided bill to establish an animal-abuser registry in Connecticut, instead allowing law enforcement and animal control agencies to continue to focus on preventing cruelty before it occurs. We led the charge for a new law in Florida to strengthen protections for animals by allowing judges to issue “no contact” orders to people who have been found guilty of aggravated animal cruelty. The Indiana State Legislature recognized the link between domestic violence and animal abuse and worked with us to pass a law permitting Child Protective Service and Adult Protective Service workers to report suspected animal abuse, opening the door for greater abuse intervention and helping more animals get the help they need.

On Election Day, Florida voters passed Amendment 13 to end Greyhound racing by December 31, 2020, making it the 41st state to ban the cruel practice. The ASPCA was one of many organizations working for this victory and applauds Grey2k USA Worldwide for their leadership in this campaign. There are still 17 dog tracks operating in the U.S., 11 of which are in Florida—where a racing dog dies every three days. The passage of Amendment 13 ensures that thousands of dogs will no longer be forced to race and can be adopted into loving homes. California voters approved Proposition 12, a measure requiring cage-free housing and more space for factory farmed veal calves, mother pigs and egg-laying hens. Prop 12 further mandates that any veal, pork or eggs produced elsewhere and imported into the state must come from farms meeting these higher-welfare standards. The ASPCA was part of the national coalition of groups working in partnership with state-based groups to ensure Prop 12 became law. Thank you for helping us win big for animals in 2018. There’s still so much work to be done for animals—and we can’t do it without you! Please join the ASPCA Advocacy Brigade to stay up-to-date on animal-protection legislation and learn how you can make a difference for animals in your state and community.

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SPOTLIGHT

Five Ways to Help Local Homeless Animals When Adoption Isn’t an Option By ASPCA President & CEO Matt Bershadker The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals® (ASPCA®) | www.aspca.org

Many people think animal rescue mostly involves adopting homeless animals. But while the 3.2 million shelter adoptions taking place each year are a critical part of helping these vulnerable animals survive and thrive, that’s certainly not the only way to make a lifesaving difference. Animal welfare organizations, for example, take many different approaches depending on their reach and resources, including relocating animals to places where their chances for adoption are higher, rehabilitating victims of cruelty and neglect to make them more adoptable and helping low-income pet owners keep their pets by making veterinary services more affordable and accessible. But individuals and entire communities can also impact at-risk animals in ways that don’t require a permanent commitment, so please consider and share some of the wide-ranging ideas below to help animals in need. Fostering Animals—working with local shelters to take these animals into your home and care for them on a temporary basis— serves many goals. It eases the animal care burden on shelters, helps socialize young animals, protects animals from potential diseases and stress and exposes them to new networks of potential adopters. Fostering is also a good way to try out pet ownership without the life-long commitment. Fostering is especially important during kitten season, the annual high-breeding period that runs through spring and summer, and even individual impact could be huge. We estimate that one foster home could potentially save 20 kitten lives over the course of a single season. Each shelter may have unique fostering procedures and expectations, so ask about their programs in advance to ensure a good match for your situation. Volunteering If you have free time during the week or weekend, ask your local shelter how you can help. Meaningful support can include anything from walking and reading to animals, to cleaning cages and helping with office work, social media and adoption drives. Many shelters need help with adoption events they host on weekends. Children above a certain age can also volunteer their time individually or as part of community organizations—animals will always appreciate extra affection.

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Donating Supplies Whether your local shelter is large or small, staff there will appreciate contributions of vital supplies including food, towels, toys, blankets, newspapers and crates. Call ahead (and check their social media sites) to discover what items are most in demand so you’re offering the greatest assistance given their specific and seasonal needs. Advocating for Animals According to a survey we recently published, local animal shelters and rescue groups are increasing their use of social media to promote their animals and mission, and seeing higher levels of community support as a result. You too can also harness your own social platforms to be an effective advocate for animals, shelters, and animal welfare issues. Take inspiration from this month’s designation as Adopt a Shelter Dog Month and find a dog (or cat) available for adoption at your local shelter (it may already be one of the more than 500 groups participating in our #FindYourFido national campaign). Act as his or her publicist by posting photos, descriptions, and videos. You can also learn about key local, state and federal animal welfare issues and legislation by visiting our ASPCA Advocacy Center, where you’ll find ways to support measures that help at-risk animals survive and thrive, as well as fight actions and proposals that put them in further jeopardy. Financial Support Because caring for homeless animals can quickly drain a shelter’s limited resources, local shelters rely on their communities for financial support. You can help by donating funds, hosting a funding drive or turning celebrations and events into charitable opportunities for local animals. Many people support local shelters and animal welfare organizations by asking for donations in lieu of birthday or other gifts. Local and national organizations serve very different purposes and have different capabilities, so investigate each and offer support in a way that has the most meaning to you. The Bottom Line Approximately 6.5 million companion animals enter U.S. animal shelters nationwide every year, of whom approximately 1.5 million are euthanized. That number is thankfully dropping, but at-risk animals in your community still need your help. Every act of fostering, volunteering, advocacy and support can make a difference, so whether adoption is in the realm of possibility or out of the question, I hope you connect with a commitment that’s right for you and best for an animal in need.

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HOME SERVICES

Getting the Most Out of Your New By Jackie Urdahl and Bradly McComb, Zona Communications Inquiries should be directed to 623.455.4500 / www.zonacommunications.com.

It’s that time of year again. The air is crisp, the days are shorter, and new gadgets are about to make their way into homes across the country. Having the best out of the box experience for those devices takes a little preparation and a few key things to keep in mind. First, does the device need a wireless internet connection (Wi-Fi)? Second, how old is that router (the Wi-Fi generator) hiding in the corner? And finally, think about the internet connection speed you subscribe to from your internet service provider (ISP). More connected devices equal more speed (bandwidth) needed. Many, seemingly if not all, devices these days have some sort of ability to connect to the internet. Most use everybody’s favorite way to connect to the internet, the one kids can’t seem to live without, Wi-Fi! Wi-Fi travels through your router on radio bands that act like invisible highways. Each band is a different lane, keeping data on separate routes to avoid congestion. The wireless router then converts the data into radio signals and broadcast it to Wi-Fi capable devices such as tablets, streaming devices, security systems, smartphones, game consoles or any other device that operates with Wi-Fi. *** TIP: You should always protect your wireless system with a password to avoid strangers from gobbling your bandwidth and potentially accessing your personal files. The routers role is to connect and orchestrate all the comings and goings of data in the house and should be considered one of the most important devices in a home network setup. It works best when it is out in the open and free of interference. Wireless routers generally have a limited transmission. If you have a big home and your router is installed on one side of your house, you might experience difficulties accessing the network from the other end of the house. Often this unsung hero gets hidden away in a closet or TV entertainment hutch which can cause network connection issues

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and devices to slow down. Both your range and speed are determined by the wireless standard in use. Every few years, the industry standard oversight committee, IEEE, releases a new set of standards to the world to increase the performance, range, speed etc. of Wi-Fi devices including routers. The technical term for these standards can be a bit of a mouthful and confusing to keep up with - 802.11g, 802.11n, 802.11ac the list seems to go on and on. Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) is the most common standard in routers and devices right now. A modern dual-band router with the latest standards can operate on both the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequencies. Because certain devices demand more bandwidth than others, your router’s efficiency depends on the number of bands it has—single or dual-band. A two-lane highway (or dual-band router) has one 2.4 GHz and one 5 GHz channel to support more simultaneous users. It’s important to know what to look for in a router, because like most people, you’re probably due for an upgrade. Most households have wireless routers that are a few years old. With each passing year, more connected devices join your home Wi-Fi network, putting more stress on that outdated router. In fact, you should replace your router every two years to stay current with advances in Wi-Fi technology.

w Holiday Devices

Lastly, the speed or bandwidth package you subscribe to from your ISP can play a key role in the connected device experience. Thinking of your internet service like a water pipe can help illustrate this. The larger the pipe, the more water, or in our case data, can flow through it at any given time. Of course, it’s not always recommended to rush out and buy the biggest pipe (bandwidth) available if the faucet (device) can’t handle that much water! Keep in mind, the bandwidth your ISP promises to deliver isn’t a per-device floor or ceiling—it’s the total bandwidth available for your internet connection. That means it’s shared among all the devices on your network. If you have a plan offering download speeds of 50Mbps and upload speeds of 10Mbps, for instance, and you have five devices connected to the internet, you could say each device might see a maximum download speed of 10Mbps and a maximum upload speed of 2.0Mbps.

At first thought, you might think your internet connection seems to be the bottleneck to the internet. If your ISP is delivering up to 500Mbps of bandwidth, you’d think that your home internet network could easily handle it, but sometimes that’s just not the case. This is especially true when you have many devices on the network, particularly Wi-Fi connected devices. Talk with your local internet provider. Let them be a partner in a successful broadband experience. An assessment of your internet speed and connected devices can help to make sure you are getting the best experience possible. Keeping these three key points in mind this holiday season will make that new gadget experience that much better. The standard of Wi-Fi, the router and the speed at which the data is flowing into and out of the home all add up to make for an awesome connected device experience.

The manner in which your internet bandwidth is distributed depends on your router and the demand from each device. You might not need super-fast speeds for every device or online service, but the quicker any device is served by the router means the more time it has to serve the other devices on the network. Thus, increasing the speeds of just one device could have an impact on the others.

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OUTDOOR SPACES

Plant Smart to Enjoy Your Best Yard Ever By Anesia St. Clair Anesia is a licensed contractor and owns Pure Patio, a design center and retail store in Goodyear, Arizona.

Growth in our landscape is fairly minimal over the winter, but early spring is one of the best times to plant new, revive old, and plan for upgrades in your yard. Now is the time to take inventory of what is working and what is not in your yard. Here are some quick pointers to get you ready for the prettiest spring and summer yard you’ve ever had. Watch for frost Yes, we can have frost here! If we’re going to get frost, it’s most likely to be in December, January, or February. The severity of the frost depends on how many hours the temperature stays low. Sometimes a quick dip in the middle of the night doesn’t affect our plants at all. Ironically, many of our desert-adapted plants are frost hearty. Tropical and high-water use plants are generally the most susceptible to damage, but some of our main staples like bougainvillea suffer pretty easily as well. Signs of frost damage are dark or purple foliage or leaves that are wilted after a cold night. This wilting is sometimes confused for thirst, but most established shrubs don’t actually need any irrigation all winter. Watering after frost doesn’t benefit the recovery. When you see frost damage, just leave the plant alone. You want to keep the frost-damaged greenery on the plant as it will protect it if we have another frost. Once all danger of frost is gone in March, you can prune away the damaged foliage. Depending on the thickness of your stems and the severity of the frost, your plant may grow new leaves on the existing stems and pruning may not be necessary. This is handy if you have something large that you

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don’t want to trim back, or a vine that has crawled up a structure or woven into a trellis. Keep it in tact and it may re-foliate. You will see early in the spring if leaves grow back or if new stems sprout from the base. Size matters Note shrubs that are too close together, encroach upon a walkway or driveway, or overpower an area. Take advantage of an opportunity to minimize your maintenance burden and think of “right plant, right place.” Your plants should fit the space when unpruned. This will allow you to enjoy their blooms without having to fight off their size. Plan to eliminate plants that need regular

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trimming in order to look good and opt for smaller varieties that can look good all the time. When at the nursery selecting plants, ask how big the plant gets. A pre-printed tag may provide a size thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s accurate for a location other than here. You want a local expert to tell you the size of the plant here. The size given will be the mature size, without pruning. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re told 5-6 feet, ask if that refers to height, width, or both, and know that keeping it to 3 feet will be struggle.

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OUTDOOR SPACES

Revitalize mature plants Plants that don’t lose their leaves develop imperfections, suffer pest or sun damage, become unshapely from sun/shade changes due to seasons and nearby plants, and can have breakage from wind. Most species can be revitalized by cutting them back significantly in early spring. Common examples of plants that respond well to major cutbacks are oleander, Texas sage, lantana, British ruellia, bougainvillea, red bird of paradise, heavenly bamboo, and orange/red/yellow bells. Give these plants a deep watering of three hours on drip irrigation, cut them back, and watch them sprout with brand new growth within a week or two. The end of February to early March is a great time to complete these plant renovations. Change your annuals: Annuals provide instant color and can brighten up pots and small spaces. Your winter annuals will start to look overgrown by spring. When temperatures heat up, they will die altogether. You’ll need to plant summer annuals well before the heat arrives so their roots can be deep and developed by then. Any new annuals you find in the stores will be in season when they arrive.

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When at the nursery selecting plants, ask how big the plant gets. A pre-printed tag may provide a size that’s accurate for a location other than here. You want a local expert to tell you the size of the plant here.

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OUTDOOR SPACES

When you pull out the old winter annuals, be sure to turn over the soil in the planting area. Mix it up and plan to add new potting soil to the mix. Adding sulfur granules to the soil will benefit the annuals with a healthy kick start as they establish. Irrigate conservatively Plants are largely over-watered, and especially so in winter. Irrigation combined with our winter rains and cooler weather can leave your plants wet all winter long. You may not know this unless you dig a hole and see how moist the soil is. Plants like to dry out between being watered. Extra water can create stress and open the door for disease and pest infestation. Turn your irrigation off completely and give your shrubs a chance to dry out. Decreasing or eliminating supplemental water over the winter can cause your plantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s roots to grow deeper and better prepare the plant for the heat ahead. Frequent irrigation or constant-wet conditions can train the roots to stay shallow and rely on receiving more water. Your shrubs will show signs of stress when they need water. Unless you renovate or we receive no rain, you can leave your irrigation off until April. Your first irrigation cycle should be long and deep, like all irrigation cycles. I recommend no less than three hours of irrigation run time per watering. The frequency of watering will start with once or twice in April then gradually increase as needed through the hottest months. The frequency will then taper off in reverse in September and October.

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Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy! These first quarter months are fabulous in our parts. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re spending as much time outside as possible before summer, give yourself the prettiest view you can in your own back yard. A little tweaking and primping can go a long way, with spending little to no money. A few needed plant replacements may be a minimal investment that pays for itself with reduced maintenance later on.

CRAFT

Cinnamon Stick Ribbon Christ By Vanessa Coppola Visit www.seevanessacraft.com for more crafts and recipes.

The most wonderful time of the year is finally here and we are decking the halls! Plug in your glue gun and craft up a cinnamon stick Christmas ornament. Not only will the ornament look cute on your tree, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll also smell delicious! Start a new tradition and make one handmade ornament every year in your family. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll love looking back at your sentimental creations. INGREDIENTS Cinnamon Stick Thin Green Ribbon Red Button Twine Hot Glue

INSTRUCTIONS

Step 1: Tie 4 pieces of green ribbon on a cinnamon stick. Step 2: Trim the ribbon to look like a tree shape. Step 3: Hot glue a short piece of twine to the top of the cinnamon stick to use as a tree hanger. Step 4: Hot glue a red button to the top of the cinnamon stick. Step 5: Hang on your tree and enjoy the cinnamon scent!

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tmas Ornament

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HAPPY HOUR

Dom Pérignon: The Incomparab By Ed McCarthy You can find more reviews from Ed McCarthy and other talented writers at www.winereviewonline.com.

Eight years have passed since I wrote my last column on Dom Pérignon for Wine Review Online. After a recent visit two weeks ago to the historic Hautvillers Abbey of the Benedictine monk, Dom Pierre Pérignon--now owned by LVMH, the parent company of Moët & Chandon--it is time to write another column on arguably the world’s most renowned wine, and certainly its most famous Champagne. Let’s get out of the way a question that I hear often about DP (as it is called): “Isn’t it overrated”? My answer is a distinct, “No, it is not overrated, but you might be drinking it too soon.” Like almost all great wines, Dom Pérignon needs time to mature and be at its best--especially in the better vintages. (As my tasting notes suggest, some vintages are fine to drink just a few years after release). Cuvée Dom Pérignon (the 1921, a legendary vintage in Champagne), was first introduced to the world on New Year’s Eve, 1936, at a grand ball in New York City. Dom Pérignon was a hit from the beginning, especially in the U.S.A., its biggest market. But it is known throughout the world. About 30 years ago, I was fortunate enough to drink the 1928 Dom Pérignon, another superb vintage. It is clearly one of the best Champagnes I have ever tasted. Yes, a good vintage of Dom Pérignon can live for 50 years or more, if well stored in a cool cellar. The current caretaker of Dom Pérignon is Richard Geoffroy, the chief winemaker, or Chef de Cave, as they are called in France. Geoffroy is actually an MD, but has never practiced medicine. His family members were grape growers in the Côte des Blancs region of Champagne, and the call to the vineyards of Champagne

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was too strong for Geoffroy to ignore. Medicine’s loss, but Champagne’s gain: Geoffroy is Champagne’s most renowned winemaker. In fact, he is now in charge of all of Moët’s wines, but Dom Pérignon is Geoffroy’s personal baby. I have known Richard Geoffroy from the time he first took over DP nearly 30 years ago--the first vintage of Dom Pérignon he made was the 1990--and I have been lucky enough to have enjoyed many amazing DP tastings with him at the original Abbey of Hautvillers, where the good Dom was cellar master. Moét-Hennessy’s policy is to not reveal the volume of Champagnes it makes, probably in recognition of a common fallacy that large numbers of wines and top quality cannot co-exist. We do know that Moët & Chandon, the world’s largest Champagne house, produces 30 million plus bottles annually. My guess is that Moët makes about four million bottles of Dom Pérignon annually; it could be more, it could be less. In my mind, this production makes Geoffroy’s work at Dom Pérignon even more amazing. Two weeks ago, I joined Geoffroy at the Abbey. He was tired, having just arrived from abroad that morning. But he revived, and laughed and joked as usual.

ble Champagne We began by tasting the last seven vintages of Dom Pérignon, from 2009 to 2002, excluding the 2008, which has not been released yet. Geoffroy noted, “I usually don’t believe in skipping vintages, but 2008 is so good that I decided it needs more time to mature.” (I heard about the 2008 all that week as I visited other Champagne houses. Jean-Baptiste LeCaillon, head winemaker at Louis Roederer and its Cristal, went so far as to say it will even be better than the great 2002 vintage.) Dom Pérignon includes a much smaller quantity of Rosé Champagnes. While Dom Pérignon retails in the $150 to $170 range upon release, the Dom Pérignon Rosé retails for $300 or more, depending on the vintage. Richard Geoffroy states that his goal in producing Dom Pérignon is to make a wine of elegance, finesse, and perfect balance, not one of power. Usually medium-bodied and subtle In most vintages, DP is typically composed of 50 percent Chardonnay and 50 percent Pinot Noir. Geoffroy uses grapes from about six Grand Cru Villages (both from the Côte des Blancs and Montagne de Reims sub-regions, and from one Premier Cru in Hautvillers. In 2000, Geoffroy began the Oenothèque program at Dom Pérignon. His idea was to put away a certain portion of the better vintages of DP and release them when he thought they were ready to drink. Geoffroy explains that in his opinion Dom Pérignon has three stages of development: The First Pléntitude: When just released; drinkable, but young. The Second Plénitude: hen Dom Pérignon has reached its peak. The Third Plénitude: When DP is fully mature. Geoffroy explained that the concept took about three years to catch on, but now Oenothèque Champagnes are thriving in the market. I have tasted DP’s Second and Third Plénitude Champagnes on a number of occasions, and I am a convert. Aged in Dom Pérignon’s cellars in Epernay and late-released, the wines are significantly better than when first released. This is a brilliant way to drink Dom Pérignon. But it comes at a price, of course. Second Plénitude Dom Pérignon retails for about twice the price of just-released DPs, and Third Plénitude Doms range from three to four times the price of just-released DPs. Of course, if you were thoughtful enough to buy and save Dom Pérignons in a cool cellar, you can save that extra money. I own a few older bottles (1996; 1998), but I drank most of my older DPs long ago. I suspect most Champagne drinkers have done the same.

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